A few thoughts and observations from the weekend...
The scene was set, the time was finally upon us, after nearly 4 months of pulsating expectation the day had arrived for the RetroBike Spring Meet 07. The previous months of secret training, the mass accumulation of parts from ‘the BAY’, the strict calorie control diet to ensure the retro Lycra did not cut off vital air supplies was over…..it was time to break out the GT-85, fill the not so retro camelbak and head to the rendez-vous in the hotbed of Mountain Biking that is the North Downs and the sleepy village of Westcott, Surrey..
After some fairly miserable weather towards the end of the week it was with a certain trepidation that I pulled back the curtains at 5.50am on Saturday morning, I’d like to say it was nervous anticipation that had me up so early, but infact it was a screaming child in the room next door (Bet Ned Overend never had to change a Nappy the morning of a big Race !!). However, the Sun was out, the sky was blue and it looked like the biking gods were smiling on us.
After a quick breakfast and a spin around the M25 I arrived at Westcott and searched for the Car park. Having never been to this car park before and relying on the chaps of STW for it’s existence (praying it wasn’t some elaborate SingleTrackWorld prank to make a w*nker out of me) I was relieved to find that not only did it exist, but it was huge and populated only by an old woman and a couple of dogs. Upon returning to the entrance to hang the all impotant Retro balloon markers I stumbled across the first arrivals , Mr Kawasaki (Neil) and RetroKing #1 (Max). I was duly informed that the link I had sent out to all the attendees actually pointed to a different car park up the road where as we spoke a harassed woman was attempting to stop a steady flow of bike laden vehicles mowing down a collection of 11 yr old footballers… I was convinced however that the balloons would do the job (despite two bursting on inflation) and as they began arriving like animals into the ark all seemed good with the world.
The Cars were parked and gradually the bikes were put together, faces were put to names to the usual cry of “oh, so you’re ‘insert RetroBike pseudonyme’â€
The scene was set, the time was finally upon us, after nearly 4 months of pulsating expectation the day had arrived for the RetroBike Spring Meet 07. The previous months of secret training, the mass accumulation of parts from ‘the BAY’, the strict calorie control diet to ensure the retro Lycra did not cut off vital air supplies was over…..it was time to break out the GT-85, fill the not so retro camelbak and head to the rendez-vous in the hotbed of Mountain Biking that is the North Downs and the sleepy village of Westcott, Surrey..
After some fairly miserable weather towards the end of the week it was with a certain trepidation that I pulled back the curtains at 5.50am on Saturday morning, I’d like to say it was nervous anticipation that had me up so early, but infact it was a screaming child in the room next door (Bet Ned Overend never had to change a Nappy the morning of a big Race !!). However, the Sun was out, the sky was blue and it looked like the biking gods were smiling on us.
After a quick breakfast and a spin around the M25 I arrived at Westcott and searched for the Car park. Having never been to this car park before and relying on the chaps of STW for it’s existence (praying it wasn’t some elaborate SingleTrackWorld prank to make a w*nker out of me) I was relieved to find that not only did it exist, but it was huge and populated only by an old woman and a couple of dogs. Upon returning to the entrance to hang the all impotant Retro balloon markers I stumbled across the first arrivals , Mr Kawasaki (Neil) and RetroKing #1 (Max). I was duly informed that the link I had sent out to all the attendees actually pointed to a different car park up the road where as we spoke a harassed woman was attempting to stop a steady flow of bike laden vehicles mowing down a collection of 11 yr old footballers… I was convinced however that the balloons would do the job (despite two bursting on inflation) and as they began arriving like animals into the ark all seemed good with the world.
The Cars were parked and gradually the bikes were put together, faces were put to names to the usual cry of “oh, so you’re ‘insert RetroBike pseudonyme’â€
