Morning full of emails and catching up on the post. I've found that to really stay on top of events you have to start work on the next one as soon as the previous one has finished. So despite the fact that the Montane Kielder 100 is less than a month away, a number of my phone calls and emails today revolved around 24 Hours of Exposure 2012 and other events in the pipeline.
Crunch time came around 3 o'clock: bury my head in the computer for the rest of the evening, or get up off my arse and go for a ride? The break in the clouds was the deciding factor and I popped out for a short loop around Ashridge Estate. Just an hour, 15 miles, but it was enough to get the legs spinning and heart rate up. Felt good.
Back for a cup of tea and a dark chocolate and ginger biscuit, then buried my head in the computers again.
Monday, 8 August 2011
Sunday, 7 August 2011
A Quiet Year?
In terms of the blog it has been admittedly, but that's only because it's been far from a quiet year in real life. I think I've managed to squeeze in more riding this year than the previous two, but the number of events I've been involved in have also increased so I'm still not riding as much as I'd like - does anybody though?
Since my last post I've skipped through four rounds of the BMBS series almost without a hitch (well, if you discount the two air ambulances we've had to call); finished off The Demo Series; battled through a hectic May that started with another very successful 24 Hours of Exposure at Rock UK that included the European 24 hour and 12 hour Championships this year over one extremely wet and tense weekend, threw in a few days of trail building in Kielder and then nipped over to work on the MTB World Cup at Dalby for 10 days. This was possibly the hardest event I've ever had the misfortune to work on and resulted in an exhaustion related illness - oh the glamorous life of travelling round the country to mountain bike events!
Finally I made it into July and the opportunity to work on the Olympic mountain bike test event at Hadleigh Farm. Maybe it's because I've worked on so many events over the years, or even too many this year, or the fact that I'm rather jaded by the whole 'cross-country mtb race scene' at the moment but for some reason I wasn't as excited about this as I probably should have been and I actually feel slightly guilty about it. Don't get me wrong, it was a great weekend and a fantastic race day, it just didn't feel as special as I imagine an Olympic Test Event should do - that's no reflection on the event by the way, everybody else was positively shaking with excitement, it was just me - so maybe things will be different for the actual Olympics next year. I do hope so! It's been a while since I had that massive event buzz I used to get and I miss it.
Still, having three years of the national series, two World Cups and the Olympics on my resume is still pretty cool. Where do I go from there though?
Since my last post I've skipped through four rounds of the BMBS series almost without a hitch (well, if you discount the two air ambulances we've had to call); finished off The Demo Series; battled through a hectic May that started with another very successful 24 Hours of Exposure at Rock UK that included the European 24 hour and 12 hour Championships this year over one extremely wet and tense weekend, threw in a few days of trail building in Kielder and then nipped over to work on the MTB World Cup at Dalby for 10 days. This was possibly the hardest event I've ever had the misfortune to work on and resulted in an exhaustion related illness - oh the glamorous life of travelling round the country to mountain bike events!
Finally I made it into July and the opportunity to work on the Olympic mountain bike test event at Hadleigh Farm. Maybe it's because I've worked on so many events over the years, or even too many this year, or the fact that I'm rather jaded by the whole 'cross-country mtb race scene' at the moment but for some reason I wasn't as excited about this as I probably should have been and I actually feel slightly guilty about it. Don't get me wrong, it was a great weekend and a fantastic race day, it just didn't feel as special as I imagine an Olympic Test Event should do - that's no reflection on the event by the way, everybody else was positively shaking with excitement, it was just me - so maybe things will be different for the actual Olympics next year. I do hope so! It's been a while since I had that massive event buzz I used to get and I miss it.
Still, having three years of the national series, two World Cups and the Olympics on my resume is still pretty cool. Where do I go from there though?
Sunday, 13 March 2011
A Big Welsh Day
Big views. Big hills. And for the first time properly, big wheels. It's been a long time since I rode a bike in the Brecon Beacons, probably almost 10 years. During that time I've spent a lot of time walking in the area (see 'mountain walks' label) and have spotted numerous paths and trails that have prompted the phrase "this would be an ace trail to ride"; A phrase common to mountain bikers and yet seeminly rare and incomprehensible to normal people.
One such trail is the bridleway from Y Das to Grwyne Fawr Reservoir - a rock strewn double track that gentle descends down the valley to the dam.
So finding myself in South Wales on a gloriously sunny March morning, there was only one thing on my mind, to ride that trail. Throw into the equation the official MTB route guides for the Brecon Beacons I'd bought many years before and never used, add the excitement of getting to play on my new favourite toy, a Giant Anthem X 29er, for the first time, and it was panning out to be a big day in the saddle.
I'd decided I was going to do a combination of the black and red routes that were based around Talgarth, adjusting them to my tastes. Off I went from Mynydd Du car park and immediately started climbing up through the forest and out onto the open hillsides high above Crickhowell. Brecon Beacon's riding generaly falls into three categories: 1) long and grassy, 2) a mud slog, or 3) steep and rocky. This route wasn't going to disappoint on any front. But no matter where I was or what I was riding on, the Giant 29er, (let's call him 'Anontio' for future reference, all of my other bikes have names so I don't want Antonio to feel left out during his short stay) just kept rolling, and very quickly: quick on the climbs, nimble through the rocks, ate up the fireroad miles and ploughed on through down all of the descents. It was proving hard to find fault with him.
Soon, much of the scenery became familiar as I trundled through BBMC country and realised exactly what was ahead. In complete opposition to the ultimate goal of this ride, the long, grass climb out of the valley floor up towards Pen Trumau ranks high on my list of 'trails I have no inclination to ever ride.' But at least I was rewarded with a view for once, something I've never seen on the BBMC. And then there was a nice little surprise in store for me.
Straight over the hill and down the other side towards Grafog I stumbled upon a lovely looking rock gully - the perfect test for Antonio and the confidence he had instilled in me. Half way down it started to go horribly wrong and an inevitable over-the-bars moment would have occurred had it not been for the unstoppable roll-ability of this bike, resulting in a rather stylish, slow-motion 'step off the back' dismount worthy of any stunt show.
Composed and on my way once more there was more testing terrain ahead. Considering the rather slick looking design of the tyres, the larger footprint from the 29er wheel found traction where I wouldn't expect it in the thick, muddy trails and I just kept rolling.
The final climb: Y Das. Famous for being 1000ft of unrideable, boulder strewn, rock stepped, bridleway hell. It took almost an hour to push to the top of this monster, the second time I've had to endure this nightmare but I can assure you it's the last!
So, five hours and 25 miles later I finally reached my destination: the head of Grwyne Fawr bridleway. (A mere 6km from my starting point!) And the descent didn't disappoint, neither did the Giant Anthem 29, it was a match made in heaven. The momentum of the big wheels just kept building and rocks that would have brought a normal bike to a grinding halt just flicked out from underneath me.
Job done, another one off the tick list. A beautifully big day in the hills, just me and my bike, just like the good ole days.
One such trail is the bridleway from Y Das to Grwyne Fawr Reservoir - a rock strewn double track that gentle descends down the valley to the dam.
So finding myself in South Wales on a gloriously sunny March morning, there was only one thing on my mind, to ride that trail. Throw into the equation the official MTB route guides for the Brecon Beacons I'd bought many years before and never used, add the excitement of getting to play on my new favourite toy, a Giant Anthem X 29er, for the first time, and it was panning out to be a big day in the saddle.
I'd decided I was going to do a combination of the black and red routes that were based around Talgarth, adjusting them to my tastes. Off I went from Mynydd Du car park and immediately started climbing up through the forest and out onto the open hillsides high above Crickhowell. Brecon Beacon's riding generaly falls into three categories: 1) long and grassy, 2) a mud slog, or 3) steep and rocky. This route wasn't going to disappoint on any front. But no matter where I was or what I was riding on, the Giant 29er, (let's call him 'Anontio' for future reference, all of my other bikes have names so I don't want Antonio to feel left out during his short stay) just kept rolling, and very quickly: quick on the climbs, nimble through the rocks, ate up the fireroad miles and ploughed on through down all of the descents. It was proving hard to find fault with him.
Soon, much of the scenery became familiar as I trundled through BBMC country and realised exactly what was ahead. In complete opposition to the ultimate goal of this ride, the long, grass climb out of the valley floor up towards Pen Trumau ranks high on my list of 'trails I have no inclination to ever ride.' But at least I was rewarded with a view for once, something I've never seen on the BBMC. And then there was a nice little surprise in store for me.
Straight over the hill and down the other side towards Grafog I stumbled upon a lovely looking rock gully - the perfect test for Antonio and the confidence he had instilled in me. Half way down it started to go horribly wrong and an inevitable over-the-bars moment would have occurred had it not been for the unstoppable roll-ability of this bike, resulting in a rather stylish, slow-motion 'step off the back' dismount worthy of any stunt show.
Composed and on my way once more there was more testing terrain ahead. Considering the rather slick looking design of the tyres, the larger footprint from the 29er wheel found traction where I wouldn't expect it in the thick, muddy trails and I just kept rolling.
The final climb: Y Das. Famous for being 1000ft of unrideable, boulder strewn, rock stepped, bridleway hell. It took almost an hour to push to the top of this monster, the second time I've had to endure this nightmare but I can assure you it's the last!
So, five hours and 25 miles later I finally reached my destination: the head of Grwyne Fawr bridleway. (A mere 6km from my starting point!) And the descent didn't disappoint, neither did the Giant Anthem 29, it was a match made in heaven. The momentum of the big wheels just kept building and rocks that would have brought a normal bike to a grinding halt just flicked out from underneath me.
Job done, another one off the tick list. A beautifully big day in the hills, just me and my bike, just like the good ole days.
Saturday, 12 March 2011
29er Virgin
There's been a new fad in mountain biking over the last couple years (actually, 29ers have been around for about a decade thanks to Gary Fisher, but we'll gloss over that for the moment). Let's say, some of the more mainstream brands have picked up on the idea just recently.
Being 5'7" the minute I get out of bed means I've never even considered the possibility that a mountain bike with oversize wheels might be the thing for me. I've just never seen the point. I've seen plenty of people riding them, but they've all be towering 6-footers and 29" wheels don't look out of place on a 20" frame, so I never really took much notice.
That was until a few weeks ago when I ran another round of The Demo Series, showcasing the latest mountain bikes the big brands - Giant, Specialized and Trek - have to offer. All of them are pushing the 29er big stylie this year so I thought I'd see what all the fuss was about.
Considering I've been riding for almost 20 years, it also suddenly struck me that I've never bothered with any of these mainstream brands. I spent a season racing on a Giant XTC, I borrowed a women's Trek out in the USA for a week once and kept falling off the back of the seat because it was too short, and I've never even parked my backside on a Specialized! Another first was afoot.
Now, remember for one second that two of the bikes I own (Olive the DeKerf and Hyacinth the Maverick) are my two favourite bikes in the whole wide world and I have loved every minute I have ever spent riding them, that's why I own them. I'd also ridden a storming lap of the demo course on Saturday morning on Hyacinth - it doesn't get much better!
But it does.
First off, the Specialized Epic 29er - wow! Cruising down the final Skyline Trail descent at Afan, skipping over the rock slabs as if they were carpet and popping over the drop-offs. The ride was unbelievable, on a bike I'd never ridden before and hadn't even been set up properly. I just couldn't stop grinning! And then giggling. There was lots of giggling! I wanted to go again, again again again!
Next up, the Trek Superfly - O.M.G! Still brimming with confidence from the Epic ride, I'm pretty sure I rode the descent even faster, smoother and possibly with a tad more 'air'. This was frickin awesome! What had I been missing out on - these bikes just move, seriously move! More grinning and giggling and I was desperate to go out one more time, despite the huge climb that started the route. Sense and self-preservation got the better of me, one more run may have been the tipping point I'd been teetering on the edge of.
A cup of tea and time to chat about this amazing, grin-inducing new invention. Fortunately, this resulted in the offer of being lent a Giant Anthem X 29er for a couple of weeks until the next demo and with a big ride in the Brecon Beacons planned for Sunday, the offer was far too good to refuse.
My enthusiasm for riding hasn't been this high for a long time, there really could be something in these big-wheeled grin machines.
Being 5'7" the minute I get out of bed means I've never even considered the possibility that a mountain bike with oversize wheels might be the thing for me. I've just never seen the point. I've seen plenty of people riding them, but they've all be towering 6-footers and 29" wheels don't look out of place on a 20" frame, so I never really took much notice.
That was until a few weeks ago when I ran another round of The Demo Series, showcasing the latest mountain bikes the big brands - Giant, Specialized and Trek - have to offer. All of them are pushing the 29er big stylie this year so I thought I'd see what all the fuss was about.
Considering I've been riding for almost 20 years, it also suddenly struck me that I've never bothered with any of these mainstream brands. I spent a season racing on a Giant XTC, I borrowed a women's Trek out in the USA for a week once and kept falling off the back of the seat because it was too short, and I've never even parked my backside on a Specialized! Another first was afoot.
Now, remember for one second that two of the bikes I own (Olive the DeKerf and Hyacinth the Maverick) are my two favourite bikes in the whole wide world and I have loved every minute I have ever spent riding them, that's why I own them. I'd also ridden a storming lap of the demo course on Saturday morning on Hyacinth - it doesn't get much better!
But it does.
First off, the Specialized Epic 29er - wow! Cruising down the final Skyline Trail descent at Afan, skipping over the rock slabs as if they were carpet and popping over the drop-offs. The ride was unbelievable, on a bike I'd never ridden before and hadn't even been set up properly. I just couldn't stop grinning! And then giggling. There was lots of giggling! I wanted to go again, again again again!
Next up, the Trek Superfly - O.M.G! Still brimming with confidence from the Epic ride, I'm pretty sure I rode the descent even faster, smoother and possibly with a tad more 'air'. This was frickin awesome! What had I been missing out on - these bikes just move, seriously move! More grinning and giggling and I was desperate to go out one more time, despite the huge climb that started the route. Sense and self-preservation got the better of me, one more run may have been the tipping point I'd been teetering on the edge of.
A cup of tea and time to chat about this amazing, grin-inducing new invention. Fortunately, this resulted in the offer of being lent a Giant Anthem X 29er for a couple of weeks until the next demo and with a big ride in the Brecon Beacons planned for Sunday, the offer was far too good to refuse.
My enthusiasm for riding hasn't been this high for a long time, there really could be something in these big-wheeled grin machines.
Friday, 11 March 2011
Turnaround Time
Holding down a full time job whilst being heavily involved in mountain biking means sometimes I end up doing long stints without sleep. Friday was such a day - a night shift followed by the long drive across to South Wales first thing in the morning. I'm usually fine on the drive, but the tiredness hits me around 3 o'clock in the afternoon and I shut down and have to have a snooze.
For a while I've been wondering how the activity of the day affects exactly when I 'shut down'. The ability of the human body to keep going as long as it has to will never cease to amaze me and a finite timeline with a huge dose of adrenaline can get me through most things.
After breakfast in Abergavenny I set off on Hyacinth (Maverick ML7) for a ride around the Sugar Loaf. I haven't ridden her for a while and have never failed to have fun, especially riding somewhere new being shown the local trails by a semi-local.
By mid-afternoon the sun was shining, the views were spectacular and a long, fast descent back into town awaited. Early evening came around and there wasn't so much as a yawn, I was even toying with the idea of going out for another lap! But duty called and I drove over to Neath ready for The Demo Series, reasonably confident that the sun-filled exertion of the day had merely delayed the onset of that crash-and-burn feeling.
For a while I've been wondering how the activity of the day affects exactly when I 'shut down'. The ability of the human body to keep going as long as it has to will never cease to amaze me and a finite timeline with a huge dose of adrenaline can get me through most things.
After breakfast in Abergavenny I set off on Hyacinth (Maverick ML7) for a ride around the Sugar Loaf. I haven't ridden her for a while and have never failed to have fun, especially riding somewhere new being shown the local trails by a semi-local.
By mid-afternoon the sun was shining, the views were spectacular and a long, fast descent back into town awaited. Early evening came around and there wasn't so much as a yawn, I was even toying with the idea of going out for another lap! But duty called and I drove over to Neath ready for The Demo Series, reasonably confident that the sun-filled exertion of the day had merely delayed the onset of that crash-and-burn feeling.
Tuesday, 8 March 2011
International Women's Day
Honestly, it is. In honour of that my employer decided to give me a red rose, a very swish little business card holder and a quote from Maggie Thatcher (who is obviously every career woman's idol!): "If you want something said, ask a man; if you want something done, ask a woman." Enough said...
But it's not just any old IWD, it's the Centenary celebration of International Women's Day. For those that didn't know it's also Shrove Tuesday aka Pancake Day, and today also marks three weeks without alcohol for me. To put it slightly more ironically, I won't be celebrating my gender's annual day, but will be starting drinking again for lent.
It's been a funny old day.
But it's not just any old IWD, it's the Centenary celebration of International Women's Day. For those that didn't know it's also Shrove Tuesday aka Pancake Day, and today also marks three weeks without alcohol for me. To put it slightly more ironically, I won't be celebrating my gender's annual day, but will be starting drinking again for lent.
It's been a funny old day.
Friday, 4 March 2011
Looking Like Spring
But only looking like Spring, and not quite feeling. I was lulled into a false sense of security by the bright sunshine this morning and once again went out without my overshoes. It was one of those weird kind of days where you're not entirely sure what to wear. I settled for a long-sleeved base layer and a light Endura jacket and 3/4 tights. In the sun it was fine, when the biting wind blew, it was cold and by the time I got home I couldn't feel my feet again. You'd have thought I'd have learnt my lesson by now as I've had cold feet on every ride I've done so far this year.
I decided to resurrect some bits of old road rides I used to do and surprisingly racked up 50 miles in just over 3 hours. I can't remember that last time I did a ride that long but I have a feeling it's a good couple of years ago. After 40 miles I was really starting to feel it but I was on the very familiar home stretch so kept the pace going all the way home.
Skins Recovery Tights donned and Accelerade Recovery drink consumed, I'll be interested to see how I feel tomorrow and am really looking forward to another ride. (Two surprises in one day!)
I decided to resurrect some bits of old road rides I used to do and surprisingly racked up 50 miles in just over 3 hours. I can't remember that last time I did a ride that long but I have a feeling it's a good couple of years ago. After 40 miles I was really starting to feel it but I was on the very familiar home stretch so kept the pace going all the way home.
Skins Recovery Tights donned and Accelerade Recovery drink consumed, I'll be interested to see how I feel tomorrow and am really looking forward to another ride. (Two surprises in one day!)
Friday, 25 February 2011
God Damn Right It's A Beautiful Day
European Solo Championships launched as part of 24 Hours of Exposure, press releases done, sponsors secured - it's all falling into place. Having completed a To Do list I rewarded myself with a 2 hour road ride. There aren't many people that would consider a 30 mile ride a reward, but that's what makes us cyclists and everybody else, not.
As an extra reward, I decided to test the recovery properties of tea and Jaffa cakes. Test results were inconclusive, so I'll have to try it again I guess.
As an extra reward, I decided to test the recovery properties of tea and Jaffa cakes. Test results were inconclusive, so I'll have to try it again I guess.
Monday, 21 February 2011
Changing the Rules
Another day spent riding around Sherwood Pines trying to find any tracks even vaguely interesting enough to make up a mountain bike course of a suitable standard for elite riders and a couple of Olympians. It hasn't been easy. The selection of trails at Sherwood is limited at the best of times and the parts of the Kitcheners trail I have actually ridden have been so uninspiring I've never bothered to do the whole thing.
The task was made harder by new UCI rules stating cross-country mountain bike courses should now be 4-6km long. Sorry, that's not a mountain bike course, it's a cyclo-cross course through a few more trees. Apparently, it's to make mountain biking more exciting and television friendly, but as the British National XC Series hasn't been televised for over a decade, I can hardly see BBC sport suddenly turning up because we've knocked a couple of kilometres off the course.
And as for more exciting, they've obviously never been to a BMBS venue. Let's face it England is hardly blessed with rugged, mountainous terrain so we always make the best of what we have in difficult circumstances. You can probably make a fantastically hard, testing, technical 5km course in the Alps - just send the riders around the alpine meadow, up the side of the mountain and back down the near-vertical, rocky descent. Job done. Not quite the case in Sherwood Forest, or Berkshire, or Plymouth. Even the hugely expensive Dalby World Cup course is 500m too long now!
So with shorter courses (though all of the BMBS courses will probably be pushing the 6km limit, a 4km course would barely get us out of the car park at most venues) and shorter race durations, this could be an interesting year for British Cross-Country Mountain Biking. Watch this space!
The task was made harder by new UCI rules stating cross-country mountain bike courses should now be 4-6km long. Sorry, that's not a mountain bike course, it's a cyclo-cross course through a few more trees. Apparently, it's to make mountain biking more exciting and television friendly, but as the British National XC Series hasn't been televised for over a decade, I can hardly see BBC sport suddenly turning up because we've knocked a couple of kilometres off the course.
And as for more exciting, they've obviously never been to a BMBS venue. Let's face it England is hardly blessed with rugged, mountainous terrain so we always make the best of what we have in difficult circumstances. You can probably make a fantastically hard, testing, technical 5km course in the Alps - just send the riders around the alpine meadow, up the side of the mountain and back down the near-vertical, rocky descent. Job done. Not quite the case in Sherwood Forest, or Berkshire, or Plymouth. Even the hugely expensive Dalby World Cup course is 500m too long now!
So with shorter courses (though all of the BMBS courses will probably be pushing the 6km limit, a 4km course would barely get us out of the car park at most venues) and shorter race durations, this could be an interesting year for British Cross-Country Mountain Biking. Watch this space!
Thursday, 17 February 2011
Time Out
It's very easy to get bogged down with paperwork as an event organiser, so every now and again it's good to get out into the fresh air and get your hands dirty. Last week presented just the opportunity with a trip to Rock UK to do some trail building and maintenance on the 24 Hours of Exposure solo champs race course.
With a handful of willing helpers from Rock UK staff and a couple of huge piles of stone from FC Scotland, the week was spent shovelling, digging, raking, brashing, strimming and compacting on various sections of the route around Priest Hill in Newcastleton.
Despite the typical Scottish winter weather switching from hard frosts to torrential rain, a very productive week was had and good headway made into the task ahead. And, of course, there was lots of splashing in puddles and making mud pies...
With a handful of willing helpers from Rock UK staff and a couple of huge piles of stone from FC Scotland, the week was spent shovelling, digging, raking, brashing, strimming and compacting on various sections of the route around Priest Hill in Newcastleton.
Despite the typical Scottish winter weather switching from hard frosts to torrential rain, a very productive week was had and good headway made into the task ahead. And, of course, there was lots of splashing in puddles and making mud pies...
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