Brass Monkeys – Tunnel Hill this w/e. Little bit of advice please.

Well that was epic!

The rain started pretty much as soon as the gun went and continued until the prize presentation. Got to love it when it does that. The course remained really good throughout – some hard sections but it all held up really well given the awful weather in the lead up to the event and on the day. The rain wasn’t as bad as forecast but it was continuous and heavy at times. Knowing I only needed to finish 15th to win the series, I decided to go with the Salsa Beargrease fat bike in an attempt to make the race a little more enjoyable. It worked! The bike was amazing on the downs and I got a bit of a lead off the start. I rode 3 laps with Big Al (Singular) but the cold got the better of him and he stopped to put on a rain jacket and ‘have words with himself’. Scary stuff. I rode one more lap in the lead on my own but then the toll of riding a 28lb fat bike in an XC race started to make me slower on the uphills. I got passed by Scott Chappell who went on to win. I rolled round the last 2 laps and came in second. Absolutely loved the fat bike on the muddy trails – it’s just got so much grip! The tyres just smash though everything.

Nice to get the series win too 🙂

GB

I woke up to p*ssing rain, so decided to put my XC racing debute on hold until next months Gorrick instead.

Nice work GB.How far ahead of 15th?

Finished 2nd, 2 mins behind the winner and about 45 mins ahead of where I had to finish.

Sounds like you need a mega obese bike next season,maybe a trike?

Well the hell of my 5th lap was rewarded with 17th place in vets (good for me!) as just under half the field gave up at the end of lap 4! So a Soul and full mud tyres can work as an XC bike!

Brilliant Gee, well done you 🙂

I did one lap in the 2hours then succumbed to the thought of a warm car and change of clothes and jacked in!

Really enjoyed the course though, some of those downs were proper sketchy fun!

It was my first taste of enduro and I enjoyed the format- a lot more company than a normal Gorrick where I seem to end up in a mid-field gap all by myself for 3/4 of the race.

How far ahead of 15th?

Well, i got 15th and he lapped me in the wood singletrack about 15 mins from the finish.

I’d say there wasn’t much risk at that point….!

Good fun course today, maybe held up better than the last round despite the continuous rain, enjoyed it.

Was a good final race to the series – my fitness and abiity to ward off the cramp has improved as the races have gone on!
Had my best result yet (7th…) with 6 laps – almost packed in after 5 as came in a 3.52, but headed out for more punishment!
I was on the SS scandal with the small orange bobble hat on the stem!

DrP

We’ll done gee

Well done all of you. Looked pretty crap out there and walking the dogs everywhere nearby seemed pretty wet this morning. Hats off for the commitment to the cause. Must try them next year.

Well done Dr P, was me you were chatting with for much of laps 4 and 5. That bunnyhop over the fallen tree was a fine effort 🙂

Managed to grind my way onto the podium in the end, and for the series too, delighted with that as I usually flounder in a mudbath!

Roll on the Spring Series!

My first attempt at an enduro, did the +50s, and just doing the cross for many years doesn’t prepare you for such a tough event! I was a bit disappointed but some grumpyness but I suppose after a lap or two it descended into drudgery for some so can be forgiven I suppose.

Silliest thing was when me and a couple of my fellow ‘cross mates were left standing at the start after the officials gave us no time to take our league’s transponders off, saying they would interfere with there system. Given that they were fixed on with zip ties it made it pretty frantic, but they started the race anyway. I was last off with no one in sight after struggling to get wet gloves back on. Still, it was good fun picking riders off until a terminal mechanical put me out anyway.

offthebrakes – bravo for podiuming…(?sp!)
Was nice to have some similarly paced company and chat for much of the race!
#bromance

DrP

Haha yes, always good to have a chat on the way round to distract from the pain and misery 🙂