Venue: Johnston Park Feilding
Aim: Orientation meeting for road bikes, and familiarisation for track bikes to racing
ROAD BIKES: Orientation 1:30pm – 2:30pm
TRACK BIKES: Warm up 2:30pm
First Race 3:00pm Sharp
1. Scratch races (4 riders per event)
a) A Grade
b) B Grade
c) U17 Girls and Women
Safety is very important on the Track. It is important that your bike and yourself are in a fit state to ride for your personal safety and the safety of others.
Therefore the following items should be constantly checked at track racing:
Tyres in good condition…….no serious cuts in tread or significant damage to sidewalls
Push against the tyre with your thumb and see if you can push it in. If you can you need more air pressure.. Generally, the tyres on a track bike should have 110 – 120 PSI for clincher tyre and 120 + PSI for tubular tyres…..check your tyre sidewalls for exact PSI or bike hire sheet if you have a club bike . Check pressure every time you ride…you can get a slow leak so half way through meeting you have lost pressure….
Especially if you swap pedals from road bike to race track make sure they are tightened into the crank.
Ensure cleats are not worn and tension is high enough…..fixed cleats are often better for track riding (non floating).
The popular Wednesday night time trial series is back again.
If you have never done a time trial or been to the Wednesday night series then now is the time to give it a go.
The time trial is 12 km long on a flat course. Each rider is let go at 30 second intervals. The course starts opposite the Horizons yard on Kairanga Bunnythorpe Rd and heads out onto Lockwood Rd to a turn point and then back to the start/finish line. Each week your time is recorded. And for the first week you are awarded 2 points. Each week that you come back and ride you get 1 point or if you are able to better your previous best time then you get an additional point.
So each week you challenge yourself to better your time. We have elite cyclists who have set some marvelous records on this course and then of course we have those that aren’t as fast but just come out to see how much they can improve over the series. And without exception everyone does improve, so long as the conditions are right.
There is an entry fee which goes towards the end of series prizegiving.
All instructions are given at the briefing which is after everyone has registered. Registration is at the Horizons yard on the corner of Kairanga Bunnythorpe Rd and Rongotea Rd on Wednesday night from 5.45pm. First rider is off at 6.10pm.
Look forward to seeing some new and old faces.
Entry fee for the whole series can be paid on the first night at a reduced price of $15 per member for 8 nights. This can also be paid direct to bank account 01 0745 0284925 00 and please state your name and TT Series in description.
The uniform order is looking healthy with already 25 items ordered. So if you want to be included, order this week as when the order is sent it will be too late to add to it or to expect that extras will be available for you to purchase at a later date.
Click here to go to the previous article where the order was first requested.
A new course – fine weather and the opportunity to get more points towards prizemoney.
The new course certainly ticked all the boxes for all the riders.
I personally felt like Mother duck sitting on the back of my clutch of ducklings as we headed down Kimbolton Rd to the finish line. And it was nice to just sit back and relax just as a couple of riders were spotted doing on the way to the turn point. Unfortunately they didn’t even get to the official turn point before turning around, with thoughts of what was on offer at the finish line.
And it was these two riders who also held back to allow the old duck a chance at glory and a sprint to the finish. The old duck didn’t dare turn to look to see if they were chasing.
The new course will obviously be used again next year and I only hope that “the ducklings” will be there to pull “the old duck” back down Kimbolton Rd again.
Prizemoney was awarded to each grade and the amount paid was relative to the entry fees for each grade. So the more riders in a grade the more prizemoney awarded.
Thanks to all helpers over the series and for this weeks event to Grant Shearman at the crossroads who did a very professional job of directing riders. Also Rebecca Allan, Lynley McKenzie who was waiting for a few riders who didn’t get to the turn point and Matt Levin. And also to Louisa Regan who competently controlled the finish line and recorded all the results assisted by Rebecca.
Click here for results. and here for points tally