Відео

Bike Shed Racing Series at Thruxton kicks off in April, get yourself there, it’s always a good hit out. Oh and the points farm that is Mountbatten in Portsmouth. Well worth a visit

Head set ..once you have the compression and tighten the stem you should be able to take the top cap bolt out and the stem should hold everything…check that you can get full compression and that there is enough gap on the top cap eg ..it is not hitting the top of the fork …also normally the stem bolts that are responsible for fork coming slack ..use carbon griper paste and go I fraction tighter on the torque 1-2 Nm ..hope this helps …fantastic vids !! Thanks

Well done Max! 🦾

Decent video max. Definitely give the bigger circuits like Coombe, Thruxton, Goodwood a go. Mega wide, normally a good standard of racing & smooth as silk surface & feel alot safer due to the widths of the track, there all run brilliantly aswell 👍🏻

At 25:07 on the final sprint, you nearly chopped the guy on the Pinarello off.

You want points from 4th cat races? Come to the 4th Cat only that are at Mountbatten in Portsmouth. The most in one of those was 12 riders and least was 2. Picked up loads of points from basically just turning up!

Great video and nice to meet you Max. You were def one of the stronger riders there, see you next time!

Enjoyed the video , you get it rubber side down ! We all have a first time, and you’ll learn race craft .

Good video, I enjoyed that. Would have liked to see some analysis on the race stats though, distance, final position etc.

Don't beat yourself up. This is an endurance ride where efficiency is key those racing it are ego driven and probably not taking in the moment. They may also be elite cyclists or have done it before. Enjoying the ride is better. also ask yourself why you are doing this and likely it is that you love cycling and the social aspect. Your bike looks amazing by the way.

Heres a quick link to some races ive entered if you fancy coming along: Dorset Feb 23rd. www.britishcycling.org.uk/events/details/313063/South-League-Azets-Spring-Classic

I like the kit. Looks better than PNS

Congrats on the race! Regarding the steerer issue, its unlikely to be caused by the compression plug because the compression plug + topcap are only there to preload the headset, once you have tightened the stem then you can remove the top cap technically as its not doing anything. I've had similar issues in the past on two other bikes. One was caused by a badly surfaced crown race for the bearing in the fork. When I placed the bearing on top of it then it would rock very slightly. I ended up replacing that fork due to that and because it developed a ring of death due to riding with a loose headset. The 2nd bike had a stem which was slightly too big where it attached to the fork. Tightening the bolts meant it was just adding torque to the bolts once the two sides of the stem came in contact. In my case I had an adapter to convert between OD1 standard and OD2 standard and I replaced that adapter which had a much better fit but most stems/integrated handlebars don't do that so you would need to replace the stem. Also just in case make sure you are using carbon fiber gripper paste and also degrease eith alcohol the contact surfaces before applying it since it often gets contaminated with grease. Good luck and I'll hopefully see you in Abingdon!

Nice!

do some cross races in the winter, get use to being shoulder in on others makes crit racing feel very spacious. sit 3rd to 6 wheel, push as little watts as you can and stay off brakes

Great video Max. Congrats on your performance. :)

I wouldn’t rush to get out of cat 4. You’ll miss it 🤣 It took me ages and I’m glad about that as it also gave me time to get a win 🥇 Cat 3 is soooo fast with modern equipment (Hillingdon races are 27mph average) that it’s really hard to do a lot. I struggle at Odd Down as a bigger rider. I think I did 18 efforts over 1200w in one race 🤣 Great vid 🎉

Crit racing is not about just watts - you have to be smart. I’ve been racing crits for 20yrs and still get things wrong. At least you already know your positioning and race management is horrible, wasting so much energy but that’s what lower grades are for..learning. Tip…Don’t look at wheels - look at other riders hips and hands.

Are you testing with ERG mode on?

Well done, you have bigger balls than me to start Crit lol.....But no on a serious note, I need to push my training this year and get to the power where i have a chance to even stick with the Cat 4....but yeah looks fun.....Good luck on future races

A first time for me watching your channel The Watt Life. I was looking for Wattbike paired with Zwift, but anyway I was glad to hear and see what you guys had to offer...great work and well done to both of you. I'm fairly new to cycling 2-3 years and only done around 10-15 Zwift rides on a Wattbike Atom v1, bought second hand but like new, less than 24 hours of riding. Your video/film on this Alpe du Zwift has given me the hope to actually give it ago...Looks a killer. Good stuf and you both came across as genuine nice guys giving us very amutures some hope :). I think I have seen the name Andy Broadhurst we I've been zwithing lately... Keep it up and I will check out your videos. Thanks, Sean Martin.

If you are doing castle combe try and do the thruxton castle combe easter weekend double. Its the unofficial world champs of the south west 😂 All ill say is your clearly strong enough (even i got out of cat 4 and i dont have your abs!) Just when you do more races have a goal or a plan for the race. For example when you kept sprinting back on you had so much wasted inertia that you could have used to go flying off the front. When at the front you keep the hammer down. You make a gap ans force others to chase. If you get caught you might be in a selection OR at the very least you have forced others to work hard. Being on the front doing 300 watts and everyone noodling on your wheel only tires you out.

Cool commentary Max, hows the shoulders after a race on the drops? Also, move up the pack on the side out of the wind. Brings back so many memories i do miss racing!

Your headset issue is probably caused by the top cap not having enough clearance to actually 25:59 pull up the steerer u could try either add a 3 or 5 mm spacer below top cap to increase the clearance or cut the fork by 3mm. Good luck 25:59

Must take a lot of experience to know when to push and where, well done. Pity the front end got loose again!

Great video and commentary. Thanks!

Some fantastic numbers there, really good ride. Would love to see more crit videos they’re really helpful.

Another good one Max, and great racing. I taught my daughter to ride at Odd Down so good memories! I’ve never seen the crits but would be up for giving it a try. My first race at age 47 - what could possibly go wrong!

Just wondering two possible causes for the loose headset, 1. Is the bung being pulled up out of the top of the steerer tube, could use some carbon paster to make sure it doesn't slip. 2. Is the steerer cut short enough to allow enough space for the top cap to preload the bearings enough (could try putting a small spacer on top of the stem and see if that solves your issue)

Really excited to see you race and also inspire others to come and race. You know don’t worry about mistakes you make after a few races you will sort everything out.

There are so many people cheating with there weight! My weight is 97kg with 300W easy driving i have 3kg/w if i switch it to 69kg i have 4,3kg/w to have with my weight 4,3kg/w i need 400W ands thats nearly impossible

Should have gone full TT suit overshoes socks and aero helmet 👀👀😂

Awesome vlog you explained what you were doing and thinking very well and the chart on the screen was very interesting on your statistics well done 👏👍

Nice to meet you. I was shouting for you to move up in that first bit. I'm sure you'll get the hang of positioning for the sprint and get those 10 points soon.

Nice vid 😁

Hookless. … no way

I started crit racing in 1957: but I had done two seasons of track league first and this really helped me to know how to ride in a crit.

Fantastic work Max. Takes a few races to get used to being around lots of riders whilst going round tight corners. Looking forward to the next one

Great Race Max… Yes! Race and Learn… Race and Learn… One thing that will happen as You move up the Cats…For Me, I use to Race (now Retired) in the Masters Category (1/2/3’s)… You then will start to Race with the same Guys… And with that You will Learn Who is Who, and you will learn who is Fast, and what Wheel you need to be on, and where you need to be when… Good Luck on Your future Races, and I’m looking forward to your Videos of them 👍💪🚴‍♀️🚴‍♂️🚴‍♀️🚴‍♂️🚴‍♀️🍻Cheers

Crits are such a head rush, done dozens and still get the jitters before the start and the adrenaline after the first lap or two. Most important is to ride smart - save energy by not being on the front but not too far back to avoid the accordion and crashes. Glad you went for it!

Flat is Fast.

Your headset issue sounds like the head tube may not be level, usually because of residual paint or lacquer, so the bearings aren’t sat level, which means that you can’t get even compression. Try dropping the forks and a light sanding to level the head tube 🤞

Love the video. That attack at 20:50 was me 😂 was a cracking day out. Your lucky you only had the 2 hour drive I had a 3.5 hour drive 😂

Mitts for Crits 👌 great job 👏

Nice race recap! What is the camera you use during the race?

I know that hill next to odd down and it is very steep! You've got the fitness, just need to learn the race craft. Hope to see more vids like this

most important part is enjoyment nice vlog hope you have a good seasons racing

Regarding the lose headset, is it just a simple thing that you’ve not cut enough off the steerer tube when you slammed it , therefore the top cap is tightening onto the top of the steerer tube rather than pulling the stem down to compress the whole bearing stack, and all the clamping force is going from the top cap and onto the top of the steerer, and not pulling it all down and tight ? . By removing 1-2mm off of the steerer length may make all the difference . The top cap should never touch the steerer tube . You could check this first by putting a 2mm spacer under the top cap first before cutting any more off . I’m in Swindon so close to all 3 of this tracks , I might come watch you soon. Good video , lots to learn for a novice watching .

I can confirm Max is sound ✅ Great to meet you mate and well done 👏

Really good video, Max (@thewattlife). Your thoughts on 'giving racing a go' are familiar with how I remember first stepping into racing, and also align with my early season feelings now (a 'few' years down the line). It's not necessarily nerves relating to achieving a high finish. It's more about whether you will do yourself justice, whilst taking on an unfamiliar environment. The more you do it though, the more comfortable you become, the more you enjoy it, & want to do more of it. Speaking of which, have you got any plans to race any of the RCR Goodwood races (offering races various categories - on Tuesday evenings through the summer), do the 'Wightlink Isle of Wight Classic' (Cat 2, 3 & 4 - Sunday 18th May) road race, or the 'Velo Venta Spring Road Race" (Cat 3 & 4 - Sunday 27th April)?