revtothelimit - motorbike forum

It's been a bit quiet this week as the boy has been a little injured from FoD Thursday. He stacked it and bashed his head slightly, but more importantly bashed his leg and has given himself a solid dead leg. Struggling a bit at the moment, but getting better.
I enforced the decision of "nah, i'm going to BPW on my own, you stay home" which didn't please him at all, but he seems to have understood the logic as it's back to the National DH series this weekend.

We did have a new plan, but that's taken a small delay due to the seller not getting the part to me this weekend as planned, so he'll still be racing on his white Session. But we do have this arriving at the weekend.
p6pb27685097 by Steve Weeks, on Flickr

This is of course the same as his Session, apart from being the next (and biggest) size up.

The reach on his current Session is 466mm with the new one being 493mm. There's been talk a while now of his Session being too small and with this coming up as a Frame only option we jumped on the plan.
There's other plans forming longer term of course, other options and other discussions, but for the rest of 25, he's likely to be on the new Session frame. I can build the whole bike apart from the forks out of spares, so the plan is to head to Dyfi the weekend of 21st and do a days testing on both, it'll be the morning on bike 1 and the afternoon on bike 2 as it'll take me 45 mins to swap the bits like forks and brakes over to the new frame while he has some lunch.

I'm looking forward to both this weekends National and of course getting this up and running too.

In the interest of more experimentation, thanks to Rotec i just picked up a new rear wheel. This time 27.5 to mullet the new bike. 

There's a couple of reasons for this, one is that it'll lessen the reach slightly, although i don't know how much of that is negated by sticking it in 'high' on the flipchip along with the mullet wheel.  Partly too is that if you'd seen the article on Pinkbike, 95% of the bikes are now mullet, including any of our other potential options to buy in the future, so makes sense to try the mullet for a while during the mid-season quiet time. 

From when we get the frame we've got 5 weeks until the next planned race which is the National Champs in Fort William. So we've got a while to test both frame sizes, wheel sizes, settings etc etc... I'm hoping by the time we go to there we'll be golden. But don't expect us to be coming home with a podium again lol.

IMG-20250611-WA0001 by Steve Weeks, on Flickr

Not quite sure how, but DAMN he's pringled his chain ring, i'd say hi/lo point is about 10mm bent.

He's due to go out riding this afternoon so i'll have to whip the cranks off mine and fit onto his for the day.

Cased it, big time? On log?

Rock drops in FOD?

crust wrote: Wed Jun 11, 2025 2:18 pm Cased it, big time? On log?

Rock drops in FOD?

Well that's a question i don't quite know the answer to as i don't always pay 100% attention to this bike. So it MAY have been caused that night, or may have been caused earlier... possibly... maybe.... He did stack it at FoD last Thurs, which was when it was last out, so it's completely possible this was when it happened. Can't really say, my job is just to make it work again.

Sadly that does mean my bike is off the trail today, but i'm OK with that as i was out early doors this morning

Interestingly i bashed the chainring that was now fitted to my bike instead and got it somewhat straight, Shimano use some new system which is with bigger teeth apparently and on a 17 mile ride yesterday it was golden. It'll still get swapped when the part arrives from Biketart, but it did a job.

Van is mostly loaded and full, just fitted an Argotal on the spare wheels as the weather for Saturday is looking somewhat dodgy. I'm not always convinced it's Argotal weather but if he wants them on there it's better to do at home with the compressor than at the track in the rain  

Almost secured a deal on a set of Boxxers last night but the location didn't quite work out, however it may happen next weekend when we've got a bit more time. I can then build the 2nd frame into a full spare bike, which would bring quite a dilemma for Morzine as to whether i take the Session/Session or Session/Fuel.

8pm and we seem to have bought a frame



"We may as well run it this weekend hey" says the boy.

"Ummmm sure mate"



It's needs a bit of fiddly tidying in the morning but I can't really see as it's dark.

It's also the end of the world as the brief shower has been a 3 hour monsoon.

It's just hammering down beyond words.

I can't see how anyone will get any sleep.

Worst night in a tent for years. Monsoon stopped about 4am, but is currently back with full force. I was just about to get up to finish the bike bike that may wait 

IMG_20250614_081853 by Steve Weeks, on Flickr

IMG_20250614_081846 by Steve Weeks, on Flickr

IMG_20250614_081838 by Steve Weeks, on Flickr

weeksy wrote: Fri Jun 13, 2025 10:23 pm
It's also the end of the world as the brief shower has been a 3 hour monsoon.

It's just hammering down beyond words.

I can't see how anyone will get any sleep.

Should've sent it down here to justify the "AMBER" thunderstorm and rain warning we had. It was a bit damp for a few hours and a couple of rumbles of thunder, bloody pathetic.

So as you've gathered, the new frame got quickly (sorta) turned into a full bicycle.

He/We decided we'd run it as a mullet, he normally runs full 29 on the Session, but thoughts were threefold on the mullet
1.98% of DH pros race on mullet now
2. Most DH bikes are going mullet only
3. Reach is shortened slightly so potentially makes it less 'different' in some ways.
So it made sense to get used to the mullet, luckily i'd planned this partly in advance and picked up a new mullet wheel.

So it was just brakes, gears, forks, etc some parts swapped over, some new ones and left the old bikes on the white Session. It was properly dark by the time i finished so had a few little bits left to complete the bike in the morning but nothing too complicated. It all went smoothly enough with a bit of faffing with his gearing being the only real issue.

His practice reports were mostly "don't aske me, i'm just hanging on and hoping for the best", along with "feels the same really", but how a frame 30mm reach more can feel the same is beyond me. Funnily though a paddock mate of ours was also on a next size up Mondraker they'd never sat on before and apparently that felt the same too

The slop was real, deep, wet, slippery and rooty, even the Elite riders were not getting down without paddling their feet, plenty of riders were walking or jumping off their bikes and crashes were plentiful. So much so that his seeding run was cancelled due to over-running time and moved to Sunday, so our chilling came a little earlier.

IMG_20250615_134350 by Steve Weeks, on Flickr

The bike was cleaned and fettled/checked and beers, food and banter ensued. Thankfully it was without the rain of Friday night that kept us awake most of the night/morning, so a fairly decent nights sleep.
Sunday brought more dry, sunny, fine weather, we were going through tear-offs most runs as even though it was dry in places now, some was still horrific. But the boy came down really really happy with his run/runs and enjoying it. He was riding mostly on his own as he does, but he chats a bit with a fair few mates he now knows.
Seeding came and went and he stuck it in P10 for seeding, which in all truth, is about right for his level, although his riding mate and rival George stuck it in P1 which was incredible !!!
Race run came a lot later in the day, which we're still getting used to really. It was still the Argotal on the front and the Kryptotal on the back of it we went for and as always you're sort of sitting there watching the riders and clock and working out where your rider needs to pop into sight to be about the right speed/time as the guy in front and happily he did. But then they disappear out of sight for a while so you're waiting to see if they get out of the slippy field and into the finish. He popped into sight and over the line happily. His time was just below the 3.00 maker and 2s quicker than his seeding run. Apparently it was a bit messy, but he'd given it a decent shot.
Obviously then the rest come down and he settled into P11 for the day.

P11 sometimes (and did yesterday too weirdly) feel like a bit of an anti-climax for all of us, he was happy he'd done his best but a little unhappy with P11, obviously at this level, being disappointed at that is a funny situation as it's a position we'd once have dreamed about. But that's the reality of being a racer i guess, always wanting more, wanting better.
George ended up P2, which is a lifetime best for him and we were properly excited for him, he was close to the win too which made it even more impressive.

Eventually it was back home for nearly 9pm and the unloading of the van, sorting of the bike/frame and getting back to reality. These weekends honestly destroy you as a parent, they're just so so hard and intense, whether it's the standing around on your feet for 8 hours, or the walking, the socialising or just the pressure of it all, it's just hard. I was getting really tired on the drive home and after a shower it was early to bed

I'd love to say we've got time off now, we have time off from racing yeah, but we're back out this weekend at Dyfi and out on Thurs night at FoD for pretend racing lol.
There was half a plan about using the white Session frame and building that as a spare bike, it was needing a set of forks and a stem buying but i think he's moved on from that idea so the lilac one is now the one and only bike it seems.
Dyfi will be a bit more intense in terms of testing this weekend with trying settings, Mino links, wheel sizes and actually trying to get used to the bike and the differences, so should be interesting. Not sure yet if we'll stay up there and make it a 2 dayer or head back after 1.

We hit FOD last night for FoD Thursday which is a pretend race, with transponder timing. I say pretend, it's pretty serious and proper rapid at the pointy end. 

The boy started on his Fuel and was a little off the pace, it was on Twisted Sister which arguably should suit the fuel as well but he's not as comfortable on that as his Session. At that stage the fastest time was a 45s with him putting in a 48s and 5th place overall. He then jumped on his Session which we're still dialling him and the bike in and put in a 46, 45, 44... So he was sitting in P4 overall with 4 riders all on 44s. One of them is a kid called Cooper who we know well and chat to lots, he lives walking distance from FoD and rides a LOT there. 

So he goes up for a last run and stick in a 43s and P1 overall, but only by 0.5s but it was a funny end to the evening as i was chatting to Jeremy who generally wins the events most weeks and he was asking if the boy was going again, he laughed when i said he'd gone up for a last run to try and beat him.... then of course he did.  Jeremy wins most events he races and last night he did 11 runs !!! Which is honestly crazy if you know the hill at FoD and the temps being in the high 20s, just touching 30 at times... 11 !!! Jeezy.

THe boy is still running and trying the mullet, but this weekend at Dyfi it'll be some testing between wheel sizes and seeing not only which is fastest but also which feel nicest to him.

We'll also be watching VDS WC on catch-up as one of his main rivals Josh is making his debut this weekend having got the call just before last weekends race. It'll be damn hard for him to get to qualify but he's a very determined lad so i expect him to push bloody hard.

I was playing on the long red as i'm trying to work on my fitness and had an absolute blast, the last descent they've now build from the top and then into Boneyard is brilliant fun. 

Yesterday was a lovely 5am start and heading to Dyfi. Whilst it's the 'best' place for testing in the UK it's also a sodding pain and a 4 hour drive to get to. But to save on expense we now usually do it in a day, but that's proper hard work and even on the drive up there i was finding it hard with the early start. But we made it and were met with warmth and grey cloud. (Although that wouldn't last).

I sent myself off out after getting his bike checked and ready and went riding. But left him with a mate, Willow. She rides for Propain and they spent most of the day riding with Gee, Dan and Jono Jones (also on Propain and knows Willow well). He had an absolute blast as usual, especially as riding with guys like that he's got someone to chase down. 

The plan was to swap at times between the 27.5 rear and the 29 rear, but in the end he was so happy with 27.5 rear that he kept that all day, whilst this isn't always useful for me in terms of setup/testing, i don't generally argue too much as a happy racer is a fast racer, so left him to it. My job was mostly feeding him, checking the bike and drying him off as the rains came. It got properly north Wales wet at times, even though it was 26-28deg.  But he had a blast and tells me not only does the R3 frame feel way faster than the old favourite white bike, but it feels more planted and stable too.  

How much of this is down to the bigger frame, the mullet or the TMD and suspension setup, i don't really know. Which of them is the biggest factor, who can say, we swapped too many things at once to be able to narrow things down there. But my job as crew is to give him the best and fastest bike possible for racing the how/why isn't always that important to me. It's the end-goal rather than the details

He came home as happy with things as i'd seen him in ages, so again, awesome and happy for me.

New awning for National Champs

IMG_20250624_123247 by steveweeks59, on Flickr

weeksy wrote: Tue Jun 24, 2025 5:00 pm New awning for National Champs

IMG_20250624_123247 by steveweeks59, on Flickr

Is that an outdoor sexpool I see!

That sir is an ice bath thing.

Incoming this week is a new collaboration with DMR, just waiting for them to arrive.

weeksy wrote: Tue Jun 24, 2025 7:35 pm That sir is an ice bath thing.

Justify it how you like ...
But we now know

Mr Moofo wrote: Thu Jun 26, 2025 6:27 pm

weeksy wrote: Tue Jun 24, 2025 7:35 pm That sir is an ice bath thing.

Justify it how you like ...
But we now know

Just hope it's regularly chlorinated.........