Today I drove back the 550miles from SSUK. It was a great weekend with a few of the usual suspects in attendance. There may have been a few more retrobikers I didn't recognise. Brian and myself drove down on Friday, met up with Velo, Gil and Si. Great weekend and a really nice technical type course. I did a few laps in the 6 hour race as well.
Will see what pics I have and post them up tomorrow.
That was a brilliant weekend that today I am recovering from. Only did two laps but that was not an uncommon number so I'm pleased and I finished instead of my usual did not complete. Loads of silly tomfoolery including Jamie grinning like an eejit in the mini bike racing. Some great bikes at the event including those Stooge 29ers one of which I had a wee go on, very nice but still beyond my piggy bank. I loved the course, it was just like my local trails be it with bigger hills, only crashed once and a tree fell over the course a little under a hundred yards behind me with that distinctive splintering sound, the woods must've trembled at the awesomeness of single speed. Two beer stops per lap, very civilised, though the juke box in the woodland bar seemed stuck on Death Metal Some of the prizes such as frames were awesome, a Titanium Travers was one by a fella who couldn't be at the prize giving but had recently had a cancer op so by unanimous approval they said they'd make sure he got it, respect !
Brians bike was its usual mad but impressive drum braked steed but it paled in comparison to this engineering student who'd raced on his entirely home made carbon framed monster crosser. Brave but technically brilliant young fella.
Most important point for me though is don't skimp on the thermal undies when camping, I wore most of my wardrobe most of the weekend, it was Baltic, especially at night.
Brilliant Weekend !!!!!!
...Most important point for me though is don't skimp on the thermal undies when camping, I wore most of my wardrobe most of the weekend, it was Baltic, especially at night.
Brilliant Weekend !!!!!!
Jamie discovering how strong you have to be to be African (He's on the Africa Bike)
Velo mastered it, must be those long legs
Jamie crossing the line on his umpteenth lap in the Six Hour. For some reason he looks happy.
And watch out for this guy (Oliver Payne) - if he ever goes into business designing bike frames, buy one. The bike might look like it's painted with porridge, but he understands every little detail and stress in the frame. He really does know what he's doing unlike many of our niche fashion following frame designers.
I had a great weekend at SSUK 2015.
Friday off work so an early start. Up at four and on the road for five twenty. Picked Brian up at Dingwall, loaded the car, quick coffee and on the road. A lunch stop and several coffee stops later and we arrived at the race in Yorkshire around 6 ish. This was after a detour into a pig farm
The weekend went too quickly really, Friday night catching up with lots of people, a couple of drinks, racing mini kids bikes for some heats and generally having a nice social evening.
Saturday had the main race start at ten with a really long run Le Mans start. This was two hours plus a lap. After this at two was a 6 hour endurance race. The course was really, really enjoyable. It had several tight technical sections joined by fire road climbs and a quite steep broken up concrete road up and over to the start area. During the race I could clear this only due to stopping near the bottom and being refuelled with jelly Babies by Pam There was two beer stops on the ride, one at the start area and one halfway round.
We all sort of got split up during the race as we all had different agendas etc, but with most of the course being singletrack and with lots of riders in the main race it was slow going for the first lap. One mistake was that we started right at the back as we just strolled to our bikes. I had a slow first lap just cruising and drinking really but felt better next time round and the day just picked up from there. At the end I wanted to do another lap as was enjoying myself so after a bit of discussion with Brian who was entered for the 6 hour and wasn't going to do it I ended up getting an entry at the last minute. very last minute as I didn't get time to eat anything. I even had to leave the line to the chip van to put my bike at the start.
Anyway I set out to do one lap and the lack of food and a mornings hydration on Yorkshire ale soon came back to bite me. I started to get cramps in my calves and thought just hang in to the beer stop as they had a giant bowl of salted peanuts that would hopefully sustain me enough so I could survive back to the start. I rode towards the stop with a nice French lady and after the leg killing climb to the stop that had me cramping in the top of my thighs, ( something that I have never had before) I was gutted to find the beer stop abandoned, ie; no peanuts, no beer. I should have realised as it was silent on the climb whereas before there was the sound of heavy metal reverberating through the forest. Thankfully for me after initially refusing, I very kindly accepted a gel from Sophie as she said it would get me through the next few miles back to the start. It certainly worked as the cramps were gone on the next climb and standing on the pegs through the downhill was fine. While Pam and Gil weren't at the bench on the concrete road climb, I had seen them earlier in the lap and they had given me a couple of emergency Jelly Babies for the climb. Thanks guys
I got back to the start, clocked in and dropped my bike and layed on the grass eating a burger and having a coffee. Not really race food but I was done and had the intention of getting changed and relaxing. I must have been there a while but I felt better and thought, what the hell I will go round again and just trail ride with no pressure, not that there ever was any as I was just cruising all day anyway, and so I set off again. Not sure whether it was this lap or the next but I had a drink in the start marquee with Markus and had an enjoyable time out on the trails. I do know when I did call it a day later on that I came in and got stamped and said to the tent that that's it for me, this time I am done, and with that Mike, of Lord Mike of the Fatbikes said 'now don't be hasty, come and think about it over a pint of cider' and so it went on
So in the end I did a couple of hours, on and off in the endurobut just tooling round, unlike Si who was really hammering for the full duration. A tough man for sure as it was a great track but taxing.
Then it was changed and fed with the presentation being about half eight or so. Early to bed for me as had to get up in the morning for the drive home and to drop Velo off at the station beforehand.
Lots of stories but I have waffled on far too long about my weekend when there was lots of Macretro friends there, who have their own tales. It was really good to see everyone, catch up with people and have a laugh.
Thanks to Brian for coming down with me and keeping me awake, coffeed, and fed. I did about 1050 miles over the weekend so it was much appreciated.
Not many pics and a couple of these are Brians (hope you don't mind)
Next years UK are in Coventry
But the Europeans are in Slovenia and theres already a plan being hatched as there is more than a few familiar faces already going
Jamie
Brian and the 1X1 (notice the warm weather attire)
Retrobike singlespeeders? or Fatbike Singlespeeders? or Both
Some of the prizes such as frames were awesome, a Titanium Travers was one by a fella who couldn't be at the prize giving but had recently had a cancer op so by unanimous approval they said they'd make sure he got it, respect !
