Zac.A

To be honest, it's ***, unless you can find a very small bottle, cyclelab used to have some small ones, but the long ones are super ***. Also, you must put it in the middle pocket otherwise it's horribly unbalanced and you can't stand up. But if you need the extra water then either take a small bottle, or as 'Dale said, take a little plastic bottle, and just throw it away at the water point. If you do use one on the back make sure to it first so you have as little weight on your back for the majority of the ride.

or a seatpost mounted one. Various contraptions available there, was a thread recently...

put a bottle in your back pocket, one of the small ones.

I'll make it simple for the guys who've just started league or who have never raced before. As has been mentioned, race for position not time, (only applies to League, NOT PPA(@Tiny K) ok, so at the end of the day, no-one cares if you did the race in 4hrs as long as you won. The best way to go about getting positions and points, is to do some hectic interval training en route. Taking into consideration the new points system, of the smaller the bunch the more points, this is only made more important, so while keeping a steady pace at the front will drop a few people off the back, the only way to get lots of points now days, is attack, attack, attack. Discuss your attacks with some friends in the bunch so that no-one gets left behind, say the DeVere team and MTB_Roadie, if all 4 go then the group will be forced to chase you down, and if they can't well then it's a more honest race for the 4 of you. Also discuss the day before when you will make a huuuge attack, in yesterdays race, the obvious place being Helz... PM me if you want any tactical advice I'd love to help! Edit: I know it may all sound stupid, but that is the best way to shell people off of the group, they always manage to sit in when they're "dead"

I would also like to know? Not that I ride with risers.

Ahh thats a pity, such an "enjoyable" ride

And you know the route of the race next week well now after our recce, you shouldn't have a problem getting on the podium. Of course, that is taking into consideration that the rider who soloed a faster time than the Elites doesn't turn up with a few of his very, very, very, very strong friends

well how much can you afford? Don't forget helmet, cycling shoes, clipless pedals, glasses? if you want... Helmet is the most important there, everything else comes after.

Thats pretty unfair, but you (MTB_R) can always lodge a complaint when they send the results out and give option to lodge an appeal. When I was U14, last year, if people didn't work up front I shouted at them, if I was really pissed i'd just bolt of the front, but now being a 1st year again I don't feel comfortable telling elders what to do, just doesn't feel right. But Tiny, next time just shout, it works

But at the Pro Classic prize giving were you called up as 3rd or him?

They could look cool

@MTB_Roadie, What happened to you, is that at the start, the guy who is supposedly 3rd went over the mats after you, say he crossed 3seconds after you, ie he started at the very back of the bunch, that way, he could finish up to 3 seconds behind you and still beat you... Has happened to me before too.

42 and 43 are dodgy...

Never happened to me before.

There were a few temps, some x's, some r's, even a few n's.

I originally thought that you meant it was strange they had been uploaded so early in the day...usually only after 5pm. Not complaining, was a nice ride, had fun.

I was in the 2nd group on the road of the 72km and we passes about 30 riders from the long route on the stretch where there should only be short rides.

Think it may be a similar situation to what I did last weekend. Anyway, happy with my result

I have my doubts about the top 3 positions...

What do you mean? The wind was horrible!

Agree with 'Dale, We pulled one guy for the last 30km and another for the last 35km, their turns were short and not too mahy either. But me and my clubmate knuckled down and we got to the line, with 5 in our group, another sitter, 2 outsprinted us and the other was well and truly dead.

the purpose is for a change in hand position. I'm sorry if it was not made clear by me and everyone else.

They are actually used for XC by all the top professionals, Hermida, Schurter, that calibre of rider. They're used at the start of the race, when it's all mayhem and chaos, to sprint with, I don't use them, but that's what they're for.

This is the team to watch for 2012, Trek vs BMC.

See some of you guys tomorrow