Author Topic: 2021 Race Blog - Japanese Radness in all this Madness! (Read 32835 times)

Mikku · « **on:** January 22, 2021, 10:38 PM »

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.

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!

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!

hotdog · « **Reply #1 on:** January 22, 2021, 10:58 PM »

Looking forward to your updates as and when. Keep up the good work.

Picklez · « **Reply #2 on:** January 22, 2021, 11:11 PM »

Happy New Yr Mick. Good to hear your still planning to keep it going for another year, tops on you

.

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

Mikku · « **Reply #3 on:** January 23, 2021, 04:21 AM »

Thanks guys! Nice to know somebody's reading this nonsense!

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.

Picklez · « **Reply #4 on:** January 23, 2021, 09:19 AM »

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

, and mips is definitely a worthwhile consideration.

Good luck buddy & keep us posted

.

Mikku · « **Reply #5 on:** January 27, 2021, 10:56 AM »

Sorted!

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.

So all in all, it was a good race weekend! Without the racing, of course.

Dingobmxer · « **Reply #6 on:** February 01, 2021, 07:21 AM »

Happy New year dude!
Looking forward to reading this year's blog

Mikku · « **Reply #7 on:** February 01, 2021, 11:42 AM »

Cheers mate!

I tried out the helmet with some of my race jerseys, including a GT one that I picked up before Christmas! I like it!

Picklez · « **Reply #8 on:** February 09, 2021, 08:46 PM »

Loving the TLD Mick, glad you got it

.

Mikku · « **Reply #9 on:** February 15, 2021, 11:59 AM »

Cheers Pete! Have yet to use it in anger but am hoping to head down to Mie next month.

In the meantime I've bought some more race pants!

I think I need to update my race gear thread!!

Mikku · « **Reply #10 on:** February 27, 2021, 02:14 PM »

No more purchases to report but I have been riding my bikes! All three of them!

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!

Picklez · « **Reply #11 on:** February 27, 2021, 10:20 PM »

Awesome Mick. Make sure to get some photos & enjoy the ride out

.

Mikku · « **Reply #12 on:** March 02, 2021, 10:52 AM »

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!

Mikku · « **Reply #13 on:** March 04, 2021, 03:46 AM »

Have been researching goggles for the past couple of days and finally pulled the trigger on some Oakley O-frames. Oh, and some gloves!

fattaffracingco · « **Reply #14 on:** March 11, 2021, 08:12 PM »

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

Mikku · « **Reply #15 on:** March 11, 2021, 10:43 PM »

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!

Mikku · « **Reply #16 on:** March 18, 2021, 12:17 PM »

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.

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.

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.

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.

hotdog · « **Reply #17 on:** March 18, 2021, 02:12 PM »

What seat? Oh yeah,there it is,down there

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)

fattaffracingco · « **Reply #18 on:** March 19, 2021, 09:11 PM »

Yeah great read mik , loving yer exploits

Mikku · « **Reply #19 on:** March 20, 2021, 10:10 AM »

Thanks guys!

Yeah, there is a seat there somewhere!

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.

Mikku · « **Reply #20 on:** March 26, 2021, 10:29 PM »

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.

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!!

Mikku · « **Reply #21 on:** March 31, 2021, 12:29 PM »

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!

Mikku · « **Reply #22 on:** March 31, 2021, 12:51 PM »

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.

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.

Quadog · « **Reply #23 on:** April 01, 2021, 09:47 AM »

Brilliant stuff living the dream

Mikku · « **Reply #24 on:** April 02, 2021, 12:21 AM »

Cheers mate! I'm trying, even though it might not look like that in the vid!

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!