Sitting here to write this it is hard to believe that the 2016 road season is coming to close. It only seems a few weeks ago that we were wrapped up racing in the cold of March hoping to survive the first few races before we (hopefully) became accustomed to the speed and suffering of race pace and began to find that mysterious feeling called "form". A mysterious thing it is indeed. Even with the advent of power meters and advanced training it is still not quite quantifiable. What is good form? How do we get it? How long does it last? One thing is true though- all cyclists are terrified to lose it.
So with one race left in the calendar how did this road season rank with previous years? Despite not having a team in Rás Mumhan this year, the club were successful in many races throughout the season. Placings were notched up, CI points accumulated and even a couple of county medals were thrown in for good measure. More importantly that mysterious "good form" was found by those racing and they were active in "making the race" when the hammer went down. This "good form" leads to a tricky predicament for those who achieve it. With one race left for some (Laragh Classic) and none for others what to they do with it? Lose it? (an altogether terrifying prospect for the fragile ego of a bike rider). Take on Strava?(Certainly provides an ego boost). Or go Running or swimming? (may show cyclists how useless they are away from the bike). While there are many answers (much more scientific than given here!) as to what one should do when the road season finishes, our answer is simple. Get a 'cross bike and get dirty! Cyclocross is short and so incredibly sweet. Races are one hour flat out, super fun, and make use of the "good form" achieved throughout the season. It has the added benefit of "shortening" the winter months as well as keeping fitness levels up so the return to the road season is much less daunting. So while curtain is closing on the Road for 2016, it is only raising on what will be a bumper season for CX in Ireland. Hon the Barrs!
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It's that time of year again when the excitement is building to the beginning of the Cyclocross season both here in Ireland and on the UCI calendar. The 'cross scene in Ireland has come a long way in recent years and entries into the Fixx Series sell out faster than Bruce Springsteen in Croke Park! It is largely thanks to this series and the races in the North who have persevered in promoting CX that it's popularity is now booming across the country.
Due to the growing popularity of the discipline the idea of a Munster Cyclocross league was put forward at the end of last year, after the success of the Munster races. Only in the past week was the structure for the league finalised. The league will consist of 6 races (see the events page for league dates!) across 8 weeks. These races coupled with the Fixx series (which is close enough for most Munster riders to reach within a reasonable time) will lead to a jam packed season of racing right up to the National Championships at the start of January. The Barrs are lucky enough to be hosting round 1 of the Munster League in Fota Island in the grounds of the old house on the 9th of October. This will be guaranteed to be a great day out for all the family with a full programme of racing from kids to seniors. Entry for the u16 and Senior Races will be online only and will be going live on the website this week! But what is Cyclocross and why has it become so popular? We'll let this video give you the answer. Quite simply 'Cross is awesome, and it is only now that we are beginning to realise that fact. Welcome all to St. Finbarrs Cycling Club new website! This is an exciting time for "De Barrs" and Irish Cycling. Cycling in Ireland is growing rapidly and more and more people are taking to two wheels and discovering the joy and excitement that cycling brings. We at St. Finbarrs CC hope to provide some insight into the world of cycling in Ireland both at a competitive and a non-competitive level. The blog section will be regularly updated with riders stories, racing experiences and opinions on the world of cycling.
We also want to encourage more people cycling to join a club. It is through a club that cyclists maximise their potential and become fitter, faster, and safer cyclists. It is also more fun sharing cycling experiences with a group (especially during coffee spins!). The good news is that at St.Finbarrs CC we are always open to new members. If you have any queries about joining feel free to contact us through the contact us page in the top right hand corner. |
St.Finbarrs Cycling ClubEst. 1938 Archives
October 2017
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