Another rear mech fail bummed up my race at Gunpowder Park! Need to get a spare bike I think because it is extremely frustrating not being able to finish, especially as I was going pretty well - would probably have got another top 20 finish looking at the results. I guess it's the nature of the sport and a few guys who usually finish above me also had the same thing happen so...
Apart from that the course was good, and the guy playing drums at the side of the course was superb!
Next weekend is Penshurst. Never raced there before so have been checking out a vid from 2008s race . Looks like quite a tough course, maybe similar to Stanmer. Aiming to fit the Rhinos to my new wheels for it (Will use them if it's muddy enough) and also need to get my bike fixed in time. Waiting on a mech hanger, which could be a problem - fingers crossed.
Mud Bath
Glued to the tub on and it seems to have worked really well, so chuffed. When the new wheels arrive from Big Al (Hopefully this week) I am going to use the same technique for the Rhinos!
Racing-wise I've had two since the last post.
First was an Eastern Cross League event up at Redgrave, which was only 30 mins from Pegto's. Got up there in good time and the weather turned out to be quite good. Course was mostly flat on grass fields with a few muddy kinks to add a bit of spice to it. Mud was pretty thick and deeply rutted in places and there was a bank with steps at one end. Didn't get gridded, presumably because it was my first ECL event and had to start at the back, behind some guy with mudguards! Got a pretty decent start though and managed to get up to about 20th. Sort of found a rhythm and began to move up the field a bit to about 15th I reckon by lap 5. Then disaster struck as I rode a muddy rutted section and ripped off the rear mech - race over! It was the first time I had ridden it, opted to run it on the previous laps, so maybe that was my mistake. Rear mech either got damaged by the rut or clogged up, not really sure. Either way we packed up and headed for home, bit disappointed. DOB were great supporters though with Grandpa's hooter!
Last weekend was the mud bath at Stanmer Park. Absolutely tipping down and pretty cold, the whole place was a sea of water and mud. Good turnout from the Wheelers and lots of mos on show :-{ Recce lap showed what was in store - long flat grassy section and then big slog up to the top of the hill, followed by fast downhill, muddy wooded section, a pond, twisty muddy grassy bit and back round past the start again. Got gridded this time and managed to get a great start. Going into the hill I was about 18th and feeling pretty good. As the race settled down I could see I was ahead of Andy Seltzer, Big George and Nigel and set about racing the guys around me. Found a good rhythm and had a good battle with a couple of guys, one junior Brighton Excelsior lad who kept catching me on the techy bits - was also maintaining the gap between myself and Andy, George and Nigel. By the last lap I managed to get away from the Excelsior lad and finished strongly with my best ever position - 16th!
Racing-wise I've had two since the last post.
First was an Eastern Cross League event up at Redgrave, which was only 30 mins from Pegto's. Got up there in good time and the weather turned out to be quite good. Course was mostly flat on grass fields with a few muddy kinks to add a bit of spice to it. Mud was pretty thick and deeply rutted in places and there was a bank with steps at one end. Didn't get gridded, presumably because it was my first ECL event and had to start at the back, behind some guy with mudguards! Got a pretty decent start though and managed to get up to about 20th. Sort of found a rhythm and began to move up the field a bit to about 15th I reckon by lap 5. Then disaster struck as I rode a muddy rutted section and ripped off the rear mech - race over! It was the first time I had ridden it, opted to run it on the previous laps, so maybe that was my mistake. Rear mech either got damaged by the rut or clogged up, not really sure. Either way we packed up and headed for home, bit disappointed. DOB were great supporters though with Grandpa's hooter!
Last weekend was the mud bath at Stanmer Park. Absolutely tipping down and pretty cold, the whole place was a sea of water and mud. Good turnout from the Wheelers and lots of mos on show :-{ Recce lap showed what was in store - long flat grassy section and then big slog up to the top of the hill, followed by fast downhill, muddy wooded section, a pond, twisty muddy grassy bit and back round past the start again. Got gridded this time and managed to get a great start. Going into the hill I was about 18th and feeling pretty good. As the race settled down I could see I was ahead of Andy Seltzer, Big George and Nigel and set about racing the guys around me. Found a good rhythm and had a good battle with a couple of guys, one junior Brighton Excelsior lad who kept catching me on the techy bits - was also maintaining the gap between myself and Andy, George and Nigel. By the last lap I managed to get away from the Excelsior lad and finished strongly with my best ever position - 16th!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)