Author Topic: 2021 Race Blog - Japanese Radness in all this Madness! (Read 27247 times)

Chilli Rinse · « **Reply #50 on:** September 27, 2021, 11:34 PM »

I hope you get to race

Mikku · « **Reply #51 on:** September 27, 2021, 11:40 PM »

Thanks mate, me too!

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.

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!

Mikku · « **Reply #52 on:** October 03, 2021, 10:12 AM »

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!

Mikku · « **Reply #53 on:** October 19, 2021, 12:18 PM »

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.

Mikku · « **Reply #54 on:** November 03, 2021, 11:04 AM »

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.

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.

HUTCHMAN · « **Reply #55 on:** November 03, 2021, 05:56 PM »

Nice one on the 2nd place (y) ..... sure you've got taller !

Mikku · « **Reply #56 on:** November 04, 2021, 01:50 PM »

Taller no, thinner yes! It's the Japanese diet!

Either that or the camera angle!

Here are a couple more pics - the first from the 2nd moto and the second an end of season group photo.

Mikku · « **Reply #57 on:** November 14, 2021, 11:12 AM »

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.

A couple of late-afternoon, start hill pics:-

Mikku · « **Reply #58 on:** November 16, 2021, 10:59 PM »

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!

Mikku · « **Reply #59 on:** November 20, 2021, 09:59 AM »

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!

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!

Mikku · « **Reply #60 on:** November 21, 2021, 10:40 PM »

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.

Mikku · « **Reply #61 on:** November 26, 2021, 09:44 PM »

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!

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!

oldtired · « **Reply #62 on:** November 29, 2021, 06:05 PM »

Quote from: HUTCHMAN on November 03, 2021, 05:56 PM

Nice one on the 2nd place (y) ..... sure you've got taller !

yes agreed

been a bit since i logged on , but enjoyed the catch up

Mikku · « **Reply #63 on:** November 30, 2021, 08:43 PM »

Thanks for dropping by!

Glad someone else reads this nonsense.

deeman · « **Reply #64 on:** December 01, 2021, 09:11 PM »

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!!!

Mikku · « **Reply #65 on:** December 01, 2021, 10:04 PM »

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!

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!

deeman · « **Reply #66 on:** December 01, 2021, 11:03 PM »

Quote from: Mikku on December 01, 2021, 10:04 PM

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!

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!

i stand absolutely and completely corrected mate!!! thought it was Ally!!

Mikku · « **Reply #67 on:** December 04, 2021, 05:01 AM »

It's a marmite frame for sure but it gets attention and comments wherever I go. If only my riding were as noteworthy!!

deeman · « **Reply #68 on:** December 05, 2021, 10:16 PM »

Quote from: Mikku on December 04, 2021, 05:01 AM

It's a marmite frame for sure but it gets attention and comments wherever I go. If only my riding were as noteworthy!!

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!!

Mikku · « **Reply #69 on:** December 05, 2021, 11:01 PM »

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!!

Mikku · « **Reply #70 on:** December 15, 2021, 10:52 AM »

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!

Quadog · « **Reply #71 on:** December 15, 2021, 10:59 AM »

Brilliant stuff keep it up

Mikku · « **Reply #72 on:** December 16, 2021, 10:32 AM »

Thanks mate, I'm trying!

Quadog · « **Reply #73 on:** December 16, 2021, 02:54 PM »

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

Mikku · « **Reply #74 on:** December 18, 2021, 08:37 AM »

Just wish I had bigger balls for jumping - the heart says "send it" but the brain says "roll it"!!

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.