Any good? I’ve not done one before and am thinking about having a go at the first on at the end of the month. Couple of questions – firstly I’m thinking of bringing my son down to race in the under 11’s, but this will mean also bringing the wife and 5 year old daughter so that there is someone to look after him while I race. Is there anything to do for them or will I just get the death-stare that says ‘why have you brought me here I’m bored and will make you pay’? Also, the categories list ‘veteran men and women – 40-49’ and also ‘veteran+ men – 40+’ – anyone know the difference? (I’m 44). Ta.

Just don’t fall off and hurt yourself!

They’re good fun, but there won’t be anything for wife/kids to do, other than eat burgers, if they’re that way inclined.

Vet Plus is faster, and longer, do the normal one! They used to call it Super Vet, but at the nationals that’s a separate category for 60+, so it looks like the Gorrick guys have aligned to that nomenclature.

How very dare you 😉

Am I right in thinking the races will be around the 2 hour mark? Might be a bit of a hard sell to the wife then, she’s not known for her love of the outdoors.

At most, less rather than more, 3 laps for Vets isn’t it? More like 90 minutes.

Hmmm… might be doable if I tether the boy to a tree…

How technical are they?

How crowded do they become?

I fancy a crack, but hate paying to ride in mass crowds. Love a race/challenges though

Not technical, the odd feature that may cause bottlenecks, but comparable to most Surrey Hills type stuff.

Not usually crowded, Fun and Open can bunch badly at the start, then thin out.

Do it, they’re good fun. I’m doing a hill climb on the 27th, but tempted to do the one on the 28th.

I’m planning to pop on over.. 😀

Said I’d do one after my little moan about competitors not caring about other’s didn’t I? I think it’ll be this one 8)

I don’t really get why they run age and ability classes??? I’m 31 and raced fun last year before moving up to open. Now I don’t know if I should be racing Master or Open????

Master is faster than open.

Looks like I can’t make this as working at the cycle show 🙁

Masters is for ageing experts at the front. You could go to Sport which is up to age 39. If you’re at the front of Open then move up. Or choose your category based on the most convenient start time 🙂

They’re good fun, but there won’t be anything for wife/kids to do, other than eat burgers, if they’re that way inclined.

Oh dear. Is this what we’ve become?

When I was 11, to be told that there was a 4 sq mile patch of forest land with basically no cars, but limitless trees, ditches, puddles, hills, sandy scree slopes and men and ladies racing on bikes that positively enjoy being cheekily shouted at… I’d have thought I’d have died and gone to heaven. Now there isn’t somewhere to plug in the Nintendopad we think there’s nothing to do? 😆

Seriously. If he’s sensible and won’t roam to the full extent of the estate, and can be trusted not to go off with strangers there will be plenty of interesting places to watch the racing from that are still in sight of the ‘arena’. Do the fun race and it’ll be about an hour, if you want to reduce the time away, unless you’re really quick in which case it’ll be less but you might then up to one of the 3 lap categories instead.

There are no shoes shops or Starbucks within walking distance of the race arena. And even if there were, wife will probably give you that look anyway.

Right, decision made, I’m going to bring the lad down to race and do the vets myself. He’ll have to amuse himself while I’m racing but maybe that’ll speed me up a bit!

When I was 11, to be told that there was a 4 sq mile patch of forest land with basically no cars, but limitless trees, ditches, puddles, hills, sandy scree slopes and men and ladies racing on bikes that positively enjoy being cheekily shouted at… I’d have thought I’d have died and gone to heaven.

+1 🙂

Just thinking worst case scenario – what if you injure yourself and don’t get back to the arena. The organisers are not baby-sitters. Send the wife and kids off for a walk in the woods while you’re racing if they can’t bear to watch. There are loads of nice walks around there. Or get them to just drop you off at race time and pick you up later…

To be fair it was the wife I was thinking of rather than the boy. Even if you made him stand in the same place for 2 hours and not move all he can do it whinge a bit, a miserable wife has lasting repercussions!

Just thinking worst case scenario – what if you injure yourself and don’t get back to the arena.

I don’t think there’s an A&E department in the forest, you’ve got to get back to the arena somehow. Plenty of other people around too if the worst should happen. Non issue IMO.

You’d have to be majorly messed up to not be able to advise the medics that your lad was in the arena and get him located. And if that badly messed up, give the boy instructions that if he doesn’t see you back in the arena by a certain time, then make himself known to the marshalls and ask them to help. If he’s not sensible enough to be entrusted with that – then all other advice is redundant anyway because he should probably still be in a toddler harness

Just thinking worst case scenario – what if you injure yourself and don’t get back to the arena

I didn’t realise we’d ridden together 😉

give the boy instructions that if he doesn’t see you back in the arena by a certain time, then make himself known to the marshalls and ask them to help

I’ll go with this, maybe leave him with an old phone as well. If the worst happens the wife can be there within an hour anyway – she’ll be on the emergency contact details and will be able to tell them he’s there when they ring her to pick up her husbands broken remains (something she’s quite used to doing by now 😳 )

Nearest and best A&E is Frimley Park which is very good. Sunday afternoon is surprisingly busy but even so anything minor will generally be sorted in 2hours or so.

If it’s raining or cold you will have some major chores/penances with your wife. Even the Army hate standing around on the training area in the cold and wet doing nothing.

How old is he?

pick up her husbands broken remains

It’s a Gorrick. The only thing likely to get damaged is your pride! I’ve seen FAR worse injuries at Hillingdon of a Saturday afternoon.

I have a similar issue when I road race – take THE car, crash and burn, Mrs Tired will have to find her own way to collect car then me. Or I ride there instead. Might see if the teens fancy a go, as they really are good fun and very well-organized.

The Autumn ones are often even more chilled too, as there’s no series prizes.

How old is he?

He’s 9. He’s pretty keen on coming and we’ve discussed the whole safety thing. He assures me he’ll be fine….

It’s a Gorrick. The only thing likely to get damaged is your pride!

Believe me, I can damage myself pretty much anywhere. I’ve only just had 10 staples removed from my head from an injury sustained walking through the garden 😳

I used to do these 20 years ago…

I’m old.

I used to do these 20 years ago as well. And still do. Although I can’t make this one as I’m going to be on holiday. Try to make the next one though.

I probably would be doing them to if I was still in the UK. Good wholesome competition.

Masters is for ageing experts at the front. You could go to Sport which is up to age 39

I am just double checking this is the case as I am a bit puzzled as to what I should enter. I was going to go master simply given my age, hadn’t realised it was for the older expert. So Sport is a step up from Open?

There’s masses of crossover in the categories. Gorrick have a combined expert/elite category, and a ‘super master’ category, for faster masters. So at Gorricks expert is the fastest, master is sensible, super master is fast. Sport is the step up from open, and is 4 laps (as is super master, master/open is 3, expert is 5). Masters is usually a lot bigger than sport, so it depends if you want a bigger field or a longer race.

I may enter as a warm-up for my first Enduro the week after. I’d be going in open though, partly because I’m rubbish/fat and partly because my AM bike is a heavy old thing 🙂

thanks njee…I’ll test the water with Sport, will be first xc race in 20 years.

Now time to find a suitable bike, the joys of n+1 🙂

Super master is now called master plus it seems!

Well, i’lll be on the AM bike unless Njee wants a day out on an AM29er and wants to give me his 19lb Carbon bike 🙂

Tempting… But I’ll politely decline on this occasion!

I’m doing a hill climb on Saturday, but if The weather stays nice it seems rude not to do the Gorrick too!

AM29er

me too…perhaps we can have a new category 😉

me too…perhaps we can have a new category

Are you fast ? I don’t want to finish 2nd in a 2 horse race !

Well, i’lll be on the AM bike unless Njee wants a day out on an AM29er and wants to give me his 19lb Carbon bike

You’re OK it’s

only

a 20lb bike unless there are some new rules about rounding down? (note pedant memory might be wrong)

Well, we’re both signed up. I’ll be the wheezing tall bloke on the green spearfish.

Autumn Classics are my favourite races. All the evil eyed racer monsters have been worn down by a hard season and the birds are free to sing in the trees once more. It’s very chilled and a great way to spend a day.

If you do well and train hard all winter with aims of dominating the Spring Series, well, you’d better watch out, that’s all I’m sayin….

I hope round 2 ends up at Minley again- I enjoyed that circuit.

Autumn Classics are my favourite races. All the evil eyed racer monsters have been worn down by a hard season and the birds are free to sing in the trees once more.

Yes that’s often true!

A couple of years back I moved up from Vets to Super Vets (now renamed Vets Plus) at an Autumn Classic, and was delighted to finish 5th. I thought I’d be rocking it in the Spring Series, top 10 for definite. Come the first race all the big boys were back and BANG – 24th 🙁

Note – Autumn Classic 1 now changed from Tunnel Hill to Hungry Hill – see Gorrick website for details.