The journey from small guy to teenager...

[weeksy]

Well we have a deal with a sponsor, but that's on helmets that are RRP, so still makes them pretty damn expensive.

https://www.rmcycles.co.uk/rider-protec ... een__16479

This is a 2021 i assume and £99 there instead of £400. I can live with paying £99 for a FF helmet... but £400... heck no.

400 quid ! You can buy a bike for that.

99 GBP, however, is more more reasonable

TBH mate, £99 is about the cusp of my acceptable limit. If it was £400 he simply wouldn't be getting it. The only reason he got it past me is because i can have his Bluegrass one and either use that or flog it as it's brand new.

[weeksy]

[weeksy]

Chatted with the lad and we're going to fit the new Hopes to the Privateer. Depending on the course this weekend he may even race it on Sunday... (Although won't do the brakes 5 mins before race so they can wait till Monday)

Been a quiet one this week but we may get out for a play today/tomorrow if the weather holds.

[weeksy]

Some riding on the DH bike for the boy on Weds and yesterday was out on the Privateer all afternoon/evening. Getting some last minute training/practice for the weekend. Course announced this morning is Elephant Man. Which is good and bad, but mostly good. It's not a course he loves, but he secured a 6/24 last time on this course/organiser so clearly he's got decent pace here on his good day. I also think he's riding better/faster than then. So we'll see.
My job as always is to get him to the start line on Sunday with a working bike and working limbs... What happens after that is out of my hands and completely in his hands.

One of the big things for weekend may come down to tyre choice this weekend, it's been raining a fair bit, so not sure yet how the conditions will play out, but we'll be taking multiple wheels/tyre combos just in case he wants something a bit grippier on there.

[weeksy]

[weeksy]

Race day and it’s not dark!

First one of getting up in sunlight in a very long time.

Lots of practice time for the lad, so a bit of a long morning standing round for me today

[Crosshair]

Don't worry, the clocks will change soon

Hope you all have a great day!

[weeksy]

Run 1 2nd place

[weeksy]

Crash on run 2. Waiting for results

[weeksy]

4th overall

[Taff]

4th overall

Whoop whoop, brilliant result.

(I was going to pop over this morning but I landed up painting the new extension . )

[weeksy]

Another day, another race meeting.

Sunshine and warmer temps were nice. As always the lad was flying in practice, him, drew and a couple of others playing and testing lines.

Run 1 was smooth according to the lad with 2nd place but a pack all close to him. Numbers in the race were low with only 28 in Youth and less in other classes so it was a quick turn around for run 2.
As he came past us he stacked it and has twisted his ankle a bit. Which may or may not affect his ability to race next weekend.
2 people went quicker and he led home the bunch with his teammate in 12th.

He's putting in epic performances and flying at the moment, again today he beat several riders he's never beaten before. Hopefully he'll start to believe he's got what it takes to do it at this and all levels.

Back home with beer for me and ice on his ankle for him

[weeksy]

2023-03-19_09-10-55 by Steve Weeks, on Flickr

[weeksy]

Sometimes you sit there and think "must be time for a bit of a breather now"

But the answer is NO of course.

New Tech3 V4's installed on the Privateer this morning. Bit of a pain as i had to bleed the rear, but it's fairly easy, just like motorbikes really. Due to buying them off a mate he gave me a bleed kit, but i already own one, so i've now got 2 of those, obviously one will be sold. But the brakes are on and ready to roll. We've now got 2 sets of spare Codes and a set of Guides in the box of everythingness. He'll have to do a bit of testing on them to make sure he's happy with bite/reach and bleeding, but i'm fairly happy they're close to where he likes them.
2023-03-20_09-19-53 by Steve Weeks, on Flickr

Then we've got the new mech to go onto the Fury in the next few weeks.

Along with that i need to have a look at my dropper post on the Slayer as it's not very responsive at times, so likely needs a bit of a clean/service inside. However, i don't want to take it apart today as i've got BPW Enduro race on it on Weds. I suppose if i broke it, i could just use his Privateer now

Then we're straight into the weekend, Sat lunchtime driving to Plymouth are for Newnham Park enduro with Scott at Southern Enduro. This is of course as long as the lads ankle is OK, but he hobbled to school this morning without the crutches he was using last night, so i think he'll be OK there for weekend.

Straight after that we're into the big boys DH stuff at Rheola for Gravity Events, this is a warm-up type event for the National DH 2 weeks later.. All the big boys will be playing, so we'll need to be fit and healthy for then anyway. It's all a juggling act of time, finances, fitness, training, coaching and riding... Not to forget a bit of recovery in there too... For him and one day, maybe even for me

[weeksy]

2023-03-20_05-43-59 by Steve Weeks, on Flickr

[G.P]

2023-03-20_05-43-59 by Steve Weeks, on Flickr

Proper race face!

Great pic

[weeksy]

Oh wow. Talk about the most bonkers courses ever. It walloped with rain all night and the tracks were I felt over and above my skills, so I pulled the plug and didn't practice/race.
Seeing the absolute carnage this morning hasn't made me question the decision not to race.
The boy is finding it hard. But everyone is.

[weeksy]

The boss is currently doing the transition between stage 4&5 and about to do her last stage of the day. Leading her Cat by 45s

https://my.raceresult.com/238087/

Live timing here

[weeksy]

It went well right up until I went really wrong. With the final stage left he was in 10th or 11th (out of 40ish)

Then the last stage was tech fest and 10s before the video started he crashed right in front of me.

Then this



Then crashed lower down.

Lost 32s compared to his mate who he'd been quicker than on all 4 previous stages. If he'd matched his mate he'd have ended 9th or 10th.
I think he ended 24th.

It was a cracking weekend but some parts of the track were ridiculous.

[weeksy]

Well it's the aftermath, the cleaning, the washing, sorting gazebo, tents, bags, kit, of course the Privateer, the shoes, jerseys, jackets etc etc...Along with being knackered from a lack of sleep and walking up and down the hills 300 times and standing round all day..

At least we don't have to do it all again next weekend.. oh... yeah, next weekend is Rheola.. So another full on weekend.

That means prepping,checking and sorting the both DH bikes instead now of course... The blue one should be 100%, the purple one we've barely seen so will need a bit of a check over before it gets ridden over the weekend (potentially)

Whilst doing all this i need to start working on getting my fitness sorted, weight sorted and even some riding sorted now the evenings are lighter...