Just got back to the van........................Knackerd!
I rode Nancemellion when I first started out last year, I think it must have been my 3rd or 4th event, from what I remember last time, it was a bit of a bumpy old track.
The weather was overcast but dry, not bad seeing as the forecast was rain.
Took the bike to get scruntineerd and got chatting to a guy who said that the course had changed from last time and that there were some tight, slippery wooded sections that had been added. Great I thought, a nice challenge, and it certainly turned out to be that!
Unusually for a south west round we had a sighting lap, although I didn’t do all of it because the marshals told us halfway round to go and line up for the start as we were running a bit late. Unbeknown to me I didn’t get the chance to taste the ‘hill of hell’, although a couple of lads from Thor motorcycles (also sportsman) I was talking to on the start line told me about it.
Right then, the flag dropped and off we went.
I made quite a good start, about 4th or 5th along the first moto x section until we started to hit the woods, and then we stopped, the first queue of the day was in front of us as a slippery uphill section was catching riders out. Once up this, back down we went and it was at this point that I promptly had my first ‘off’ (one of many and the shape of things to come!).
Up and down through the woods we went, it seemed like all the uphill sections were slippery, and indeed they were, as queues were forming to get up them. A lot of the track through these areas was extremely tight.
After the woods came another moto x style bit then back into yet more woods before coming to another abrupt halt as more bikes were queuing. I couldn’t see what the hold up was until I got round the corner and then saw in front of me the ‘hill of hell’.
I went for it, got halfway and done half a doughnut and slid off onto my arse. Oh b*llocks, I was stuck in the middle, so I picked myself up, got the bike and pushed it to the side amongst the ‘green’ stuff. Now facing the wrong way I had to turn around, not easy when it’s so slippery and being off camber.
My mate Lester who came with me today trundled down to help, I started her up and we both heaved and pushed until blue in the face trying to get the bloody thing to the top. We were going nowhere fast, knackered, we waited to get our breath back before we pushed some more, finally reaching the summit (respect must go to the guys who were ‘cleaning’ it with no problem).
Off I went, through the lap scoring and onto the other hillside, which was more open going.
Back round again I came to the ‘hill of hell’ and done exactly the same, not good because now I was getting cream crackered keeping on hauling the bike to the top.
After another lap you might think 3rd time lucky on that hill? Not a chance! When the bike finally got to the top I was exhausted and went into the pits to refuel.
Facing the hill on the next lap I decided to choose another gear, yippee, I only got stuck on the last foot or so from the top, Stephen Jose who was watching quickly grabbed the bike and I was up and over in a flash, nice one. Next lap I ’cleaned’ it no problem, my confidence had been restored!
I did have to make another pit stop after this as I could hear a horrible ‘clicking’ sound coming from the wheels. I thought something was jammed in one of the disks or the pads. Stephen (Jose) came over with a couple of guys and helped prop the bike up, turned out to be a broken spoke, which one of the guys took out for me (cheers lads).
I had a big ‘off’ on one of the bumpy moto x sections while ‘nailing’ it in 3rd gear, the front went from under me and I hit the deck like a sack of sh*t. A couple of riders behind me saw it and asked if I was alright, thanks for that guys, I was, so I got up and carried on. I thought to myself “I was lucky there”, it could’ve been worse that one.
On the last lap I must have come off maybe 6-7 times, I was so tired I had a job standing up on the bike as my energy level had been zapped. Struggling on the slippery up hills I slid off the bike and buried the thing in a gorse bush, that was bloody awful dragging it out of that.
I also hit the deck on the wooden bridge that crossed the brook, I was lucky there because the bike was lying there balancing over the edge, another foot and it would have fallen into it.
I was so tired I even stalled it twice within about 10 yards of the lap scorers when I finished, just when the rain started coming down.
The weather was overcast but dry, not bad seeing as the forecast was rain.
Took the bike to get scruntineerd and got chatting to a guy who said that the course had changed from last time and that there were some tight, slippery wooded sections that had been added. Great I thought, a nice challenge, and it certainly turned out to be that!
Unusually for a south west round we had a sighting lap, although I didn’t do all of it because the marshals told us halfway round to go and line up for the start as we were running a bit late. Unbeknown to me I didn’t get the chance to taste the ‘hill of hell’, although a couple of lads from Thor motorcycles (also sportsman) I was talking to on the start line told me about it.
Right then, the flag dropped and off we went.
I made quite a good start, about 4th or 5th along the first moto x section until we started to hit the woods, and then we stopped, the first queue of the day was in front of us as a slippery uphill section was catching riders out. Once up this, back down we went and it was at this point that I promptly had my first ‘off’ (one of many and the shape of things to come!).
Up and down through the woods we went, it seemed like all the uphill sections were slippery, and indeed they were, as queues were forming to get up them. A lot of the track through these areas was extremely tight.
After the woods came another moto x style bit then back into yet more woods before coming to another abrupt halt as more bikes were queuing. I couldn’t see what the hold up was until I got round the corner and then saw in front of me the ‘hill of hell’.
I went for it, got halfway and done half a doughnut and slid off onto my arse. Oh b*llocks, I was stuck in the middle, so I picked myself up, got the bike and pushed it to the side amongst the ‘green’ stuff. Now facing the wrong way I had to turn around, not easy when it’s so slippery and being off camber.
My mate Lester who came with me today trundled down to help, I started her up and we both heaved and pushed until blue in the face trying to get the bloody thing to the top. We were going nowhere fast, knackered, we waited to get our breath back before we pushed some more, finally reaching the summit (respect must go to the guys who were ‘cleaning’ it with no problem).
Off I went, through the lap scoring and onto the other hillside, which was more open going.
Back round again I came to the ‘hill of hell’ and done exactly the same, not good because now I was getting cream crackered keeping on hauling the bike to the top.
After another lap you might think 3rd time lucky on that hill? Not a chance! When the bike finally got to the top I was exhausted and went into the pits to refuel.
Facing the hill on the next lap I decided to choose another gear, yippee, I only got stuck on the last foot or so from the top, Stephen Jose who was watching quickly grabbed the bike and I was up and over in a flash, nice one. Next lap I ’cleaned’ it no problem, my confidence had been restored!
I did have to make another pit stop after this as I could hear a horrible ‘clicking’ sound coming from the wheels. I thought something was jammed in one of the disks or the pads. Stephen (Jose) came over with a couple of guys and helped prop the bike up, turned out to be a broken spoke, which one of the guys took out for me (cheers lads).
I had a big ‘off’ on one of the bumpy moto x sections while ‘nailing’ it in 3rd gear, the front went from under me and I hit the deck like a sack of sh*t. A couple of riders behind me saw it and asked if I was alright, thanks for that guys, I was, so I got up and carried on. I thought to myself “I was lucky there”, it could’ve been worse that one.
On the last lap I must have come off maybe 6-7 times, I was so tired I had a job standing up on the bike as my energy level had been zapped. Struggling on the slippery up hills I slid off the bike and buried the thing in a gorse bush, that was bloody awful dragging it out of that.
I also hit the deck on the wooden bridge that crossed the brook, I was lucky there because the bike was lying there balancing over the edge, another foot and it would have fallen into it.
I was so tired I even stalled it twice within about 10 yards of the lap scorers when I finished, just when the rain started coming down.
Tough race today (over a quarter of the field that started didn’t finish!) but, well worth the entry fee.
Glad i ain't got far to drive home today!
Finishing position: 5/23
Bike status: ok
Injuries: none
Glad i ain't got far to drive home today!
Finishing position: 5/23
Bike status: ok
Injuries: none
