Moda Forte Bike Review

Last Sunday I rode my new Moda Forte for the first time on the track. This was a Team Time Trial RSR (British Cycling Regional School of Racing) at Manchester Velodrome and was a perfect way to test this bike on a hard session but out of competition. 

It felt like a big step up from my club Dolan which I had pretty much outgrown.  Although both have an aluminium frame the Moda is more streamlined and comes with carbon forks.  It felt good straight away and only needed a few tweaks to make the ride perfect (dropping the stem for the ride I'm used to). It really is the whole package for the type of track bike that I need at the moment, with its American Classic wheels. The only things that I needed to change were the 44cm handlebars which felt huge (swapped for some 40s) and the sprocket, because I need youth gears.

I can't wait to race it.

http://www.moda-bikes.com/portfolioentry/forte/

Ghent 6 day 2015

Some of the Architecture in Ghent is amazing!

The Ghent 6 day. One of the world's most prestigious 6 day track races. This event attracts thousands of cycling crazed spectators from all over the globe into one velodrome in the centre of Ghent. This year I got the chance to visit this race for the first time with some friends... and boy was it exciting. Even hearing the blasting music from outside the velodrome got me excited to see what would happen inside! 

Chris Lawless

On the 2nd to last night Ilio Keisse (the local pro) raced to the win and managed to get the lap on the field that him and his comrade Michael Morkov needed to win this years event (pictured below). This was amazing to watch, all the crowd went wild at the move and it looked awesome. To be honest I'd love to ride on that track but then again wouldn't anyone?

Thanks to Tom, Vicky, Alex and Matilda for taking me!

This is the favourite photo that I took over the weekend
 - Ilio making a move

This is Ilio's move to take the win

Winner, Winner, Chicken, Dinner (my iccle wickle little sis, Lotta)

My sister Lotta had a brilliant weekend... I will let her tell you about it.

Hey guys,

So my first under 14's win, a big deal right? After having a great race at our home race in the NDCXL the day before (coming 2nd, my best result this season, only beaten by Zepnat's Ammo), I thought my weekend of racing couldn't get better, though obviously it could. I race again on Sunday on Lincoln. An up and down, twisty turny, long straight course suited me quite well as I could try to put the power down along the windy straights and put my good technical skills to the test down in the woods. I had a good start and in 2nd trying to stay ahead of an under 16 girl (Jessica Woodworth from Bourne Wheelers) but she was closing the gap I had on her.  Unfortunately she dropped her chain on the third lap leaving me wondering why she was so far back but also pleased as I had opened the gap up and I attacked again. Than it turned into one of my usual races of being on my own burying it to stay ahead. As the bell for the last lap started ringing I  knew I could hold on the 2nd place of all U16s 30s behind Isabel Darvil and 1st under 14 as long as i didn't muck it up by crashing or breaking my bike. Fortunately, I did it, I had won my first race, I was buzzing!  

Well done to anyone who raced!     

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner!

This bank was REALLY steep (Photo from Steph's Photo Page on Facebook)

HPP Sauce (Holme Pierrepont CX)

Last weekend the Mansfield family had a very busy 2 days. This was because we were doubling up on races with the NDCXL and Links League. Furthermore the NDCXL event was the Nottingham Clarion NDCXL event for this year! 

The NDCXL was a great event with an amazing and challenging course providing interesting racing when the weather took it's turn for the worst! (rain to say the least!!)


I've always enjoyed racing at my home grounds of Holme Pierrepont. Seeing the trees whip past when we race through Wildman Woods is always a fun section of when I race at HPP. This was an awesome race and I really enjoyed the course, after a couple of weeks of not feeling very competitive.  I was racing in a group of three with James Swadling and Tim Elsmore-Martin, it was very difficult and I needed to really dig in and attacked once to drop the first of them, and again to drop the second.  I was really pleased to secure my 5th place in the final positions, against some tough competition ahead.  Well done Toby Barnes who won... convincingly.

Team mate Calum on his way to his win in Juniors

Mallory Park Awards Night

A couple of weeks ago the Mallory Park Road Race League finished with me in the lead of the overall points. So now we've arrived at the annual Mallory awards night, we had a couple of very short, fast and fun races and the legendary mini bike race. But instead of bragging about what I'd won I would like to say some thank you's. So I'd like to thank my team mates Alfie Lofthouse and Will Beech from my club Nottingham Clarion, without you guys I probably wouldn't have won it so thank you guys it means a lot. I'd also like to thank my coaches but also my Dad for being my timekeeper, my encourager, my driver and my coach too, thanks a lot Dad. I may have to back on my not telling you all what I'd won but I think this can be an exception, so I'd like to thank the people who nominated me for the rider of the year competition this was really special because I didn't expect it, so thanks a lot you made my night. Also I'd like to thank the event organiser Mike Twelves, the commissaries and Mallory's sponsors Raleigh and Jewson thank you for making this happen, without you guys we couldn't be where we are today. It was great to have Ian Wilkinson the Raleigh GAC Team Captain handing out the awards. And finally it was awesome to hear Mick Ives reading out Nicole Cookes letter to all of us at Mallory Park and seeing Bradley Wiggins' video message to us I think between them they have 17 world championship titles. This was the best way to round off the road race season, I'll see you all next year in the U16's!!

National Clarion Track Omnium

That was awesome! Going into this event I had no expectations of where I would come, as it was my first ever track omnium. And certainly little did i know that i would have won the thing. It was a really hard set of races and I think that it was really close between me and Christopher Horden in every set of events. this was really tight and close racing on the track, something of which i had little experience. So as my first ever race it was really good! I will be back for more!

#crosshascome

Today was my first race as an under 16, me and my family went for an away fixture in the West Midlands CX league. The course itself was really different to what we expected it to be, with it being really boggy in certain places - I took file treads but the first thing we saw was a muddy bike.... I guess they will stay in the shed for another year! This was a perfect start to the season as the course rode really well and played to my advantages, even starting at the back of the field didn't stop me form finishing well inside of the top ten!! With this race done I'm really starting to get into the 'cross spirit and can't wait for my next race in my home league at the NDCXL. 

How To Make A Cyclocross Hurdle For Less Than £10

You can make a cyclocross hurdle really easily

Firstly go shopping for some 40mm press fit waste pipe. Make sure you get press fit or else it will fall apart.

Shopping list
2x 2m by 40mm press fit waste pipe
2x 40mm 'T' section
2x 40mm 90° section

Cut one of the pipes into 4x 30 cm legs with a 45° angle at one end with a hacksaw. Then cut 2x 10cm extenders one for each end then assemble like so by pushing it all together. This will give you a hurdle of about 35cm if you want a higher/lower one then cut some longer/shorter extenders.

Like so!

Mallory Park Road Race League 2015

As the Road Race season is drawing to a close I am going to tell you about my season particularly the Mallory Park Road Race League which is one of my favourite parts of the summer.  Mike does a brilliant job for all us youth riders.

About 2 months after the Cyclocross season had finished the Mallory Park Road Race League starts. This league is one of the biggest in the country and is 17 weeks long!! In the first race Ben Rouse, one of the Leicester Road Club riders, attacked and managed to secure the race win.  It was a wake up call to everyone that you need to defend as well as attack.  After having a mechanical in the second race I thought that my season was over because I broke my hand (see other post in this blog).  It was a disaster.

Two weeks later I was recovering really well and I strapped up my hand and put on a special glove that we had made to protect it.  I could change gear, brake and steer and so I gave it a go.  I finished third behind Alex Haines and Emile Alexander so was really pleased that I might still be able to finish the road race season.  

Over the course of the next few weeks Leicester Road Club started working really well together and make it really difficult to make a break work.  They were pretty awesome at times but I had Will Beech and Alfie Lofthouse from Nottingham Clarion who were brilliant team mates and I owe them because they really helped in some of the toughest races. Over the next few weeks me and Alex Haines shared the wins but I took the leaders jersey and held it for the rest of the summer.  

It was really hard work training to keep my edge over the Leicester Force and I have to thank my coaches at Nottingham Clarion and also Dean and Tom at Prestwold where I learned a lot.  

Mallory Park Road Race league video

Hello again!

My brother got a quadcopter and he decided to make a movie of one of my races at Mallory Park.  Thankfully I managed to win this race but it was really tough racing against Emile Alexander who I managed to outsprint.  My sister also won so we love Jack's video!

We think it's great - enjoy!

https://vimeo.com/132040481



Mallory Park Youth Racing June 2015 from Neil Mansfield on Vimeo.

I Broke My Hand

I broke my hand.  

I was training with East Midlands MTB team and I had a stupid crash.

It didn't hurt anywhere near as much as when I realised that my 2015 MTB season, which I had been working towards, was over before it had really started.

You can see my broken bone in my hand below my little finger.  My finger was twisted too.

NDCXL 2014-15

National Champs 2015 - Abergavenny

Welcome Back!!

Unfortunately my favourite discipline - the Cyclocross season - has just finished :(. But here is my round up of the Notts and Derby Cyclocross League 2014-15 in Under 14's. 

At the start of the season I was hoping to be finishing in the top 3.  In round 1 I came over the line in third place so it looked promising.  Way ahead was Jake Norton (Sherwood Pines SRAM) but in second was Alex Haines (Leicester Road Club), who I raced head-to-head all season.  My other rival was Tim Elsmore (Sherwood Pines SRAM) who I have been racing for lots of seasons now.  Alex and I shared race wins throughout the season and I have to admit he smashed me in the closing two rounds.  I needed to be strategic to make sure my overall points would take me to the league win and this meant that my National Trophy season was a bit off compared to NDCXL.  This really shows how different priorities can affect your season so Tim did better in the Nationals but that meant that I was stronger in the NDCXL.  

I feel privileged to have won the NDCXL U14s as I look at the names of people who have won it before and so many of them have achieved so many great things in cycling.

Welcome To Finn's Blog

Hi All,

Welcome to my Blog. My name is Finn Mansfield, I am a Youth Cyclist and at the moment I am racing for Nottingham Clarion. I did my first ever race at Bristol Cyclocross on a heavy cheap bike in my gymnastics kit when I was 7 (silver helmet in the photo, with Lotta and Jack). I've been racing ever since!  

I will be Blogging about Cycling and how it makes my life as special as it is.

Finn