Muntjac enduro- 28th February 2010

Saturday
I went up to the Muntjac (the 1st of the British champ rounds) with ‘mad’ Jack Twentyman who was riding there, and his boy Paddy. The idea was to get there early so Jack could walk the test a couple of times, and with a 6 hour plus journey we had to leave fairly early, although not at the crack of dawn I might add as we were having an overnight stay on the Saturday night at a local hotel.

Things were going all to plan, when about 10 miles from the venue we came to abrupt halt on the A11, nose to tail traffic and not moving. Oh dear, must be an accident then surely? I got out and walk up the road only to find a car strewn across the carriageway smashed to bits. Apparently it had broken down on the side of the road and a lorry had just smashed straight into it at full pelt! To cut a long story short, we finally managed to get going again and just made to Thetford forest as the sun was going down. I was going meet up with Mark and Rich Tucker as well, but because we were so late, they’d long gone and was back at their hotel having a few beers watching the rugby on the box.

After walking the test and with it being nearly dark, and with the threat of rain in the air, Jack decided to walk it again! Um……..ok Jack, see you later then as me and Paddy went back to the motor and put the bloody heater on! 30 mins later and Jack came back, soaking wet and freezing cold in the pitch black, dedication or what? Or his he really just ‘mad’.
With now time getting on, it was off to the town of Thetford to look for our hotel before race day tomorrow. We couldn’t find the hotel for love nor money, and even resorted to asking a group of ‘hoodies’ who were hanging about on a street corner, trouble is when I asked them where the Bell hotel was, they couldn’t understand a word I was saying, they were bloody polish! Yeah that’s right, Polish ‘hoodies’ in Thetford! After yet more driving around and around, we finally made it to our destination, time for Jack to get a sat nav me thinks! (although to be honest, I haven’t got one). It was then off down the local pub for a welcome slap up meal and a few pints before returning to the hotel for a few more pints in the bar where we met another 6 or 7 riders who were staying there. Had a decent chat and a few laughs before retiring for the night to get some kip.

Sunday
After riding this event last year, I was of course naturally disappointed not to be riding, but at least I was here, and the atmosphere was fantastic. I met up with Mark and Rich and also saw Steve Jose (not to be confused with that other Steve Jose who lives down my way) and Dave ‘Butch’. Apparently Steve and Butch stayed in a pub last night ‘that didn’t close’, so they were a bit worse for wear as it were. Michael Brooks passed by so I had a chat with him as well just as the rain started to fall down on.

So at 9am the first Champ class riders got on their way, and with the special test section just a couple of hundred yards up the road, everyone rushed up there to see the action. My god was it slippery or what? Tight twisty turns that meandered their way through the woods for a couple of miles, before crossing the fire road and out into the faster section before coming back into the tight stuff again to finish the test. As I was stood there waiting for Jack to come back I bumped into Pete Lawry who’s son Dan was riding today, you couldn’t miss Dan as he came through, he had new kit on that can only be described as colorful! I was watching most of the test with Mark Tucker, and as the rain began to get harder, we both knew that the riders would have a job keeping to the already tight schedule. Sure enough as conditions got worse, the test times began to get slower and more and more riders were losing time on the lap.

After Jack came in on his 3rd lap, I hurried off to watch the champ riders do another test, this time I went and watched on the fastest section of the test. To watch those guys travel at such a speed through the woods is something else, although I must admit to loving it even more when a 125 came by as they just kept the thing ‘pinned’ all the time, magic!

After I got back from the special test I was told that the event was to be cut short due to safety reasons from the relentless rain that was teeming down upon us, bit of a shame that really, but if parts of the track are inaccessible to the medical services then you’ve really got no choice.
So with the muntjac finished, and us getting everything packed away in the van, it was off back home, but not before stocking up with grub at the local Tesco’s for journey.
Was it worth all the traveling and getting soaked to the bone without even riding? Yeah course it was.

Chevanege Farm- 21st February 2010

This week I traveled up with Jack (Twentyman) who was racing in the 1st round of the Midwest series up in Gloucestershire. An early start again was needed and just as well as Jack didn’t get off the right motorway junction and we ended up getting lost! Panic ensued but with about 45 mins to go to race time, we finally made it, phew!

After a mad rush helping Jack out to get ready it was off to watch the start of it all with Paddy (Jack’s son) before moving on to find a nice tricky bit of the course where all the action went on. It didn’t take us long to find somewhere as mayhem ensued at the bottom of a slippery ‘rooty’ climb where we were stood. Bikes getting stuck half way up meant that was a queue forming at the bottom, sometimes 10 or 15 bikes were waiting there for the hill to clear before attempting to get up it. I couldn’t believe 2 riders in particular, they’d had a go at the hill but couldn’t make it, so they came back down again, but after they waited and had a bit of a rest, they took another look at it and thought b*llocks to this and went back up the field, back to the pits and retired! This was only the 1st lap and only about 20 mins into the race, their bikes were ok and they weren’t injured, makes my blood boil does that, there’s me stood there desperate to ride and yet some people give up after the 1st hill, pathetic!

After a while watching some action I went back to the pits and met up with Pete Boyles who I’d hasn’t seen for ages, he pulled out due to gear lever problems, but my problem was getting told by one of the officials to get out of the pits! ‘Riders only’ he said to me, I said ‘I am a rider, it’s just that I’m injured and I’m not riding at the moment’, that comment didn’t go down too well and I had to continue my conversation with Pete outside the pit area, this also meant that I couldn’t help Jack on his pit stop coz I was a marked man now! Never mind, rules are rules so that’s fair enough, it’s just a shame other clubs don’t adhere to their regs (no names mentioned) when they say ‘no children, spectators or dogs in the pits’, yeah right!

I finally ended up by the lap scoring area to watch out the race to the finish. Then came the worst bit of the day, queuing 25 mins to get a cup of tea! I think the caterers were a bit shorthanded as only one of them were serving.

A good day all in all and yet again Jack rode out of his skin, he won the Vets experts by over a lap and finished in the top 10 overall, and he didn’t us lost on the way home! Next week I should be going along to watch the Muntjac, which is the 1st round of the BEC, somewhere in Norfolk I think!

Brass Monkeys Enduro- 14th February 2010

(pic by Debbie Tucker)

After a phone call on Thursday night to Clerk of the course Simon Thomas, I decided to do a bit of marshaling to try out my arm and do the full 27 miles course to see how I got on. I was really looking forward to it and I couldn’t wait to get back on the bike.

I drove up to Steve Jose’s place early Sunday morning, and both of us then traveled up to somewhere in Devon (not exactly sure where!) to the venue. This was the 2nd round of the SW series, but a few riders were away at another event, that being the SCEC one up in Dorset. It was still a good turn out though, and plenty of top riders were in action.

After doing a bit of socializing (like you do) it was off to get changed into my gear and don my hi viz jacket! My plan was to start off right at the back after the sportsman and follow them to see if any of them needed any help.
Must admit to being a little bit apprehensive as I’ve not done anything that would really test out the arm in the way of a proper enduro, but I’ve gotta start somewhere, and today was the day. So after waiting for the field to pass by I kicked the little gasser into life and off I went. It wasn’t long before came across some riders in trouble at the foot of a hill on the special test section, so I parked up the bike and helped all 4 of them to get up the hill before I got back on and away I went again. Another 2 minutes later and one of them that I’d helped earlier had got stuck in one of the small boggy ditches, heave as he might, he couldn’t get the bike out, so again I stopped, got out my ratchet strap that was in my bum bag that I was wearing today, and hauled him out. This guy looked knackerd already and we was only about 2-3 miles into the course!

After he got going again I give it about 5 mins before I started up again, my intention now was to ‘give it some’ and ‘pin it’ as after all, we were still on the special test and the track was clear, so why not? I certainly need and as I went down a one of the ditches I give her too much throttle and the bike flipped into the air depositing me on my arse! The funny thing was the bike landed smack bang on the handlebars and seat at the same time and stayed in that position, and it just kept going in 2nd gear whilst being upside down. I just wish I had my camera with me, would have made a great picture!

The rest of the test was awesome, hills, roots, off cambers, mud, logs, a few fields to have a blast round, a long test it was too, excellent stuff. Had a chat with Debbie Tucker on the way round who was there on the test taking some pics, and by the look of it was bloody freezing as she stood there in the cold woods. A bit later on and out I came onto the fields where I caught sight of Mike Roose, so I went and had a chat with him too before making my way back into the woods and setting off to do the last 20 miles or so!

Things at this point were going extremely well, I was certainly getting back into the swing of things and my elbow was holding up with everything I threw at it, and the bike was going like a ‘good un’. The course was absolutely awesome and right up my street, it reminded me of the Knighton enduro in Wales that I did last year except on a smaller scale, but without the rain! A few miles later and I caught up the same guy who I’d twice helped earlier, he was ‘cream crackerd’ and he wanted to pull out there and then, but I persuaded him to give it a go and finish the lap and I’d follow him all the way back to the pits to make sure he made it. I was in no hurry, so that’s what I did, and every now and then I had to stop and help him get back on his bike as fatigue had crept in and he kept coming off (we’ve all been there haven’t we?).

With only a few miles to go the inevitable happened, I was following him when all of a sudden he stopped right in front of me, I jammed on my bikes and my front wheel slid to the side, I quickly ‘dabbed’ my left foot on the deck in order to pull my bars back to stop myself going down and aaaarrrrrrrgggggghhhhhhh! My f*cking elbow went again! I couldn’t believe it, I knew what it was straight away, the pain was instant and right in the same place as before, gutting or what? I just couldn’t believe it, I limped back to the pits and had no choice but to call it a day, well p*ssed off.

Riders were pulling out left, right and centre and many were struggling to stay on time as the course began to take it’s toll. Jed Treleaven pulled out, Francis Banfield pulled out, Steve Jay pulled out (riding a 4 banger for the 1st time, not surprised), and quite a few more as well. I went back down to the test to watch the champ riders come through, bloody nora, how can they ride that fast? Excellent to watch.

Went back to pits area after this and had a bloody good laugh with Mark and Debbie Tucker, Steve, Fran, amongst a few others as well, so not a bad end to the day as it turned out. Jose’y done well, stayed on time got 2nd, John Hinkley won E1 on his 125, and Rich got 3rd in the champ class. Poor Paul Ford had a spot of bother with his new cycling shorts for the 1st hour or so, apparently his ‘todger’ had poked through the hole in the front and was rubbing against his race trousers until he could re-adjust himself, ouch! Sounds like his misses is going to frustrated for a few weeks then? Robert Ellick lost his time card and got penalty points, quite an indifferent day for those two then.

The journey home wasn’t too bad as Steve has always got a story to tell, so at least it kept my mind off the injury. Where does that leave me now? God knows? I’ll keep you posted.

Dorset police enduro- 7th February 2010

It was an early start as I took a drive for about 30 mins or so to meet up with Adam and his other half Vicky to travel up a to Dorset for the race. Of course I’m still bloody injured (although it’s getting better) so I went up to help out and have a general natter to a few riders that I knew were riding and to give ‘Blakey’ a bit of support seeing as he was riding in the champ class today.

A nice journey it was too, until the inevitable happened, we got lost! No bloody orange arrows anywhere. After 30 mins or so wandering round the countryside like a fish out of water, I decided to phone Mark Tucker (who’s son Rich was riding), but after a couple of goes, got no answer, more about that later! Time was getting on and panic was starting to brew so we stopped at a local petrol station as asked a ‘yocal’. ‘Turn right about 2 miles up the road pass the cress fields’ he said. Off we went then, and after a few hundred yards up the road we all looked at each other and said, ‘cress fields?, what the f*ck is he on about?’. Was it a pub? A housing estate?, A name of a house,a hotel?, the name of a road? The name of a shop? We didn’t have a clue! After 5 minutes of driving we couldn’t believe our eyes, we actually came to the ‘cress fields’, we couldn’t believe it, it was a farm that grew CRESS! There were acres and acres of fields to our left with CRESS growing in them! Do people still eat that stuff? First time I’ve seen one of them!

So with still no orange arrows in sight, we took the advice of the ‘yocal’ and turned right, and sure enough within a couple of miles there was a massive sign in the middle of the road, ‘Dorset police enduro this way’, at least, we’ve arrived!

Now then, how long did it take me to get to the pits and the lap scoring area to have a look around after I got out of the van? Bloody ages, that’s how long, coz as I made my way down I bumped into every bugger and had a chat with everyone one of them! Dan and Pete Lawry were in good spirits, and I’m telling you this, Pete (the dad) belies his age, he’s still racing at 60 something! Michael Brooks (Brookster) was relishing the thought about trying to keep up with ‘mad Jack. Andy Smith was as cool as ever (with his personalized number backgrounds), Phil ‘lover boy’ Harris was there with his other half Claire, or should I say Siamese twin? Can’t seem to pull them 2 apart! Gary ‘nothing gets in my way’ Mcoy was full of banter, along with Mark ’I don’t answer my phone’ Tucker. I said to Mark, ’I rung you a couple of times, why didn’t you answer’? He said he looked at the number and thought it was work calling so he didn’t bother! Reason being I rung from Adam’s phone and he didn’t recognize the number so he ignored it. Bloody good job we found our way in the end then Mark! Also had a quick chat with ‘mad’ Jack Twentyman, Jason Duggan, and Paul ‘Racersedge’ Cowshal who on his spanking new Suzuki 450.

The start was quite a way from the pits and transponder area, so after watching the riders on their 1st lap about half way round the course, it was back up to the lap scoring to see how everyone was doing as each lap passed by. The course from what I saw looked awesome, loads of woods, just what I like. The fire road just before the pit and transponder area was a great place to stand with the top riders ‘pinning’ it along that bit just before they had to brake hard and slow down in order to record each lap (I sound like a reporter now), I was stood there with Mark (Tucker) and he’ll be the first to tell you that ‘mad’ Jack Twentyman was most entertaining to watch on that part of the course. Jack came round that corner hunched over the bars with the bike wobbling everywhere, and when he passed us, he looked like he was a man possessed! Such a contrast to Rich Tucker who by half way led the champ class, dead smooth and looking fast with what seemed like was minimal effort.

I helped ‘Blakey’ pit at half way and told him to get his arse in gear, which he did and ended up 4th at the end, well pleased he was. Rich won the overall, and at 18 yrs old to beat the guys he did today, that’s some going. Jack had a great result for a vet, 6th overall. Gary ’nothing gets in my way’ Mcoy went swimming with his bike half way through the race due to trying to find an alternative route around some stuck riders. He tried to jump a small river and didn’t quite make it, had to drag his bike out and turn it upside down to drain the thing. An hour and 4 plugs later he managed to get it going again and went on to finish. Did we have a laugh about that at the end or what! Brookster dnf’d, so a mixed bag few a few riders that I knew today.

Had a good day out today, and what’s more, we didn’t get lost on the way home!