Midlands Trailquest - Nice day for a walk

Well it was if you were mad enough to go that way (stole this pic from website). This is the bridleway from Wilbarston to Ashley, and thats one steep uphill and everyone who did it had to carry a very heavy mud-laden bike. ha! ha!

Me and Dave took one look, binned it and went round on the road and climbed up from the other way and still beat some riders there, even on singlespeeds. Oh yes we were smug.

It rammed home though why even though this is a very local area to us, we just don't know the tracks......because most of them are just places you don't want to ride for fun. Some good downhills and a few good hard tracks, but mainly poor. We did actully hit another yomp across a field section that must have took us 15 mins to clear,crap choice from me, spirits remained high though, proper teamwork.

Results link is below, it was a good day to be out in the countryside even if Dave was feeling ill. I'm quite suprised how well we did really because we really crawled round at times, and walked several hills, all credit to Dave for keeping going, he was on empty from 15 mins in and I had to physically push him along one-handed at times ;-)

Soup tea and superb cakes back at the clubhouse with the roaring log fire was a good finish reward, nice to see the clubhouse getting used (and dirtied..oops) by mountainbikers for once.

Checking the route we took and how we abandoned early to cruise home we would have picked up at least another 80 easy to get roadside points at our normal speed, so shows that a good route choice can defeat speed in these things, suppose that's why they are very popular with people who don't actually race.

Graham was out there too, and we even finished together in a flurry of spinning legs trying to follow him. you guys should look out for this next year, always a good day out and I'm always suprised how litlle club interest there is!

RESULTS

Destruction 2 Drivetrains - 2008 (D2D)

Well that was fun, 6th place for the three amigo's was tough going but then there were some seriously fast boys in the other teams. started 5th thanks to smiffys superb first lap which left me with an almost empty track, and Stew to follow. did 3 of my 4 laps with absolutely no brakes, where else could you actually race like that? did catch me out though when i got faster in the dawn last lap...ouch.

I'll let everyone else comment on their fun/nightmares but here's the results;

RESULTS

Things I learnt this weekend:

1. Still can't explain why 14 sane guys who know each other rush to throw away £30 each to camp in a field and do this and can't wait for nextime? Put that money to a nice B&B, a saturday night social with riding friends and some great trials, oh yes an a warm bed, sounds 1000 times better to me. Guess we're competitive junkies really.
2. Old Formula Brakes are shite, so what if they are light, fit for the skip only.
3. Don't try and use a tree as a brake, see above......boy do I hurt today, spare ribs required.
4. Mountainbike drivetrains can cope with amazing abuse.
5. Exposure Big daddy lights are soooooo good, 4 laps full power and still 50% left in battery...Top.
6. I just can't cut it in this racing lark any more.
7. Never again, not because of the weather, just the sacrifice we make to get to these events for the return of damaged trails and lack of sleep.

BC site report up from Joolz now

her well below par photos are here, apparantly she had equipment problems, comment of the worst weather at any event ever pretty much sums it up.
PHOTOS

Trans Wales 2008

To follow

2009 It's On

Sorry - OD'ed on Southpark Lately!

No Goals set for 2008, so guess I met them all then.

2009 - This year starts with the Plumz going mainstream as a proper grown up club and somehow I seem to now be the Chairman of the FNSS committe which by tomorrow will officially exist in the eyes of the bank and have a constitution. The goal has to be stopping all this officialdom changing the fact that at heart we are a bunch of older kids on bikes.

Personally I intend to get back into a bit more racing, but not at the detriment of having fun. Events with quality courses are high on the list.

One plan that keeps re-surfacing is wanting to ride in some new areas, I reckon at least once a month has to be a realistc goal. Last year I deliberately avoided any unnecessay travel, this year I couldn't care less. Lifes for living to the full and the clocks ticking.

Happy new year.

I've found my Mojo

What a company policy. Nobody could argue with that advice, and I for one intend to follow it wholeheartedly for 2009; not so much a resolution as a complete change of my present lifestyle.
The change at work is in the pipeline, just waiting for the higher powers to sort out if they actually mean it when they keep telling me how much they want to accommodate my wishes. The ride more bit, well it seems only right to endorse the company moto by riding one of their bikes.

And here it is, in all its naked carbon Glory. Meet the Ibis Mojo SL it's oh so lean and mean, and amazingly clean.

A bit of parts swapping after the purchase secondhand, and it's coming in at a superbly healthy 23.6 lb ready to race. throw some bling at it and sub 23lb is there for the taking.

Who needs 140mm travel to race, I hear you ask, well in truth nobody. But its nice to know that I can ride over the next racer who falls of in front of me ;-)

The only problem now, is that it's sooooo clean and shiny I can't bring myself to get it dirty....madness.

Jumping Jack Frost

Riding out of the darkness following yesterdays tyres tracks on the frozen trail, these are all mine this week. The sun starts lighting up the trees and hawfrost in beautifull bright oranges as yet more bunnies and monkjacks run for cover from my speeding wheels.

16 miles of sheer fun, sideways drifts, jumping icy puddles, smashing through others this is fun; for once you can keep your warm duvet.

I love Bikes me!

(and no thats not me there)

Want one of these

Sexy anodized alloy
And the bike to attatch it too, so plumz as the cat would say watissit