I’d
been readying my wetsuit and snorkel in preparation for the race on
Sunday. Much of the country is currently knee deep in water and the
weather forecast for Sunday was laced with phrases like “severe weather
warning” and “flood risk”. Yet I woke up
to a crisp, chilly morning which added the prospect of ice into the
equation. At the Ash Ranges venue bright and early, the grass was still
white with frost and there was an early detour in place to avoid a
stretch of sheet ice.
It was a tough course with little opportunity for respite. I’m not going to say it wasn’t muddy, but the course was amazingly dry considering the amount of rain we have had over the past month. The challenge was finding firmer ground, riders tip toeing along the sides of the trail, or even through the heather, in search of traction. The woodland sections stood up well and remained grippy throughout the race. Unfortunately the same couldn’t be said for the open trails, which deteriorated as the race progressed. What had been the best line only a lap before might be impassable just 40 minutes later. In the end, I was finding that due to its firmer base the original track was often the best bet, once your tyres cut through the upper layer of slop.
Plunging through areas of mud and mirk our chains and brakes began to complain more and more. Each turn of the pedal was met by a graunching, grinding noise as sand and grit was ground between chain and chainrings. I’d fitted new brake pads before the race, which was good as I could feel the resistance as the disk forced it’s layer of dirt through the calliper.
Ian just missed out on anther podium, finishing a few seconds behind Rob Jackson in 4th. I had my best result of the series so far coming home 13th in the 4 hour ace. Andy was 33rd in the 4 hour vets. I also passed Peter on his way to 45th in a large 2 hour field. It was also nice to hear Olive cheer me across the line, having finished 10th in her 2 hour race.
It was a tough course with little opportunity for respite. I’m not going to say it wasn’t muddy, but the course was amazingly dry considering the amount of rain we have had over the past month. The challenge was finding firmer ground, riders tip toeing along the sides of the trail, or even through the heather, in search of traction. The woodland sections stood up well and remained grippy throughout the race. Unfortunately the same couldn’t be said for the open trails, which deteriorated as the race progressed. What had been the best line only a lap before might be impassable just 40 minutes later. In the end, I was finding that due to its firmer base the original track was often the best bet, once your tyres cut through the upper layer of slop.
Plunging through areas of mud and mirk our chains and brakes began to complain more and more. Each turn of the pedal was met by a graunching, grinding noise as sand and grit was ground between chain and chainrings. I’d fitted new brake pads before the race, which was good as I could feel the resistance as the disk forced it’s layer of dirt through the calliper.
Ian just missed out on anther podium, finishing a few seconds behind Rob Jackson in 4th. I had my best result of the series so far coming home 13th in the 4 hour ace. Andy was 33rd in the 4 hour vets. I also passed Peter on his way to 45th in a large 2 hour field. It was also nice to hear Olive cheer me across the line, having finished 10th in her 2 hour race.
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