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New School BMX 2004 - Now => New School Racing => Topic started by: Mikku on January 22, 2021, 10:38 PM
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Belated Happy New Year Radsters! It's still January and I'm still here, for the start of my 5th, yes my fifth season of racing in the Land of the Rising Sun! Last year didn't go quite as planned for obvious reasons, so this year I'm just going to take it as it comes. :daumenhoch:
First off, I've decided not to renew my JOSF membership, as I didn't get to even one race at Midoriyama last year, so got nada from my membership fee. Tokyo is currently a no-go zone due to escalating cases of COVID and I can't see that changing anytime soon, so don't really want to throw good money after bad. Oizumi in Osaka has just announced a 6-race calendar, starting in April, so that's my focus, along with Joetsu, once the snow has melted up in Niigata. Both assuming that by then, COVID vaccinations are sorting things out on that front. Until then I'll continue to keep myself fit and get out on the bike whenever possible, though that hasn't happened at all yet in 2021 due to the snow. Once the weather improves, I should also be able to make it down to Mie to stretch my legs at Gonzo Park. That's the current thinking, anyway.
Bikewise, I plan to start the season on the GT, more out of curiosity than anything else, then take it from there. It definitely hasn't replaced the Crupi, just sharing the race stable until I decide what works best for me. The Quamen is my non-track training bike of choice, so between the three, I've got my carbon, aluminium and chromoly bases covered! ;D
I'm also planning a couple of changes to my racing wardrobe. First up is a new helmet. The No Fear MX lid I've been racing with for these past 4 years is still in great condition but I really fancy something a bit lighter. The quoted weight on the sticker is 1280g plus or minus 50g and my kitchen scales say 1,315g. That means I get a sore neck if I wear the helmet for more than 45 minutes. Not such a big deal when I'm racing but I definitely feel it during longer, practice sessions. Being a small size, with a 55cm label, it's also a little on the snug side as I'm actually between 56cm and 57cm. When I measure myself I'm nearer 56 but when my other half does it, I'm 57, so let's say 56.5cm, which equates to a medium in most brands. The No Fear has few vents which, when coupled with the tight fit means a very silent, not to mention sweaty ride, especially on the hot and humid, Japanese summer days. Current contenders are mostly from the TLD stable (ranging from the classic D3 or newer, more expensive D4, to the lightweight Stage) but we'll see what I can pick up at the right price. I quite like the idea of the MIPS safety system, so that's something else I'm looking for in the replacement.
I also want to buy some new knee pads. My 661 pads are still fine albeit well-worn but like the helmet, I want something a bit lighter. I already have some G-Form kit, so am thinking about trying some of their pads. Again, I'll see what I can find online and get shipped over here without breaking the bank.
So that's it for this first, belated post of 2021. As always, I will try to update the thread with developments, pics and reports as and when, and feel free to drop in with comments, advice and suggestions! Keep it Rad! :radbmxsmilie:
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Looking forward to your updates as and when. Keep up the good work. :daumenhoch:
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Happy New Yr Mick. Good to hear your still planning to keep it going for another year, tops on you :bow:.
Re the helmet, can recommend a D3, have one for falling off in the woods on on the DH bike runs I try to get out on once in a blue moon. Weight wise I've never noticed any issues, but would advise the do come up airing on the small side sizing wise. Though not as much as the FOX's. Apparently all manufacturers sizing does vary somewhat, i.e. a 56 from vendor 1 will be a 57 from vendor b, if you get what I mean, so definitely best if you can get to a store and try a few on.
Keep the updates coming buddy :popcorn:
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Thanks guys! Nice to know somebody's reading this nonsense! :daumenhoch:
Thanks also for the D3 feedback Pete. Tried and tested, and cool as hell, they're a definite contender, especially the later, carbon MIPS version, though they ain't cheap despite being replaced by the D4! I've read that the TLDs generally run a bit small, but the problem I have is that there's literally nowhere within a few hundred kilometres of me that sells the buggers, so I can't try any on. I found a shop near Tokyo that had a whole range of TLD and other helmets in a sale but that's a 6-hour drive away!! I have, however, recently found a nearly-new and more importantly, near-to-me TLD Stage for sale, as pictured below. These are the new breed of lightweight, full face lids for the enduro market. Not as sturdy-looking as the D3/D4 but they have a DH and BMX rating, plus MIPS, so could be worth a punt. The one near me is my size too, so I'm going to see if I can try it on tomorrow. If that doesn't pan out, I'm resigned to finding sellers online that have reasonable return policies! Not ideal but it is what it is. ::)
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Online returns is a good alternate route, something my household is slowly accepting transitioning too, and more of what we're all having to accept as the option at present :'(.
That Stage :smitten:, and mips is definitely a worthwhile consideration.
Good luck buddy & keep us posted :daumenhoch:.
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Sorted! :daumenhoch:
A little sooner than planned, I made some purchases over the weekend, more specifically that TLD Stage pictured above plus some G-Form pads. Upon inspection, the Stage looked new and came with all the trimmings, namely the og TLD box, drawstring bag, owner's manual, warranty card, the different sized pads, spare visor bolts and the all-important sticker set!! I reckon the og owner did what I have been worried about and bought online only to find that it didn't fit. However, what sealed the deal what that the shop was having a 20% sale on everything which was too much to walk away from, though not before I had tried it on and switched out the neck and cheek pads to get a better fit. I've attached some comparison pics with the No Fear lid it's replacing, from which you can see the difference in design and size. It's also bloody light, as in 600g lighter than the No Fear, which is really noticeable, as you can imagine. It still feels solid though, which is something I was worrying about. Anyway, for me and my level of riding, I reckon it'll be fine on the track.
The G-Form pads I picked up on eBay. The seller not only had the knee pads that I've been after but also some matching elbow pads. They all look in good condition and with a discount for combined shipping, I pulled the trigger on both sets. :D
So all in all, it was a good race weekend! Without the racing, of course. ::)
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Happy New year dude!
Looking forward to reading this year's blog fistblump
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Cheers mate! :daumenhoch:
I tried out the helmet with some of my race jerseys, including a GT one that I picked up before Christmas! I like it! 8)
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Loving the TLD Mick, glad you got it :daumenhoch:.
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Cheers Pete! Have yet to use it in anger but am hoping to head down to Mie next month. :daumenhoch:
In the meantime I've bought some more race pants! ::) I think I need to update my race gear thread!! ;D
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No more purchases to report but I have been riding my bikes! All three of them! :daumenhoch:
My everyday rider is my Quamen, which I've recently been riding quite a bit as the weather slowly warms up over here. However, I took the Crupi out for a quick spin yesterday then the UB2 out today (both for the first time this year) and man, they don't half feel different to the Quamen. Much more agile and with steering that almost feels twitchy in comparison, they've definitely got a more racey edge to them. Anyway, the reason for giving the GT a run-out today was to check that everything is nice and tight as tomorrow I'm heading down to Gonzo Park in Mie for my first track session of the year. That means I can check out the DTH tyres on the bike and the TLD helmet on me!! Looking forward to seeing how they (and the rider) hold up! :D
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Awesome Mick. Make sure to get some photos & enjoy the ride out :daumenhoch:.
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Had a good day blowing away the cobwebs on Sunday. After three months away from the track, I felt a bit sluggish at first but soon got back in the swing of things. The DTH tyres were fine, as expected, since they're what I normally race on. I therefore had no concerns about lack of grip, which I sometimes had with the slicker Rubena set that came with the bike. The TLD Stage also came up trumps. The 600g weight-saving over the No Fear lid was obvious but the increased ventilation and vision were also really noticeable. So much so that in the windy conditions my head occasionally felt chilly, whereas I was always roasting in the No Fear. Although not ideal on a cold and crisp, February practice session, that extra ventilation is really going to come into its own during the hot and humid Japanese summer. Whether the more open face was a factor or not I don't know but I also got some dust in my eye straight away, so that's going to hasten my already planned purchase of some new goggles to replace the old snowboarding ones that I've been using! ::)
Another noticeable point was during conversation, when I can now easily hear people courtesy of the ear vent. That may not sound (no pun intended) like a big deal but I liked not having to keep asking people to repeat their previous sentence, particularly as that is often spoken in Japanese!
So overall, the Stage gets a big thumbs up from me. I'm still unsure whether to run with the 25mm or 35mm cheek pads - I tried both on Sunday and reckon a 30mm would probably be the ideal fit for me - but I will sort that one out the more I ride. In the meantime, I'm now on the hunt for some goggles! :daumenhoch:
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Have been researching goggles for the past couple of days and finally pulled the trigger on some Oakley O-frames. Oh, and some gloves! >:D
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hi mick , sure i saw summin on news that japan want to run the olympics with no foreign spectators , is this true ???? does this cover all sports ??/ incl bmx ?? and does this mean that your chances for tickets goes right up ??? stay safe !!! chris
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Yeah, they're talking about it but everything is so up in the air at the moment, who knows what's going to happen! The vaccine rollout has only just started here for medical workers only, so it's going to be months before the general public gets it, then it'll be the vast, elderly population first. I doubt very much that everyone will be vaccinated before the Olympics, which means everyone will be worried by an influx of foreign spectators. I heard on the news yesterday that the IOC said it would give vaccinations to all participating athletes, so that's a step in the right direction.
As for BMX tickets, if there are some available then I'll definitely be applying but I reckon my chances are now slim to negligible! "nono"
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There's a chance that I can get this race blog properly underway before the end of March, with a race down at a new track in Chiba Prefecture. I have to go to neighbouring Tokyo the same weekend, so with a bit of luck, I can take in the race too. Having never been there before, let alone ride or race, I'm aiming to drive down on Friday, a day earlier than planned, then get some track practice in on the Saturday in preparation for the Sunday race. This is all weather and COVID-dependant, of course, so fingers crossed and all that. :D
In the meantime, I had a bit of a BMX day yesterday. Gonzo Park has a weekly gate practice session, which I went to once last August. The days and times move around a bit but at the moment, it's a Wednesday night from 8.30 to 9.30pm. Bearing in mind that Gonzo is a 100-mile, 2-hour plus drive away, it's therefore not a regular trip. However, with the first Oizumi race scheduled for April 11th and having not been back there since Jan 2020, I thought I could kill two birds with one stone and go to Oizumi first, then drive to Gonzo for the evening gate session. That sounds like a good idea until you factor in the distances and driving time, namely 150 miles to Oizumi, 90 from there to Gonzo and 100 back home. That's a 340-mile road trip. Crazy but hey, I've been going stir-crazy with limited riding opportunities over the winter, so I loaded up the Forester and set off. :daumenhoch:
When I arrived at Oizumi, the place was deserted, so I had the place to myself until a mountain-biker rolled up, followed by a young BMX racer and his dad. With only three of us on track, I therefore had plenty of time to see how the GT goes there. The answer:- very well! I really like this track anyway and the lighter (than the Crupi) UB2 feels great around there. Unlike my track stamina which, as always, is crap, so I broke the track up into sections and practised those individually. After 90 minutes I was done, or rather, done in, so I called it a day and headed off to Gonzo. It was bloody windy and cold by the time I arrived there and started unloading the car, but there was no turning back. On the plus side, the track was open before the start of the gate session (which it wasn't before), so I could warm myself up with some practice laps beforehand. Now for some excuses. It was bloody windy up on the start hill. I haven't been on a gate in 7 months and never on the GT. I was knackered from Oizumi, not to mention driving. I'm sure I can think of some more but the bottom line was that I was crap! Crap as in not being able to balance very well. Crap as in messing up my timing. Basically just having a crap technique. Apart from the afore-mentioned excuses, there are a couple of bike-related reasons that may explain at least some of my problems. Firstly, the seat set-up on the UB2 feels very different to the Crupi. For a start it's much lower due to the lower-slung frame and the short post I'm running on there. The result is that I found it much easier to mount the pedals from a standing rather than seated position. This change of routine completely threw me and made it much more difficult to balance. I'm going to persevere with it but if I can't get used to it then I'll have to have a rethink about the seat set-up. Secondly, the lower weight of the bike means it moves about a bit more, especially up front. I love that on the track but the heavier Crupi definitely feels more planted on the gate. Again, I'm just going to have to get used to this, so another gate session may well be on the cards.
The new goggles and gloves have yet to arrive but the day also gave me a chance to try out the G-Form pads. The knee pads are fine, a little tight after a while but that improve with use and I like the combination of those with the Faith pants. Less successful were the elbow pads, which are too loose, and just slip down onto my forearms. No big deal as they were an add-on to the knee pad purchase, plus there is plenty of life left in my perfectly-fitting TLD elbow pads. I also gave another pair of Vans their track debut. ;D
Overall, it was a productive if knackering day. Great to visit Oizumi again and give the GT a run-out there. Plus it was good to realise that I need to work more on my gates, and certainly before the race season starts, possibly in 10 days time! More on that as the next week unfolds but in the meantime, here are a few pics.
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What seat? Oh yeah,there it is,down there ;D That's a lotta pedallin' 'round that track! Once around and I'd be done. The GT does look slick though.... and mighty fast.
Keep up the good work (and the posts)
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Yeah great read mik , loving yer exploits
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Thanks guys! :daumenhoch:
Yeah, there is a seat there somewhere! ;D Actually, I had to adjust the angle after those photos were taken because when I did try and sit down on it, the angle was such that I kept slipping off the back! ::)
In other news, it looks like I can make it to next weekend's race BUT the weather's currently looking a bit iffy, so we'll see how the week pans out.
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Am now in Tokyo for tomorrow's race though rain is forecast from lunchtime onwards, so it may well be postponed. Will hopefully find out this evening. In the meantime, with okay weather today, I'm going to head up to the track later this morning for a practice session. Have never been there before, so am looking forward to trying it out. :daumenhoch:
Apart from tomorrow's rain and the normal aches and pains, my other worry is the noise coming from the drivetrain on the GT. I think the BB bearings may be the culprit but I have neither the time or the crank removal tool to do much about it, so I'll just have to ignore the noise and focus on my riding!! ::)
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Made it up to the Shonan Speedway on Saturday afternoon and enjoyed a few hours getting used to the track, including some much-needed gate practice. The 4.5-meter start hill is higher and steeper than Gonzo, which helped sort out my balancing a bit and allowed me to concentrate more on the snap. Not that I improved much, but I felt better than I did beforehand! I also really enjoyed the track, which has some challenging jumps and quite a different layout to many of the tracks I'm used to, particularly the corners. I'm used to 180 degree berms but SSW has a couple of shallower ones, I guess to make the most of the plot of land. The result is quite a fast, flowing track, with plenty of pedalling action. I have posted a track layout pic along with the some track pics below to show what I mean. Race day post, pics and a vid to follow! :daumenhoch:
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After a sunny Saturday, the weather decided to throw a curve ball on Sunday, with a rain front due to arrive after lunch. Unfortunately it arrived at 11, just before the first moto. The start was therefore delayed until the rain subsided but after half a dozen, damp motos, it returned with a vengeance, so racing was suspended. A restart kept being put back until it finally brightened up enough after lunch for racing to resume. The problem was that by then the track was now soaking, so without any extra practice, it was time to tip-toe around the berms. There were 6 riders in the over-50s class, otherwise known as the ?Old Boys? class, including my Aussie mate who is now part-sponsored by Redline Australia. Needless to say he was out front from the start. I found myself battling for 4th spot going into the first berm, but not sure of the grip and having seen others slip there, I decided to back off and settle for 5th, which is where I finished. It was a repeat performance for the 2nd moto, though I nearly stole 4th with a last gasp lunge for the line. With the delayed start, there was no third moto, and we all went through to the main. I won't describe what happened because you can see instead, courtesy of my Aussie friend's Youtube video of the race! He's all in white and out front. I'm #47 and nearer the back! As you will see, my gates are still shite, and I was overly-cautious through the berms, in fact in most places. Plenty to work on through the season! ::)
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Overall, it was another productive day. Weekend in fact. I survived the rain, was able to enjoy the racing and gave the GT its race debut at another new-to-me track, actually my 7th Japanese race track to date. I really like the way the bike feels and handles on track, and it also draws a lot of attention off-track, both with the older guys who know what it is and the kids who have never seen anything like it before! I'm therefore going to continue racing it this season, at least. The rest of my new kit also held up well. Thankfully it didn't rain when I was riding, so I don't know how the Stage helmet with all of its vents would have been then but I kept my goggles on throughout and they didn't fog up once. The G-form knee pads were also fine, despite wearing them for the extra couple of hours whilst we waited for the rain to stop. :daumenhoch:
In other news, I was able to visit a nearby mtb shop with a decent range of helmets, which meant I was finally able to try on some I had been looking at before buying the Stage. Just to satisfy my curiosity, like! A medium-sized fibrelite TLD D3 fitted me like a glove and I must admit that it did feel much more solid than the Stage, as it should being 500g heavier. I liked it though. I also tried on the older model Bell Full-9 that I had spotted on the shop's website. This was a little snugger than than the D3 but being all carbon, was a little lighter too. The owner offered me a sweet deal on it, which was really tempting and I would happily have handed over my cash if I hadn't just bought the Stage. No regrets though, as I love the Stage and would prefer to spend the money on other bike stuff. More specifically, now that I've decided to keep racing the GT this season, I want to overhaul the drivetrain. Not knowing how old they are or what use they've had, I want to replace the pawls and springs in the Profile Elite cassette. There's also a slight grinding noise coming from the BB area, so I reckon the bearings may be on their way out. That gives me the excuse to replace the red Rotor BB for something that better matches the overall colour scheme. Rotor also do a BSA30 BB in black, and since I'm planning to keep the Rotor cranks, I may get that. The cost of the Profile overhaul kit and Rotor BB, including shipping to Japan, works out as the same as the Bell helmet, so that's my justification for everything. ;)
I have also thought about replacing the cranks but I quite like the Rotor crankset. It's not BMX-specific but is both strong and light, and also the right size. Since it doesn't look too out of place with the rest of the bike, it's therefore going to stay put for the time being, at least until something more tempting comes along. That's the plan, anyway. More updates and progress pics to follow in due course.
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Brilliant stuff living the dream fistblump
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Cheers mate! I'm trying, even though it might not look like that in the vid! ;D
I've watched a few videos about the Profile Elite hub and before I spend any more money, I'm going to have a butchers inside the cassette and clean up the driver, pawls and springs, then see where I am. Was toying with the idea of hitting up Gonzo tomorrow (Sat) but think I'll work on the bike instead. This is all with a view to being ready for the season opener at Oizumi next weekend BUT that said, Osaka is currently seeing a spike in COVID infections (more than Tokyo) and with stricter restrictions being introduced, I'm not sure if the race will go ahead. Fingers crossed!
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So yesterday I had a closer look at the Elite hub. I first removed the driver, then the pawls and springs and gave everything a good wipe-down. Post-clean pic below. There's not much tension in the springs, so I got in touch with Profile who said that the springs can be bent/reshaped if I want to increase the tension but I'd worry about weakening them by doing that, so am more inclined to just replace them. They also said that the pawls will most probably fine, being made of tool steel, so don't need replacing, which is a bonus. As previously said, I have no idea how old these hubs are but suspect, given the faded, blue ano on the Sun Envy rims, plus the condition of the rest of the components that were on the bike, that they must be quite a few years old by now. I'm guessing between 5 and 10 years. I love these hubs, so if I can get a few more years' use out of them, preferably on the GT, then I'll be a happy chappy. :daumenhoch:
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Great to see you're racing again out there, despite Covid and the weather. I'm sure unpredictaable weather reminds you of home too, we had blazing sunshine on Sunday and then it snowed a bit yesterday...Happy Easter!
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Unsurprisingly, the British weather's one of the things that I don't miss! "nono" That said, you don't get the heavy snow, high humidity and typhoons that we get over here, so I guess that balances things out a bit.
Sunday's race is still on the cards, with entries to be made online to avoid everyone lining up to do it on the day. I've therefore just submitted my entry, despite going over on my ankle yesterday! I was practising on my homemade start ramp (pic below) when I put my foot down, slipped and fell over! :-[ I could hardly walk last night but it's a bit better today, though I can't put my full weight on it. I had been planning to go to Gonzo tomorrow (Weds) night for some gate practice, so that's now off but I'm hoping that it heals up by the weekend. Whether I can ride the bike on Saturday will be the acid test.
In other news, Profile told me that the copper springs in my Elite hub are the older style, which they stopped using a few years ago. That has cemented the desire to replace them, so that's on the cards this week. In fact, the cost of those will be covered by the cost of the Gonzo trip that I'm now not making, so it's not all bad news! :daumenhoch:
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I kind of expected this to happen, so it's no big surprise, but Sunday's race has just been cancelled due to COVID, as per the attached notice. Half-disappointed but also half-relieved, for various reasons. On the plus side, I can let my ankle heal properly and spend some more money on the bike! :daumenhoch:
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As one door closes, another one opens, with Niigata having just announced it's 2021 race schedule for the Joetsu track. As shown below, round 1 is scheduled for next Sunday so, weather and COVID permitting, I've a week to get myself and the bike into shape!! The ankle's getting better, so hopefully that'll be okay by then and yesterday a set of new springs for the Profile cassette arrived, so I'll fit those if I have time, though there's no great urgency with those. Races at Joetsu often seem to get cancelled, so I shouldn't get too excited but you know how it is! :daumenhoch:
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So...it looks like tomorrow's race is on!! Maybe!! COVID restrictions are in place but since I'm now a member (I whacked in my membership application mid-week), I'm in! :daumenhoch: The only problem now is the weather, with rain forecast for tomorrow (bloody typical - it's been sunny and dry all week!!), so I'll just have to see what the morning brings but in any event I'll be up early and on the road by 5! :D
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So the 5am gamble paid off and I got to race on Sunday. :daumenhoch:
It's never a busy meet due to it's location but there was a Japan Series race the same day, which reduced numbers even further. That and the dodgy weather. Anyway, I really like the low-key, relaxed atmosphere there, so I'm glad I made the trek. I was up against two other "older" guys, making it a proper over 30s class for a change, with all of us the wrong side of 40! Unfortunately they were both faster and fitter than me! The best starter was consistently a good meter ahead of me by the first jump and I was about even with the other guy until after the jump when he would nudge ahead. The two of them would then pull another metre or two per straight thereafter, battling each other for the lead, leaving me in a solid third place in the motos and again in the main. Results posted below (Race 5).
It was good to get out there again though, and I have a few things I want to work on before the next race, namely gates and stamina-building. Nothing new but a good reminder of what I need to focus on. And being my second race of the season, that already equals my total race count for 2020, which is good news. I have a few days off next week, so am going to fit those Profile springs. Hopefully I can also get some riding in too. :daumenhoch:
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I remember back in my younger days I had a import N64. As such many games required serious work to understand.
I do remember that I had to work out who was who on the score board in Mario Kart 64. In the end I realised that one of the symbols must have meant "IO" because it was on the end of Mario's name and Kinopio's name (Toad). Which allowed me to know who I had to fook to win the league :LolLolLolLol:
It's nice to get out there man. I'm slowly getting out a bit more each week.
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Yeah, it's a constant battle with the language here! Speaking is difficult enough, let alone reading and writing!! ;D
Another nice day here today, so after playing with the Quamen yesterday, I may turn my attention back to the GT and fit those hub springs. You were recently complaining about Profile's prices. Well, I recently shelled out about 6 quid a piece on these. The Elite driver takes 6 of them plus there's the shipping on top of that. :tickedoff:
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Sorry it has just dawned on me that you are the guy on BMXM :LolLolLolLol:
That driver is easily fixed dude. Mine was a train wreck and I fixed it easily. It was totally silent after being re faced.
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Yeah, one and the same! Like you, I flit between and post on both sides of the Atlantic depending on the topic. :daumenhoch:
Thanks for the help and advice with the cog. I don't have a dremel, so will have to work around that but I definitely think you could be onto something with the noise from the drivetrain.
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This is not my driver (thank fook lol) but this is what a wrecked one looks like.
(https://i.imgur.com/dz3qBWF.jpg)
For some reason modern drivers tend to hook. I can't ever remember having that issue BITD. As you can see, that has hooked bad. What happens then is it doesn't want to let go of the chain. Which creates the noise I posted in thread on BMXM.
Mine wasn't anywhere near as bad as that pic there, but the noise as you could hear was fooking embarrassing. I like my screechy pads to warn people I am coming, but sounding like a wooden roller coaster is just plain annoying. I fixed mine when I finally realised what the issue was. Took me about ten minutes. You literally just have to "re face" the teeth.
(https://i.imgur.com/BoDIqOP.jpg)
That is what they are supposed to look like. As I said, yours is nowhere near dead yet. Needle files may be the way to go. Just make sure you get the ones for toughened steel.
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So where were we? It's been almost a month to the day since my last update, and quite a lot has happened. Well, sort of! ;)
On the bike front, I've not yet attacked either the cog teeth or cranks, though I finally have a free Sunday coming up, so plan to at least take the cranks off to see what's what. On the racing front, the Osaka race on 16th May was cancelled again due to COVID and the following Sunday's race at Niigata was called off due to rain. Unfortunately, that decision was only made after a 9am track inspection, so on this occasion my 5am gamble didn't pay off and I had to trundle back home with my tail between my legs. The re-scheduled race did go ahead though last Sunday. There were 3 of us again in the over 30s class, though one of those was the high school girl who I was dicing with all day long back in November. The other rider was one of the guys who beat me last time out and he showed us both a clean pair of heels all morning. I had another ding-dong battle with the girl, though. In the first moto I was able to keep her behind me all the way until the final straight, when she just slipped inside with a few jumps to go. Close but no cigar! In the second moto she beat me into to the first berm, though I was able to keep in touch with her and then on the last straight, was actually able to gain on her, closing the gap to about a metre at the line. That gave me some confidence and hope for the third moto, when I was determined to beat her out of the gate. That determination paid off, as I nudged in front of her and took the inside line into the first berm. Thereafter I made myself as wide as possible in the second and third berms, and was able to hold her off down the final straight to take second place. That was the first time in 6 races to beat her and man, did it feel good! Sadly, only the top two made it through to the main, so that was the end of my racing for the day. It wasn't the end of the day, though, because I stayed on for some practice and then joined an afternoon training session with a local elite rider. The focus was on pumping and manualling and it was not only bloody useful but a lot of fun. So much so, that I'm planning to return there for some more training sessions next month. :daumenhoch:
This month's races are on the 20th and 27th at Osaka and Niigata respectively, subject to COVID and the weather, but I've now got the racing bit between my teeth again and plan to head down to Gonzo Park for a practice session before then. Hopefully I can smooth out and/or quieten the chainline a bit too. ::)
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8)
Good luck at the next race. :daumenhoch:
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Thanks mate! That should be this coming Sunday the 20th BUT Osaka is still under a COVID "state of emergency", so I'm not holding my breath, as it were. The following Sunday the 27th is more of a runner but we'll see what pans out. ::)
In other news, I snagged these DXRs on eBay! 8)
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As suspected, Sunday's race has been cancelled. Thumbs down
On the plus side, I now have no excuse not to work on the bike! :daumenhoch:
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No bike news to report but I did manage to race last Sunday! :daumenhoch:
It looked like it was going to be rained off right up until the last minute but then the approaching rain front slowed down, allowing the organisers to squeeze in the racing before lunchtime and the arrival of wet weather. With only 2 of us registered for the over 30s class, we were combined with other classes, meaning I was up against some youngsters including a couple of fast, 12 year old local lads, who I ended up battling with all morning. I would beat them out of the gate, but they would get past me later on. Oh, to have young legs again! That said, I had some good races with plenty of passing, re-passing and some judicious blocking (on my part) in the berms. Good fun, even though I lost out to them both in the main. Still pleased to be dicing and tbh, racing at all given the weather. So that was my 4th race of the year, which is double what I managed in the whole of 2020, and we're only 6 months in. I now have a 4-week break until the next race, by which time the rainy season should have ended and I will have fitted the DXR cranks. Hopefully! ::)
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I'm still waiting on a new (Crupi) BB to wing its way over from the US (so that I can fit the DXR cranks) but in the meantime, I have been racing again back up in Niigata. For the first time, I decided to make a weekend of it and go up on Saturday then stay overnight for race day. This has two benefits:- firstly, I can practice on Saturday and secondly, I can save myself from getting up at 4.30am on Sunday and driving +3 hours before racing. Both are big pluses in my book, so much so that I plan to do it again for the next race. So after a really productive practice session on Saturday afternoon, I rolled up at the Kanayasan track for Round 4 of the Joetsu race series. It was already blistering hot, so I started early on the fluid intake. After a bit of a warm up around the track, I was able to get some much-needed gate practice in before the moto sheets were posted up. There were only three riders in the over 30s class but with the younger class below having quite a few riders, they kept the classes as they were rather than combining them, as they've been doing recently. That meant only two from the three of us would qualify for the main. I started off well, finishing 2nd in the first two motos. In the third I found myself out front, though I think that was the front-runner saving himself for the main. I was happy to cross the line in an unaccustomed first place though. That took us both through to the main where I couldn't repeat the feat or rather, the other guy rode at his normal race pace and took the win. I wasn't too disappointed though, as I rode as best as I could and didn't frazzle in the heat. More importantly, I could feel and see an improvement which I put down to the extra Saturday practice and being fresher for staying overnight. So I now have a few weeks before the next race, which should give me enough time for the BB to arrive, finally get the new (to me) cranks on and get some more track practice in. :daumenhoch:
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Still waiting on the BB, so on Sunday I decided to brave the heat and head down to Osaka for a practice session at Oizumi. Man it was hot down there (+35 degrees C), but with typhoons and wet weather forecast for the week, it was Sunday or no day! :daumenhoch:
I could only manage a few laps at a time before stopping to take on fluids and putting my head under a nearby public toilet tap to cool down. I was, however, able to keep going and work on a few things, plus some of the locals turned up, so it was good to catch up with them after a year or so. Hopefully the racing there restarts soon but with Japan's increasing rate of COVID-infections, I can't see that happening. However, I really like the track so intend to return for another session some time soon. Below are a few track pics. 8)
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Looks like you have been having fun. Weather is beautiful, scenery incredible.
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It's a beautiful country for sure but one thing that I didn't realise before I moved here is how extreme the weather is. It's literally rained every day since I took those photos, which means that a race clinic I was planning to go to on Sunday was postponed and tomorrow's gate session at another track is also off. It's not all bad news though, because the BB finally arrived today, so that's a job for the weekend! :daumenhoch:
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As detailed elsewhere, the GT is now sporting DXR cranks courtesy of the new Crupi bottom bracket that arrived last week. A few pics below show how the bike looks now but more importantly, it rides great! The new BB and straighter chainline has smoothed out the drivetrain, with the result that pedalling's now a much nicer, not to mention quieter experience! :daumenhoch:
The next round of the Niigata series is this weekend, so if the weather holds, the plan is to head up there on Saturday and hopefully give the cranks a shakedown test before Sunday's race. Full report to follow next week!
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Was able to make a weekend of it for Round 5 of the Joetsu BMX series. Arrived mid-afternoon on Saturday and had a couple of hours to loosen up the legs and test out the new DXR cranks/Crupi BB set-up. The latter performed flawlessly, with the no noticeable difference despite the extra weight. It may be a mental thing but the bike felt a bit more "solid" than before. Plus the DXRs look so much better than Rotor set-up that they replaced. :daumenhoch:
After staying Saturday night at a nearby ski lodge (the track is close to a ski resort), I awoke on Sunday to find that the race schedule had been put back due to heavy rain overnight, though when I arrived at the track, things were looking good. And hot!! Sure enough, the sunny weather soon dried the majority of the damp track in readiness for a 11 o'clock start. In fact, I nearly missed that because I had mis-heard the start time as 11.30!! Sadly, I did miss some of my regular rivals. The rider count was super low because of COVID restrictions - basically nobody can now race at this track if they're from a prefecture (county) that is currently under a government-imposed "state of emergency", which thankfully doesn't include where I live. Yet!! So I was in but was the sole over-30's rider, so was lumped in with the youngsters again. No glory to report thereafter but I had fun keeping them at bay until my legs cried enough, which was usually on the second straight!! I had a couple of elbow-bashing and handlebar-banging incidents as well - they may be younger but had no respect for this particular elder! All good stuff though and I enjoyed myself despite the heat. Below are a few pics from the main.
With the racing all done by lunch, I stayed on for a bit of an afternoon practice session, where I could work on some of the things that I never manage to do during races! I also sold a few spare parts, which paid for the entry fee and ski lodge, so all was good. :D
Unless COVID-restrictions at other tracks change, my next race is probably not going to be until October, back at Joetsu. In any case, I'm planning to get some more practice sessions in before then. 8)
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As expected, this weekend's race at Oizumi in Osaka has been cancelled due to COVID, as per the notice posted on FB today. No great surprise, so no great disappointment. Although the race is off, the track is still open, so if the weather holds, I may head down there anyway for a bit of a practice session with the new crank set-up. :daumenhoch:
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Made it back down to Osaka on Tuesday for a practice session at Oizumi. Being a weekday, there was only one other rider there, so I had the run of the place. This meant that I could cut back and forth between different sections of the track without getting in anyone's way, so could really focus on one part of the track at a time. The goal of the day was to work on my pumping skills and manualling. The former's coming on now, and I'm noticeably faster through the rhythm section than before, at least that's how it feels. As for the latter, I'm trying to manual over the first part of some doubles and triples because otherwise I'm carrying too much speed into them and things are then getting a bit sketchy. I could try jumping them, of course but with my limited skill set that's even sketchier! ;D Manualling therefore seems to be a smoother solution, so I'll continue to practise that. Next race is back up in Niigata on 3rd October, so if the weather's okay (famous last words), I'll go for the weekend and have another practice session on the Saturday. :daumenhoch:
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I hope you get to race :4_17_5:
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Thanks mate, me too! :daumenhoch:
The Japanese National Championships were held in Niigata last weekend. I was planning to go but like the Olympics, it was spectator-free, so I watched the live stream instead. It was good to see the best riders in the country on my "local" track, though the weather played a major part in the results as it rained heavily throughout the day. The track was literally a quagmire in parts, with riders getting bogged down in the really muddy bits and sliding out all over the place. Quite entertaining to watch but not much fun to ride in, I'm sure. "nono"
Anyway, I'm hoping the track is in a rideable state for this Sunday's race (round 6 of the Joetsu series), though another typhoon is forecast to bring more rain on Friday, so at the moment I reckon it's 50:50. Fingers crossed!
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That 50:50 chance turned into 30:70 against and sure enough, today's race was postponed to next weekend. I have plans then, so will have to do some schedule re-jigging to get my race fix. Assuming as well that the weather plays ball! ::)
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The postponed race was also rained off, so Round 6 has been cancelled. The final (seventh) round of the series is on Sat 30th, so hopefully the weather gods are smiling then. In other news, the number of COVID-infections in Japan has fallen, so there's the possibility that the final two rounds of the yet-to-start series in Osaka will run. Maybe!! That makes a total of three more possible race outings this year but I'm not holding my breath. ::)
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After being postponed from the Saturday to allow the track to further dry out, I finally got to race again up in Niigata on Sunday. :D
The damp, sketchy conditions led me to switch out the front Maxxis DTH for a knobblier Holy Roller, which gave me a bit more confidence, so it was worth sacrificing a bit of speed on the drier sections for that. There were only three of us in a combined, older class including an ex-elite rider who rolled up on his dirt/trails bike after a 4-year break from racing, and my high school girl rival, who I always have decent races with. That turned out to be the case again, though this time I beat her to the line in all three motos - the 2nd one by a wheel! Unsurprisingly the elite rider left us in his wake but he did hang back for a while in the 3rd moto to let us dice for the lead, a lead that I took after a dive up the inside of the final berm. The main was a repeat of the motos, so I finished the day in 2nd, which I was more than happy with.
There was also an extra gate session after the racing had finished. Only 20 minutes or so but I managed about a dozen gates, which was a great. For the last 5 minutes, it was just me up there, starting then looping back after the first berm to get another one in. I could hardly breathe, let alone stand at the end but it was well worth it. Overall, including practice and racing, I must have done about 20 or so gates during the day and could definitely feel an improvement - just wish I could do this on a more regular basis. That said, Oizumi has announced some gate sessions this month, so am going to try to get to at least one of them to keep the momentum going. They're also planning/hoping to run those final two races, so fingers crossed that last Sunday wasn't my last race of the year. :daumenhoch:
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Nice one on the 2nd place (y) ..... sure you've got taller ! ;D
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Taller no, thinner yes! It's the Japanese diet! :daumenhoch:
Either that or the camera angle! ;D
Here are a couple more pics - the first from the 2nd moto and the second an end of season group photo. :daumenhoch:
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Planned to go to one of those official gate sessions at Oizumi on Saturday but it was cancelled due to poor track conditions. Having already loaded up the car and planned to be out for the day, I therefore drove to Gonzo Park instead. Having recently bought another, longer post for the UB2 (the 3rd one I've now bought for it!!), I really wanted to see what difference it made for my starting routine and although the gate wasn't running, thankfully it has a stout, metal post, as pictured below, that I could use to balance against. With hardly any other riders there, I could therefore take my time just balancing my front tyre on that post, sitting, then standing up, then sitting down then standing up - you get the idea. I really had the time and opportunity to think about my body stance, weight on the bars and where to look, all being things I need to work on. It was amazing the overall improvement after about 5 or 6, five-minute sessions. I'm not sure how this will translate to the real thing at next weekend's Oizumi race but I left Gonzo feeling much more positive and confident about my starts, which is a good thing. :daumenhoch:
A couple of late-afternoon, start hill pics:-
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Well Sunday's race at Oizumi is looking like a runner. Due to COVID, entry is being done online (done!) and riders have to complete and hand-in a medical sheet, which is basically a diary of your medical condition for the week leading up to the race! Not sure how effective that is because it's obviously not verifiable but hey, I guess they need to show that they're taking anti-infection measures. ::)
Right, I'd better get some sprint-training in! Managed a gentle, post-rain ride around the rice fields yesterday but it's sunny today, so I need to ramp things up a notch! :daumenhoch:
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The good weather's holding, so the bike's been fettled, the car's packed up and ready to roll at 5 in the morning! :daumenhoch:
It's Oizumi's first race in 22 months, so a big turnout is expected. Over 100 riders had registered by Friday, so it should be a good 'un! :D
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Had a long, busy but fun day yesterday. Will post up a full report later but here's a few pics to be going on with. :daumenhoch:
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So, as pictured above, I made it back to Oizumi's first race in 22 months! As a result, 133 riders entered, with 24 in my "Over 30s Mixed" class alone! They therefore divided into us into 4 motos of 6 riders, with the top 4 from each going through to semi-finals! Since the majority of racers there are intermediate/expert level, I wasn't expecting much but was super excited to get to race there again.
As anticipated, the results were nothing to write home about. Three of us were about the same speed, so I thought I had a shot at the fourth semi-final slot but although my gates were quite good (for me), I kept getting beaten to the first corner and thereafter couldn't find the extra speed to make any moves. My day therefore ended after the third moto but the positives I'll take from the day were that my starts were okay (apart from the third moto) and I heard the commentator saying that I had a cool bike! :daumenhoch:
Reflecting back on the motos, I'm definitely losing time over the first set of jumps in the first straight. As you can see from the start gate photos above, I wasn't last out of the gate but lost that advantage by the first corner. I therefore videoed the mains to see what others were doing and can now see what I was doing wrong. Or rather, what I haven't been doing. I therefore need to head back there to practice that first straight before the next round on 12th December. If I can swing it, I may go the day before to practise then stay there overnight. That makes life much easier the next day, as I don't have to get up at 4.30 to drive down there. We'll see!
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Nice one on the 2nd place (y) ..... sure you've got taller ! ;D
yes agreed ;D been a bit since i logged on , but enjoyed the catch up :slayer:
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Thanks for dropping by! :daumenhoch:
Glad someone else reads this nonsense. ;D
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Excuse my ignorance mate as i know fook all about race bikes but is that GT not bit weighty?? Again i know fook all and it is probably way lighter than it looks......
All i know is if you are racing ANYTHING it needs to be as light as can be!!! :daumenhoch:
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She be carbon mate! Designed by GT for the 2008 Beijing Olympics, it was the first, all-carbon, BMX frame. The middle section is actually hollow, which is not only reflected in the low weight but also the sound, the latter of which took some getting used to because I kept thinking I was riding a plastic bike! ;D
When I last weighed the complete, it was just over 19lbs, which is by far the lightest bike I've ever had, though I've since added a longer and therefore heavier seat post. In any case, I love this thing! :smitten:
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She be carbon mate! Designed by GT for the 2008 Beijing Olympics, it was the first, all-carbon, BMX frame. The middle section is actually hollow, which is not only reflected in the low weight but also the sound, the latter of which took some getting used to because I kept thinking I was riding a plastic bike! ;D
When I last weighed the complete, it was just over 19lbs, which is by far the lightest bike I've ever had, though I've since added a longer and therefore heavier seat post. In any case, I love this thing! :smitten:
i stand absolutely and completely corrected mate!!! thought it was Ally!! :daumenhoch:
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It's a marmite frame for sure but it gets attention and comments wherever I go. If only my riding were as noteworthy!! :2funny:
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It's a marmite frame for sure but it gets attention and comments wherever I go. If only my riding were as noteworthy!! :2funny:
As long as YOU are having fun, fook all else matters mate....really and truly! We have to get our kicks however which way before the powers that be kybosh ALL fun! A wholesome and healthy way to get some exercise and some much needed andrenalin probably....once you have had those hits you always need more, no matter your age! I wouldn't have the bottle, prefer getting my kicks on 4 wheels and sideways these days , can only hurt the car not myself!! :daumenhoch:
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Well said! I flippin' love the racing, hence the blogs on here, though wish I had more access to a track so that I could improve my track skills. My once-a-month track visits, either for race or practice sessions, are no where near enough so see some real progression, at least not at the rate I'd like but it is what it is. ;)
Am due back out at Osaka on Sunday for what will be the final race of the year. The weather forecast looks ok-ish at the moment, though it's been crap up here recently, so I haven't been out on the bike much. Another less than ideal situation is that I'm due to pick up a certain new toy on Saturday in Nagoya, which is 2 to 3 hours away from Osaka. In the other direction, of course! If the race goes ahead then that will probably mean loading up the Forester with my bmx gear, driving to Nagoya on Saturday, swapping over the bike stuff into the Impreza, driving to Osaka and staying somewhere near the track, racing on Sunday then driving the Impreza back home on Sunday. Could be a busy not to mention expensive weekend!! ::)
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What a weekend that was! Decided to divide the weekend into separate car and BMX days, which meant more driving but less stress. Therefore drove down to Osaka early on Sunday morning for their (and my) final race of the season. It was worth the effort because I had a great day! There were 18 riders in my class, so 3 motos of 6, with the top 4 going through to semi-finals. I got to race with some other novices in my moto, so managed a 2nd, 2nd and 3rd to go through to the semi-final. That sounds better than it actually was because the second-fastest guy had double-entered (racing both 20" and cruiser classes), so was taking it easy and just doing enough to qualify for the semi. Am happy to take the results though, and it was confidence-building not be at the back of the pack. I finished fifth in my semi, so just missed out on the final slot for the main but for me, the semi was as good as a main, so no complaints. Below are a few pics and here's a link to a vid from the third moto (I was in lane 7 and finished 3rd):-
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Apologies for the quality of the latter but something's better than nothing, right! :daumenhoch:
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Brilliant stuff keep it up fistblump
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Thanks mate, I'm trying! :daumenhoch:
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Really good to see people genuely enjoying the sport at our old age i try to get out as much as possible round local track 2 wheels firmley on the ground though but to actually race takes some balls so hats off to you :4_17_5:
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Just wish I had bigger balls for jumping - the heart says "send it" but the brain says "roll it"!! ;D
You're right though, I still love BMX, even after 40 bloody years!!! Tbh, the journey back into racing was fuelled by regret. Regret that I didn't get more into it as a teenager. A lack of opportunity and disastrous debut race put the dampeners on my dreams back then but I'm making up for it now whilst my knees and back can handle it. :daumenhoch:
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Amazing stuff. Listen to your head at your age. Just trust me on that. Spills take ten times longer to recover from and if it's a bad one it'll nag you forever.
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Yeah, I hear ya! As does my brain. :daumenhoch:
Well, it's New Year's Eve over here, it's snowing outside, so no riding for me today. In fact. There's been no riding since the 23rd, as pictured below. That at least gives me the chance to wrap things up on this 2021 race blog. :D
So this year I made it to 9 races:-
Shonan Speedway in Chiba = 1 race (50km);
Joetsu in Niigata = 6 races (3,240km);
Oizumi in Osaka = 2 races (940km);
TOTAL driving distance = 4,230km or 2,628 miles.
Given the lack of racing in 2020, those 3 tracks (4 including practice sessions at Gonzo Park in Mie) and 2,628 miles of driving, excluding practice sessions, is not a bad effort. I entered both of the Niigata and Ozumi series and although the latter was reduced to two races due to COVID-cancellations, I was able to enjoy six races up at Niigata. Add in another new track (Shonan Speedway) and practice sessions in Mie, I managed quite a lot of track time in 2021. Plus I had some good races, especially up in Niigata, where I made the podium a few times, albeit in races with a low rider-count. ;)
So that was my 5th year of racing in Japan. Plans for the New Year? Bike-wise, I'm very happy with the GT both as it stands now and how it feels on the track, so will continue racing that. Rider-wise, I feel I've made some progress this year and want to build on that with more track sessions, when I can work on the list of things I need to improve. Away from the track, I could also do with some more stamina and leg power, so will concentrate on those in particular. Race-wise, I plan to sign up again for the series at both Osaka and Niigata, and if work schedules (and COVID-spikes) allow, I'd like to take in a race or two elsewhere, possibly Shonan Speedway again and another track down in Ibaraki. Plus it would be nice to return to Midoriyama again. Whatever happens, I'll continue to keep the :Great_Britain: flag flying and post my efforts on here. Keep it RAD in 22! :slayer: