So who’s missing out on the redruth xc nationals to race g100 instead? hopefully staying local this year to avoid the 6am departure. Down for the 7 laps

http://chris-noble-mtb.blogspot.co.uk/

3 laps for me, aiming for top 10, which I imagine will depend on how many folks bother to trek down to Cornwall!

Possibly.

Been feeling a bit empty recently after a lot of early season racing so was planning to take a break, but I can rarely resist a race on my doorstep…

I’m signed up for it.

What are the conditions like round there at the moment?

Was bone dry for the Gorrick Spring Series race a couple of weeks ago. Plenty of rain since, but it drains well so probably will be fine unless it batters down on race day.

The anniversary of my first XC race. Down for the 7 lap, aim to finish but may change category if it’s a mudfest.

Entered for the 7 lap. Just need to make sure I wake up early enough to start.

If I hear even the slightest patter of raindrops, I’ll be hitting the snooze button.

Not me, gutted as I’m in good form. Wife has arranged me to be at a birthday BBQ. Luckily it is in Cardiff so i insisted on a couple of loops of Cwmcarn on route. Would much ratherbe at the gorrick though!

Entered for the 7 laps, too.

Haven’t entered, but if the dryer weather we’re supposed to have from Thursday afternoon onwards becomes a reality, I will enter on the day!
A bit weedy I know, but I’m not at my fittest and my bike is far too shiny and new to grind round a gritty wet Gorrick course for several hours…

What’s Windmill Hill like as a course?

Am down for the full 7 laps and just aiming to finish.
On holiday till Saturday so not having the best prep

Anyone been round that way today? i’m hoping the respite from the wet, and the sunshine predicted tomorrow will do the trick!

Yup, i’m there (only 4 laps for me!). Was hoping to borrow a lighter bike for the race but no luck, hence i’ll the one on the not-very-xc Turner Burner!!

Is it possible to get a lap in on the course tomorrow?

Good 3rd place for Chris I heard. My run of bad luck at that venue continued, punctured, wouldn’t seal, put a tube in, got another flat. Gutted!

Decent course as always, was surprised to miss hot fence line and all that stuff after it. Few muddy bits too.

Enjoyed that. 12/39 in the three lap race. Was also hoping for top 10 but alas not to be. Yesterday’s 100km club ride at 20+ mph and riding a steel single speed with funky bars did not account for the lack of placing. That was down to a puncture on the first lap (that did seal with CO2 top up) and my mincing on anything technical 😉

Think I passed you just before my second puncture – looked like you crashed on a RH bend in one of those bits with all the bomb holes!

Yup. Hit a small stump and the bike stopped dead. Nothing else of any consequence other than last lap cramp and sore shoulders from all that honking. The bars do help, some gears and a bike 3 kilos lighter might help some more!

Managed to finish the seven laps but imagine I was last finisher. Started cramping at the end of the third lap and from then on my main goal was staving off the cramp.
Felt and still do feel mentally wrecked.

Was out for about 7 hours 45 and was on my own 90% of that.

Think I will have to look into nutrition if I do any more long events as water, gels and malt loaf don’t seem to be helping.

Great event as usual

Chapeau. I passed a few seven-lappers and one said I was mad to ride a SS. I think I know who was the maddest.

Try nuun drinks. In my speed to leave, I only had one bottle plus water in the other. Nuun Cola or Green Tea are my staples. I can’t take Energy drinks.

what a fun day! my instinct to let the whippets rip their legs off before blowing up worked just about, apart from tim D and Rich P, they don’t blow up unfortunately, enjoyed this years course over last years, less loam and drag, more pump single track. Next stop Erlestoke 6, to chase george round again!

Looks like you were the last finisher Alan – chapeau for keeping going!

I passed a few seven-lappers and one said I was mad to ride a SS.

I’d have thought it was a good SS course? Not really any hills of note, a few short sharp grunts!

no need to tell everyone!

I prefer 33 out of 48!

The annoying thing is I talked the guy in front of me out of quitting and then exploded!

Jeez, just looking, lost 10-20 mins a lap after the cramp!

Haha, damn right, DNFs count, particularly in a race like that.

So where did that place you??

I understand mechanicals causing people to quit but why do a third of the field just chuck the towel in!

Dead last 😀

I think people just find it tougher than they’re anticipating, once they get cramp and what not it’s easier to just quit.

I really enjoyed that. Thought the course was great. Wasn’t until the 7th lap that I fully remembered which order the different bits came in though…

Tried to stay with Tim and another guy in the initial lead group but soon realised there was only one way that that was going to finish… so eased off and maintained a more comfortable pace. More than happy to end up in 2nd place.

A great day in the sunshine!

Did the 7 laps in just under 7hrs for 24th. Great course.

Saw TiRed, might have seen njee20 (black and yellow kit with puncture on the fire road?)

It was a fine SS course. I ran up the two short sharp climbs, and some of the last drag to relieve the cramp. My shoulders are aching more than my legs! The winners lapped in 43 minutes in our race. I could probably get down to 50 with a race bike. But 43 is remarkable to me.

TIRed- we spoke during and at the end I believe! If I hadn’t had my chain break twice and a flat, I would have been unusually pleased with the result- as it was, all considering, I’m happy with 19th. I also don’t know why people abandon, you don’t learn much about racing that way!?

Big respect for singlespeeding the day after a big road ride!

Felt destroyed after finishing 18th in 7 laps cat. Not the best result but happy with the effort I made. I was about to have cramps on last lap and had to ease the pace and be careful. During lap 5 I crashed and landed on my left ribs. Now it’s sore. I hope there’s nothing worse than a bruise.
Course excellent, not really technical and loads of fun singletrack. I hated that sharp climb onto a road with the block of concrete on the left. I never cleared it

Enjoyed that. 17th in 2 lap for me. Treated it like a normal xc race, but made a bad decision to use a strange mix of isotonic and carb drink which gave me horrible stomach cramps all the way round.

Well done everyone. Nice to meet you njee20.

Saw TiRed, might have seen njee20 (black and yellow kit with puncture on the fire road?)

Sounds like me!

Well done everyone. Nice to meet you njee20.

Likewise! Good result!

I saw a couple of photographers on the course yesterday – Anyone know who they were or whether the galleries are online?

Really enjoyed the course…

Gorrick usually put links up to their official ones on the website.

I quit last year after 3 laps. I was unprepared went out too fast and got so tired I couldn’t control the bike.

This year was unfinished business so I had trained better, was properly fuelled and paced myself better. I had a low point but just ground on through.

The course may not have been overly technical but I think it’s the toughest of the Gorricks and was very glad to be on a light FS even if it’s 26″. I was on the black and green Merida.

I would love a fs for these events, my back gets really sore and think the extra comfort could help.

Sitting here with horrendous saddle sore, blisters on my hands and aching arms thinking about entering the summer monkey.

There must be something wrong with me!

blisters on my hands

I have a blister on one hand. The other one is fine. Odd!