START RACING TALK IN THE HALF N' HALF

[-Adam-]

You might just see my name crop in some track results if your lucky...

...but only if I can find some hubs and sprocketts decent enough

[Chris L]

All this talk of fixed gear and track cycling has reminded me that some of the most fun on a bike I had this year was going round HH on the Monday sessions they had. Any chance we could squeeze in a bit about track racing at HH on this talk.
Chris

[Andrew G]

Bit late to slip it in, so to speak, but worth raising at the end.

[mrP(Boonen)VT]

I have put in a lot of time preparing for this and hope you wil find it useful, but would have to book another session for track.

Happy to chat about track and all that entails, afterwards.

Guru P

[mrP(Boonen)VT]

Seean, that's you and Jon H - and Andrew struggling manfully along - we're dropping like flies.

Will anybody actually be there (apart from me?)

Guru P

[Andrew G]

I'll offer the same advice I gave Jon Sean, curl up with a large brandy and an even larger woman.

I've more or less shifted my cold, just a little tickle in my throat but I'm not contagious, so I'll be down there to fill in for Jon on the TT front.

Kick off at about 8pm.

Cheers,

Andrew.

[Alan M]

Thanks for the interesting talks Paul and Andrew. Maybe I'll emerge from my comfort zone and have a go next season.

[Snoop Doug]

[quote="Alan M"]Thanks for the interesting talks Paul and Andrew. Maybe I'll emerge from my comfort zone and have a go next season.

[quote="Alan M"]Thanks for the interesting talks Paul and Andrew. Maybe I'll emerge from my comfort zone and have a go next season.

[Andrew G]

Hope it wasn't too confusing, I had to knock something up quickly in my lunch hour so hope it didn't jump about too much.

Off work today and the notes I made are on my PC at work but I'll copy and paste them on to the forum on Monday with a few useful links.

For a brief sum up on the TT front though I would say:

- Very easy to start and most people's intro in to racing in one form or another as you don't need any licences, you just pay per race and turn up with your bike.

- Don't worry about any special equipment, it is better to start on your normal road bike and find out what's what and whether you like it. Kit can come later if you want it. I did my first 18 months of TT-ing on my standard road bike didn't even use any clip-on tri-bars. Nearly everyone starts out on a normal road bike and you look a lot less out of place than an "all the gear no idea" person who has spent thousands on kit before they know whether they like TTing or not.

- Once you've entered (2 weeks before the date of the race) and race day comes round make sure you have a little routine worked out - pack you kit and get the bike ready the day before to avoid any rushing about. Work out how long it'll take you to get to the HQ, how long you want for your warm up etc so you can set the alarm and then run on a sort of auto-pilot. It takes away any pre-race stress you don't need.

- If you have any questions at HQ (where is sign on / toilets) ask someone. People are happy to help and have been in the same situation themselves. Everyone's been the new boy/girl at some point.

- The startsheet is seeded in a manner that is geared to try and avoid too many people ending up in similar places on the road at the same time. Drafting is not allowed in a TT. This will mean that to start with you will have 2 or 3 very fast people just behind you, so don't worry when/if they catch you, no matter how early on that may be as the person just behind you will be a top seeded rider. Don't let it put you off concentrate on your race, not theirs. You will always have a minute man up ahead of you to aim to catch yourself, although ride your own race rather than try too hard to chase them down and then die when you get there. Much better to ride an even pace for the whole distance than up and down in pace, it'll work out quicker overall. As you improve your number will improve in the seedings as you move from a 9 (novice/slower rider) to an 8 or 7 and so on.

- At the start the timekeeper will call you forward after the person in front has left. The pusher off will hold you up when the timekeeper calls 30seconds. Clip in to your pedals and make yourself comfortable, but try not to fidget. The timekeeper will call 10, and then give you a countdown from 5 - 1 seconds before saying "Go". The pusher normally gives you a little shove to help you on your way but be ready to go they may just let go of the bike. If you are big and the pusher is small do not worry, you hold the bike up on its balance point so don't need to be hugely strong to do it. If you are worried for any reason then you don't have to be held up, but it will make for a smoother, quicker getaway.

- At the finish carry on riding. Continue back to HQ. Do not stop - you'll get in the way and obstruct other riders, do not approach the timekeeper - you'll distract them and they won't tell you your time.

- When back at HQ pack up and sort yourself out and make your way back in to the HQ. Hand your number back in for a free tea or coffee and start scoffing lots of cheap nice cake while having a good old natter with clubmates as they arrive. Your time will be posted up on a results sheet hanging up and prizes are often awarded once all times are in.

- Not just the rockets win prizes! Often handicap prizes to reward the most improved riders and these are normally those further down the times and often newcomers or those just starting out. If you want /have to go home straight away and you win a prize it will be sent to you with your result sheet.

- Enjoy it. It can be very satisfying to see just how fast you can go and watch your times improve.

[Toks]

[quote="Andrew G"]Hope it wasn't too confusing, I had to knock something up quickly in my lunch hour so hope it didn't jump about too much.

[quote="Toks"][quote="Andrew G"]Hope it wasn't too confusing, I had to knock something up quickly in my lunch hour so hope it didn't jump about too much.

[Andrew G]

Jon was doing the TT talk but came down last minute with the lurgy and contacted me in the morning to say he didn't think he'd be able to make it. Hence I had a lunch hour to knock up some notes, copies of startsheets etc.

So there [img]http://www.timetriallingforum.co.uk/style_emoticons/default/harhar.gif[/img].

[Snoop Doug]

[mrP(Boonen)VT]

[quote]it didn't jump about too much.