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.