I'm back.

I returned to the saddle in a downhill race for the first time since last October after having joined the Army over the winter. I came home a couple of weeks back to a great surprise. A brand new shiny Rose Beefcake DH8 all ready to go. I knew it was coming but my folks hadn’t told me it had arrived. Getting back in the saddle was great and I felt right at home straight away. The buttery smooth setup just crying out to be ridden hard and what better than a gnarly, soaking wet race to try it out on? Round three of the Scottish Downhill Series was at Pitfichie in Aberdeenshire which is pretty close to home. For the first time the SDA chose the newer of the two tracks for this race with some totally new bits thrown in to reduce home advantage.  No need on my account as I’d hardly ever ridden it, focusing the limited practice time I spend at the venue on the more popular old track.

Saturday’s practice went well enough but it was clear to see that the hill was going to change a lot as the rain, which had been falling since about a 2009, showed no sign on stopping. Pitfichie is a push up race so practice is somewhat limited anyway but I managed a couple of complete runs and sectioned the tricky bits for the rest of the day. I was feeling good on the bike but the lack of running was showing as I just didn’t feel comfortable carrying speed in the corners.

Sunday promised to be a better day according to the BBC weather people but what do they know about Aberdeenshire weather? It rained again all day! One practice run in the morning was all there was time for and the track was now really quite scary with a lot of exposed roots, huge ruts and holes that would swallow a poorly placed front. All the time topped off with a covering in white water. My first run went well enough and I arrive at the finish in a clear lead but I was running in a poorly seeded position so I tumbled to ninth as the faster riders came in. Still, I was pretty happy with a top ten even if not by the margin to my good friend Lachlan Blair in first. By the time the second set of runs started the organisers were just trying to get the day over as quickly as possible and announced that the second runs were going in no particular order with everyone just getting to the top of the hill and coming down in the order they arrived.  This was OK and I set off after leaving a good gap to the man in front but what I didn’t know was who else the mix in front contained. I passed about three people with little or no delay before I came upon a guy who played dumb and wouldn’t move over for me and was really slow. By the time I got passed I’d probably lost 10 second or so. I stayed upright (no mean feat by the way) and got to the bottom a couple of seconds quicker than my first run but not enough to improve from ninth. I wasn’t going to be challenging to a podium but I really feel I could have gained a few places had I not been held up so much. I also guess I could have asked for a rerun but I didn’t fancy the hour long push up and the track wasn’t getting any better.  All in all I think it was a pretty successful and enjoyable return to racing.

Many thanks again go out to Fin Paton and the guys at Rose Bikes UK for their continued support. I loved the Beefcake when I first saw it a couple of years ago and still love it as much today.

Full results on Roots and Rain

Euan.

A couple of weeks ago, Jonny took part in his first DH race in over 12 years.  Having ridden at the Forest of Dean regularly with mates from the Bristol area and local celebrity Jake "the teaboy" Ireland, for the last couple of years he felt that the time was right to make the comeback...


The 150mm Granite Chief was my bike of choice for the relatively tame course which started off flat with some treacherous roots and mulchy turns before dropping onto the fire road for a quick sprint.  Off the fire road the course dived over another trail and a large mound which had to be sucked up before dropping back onto "Ski Run" proper.  Through the glare of the flash guns popping everywhere riders dropped into a deep rutted gully which could be straightlined if you were brave or lucky.  Another flatish sprint across the push up hill and back into the woods and a couple of switch backs before the finish section of a small hip, the FoD table (where the mums always stand and watch) and the left/right berms.  The course here was taped wide which allowed some riders to hop the berms and miss the two berms.  Over the road gap and the last two berms before a couple hard pedals across the line.  


After two or three practice runs in the morning and a healthy bacon and egg bap for lunch it was race time.  Being old I was now in Masters so had a bit of a wait to check out some lines on the way up the hill.  Realising that I am not Minaar or Peaty I figured I wouldn't remember these and would just try to stay off the brakes all the way down.  It turned out that the start list was incomplete at the top of the course, which pushed me right to the back of the category, just one rider after me, so there was no pressure on the first run.  I turned in a 3rd after the first run and was more than happy with that, if this stood it would be my best result ever!  Unfortunately some timing bumped us all down a place as Joe Bishop came down fastest but was missed off the sheet for some reason.  Still 4th was more than I was expecting so still pleased. 

Thanks to Loz Webb - http://www.rootsandrain.com/photos/loz-webb/

Second run down and the pressure is slightly more obvious.  Now the runs are in first run position, so I had 3rd place baring down on me.  Death griping my front brake I dropped into my second run and I'm pretty sure I closed me eyes for a lot of it.  I also don't remember breathing...  The only part of the run I can really remember was landing the table at the bottom and saying in my head, "jump the berm jump the berm..." only to find myself hammering around both berms and having to get on the pedals into the small road gap.  


I was gutted I didn't take the straight line as the results showed just 0.5seconds covered 3rd 4th and 5th.  I was in 5th.  


But thats racing and you can't change it once its done.  I was more than happy to come 5th on my little bike, and the racing bug has well and truly bitten me again.  Shame the next race is the same weekend as the Fort William DH World Cup.


You can check out the Granite Chief here - www.rosebikes.co.uk
and enter the next two races for the DTV series here - http://www.deantrailvolunteers.co.uk/

WDMBA ROUND ONE, RHEOLA 29th APRIL 2012

                                                                                                               

WDMBA ROUND ONE, RHEOLA 29^th APRIL 2012

The down hill track at Rheola near Neath in South Wales has a notorious reputation. It’s long with loose rock in the top section flowed by roots and ruts in the lower sections. The boys last competed there at Round One of the BDS in April 2010. On that occasion Isaac managed a fifth place podium in Youth and Joel was 10^th in Juvenile. So we were returning with the boys two years older having both moved up a category.

We travelled up early on Saturday morning knowing that the whether forecast for Saturday night/ Sunday morning was horrendous but the boys remembered loving the track and whilst it may have put others off Isaac and Joel were relishing the opportunity to spend the weekend ragging their Beef Cakes through the mud.

Upon arrival they proceeded straight to the uplift queue saying that they could remember the track and that they didn’t need to walk it beforehand. Those turned out to be wise words because when I tried to walk the track later in the morning it became very apparent that it was easier to navigate down the course on two wheels than it was to walk up the track on foot the gloop was so bad.

Anyway, completing their first run with beaming smiles they returned to the pits to announce that ‘it’s just like a big Triscombe’. There were some new sections and the infamous Star Wars had been revamped and it was wet, very wet.

Practice went well with them knocking out six or seven runs. Cleaning and maintaining the bikes was a bit of nightmare but we were lucky to have plenty of water close at hand and we did our best to keep everything running smoothly.

Off to bed and it was a moon lit night, might the forecast be wrong? No, the forecast was right, the rain started at some stage over night and by breakfast everything was soaking. It didn’t dampen their spirits though, so after potions of hot porridge they were back in the uplift queue for a practice run.

On Saturday afternoon the track had begun to dry and had turned into the worst kind of sticky, clogging gloop imaginable but the overnight rain had washed it away to reveal a pretty fast track. We hoped therefore that the rain wouldn’t stop. We need not worried because it continued to rain all day.

Joel was first down in Youth with a disappointing time of 4.47. He had struggled with traffic on the course. A lot of the younger riders littered the course and he couldn’t over take them in the conditions. Isaac was next in Junior. Times in his category were all over the place but he made an appearance immediately behind the competitor ahead of him posting a time 3.37. First place in category and 5^th overall.

Back up the hill for their second runs and Joel improved significantly posting a time of 4.04 although he was again held up by a younger competitor. He eventually finished 8^th in category. Isaac having posted a pretty good first run decided he would go ‘hell for leather’ hoping to get as close to 3.30 as he could. He tells me all was going well until he crashed in Star Wars finishing with a time of 4.12. His first run however was enough for him to retain his lead and win Junior although his overall place slipped to Ninth.

Next, it’s Round Two of the BDS at Fort William. What awaits them there I wonder?

Many thanks to Rose Bikes, Moveo Safety, Osiris Shoes and Juice Lubes for all your continued support.