City Cross 3

Let me start with a short non cycling related story...  Last summer a famous little Disco beat combo, by the name of Chic, played my local Bingley Music Live music festival.  Now, being a bit of a Disco Diva myself, I was rather excited by this.  The day came and it was simple amazing!  Everyone was up and dancing and generally 'mad for it', and I knew, once the last note had drifted across the arena, and Nile was rather unceremoniously dragged off stage, I had witnessed a life changing event.  I looked around the arena, slightly dazed, and I could see others seemingly experiencing the same emotions as I.  People were smiling, people were crying, people were hugging, talking, laughing... etc.  I realised at that moment nothing would ever be the same again!  No other band would ever make me feel so again!  It was a new beginning, my Ground Zero.  Everything would start from here from now!

So, what's all that waffle got to do with City Cross 3?  Well, many of the emotions I experienced during Chic's gig last year, I experienced at City Cross!  It was just so good, and just such good fun, it's difficult to see an event anytime in the near future coming anywhere near for me. City Cross was my cycling 'new beginning!'  Everything starts afresh from here!

The previous Citycross - No.2 - at Piece Hall Halifax, was good - very good - but this most recent episode - No.3 -  took the fun factor to another level.  Set right in the heart of one of Leeds' essentially run down but in the throws of massive regeneration city center suburbs - Holbeck - the races twisted and snaked around a very compact, flat, and well surfaced course, between buildings associated with the regeneration.  It also took in cobbles, wooden berm and whoops, a couple of little jumps, a run up/wooden scaffold ramp down... and a couple of beer gardens! Clever course design.  The same Moto format was used here as at Halifax.

Morvélo CityCross 3 from Morvélo Bicycle Apparel on Vimeo.

I didn't really make much of an impact during my Moto, and just raced around as fast as I could to a comfortable last place!  It's all about the taking part though eh?  Even with my less than inspiring display in my Moto, I was still able to jump straight into the 'last chance saloon' race immediately after!  Still huffing and puffing and lathered in sweat like a Grand National winner, I was straight back on the start line.... and off! Another lung bursting 20mins of agony!  However, I did a little better this time - but I was racing against a Werewolf on one of those bikes with super fat tyres!

Kit wise, I must say I was very happy with my On One Pompy SS with virtually smooth 28c hybrid tyres this time.  A more or less totally cobbled/flagged/tarmaced lapped negated the need for knobbly tyres, and the Pompy was fantastic in the bends with Guy Martin esqe leans achievable (well, in my head at least!)

I didn't strictly qualify for the final, but the organisers were sweet enough to say I could race it if I wished. But Fathering duties, and a few cheeky beers, and just kicking back were, by now, my over whelming urges... so that's what I did.  I couldn't have wished for a better day out.

I wonder what City Cross 4 will bring......

CityCross 2

Now for something completely different - CityCross 2.

All set inside the Piece Hall in Halifax, it was totally unique experience comprising a mostly cobbled/flagged, tight, twisty and punishing lap, with a little foray onto some small grassed sections (surprisingly muddy!). There was a 12 ton sandpit, bermed corners, flyover bridge, good food, beer and step climb onto the DJ stage, where said DJ seemed hell bent on blowing his smoke machine right in your face every lap!  Didn't really matter to me because I was blowing through my backside for the majority of the race!  It was intense - so intense it was difficult cast an eye sideways to smile and thank the abundant spectators, who all seemed to love seeing a struggling HCtB!

All this madness took part over a series of 20min Moto heats throughout the day and finals in the evening. The idea being to finish top 50% and progressed to the final.  However, everyone did get chance to race a second 'last chance saloon' race in a bid to make it to the final.  So basically everyone got at least two races if they wanted for the entry fee.  As an incentive the Final took to the covered walkways of the Piece Hall on two levels.  Must have been exciting.  Alas, due to family commitments, my race day was restricted to only one Moto.

Now, I don't know why but, after much Facebook discussion and chats over a pint or two during the build up to CityCross, I opted to give single speeding a go, and to race on 28c hybrid tyres.  This was based on a presumed mostly flat cobbled/flagged lap.  And we all know what they say about presumption don't we?  It being the mother of all @#*£$~<!

So here I am lined up as the only single speeder in my Moto, on a very wet - and now very muddy - day, on virtually smooth tyres in a remarkably slopey Piece Hall!  The prospect of a very hard race dawned on me.  This indeed was confirmed once Garmin uploaded to Strava indicated Points in Read = Suffer Score!  Basically couldn't have gone harder without dying!

For most of the first lap I managed to cling onto the back of the pack, before they eased away from me. The single speed aspect of my chosen whip was ok - darn hard but ok.  My tyre selection was where things started to fall apart somewhat.  Fair enough, the mud was muddy, but perhaps surprisingly, rear wheel traction wasn't as big an issue as I suspected, it was front wheel wash out on the tight turns that caused most head aches.  But I plodded on.

So last - yes dead last - in my Moto.  And it's been a good while since I came dead last I can tell you!  But as a fellow HCtB team mate commented, I was the first single speeder on slicks!  Yeah baby!

 Thanks to Emma Osenton for organising a fab event, and Jo Allen for the photos.