My thoughts from the weekend (if anyone cares ).
Firstly, thank you to John (and family), Andy (Gump) and Spencer for providing the beer, bbq, camping area, music and beer again! Also, thanks to Andy for providing retro toilet facilities and some lovely grub on Saturday evening.
The banter, as ever, was world class. It was just a shame we couldn't share (inflict!) it with others.
I was in the SW 10 man 'rats' team, that finished in a brilliant 6th place :shock:
Special respect goes to James, for being team captain and doing the extra laps, Rick, for doing the first lap, and John for stepping in and doing a lap for us when I was feeling 'fragile'!
I made a schoolboy mistake by taking my 80's Jamis out early. The course was dry(ish) when I left the camping area, but a 30 minute monsoon soon changed that.
It had stopped raining by the time James came in to finish our 2nd lap, and send me out on the 3rd.
My lap was a mixed combination of riding, walking, carrying, sliding and swearing, but was a cause of much laughter, to both me and others!
With about 2 quarters of the lap completed my back wheel shifted, while trying to power up a muddy rise, and that was me resigned to walking most of the rest of the course (should have been better equipped!).
Then, like some kind of flat capped angel, Nobby appeared at the side of the track. Being a true retrobiker, he had the required 15mm spanner and I managed a quick realignment and was back on the move.
A strong sprint finish around the arena, and I handed over to a worried looking first timer in Doug.
A garbled explanation of why I'd taken so long, and he was on his way.
Time for a shower, a curry and a rest before heading out again at 23:30.
I wolfed down a high5 energy gel while waiting in the changeover area, which was to haunt me later.
This time I went out on my newly built Orange Vit T2. The course had dried out a lot, but it started raining lightly just after I started so the surface went back to being sticky again :roll:
A rider next to me tried his best to kill himself on the Kenda downhill by flying off into a tree.
I stopped at the bottom and ran back up to check he was ok and fish him out of the undergrowth.
His first comment...is my bike ok
I was really enjoying this lap though, and nailed a few climbs that other were walking. I even got a few 'great effort' comments from others.
20 minutes in I bumped into DSP, quite literally! I pulled up next to him, got distracted and then promptly carved him up into the undergrowth
The next sight to great me was shocking....Andy out doing a lap, on his Klein! What wasn't a surprise was that he was knelt down in the trees, giving 'assistance' to another rider! DSP stopped, but I plodded on.
The course was now riding so much better than my earlier lap, and I tried to make up some time.
It was a welcome sight when I emerged from the trees to see the lights of the arena.
Another sprint finish before handing over to Stuart.
Back to the retrobike area for a shower, a cider than bed.
It was now that the high5 started to give me grief. I couldn't sleep, and my guts were like a washing machine.
Rick was sharing my tent, and was up at 4am for his next lap. I got up too, for a cuppa, and then promptly threw up!
I felt like crap, so went back to bed to try to sleep it off. James was great, and said he'd cover my lap.
John stepped in too, and went out for a lap on my Orange.
I took loads of pics (and I recorded both laps on my gopro, which I'll share after it's been edited)..... http://s246.photobucket.com/user/makste ... hem%202013
In summary I had a wicked weekend
Firstly, thank you to John (and family), Andy (Gump) and Spencer for providing the beer, bbq, camping area, music and beer again! Also, thanks to Andy for providing retro toilet facilities and some lovely grub on Saturday evening.
The banter, as ever, was world class. It was just a shame we couldn't share (inflict!) it with others.
I was in the SW 10 man 'rats' team, that finished in a brilliant 6th place :shock:
Special respect goes to James, for being team captain and doing the extra laps, Rick, for doing the first lap, and John for stepping in and doing a lap for us when I was feeling 'fragile'!
I made a schoolboy mistake by taking my 80's Jamis out early. The course was dry(ish) when I left the camping area, but a 30 minute monsoon soon changed that.
It had stopped raining by the time James came in to finish our 2nd lap, and send me out on the 3rd.
My lap was a mixed combination of riding, walking, carrying, sliding and swearing, but was a cause of much laughter, to both me and others!
With about 2 quarters of the lap completed my back wheel shifted, while trying to power up a muddy rise, and that was me resigned to walking most of the rest of the course (should have been better equipped!).
Then, like some kind of flat capped angel, Nobby appeared at the side of the track. Being a true retrobiker, he had the required 15mm spanner and I managed a quick realignment and was back on the move.
A strong sprint finish around the arena, and I handed over to a worried looking first timer in Doug.
A garbled explanation of why I'd taken so long, and he was on his way.
Time for a shower, a curry and a rest before heading out again at 23:30.
I wolfed down a high5 energy gel while waiting in the changeover area, which was to haunt me later.
This time I went out on my newly built Orange Vit T2. The course had dried out a lot, but it started raining lightly just after I started so the surface went back to being sticky again :roll:
A rider next to me tried his best to kill himself on the Kenda downhill by flying off into a tree.
I stopped at the bottom and ran back up to check he was ok and fish him out of the undergrowth.
His first comment...is my bike ok
I was really enjoying this lap though, and nailed a few climbs that other were walking. I even got a few 'great effort' comments from others.
20 minutes in I bumped into DSP, quite literally! I pulled up next to him, got distracted and then promptly carved him up into the undergrowth
The next sight to great me was shocking....Andy out doing a lap, on his Klein! What wasn't a surprise was that he was knelt down in the trees, giving 'assistance' to another rider! DSP stopped, but I plodded on.
The course was now riding so much better than my earlier lap, and I tried to make up some time.
It was a welcome sight when I emerged from the trees to see the lights of the arena.
Another sprint finish before handing over to Stuart.
Back to the retrobike area for a shower, a cider than bed.
It was now that the high5 started to give me grief. I couldn't sleep, and my guts were like a washing machine.
Rick was sharing my tent, and was up at 4am for his next lap. I got up too, for a cuppa, and then promptly threw up!
I felt like crap, so went back to bed to try to sleep it off. James was great, and said he'd cover my lap.
John stepped in too, and went out for a lap on my Orange.
I took loads of pics (and I recorded both laps on my gopro, which I'll share after it's been edited)..... http://s246.photobucket.com/user/makste ... hem%202013
In summary I had a wicked weekend