| 
 Home
Bike
WorkShop
Riding
Tips
Play
Areas - EA
Play
Areas - Other
Routes
- EA
Routes
- Other
Reviews
 Ride
Reports
 Scotland
1999
Fat
Tyre Festival 2003
Races
2003
Enduro
6 2003
Dusk
Till Dawn 2003
Times
and Results
Dusk
Till Dawn 2002
Fat
Tyre Festival 2003
Enduro
6 2003
Dusk
Till Dawn 2003
Health
Gallery
Videos
Links
Our
Bikes
|
1
May 2003
Not done much riding
this week in order to prepare for the weekend, the weather looks like
it is taking a similar tactic and starting raining now in order to build
up for a big down poor at the weekend, just what we need, Stoke upon Trent
in the rain, does life get any better
2
May 2003
As the weather is
so shit at the moment I have decided that I need to take just about every
item if cycling clothing that I own (actually the only thing that I am
not taking is my body armour), I bought a cycling computer today as I
though that it might be handy for the weekend (I am going to go into one
at this point so you might want to skip to tomorrow) so I bought a good
old Sigma as they have been so good on my road bikes (fit and forget)
I spend the entire night trying to find somewhere where the legs of my
forks are within 10mm of the spokes on wheels, and the cable reaches ..
why do they put crappy little cables, so they stretch and get broken and
you have to buy another one ? or just to piss you off, as I had to mount
it on the none disk side of the front forks and the cable is a bit taught
I am expecting it not to last the weekend,great computers SIGMA, shame
about the cable (before somebody shouts wireless, have you found one that
last more than three rides in UK wet weather and works on a 5 inch fork)
3rd
May 2003
I have to be at Paul's
by 8.30, like that was ever going to happen, and yes I did write this
line in advance. Its raining (and I wrote that in advance). Once I manage
to get to Paul's (only about 15min late which ain 't bad) we load up and
collect Woody from his Parents place in Bury and the Head of up to Stoke
on Trent (stopping at good Junction four service station on the M6 for
light refreshments (Burger King and a slash)) we get to the camp site
about 2 the rain has stopped but the ground is SOOOOO slippery, we manage
to get the van stuck but with push from those around us we manage to get
it moved. We get the tent setup before the rain really cuts, Phil,Sarah
Anna and Imogien turn up with the dogs and they just about manage to get
their tent setup before the rain really cuts in. After a few cups of tea
the rain subsides and we decide that rather than ride the course as we
had planned to do we would would walk it, Woody has no water proof so
I lend him my Emergency one that I use for commuting.
George (Statue
on a hill)
Walking the course
turned out to be a great idea as we could stand and examine sections and
discuss lines without the confusion of, all stop all start, Sarah and
the Kids were amazed about how long we could talk about tyre selection.
Paul
Hore on one of the many, this will work moments
We got back to the
tent round about 7, most of us covered in mud so a quick change was done
before going down the pub for food, and larger. One of the new great all
time chat up lines was discovered "can you show me the way to the
toilets" ... who said that will remain a mystery bet rest assured
that all who were there are now laughing.
Much celebration and
jolaties .... hurrah
On the way back from
the pub my inner thighs were killing me, that's what you get from loads
of walking when you are not used to it ... hay come on I have a office
job.
4th
May 2003
(The Titus Cycles UK 2003 Team (Well make it official)
from left to right, Paul Hore (Titus Locomote), Michael Woodroff (Titus
SwitchBlade),Phil Buick (Titus Racer X) and Chris Garwood (Titus SwitchBlade))
It's raining (I wrote
that on the 2nd May), no actually much to our surprise it stopped raining
last night and we have clear sky's and the ground is actually dryer than
when we got to Trentham Gardens. I get up a 7am to find that Paul has
already set our tent up in the pit area, after the FTF and now this I
am beginning to believe that Paul does not actually sleep. Thus begins
the drinking of many cups of Tea. Yesterdays walk has left me with VERY
VERY stiff inner thighs and I am a little worried, but once I hop on a
bike it's fairly clear that the reason they hurt is that I have not used
them for ages, thus they don't get used whilst cycling. More Tea. I decide
that Deep heat is needed and rub some on my inner thighs, and soon learn
that parts of the male anatomy are rather sensitive to the stuff. We start
moving our equipment to the Pit area along with several changes of clothing,
as we are not going to be allowed out of the Pit area for any reason once
the race starts. I am more than a little worried about having enough food
to keep my diabetes under control, thus I do the usual 'Take Everything'
thus I have enough Bagels, glucose tablets and fruit juice to feed ..
um a very large hungry thing. So In our pits we have three or four sets
of clothing for both of us, two sets of shoes each loads off food, 10
liters of water LOADS of food EACH and 7 inner tubes and loads of other
stuff. In a tent. Drink more tea .... oh yeah put the caffeine tablets
in as we may need them. Drink tea. Phil Buick's daughter Anna is going
to take my camera out on the course and take some pictures.
10am finally gets
here and they call for the riders to line up for the run Paul has already
been volunteered to run on out team, but they announce that at the end
of the 600 yard run riders can swap over, the only problem with this is
not being aware that I could do the run I have let my bloody sugar levels
get a bit low and I don't think that I could get them back to a safe level
in time to ride, so paul has to do the ride and run (sorry m8). Phil is
doing the run for the Other Titus team, I thing the situation was much
the same with Woody, I ain 't doing it so you must. Anyway Paul and Phil
set off on their, run, uphill, feeling guilty now (but not that guilty)
Phil comes through keeping it steady, Paul comes in not to far behind,
again running at a steady speed, loads up camel back and heads out straight
away. At this point my Mother and Sister have arrived and can see me so
ring me on the mobile, I pop over and have a quick talk, but have a load
of things to sort out before heading out so go back to my pits, I worry
about my sugar levels loads and do loads of blood test readings but all
is ok really so I prep up and await Paul, Paul comes round on his first
lap and looks like shit (sorry mate but you did) and as I left I was a
bit worried about him. So I run to the exit point and was much relieved
to be back on a bike, I didn't much like the exit run as it was a sticky
as hell, my family cheering me on at this point, but getting onto the
fire road bit it soon eased up a bit and I soon started to pass slower
riders, pedaling along at a constant rate, then came the first obstacles
three concrete steps, fairly far apart that should have been avoided as
it was calling out for a snake bite ... but there are several riders on
the 'should take' route so I decide to nip past them by hoping up the
steps .......... ooh look I have a puncture, so I stop and remove the
rear wheel and replace the inner tube (and in my haste forget to pick
up the new little bit of the topeak alien for removing disk brakes) in
fairly good time although I would say that Nokian NBX tyre's are fantastic
but hard to remove in a hurry, and head off out again settling into the
track, tackling a good rate ... the next real event was the climb to George
(the statue) started, and got a fair way but gave up (trying to conserve
energy, honest guv) and walked the top, at the top I get back on my bike
... and hello I have a puncture, at this point I am a little peeved ,
I fix the snake bite in the original puncture and replace the inner tube
that is now punctured, have I told you that Nokian NBX tyre's are hard
to remove in a hurry, but it does not take me long to sort it out and
I head of again, it's round the back of George that the extent of yesterdays
rain really begins to show, the mud in one of the sections is knee deep
... and then suddenly it dry's out and the single track becomes fast flowing
and real blast to ride, after a little while they calm down and straighten
up but are still nice to ride, after a little while they dive off to the
right and become fast and flowing again, and all I can really say is that
I am loving it, suddenly from now where pop Sarah and Anna taking pictures,
so I smile, well I was having a good time anyway. The route then settles
down into fire road and you can settle down into a steady rhythm ... suddenly
you are one f'ck off climb, which when you are on just does not seem like
fun, and I must say that my enthusiasm for climbing has gone completely
out of the window and hay as everybody else is walking best join them,
once at the top the course settles turns rights and enters the 'quarry'
which is again totally different to the rest of the course, fast flowing
hills, at the end of this it turns right into a fantastic short and technical
bit of downhill that was just my style and I really lay into will full
force enjoying every inch, at the bottom of this it turns the muddy single
track which was a much fun to ride as sticking your testicles into a bowl
of starving piranhas. Once you got back past the lake (I refuse to believe
that nobody went into it) the track speed up and swept into the pits,
smile at the family on the way back in and hand over to paul, pleased
with myself for setting a 'good' time and having two punctures, only to
find that Woody on the younger switchblade had a tangle with somebody
on the downhill section at the end of the course and snapped his handle
bars, and set a great time riding the final section holding his bars together.
I wonder up to Woody and have a look at the damage, nice snap. Although
it sound like a long time 50mins it surprising when you are racing how
queuing for the toilet, checking and sorting you sugar levels and sorting
you bike out takes. Seconds before Paul's gets back I realise that I have
no inner tube in my camel back and take one of the store just in time
as Paul returns and it is my turn to head out, family again waving to
me as I go, no run to the exit this time though. I refuse to make the
same mistake at the steps and take the safe line, and guess what no puncture.
I speed along the side of the lake at a good rate passing several slower
riders, passed by fewer faster, but making good progress. Sarah and Anna
leap out at me at the bottom of the climb to George and take pictures,
about a quarter of the way up the climb I change down on the front and
receive the most major jam up through the drive train that I have ever
received (you don't get much chain suck in thetford) on review of the
drive the chain has managed to come up over the swing arm as there is
no way to get it out with out splitting the chain, I get passed by riders
I have just past, I turn the bike upside down and have a good look, getting
passed by more. Jump up and down on the suspension trying to get it out
... and then pedal backwards and the chain just falls out (as I said before
I don't get this problem much). I decide at this point not to even try
to make the climb and walk up the rest instead, walking I passed 4/5 riders
and as I go past them they take the hint and get off and walk, behind
George I tag onto fellow rider of like mind and we storm through the downhill
single track at the back, with a big grin on my face, on the climb on
the other side he falters and I swing past him, It's come to my note at
this point that the track is actually drying out and becoming faster,
the rest of the lap is uneventful, apart from hating the f'off climb and
hammering the downhill section which is just so good. I get back to the
pits tired. Paul heads out and after my chain suck experience I clean
my chain to near spotless, the rest off my bike does not mater but the
chain must be clean. I rest up better time, less to do and a bit wiser.
Paul come back and I head out, as I pass the other Titus Pit Phil heads
out, which guts me slightly. I tell Phil to f off as I want to have a
good one rather than ride at some stupid stupid speed, I hang behind phil
for a little while but he soon disappears, I set down to my own speed
and have a really good ride, enjoying the the first half of the course,
doing better on the climb to George than I had before, lapping up up the
single tack afterwards. It's the end of the final f'off climb, that my
troubles begin, I start to fell very odd with my diabetes at the end and
decide to stop and sort myself out, my sugar levels are a lot lower than
I would have liked, so I have some glucose tablets and some food, at this
point two riders pass me (what happens next is not their fault just a
conspiracy of events) and I load up and head off after them, I hope the
to get back past them before the downhill section as my switchblade is
lapping it up, but they are just a little to fast, they head into the
downhill and I give them a little space. I head into the downhill with
a little space between me and the riders in front, I rail the first few
corners and have already caught them. I sit of the back of the first one
as he makes a nice move on the rider in front and gets past cleanly, Anna
popes out and takes photo, the lead (now second) rider is now unsettled
unclips on one foot and I know that trouble us about to hit, I yell for
him to stay left but he cannot as he does not have enough control (ps
this is just how I see it the day after) and swings over to the right,
all I can do is slame on the brakes and move off the back of the saddle,
but the angle is to great and the bike compressed and spits me out, Anna
who saw it happen said it was like seeing somebody do handstands on the
handlebars, all I remember was the ground coming up very quickly, I fit
the ground very hard and rolled over, but it wasn't the impact that hurt,
suddenly I got cramp, no little cramp big massive scream for all you are
worth cramp, every time I tried to stand it got worse, Anna came down
and Sarah was further down came up and all I did was swear at them, the
chaps in front of me had stayed to make sure I was ok, and I swore at
them, I swore at people passing and the cramp kept on coming. Several
days, sorry minutes later I felt better and carried on, but all was wrong,
the emotion of the event really had overtaken me and I all I wanted to
do was break down and cry, I kept laughing at myself for being so stupid.
I passed few but my heart was not in it, I managed to catch up to the
two that had been in front and apologized for calling them 'everything'
as nothing they had done would have stopped it happening, Paul headed
out and I spoke to Phil as both off us had done for the day.
It struck me at this
point that both the Switchblades had crashed in the same section ... in
the same sort of accident, must be something about the riders.
My Mum and sister
came over and we had a bit of a chat about things, but the race was not
officially over so I could not get out e.t.c, watching the final people
come in before the 6 hour bell was amusing watching a load of people go
as slowly as they could, without stopping (loitering was not allowed and
incurred a 20 min penalty)
Woody came over and
asked if he could have a bagel or two,, as it turned out later the only
thing that he had brought into the pits was one banana ... good job I
let him have them. It was then back to base camp to eat bacon buttes and
clean up our mess and pack out stuff away, which to out surprise did not
take long, which is probably down to Paul "the tent master"
Hore. Stopped at the services on the way back but much to my horror we
came back via the M1 not the M6 so did not stop at the junction 4 service
station. We got back about 11 pm and I must say that I was well tired,
I think that I should start putting salt in my camel back again as I had
cramp on the trails and a massive head ache after riding. I was to tired
to be bothered to get the bike out of the back of the Van so left it with
Paul for the ride on Monday. I drove home and turned on my computer and
checked my e-mail, loads of spam what a surprise, isn't the internet amazing,
went to the Singletrack.co.uk web site and they had the results up already,
Woody and Phil got 19th in the Men's pairs and Paul and Myself (chris)
came in 47th, although it was a great weekend and fantastic riding, I
was a little disappointed with myself my times should have been better
and although I had a incident on each lap I think that I should have kept
myself out of trouble a bit more and pushed it up the hills a little harder,
and I keep carrying to much weight in supplies for my diabetes, gona have
to train harder from now on in and make new plans about controlling my
diabetes on race days, my lap times were not bad, just I don't feel I
really 'raced' as hard as I could have ..
3rd
May 2003
I get up after a fantastic
nights sleep, and get back to the sad jobs like tidying the house and
cutting the grass, thankfully I have left my bike with Paul so I can't
clean it and I have to go ride in order to get it back, what a shame.
Meet up with Paul at BCP at 2.30, Phil has come along as well and Sarah
and the kids are riding as well, so it's a nice little wind down after
the track we have been riding, it's amazing how 11.5 miles on your home
territory is so much easier than 7 miles on foreign or is that that racing
thing
Enduro
6 2003 Pictures in the Gallery
The Titus Cycles UK Team
Chris Garwood powering past the opposition
Phil sticking his tongue out at the opposition
Paul leaving the pit area
Woody not only putting in fast tmes and looking good
Phil on the downhill section
|
