Not content with the exhaust burn I got a couple of weeks ago, I thought to myself, ’why not try and get some friction burns this week seeing as you’re back riding again’, so that’s exactly what I did! ( yes they are my legs not 2 bits of string)
Warning: Do not wear brand new knee braces when you’re going out riding in the woods for 5 hours.
Dunmere woods, just 10 minutes up the road and I still got there late enough to ensure myself a bloody long walk to the signing on/pit area due to the single file parking. I met quite a few riders on the way up to sign on and all of them asked about the new bike, just goes to show that some of you actually read this, so thanks to everyone and I hope you enjoy it and you have a good laugh at my expense!
Although I haven’t ridden for months I was really looking forward to it and it was nice to get back into the swing of things again especially with a new bike and I felt like a kid with a new toy. At precisely 10.11am I kicked the gasser over and ’bring-a-ding-ding’, she fired up instantly, here we go then, out through the check and off I went. I was one of the 1st away in the clubman 225 to start along with Mike Roose who I thought I’d try to follow through the woods, but no chance there as Mike flew past me on the special test and I didn’t see him again until the end of the lap, ‘wily old campaigner that he is’, you can’t beat experience can you?
With the overnight rain we had, things were very tricky in places and one downhill section in particular you’d have a job walking down it let alone riding down it. I had to ‘paddle’ down it and lean forward as far as I could with my nuts glued on to the tank to try and make the front wheel grip. Immediately after that was a steep slippery uphill (later got cut out) which you had to get right 1st time, otherwise you’d end up on your arse and slide back down, Luckily for me the track was clear and I flew up it.
Another section in particular was an incline about 200 meters long with just one big single rut all the way up to the top which became a another ‘paddle job’ as it just got so ‘sludgy’ as each lap passed.
The roots through the woods were really slippery and quite relentless and the only rest bite you had were the lovely open fire roads where you could relax a bit and open her up. A proper enduro course and proper conditions!
I was Just about a couple of minutes away from finishing my first lap when I went to ride through a small ditch was which was covered by some branches and bracken only for the front wheel to plant itself and send me over the bars, there was bloody log at the bottom of it wasn’t there! Of course I hit it full in the face and another ’you’ve been framed’ moment was successfully executed.
Into the pits at the end of the 1st lap and a with a little time to spare spoke to Jed Treleaven who told me he’d just been over the bars too in exactly the same ditch!
My 2nd lap went ok apart from the special test when I decided to plant myself and my machine in some bushes face down to get a ‘birds eye view’ of what’s it’s really like to be an insect living rough in the woods.
Made it back with about 5 mins to spare, so another little break, where I spoke to Ken Brown and his family who’d turned up to give us some moral support.
So far everything was going well, 3rd lap and off I went (still couldn’t keep up with Mike) and I was full of confidence when all of a sudden my energy levels began to drop, I hit a tree stump at the end of the ’boneyard’ and came off, came off again on some roots and really started to struggle from there on. I even took a couple of minutes to rest at the side of the track due to some cramp setting in to get myself sorted. I got back into the pits where Steve Tizzard help me refuel and went back out 3 minutes overtime.
With just 3 laps in and probably only about just over 2 hours riding time I was seriously thinking about pulling out.
By the end of lap 4 I was completely shot to bits. I’d taken more ’time out’ on the track, my camelbak was bone dry (all 3 litres gone) and the cramp was getting worse, not to mention my legs which were killing me due to those flamin knee braces, which meant I couldn’t control the bike properly so I had to slow down. Andy Smith came past me and waited for me at one of the top of the climbs, I rode round with him for about 10 mins but I couldn’t keep up at his pace so he disappeared into the distance. I came into the pits way over time (over 50 mins that lap) and took another quick break and set out on another lap.
If I thought the last lap was bad, this was one was even worse (55 mins). Another couple of little ’offs’ on some roots, another couple of breaks to rest and by now I’d slowed down to a ’trail’ ride pace. I knew I was going to be ridiculously late getting back to the time check but I wasn’t going to quit. I went back out on my last lap 30 mins overtime!
I know what some of you are thinking, ‘why didn’t the silly old sod pull out’? I think it must be my stubborn mentality that doesn’t want me to be beaten by a bit of mud and a few tree roots and the fact that I know some riders are pulling out so I got a chance of beating them. It’s an enduro, it’s a competition, You gotta finish right?, I haven’t come along with Bill Oddie to watch the wildlife have I? so there, stick that in your pipe and smoke it!
I went round the last lap in complete isolation (not surprising judging by the time) apart from a few track marshals who were taking down the tapes and packing up for the day! I stopped and asked if it was alright to complete the whole lap because I didn’t want to cheat myself and take any short cuts. No problem there, so I carried on and eventually crawled back to the check point to record a finish.
I think I’d done about 5 hours of riding and to be honest I was well pleased to finish as there were over 50 retirements, so that says how tough it was out there today.
Overall I’m really pleased, I tested myself today after having a few months off and tested the new bike as well, so far so good, roll on the next race in a couple of weeks time.
Finishing position: 7/18 (Clubman 225)
Bike status: ok
Injuries: friction burns to legs
No Weston beach race for me this year but might go and watch, still haven’t made up my mind yet. Good luck to everyone whose entered!
