The Weston beach race has always been a dream for me to ride it. The last 5 years I have watched it, and this year I was actually going to take part in the thing, I had to pinch myself to make sure it was happening.
The bike had been prepped (down at marks), kit loaded in the van, so off we went to compete in one of Britain’s great off road spectacles.
When you arrive at Weston the place is just buzzing with excitement and anticipation, it seems that everyone has a story to tell about the race and if you haven’t ridden it before, everyone tells you differently how to ride the sand!
Signing on was bit of a farce, it seemed like half of Somerset was trying to get into that little bar, when you finally had done that, off you went to get your transponder, more queuing and waiting. I saw Dens there from Seward racing, so past a bit of time having a chat whilst in the queue with him.
Now for the scrutineering! Almighty great bloody queue or what? Never mind, finally got to the front of it, only to be ushered aside to be noise tested! I thought they were having a laugh, a little 125 -2 stroke, still, passed no problem although I did have to start her up again and clear her out as the bloke with the noise meter had her only just above ticking over, and I could hear the bike choking up, she wants to be revved!
Took it in the parc ferme and covered the bike in dustbin liners to keep out any rain or damp.
Right then, everything done and dusted, time to walk the course, um………………..sand, sand, and some more sand. Well I mean it’s supposed to be sand but it’s more like silt in places.
Enough of looking at the sand and at the trade stalls, browsing through the things you can’t afford, I decided to head back to the ghetto, a Travelodge in Taunton that I’d booked for the weekend.
Saturday arrived, good weather, and cracking racing from the quads and what I used to love watching (still do) the sidecars. Will I ever do Weston on a sidecar? I’d bloody love too given the chance!
I drove to the Weston campsite later on to meet a guy from Bristol whom I’d bought a TM back wheel from off ebay, he was down for the weekend to watch so he bought it along. 18 inch, blue excel rim, disc, sprocket, tyre, excellent condition, £100, BARGAIN! Now I have a spare, so I don’t have to keep changing tyres all the time, one fitted with a MT43 trails tyre, the other with a Michelin comp enduro, sorted.
Race day
Arriving at Weston along the front you can’t help but notice the huge array of bikes leaning in the parc ferme ready to race. Everyone of them looking near on immaculate, must be a fantastic sight if it’s your first time at the beach race.
Got parked up, got changed (into my Leeds shirt that I’d bought off ebay for £4.97 especially for the occasion) and then proceeded to walk to the pits to drop off all my gear. With so many competitors I just about got a space, then off I went to join the queue to get into where all the bikes were.
Gates opened and there was an almighty rush to get in the line to get out of the place and get to beach first. I was in no rush as I was sh*tting myself, this was only my fifth race and I hadn’t finished the first 2. I really didn’t know what to expect with so many bikes, in fact the last that I’d rode on the sand was at Blackpool on a donkey when I was about 8!
As I walked in I could see them right in front of my eyes, Everts, Knight, Edmonson, Anderson, bloody nora, now I was scared.
Got to the bike, she fired up straight away, no going back now, this is it. It’s funny you know, you can tell the novices because we’re all at the back with no rush to get out. I finally got onto the beach only to see a huge mist of spray about a mile in front of me, sh*t, they’ve already started.
I opened the little TM up on the straight and got her into top gear (for the first time), Christ this thing flies, the speed wobble you get on that straight with the wind blowing has to be experienced to be believed, I think in this case being only about 10st 10lbs didn’t help, but it does help in the bogs!
I took Marks advice and opened it up for about 8-10 secs flat out, then quickly shut it off and repeated it all the way up the mile (that is of course if you can’t nail it all the way, like me).
Got to the first dune, I waited for a bit, hesitating, with all the other ‘first timers’, but then I thought enough is enough and went for it, straight up and over, relief! I’m racing!
I then went to pull the front brake, oh b*llocks, there was no brake at all, the front pads had been completely disintegrated by the sand, never mind, this is Weston, so I carried on.
As the race went on the rain came down and down and down, the sand turned to silt and bikes were parked up everywhere and anywhere, some just abandoned like a puppy dog in the deep ruts waiting for their owner to come back to rescue them.
I was making it through the boggy sections ok, probably due to my light weight and light bike, I only got stuck once, but got out easily.
I made my first pit stop ok and took a 5 mins rest, then back out along that straight, you got to hand it to the top guys, it seemed like they were on rockets going along there.
I took another 10 mins to rest at the side of the track, I was getting cream crackerd!
I had a classic ‘off’ in front of everyone at the side of the promenade section where they were all watching through the metal catch fencing, straight over the bars at the very top of the dune, nice one I thought, that is until I looked up and saw an RM coming over the top which nearly took me out.
With about 10 mins left I stopped on the track a little way from the finish and waited for the clock to tick to 3 hours, I could have done another lap, but I was totally ‘wasted’.
Time up, so I made my way back across the line, I was elated, I’d finished WESTON.
Sand in my eyes, in my ears, in my mouth, under my nails, in my boxers, in fact bloody well anywhere it could possibly get into.
The bike had been prepped (down at marks), kit loaded in the van, so off we went to compete in one of Britain’s great off road spectacles.
When you arrive at Weston the place is just buzzing with excitement and anticipation, it seems that everyone has a story to tell about the race and if you haven’t ridden it before, everyone tells you differently how to ride the sand!
Signing on was bit of a farce, it seemed like half of Somerset was trying to get into that little bar, when you finally had done that, off you went to get your transponder, more queuing and waiting. I saw Dens there from Seward racing, so past a bit of time having a chat whilst in the queue with him.
Now for the scrutineering! Almighty great bloody queue or what? Never mind, finally got to the front of it, only to be ushered aside to be noise tested! I thought they were having a laugh, a little 125 -2 stroke, still, passed no problem although I did have to start her up again and clear her out as the bloke with the noise meter had her only just above ticking over, and I could hear the bike choking up, she wants to be revved!
Took it in the parc ferme and covered the bike in dustbin liners to keep out any rain or damp.
Right then, everything done and dusted, time to walk the course, um………………..sand, sand, and some more sand. Well I mean it’s supposed to be sand but it’s more like silt in places.
Enough of looking at the sand and at the trade stalls, browsing through the things you can’t afford, I decided to head back to the ghetto, a Travelodge in Taunton that I’d booked for the weekend.
Saturday arrived, good weather, and cracking racing from the quads and what I used to love watching (still do) the sidecars. Will I ever do Weston on a sidecar? I’d bloody love too given the chance!
I drove to the Weston campsite later on to meet a guy from Bristol whom I’d bought a TM back wheel from off ebay, he was down for the weekend to watch so he bought it along. 18 inch, blue excel rim, disc, sprocket, tyre, excellent condition, £100, BARGAIN! Now I have a spare, so I don’t have to keep changing tyres all the time, one fitted with a MT43 trails tyre, the other with a Michelin comp enduro, sorted.
Race day
Arriving at Weston along the front you can’t help but notice the huge array of bikes leaning in the parc ferme ready to race. Everyone of them looking near on immaculate, must be a fantastic sight if it’s your first time at the beach race.
Got parked up, got changed (into my Leeds shirt that I’d bought off ebay for £4.97 especially for the occasion) and then proceeded to walk to the pits to drop off all my gear. With so many competitors I just about got a space, then off I went to join the queue to get into where all the bikes were.
Gates opened and there was an almighty rush to get in the line to get out of the place and get to beach first. I was in no rush as I was sh*tting myself, this was only my fifth race and I hadn’t finished the first 2. I really didn’t know what to expect with so many bikes, in fact the last that I’d rode on the sand was at Blackpool on a donkey when I was about 8!
As I walked in I could see them right in front of my eyes, Everts, Knight, Edmonson, Anderson, bloody nora, now I was scared.
Got to the bike, she fired up straight away, no going back now, this is it. It’s funny you know, you can tell the novices because we’re all at the back with no rush to get out. I finally got onto the beach only to see a huge mist of spray about a mile in front of me, sh*t, they’ve already started.
I opened the little TM up on the straight and got her into top gear (for the first time), Christ this thing flies, the speed wobble you get on that straight with the wind blowing has to be experienced to be believed, I think in this case being only about 10st 10lbs didn’t help, but it does help in the bogs!
I took Marks advice and opened it up for about 8-10 secs flat out, then quickly shut it off and repeated it all the way up the mile (that is of course if you can’t nail it all the way, like me).
Got to the first dune, I waited for a bit, hesitating, with all the other ‘first timers’, but then I thought enough is enough and went for it, straight up and over, relief! I’m racing!
I then went to pull the front brake, oh b*llocks, there was no brake at all, the front pads had been completely disintegrated by the sand, never mind, this is Weston, so I carried on.
As the race went on the rain came down and down and down, the sand turned to silt and bikes were parked up everywhere and anywhere, some just abandoned like a puppy dog in the deep ruts waiting for their owner to come back to rescue them.
I was making it through the boggy sections ok, probably due to my light weight and light bike, I only got stuck once, but got out easily.
I made my first pit stop ok and took a 5 mins rest, then back out along that straight, you got to hand it to the top guys, it seemed like they were on rockets going along there.
I took another 10 mins to rest at the side of the track, I was getting cream crackerd!
I had a classic ‘off’ in front of everyone at the side of the promenade section where they were all watching through the metal catch fencing, straight over the bars at the very top of the dune, nice one I thought, that is until I looked up and saw an RM coming over the top which nearly took me out.
With about 10 mins left I stopped on the track a little way from the finish and waited for the clock to tick to 3 hours, I could have done another lap, but I was totally ‘wasted’.
Time up, so I made my way back across the line, I was elated, I’d finished WESTON.
Sand in my eyes, in my ears, in my mouth, under my nails, in my boxers, in fact bloody well anywhere it could possibly get into.
Leaving the pits I picked up my voucher, which entitled me to my souvenier T Shirt and a bag of goodies, now i can say truthfully that i've been there, done it, and got the T Shirt!
All those riders that had DNF’S and I wasn’t one of them, I’d spent loads of dosh, spent months waiting and I’ve done it, what an experience, something every off road rider should experience at least once in their life.
Now for the good bit, the stripping of the bike!
Finishing position: 587/826
Bike status: New front pads, new chain + sprockets, new wheel bearings, bike to be stripped down.
Injuries: none
