The more I think about what happened at my first race at Rifton Barton the more things are starting to piece together.
After checking carefully looking at my helmet there’s not a mark on it, so it seems the tree didn’t actually knock me out. What I think happened was that due to the heat and exhaustion I actually fainted before I hit the damn thing, it just happened to be in the way as I went unconscious!
My second race and a nice local one, just up the road from where I live.
I’m still suffering from being ‘light headed’ due to Rifton, and against all what Marie has said to me, I’m still going to race (she’s not happy).
This was a time card enduro and all still very new to me.
The sportsman class were given a time of 57 mins to complete the first lap, so off I went hoping for better things this time.
The track went through some lovely woods before we came to the first real test, a bloody slippery hill which I just couldn’t make it up! I think it was at the 3rd attempt when I nearly made it to the top when the marshals decided to ‘drag’ me to the top (thanks guys), and off I went. Not long after that was another little tricky climb, which again I got stuck on along with what seemed like everyone else, that is apart from the decent riders. Luckily my mate was stood there and he helped me to the top.
I managed to complete the first lap but was way over my allotted time and I should have gone straight back out, but my energy levels had dropped due to picking the bike up so many times that I had to rest.
Ok, rest done with, out I went onto my second lap and slowly crept round until I got to that bloody hill again!
Didn’t make it up the 1st time, nor the 2nd, nor the 3rd. It was at this point that the clerk of the course Mike Roose (who I’d met previously whilst walking my dog round the course while he was marking it out) came to my rescue and showed me how to lift a bike over a tree in order to omit that hill! Mike also checked my tyre pressure on the back wheel and adjusted it accordingly (something else I’ve learned), nice chaps these marshals you know, and a great help too!
So, off I went on my merry way, it wasn’t long before a few more little ‘offs’ but picking the bike up sapped my energy even more and I had to rest for about 10 mins just to even kick start the bike back into life, I was totally ‘shot to bits’.
Finally made it back to the pits after 2 laps and called it a day, absolutely cream crackerd.
2 races, 2 DNF’S, I’m determine to finish one!
Finishing position: DNF
Bike status: ok
Injuries: None
After checking carefully looking at my helmet there’s not a mark on it, so it seems the tree didn’t actually knock me out. What I think happened was that due to the heat and exhaustion I actually fainted before I hit the damn thing, it just happened to be in the way as I went unconscious!
My second race and a nice local one, just up the road from where I live.
I’m still suffering from being ‘light headed’ due to Rifton, and against all what Marie has said to me, I’m still going to race (she’s not happy).
This was a time card enduro and all still very new to me.
The sportsman class were given a time of 57 mins to complete the first lap, so off I went hoping for better things this time.
The track went through some lovely woods before we came to the first real test, a bloody slippery hill which I just couldn’t make it up! I think it was at the 3rd attempt when I nearly made it to the top when the marshals decided to ‘drag’ me to the top (thanks guys), and off I went. Not long after that was another little tricky climb, which again I got stuck on along with what seemed like everyone else, that is apart from the decent riders. Luckily my mate was stood there and he helped me to the top.
I managed to complete the first lap but was way over my allotted time and I should have gone straight back out, but my energy levels had dropped due to picking the bike up so many times that I had to rest.
Ok, rest done with, out I went onto my second lap and slowly crept round until I got to that bloody hill again!
Didn’t make it up the 1st time, nor the 2nd, nor the 3rd. It was at this point that the clerk of the course Mike Roose (who I’d met previously whilst walking my dog round the course while he was marking it out) came to my rescue and showed me how to lift a bike over a tree in order to omit that hill! Mike also checked my tyre pressure on the back wheel and adjusted it accordingly (something else I’ve learned), nice chaps these marshals you know, and a great help too!
So, off I went on my merry way, it wasn’t long before a few more little ‘offs’ but picking the bike up sapped my energy even more and I had to rest for about 10 mins just to even kick start the bike back into life, I was totally ‘shot to bits’.
Finally made it back to the pits after 2 laps and called it a day, absolutely cream crackerd.
2 races, 2 DNF’S, I’m determine to finish one!
Finishing position: DNF
Bike status: ok
Injuries: None
