2023 Race Blog - The Seven(th) Year Itch!

[Mikku]

Happy New Year RADsters! It's January, which means it's time for the start of another season of racing in the Land of the Rising Sun! My seventh season of racing here! Well, anywhere for that matter. Seven years in and still loving it too! Am therefore looking forward to the first race of the year. Talking of which, Oizumi has announced a three-race winter series, as shown below. The first race is on 22nd Jan, so I have two weeks to burn off the Christmas and New Year holiday excesses and get back into race shape. Unfortunately, it's been raining or snowing here since Christmas, so bike time has been all but non-existent, though I have been practising starts in the shed. Kind of, anyway, with the race bike on a stand and me practising my snap whilst listening to the start cadence on my iPhone!

Bike-wise, I'm more than happy with the UB2, so will keep running that, possibly with a couple of minor changes along the way. The same as last year, I'm also planning a few changes of race gear, including a TLD D3 or D4 helmet to use in tandem with my current TLD Stage.

So that's it for this first post of 2023. As always, I will update the thread with pics and reports as and when, hopefully with a first race report for the 22nd. Here's to keeping it Rad in '23!

[HUTCHMAN]

Likin the updates      sent you a couple of emails but forgot to say thank you for the xmas card 

[Mikku]

You're welcome Dave!

A few January updates. First off, I've entered this weekend's race, so finger's crossed the weather holds. The forecast for Osaka looks okay but my neck of the woods is going to get dumped on by the snow Gods. That's going to cause me problems, not only en route but physically getting out to the main road from my countryside dead end. If the snow's heavy, I'll have to clear the snow to actually move the car. Bearing in mind I usually leave home at 4.30am, that's not a fun prospect!! Will therefore have to see what the weekend brings.

Next up, I've just made my first purchase of the year, snagging a new G-Form compression shirt on the 'Bay. My current one's almost falling apart, so it's about time I replaced it. The updated version also has some collar bone protection, which is always welcome.

And last but not least, I'm making a quick trip over to Blighty in late Feb, my first in over 7 years. If I can, I'd really like to take in a race while I'm there, preferably riding not spectating! I'm not sure that it'll happen but I'm bloody well going to try!

[griff]

Cheers for the update Mick - nice to see you're keeping it up 

[Mikku]

Hanging in there mate! Thanks for dropping by.

So I was able to make it down to Osaka on Sunday for Round 1 of Oizumi's 3-round Winter Series. There were 10 riders in the Over 30s mixed class, divided into two racks of 5 with the top 4 going through to the main. I was in the first rack, with some of my regular rivals. First moto, I got to the first berm in 4th but lost that position on the second straight. I stayed in contention but couldn't quite pull it back at the line. Second moto I got a better start and went into the first berm in 3rd. Once again, though, I lost a position on the second straight, so tried to protect my 4th place by holding the inside line in the second berm. The guy behind stayed on the outside line and drew alongside me on the 3rd straight, giving himself the inside line into the 3rd berm. There wasn't much I could do about it and I finished in a disappointing 5th again. I was therefore determined to do better in the third moto but got squeezed out going into the first berm, so got my third 5th place and missed out on the main. I suppose I can't really complain too much as I've hardly ridden since Christmas but it was still a frustrating result. Fun but frustrating! My starts are okay, but I obviously need to improve my track speed and racecraft, both of which will be my focus over the next few months. I also have 4 weeks before Round 2 to build up my stamina and general fitness to where it was before Christmas. Bring it on!

[Mikku]

Not much riding to report due to the shedloads of snow that we've had over the last week. Plenty of shovelling though, so I guess that counts as training!

I've also seen the 2023 race calendar for the newly-formed Chiba Race Series which is based at the Shonan Speedway track that I've been to a couple of times. Looking at the dates, at this moment in time I could possibly make three of those, starting with the first one in March, though I'm fully expecting various things to change, so we'll see what happens.

[Mikku]

Am due back out this weekend for Round 2 of the Winter Series in Osaka. We've had a break in the weather this week, which means I've actually been out on the bike a few times, and even got in a bit of sprint training. That said, it's snowing again today, so that'll probably mean no more riding for the rest of the week!

[Mikku]

Tomorrow's race has been rained off!

Tbh, I'm not too disappointed as that gives me an extra day to finish off marking essays, which in turn will give me an extra day of prep for this coming week's trip to Blighty.

Next race should be on 19th March, ignoring the possibility of racing at Royston Rockets on 4th March!!

[Mikku]

In other news, that G-Form top I snagged on the bay has gone for a burton! I paid for it but nothing arrived and for whatever, unknown reason, the seller went quiet on me. I got a refund from eBay but man, what a pita plus I really wanted that top!

Lesson to be learnt - never deal with "seage123"!!

[Mikku]

So after all the excitement of racing in the UK, I'm now back in Japan and have entered this Sunday's third and final round of the KBU Winter Series at Oizumi in Osaka. In preparation for that, I went to Gonzo Park on Sunday for the first time this year. The weather forecast wasn't great but I wanted to stretch my legs after all the travelling I've been doing recently. I also wanted try out a few things, including the Northwave Tribe mtb shoes that I picked up in England. These are specifically made for flat pedals and have a special sole made by Michelin.

Thankfully I was able to do both of these before the rain started. The Tribes gripped the pedals well, even in the wet conditions. They also have a thicker sole than my Vans, which was especially noticeable when putting the power down on the start hill and coming out of berms. I gave them another workout today, doing some sprint training, so I think I'm going to give them their race debut on Sunday. Below is a pic of the Tribe/Michelin sole compared to the Vans I normally wear.

Another new purchase is a TLD D3 carbon helmet, also bought from eBay in the UK. I really like these helmets and was lucky enough to find one in good condition and reasonably priced. I wore it at the Royston Rockets track and had no issues, so may also give that a runout on Sunday.

A final update is yet another eBay purchase, namely a Maxxis Torch tyre that I have wanted to try for a while. I love the Maxxis DTH tyres which have been my tyre of choice since 2017. However, since most of the tracks I now race on have asphalt berms, I want to try something with a slightly smoother tread than the DTH. I don't like the look of the Tioga Powerblock and Powerband tyres but the Torch looks just the ticket. Fortunately, I was able to find one for a good price in the UK, so that too made its way back to Japan!

I will report back on all of these, along with the race itself, next week.

[Mikku]

Unfortunately, tomorrow's race has just been cancelled! Sunday's weather forecast is actually really good but it rained heavily there last night and through this morning, so the track's too wet to race on, apparently. I'm super disappointed as I not only wanted to race but also to try out my new shoes, helmet and that Maxxis tyre, as well as some other stuff. Bloody annoying but it is what it is.

My next outing could be as soon as next weekend but is more likely going to be in early April. I'll post again when I know more. In the meantime, I'm going to attempt to make the Shimano DXR cranks on my GT look shiny and new again!!

[Mikku]

Made it out last Sunday for the first round of the KBU series in Osaka. My ?Over 30s Mixed? class was split into two racks of 6, with the top 4 from each going through to the main. I had a day-long dice with one of my regular rivals, going 4th/5th/5th, so missed out on a place in the main. Disappointing, but it has motivated me to crank up the training for the next round in June. I also got to test out the shoes, helmet and tyre mentioned above. The latter two were fine, with no issues but the Northwave Tribes are another matter. Basically, the sole moves around a bit on the pedal and is not as locked in as my normal Vans. In the first moto my foot slipped as I was mid-manual, which was a not a fun moment! Thankfully I stayed on board and didn't lose a place but it didn't do much for my confidence. I've tried different pedals to see if that improves matters but to no avail. I love the chunkier feel of the soles, so am going to give them some more track time but for race days, I'll stick with the Vans for the time being.

In other news, the 2023 Niigata race series has been announced and the first race up there is in the beginning of May. Am looking forward to checking out their resurfaced berms, and hope to get some track time in before race day.

[Mikku]

This week has been a national holiday in Japan, and the Joetsu Bicycle Association held their season opening race on Wednesday, so naturally I made the 4-hour trip up to Niigata! I was keen to try out the new asphalt berms and in a nutshell, they're bloody good. I was surprised how smooth and as a result, how fast they now are. Plus more surface area of the corners, particularly the inner parts, have been tarmac'd, meaning that there's now some different lines to be had. I got a few sighting laps in during unofficial practice but wanted to save myself (or rather, my energy) for gate practice, not to mention racing, so was going to have to learn them on the go.

There were 5 riders in my class, which was the 17 and over class, to take into account a 20-something former elite rider. The other three were in their 30s and 40s, with me the wrong side of 50! Moto 1 went ok. I got out in 2nd but was overtaken going into the first berm. I tried to take the place back by taking a much lower inside line in the third berm but although I drew level, the higher line is the faster one and I lost out on the final straight, finishing third. Moto 2 wasn't so great, losing 3rd place on the second straight and not getting it back, despite another diving low attempt in the final, third berm. Moto 3 was much the same, though this time I decided to follow the riders in front, taking the higher line through the third berm then catching up with the 3rd-placed guy in the final straight. I felt I could have got him by the line but having done enough to qualify for the main, decided not to show my cards until then. I chose gate 5 for the main to put myself between my rivals. I was 3rd out but was 4th by the first berm. No problem, I thought, so long as I stuck to my game plan. Then on the third straight, we passed the elite rider lying on the ground, cause unknown, so I now found myself in third, eyeing second. That's when the red mist descended and as we entered the third berm, I forgot my game plan and swooped down the inside, as I had done in the first two motos. This brought me level but then, as before, they both pulled away with their faster exit speed. Idiot!!

I therefore finished in the final podium place but tbh, was bloody annoyed with myself and gave myself a good talking to on the way home, though not before a much-needed practice session after the podium session. Next race there is on the 28th, so I'll have to make amends then.

[nic968]

Keep going mister!!

[Mikku]

Cheers mate!

[Mikku]

Was back at Joetsu on Sunday for Round 2 of their race series. Made a weekend of it by going up on the Saturday for some extra practice. That has the added bonus of spreading the driving over two days. Race day saw some new faces in the over-30s class, making it the biggest class with 7 riders. However, with only 6 classes in total, that meant a fast turnaround, so there was little time to rest between motos. That really came into play during the second moto, when I could feel my legs giving up the ghost before the first berm!! However, I managed to hang on to my 5th place, a feat I repeated in the third moto, making three fifths out of three. That doesn't tell the full story though, as there were different riders around me in each moto, with overtaking moves being made both by and against me. Fun stuff!

So I qualified for the main and lined up on the gate in lane 5. I got away okay, though soon had to take avoiding action to miss the leaders, who had tangled over the first set of jumps. No-one went down, but it shuffled things up a bit as some of us slowed and the others made their escape. I found myself in 5th again, though with a faster rider behind me. I managed to hold him off until the final tabletop, when he pulled level and just beat me on the lunge to the line. It was a good dice, despite losing out on 5th.

After the presentation ceremony, I stayed on for some gate practice. I really wanted to focus on the second and third pedal stokes, which I don't do so much during races but know I need to do more of. I was therefore able to get in about a dozen gates before some kids crashed over the first set of jumps, bringing an early end to the session. My legs were shot by then anyway, so no harm done, at least not to me. Overall, it was a good weekend. Bloody knackering, with plenty of aches and pains today, but some good practice sessions and some good racing, so no complaints. Looking forward to the next one!

[Mikku]

Lots to update, so may well have to spread this out over a few posts!! Basically, I've been racing these past two weekends! Sunday was Round 3 of the Niigata race series and the Sunday before was Round 2 of the Osaka series. Both were really good for me in that I beat both of the guys who beat me in the previous rounds. More of that later but here are a few Oizumi photos before I get round to posting proper reports.

[Mikku]

So, I was back in Osaka on Sunday 18th for round two of their race series. With fine weather and the chance to practice for the national championships being held there in July, there was a big turnout. As usual, the over 30s mixed class was the largest, with over twenty riders split into 4 racks. I was in the fourth rack of 6 riders, with the top four going through to the semi-finals. Among the other 5 was my frequent rival, the guy who squeezed me out of the final spot in the main in round 1. I was therefore determined to beat him this time round and happily, that's what panned out. In every moto we were jostling for position down the first straight, but I would just sneak into the inside line of the first berm and hold him off all the way to the line. I could hear him right behind me and a few times, could even see his front wheel looking for a way past but I managed to keep in front. Very satisfying! I therefore finished 2nd/2nd/2nd to qualify for the semi-final.

Unfortunately, that's as far as my day went, as I finished 5th and just missed out on the main. However, I couldn't have done any more, as was proven by the leg cramp that I suffered on the lunge to the line. Plus, beating my rival in the motos was victory enough for me. So, all in all, it was a good day, capped off by another rider giving me some of his old GT race pants, which are the perfect match for my race jersey. They're a bit short and need some velcro repairs, but I may well wear these at the next round for the full, factory GT look albeit from 20 years ago!

[Mikku]

Made it to Round 3 of the Joetsu race series on the 25th. Unlike the previous Sunday, there were only 6 motos, with 5 in the over 30s, one of which was my Aussie (and very fast) friend who'd made the trip up from Tokyo. The other three were regulars, including the guy who beat me in round 2. As my regular rival, I have a fairly good idea where's he's faster than me and vice versa. I usually get out of the gate ahead of him, but he carries more speed over the first set of jumps and often gets me before the first berm. That proved to be the case yet again, though I managed to take the position back three times at three different places, namely around the outside of the first berm, on the inside of the third berm and on the final run in to the line, all of which I was more than happy with. I therefore took the fourth and final spot in the main, a position which I finished up with at the line. However, as with the previous Sunday, I was more than happy with the result, having beaten my main rival, especially as we were trading places in every moto - great racing, at least for me!

There was also a gate practice session after the racing and I just about had enough energy left in the tank for ten or so gates. I managed to get a couple of videos too which was great, because it really brought home how much my starts suck!! It's obvious that I'm doing various things wrong, so am going to start rectifying that by going back to basics and watching YouTube videos on start gate technique! I have another month before the next race, so can at least work on my form, balance and body position before I next see a gate. Onwards and upwards!

I'm also planning to try a slightly larger front tyre, going up from 1.75 to 1.95. The thinking is that the larger footprint may give me a bit of extra speed over the rollers and through the tarmac corners. It would have the added bonus of replicating the look of the "fatty/thinny" set-up that we ran bitd!! Pics to follow as and when.

[Mikku]

I returned to a hot and humid Joetsu on Sunday for Round 4 of their race series. My Aussie friend made the trip up from Tokyo again and we were joined by 6 others, making a full gate for the over 30s class. Included in those was my regular rival, who I beat last month after some close racing and Sunday saw more of the same, with plenty of side-by-side action and overtaking, albeit battling for 6th place. I took the first moto with a third berm pass and he took the second moto to put me in 7th. I got my revenge in the third moto and repeated the feat in the main to finish 6th overall. I was sniffing for fifth on the final straight but didn't quite have enough energy left in the tank to make a challenge. So, another good day's racing despite the sweltering heat and humidity. Next race should be at the end of August, which gives me time to try out the new front tyre which I also picked up on Sunday.

[Mikku]

The new, larger Maxxis front tyre is now on, as pictured below. Am hoping to give it a track test on Sunday, with races scheduled for both Oizumi in Osaka and Joetsu in Niigata. Since I can't be in two places at once, I'll have to see what the weekend's weather holds in store then decide which one to go to. At the moment weekend rain is forecast for Joetsu whilst Oizumi looks dry, though it's probably going to rain there tomorrow instead. It's only Tuesday though, so anything can happen!

[Mikku]

Well I did get to race last weekend but it was all up in the air until the last moment, thanks to a rain front sweeping across the country on Saturday. Basically, it poured down at both Oizumi and Joetsu, but the latter got the worst of it and on Saturday evening they postponed the race. That left Oizumi, and with no announcement online and sunshine forecast for the next day, that's where I ended up driving to early on Sunday morning. Full report and pics (hopefully) to follow when I get back on a pc, as I'm currently in South Korea! That means I'm missing the postponed race at Joetsu but such is life.

[Mikku]

So, Sunday 27th was round 3 of the KBU series at Oizumi Park in Osaka. There was a small turnout with just 8 motos but there were 10 riders in the ever-popular over 30s class. I was in the first rack of 5 and had a good battle with a rider I hadn't raced with before. He just beat me to 3rd place in the first moto but I got the better of him in the next two to go 4/3/3 and qualify for the main. Come main time, I had a bit of a mind-block over my gate choice. For some unknown (to me) reason, the faster guys all chose high gates. So instead of doing the sensible thing and choosing a low number (1, 3 and 4 were available) and thus get the inside line for the first berm, I followed suit and went for lane 5!! This was stupid, because my best chance against my nearest rivals is to beat them into that first berm. If I can do that then I have a fighting chance of keeping them behind me to the line. To be fair, my legs felt as heavy as hell and I probably couldn't have held them off anyway BUT still...

I therefore finished an okay but slightly disappointing 6th. At least I kept the rubber side down because the day saw a couple of nasty crashes in the damp patches between the jumps and rollers, including another over 30s rider who suffered memory loss after hitting the deck. His helmet was only lightly grazed but he must have done something to his bonce because he couldn't remember his age, let alone the crash. An ambulance was called just to be on the safe side and he went off to hospital for a check-up. Thankfully he came back as the awards were being handed out, so I presume he was given the all-clear. Scary stuff though.

The weekend after next I have another clash of race schedules. Both Joetsu and Oizumi have meetings on Sun 17th Sept, which is bad enough but the extra fly in the ointment is a night race at Shonan Speedway, down in Chiba, also on the 17th. I raced there once before in 2021 and it would be nice to return, especially as they have an old school bike class that I could race my Laserlite in. However, it's a bloody long way and they've made some changes to the track since I was last there, so I'd want a decent practice session beforehand, especially as I'd be racing in two classes. That realistically means a 4-day trip at least (a travel day/practice day/race day then travel day), which will be knackering. It's also typhoon season here now, so the chances of a 4-day period of good weather are not great. I'll therefore have to see how the weather pans out over the next ten days then decide what looks to be my best bet.

[Mikku]

So it's race day again tomorrow.

I decided against making the trek down to Chiba, as I'm just too knackered this week to have another 4-day trip away. That leaves Joetsu and Osaka on the table. Having recently raced at Osaka, I'd prefer to drive up to the former instead, though they've had some rain this week, so the track's quite wet. They're going to make a decision later today, so if it's on, I'll go there, otherwise I'll head down to Osaka instead.

[Mikku]

So I ended up going to Osaka. Niigata decided to leave the decision to race until Sunday morning and I couldn't afford to take the risk of driving all the way up there to find out it had been cancelled - been there, done that, got the t-shirt!! As it happened, the Joetsu race did happen after a delayed start but such is life. Anyway, back down in Osaka, there was a low turnout of riders, most probably due to the meeting in Chiba. Some of the younger classes therefore had to be mixed, making a grand total of 4 classes, with 6 riders in the over 30s. They also decided to do total points racing, with three motos and no main, which I think is a first for me. In any case, I went 5/5/5, getting beaten by one of my regular rivals, which was annoying. He beat me into the first berm twice and held me off to the line both times. Then the one time he didn't beat me into the berm (I was in lane one, so had the inside line), he passed me on the second straight instead.

It wasn't all bad news though because, with an early finish, they ran a gate session afterwards, so at least I could get in some much-needed practice. As hard as I try to remember everything I should be doing to get a good gate, come race-time I invariably get caught up in the heat of the moment, so it was good to really focus on my gate form and technique.

On the long drive home, I started to berate myself for getting beaten by my rival. This kicked me into action and I've upped my training since then. Unfortunately, I'm now back at work after my extended summer break, so my training time has decreased but I'm still super-motivated to keep at it until the next race on 15th Oct. This sees another clash of schedules between Joetsu and Oizumi (who clearly hadn't communicated when they fixed their calendars), so hopefully I'll be able to go to one of them to see if my extra training makes a difference on track. Watch this space!