The journey from small guy to teenager...

[weeksy]

[MingtheMerciless]

Saw this on insta earlier, cracking skills. Anything like that in Friston would've been strava lined by the people that hate corners.

[weeksy]

I'm sure this is too. But they do seem to have some cracking trail-fairies over there in Staunton. It's got a very good mix from slightly tech to insane and deathy, all well built. All it needs really is some signage of red/black/blue and it'd be perfect.

[weeksy]

More focused on rising than clips at the moment, but we're trying in terms of both/everything.

Yesterday was 5am start and off up near Bala for a riding/test day. Bike running sweetly, rider going well and happy. Finished 30 mins early as the rain came. But a good testing day out.

Dyfi this weekend coming on Monday for a last proper day out and then 11/12 of May is the first of the Pearce races, which is on the track he practiced yesterday (there's a method to our madness sometimes)

We found out yesterday he finished 3rd in the Stile Cop series, but we were not there for the final race as we were at a mates birthday, whoops. So we missed prizes and podiums

[weeksy]

https://www.instagram.com/stories/weeks ... 5yMGthZg==

Dunno why stories don't show in the same way as reels... Sorry.

Bit of fun for me and him up at pump track the other day, just messing about really. He carries so so much speed but what really impresses me is that he can switch between bikes so effortlessly, on the Dirt Jump, then the MTB etc....

I then spent some time with his Session, cleaning up the invisiframe stuff, sorting out some paint-rub and fitting some new 'names'... For the Euro Champs and nationals he wanted his name and flag on the bike, but it rubbed off as a crap decal. So i've done with a new pair and then invisiframed over the top.

Bike is now ready for Dyfi on BH Monday.

[MingtheMerciless]

[weeksy]

I'm not sure Mrs Weeksy enjoyed watching today as we're there in just a few weeks time.

[weeksy]

I hear you. It's along those lines for sure, development parts, prototype frames, electronic suspension adjustment and telemetry etc. but I also think it's easier to get a foot in the door than at motorbike level, in terms of approachability and expense too.
My lad is sitting currently I guess at pointy end of BSB level and the step into WSB won't be a £200k paycheck to someone, it'll be something he'll make with the right speed and a bit of luck. GP level I think is currently beyond us, but we'll both be trying our best to get there

[Nordboy]

I watched the practise run yesterday!!! Bloody hell, that's quick, how the hell do they stay on the bloody things??

[MingtheMerciless]

Jesus that's FAST. I'd still be mincing through the first rock garden by the time he got to the bottom and those table tops at the end have a nasty reputation for breaking normal people (I've a work mate who has ridden there a few times and speaks from experience) as they hit them tired and uncoordinated.

[Count Steer]

It's hard to believe they haven't speeded up the vid. That's just bonkers!

[weeksy]

That's mega impressive though, I haven't really been following your story closely, being at the equivalent of the sharp end of BSB is monumental and AFAIK for the motorcycle lads that's a full team support with proper money behind it all.

We were watching the programme and like I said the gist of it was the difference between full support and privateer, and even the privateers had maybe half a dozen team members behind them, but nothing like the full factory stuff, I wondered where the money came from, there seemed to be a couple of dozen people behind each factory rider, they even had chefs.
It must cost maybe two million quid for each factory rider and his team per year?

Thank you. We're having a lot of fun.

The great thing about DH is you don't need that level of funding. £10k a year will give you a full season of Nationals.

[weeksy]

I watched the practise run yesterday!!! Bloody hell, that's quick, how the hell do they stay on the bloody things??

ASA is the next big thing, he's already putting in times to match the Pros. Well technically he's a pro too, but you know what I mean. He's young, hungry, fast. He'll be pushing for wins in a few years in big boys class.

Sadly for my lad to get to that level is IMO too much of a stretch. But that's not our goal currently anyway

[weeksy]

Well we're back to race weekend again, heading up Fri afternoon after his Biology exam (Yes he's leaving school this week !!!!) and kipping over both Fri night and Sat night. I'll be in the tent again this season and as with last year he's kipping in the van. I expect it'll rain, it always does
BBQ and maybe even a test of some pizza on the BBQ to change things about a little bit.

Race is at Rhyd-Y- Felin which is sort of west ish of Oswestry. It's a track the lad knows fairly well and mostly kinda likes it, although he has been a bit crashy there in the past, his massive over-the-bars and flying through the air crashes were both there, funnily enough at the exact same place on track both times ... Hopefully he's got that sorted now

Practice all day Sat and 2 race runs on Sunday, both counting for the series prizes but only the fastest counting in British Cycling terms. We had/have a goal of Top15 for Pearce races for 2024, but i think that's honestly moved on and i hope to see somewhere 10th ish

Sadly once we get within 2 miles we lose all signal, both phone and wi-fi, so we'll be fully out of the loop until Sunday arvo i'm afraid.

[Count Steer]

Good luck chaps.

[weeksy]

Not sure why his Instagrams are not showing properly for me... Can you guys see them ?

Here's the weekend video instead

[Nordboy]

Not sure why his Instagrams are not showing properly for me... Can you guys see them ?

Here's the weekend video instead

Good luck with the weekend.

As for the instagrams, I just see a white IG box with link broken.

[Count Steer]

Some of the IG posts are fine, but some are as said above. If I go back up the thread they're OK. Something, somewhere, has changed!

Edit: and if I try and post a weeksy08 clip I get the broken link thing too.

But if I post from another IG stream it's fine. Is there something in settings that restricts sharing?

[weeksy]

Bizarre, thanks

[weeksy]

Well as always this won't be the shortest one. Fri brought traffic, driving and eventually getting to track to set-up. We parked in the same place as the previous year and tried to save space for our mates, which worked out nicely and we had plenty of space and friends around us. I sent the boy out on track walk while i set up the pit and got some food on the go.
IMG_20240511_183737 by Steve Weeks, on Flickr

Sat morning/daytime was practice and he spent the day with his mates riding, going crazy and having fun. The bike was running sweetly and he was happy with everything. The evening almost turned things sour as they were all playing on little bikes made for 5 year olds and doing ramp jumps, just about every rider came away with some bruising or cuts. But they were having a laugh and being kids for once at a race meeting. It was SO nice having a few beers, catching up with people and just seeing everyone enjoying it. The weather held and it was honestly just a brilliant evening.
I'd spent part of the day rebuilding a Hope Pro4 wheel for one of our paddock mate, re-taping it as it was losing pressure and sorting a few other bikes out too. The gazebo was so hot, but i was rewarded with a beer every now and again, so it's always nice.

Sunday was of course race day and it was time to play. The lad did 2 runs of practice and i then spent the next 2 hours sorting out a complete new drivetrain on a Specialized Demo which had ripped everything apart. It was cause IMO by a Chainguide that was fitted poorly, once that was realigned and a new mech, chain etc fitted it wasn't too bad, i sent that lad back out to play.
IMG_20240512_075718 by Steve Weeks, on Flickr

Race run 1 i still get a little nervous as the boy has crashed a few times at Rhyd-Y-Felin near the finish area. He was the 4th rider down the hill and came in with what looked a decent time, but as the field came down he was always going to drop a fair few places of course. His run was a little scrappy he tells me but not a bad run all in all.
Last year his best result at Pearce was 22nd, yesterday on run 1 he stuck it in 11th.

Run 2 we changed a couple of little things, sent him out and thought we'd see what he could do, he felt he had something left to pick up some places potentially but you just never know what can happen. The weather was getting a bit dodgy, rain and thunder/lightening forecast and the sky was darkening.
A couple of small delays due to crashes but eventually he came down and his time was 0.008 different than run 1. He ended the day in 11th place.
I'll be honest and say it was slightly bitter sweet as pre-season he planned and set out "Finish top 15 at Pearce" which he had of course managed. However as we got closer to the race he'd targeted a Top10, so slightly unfortunate there
https://www.rootsandrain.com/event12601 ... /#h-15-16m

Happily though race run 2 was 8th quickest of run 2s, so that'll give him a little something. But he was really happy with 11th, it's a damn fine performance and even though the gap to some of the guys ahead is fairly substantial, it's not the end of the world. Of course Felix is a mile away, but that lad is a World Cup podium in waiting, so you know what, we accept some are just quicker.

To top the day off, his teammate Katie managed to get the win in the girls Cat, which was honestly brilliant for her and completed the day nicely.

The rain and lightening then came and the day was canned mid-way though some of the other Cats, but apart from getting slightly damp putting stuff away, it didn't affect our day.

Eventually we made it home at 9.30pm and after unloading, a shower, it was basically straight to bed... It's sooooooo hard both as a parent and as a racer, the weekends are just LONG !!!

He's back to GCSEs this morning, with English Lit as the days exam, he spent 2-3 hours on the way home revising yesterday and some of Friday, so hopefully he'll get on OK with it