Two years in Black and White..

Looking through a few cycling photos recently, I realised that I'd been racing for about two years. This seems like a good milestone to sit back and ponder how things have gone in those two years.

Up until that point, I guess I would have regarded myself as an enthusiastic recreational rider.  I had considered racing years ago, but oddly taking up racing was one of the few things that my Dad discouraged me doing. So with little support, and not knowing anyone who races it was something that was allowed to slide by the wayside. As the years went by, I assumed that any likelihood of racing was long gone. That said, I wasn't particularly fussed by this as I was enjoying my cycling, and enjoyed encouraging others to start cycling.

This changed when I saw a post on by Adelaide Cyclists founder Gus describing his experiences in his first race, a cyclocross race run by the Port Adelaide Cycling Club. Interestingly, Gus was of a similar age to me, had previously considered racing, but hadn't for whatever reason. A story that sounded remarkably familiar.

So with that account in mind, I set out to have a look at how these things were run. Standing next to the tape, camera in hand, watching people that I'd cycled with previously go past on the other side of the tape, I kept coming back to the realisation that I could be on the other side of that tape!

First ever race!
(photo c/ Miss V)

And with that, I made the appropriate enquiries necessary to obtain a three race permit through the Port Adelaide Cycling Club (PACC) and prepared myself to take part in my first ever race.

Cyclocross
My first ever race experience was a Cyclocross race in the Adelaide south parklands. Miss V and I rolled up unloaded my dual suspension mountain bike off the car. I was entered in the Open class, which meant that any non cyclocross bike could be raced.  Being in amongst the action, even if I wasn't exactly setting the course on fire, was intense, and almost drug like in the sense that I was already looking forward to my next "hit". After a second race on my three race permit I'd pretty much decided that I wanted to keep going and so I signed up for a gold racing licence with PACC. My time in black and white had begun.  Since then I've purchased a proper cyclocross bike, and become a regular fixture and the rear end of B grade.

First Cyclosportif - PACC Bag of Tricks
(photo c/ Chameleon Photography)

CycloSportif
Reading on the PACC forums, there seemed to be a bit of discussion and planning around a series of team events. A bit of reading to find out what they were about had me thinking that I wanted in on these. So I put my name down to be allocated a team. Fortunately there seemed to be a few others in my situation and so a few teams were put together. I was placed on the PACC Bag of Tricks alongside Miss V.  What this series achieved was many fold, but most significantly, it was a good way of getting to know other PACC members in a social yet competitive environment.

First Road Race. Not having much Fun.
(photo c/Chameleon Photography)

Road Racing
With a bit of encouragement from Gemma, I signed up for my first graded road race at the Range. Three laps of the Range circuit; how hard could it be?  Turns out, very hard. I was put into D grade which included riders that I knew I had no hope of keeping up with. Seriously? this is D Grade? Inside the first seven kilometres I was spat out the back of my group, never to see them again.  And then the torrential down pour started.  By the end of the second lap I was feeling pretty miserable and not really having much fun so I abandoned. On the upside, I won the race to the post-race BBQ. Sadly, I don't think I learned much from this race, save for the realisation that I was slow. Over time I've had a go at a some handicap races and tried my luck at a couple more graded scratch races. I think I've improved a little over time, but if I was honest with myself, not as much as I would like. I think I need to put in a lot of hard work before I'll be able to hang on to my group and trouble any of the leaders in my grade.





Criteriums

First Criterium at Victoria Park.
(photo c/ Kerryn Holmesby Photography)

As a spectator, criteriums have interested me, so I had always intended to give these a go should I ever take up racing! So with that in mind I got out to Victoria Park to take part in a few of the Norwood Cycling Club's criterium series. These are fast, fun and furious, and make for a good way to let off steam after a day of work. I'm looking forward to getting out for a few more of these next summer; and maybe dragging a few more people out there with me.  Thus far, my biggest prize has been from a second placing in E grade at the Whitmore square criteriums...  can't complain too much about that!

Time Trial
I'd never really intended to race time trials, partly because of the lack of a time trial bike, but mostly because I couldn't see myself doing remotely well enough in them to maintain my interest. However, given that PACC organise a time trial series at Outer Harbor over summer over a 18km course, I thought that I should see what all the fuss was about. A few friends had already set a time on this course so there was additional motivation to give it a go. So Miss V and I got up at some ungodly hour on a perfectly good Sunday morning to have a crack at the race of truth. So what did I find? Time trials hurt.. a lot. That said, we came back for a second attempt to try to improve our respective times, and then later had a go at the Masters State time trial Championships.  I think of all the racing that I've tried, these are my least favourite.

Track

Flying 200m at the Adelaide Superdrome
(Photo c/ Mick Young)

Track racing has been a bit of a surprise packet for me. Gemma had seen me out and about on my single speed bike a few times and kept hounding me to set it up for track racing. I was less than enthused by this idea! On the other hand, Miss V was very keen to try out track racing. So we went out to Edwardstown for for their Friday night race meeting. Once again, sitting on the sidelines, I couldn't see a lot of point just spectating and so I decided that I'd look into having a go myself.  So I picked up a nice second had track bike I ventured into some track racing. I had a couple of race meetings at the outdoor Edwardstown velodrome last summer, and more recently during the last winter I've been racing at the Superdrome in my first full series. I think it'd be fair to say that I've enjoyed this racing a lot more than I thought I would, and as a bonus have performed a lot better than I thought I could.


So that's been a bit of a review of what I've done in my first two years of racing. I definitely haven't set the world on fire, but I'm having so much fun it almost doesn't matter. Along the way I've become part of a community full of people who support cycling in all its varied forms. As a bonus, during this time I've encouraged a number of other people to pin on a number and have a go.

 My only regret, is that I didn't start sooner.

Thanks for reading! :)