The journey from small guy to teenager...

[weeksy]

Minor issue at the weekend. Another broken chainguide.
IMG_20250309_144236 by Steve Weeks, on Flickr

From looking at it, it seems to me (and my mechanic) that it's worn through over time. I spoke to the bloke i bought them from and he's not had a single issue (i believe him too).

So it's a bit of thinking about how/why.
Looking at the mech in terms of chain length/tension we're thinking that it's got a couple of links too many in the chain, which is causing some slap/flap at the top end.
IMG_20250310_081558 by Steve Weeks, on Flickr

So we've removed one of the links and when frame is at max compression this is where we're sitting.

IMG_20250310_085620 by Steve Weeks, on Flickr

Which looks like it's arguably still too many links by the time we wind out the B screw to get the mech to sit about right.

I'm going to drop into Rotec with it later this week so we can give it a full check, but i think it's 1 more link out to get it right. Weirdly though the chain is (i think) the same length as it came from the factory as every time i've swapped it i've done like-for-like in terms of length.. Although i may be mistaken and maybe somewhere along the lines i've fitted one that's too long.

edit. Now actually removed 2 links.

[weeksy]

Went to Rotec and we talked through it and a bit of discussion. We ended up removing a 3rd full link so that's about 4" of chain we've taken now.

The mech sits a lot nicer now and the changes are crisper too. Hopefully that'll be about right

Forks are coming out tonight as they're off to TFTuned for servicing tomorrow.

[weeksy]

We went to Cwmcarn today with Hattie. I was curious to see how he got on riding up and down with someone of her fitness

He ended up doing 7 runs with 1600m elevation and 40km. But the good news was his pace and fitness was excellent all round. 

I only managed 3 top to bottom but in my defence I did 35km locally yesterday and I'm 35+ years older lol. I suspect being 35kg heavier may be a bigger factor though. 

Excellent day 

[weeksy]

Well this is a fun way to spend time. (NOT)

HAd a request from a sponsor to give them a hand with some product promotion so i've spent a little (lot) of time removing the current frame protection and getting the bike ready for some new stuff and a bit of a early season refresh.

IMG_20250318_092815 by Steve Weeks, on Flickr

IMG_20250318_092809 by Steve Weeks, on Flickr

I must admit the protection has done an amazing job at keeping it sweet, although when it's on the bike it does look a little scruffy but that's kind of the whole point as it's protecting the frame. But DAMN it takes some effort to remove it.. It's a very very slow process and barely wants to come off, but also leaves some glue residue that's pretty damn near impossible to get off to get ready for the new stuff lol.

Going to be a long few hours this evening getting it all done and prepped.

[weeksy]

IMG_20250320_100556 by Steve Weeks, on Flickr

Only went to get some tubeless tape, ended up getting a rear mech, a rotor, chain, picked up my old grips for my Fuel and the rear needed a new wheel bearing, which is weird as i'm sure we only used that wheel once from new.

Another £200 i'll never see again

[weeksy]

An epic day all round at Cwmcarn. He was apprentice coach with Katy for the girls academy, towing them into features, showing them lines and things. Brilliant to see

I was playing on race track and a few of the off piste tracks. My brain is mush and my legs are jelly

[weeksy]

So we're onto the start of race season proper now. This Sunday being the first at FoD but then straight to Innerlethen the weekend after, then straight to Cwmcarn the weekend after that.  It then snowballs with several trips to Scotland in the few weeks after that (yeah i know Inners is Scotland too but i've blocked that out lol).

Before we head there we're off to BPW on Weds for 'Not-a-race'. This is an invitational pre-season not-race for Pros etc. Last year i think Greenland won it. I know a chunk of fast racers are playing from Charlie H to Ethan, Laurie, Reece, Hattie and of course Katy, potentially a few others, the boy has riders like Felix Griffiths to try and measure himself against who's the current junior racer for the Syndicate. It's going to be an epic day up on the hill catching up with a few people and seeing what the boy can learn from the superstars of the sport. But will also be about networking and making contacts which is honestly as important as anything else we do in terms of racing/riding. It usually gets decent coverage on Pinkbike so hopefully he'll get a few more followers and a bit of a high from it

His bike has been fully re-wrapped now but that is so to speak under wraps until the sponsor gets the content online and a collaboration on media will follow etc. It looks awesome and i was massively impressed with the new protection kit.

I think in truth this winter we've done as much as is viable for us to get him up to speed and where he is now, sure i'd have LOVED him to spend a few weeks in Portugal or ride southern spain etc playing there but there's budget and work to consider and sometimes what we want differs to what's actually viable. But his speed is good, his confidence is top level and he's really enjoying the riding. 

One thing i did bring up was us having a few days out just messing about at somewhere, i don't think he gets enough days where just hitting 'whatever' really happens and every time on the hill is dedicated and focused, so i just wanted to make sure he doesn't feel everything is 100% serious and just messing around is perfectly OK sometimes.

[weeksy]

So today we applied to become a World Cup racer. Well, he applied, i'm rubbish lol.

Every year you get a number of 'wildcard' racers at WC events. They're a per country basis and the riders race in a Team GB jersey.
Sadly this year due to changes to UCI rules they've lowered the allocation from 6 Juniors down to 4. (if they were racing Fort William it'd be 12 down to 8).
I can pretty much safely say he's unlikely to get one of these jerseys, but if we don't apply then he's 100% certain not to get one so in for a penny in for a pound.... We've applied.

In my dream scenario/world i can see a possible way in 2026 he'd potentially get one of these.. if the improvements keep coming and the speed... maybe... but 2025.. i don't see it.

[Mr Moofo]

I presume he is better focussing on UK events and getting exposure? It probably not as cool as going to Spain / France/ Portugal but it will be cheaper or you can do more of them.
Getting the foundations sorted is a good plan. He will reach a point where his ability will snowball - and that’s the timing for the big stuff!

[weeksy]

I presume he is better focussing on UK events and getting exposure? It probably not as cool as going to Spain / France/ Portugal but it will be cheaper or you can do more of them.
Getting the foundations sorted is a good plan. He will reach a point where his ability will snowball - and that’s the timing for the big stuff!

Mmmm that's the $64,000 question to an extent. In truth, I'm not honestly sure mate. But one thing going abroad can do is crush a kids confidence as they're ending up battling for back marker places. Chatting with RSR who's seen it all before he's an advocate of "patience" and Katy is of the mindset of "don't worry about the results"
I'm not sure I completely agree with either but they know a lot better than me.
I think if he can do well in UK races though and have Katy backing him it will help his profile more than 50th in a Euro race. But it's all guessing to an extent.
However most of the lads who were podiums in 2024 in his or juniors have picked up bigger rides for this season.

So we'll do Europe when we can and can afford it, but the primary goal being UK.

Unless he got a WC jersey and we remortgage the house and fly over the world lol.

[weeksy]

New rubber thrown on the bike today for the race tomorrow and the weekend. I ended up going with a Krypto front and rear after initially installing a Xynotal this morning, but then thought he'd prefer both Kryptos.

Interestingly he was running the Galfer green on his Mavens this weekend but didn't feel any real difference between those and the black compound.. I'm not going to argue too much as the black are 50% of the price of the green lol.

I'm really looking forward to tomorrow, both from seeing a few mates and also from seeing if he can learn from the pros. I guess it depends how long he can keep them in sight for.

[weeksy]

[MrLongbeard]

Someone missed the memo explaining the 'invisi' part of the company name

[weeksy]

https://www.sportident.co.uk/results/Bi ... 25/ProDay/




Live timing from today. The boy just did a 2.36 but hasn't uploaded it 

[weeksy]

[Numnut]

That's some impressive riding to keep anywhere near those guys!

[weeksy]

He's sitting in 14th currently and 4s quicker in the afternoon than this morning.
Every rider ahead of him apart from 1 is a current world cup racer.
Massively impressed with his riding and the number of random strangers telling me how fast and smooth he looks is insane.

[weeksy]

End of day and back home, he crashed on both his last 2 runs and was up on split 2, but pushed a bit too much and stacked it. Pretty hard crashes but just few bruises and aches, nothing major.
Overall it was an amazing day and a fantastic opportunity for him. We all had a cracker.

Beer now

[weeksy]

We did however have some bad/interesting discussions yesterday. A couple of comments of "that bike's too small for him"

It's an R2 (they make R1/2/3) which is regarded as the Large. But i'll admit it's not the longest bike in the world. It's been commented before that he looks a bit big on it, but i've mostly ignored it

Yesterday he did some car park laps on Rowan Sorrels bike which is an R3, however the boy being the boy gets off it and says "feels exactly the same" lol.   Chatting with Rowan he said he loves an R2 for it's flickability etc but prefers the stability of the R3 on faster stuff. He's about 6'2 so a bit taller than the boy.

BPW do do hire bikes including Sessions, i asked if we could ride one and hire for the afternoon. Their reply did make me laugh a bit "we can't as we don't have a mechanic to check it over" ... Ummmm we're in a paddock with half a dozen WC Pro mechanics lol... But i did understand their point, so didn't press the matter. 

So option 1 is to hire an R3 at BPW in the coming weeks/months and see how he likes/doesn't. 

Option 2 is to ignore it

Option 3 is a cheap R3 and swap all his nice bits onto it.

https://www.pinkbike.com/buysell/4000251/

With the way he's riding at the moment and in his happy place, i'm inclined for Option 2. But as always i do want to give him the best chance possible to do well.... so i'm slightly torn.

[Mr Moofo]

We did however have some bad/interesting discussions yesterday. A couple of comments of "that bike's too small for him"

It's an R2 (they make R1/2/3) which is regarded as the Large. But i'll admit it's not the longest bike in the world. It's been commented before that he looks a bit big on it, but i've mostly ignored it

Yesterday he did some car park laps on Rowan Sorrels bike which is an R3, however the boy being the boy gets off it and says "feels exactly the same" lol.   Chatting with Rowan he said he loves an R2 for it's flickability etc but prefers the stability of the R3 on faster stuff. He's about 6'2 so a bit taller than the boy.

BPW do do hire bikes including Sessions, i asked if we could ride one and hire for the afternoon. Their reply did make me laugh a bit "we can't as we don't have a mechanic to check it over" ... Ummmm we're in a paddock with half a dozen WC Pro mechanics lol... But i did understand their point, so didn't press the matter. 

So option 1 is to hire an R3 at BPW in the coming weeks/months and see how he likes/doesn't. 

Option 2 is to ignore it

Option 3 is a cheap R3 and swap all his nice bits onto it.

https://www.pinkbike.com/buysell/4000251/

With the way he's riding at the moment and in his happy place, i'm inclined for Option 2. But as always i do want to give him the best chance possible to do well.... so i'm slightly torn.

There is obviously the sensible approach, which is 1) but the Weeksy approach will be 3)

Sorted for you