The journey from small guy to teenager...
- weeksy
- Site Admin
- Posts: 22951
- Joined: Sat Mar 14, 2020 12:08 pm
- Has thanked: 5503 times
- Been thanked: 12760 times
Re: The journey from small guy to teenager...
Onto the weekend.
Rheola. This is a national level DH track and a prequel to the National DH in 2 weeks time. Riders entered are Jordan Williams, Charlie Hatton, of course weeksy08.
We went here last year but he crashed in practice on run 5 or 6 and hurt his shoulder which kept him out of the race on the Sunday. So he knows the track a little bit at least. It's classed as being one of the harder/hardest track in the UK series, so will be somewhat challenging that's for sure.
We'll have both of the GTs present and correct.
2023-01-26_08-11-27 by Steve Weeks, on Flickr
Along with a selection of wheels and tyres and spares. Although i very much of course hope we don't need any
It'll be a full weekend away potentially from pre-dawn on Sat until Sunday evening. But that partly depends on the weather and what it throws at us. Lets just say i didn't get on well with the tent at the weekend in the rain and if it's like that this weekend than i'll be driving home and back up for Sun morning. There's going to be a bucket load of dirty clothes, dirty bikes and muddy insanity.
Jobs left before the weekend... well, nothing really. Unless we come up with a solution for catering ourselves... which is certainly a possible option for me/us. But in truth i don't know what we want or need for that really or whether we just do our usual and wing it. There'll be a catering van on site and lets fact it, a bacon roll each and a coffee takes a while to be off-set in terms of costs from whatever a cooking machine of some description will take to purchase, (along with the bacon and breaded products each time hahaha)
Rheola. This is a national level DH track and a prequel to the National DH in 2 weeks time. Riders entered are Jordan Williams, Charlie Hatton, of course weeksy08.
We went here last year but he crashed in practice on run 5 or 6 and hurt his shoulder which kept him out of the race on the Sunday. So he knows the track a little bit at least. It's classed as being one of the harder/hardest track in the UK series, so will be somewhat challenging that's for sure.
We'll have both of the GTs present and correct.
2023-01-26_08-11-27 by Steve Weeks, on Flickr
Along with a selection of wheels and tyres and spares. Although i very much of course hope we don't need any
It'll be a full weekend away potentially from pre-dawn on Sat until Sunday evening. But that partly depends on the weather and what it throws at us. Lets just say i didn't get on well with the tent at the weekend in the rain and if it's like that this weekend than i'll be driving home and back up for Sun morning. There's going to be a bucket load of dirty clothes, dirty bikes and muddy insanity.
Jobs left before the weekend... well, nothing really. Unless we come up with a solution for catering ourselves... which is certainly a possible option for me/us. But in truth i don't know what we want or need for that really or whether we just do our usual and wing it. There'll be a catering van on site and lets fact it, a bacon roll each and a coffee takes a while to be off-set in terms of costs from whatever a cooking machine of some description will take to purchase, (along with the bacon and breaded products each time hahaha)
- Mr Moofo
- Posts: 4423
- Joined: Sat Mar 14, 2020 1:41 pm
- Location: Brightonish
- Has thanked: 1788 times
- Been thanked: 1408 times
Re: The journey from small guy to teenager...
Off subject - I am now seeing why those rear wheels stands are useful. Where did you get them from?
- weeksy
- Site Admin
- Posts: 22951
- Joined: Sat Mar 14, 2020 12:08 pm
- Has thanked: 5503 times
- Been thanked: 12760 times
- MingtheMerciless
- Posts: 3461
- Joined: Wed Mar 18, 2020 7:42 am
- Location: Scarfolk on Sea
- Has thanked: 2914 times
- Been thanked: 1846 times
Re: The journey from small guy to teenager...
I’m presuming you’ve skipped the sport nutrition module on the training schedule. Porridge for breakfast and pasta for meals would be my recommendation along with an energy/electrolyte drink for the races (I use Tailwind Nutrition products as they are stomach friendly and really seem to work for me). Torq are good as well but SIS products ruin my already flaky digestive system.
Personally I run so much better and longer on porridge than bacon, boring though that is. Might be one of those marginal gains for results, especially towards the end of the day when endurance is needed.
Personally I run so much better and longer on porridge than bacon, boring though that is. Might be one of those marginal gains for results, especially towards the end of the day when endurance is needed.
"Of all the stories you told me, which ones were true and which ones weren't?"
"My dear Doctor, they're all true."
"Even the lies?"
"Especially the lies."
"My dear Doctor, they're all true."
"Even the lies?"
"Especially the lies."
- weeksy
- Site Admin
- Posts: 22951
- Joined: Sat Mar 14, 2020 12:08 pm
- Has thanked: 5503 times
- Been thanked: 12760 times
- Mr Moofo
- Posts: 4423
- Joined: Sat Mar 14, 2020 1:41 pm
- Location: Brightonish
- Has thanked: 1788 times
- Been thanked: 1408 times
- weeksy
- Site Admin
- Posts: 22951
- Joined: Sat Mar 14, 2020 12:08 pm
- Has thanked: 5503 times
- Been thanked: 12760 times
Re: The journey from small guy to teenager...
Yeah was a bit daft at times... There's nearly as many pics on Roots and Rain of the day with people off their bikes than there is with them on it... I think 'challenging' is the phrase that best sums it up. But he seemed to enjoy himself anyway which was good
In an interesting turn of events i spent yesterday evening chatting with a bloke who designs and builds these.
https://www.howlerframeworks.co.uk/
properly interesting chat and a cracking evenings entertainment (despite the circumstances of the day) chatting bikes and geometry, builds, specs...
- Mr Moofo
- Posts: 4423
- Joined: Sat Mar 14, 2020 1:41 pm
- Location: Brightonish
- Has thanked: 1788 times
- Been thanked: 1408 times
Re: The journey from small guy to teenager...
You watch vids of Ollie Watkins and Brendan F riding on roots and slop - and they make it look really easy ...
I find claggy, slimy mud next to impossible to ride on - and impossible to stop the bike becoming gummed up.
I find claggy, slimy mud next to impossible to ride on - and impossible to stop the bike becoming gummed up.
- MingtheMerciless
- Posts: 3461
- Joined: Wed Mar 18, 2020 7:42 am
- Location: Scarfolk on Sea
- Has thanked: 2914 times
- Been thanked: 1846 times
Re: The journey from small guy to teenager...
That's Sarf Dahns clay and chalk that is. The loam on Dartmoor and its edges doesn't seem to cling and stodge like the stuff of home. It also seems to be less suicidal until you hit a wet root.
"Of all the stories you told me, which ones were true and which ones weren't?"
"My dear Doctor, they're all true."
"Even the lies?"
"Especially the lies."
"My dear Doctor, they're all true."
"Even the lies?"
"Especially the lies."
- Mr Moofo
- Posts: 4423
- Joined: Sat Mar 14, 2020 1:41 pm
- Location: Brightonish
- Has thanked: 1788 times
- Been thanked: 1408 times
Re: The journey from small guy to teenager...
Ah, so I am actually a riding god - but just riding in the wrong places ?MingtheMerciless wrote: ↑Wed Mar 29, 2023 10:13 amThat's Sarf Dahns clay and chalk that is. The loam on Dartmoor and its edges doesn't seem to cling and stodge like the stuff of home. It also seems to be less suicidal until you hit a wet root.
- weeksy
- Site Admin
- Posts: 22951
- Joined: Sat Mar 14, 2020 12:08 pm
- Has thanked: 5503 times
- Been thanked: 12760 times
Re: The journey from small guy to teenager...
Having seen you ride... that's a stretch.... i'm struggling to bow to your superiorityMr Moofo wrote: ↑Wed Mar 29, 2023 11:01 amAh, so I am actually a riding god - but just riding in the wrong places ?MingtheMerciless wrote: ↑Wed Mar 29, 2023 10:13 amThat's Sarf Dahns clay and chalk that is. The loam on Dartmoor and its edges doesn't seem to cling and stodge like the stuff of home. It also seems to be less suicidal until you hit a wet root.
- Mr Moofo
- Posts: 4423
- Joined: Sat Mar 14, 2020 1:41 pm
- Location: Brightonish
- Has thanked: 1788 times
- Been thanked: 1408 times
- weeksy
- Site Admin
- Posts: 22951
- Joined: Sat Mar 14, 2020 12:08 pm
- Has thanked: 5503 times
- Been thanked: 12760 times
- MingtheMerciless
- Posts: 3461
- Joined: Wed Mar 18, 2020 7:42 am
- Location: Scarfolk on Sea
- Has thanked: 2914 times
- Been thanked: 1846 times
Re: The journey from small guy to teenager...
that's a bit rich coming from Captain Mincer.weeksy wrote: ↑Wed Mar 29, 2023 11:04 amHaving seen you ride... that's a stretch.... i'm struggling to bow to your superiorityMr Moofo wrote: ↑Wed Mar 29, 2023 11:01 amAh, so I am actually a riding god - but just riding in the wrong places ?MingtheMerciless wrote: ↑Wed Mar 29, 2023 10:13 am
That's Sarf Dahns clay and chalk that is. The loam on Dartmoor and its edges doesn't seem to cling and stodge like the stuff of home. It also seems to be less suicidal until you hit a wet root.
Says he from his "Pulpit of Talking a Good Ride" but not actually doing any riding.........
"Of all the stories you told me, which ones were true and which ones weren't?"
"My dear Doctor, they're all true."
"Even the lies?"
"Especially the lies."
"My dear Doctor, they're all true."
"Even the lies?"
"Especially the lies."
- weeksy
- Site Admin
- Posts: 22951
- Joined: Sat Mar 14, 2020 12:08 pm
- Has thanked: 5503 times
- Been thanked: 12760 times
Re: The journey from small guy to teenager...
Just looking at the depths of fields...sadly Gravity Events don't show the entrants like most do, but they're often fairly lowly subscribed compared to some. Last year in this event in the juvenile class there were only 8 riders.
But the good thing is, that means there's plenty of points up for grabs. Even the guy who got 7th still picked up 25 British Ranking points. (this is one of our main goals for 2023, to get in the top 10 UK ranking in Youth at end of season), 25 points for 7th in an A race, is the same as winning a B race basically.
Obviously we don't know how many are racing yet though in his Cat.
Last year we didn't complete the race after a decent off in practice he ended up in the car holding his shoulder and unable to move it... We decided to bail as he couldn't even get out of bed properly the next day. It's a tough course and last year was slippery through the dust, this year will be slippery mud on Sat, but a drying track for Sunday.
We're pretty much good to go though and just need to load up the van, the kit, the bikes and all the stuff..
It is as they say, Game Time.
But the good thing is, that means there's plenty of points up for grabs. Even the guy who got 7th still picked up 25 British Ranking points. (this is one of our main goals for 2023, to get in the top 10 UK ranking in Youth at end of season), 25 points for 7th in an A race, is the same as winning a B race basically.
Obviously we don't know how many are racing yet though in his Cat.
Last year we didn't complete the race after a decent off in practice he ended up in the car holding his shoulder and unable to move it... We decided to bail as he couldn't even get out of bed properly the next day. It's a tough course and last year was slippery through the dust, this year will be slippery mud on Sat, but a drying track for Sunday.
We're pretty much good to go though and just need to load up the van, the kit, the bikes and all the stuff..
It is as they say, Game Time.
- Mr Moofo
- Posts: 4423
- Joined: Sat Mar 14, 2020 1:41 pm
- Location: Brightonish
- Has thanked: 1788 times
- Been thanked: 1408 times
Re: The journey from small guy to teenager...
Can you tell me where to send the reward of 10 GBP ?MingtheMerciless wrote: ↑Wed Mar 29, 2023 1:31 pmthat's a bit rich coming from Captain Mincer.
Says he from his "Pulpit of Talking a Good Ride" but not actually doing any riding.........
- weeksy
- Site Admin
- Posts: 22951
- Joined: Sat Mar 14, 2020 12:08 pm
- Has thanked: 5503 times
- Been thanked: 12760 times
- G.P
- Posts: 1944
- Joined: Sun Mar 15, 2020 9:12 pm
- Location: Wiltshire
- Has thanked: 2113 times
- Been thanked: 1310 times
Re: The journey from small guy to teenager...
if its anything like its been here this morning it'll be wetter than an otter's pocket.
Good luck to James!
Good luck to James!
- weeksy
- Site Admin
- Posts: 22951
- Joined: Sat Mar 14, 2020 12:08 pm
- Has thanked: 5503 times
- Been thanked: 12760 times
- weeksy
- Site Admin
- Posts: 22951
- Joined: Sat Mar 14, 2020 12:08 pm
- Has thanked: 5503 times
- Been thanked: 12760 times
Re: The journey from small guy to teenager...
2023-04-01_04-07-58 by Steve Weeks, on Flickr
Well that's my job done for the weekend. Practice over and packed away. He got 7 runs in and finished up. It's yukky and messy. But the bike has been cleaned and put away ready for tomorrow.
All his kit is trashed as you'd expect. But he's got clean race kit for tomorrow.
Going to be way tougher than some of his other races, but if he can just ride his race and get down, that'll do nicely for now
Well that's my job done for the weekend. Practice over and packed away. He got 7 runs in and finished up. It's yukky and messy. But the bike has been cleaned and put away ready for tomorrow.
All his kit is trashed as you'd expect. But he's got clean race kit for tomorrow.
Going to be way tougher than some of his other races, but if he can just ride his race and get down, that'll do nicely for now