Hog Hill Summer Series

[MattD]

First outing at Hog Hill for the start of the Summer Series .

For those that don’t know this is a purpose built 2 k circuit , designed to be a full on replication of a roller coaster ride !

It is fast , technical , and ends with an almighty kick at the finish. For me it is by far the most exhilarating outdoor circuit , less severe than Crystal Palace , but wonderfully demanding , with fast swooping bends that force you to overcome the limitations you believe you and your bike have in keeping upright at speed !

44 riders started the Cat 3/4 event , and from the start you immediately descend a fast swooping left hand bend , and as you hit over 30mph , the bend kicks around to the left , - touch your brakes , and your either spat out the back of the pack , or you’ll cause an almightily domino affect .Then you immediately climb …. Over the rise you then descend maxing out 45 mph - no pedalling needed as the descent is so steep and long … making sure you keep the slipstream , as you enter a glorious right hand bend taken without breaking , keeping your line …then continuing right around a 90 degree bend , immediately followed by a full on left hair pin bend …this is where the elastic effect is felt the most ….loose the wheel as you hit the apex , and your digging into your box of matches , and the first lap isn’t even over yet ! .

After the hair pin we are now winding up for the onslaught of the Hog ….. depending on the mood of the bunch your either slung out in a thin line , chanting a mantra of hold on …. the onslaught will end soon , or your ‘ll see some holding tactics , whilst a fellow rider will sling shot past to go for glory up the steep hill to the finish .

The hill is a blinder of a circuit design …. The gradient steepens as you progress, with a false summit before the eventual finish - Evil !

Tactics this week were fairly rudimentary – just hold on to the train ! . As each lap progresses, each incline becomes steeper , each descent seems to become faster , and the HR slowly creeps towards maximum on the climb to the finish . The last 20 mins was just a case of holding on to the peleton as long a possible ….. you never know when the elastic is finally going to snap , but I was determined to finish,

Lots of riders appeared to be on the edge during this last phase , either demonstrated by the desperate lunges to move up a few places , riders loosing their line on swooping bends , or as I experienced co-ordination DISAPPEARING.

I realised on the last but one lap that co-ordination was going with some of my fellow rides when , with all riders out of the saddle up the Hog , a rider clipped my rear wheel , and I looked around to see a fall that resembled a cartoon character who had just realised he had run off the edge of a cliff .

Last lap I made a tactical error as I was positioned too far back to make any real impression on the results, and as much as I wanted to fight for a position I seemed to hit treacle half way up the final climb – So 17th this week – Roll on next week !

[Toks]

Nice one Matt, love the description

[Sylv]

[quote="MattD"] So 17th this week – Roll on next week !

[Snoop Doug]

[quote="Toks"]Nice one Matt, love the description

[Grahame]

Good write up.

It's even more fun on Wednesday nights for the Beastway MTB series for the next 9 weeks.

[MattD]

Week 2 at Hog Hill .

Lovely clear skies , enabling a full 180 view of London from the start at the top of Hog Hill.

As usual the roller coaster ride started with a blistering acceleration … no matter how focused I am at the start it is always a shock to the system. unless your right at the front the whip lash affect kicks in straight away on the first 90 degree bend , but over the first rise I could tell that this was going to be a more enjoyable experience , with hopefully less feathers spat out my the end of the race ! .

The race unfolded in the usual manner for a crit at Hog Hill … a few live wires going on the attach during the hours racing , only to be slowly pulled back in by the collective will of the masses . I am still part of the pack fodder , content at the moment to sit in during most of the lap , then, with no choice in the matter, compelled to dig deep into my reserves up the 2 main drags.

But this is the appeal for me of this particular circuit - crit racing that pushes your handling skills to the fore so that you can keep with the pack without wasting energy , and a challenging combinations of undulations that yoyo my HR around threshold .

For certain riders at HH the course stretches their handling skills to the limit , and beyond ! . One such rider approached some of the fast corners as if there was an oil slick on the apex , and convinced that if he stuck his knee out he’d go faster . After about half an hour , the imaginary oil slick got the better of him , and he was lying flat on his back cursing the designer of the circuit ! . But low and behold on the next lap he was up and running ( so to speak ) with some added ventilation at the back of his shorts …. And yet he didn’t learn his lesson , as 2 laps later he was eating grass on the same bend !

As predicted this week I felt stronger , less focused on just hanging in there , starting to be alert to the key riders in the race ….( or jokers in the pack ) . With 3 laps to go I knew I had more in reserve than the previous week , I was mindful to make sure I was moving towards the front , and by the last lap I was well positioned approaching the last hill …..unfortunately there was a back marker to lap at an inopportune moment , and this caused complete mayhem , with a few carbon footprints created on the asphalt , before I was belatedly able to attempt my slow mo sprint ….bagging one place up on last week !!!

[Toks]

keep the write ups coming Matt. I'll try and join you next week

[EdO]

Nice write up Matt. Keep up the effort.

[MattD]

Week 3 @ Hog Hill

Again a lovely clear evening with a healthy cross wind to keep all riders on thier toes

A day in the office was only made bearable by the diversion tactics of ensuring I was fully carbed up for this evenings race, at the same but making sure i didn’t over compensate, and end up bloated on the start line feeling like its Sunday afternoon !

Approach for this week was to try and improve tactically on last week, and maybe try for a couple of extra places on my finish …. At the rate of my current improvement I am going to run out of weeks before I get my first every victory!

The first quarter of the race was uneventful, just getting into my stride, trying to conserve energy, finding the best lines, trying the odd moves up the peleton, and keeping up my concentration. All you need is one lap to loose your concentration, and you suddenly find yourself at the back of the pack, wondering why it has suddenly got harder!

After about 25 mins , again feeling more comfortable than last week, I though I’d try and move right up to the front , paying particular attention to keeping my line , and not elicit any expletives from the bunch ! . Feeling stronger on the climb to the finish I moved up on the inside, and rode over the line in the first 10 riders . During first swoop I was able to maintain more momentum, and over the first rise I was now at the head of the pack … unknown territory ! .

Descending the long drag at speed I was in my element , only one other rider ahead of me , and into the fast right hander ….wooh what’s this ..… I have so much more speed coming into this corner …fortunately I’d hit the apex and had enough track left side to not venture onto the grass …. A quick look around and there was only one other person on my wheel . !

So there were now 3 of us …away from the main bunch. For the next half lap I was on cloud nine …the adrenalin taking me on a quick through and off ……but as expected it was short lived, but long enough for me to experience going over the start finish line in 2nd place, before the red mist of over exuberance took over, and I was surrounded again by the swarming pack .

And then it was payback time ... kicking in after 10 mins , when we had 3 laps of stretched out racing , never more than single file , with me slowly being relegated to the back of the pack ….. I was on my limit and resenting my earlier blast! At this point a few motivational pointers kick in , trying to kick the monkey off my back that wants a pint and a packet of crisps … just hang in there , no this circuit is not getting steeper, and if you wish for to be in contention for the finish you need to just HOLD ON ! .

2 laps later and I was through the pain barrier, and preparing for the final 5 laps . Lots of digs at the front from the stronger riders , yet I was focused , and preparing myself to move up on the last few laps ( even if it meant running out of energy for the final sprint ) .

The final lap was a blurr, I remember moving up on the inside against the wind to gain significant placings, holding my position , ignoring requests to let riders through , digging deep , feeling the jelly starting to fill my thighs, calfs burning before the onset of cramps , one last push as we approached the false summit, ....riders in front of me slowing down …so one last last effort before I finally crossed the line in 12th position for a very personal victory !

That was hardest ive ever pushed myself at a finish , and the best placing I knew I could have achieved on the day .

The pint of larger and packets of crisps after the race tasted great !

[Toks]

Nice one Matt, just outside the points. That means your gonna win next week surely

3/4 race
Place Nos Name Club CAT

1 15 Chris Baldwin Private Member 3
2 31 David Farrow Eagle RC 3V
3 6 Simon Keene Crest CC-Ilford 3
4 18 Tao Goeghegean Hart CC Hackney 4
5 12 Stoyko Bussarov Imperial RT 3
6 19 Neil Hefferman Inverse Racing UK/Bikefood 3
7 25 Martin Garratt London Dynamo/Prologue 3
8 39 Oliver Glackin Private Member 3
9 3 Samuel King Cambridge CC 3
10 4 James Drain Gemini BC 4
11 10 Tim Davies Icknield RC/Compomotive Wheels 3
12 45 Matt Day Addiscombe CC 3
13 7 Jeffrey Orrey Essex Roads CC 3
14 14 Peter Anderson Elite CC 4
15 2 Rob Windsor East London Velo 3
16 37 Tom Bishop London Phoenix CC 3
17 13 Daryl Gannon Finchley RT 3
18 35 Frank Rawlins North Road CC 3
19 22 David Webborn London Dynamo/Prologue 3
20 16 Ralph Keeler Cambridge CC 3
21 38 Trevor Whittock Lea Valley CC 3
22 33 Des Gayler Kenton RC 3
23 26 Glen Carr MPCC 3
24 29 David Gayler Kenton RC 3
25 42 Simon Hime Finchley RT 3
26 46 Timothy Geary Dulwich Paragon CC 4

[David.Hilbert]

Nice result Matty.
Equally excellent bit of reportage there, too.
Next week top 10 is a shoe-in.

[MattD]

Week 4 @ Hog Hill

Bright , clear day , with vicious cross winds ...

Another top day at work deciding on the nutritional mix that would maximise the likelihood of finishing strong in todays race ….opted for rice instead of pasta!

The start of Hog Hill sometimes feels like going back to school…the commissaire talks to us all as if we’ve never raced before , reminding us of the rules and possible detention if we don’t follow …, no mixing it up with other categories , no jumping lanes , and when the bell rings its one more lap …unless the bell is for the other category , or unless its for the Womens group , and unless …….. LETS JUST RACE ….. you can here everyone mumble under their breath !.

The wind was always going to be a deciding factor today …from the off the peleton was stretched out , and over the first rise I could feel the full force of the wind , even though I was well positioned …. Yet with the course being so meandering, there always seemed to be a side wind, with no way to protect my small box of matches ! . And yet after 3 or 4 laps I was making sure I hit different bends on the left or right of the peleton to maximise my shelter opportunities .. I was feeling tired but within myself , and wanted to be as fresh as I could for the final sprint …points perhaps ?

As we approached half way the peleton was really looking ragged and breaking up all over the place , but then came back together before the final climb …. Most of the time I was in the top half playing the poker game of not showing my hand unless absolutely necessary … and relying on some other poor sole to pull me back to the main bunch !

But here comes a major lesson learnt , I gambled once too often , and realised that there was no one with the strength to pull bridge the gap, I had to make the decision to go myself ….. so there I was in no mans land , riding with the full force of the wind , with the main bunch now 50 metres ahead , I was closing the gap , but digging so deep , that by the time we approach the final steep climb I was seising up , with just enough energy left to look up and see the last bus leave the station !

I was now officially dropped !

And yet not to be outdone , I continued in vain to try and keep up my pace as much as possible ….with another half lap on my own I looked behind , and saw a group of 3 riders trying to bridge up to little old me !! …with one of the riders asking me to slow down a tadge , and work together as a team ….. so over the next 10 laps or so we maintained a real momentum , to such an extent that we kept up with the elites ( not within there slipstream mr commissaire ! ) for at least 2 laps , but then I began to fade badly, with the 3 riders having wiped my plate clean and with 3 laps to go decided to pull over , and watch what could have been if only I’d stayed awake in the early stages !

How ironic … 7 riders got away by using the elites as a spring board …major objections on the finish line - Lets hope the commissaire keeps to his word , and the bad boys were asked to stay behind for detention !

And I'm going to behave myself next week !

[Toks]

Good training, I'm sure. You probably worked harder than if you were in the bunch.

[Toks]

Week 7 @ the Hog

I'm not sure what's going on at Palace these days (there were 4 crashes on Tuesday and a lady was hospitalized with a broken collar bone the week before ...How refreshing it was then to race last night with 50 blokes and nobody put their front wheel where it wasn't supposed to go and nobody banked their bike over at 45 degrees whilst pedaling around the hairpin. OK so tonight was 'circuit race' number 5 ( are you reading Dave? ) for me. I'm not sure about the rest of you racers but it normally takes about five races for me to get those good sensations. Yeah you know that James Brown feeling. You're more in tune with the what's going on - no unnecessary digs are require to close gaps, you read the race well and notice who will pull you across gaps, who's a bit of a plodder and worth staying away from and ya feel a bit fitter too

My first glance at the computer and 30 minutes had already gone by I won't lie to you this this sweet spot group thing is great but I kinda feel like I'm cheating a bit or haven't truly raced unless I spend some time off the front in a 3rd cat race. Mmm... now most digs inevitably take place on the climb but things were a little crowded for my first attempt so I waited till after the descent and when we rounded the hairpin. The oldest sprinter in town Rapha's Dominic Gabolini suddenly stole my thunder and I just ended semi sprinting up the climb into 3rd position. A couple of laps later I was off on my lonesome for real and my 40 metre gap was closed down so quickly I almost had to ask myself what exactly I'd psyched myself up for. A 45 year old cardiovascular system takes some coaxing to return to normal functioning so I spent a lap doing knackered old canine impression and without a hint of irony a Junior rider from Southend Wheelers, wearing number in the 40's showed me how to do effortless kangeroo maneovres for the next few laps but without the ugly huffing and puffing reovery bit

Whatever!..and a few laps later I kicked out on the climb which resulted in me spending a lap off the front. Those tentative links with other riders which lead to breakaways were not to be. Like a bad marketing plan neither myself the Dulwich guy, the Chelmer CC guy, the Dynamo or the eventual race winner were able to combine our efforts and break free. Back in the bunch my tongue at least remained in my mouth and a few good sensations remained. Whatelse can you do? sometimes you have to be happy with your averageness. My preparation for the sprint wasn't the best and I really need to stop telling myself that I can't sprint because it means I can't sprint. I hit the bottom of the climb in close to 20th position (nice one ) and only remember one person going past me and I finished 14th. Next week I'll try and prepare a little better for the gallop and we'll see

[kieran]

Hard luck Toks, I think maybe next time if you see a rider or two making a go for it in the 2nd half of the race you should try to join rather than initiating a break as no one really went with you. Anyway I was also in the race, but punctured with approx 7 laps left, so I had a nice view of the final laps and finish. It seems to me that even with the hills etc this year races in both hog hill and palace seem to end in sprints more often than not. Is it because before there were some very strong juniors blasting through the ranks who caused breaks etc? Anyway due to my puncture I had plenty of energy for the ride home and got home in under an hour.