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Rainbow Boy

2011-12-19T19:44:00.005Z

Quick congratulations to Matt who won the Cyclo Cross series. I haven't got a quote from Matt but I have spoken to someone who saw him in the car park who said "he was jolly muddy". Well done our muddy shed dwelling Cyclo Cross dominating race squirrell.

Totes Amaz

2011-12-01T10:26:00.011Z

Last blog I billed the Ritchey Okoberfest as the next team race. This did not turn out quite as expected and less than a skeleton team showed up, more of a solitary bone. The end of the season seemed to lead to all around illness that decimated the usual healthy core of lycra clad heroes. Jane still made the event and unsurprisingly won in a convincing manner.

This winter there was only one Soggy Bottom XC race which was upsetting to us all and will make the winter a little less exciting than it usually is. The Soggy atmosphere is one thing that never changes at Newnham and it was clear that most riders had rocked up early just so they could grab a cup of tea and have a chat, the racing really is secondary in these winter events. As the team van arrived the Juvenile category was on the course so a few of us wandered up the hill to watch our rider through. Joe was totally focused on the race and when we cheered for him didn’t even break rhythm to look up as he flew past chasing hard for the win. Joe took second place just five seconds of the top spot.
Our other new rider Ed Welsh was chucked in with ‘Sport’ riders due a lack of junior category which we all assumed would send him spiralling down the finish sheet. It was with no small surprise to the team when he stuffed most of field and finished in second spot just 27 seconds away from the win. We really need to get Joe and Ed in some team kit ASAP!

In the Elite race Luke went out in glorious form and tore away from field with just one other rider. Luke got a good gap and his back wheel fell out. After a fierce chase Luke got back to the front and escaped on his own and his back wheel fell out. The chase continued to the line where Luke just nipped around to take his place at the top of the podium. Luke has now been shown how a quick release skewer works in order to reduce time wasting the future.

In ‘masters’ Matt took the win and I took second, both of us riding fully rigid for full winter effect with Crocker chasing for 6th. Naturally Pete won the vets followed by Nick in 5th and Sean in 14th.

With Soggy over and a few weeks off before anything else exciting it was deemed a suitable time of year to cross the bridge to dragon land and visit the jumping druid in Bedwas. Friend of South Fork Rich Samuel had been threatening a vicious Wales ride for some time and so on a thick foggy Sunday after a whole heap of rain we loaded up the South Fork ‘Special Adventure Van’ (SAV) and headed up the M4. If you see and pile dark mud littered with dents and sporting orange alloys struggling up the motorway please do give us a wave, the SAV pilot ‘Crocker’ sure loves to wave.

We met Rich and Chris at a secret location near Caerphilly and headed up ‘Slag Mountain’. The descent off of here is pretty special, there are jumps and berms, broken glass and burnt out cars to slalom through as high powered 4 x 4’s and MX bikes fly at you out the fog. The descent comes out right by Cwn Carn and then it is straight up the mountain. We climbed up above the trail centre and then descended onto the last descent of the Cwm Carn loop down a grassy cliff with climbers on it.
The ride back over was the highlight of the trip with the descent through Machen Woods providing a while heap of whooping and squealing. The ground was soaked but covered with pine needles which meant the front wheel would stick but a slight touch of the back brake would induce a world class power slide. On just this one descent we lost 1400ft and executed 23 high speed giggle inducing, eye lid flapping, hero making power slides until Nick fell on his head. The grand finish to this descent is a jump over a railway line........you might need to read that bit twice. Thanks to Rich and Chris for the ride, Ann for the tea and biscuits and to Oscar for some wild Welsh dancing.
Last weekend was Round 1 Brass Monkeys. The winter apparently is here but no one had told the Brass Monkey as we were treated to sun, warmish weather and bone dry trails. Another early start saw Nick, Crocker, Jane, Luke and I dashing past Stone Henge on the A303 discussing Petes’ work day habits. The course was 8 miles long and only had 2 climbs which were short but really steep and rather draining. Being winter we all opted for a cup of tea and a sausage sandwich in favour of a practice lap or any warming up so went we mostly went backwards for half a lap.

Nick, Crocker and myself had decided in the van on the way up to ride around together and use the event as training but Crocker insisted on starting at the back and Nick and I insisted on starting near the front. When the gun went Luke disappeared like a coffee shop job and we didn’t see him again for some hours. Nick and I went off at steady pace talking and mucking about, jumping everything we could and joking with the other riders. After an hour and a half Nick and I were not as excited to realise we were not yet half way and were starting run out of fluids. Nick had just 3 bottles for the whole event and 4 gels and I just 4 bottles and 4 gels, having done the math we decided we needed 6 bottles and 8 gels ..........each. We ponder this for a while and then relaxed in the knowledge that others were in the same situation if not worse. Luke for example had just 2 bottles and 1 gel.
On lap 4 Nick started getting twinges of cramp, on lap 5 I started getting twinges of cramp. It was on this lap that we heard it. Once when I was much younger a jet fighter had crashed in training in the Blackdown Hills near where I live and as it hit the ground I was fishing in the local river. I heard a loud muffled boom and saw the water around my fishing float jump and ripples spread out from it as if someone has just thrown a small pebble into the water. This noise and sensation was not dissimilar to that which Nick and I heard on lap 5. The source of the noise escaped us for a few minutes until we found the hollow twitching husk of Luke Eggar lying in the trail devoid of all moisture and nutrition mumbling incoherently about the merit of XC over enduro. Nick turned on his Florence Nightingale override switch and told the steaming remains of our top xc rider to “stop whinging or sod off.” Luke chose ‘sod off’ and we didn’t see him again until the finish line by which time he had eaten and got his grin back on.
Jane had a great race at Brass Monkeys and won not only her own race category but all of the female race categories and received a beautiful silver thimble for her efforts. I finished 19th in open, Luke 35th, and Crocker 38th. Nick was 8th in Vet.
In Cyclo Cross Matt has been flying the flag for the team and has been flying it particularly high podiuming in every event and slowly work his way up the overall leaders board where he will be looking at an excellent finishing spot for the season this year.

Thanks again to Snapper Chick for photos and for the 2012 South Fork Racing Calendars that she has organised. Mike.

End of Season…ish

2011-10-06T09:08:00.010Z

In the round up of the summer season we have seen the overlap of the cyclo cross season and the last national. Both of these have been outstanding and bode very well for the start of the winter racing.

Cyclo Cross is a bit of an odd discipline in my opinion, a sport that was invented by accident. The sport was started by the French when they used to race from village to village. The French would cheat by shouldering the bike and running across fields to cut the corners off and eventually this led to everyone cheating and cyclo cross was born.

So far this cyclo cross season Matt, Pete and Cheese have participated in the first two events flogging themselves in circles around a field. There has been some excellent results but one rider has to come out on top and on both occasions that has been Pete, so well done buddy.

Back on the mountain bike scene we have all been down to Newnham Park for the last National Championship of the season.

This National Championships was slightly different from the others in that Jay and Maddie designed the course. All season Jay and Maddies’ courses have got better and better with fast flowing sections and some really technical descents. Jay had let slip to me a month before that he was working on something special that involved a lot of strimming followed by a pile of digging and then some test riding on a 45lb downhill bike to bed it in. On the 10th of September as dusk fell and the last rays of the sun high lit motes of dust as they drifted through the trees on a warm Autumnal breeze there sounded a dry, deep throated growl and the ‘Bear Pit’ was activated.

By race day the ‘Bear Pit’ was wet with mud making for slippery off camber roots. The descent started with a tongue biting bomb hole that then dropped into a pile of near vertical tree roots. This was the first likely crash zone and was peppered with screaming crowds baying for blood. The roars of delight could be heard from even the far side of the course. The second section was an off camber, wet, steep 180 degree switch back that then dropped into a narrow shoot with a vertical drop in and rock/root strewn run out. This was the second crash zone and had another group of screaming Neanderthals.

First rider out for us was new team member Justin Bieber look a like Joe Barker (new hair cut). Joe had a big disadvantage in the ‘Bear Pit’ in that his forks are broken and he has to ride them locked out. This made little difference to Joe as he rode his way to 12th place.

Next out of the blocks was Jane in the Elite ladies and she was really chomping at the bit. Often when you want it the most things go wrong and Jane suffered a puncture dropping her to a still very respectful 10th place.

The Masters race was particularly exciting with positions changing constantly throughout the race. Crocker took on the course in fine form and got a 17th for his trouble, Ed had 15th, Matt took 10th and I was somewhat pleased with my performance finishing in 6th.

In the veteran category Pete had the ride of his season and was sitting in 2nd place when he had a mechanical and was forced to settle for 4th which is still a fantastic finish for a national. Nick followed in with a 19th spot.

The team is expanding again for the 2011/12 season with some fresh blood joining the team so I will try to organise a new team photo when the new kit has arrived. ‘Oktober Fest’ is next week so I will report again then.

Thanks to Snapper Chick for the photos. Mike

Series End

2011-09-06T19:43:00.016Z

Last round ‘Circus of Dirt’ was an eye ball rumbling, knuckle bouncing, tongue chomping festival of fear, pain, cramping tissue and flared nostrils. Who would have thought that ear lobes could sweat or that tears could cry inwards into the back of your throat to suppress the warbling squeals of a suffering mountain biker in order to subconsciously save the embarrassed whimper of an off-road athlete?

I predicted in the last blog that this race would be the hardest of the season and at Combe Sydenham this weekend there was not one person who was prepared to suggest otherwise. The course was just 3.2 miles……….with 417 metres of climbing. Those that completed four laps climbed 1668 metres in just over 12 miles and this took a staggering 1 hour and 40 minutes. That is considerably more than the height of climbing from sea level to the top of Ben Nevis.

Many riders did not finish due to exhaustion, many did not finish due to injury, one person did not finish due to others injuries but the team did us proud. Nick Butler bustling with pride at the end of the event was overheard saying, “I love all the members of the team, whenever I see them ride like that a tiny part of my numb and emotionally blackened soul comes back to life like a reborn Tinkerbell. I may even let them have two set of kit next season.”

Our newest rider Joe Barker was the first to tackle the beast and after 2 laps of tapping away took the win by nearly three minutes and gained enough points to take the series win overall.

In the Elite female Jane crossed the line nearly 10 minutes in front to take the win and the South West Champions Jersey for another year.

In masters I was fortunate enough to make the top spot on the podium with Ed Worthington taking 3rd (despite what the results page says) and Matt Loake won all the hero points when his chain twisted. As Matt tried to make good a fix and continue his ride to what would have been the series champion spot, two riders crashed next to him braking their collar bones and leaving Matt to ‘Florence Nightingale Duty’ for the remainder of the event. The Shred website describes Matt as ‘a hero’ but also says, ‘well done Loki’. Readers of this competing blog should please note that the spelling should be ‘Loakie’ as the former was the name of a Norse God who was a shaper shifter and in separate incidents he appears in the form of a salmon, mare, seal, a fly, and an elderly woman. None these accurately describe Matt…..well maybe the salmon.

Mark having recently returned from the dark side had a good race in ‘Sport’ taking 4th and bagging a great photo shot. Pete of course won the Veteran race which then made him the South West Veteran Champion and winner of the series. Nick worked hard to make 7th place and Cheese for the first time in his race history did not have ‘the best race of his life’, largely due to spending 1 hour 45 minutes talking to himself and crying onto his foamy bar grips.

Finally, in the Elite mens race Luke fought a fierce battle that finished as he slid across a field on his nose to take 2nd spot.

On the road there has been some great results too which no one has e-mailed or texted to me along with no photos but from what I gather Blake Pond has won a 50 mile time trail somewhere in a ridiculous 1 hour 45 minutes, closely followed by Henry. Blake also won a 32 mile time trail somewhere else (maybe Ilfracombe) by just 2 seconds closely followed by Henry and Blake has won a road race some place (maybe that was Ilfracombe rather than the other one I just mentioned) closely followed by Henry (I expect).

Many thanks again to Snapper Chick (official SouthForkRacing photographer and all round good egg)

Mike

Race Face On

2011-08-24T11:39:00.013Z

Time has gone quickly and I am once again behind with the updating of the blog so let’s rectify…
Circus of Dirt round four has taken place on Woodbury Common which for the most part means excellent, fast, technical and well drained trails but also means the potential for a hideous flesh eating virus that manifests itself in gorse rash before slowly digesting its host from the inside out leaving an MTB husk waving gently in the breeze.

Woodbury did provide what many called the best course of the season with some hard climbs linked with the best singletrack and xc jumpy bits the southwest has to offer. The unusual addition to the course was a large van selling curry and seriously spicy food which created a race odour akin to a tramps fungal infection.

In Elite a fierce battle broke out between Luke and John Whittington of Orbea that lasted the duration and saw John take the win this time with Luke taking a very respectable second. The female was a white wash with Jane winning by more than 11 minutes largely helped by her feeding crew and cheer leaders.

In Masters I took a tree out and threaded it through my bike much to the amusement of Crocker who stopped to point and laugh for a while. Matt made the podium with a third, me in 5th and Crocker 16th.

Dickie was back with us and we were all happy to see him back on MTB particularly when he took 7th in sport but the real story was in Vets. Pete did not catch me for the first time this season and I was pretty pleased with this until I discovered vets went off 3 minutes behind us rather than the normal 1 minute. Pete finished second with Nick in 4th and Cheese (who had the best race of his life) in 12th.

The weekend after Circus Dirt myself and Luke travelled up to Builth Wells for the Trans Wales Prologue. This year it was possible to do the first day and time trail without having to do the whole weeks riding and time wise this was perfect for us this year. We left Devon at silly o’clock and arrived in Builth as the Gore coffee pot boiled. I really must thank the Gore team as they made Luke and I very welcome immediately offering us a place to park our bikes in their enclosure, offering us coffee and giving us a free reign to play with their bikes and kit. The ride itself was the usual Welsh extravaganza of beautiful views, mountain traversing and singletrack and led to a very fast time trail in the woods.

The time trail was just 2 km and consisted of a really hard climb and a very fast descent. The descent was particularly exciting as on the airborne section it became evident that you needed brake whilst in the air or slam at full chat into the race toilets. After a nasty lactic burn I finished 4th with Luke taking the win and a £200 Gore jacket.

Last weekend was the Brighton Big Dog. Myself and Luke had entered a pair and Matt and Jane a mixed pair. We discovered something about Brighton that was not common knowledge to us. We knew it was the gay capital of the UK, we knew it had a pier and we knew it was a Victorian sea side town but we did not know that it is really quite a long way from Devon.

We drove up on Friday and headed straight to our board and lodgings in Hove courtesy of Josh Ibbett and Rob Dean (thanks for the floor guys, much appreciated). We counted 15 bikes in the accommodation and where told there was another 15 in the loft and 6 in the shed so we got our bikes out of the car for the night and simply balanced them on top of the pile in the ‘bike room’. Before a race we all have our preparation techniques and this was no acceptation, eating a pile of pasta and sipping cider until gone midnight.

Race day was hot and beautiful with a course that crippled. The previous night Josh had talked us through each section of the course on his organisers map and it all seemed pretty easy with short sharp climbs and lots of singletrack. The reality proved that the climbs were brutal. Short, but the sort of climbs that you have to almost track stand over the top and then suffer for the rest of the lap to get your legs back. Lap 1 Luke was second back into the arena putting pressure on me to hold position. I didn’t and we fought an incredibly tough field to take 3rd spot. Matt and Jane had an equally hard race not taking the lead until the very last lap and delighting the crowd with a bottle of pink champagne (toxic sparkling rose).

Pictures by Snapper Chick again. Next race is Circus of Dirt 5 at Combe Sydenham (I ride this course on Monday and it will be the hardest race of the season barr none). Finally, congratulations to Crocker who won the Crit on Tuesday night.

Mike

Boom Boom Pow

2011-08-05T20:03:00.009Z

A few races since the last post some of which I know all about and others barely a thing. For those I know about I shall ‘wax lyrical’ and those that don’t I shall mostly make it up.

First up was the last of the summer Thursday night races at Haldon Hill organised by the Mid Devon CC. Due to a swarm of bees in the mid Devon area most of the team were unable to make this event but true to form Pete and Cheese made the journey to the hill to represent the rest of team. Pete described the course as ‘sort of similar to the other two’ so for a description of the course please look at the previous blogs and imagine slight differences. What did change at this event was Pete’s race which left him further down the field than we are used to. Pete was up front hassling for the best lines in the thin forest trail but sadly punctured at speed bringing him to a dribbling pace on a bald rim. After a change of tube and an injection of wind Pete finished in 3rd in the vets with Cheese just after him grinning (probably).

The biggest event of the month was Bontrager 24/12 and this year we were down on numbers due to a wedding and a lack of night entries for the shop monkeys. We entered a mixed team in the 12 hour which consisted of myself, Luke, Jane and Ed Worthington who joined the team for the two days and did us proud. The races started well with Luke killing the first lap and returning to the transition in 4th place overall. This put a lot of pressure on me as I knew team Torq were going to be chasing me down on lap 2. I buried the first climb and felt confident I could hold Torq off and then twisted my front mech leading to a climb off and tools out. Jane went out on lap three and put in a lap fast enough to roll her eye lids back getting us back into the race. On lap four Ed snapped his seat post, on lap six I twisted the mech again, on lap nine we miss timed the transition and missed it.

Plagued by mechanicals and silly mistakes we dropped to 15 minutes down on Team Torq and the realisation hit that it was unlikely we could catch them. Becky took over the timing, set us targets and ensured everyone ate and serviced bikes properly between laps and by the end we closed the gap to just 10 minutes finishing second in category. A proud podium spot with a wonderful family feel meant we all left smiling and there may have even been a high five or two and some smiley face texts floating around (the mark of a moron). Many thanks to Ed Worthington for some excellent racing and a huge well done to Ed Wilson who took 3rd in the 12 hour vet solo.

On the road race scene the first Chivenor Crit has taken place with some great results from the team. Blake Pond (back on the team) was the clear stand out taking the win in a hugely strong field. Henry also had a good result finishing 6th with Nick on his bony scalpel like heels in 10th and Dickie (missing you already) in 11th.
Matt has been away for a while but is now back in the fold having completed the Trans Alp in 96th position out of 1000ish competitors. Matt’s trip started well when he missed the ferry and I won a tenner from Nick. The race itself was reported to me by Matt over the phone when I was in Asda car park in the bay next to the trolley drop off and a bit down from the zebra crossing. Close enough to the door to see who was coming and going but not close enough to arouse the suspicions of the security guards. Matt described the race as “nice, you would have liked it”.

Circus of Dirt this weekend, Trans Wales next week and Brighton Big Dog the week after. Will report again then. Thanks to Snapper Chick for the pics.

Mike

Burning Hot Blog

2011-07-05T20:11:00.013Z

This update tells of suffering akin to that of those who were forced to watch ‘The Transporter 3’ by loved ones on Sunday night (bloggers views on Jason Statham films are not necessarily the views of South Fork Racing).

Two weekends and two races in eyeball sweating heat, the first of which was last weekend at Margam Park in Wales. The Nationals at Margam Park are always good for the South Fork team as we all train on hills and the majority of the national races are held on flat courses asking Margam the exception. This year was no exception (see what I did there?) with 912 feet of climbing in each lap and in 33 degree heat each single foot felt like someone physically shoving a hand down your throat and pulling your lungs out onto the floor.

The first race to go was the Elite women’s and despite the high temperature the course was slick with mud from the night before which was as it turned out perfect for Jane’s’ uncommon bike handing skills. As an ex downhiller Jane rode the slippery mud with the grace of Louis Spence and finished in an outstanding 5th position earning herself a national podium and a fat check to cover the cost of the Severn Bridge.

Luke was next to do battle in the men’s elite and despite feeling ‘a bit tired’ rode right through the field to finish in 12th amongst the fastest riders in the country. Welcome back Luke (aka Jedwood). The rest of us had to wait until the hottest part of the day to race by which time we were all nearly asleep under a tree gently sipping ‘Accelerade’ (plug), growing large moustaches and wearing sombreros. When the gun finally sounded everyone actually jumped and pulses went from 45 to 200 in seconds. I had completely underestimated the heat and cooked myself by lap two opting to get naked and sit under a shady bush for five minutes before continuing my race. The heat did not seem to affect Pete at all and he rode straight through me once again and finished 8th Vet with Nick some minutes behind grumbling about the war or something as he crossed the line. In masters I finally staggered home in 22nd with Martin in 23rd. Cheese was a way down the field also suffering from the heat but as usual had ‘the most enjoyable race of his life’. Does anything ever upset Sean? E-mail me if you know.

I am not about to waste of pile time thinking up more ‘hot day’ analogies so let’s just say that this weekend was also hot. Abbeyford Woods near Okehampton was the venue this weekend for the third round of the ‘Circus of Dirt’. The course was pretty much the same as last years which was incredible and this year in the bone dry was one of the finest courses I have ever ridden. The practice lap could only be described as ‘playing’ and you need a bit of ‘playing’ that is what mountain biking is all about. There is a video of the playing being edited by MTBTV as I type and I will add that to the blog as soon as it is finished.

The race itself was a battle from start to finish. The unusual decision to send all categories off together was much debated in the car park but in fact was really exciting and meant that the fast vets didn’t have to force a path on lap 2 but could nip through to the front right from the start of the race. This is what Pete did and after I had a flying start making use of the stumbling loony in front of me to jump about 10 places to the front of the field Pete ‘nipped’ through to take the lead in the vets race. Pete got himself into a battle with catalogue model Andy Gordon and with elbows out and quiffs flapping Andy squeezed out Pete in the sprint finish to take first and second. Cheese came through shortly after having had the best race of his life.
In masters I had a big crash on the first lap that saw a pile of cart wheels receiving three tens from the judges and Mat took a detour on lap one that left him chasing for the rest of the race. I, like Pete lost my sprint to the line getting forced into 5th with Matt just on my shoulder in 6th.

The big story was in the elite/expert race where ‘Henry the Roadie’ knocked out some awesome laps to finish in 5th while Luke was tearing around upsetting the big boys. I asked Luke about his performance afterwards and he waxed lyrical for several minutes before summing it all up with “I felt really really good today, you know, just really really good, it was good”. Luke won the race by a clear 32 seconds against an amazing elite field having turned up late, missed the practice lap and forgotten to bring a tyre for his front wheel. We all laid off teasing him for a bit. Then he put his new trophy on the top of the car and drove off smashing it into tiny pieces. Good work dude.

Photos all courtesy of Snapper Chick once again. Thanks for reading.

Mike

New Blog

2011-06-19T20:03:00.009Z

There has been an awful lot of racing since the last blog so if I miss anything out then I apologise in advance. The boys have been racing both on and off road with some great results and collectively we have had a whole bunch of podiums.

The Tuesday night Chivnor Crits have been a weekly training session for the shop boys that has turned into a some proper racing for the crew. Mark Lees and the road team have been all over this event for a few seasons but the shop crew until recently have just ridden around wracked in pain doing their best not to get dropped. This season Gez kicked the team off with a win and since then Henry has been a regular battler at fore front with Nick well up there too. The big surprise however has been the back of shop spanner monkey Dickie who has been sprinting his way into the podium slots.

The boys also had a stab at the ‘Shred Classic’ doing us proud and the South West Time Trial Championships. South Fork took the win in the team event for the 25 mile test with Mark Lees taking the top spot for the team, Henry in 2nd and ‘Nick the chubby retailer Butler’(his description not mine) in 3rd.

The off road scene has been just as exciting with Bristol Bike Fest being the event of consequence. Bristol is almost always a sunny event and this year was no exception to that rule with a blue sky punctuated by lamb like clouds being whipped along by a warm sigh of a breeze. We had entered a mixed Veteran team and a pairs. The Vet team was Nick, Pete, Cheese and Coffee Pot Jane while the pair team was myself and Matt. Sadly Matt spent the previous day launching his stomach lining past the pearl white pegs that usually make up the famous Loakey grin. Fortunately are newest member of the South Fork team (welcome back Luke Eggar) jumped into his spot. The Vet team was in for a shock when on arrival they were told their category had been pulled and they would be competing against the main field. This should have been a problem but the team got their heads down and got stuck in. After a bad start (Pete lost his bike in the crowd) the team worked their way up to 3rd and stuck it taking a fine podium spot.

Myself and Luke had a great start with Luke being one of the first of riders through and between us we slowly moved up the field to 2nd place and held it until the finish. I was really pleased to take my second podium in 2 weeks having had a second the week before at the ‘Erlestoke 12 hour’

Last weekend still heady from the success of the previous weekend Pete, Cheese, Nick and Martin picked me up on the motorway to meet up with a non vomiting Matt Loake and Jane at Wasing Park near Reading for the National XC. The weather was clearly getting its own back on us for the excellent conditions we have had since March and bullied us all day. The course was short, full of tree roots and really steep drops which as all mountain bikers know only rides really well in gale force winds and torrential rain. Cheese was sporting the most inappropriate tyres for the conditions and being supportive we never once laughed at him as we all fitted super thin mud tyres. The start line was a cold miserable huddle with the UK’s toughest bikers’ spoon on the grid for warmth but when the whistle went it was elbows out to the finish. Jane had another impressive race finishing in 8th in the Elite women’s, Matt, Pete and I rode around together having settled on a similar pace with Matt finishing 12th in the Master and myself a few seconds behind in 14th. Pete had got to us through the vet field which slotted him in 8th. Martin had a 27th spot in Masters and Nick having seized his brakes took 32nd with Cheese in 43rd.

A bit of a pick and mix of photos this time but it is safe to say that Snapper Chick took the good ones. We have Margam Park next week and Okehampton after that so will update then.

Mike

Last Nights Racing

2011-05-19T11:37:00.011Z

I am at work so can't write a proper blog at the moment but have a good pictures from last night that I couldn't wait to post. Haldon Hill Round 2 last night results are only listed at present for top three. Pete won the vets and was 2nd rider overall, Matt punctured and finish down the field, Cheese had a great ride but I do not yet know his position and I believe that I was 4th master but will have to confirm this later. Enjoy the pictures all taken by Snapper Chick.

Mike

A lot of Racing in not a lot of time

2011-05-04T20:32:00.016Z

Since the last blog the season has properly kicked in with more racing than you could wave an excrement coated twig at. The Nationals started off more than three weeks ago at Sherwood (yes the ‘Robin Hood’ place) and I was reminded why I had not raced a national since 1997.

The Sherwood Race kicked off at ten past ridiculous o’clock when I met a dark van full of men at a motorway junction and was swiftly bundled in the back. The map reading to the event was faultless unlike the nerves I had and rumbling buttocks of all aboard. On arrival the flatulent stench of colon based butt cloud left us all with weeping eyes and actually stained the insides of our nostrils.

The race itself was flat and fast with single track punctuating short stretches of fire trail. We all started within a few minutes of each other and subjected ourselves to the fearsome pain of stretched sinew and tearing muscle. In the masters Matt was on a flier and finished in an excellent 10th followed well behind by myself in 29th. The veteran race was seriously tough with some really strong riders, fortunately one of those strong riders was our Pete who finished 7th followed closely by Nick (who would like it known that he was quicker than me on this occasion) in 18th and Cheese in 57th. The star of the day was unquestionable. Jane in her first Elite race had an absolute storm and finished in 8th earning herself a mention on the British Cycling website.

I went on holiday shortly after this and lost the little bit of form I had lying on the beach while everyone else raced first the round 1 Circus of Dirt, then round 2 national XC and then round 1 Haldon evening series.

Circus of Dirt was a great outing for the boys but had an upsetting lack of circus performers, dancing bears and fire eaters. Matt took the win in the masters by a clear minute, Dickie was 9th in sport (although due to typing error he was listed as riding for ‘South Folk’ which is a type of furry boot), of course Pete won the vets with Nick in 6th and Cheese in 12th.

The second national xc was the best one and I was gutted to miss it. The course at Dalby is considered the best in the country, I asked Pete to describe the course and conditions as he saw them on his return and he described it as ‘nice’. Pete had another good ride and finished 11th, Nick 26th, Cheese 58th. In masters Matt was 12th with Crocker in 33rd.

This weekend was round 2 of ‘Circus of Dirt’ and some of us were treated to perfect dry trails on the best course I have ridden at Newham bar none. Others that spent a bit longer on the trail were treated to a downpour that created a sloppy course on the wrong tyres.

It was in all a really good days racing with Jane winning the Elite, Pete taking 2nd in the Vets despite a puncture.

The rest of us still had some respectable results and got some lovely pictures. Snapper Chick has provided all of these and has started a prize for worst race face. My personal favourite is Pete’s podium face but Chris’s (yes, Chris rode) ‘just soiled myself’ face is almost as good.

Henry finished 5th in Expert/Elite, Matt 4th, Chris 9th and me 6th in Masters, Nick 5th and Sean 14th.

Congratulations also to Dickie who sprinted his way to second place in one of those road things on Tuesday night.

Many thanks to Snapper Chick once again for the pictures. Mike

A Turn in the Weather

2011-03-25T10:42:00.018Z

Is there anything better than riding with the sun on your back, watching your shadow dance on the pedals effortlessly up a long climb that would have torn your lungs out in the cold just a few weeks before?

With the weather on the turn it seemed appropriate to organise a training weekend. Every year these get a little closer to home as the emphasis turns more to the riding and the team comradely than the location but with that said we did not skimp on quality trails this year.

Wales was once again our destination and with a large cottage booked at Brechfa we all packed up after work on Friday night and punished our vehicles on the motorway to the boarder. Everyone was well aware that the first to the cottage would bag the best room, the best bed and use all the hot water. Cheese and Ed made it first and took no time at all in settling in and fixing their bedroom wall sign above their bed.
All through the night riders appeared in varying states of tiredness, mood and alcoholic intoxication and by morning a group of thirteen assembled in the sun. Cars were loaded for the day we and left for Brechfa trail centre, Nick was instantly lost.

The first climb of the day was a release of pent up aggression, excitement and morning flatulence, yet smells or not everyone was immediately sweating through their eye balls trying to keep up with the pace that Pete was setting. As always at Brechfa the descents more than make up for the agony of climbing and on the first swooping single track we enjoyed the sounds of birds singing in the trees, a cloudless blue sky and whoops of delight punctuating the hypnotic sound of chain slap. The screams of desperate torment that ripped the vocal cords of Eds throat were considered a slight intrusion as he battered down the slops riding fully rigid and it was clear that something had to give. Fortunately it was Eds bike rather than his body that finally gave way and left him with a lonely walk back to the van.

That evening the local pub was treated to a giggling morass of happy bikers trading stories of near miss and threats of the follow days activity.

Afan has always been a favourite for all of us so there really were no holds barred on arrival. The usual boisterous riding style was in full force and it was not long before everyone had been cut up or knocked into a ditch at least once. A break away group emerged from the racing throng and myself, Pete and Matt spent a couple of hours riding each other into the ground. It always seems rather odd to me that ‘friends’ will go out on bikes together and do there utmost to screw each other into the ground. If someone admits they are suffering it provokes an increase in pace to further the misery and the funny thing is we all expect it and would be disappointed were that not the case.

Last week was the last round in the Soggy Bottom series and what a truly fantastic finale. The sun was hot and the trails were bone dry making an already excellent course the best in the series bar none. With one harsh climb and then a fight through energy sapping singletrack before a non technical descent this race was simply going to be won by the fittest riders there.

In his first race in category and by far the youngest Sam kicked off proceedings with a 12th spot in the ‘juvenile’. Jane delievered up a 2nd spot in her first race in Expert/Elite and the Masters was dominated by the SouthFork riders with Matt in 2nd, myself in 3rd and Martin 7th. In ‘vets’ Pete as on fire taking a comfortable win and catching all but one of the masters field that had set off a minute in front, Nick followed him over the line in 5th with Cheese and Ed 14th and 15th. Henry finished 8th in his first expert race and no one gave him any stick for lapping only slightly faster than Nick, which was unusual and needs to be rectified.

This being the last in the series meant that overall places were also awarded with Pete topping the podium in Vets and myself and Matt taking the top 2 spots in Masters.

Many thanks once again to Snapper Chick for the images, the next race is the first National at Sherwood.

Mike

A Serious Photo Deficiency

2011-02-15T10:11:00.003Z

A change in the weather prompted the desire to drive a few hours up country for the final Brass Monkeys event. Matt and myself with our pit crew (thanks Fabs) had been critically watching the weather for days and finally a decision was made and we were off. Matt entered the two hour race and I the four. There was no bravado in entering the four hour race, I just thought the pace would be slower so I could take my time and enjoy the ride a bit more.

The wind was the nastiest part of the course cutting through everyone like a badly written metaphor. The course more than made up for this with some really fast ‘big ring’ single track punctuated with some seriously exciting descents and a few short but very steep climbs. The four hour race left the start line first and travelling with Matt must have rubbed off on me as I sauntered up to the start in dead last. The horn went and I patiently waited for the back of the field to move. It didn’t, so I waited some more, it still didn’t so I had a bag of ‘Frazzles’ and as I finished the riders in front moved off. I was concerned that riding my new Scott Scale 30 for four hours was going to destroy my back but surprisingly I have no issues what so ever, what a fantastic bike (gratuitous plug). I finally crossed the line in 8th place but later noticed that all but the first of my lap times were faster than the rider in 6th which is suitable punishment for being late to the start line.

In the 2 hour event Matt went off hard enough to stretch the limits of his Scott Scale 30 (available at South Fork Racing) and rode like a rider with much to prove. Matt has been flying of late and took a podium spot at the last Brass Monkeys so was seeking a similar position. Matt finished in fourth after a harsh battle royal and was then treated to long wait in the cold as Fabs had the car keys and was stumbling around lost in the woods. How we laughed when we found Matt curled up foetal in the cook tent cuddling a stray cat for warmth and twitching like a dreaming mutt.

This winter has seen a few more team rides than previous winters which have been gloriously social and highly comical. The Quantocks were the draw just 2 weeks ago and we lucked out with warm air, beautiful sunshine and dry, super fast trails.

We agreed to meet at 9am to ensure we got the best of the day and I was pleased to see the team van turn up comparatively on time at 9.45am. Twelve of us finally left Lydeard Hill at and straight into some fresh singletrack. The fresh singletrack as it turned out was a little too fresh and it ended abruptly for most with half of us bundling at speed into a bush and the over half falling headlong off a 6 foot drop into the fire trail.

The usual South Fork riding style prevailed with everyone doing their best to push each other off the trail, sprinting side by side for gaps large enough for just one rider and Crocker making indecent comments and gestures. The crash off the day went to Brad who launched himself over the bars crunching his knee with sickening violence and earning himself a two week rest period. The last descent of the day was a bit of highlight and induced smiles, giggling and brown shorts. This descent is not one that you can ride very often as the gradient lends itself only to dry conditions. There is a necessity to get so far off the back that your gentleman giblets are rather too close to the rear tyre for comfort and the back of the saddle is firmly wedged in your sternum causing the production of accordion type wheezing noises as you hit the bumps and tree hops.

Last weekend was the Newham Park Stinger and with the sky unleashing the fury and venting its pent up frustration at the idea of combining cross country running with mountain biking Cheese and Barney left the start line. Cheese admitted to me that he had tried running once with his wife and she had left him lay in field with tears gently rolling down his blushing ruddy cheeks. It was quickly decided that Barney should do the running and Cheese would ride.

The boys completed the 5km run, 20km ride and then 3km run in a very respectable 2 hours and 15 minutes leaving them in 8th places. Well done the Charney.

The week after next is the annual ‘Big Boys Beano’ when we shall be disappearing into the wilderness with bikes and booze for company so I will report after that.

Happy riding. Mike

Happy New Year

2011-01-11T10:03:00.012Z

Since last blog the cyclo-x season has started to wrap itself up, the Christmas dinner has hindered training with its saturated fatty delights, we have had a good showing at the second Soggy Bottom and Martin’s Christmas photo has scarred us all.

The Christmas ride surprised us all as for the first time in South Fork history everyone arrived on time. Fourteen riders arrived at ‘Four Firs’ car park for a couple of hours riding on Woodbury Common before packing up and riding for a few more at Haldon Hill where are Christmas dinner awaited.

We were lucky to have South Fork hard man Cheese and pink bike rubber fetish Ed with us for the day who guided us through the best single track Woodbury has to offer at a startlingly high speed for a ‘social ride’. The usual team ride rules applied and with a few minutes most people had been pushed into a bush, ditch or uncomfortable situation with Crocker’s white shorts. We paused briefly at the jump area for a play and were delighted by Dickie’s aerial display which more than made up for his flaccid shaking legs that were ruined after a series of 16 day super hard back to back recovery rest days.

Cars were quickly loaded (with gloves left on the roof) and we all headed off to Haldon. The team van rushed straight over to Cheese to tell him that he had left his gloves on the roof and they had fallen off when he pulled away. Cheese thanked the shop boys for stopping to pick them up and was greeted by a pregnant pause. “We thought about stopping for them but hoped someone else would and if they haven’t then we’ll give you your normal discount on a new pair.”

A fast ride around Haldon battling with the darkness (not the band) led us to a sit down meal in front of a roaring fire. Perfect.

On the racing scene, the cyclo-x has been going well with Matt, Pete and Cheese’s son Sam (baby bel) gracing the podium with their presence at each event to all take the second spot in the overall rankings.

The Brass Monkeys series has not been too well attended by the team as the first round clashed with Soggy Bottom and the second saw most people ill and in bed. The only member to make it to the start line was Matt. The course was reported to be muddy and gritty with some riders getting through three sets of brake pads. I spoke to Matt about this fact and he said he didn’t get through any. Either he did not brake as much as everyone else or he is now braking with just the bare pistons. I’ll leave it up to you to decide which is the mostly likely scenario. Matt was up against a seriously fast field but his current form meant that he still took the third place on the podium.

Last weekend was the second round of Soggy Bottom and the Fully Sussed course designers had laid on a real treat. New trails are a rare thing at Newnham Park for those of us that have been racing there since the mid 90’s so it was wonderful to find two new descents in the short lap. The mud made descending tricky as angled tree roots and off camber corners became as slippery as ice in the wet conditions but after a few laps to relax into the flow the course rode very well indeed.

The start of the racing was somewhat incredible with the introduction of an inter boarders track stand competition where a rider from Cornwall, Devon and Somerset was selected to track stand for glory. Our own Matt Loake took the win away from Russell Turner and Joe Barker to steal the prize for Cornwall. We will take this win as our own as although Matt lives in Cornwall he has gained Devonshire status by having the correct number toes.

The racing went well for the majority of the team with Matt taking the win convincingly over Phil Morris in the Masters and myself finishing in 9th, Pete taking the top spot in Vets and Jane the second in the Expert/Elite. Nick in vets had a fifth spot with Cheese snapping at his heels in 9th. The male expert/elite race was exciting with Henry taking the early lead and holding it for the first two laps before snapping his rear mech off. He had a replacement mech hanger so fitted it and continued racing. Then his chain snapped. Henry ran the rest of the race with his bike on his head and finished 4th.

Coming in two weeks we have the last Brass Monkeys for myself and Matt so I will report again then. Thanks to Snapper Chick for most of the images (all the good ones)and Kieran Barker for the video (and the use of his tools when my pedal fell off).

Mike

Snowed Under

2010-11-30T10:26:00.016Z

I am snowed under in more ways than one at the moment so the blog has taken a back seat. I will update properly at Christmas break but for now work has taken me into its filthy paw and is squeezing until my eyes bulge.

A quick summary - Exmoor Beast was great, myself and Pete finished 2nd and 3rd crosing the line exactly together with everyone else just behind us. Jane had another flier being the fastest lady and 14th overall. Cyclo cross is going really well with Pete and Matt on the podium all the time and the first Soggy Bottom was a successful outing too. First places went to Luke, Pete and Matt, with myself, Gez and Jane all taking third spot with the rest of crew well within the top ten too.

Snapper Chick has sent me all the pics so enjoy.

Mike

Season Mop Up

2010-10-28T19:53:00.006Z

With the season sort of over there have been just a few events kicking about to keep us all busy as we start packing in the winter base miles in preparation for next season. The bikes have now all gone back and we are all left with the scrapings from the shed floor and anything we can pinch out of the back of Nick’s van to see us through until the winter XC series begins in Plymouth.

In psycho X (this is not a typing error) the boys have been doing us proud. I went to watch an event and swiftly retired from the CX season, bought a large arm chair and sat back to watch Pete, Cheese, Mat and Sam flog themselves around a field for an hour. The results have made the severe discomfort bearable with Mat, Pete and Sam making the podium in every round.
The most recent round in Chard was considered a little more technical than most CX courses (I believe there was a rabbit hole on the back straight) and this seems to be in the favour of our highly skilled technical mountain bikers as Pete took 2nd, Matt 5th and Sam 2nd in category. As a huge bonus Sam got presented by the Major of Chard and nice photo to boot. It is about time we had some mini South Fork kit for the ‘Mini SF Racers’.

While all this was going on I headed up to the ‘Kona Oktoberfest’ for what is largely considered (by those that turned up) to be the last proper event of the mountain bike season. Due to previous injury, laziness and a serious talking to from the wife (Pete Dawe) I avoided the 8 hour solo race and entered the 4 hour solo event.

Usually I am super organised for a race but on this occasion I had been a bit disinterested and arrived without a race bike, without any Accelerade and with no feeder. Ten minutes before the event I found a feeder in the form of Chloe (Columbia Bike Food) but made do with water to drink and a 30lb hard tail to ride. There was a running start which was not much appreciated. I find running to be the sort of activity that causes sore nipples, stinking feet and an unhealthy association with vests. None the less I jogged over to my bike and pottered into the single track.

The course itself was bumpy. I would expand on that but on my super stiff hard tail I spent fours trying not to bite my tongue off and stretching out a rapidly compressing spine as blood flowed freely from my ears, nose and eyes. Two hours in I was astonished and somewhat embarrassed to discover I was starting to cramp and I had no idea why until I kneed myself in the chin and realised my seat post had slowly slipped about 2 inches. The quick release clamp has been broken for some time and I could get it open until I stopped at the feed and Chloe lent me a large hammer to bash the clamp open, tighten it up and bash it shut. This lasted about two laps and then hammer treatment was every few laps from then on until the finish.

With 35 seconds to go I came around for my last lap to be told by Colombia Bike Food that I needed to go back out as the next rider might be close. The next rider was not close as it turned out but the correct call was made as know one was really sure where he was. The bonus of this extra lap was that it put me a lap ahead which looks great on the results sheet.

In all a very pleasant day out, a good chance to catch up with friends, a top spot on the podium and a big glass that won’t fit in the cupboard.

Next report will be the ‘Exmoor Beast’ where weather permitting I will making a video for the blog. Until then…..

Mike

Autumn

2010-09-27T19:54:00.012Z

The season is finishing up and the team are prepping for winter training and cycle cross. As end of season wind down goes it has been pretty busy with last minute races all over the country. Luke entered the last Southern XC just to top his points and despite falling on his face and hideously disfiguring himself (he doesn’t like to talk about it) he took a respectable 6th place.

While Luke was rolling around on the floor Matt was heading up to the Scottish boarder with Chris for the Kielder 100. This race is a 100 mile non stop race and is unusual in the fact that it is just one lap. I interviewed Matt by telephone on his return journey and I was surprised to find the usual quiet MTB warrior that is Matt Loake waxing lyrical about his emotional brush with the kilted warlocks.

Interview with Matt Loake – “the Keilder took me to a place within myself where the dark and the light were as one. Each and every breath laboured by the weight of the frigid Scottish air bought clarity to my mind that is oft clumsy when fuelled with the gases common to the Cornish landscape. I felt so peaceful and quiet as if the ride had become life itself and I would never again be asked to stir from inertia of pedal repetition over rolling beauty. Eventually something altered until the sight of woolly cattle, green forest and corrugated fire trail rediscovered the will to arrive at destination. With apathy becoming dangerous I rode on for honour, for pride and I shed a single tear as I rode on for the South Fork Boys back home.”

Matt finished the 100miles in a little over 10 hours and well inside the top 20%. Well done Matt.

The Cyclo cross has now kicked off and the first event was held at Kingsbridge in South Devon. Great results ensued with Pete and Luke taking the 4th positions in their categories winning themselves a dizzying £10. Matt took 5th, Nick 7th and Crocker 12th and Sean 23rd. Sean’s son Sam got his first taste in the under 12’s with a 5th place.

In the Wellington round the week after Luke took 3rd winning a tenner, Henry 6th, Crocker 12th. In the Vets Pete was 4th followed by Nick in 8th and Gez in 10th. Sean chased up in 19th and Sam finished in a very consistent 5th again.

This weekend the curtains officially closed on the XC season and we all went down to Plymouth for the last National Champs. The course was plain spiteful with blood tasting climbs in granny gear and short fast descents leaving no time for recovery. Luke and Henry were first out.

Henry forgot which sport he was competing in and tried to get barrelled in the river crossing (click on his picture for a large version. Incredible photo). His commitment however paid off and he crossed the line in 5th which was enough to take 2nd in the overall national rankings and gave him an Expert license for next season. What a frickin hero.

Luke has been chasing his Elite license all season and it came down to this last race to determine whether or not he was going to be riding with pros next year or not. A top 5 finish was necessary and despite spinning grips he claimed his new license with a 3rd place.
In the ladies, Jane was once again tearing the grass off the course and it was no small surprise to see her cross the line 10 minutes clear to make herself officially the fastest vet female in the country.

In the male Vets Pete had the ride of a life time spending the first two laps with the lead group and finally crossing the line in 7th, his best finish of the season. Gez followed up with a 12th and Nick who punctured his new uber light Scott Scale on lap three crossed the line in 22nd with Sean snapping at his heels.

In the masters category I was pleased to find myself in 11th on lap two but less pleased to find myself in 20th just a lap later. I finally finished off in a heated sprint that took me up to 18th which I was happy with for first race back on the scene.

The winter XC races will be starting in November and Cyclo cross will continue so I shall report as things happen. Many thanks once again to Snapper Chick for all the photos. Beautiful.

Mike

Podium Finish

2010-08-23T19:27:00.011Z

The season it seems is started to reach its conclusion with talk of cyclo cross and the last national xc race headlining the trackside discussions. It is always good to finish a season on a high note (F# for example) and the boys certain did that. The last round of the south west series was held at Abbyford Woods near Okehampton on the course I reported on in the last blog. There was a small panic in the week before the race as it was discovered that the area was infested with a rare tree fungus which may well have meant cancellation. Fortunately Jay Horton brokered a deal that involved large tubs of disinfectant, a tyre wash and a fumble in the bushes which allowed the race to go ahead. Due to continued injury I did not get to ride this event but was on hand for marshalling duty which gave me an excellent position to view the race right next to the trickiest descent on the course and two table top jumps. Initially I consider this to be a perk of sponsoring the event and a good working relationship with the race organisers, however I quickly realised that this spot was the coldest on the course and I had to work really hard scraping people off the floor, removing bikes from trees and replacing broken marker tape making the spot much harder work than I had hoped for. I was however fortunate enough in this location to witness the best crash of the day by Richard Priday who launched the second table to find the lip had kicked his back wheel in the air landing him right on his face from height, at speed. I ran over to see if he was alive fully expecting to not be and asked “did you hit your head?” to which he reply “no, definitely not.” Richard, if you read this it important for you to know that when your helmet peak is pointing backwards and you have sticks and twigs stuck to your lips you can be fairly confident that your head hit the ground. The team all had minor crashes as some point or another with Jane crashing right at my feet and xc convert Dickie crashing (in the flat lining sense of the term) on the last lap. When he passed me he was white as sheet with one eye shut and his shoulders rested on his handlebars. Jane went on to take the win and the fastest female lap of the day which secured the overall series win as well. The final results where hugely impressive for the team with Luke taking 2nd and first overall, Pete 1st in this race and overall, Nick fourth and second overall, and Henry proving why he has been shoved up to the ‘A-Team’. Not only did Henry win his race but his lap times were consistently as fast as the leader of the Expert/Elite category. A video has been made of the day which can be viewed here.

There is some great footage of Cheese and Martin flogging the descent at the back of the course and a hilarious section where someone stops at the top of the descent to carefully remove his spectacles lest he should fall on his face and break them.

The partner race to the south west series has been the Thursday night racing. With five races in total the series came to its conclusion at Haldon Hill last Thursday. Pic The weather had been pleasant all day making for perfect trails at 5 o’clock when Captain Cheese checked the course. As the riders lined up sadly water engulfed the hill soaking a bunch of eager mountain bike racers dressed as women. Not everyone was dressed as a woman you must understand. The event was fancy dress but for some reason the most popular fancy dress costume seemed to be ladies attire, except for Pete who ironically was not wearing ladies underwear for a change.

In the early race Sam Cummings was representing the team and had a bit of bad luck when his grip flew off and disappeared into the bushes depositing him on the floor and losing him a few places. Cross dressing Sam crossed the line in a very respectable 5th place. Pic matt bee The second race was led almost from the start by a gladiator and bee. The bee attacked on lap three and pulled out a lead that could not be closed meaning Matt (bee) took the win in this race and in the series.

Pete was next to cross the line dressed as Magnum PI and smoothly took the win in his category. Cheese followed in sixth place but minus a costume (not nude, he just didn’t dress up) and Jane lead home her category dressed as Mini Mouse after a fierce battle with Brittany Spears school girl Fran Bullock.

I have not heard from any of the road team as to what they are up but did have a quick chat with Nick about last weeks Crit at Chivenor. Henry it seems made the breakaway and with a clear gap on the last lap took his turn on the front with a vigour that rattled the airfield. The remaining riders could only watch as Henry rode himself off the front into a head wind and crossed the line a reported 200 metres before the next rider. Well done Henry, you make the mountain bikers proud. Until next time. Mike

Thanks to Snapper Chick once again for most of the photos.

Blogtrager 24/12

2010-08-06T20:00:00.010Z

I am once again late with the blog but this time it is different as I do not have a good excuse. I just didn’t do it. Now seems like a good time to catch up having had requests from some of our international readers to get on with it. A big hello to James in New Zealand, Rich in South Africa and to Matt in Washington DC who has sent me a picture of the DCMTB squad (see below). I have suggested a South Fork/Washington exchange visit but have yet to receive an answer.

Fully Sussed Thursday series has just a few more to go and the overall results are hotting up in light of the results of the last one at Newnham Park. The entire day turned the sky inside out transforming the park into something resembling a ‘Chambourcy Hippopotomoose.’ Only three of the team made it to Newnham in time for the start and as the storm hit its glorious high, Cheese, Pete and Matt lined up to do battle. Matt is a big fan of riding in mud and is one of the few people who still looks elegant whilst mostly out of control, combine this with the pace that Matt has rediscovered of late and it was obvious that he was going to be the fastest rider on the night not only his category but in all the categories. Pete also rode really strongly to take second overall and first in his category. Cheese rode his usual consistent and heart felt race and was rewarded for his effort with an excellent 5th place in category.

Bontrager 24/12 is the highlight of everybody’s racing calendar with the promise of perfect trails, beautiful weather and great results. This year was a little different but we still got the results.

It is always a good idea to get to this event early in order to bag a spot by the course. I rocked up 2 days before the race started and discovered I was half a day to late. There were more entries this year than any other which meant riders had travelled down super early and grasped every available trackside pitch and sectioned it off with barbed wire, electric fences and broken glass. By the time the rest of team arrived we had a camping area the size of a hobbits garden.

The event started with what turned out to be our best result. The youth races had been set for the younger riders to go and flog some trails with a 12 minute race and a 24 minute race. In the 12 minute race South Fork had son of Cheese, Sam (aka baby bell). Sam tore off the start line, flung himself into the first corner already in the lead and then got lost. For the following 11 minutes Sam flogged himself to get back up the field and finally regained the lead with just 1 lap to go and took the top spot. In the 24 hour race we sent Sam Cummings out to do battle. Stunted South Fork versus mini Torq took place and although the Torq boys took 1st and 2nd our Sam fought right to the end to hold 3rd place and still had time to do a back flip on the finish line. He didn’t, but he could have done and will do next time if we put enough pressure on him.

In the team event we had two teams entered, one in the open and one in the mixed category. Both teams were hammering the perfect dry trails right up until the rain started. Lap times went up by about 20 minutes as the course became slippery, dangerous and highly comical as everyone had dry weather tyres sealed onto rims. The mix team slowly made their way up the field to 3rd position which put captain Cheese in a very special position……..his first podium finish. Cheese had not bought a tent so went home when his race finished at midnight only to return first thing in the morning and 120 miles later to receive his 3rd place award. How we laughed when Martyn Salt told him it was a mistake and his team was in fact in 4th.

The open team rode really strongly with some lightening fast lap times but the competition was really strong this year and the team had to settle with another 4th position.

At midnight the ‘Torchbearer’ event started. I had been entered in the 12 hour solo with Nick and Martin riding in the pairs category. Myself and Nick both arrived on the start line in the rain and neither of us had any mud tyres so it was no surprise to spend the first lap going sideways. I got injured yet again after just three and half hours and this time it looks like my season is over. Nick and Martin however with the support of Dicky and the comatose Sam C had a text book race racking up the laps and giggling in the mud until dawn. Martin had the lap of honour and crossed the line in 3rd place.

Next weekend the team is heading to Okehampton for the last in the South West series. Myself, Henry, Nick, Chris and Matt took the opportunity last Sunday to have a gander at the race course. Of all the XC courses I have ever ridden I enjoyed this the most. There is an exciting collusion of high speed single track, off camber roots and rocks that left all of us smiling like grandma at Bingo. Jay gave us a free reign to add a ‘hardcore’ descent to the course and left us for a few hours to play while he completed his risk assessment. Two more laps of the course and some time spent sessioning the table top jumps on descent number two made us realise that finding a descent more challenging than those already in the course was far to difficult. The solution was obvious. The five of us got off our bikes and started clearing a new trail that we could call our own and the South Fork climb was born.

Next report after Fully Sussed

Mike

Back in Line

2010-06-22T19:38:00.010Z

After the disappointment of the last few races it was only fair that the boys all got back on track and with the South West Champs coming up it was the ideal time to squish trail.

Luke and Jane once again delivered the result that we all envy with Luke dragging the South West Championship jersey onto his shoulders when he finished 40 seconds clear of the chasing pack. Jane was desperate for something that might match the shorts she robbed from a leprechaun and rode her way into the green leaders jersey unchallenged. In masters, Matt once again suffered a puncture that finished his race while Crocker climbed off a lap early because he lost count. In vets Simon Young of Certini took the win but was closely followed over the line by Pete (2nd), Gez (3rd), Nick (5th) and Sean (16th). The most dramatic race was that of the ‘Sport’ where the expected winner Henry tore off the line catching the expert/elite riders who had left a minute in front. Excitement built quickly and was dismantled just as quickly as he slammed into the river bed at full chat cutting open his knee and elbow badly enough to warrant a hospital visit (right after his ‘friends’ had satisfied their need for KFC).

Thursday night was the 3rd race in the ‘Fully Sussed’ night series and with Mountain Mayhem just a few days away most of team opted for an early night. Matt and myself however had other ideas and sneaked off for a cheeky ride. The field was slightly depleted but there was still 60ish riders on the start line when flag went down. As 60ish riders sprinted up the trail the was a loud bang followed by a thud from somewhere behind me as Matt snapped his chain and fell on the floor. The course was dry, dusty and really fast which quickly saw me in a break away with Ben Price who unchallenged in his category actually waited for me so we could chat. Bens’ chatting pace screwed me to the wall so I let him go expecting to see him at the finish. Around this time Matt had fixed his chain and was chasing hard to get back up the field so it was at no small speed that he slammed himself into the ground filling his knee with Haldon Hill’s finest muck and ending his race.

Ben had helped me obtain a good lead over my category so I sat up for a few laps happy to take the ‘Masters’ win. With one lap to go I realized Certini’s Steve Ferguson had caught me and I was forced to tear off knobbles to stay clear. With 800 metres to go I found Ben Price sat on the floor with a wheel in his hand and nipped around to take the overall win.

Mountain Mayhem is the one event that none of us were looking forward to. Mayhem is always wet, dangerous and technically void of interesting features. This year however it was dry, fast, dusty and at night an absolute pleasure to ride.

Socially you might say that this years event was a huge success, Sean bought his family, I took mine and Jane bought the Waltons. Jane had made us all her special chocolate power bars and Jane’s pit crew (Sam and Molly) got up early to make us all bacon and eggs, fetch us drinks and smoothies, check our tyre pressures and keep most of us from embarrassing the team with nudity, swearing and filthy jokes. Good work.

The racing was fast and hard for the first few hours and then it became just hard with 1300 feet of climbing in every lap we all started to feel the effects of the undulating altitude. Henry had recovered from his crash the previous week and was sent out first for the four man team with bandages holding his limbs in place. After 50 minutes he was back with his bandages torn open, blood pouring out of previously healed wounds and a grin on his face. St Johns patched him up for a while and recommended a rest in his Thomas the Tank Engine bed.

As darkness fell the mixed team was in 8th and the four man team in 7th fighting to further position on the score board. With the night came a deadly calm. A calm that consumed our faithful Captain Cheese haunting him in his bed and overtaking all waking thought with desire to do evil…….pure evil. The story is as chilling in the telling as it was that night and so it was that when I emerged from the cold cruel darkness after a double lap of nearly 2 hours, hungry, thirsty and alone, Captain Cheese was still asleep. I did the only thing I could, I went back out into the night. When Matt found me in the woods 25 minutes later I had blown up, punctured, run out of lights and was sitting the grass watching my hands shake. Cheese appeared 10 minutes later opening with, “alright my beauty.”

The rest of the night went without incident and both teams moved up a position. By morning we all sat happily in the sun with no one blaming Cheese for the nights events, or for losing the car keys, or for grassing me up to the wife about buying new forks. Instead we laughed about Henry’s crash, Sam and Molly’s continental breakfast, getting hit in the testicles with a unicycle, Matt’s showering schedule, Gez’s mobile jokes, Pete’s apparent lack of male genitalia (see photo) and for once, at Mayhem we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.

We finished 6th and 7th and went home happy. Thanks to all that made the weekend awesome.

Mike

Luke gets interviewed alongside Oli Beckingsale and Nick Craig

2010-06-15T13:54:00.001Z

A Testing Two Weeks

2010-06-08T20:29:00.012Z

The last 2 weeks have been interesting to say the least. It is thought that for four fifths of the history of our planet the surface was covered with pond scum. Some of that scum has yet to leave and spent last Saturday night at Margam Park stealing bikes from people who can’t afford to replace them.

The racing at Margam was fortunately outstanding with some excellent results. The Saturday saw the first day of wet racing at Margam Park for as long as anyone can remember and caused some hideous crashes and damage to bikes. The South Fork boys however were unperturbed. Luke kicked off proceedings in the Expert race and with his newly sealed tyres to avoid the unfortunate punctures he had suffered in the last two races, lined up at the back of the grid. In a race of 21 riders, starting at the back of the grid is a real issue and most riders would do well to make it half way up the field before the finish line. Luke is not most riders and carefully weaved a route through his fellow competitors to the front of the race. You would expect a fierce battle for supremacy to ensue as the fore runners jostled for position; however, Luke rode straight off the front and kept going until he crossed the line 1 minute 18 seconds clear.

The Veteran Female race was equally as wonderful with Jane representing the team and ensuring herself a lonely ride as she pottered across the line with a ridiculous lead of twelve and a half minutes. In the Sport category Henry was still on form and threw down some blistering lap times to take 6th place whilst Veteran Male Pete had an excellent finish against the countries finest with a 10th.

On Sunday the rain had stopped but dismay was still floating around the arena when fourteen people including Luke awoke to find there bikes were stolen during the night. The racing still had to go on however so the boys all lined up for the 50k enduro. The course was the same as the previous year with a lot of fire trail linked by a few single track descents. This lent itself to a very fierce race for some and a gentle potter for others. Nick and Henry rode around chatting, giggling and popping wheelies lapping up the miles for extra training. Towards the end Nick injected a little steam just to keep himself ahead of Torq’s Rob Barker but on the whole the shop boys sat up and enjoyed the ride. This is stark contrast to the front of veteran category where Gez and Pete had ridden away from field and bored from the lack of competition attacked each other like two red bottomed baboons battling for a banana to take the first and second podium spots with a lead of more than seven minutes.

While all this was going on I was over in Erlestoke riding 12 hours solo in the Set2Rise event. The Saturday night when most were tucked up in bed listening to the rain battering on the windows, I was in a forest riding around in circles in the dark. Keen to test my new Exposure lights a 12 hour event seemed a good idea and as I left the start line I was feeling really strong and ready to fight for a win. The first four hours sorted out the order of things and three riders including myself broke away from the main field and started to pull out a good lead with the first position yo-yoing between myself, Rob Dean and Gerald Tudor. After eight hours Rob had the lead with myself just 45 seconds down, I was feeling really good and planned to wait and see if Rob came back to me in the next four hours. If he did not I was going to unleash the fury with just an hour to go and see if I could reel him in to take the win. On a short sprinty climb I span the back wheel on a wet tree root and fell sideways in the bushes for the 5th or 6th time of the evening twisting my right knee as I tried to unclip. With just 3 hours to go and day light starting to appear on the horizon the pain my knee became significant and I begrudgingly made the decision climb off. Rob went on to take the win followed by Gerald Tudor and I was really pleased to see that Rob Holbeche moved up to take third. Despite pulling out with 3 hours to go I still finished in 5th place with gives some indication of the lead the three of us had pulled out during the night.

Last weekend was a collusion of misfortune, upset, blood and breathing difficulties at Bristol Bike Fest which saw the first year that the team has not made the podium. The Saturday morning started badly when we realized we were a rider short and had to shuffle riders just to get a team to compete. At 9am the gun sounded and we managed to get a four man team, a social team and a pair off of the start line. From here things went downhill.

The Le Mans style start led to Henry losing his bike amongst the waste high grass and foliage littering the area and he left the arena in dead last. Matt Loake went off the line for the pairs leaving me to get trampled by the hoards in a scene reminiscent of the start of the film Jurassic Park before handing over just 25 minutes later after I had dragged myself back to transition. Then I got lost. Missing a turn I found myself outside of Aston Court next a road with a long hard climb back up to the main course. Matt and myself worked are way back up to 4th position before my poorly recovered knee went again and we abandoned after just 9 laps.
In the main team Henry was trying to redeem himself by tearing the course up to get back up near the front, Pete took over and lay down a good lap time before sending out Bradley who crashed. Gez followed up……….and crashed.

For the social team Jay suffered for a couple before Barney snapped his chain twice and then punctured. Sean took a turn and then Matt Wilson tried his hand, crashed, broke his ribs and somehow finished his lap without the ability to breath.

This forced a shuffled of members with Matt Loake taking Bradleys place in the main team and Bradley moving to the social team. Matt Loake then punctured before the teams finally got sorted out. Gez, Pete, Matt and Henry finally got the luck they need and started churning out very quick laps catapulting themselves from 18th place up to 9th. Sadly there just was not enough time left and the podium was out of reach. The social boys also started to put in less eventful laps and Sean, Brad, Barney and Jay worked their way back up the field from 68th to 25th before sadly running out of time.

Next week is the South West Championships and the follow week Mountain Mayhem so let us hope the luck has returned by then.

Mike

Acupuncture

2010-05-25T21:27:00.008Z

Last blog I missed out the results from the first National as a result of an addled mind fried by the vast input of information texted to my mobile combined with a high speed collision between my road bike and a large white van. To ensure this does not happen again I will start with the National XC Round 2.

Round two was fierce, fast and as technical as a Rubix Magic. The expert category was one of the first to leave the start line and after a disappointing race in round one due to a puncture, round two awarded Luke with a disappointing race due to a puncture. On the brighter side however, before the puncture Luke laid down some lap times that would have destroyed the field had he finished. We wait excitedly for his performance in the next round.

In the ‘Sport’, Henry one again wound up his new found legs and delivered a third place on the podium to the ever over burdened hands of the South Fork trophy holder. Not one to be out down by the spider like spanner monkey, Jane also secured the third spot in her usual understated way. The Veteran men hosted the first upset of the day and unfortunately this came in the form of a stomach. How we all laughed to see Pete bring up all his breakfast and lunch on lap two. Despite this Pete finished 18th with Nick taking 35th and Cheese 60th.

Thursday of the very same week saw the very same riders head to Newham for the second ‘Fully Sussed Evening Race’. I would not like to call this a South Fork white wash but the results do seem to speak for themselves. Expert/Elite was won by Luke by about 3 minutes, Masters was won by Matt by about half a minute, Veteran was won by Pete with captain Sean following up with 11th. You would think the results could not get any better than this but Sunday meant the third race of the week for some and results that made Chris and Nick smile until mouth and ears where as one.

Woodbury Common for myself and Chris brings up nostalgic memories of the mountain bike revolution back in the early 90’s when we raced fully rigid on top of the range 30lb bikes wearing neon lycra and using thumb shifters. Courses were mostly fire trail and technical meant a bomb hole and a log hop. A lot has changed.

The course last Sunday was a string of single track through gorse bushes with slippery woodwork, fast slippery descents and ‘tongue on the front tyre’ climbs. We all came away with legs like a junkie’s crotch and the comforting knowledge that people have died from gorse rash on Woodbury Common in the past. The masters’ category went off hard with Matt accelerating straight to the front at a pace I could not hope to match. The first climb sorted out the pecking order and the race split so that seven riders including Matt and myself disappeared from the rest of the field. We came together on lap two and developed a system where Matt would lead me on the technical sections and I would return the favour on the open sections. Working like this we quickly started pulling back the two leading riders until we nearly killed each other on a fast descent. I confess that I was showing off for Matt’s benefit when I jumped off the bank at speed and feel I really should apologise for landing on him.

In the Veterans race a similar story was unfolding with Pete, Gez and Nick riding away from the rest of the riders and in Expert/Elite Luke was fighting a battle with Ben Price and Russell Turner. The finishing tally saw 1st, 2nd and 3rd veterans, 1st in the expert/elite, Jane took 1st in the female vets and 3rd and 4th for myself and Matt in masters. Henry sadly wrapped his chain up on lap one and punctured on lap two and Cheese crossed the line in a very respectable 18th.
a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_r6WaOehwZr0/S_xConQ52BI/AAAAAAAAAUE/7gtvPAJFRuU/s1600/henryfullysuss.jpg">
Last weekend also not uneventful with Luke pottering up the Midlands XC to win the expert category by a minute or so, Mark Lees became the South West time trail champion and Blake Pond took delivery of a shiny new ‘Elite’ racing license. A huge well done to all.
Margam Park National XC Round 3 and Set2Rise next weekend so report on those will follow.

Mike

Many thanks to Snapper Chick for the photos

Late Blog

2010-04-28T19:50:00.002Z

‘It's not so much how busy you are, but why you are busy. The bee is praised. The mosquito is swatted.’
I’d like to say that I had been stuck abroad as a result of volcanoes and could not update the blog, however the truth of the matter is that I simply haven’t had time to do it until now.

Much has occurred since the last blog with the start of the South West ‘Fully Sussed Series’ , The Southern XC and the road race season kicking up its hoofs.
Sadly I was unable to attend the first in the series of the Fully Sussed so as I was preparing my race tan for the season in the Portuguese sun while the team were in full force at Idless (Truro). In the expert/elite category our fastest rider Luke was absent due a clashing race so Chris stepped up to replace him and put in a quick lap before rushing back to work. The course was highly technical with many riders glad to be back on the slippery roots and loose rock descents usually found in the 90’s. Matt was one of these riders and as the gun went he went straight into the lead using his uncommon technical skills to hold off the competition for most of the first lap before taking the 3rd spot on the podium with Crocker a little way behind him in 5th place.
The sport riders once again had to watch with frustration as Henry combined his love of very technical descents with his new rapido legs to disappear off into the distance and take the win by nearly five minutes. Likewise in the Vets, Pete and Simon Young rode away from the field creating a gap between them and third place that left enough time harvest several bee hives before the next rider crossed the line to see Pete take second on podium. Nick had his legs on again took the fitth spot in front of Ed in 13th and ‘Captain Queso’ in 15th.
During all this fun Luke headed out of county to the first round of the Southern XC. Luke is always going well but had an exceptional race even for him taking second place by just one second in the Experts behind that Torq chap with the unspellable name and a full 34 seconds in front of the ‘Builth Bullet’ with the much talked about socks.

On Thursday we all headed to the Fully Sussed evening series at Haldon Hill for an hour of dusty trails, fast twisty single track and realisations about our lungs. Breathing; one only becomes acutely aware of its importance when one is choking on the dust coming off of the wheel in front.
A mass start is not usual for mountain bike races but did make for good viewing as 60ish riders sprinted up the fire trail desperate to get into the single track without getting stuck behind. Luke as usual rode straight off the front with Ben Price and disappeared into the distance. Myself, Pete and Matt formed a tight group on lap one and were pushing hard but were still surprised to find Luke on the floor at the bottom of the first descent. We were even more surprised to find him on the floor at the bottom of the second descent and could do nothing but laugh as we watched miss the corner and disappear into a bush on the third descent. Myself and Pete worked well together to secure the top spots in our categories with Matt and Gez flying into second giving the one, two in masters and vets. Luke incredibly dragged himself off the floor having damaged his forks, leg, face and front tyre and fought his way back up to a second spot. I don’t know if Fran Bullock reads this blog but just in case I really should apologise for crashing into you on the last lap, thank you for not shouting at me.
On the road the boys have been laying down some watts and knocking out some good results. Blake took 12th atHam Hill picking up some points and then taking 11th in category at Ilton to pick up a few more. Gez headed down to Ilton too and as he was not after points and was using the race as training session for his XC racing he volunteered to sit on the front and bury himself for the team. Having spent most of the race on the front he moved over and Mark Lees flung himself over the line to take first place for the team and 10 points to put in the bank. If anyone has any photos please send them to me and I’ll add them later.
More races from the south west series are coming up and hopefully some will keep me up to date with the road boys in time for next blog.
Mike

Spring Blog

2010-03-16T22:36:00.012Z

Eleven sweaty men in lycra sleeping in bunk beds and defecating in a wardrobe. Sounds good?

Eight team riders left Devon (some for the first time) in VW transporters hell bent on twenty hours of off road riding in three days. At Machynlleth we became ten as local Welsh boys Rich and Chris joined a happy band unloading bikes in the warm spring sunshine. First for us was the ‘Mach 2’ and with high spirits and expectations the flock spun out in the sunshine and straight onto some of the most boring trail to found anywhere in the country.

The next stop was the ‘Cli-machx’ trail and this served up an absolute contrast. The group became slightly split in the excitement as everyone exploded into the promise of sweet man made single track. The ‘Cli-machx’ had been ridden by a few of us before and this just led to a lead out on the final descent that was dangerously faster than it should have been on day one. Eyes watered, blood flowed, the birds in the trees froze in apparent fear as tweets froze on fascinated beaks. A good start.

That evening as we dinned we had to wonder about the whereabouts of the eleventh member of the team. Luke had planned to drive that night but had forgotten his phone, wasn’t sure where we were and got held up polishing buns at work. Finally at 11.20pm I received a phone call from a pay phone in a small welsh bar of gentlemanly pleasure from our Luke who sounded scared and alone.

Coed-y-Brenin has always been a fast and fun trail so with perfect weather we planned to ride the lot in a day. We may have made it too had it not been for 13 punctures. Tim and Cheese who were usually fighting for breath near the back of the group suddenly came into their own finishing the trails a good 20 minutes before the rest of us had finish repairing our bikes scissors and a large rock. However we did get sunburnt and laughed like an Elmo tickle me toy.

The last day made the rest look like ‘the lemon next to the pie’. Brechfa is truly the undiscovered jewel of welsh trail centres. I’m not going to say too much as it is currently quite and perfect so it would seem a shame to change that. I will say that twelve (we were joined by Phil Morris on the last day) riders drove home with smiles on our faces that reflected the light of a thousand burning Port Talbot chimneys.

While the off road boys were gallivanting in the Welsh countryside the road team were kicking rounded buttocks on their new super sleek Litespeeds. I have not yet been sent any details but here are some pictures to wet the appetite until details arrive in my in box.

The last round of the Soggy’s has just past with another showing from the team that shook the very foundations. Nick had lost half his body weight in Wales and was flying and Henry had a new bike and had been flying on training camp so good results were on the cards.

Jane was tired off pottering around on her own and had already guaranteed the top spot in her category so she rode in the expert/elite just to see how she got on. She finished in 4th but the real surprise from the Cummings family was Jane’s son Sam who finished 7th in the juvenile category having never raced before, done no training at all and riding a bike that is much older and heavier than he is, good work buddy.
In the male expert/elite Luke had already won the main event and was just racing for pride. Unfortunately due to a loose head set, a graze knee, loose chain rings, scuffed left nostril, enlarged earlobe and not being quite as fast as Russell on this occasion he had to settle with 2nd for the last round. Still an outstanding result from our flagship rider.

In the masters I finished in 6th but took third in the overall standings closely followed but Matt and worryingly Crocker who seems to be getting faster despite the energy he requires to power his deviant mind. Henry surprised know one as we all knew he was flying and led for most of the sport race only to sprinted past on the line because he wasn’t paying attention leaving him in second place……..doh.

In the veterans Pete took the win overall and the win of round four in front of team mate Gez who rode a strong race to finish 4th, Nick in 11th and Sean in 21st. A report of the whole series will be published in the next MBUK magazine so it will be wonderful to see the team kit all over the podium in almost every category.

A huge well done to all and thanks to Chris for fuelling us through each round with his frankly awesome Accelerade products (I notice that team Certini are now using it). Enjoy the pictures.

Mike

Many thanks once again to Snapper Chick who provided most of the photos

Bloggerty Blog

2010-02-22T20:42:00.007Z

I can appreciate that reading this blog might be more interesting that watching ‘Glee’ but, I have to wonder at the audience. I rarely receive any comments so when someone posts a comment it is exciting… not flush of blood to the nether regions exciting but pleasing none-the-less. So how about some feedback in the comments section rather than the hyperlinks to Viagra and ‘emo’ websites that I have come to find every time I open the comments box? Rant over.

There has been some serious winter racing the last few weeks both on the mountain bike scene and for the road boys. I will add the road results and tales of gritty pluck as soon as I get them and for now update the mountain biking feats of foiling fumbling foe.

Three weeks ago on a seriously cold Sunday morning I found myself admiring the sunrise over Stone Henge as I headed to the Brass Monkeys final. It was -7 degrees as I drove up the A303 and lifted to just -3 degrees on the start line. Feeling fit and somewhat awesome I was expecting a good result for the four hour race and hastily flung myself off the start line snorting steam from icy nostrils. Lap one was fast and furious (with some Tokyo Drift) and I was pleased to find 6th place. Lap two I puncture and dropped into the twenty something area which you could say I found displeasing. Tooth and nail I fought back up into the top ten before puncturing again. While I would describe my mood as vaguely disgruntled by this point others who passed me in the woods described it to me afterwards as ‘really ****** off’. Bereft of teeth and nails by now I just worked hard to climb the field and this is when things went really wrong. Take a good look at the picture. Imagine the satisfaction of hitting that tiny bridge at speed, gliding up the other side and airing out the top to the cries of joy from the watching crowd. Now imagine missing the bridge and burying the front of your bike in the mud up to the brake levers. Finished 13th eventually.

The following weekend Luke asked to me to go to the same area to race Gorrick and unsurprising I declined, Luke however attended and rode a blinder. The starting line up contained some of the fastest riders in the country and Luke said he was concerned about his chances in such an impressive field but, the bullet was bit and Luke took 8th place. This bodes very well for the nationals.
This weekend was double barrelled with Nick and Dicky heading to the winter downhill series at Combe Sydenham and the rest of the off road boys heading down to Newnham for Soggy Round 3. The conditions at the downhill were reportedly scary with exposed tree roots covered in thick mud being order of the day. Nick nearly soiled his South Fork shorts on his second run when he lined up for the gap jump and was stalled by mud losing all his speed on take off. The resulting kicking he got as the front of the bike jumped up and slammed him in the face very nearly tempted him remain on the ground on his next run as most the others were choosing to do. Despite the conditions Nick took second place.
At Soggy Bottom the conditions were no better with mud destroying what is usually one of the best courses in the country. A large percentage of the course had to be run/walked which ruled out a few of us right from the start, however the die hard crew were made of sterner stuff. Luke was first to make a podium when he realised his white tyres were going to get muddy and he had to get around quick so he could get home and clean them. Pete quickly followed suit with a well earned podium spot after a fierce battle for supremacy. I wasn’t going to bother mentioning Jane as it is taken as a given that she is going to win but I will mention her as she surprised as all by doing an extra lap after she won just to relieve the monotony. The final podium spot went to Henry in the sport category, good work bud.

The rest of us had a good day whether the conditions were good for us or not and still gave a fine showing of muscled leg and devastatingly good looks. The eventual results left Luke 1st, Pete 2nd, Jane 1st, Henry 3rd, Matt 5th, Mike 9th, Chris 13th, Martin 18th, Ed 17th, Sean 28th.

I will add the road teams results as soon as I have them and coming up in two weeks we have the South Fork Invitational training weekend so next blog will be detailing the tails of the trails and will probably include a high octane video.

Mike

all photos taken and kindly donated by 'Snapper Chick'(Janet Burroughes)

Sogtastic Round Two

2010-01-19T19:50:00.005Z

Despite what people may think I don’t spend hours creating ridiculous words in order to amuse myself with nonsensical blog headings and titles. Sometimes I ride my bike, and this Sunday was one of those occasions. Soggy Bottom round two while not being the first in the series was the first that the whole team turned out and while we didn’t win every category, we were without a doubt the strongest team in the south west.

Love is not a term that should be banded around without due thought to the feelings that such a word invokes. Love is very difficult to describe but easier to prove or to show, however if someone were to try and describe love they could do little better than Luke when I asked him what he taught of his new Scott Spark in the car park pre race.

“my new bike is much like a wild rose, beautiful and calm, but willing to draw blood in its defence” – Luke Edgar 17th Jan 2010.

Interestingly when interviewed by Joolze Dymond for British Cycling after winning the Elite race he said “I just pedalled real fast until someone shouted stop.”

For most of us ‘pedalling real fast until someone shouted stop’ seemed to be the key. Pete absolutely destroyed the field in the veteran category finishing over two minutes before the next rider. This peacock proud display was over shadowed only by Jane in the veteran female category when she crossed the line almost half an hour in the lead. The rest of us mortals still put in a performance to proud of with Gez and I finishing 4th in our categories, Matt 5th, Martin 10th, Nick 13th and Sean 22nd. Awards for valour have to go to Ed who punctured and managed to fix it whilst waist deep in mud and Henry who died and was bought back to life when Chris stabbed him the heart with a syringe full of Accelerade and smacked him round the face with the gusset of Martins superman underpants.

Next event is in two weeks at the last 'Brass Monkeys' events so I will add a report then. In the mean time we are likely to be riding the Quantocks this weekend all welcome. Give Nick a ring at the shop for more details.

Lastly, many thanks to Janet Burroughes, aka 'Snapper Chick' who provided the photos.

Mike

Chilly Con Barmy

2010-01-07T21:04:00.002Z

Christmas has seen a distinct lack of blogging activity due to seasonal and festive duties and a lack of creative time. I am now back in bloginess (a poor combination of blog and business) so Happy New year to all and lets get back to the news.

The Cyclo cross season has now come to an end with the conclusion really coming down to the line. The points were so closely spaced that it was not sure a South Fork rider was going to make the overall podium however the boys had every intention of tearing the last race apart.

On race day the temperature was a little more than freezing making the start frosty in more ways than one. With five people all fighting for the last spot on the podium mouths were truly frothing and psych out faces practiced in the mirror for weeks in advance were starting to pay off. For the South Fork team Luke and Pete were the best placed riders off the start line and as the laps turned in Luke pulled away popping a few sinews as he went. Pete was also in an excellent position until he had a run in with the course tape which wrapped around his mech and cassette halting all progress while he removed his wheel to pull out the tattered remains with frigid fingers.

Luke made it over the line in fourth putting him in the third podium spot whilst Pete fought his way back up to 9th which left him fifth overall. A huge well done to all the cross boys this season, the results table is truly something to be proud of with 25% of the top twenty all from the South Fork team.

Since we had so much fun on the last team ride it was quickly decided that another one was in order and a trip to Afan for South Fork and friends was spawned for the week after Christmas. E-mails and messages went out early to try and get a good turn out and the response was outstanding. With a few days to go we were expecting 32 riders some of which were driving down from Scotland to take part. With one day to go Pete was ringing around all day to see if everyone was still keen to go having seen the snow forecasted for the following day, many fell by the wayside. As dark fell the report from Welsh hard man Richard Samuel suggested that it was all a fuss over nothing and so the trip was on.

At 6am Nick loaded his van and starting picking up riders for the long drive to the border. At 8am the sky was black and unleashing a torrent of evil upon the windscreen. On arrival it was raining, windy, dark and as miserable as getting a kicking off of Leeds football team (sorry). Getting changed in the heated changing room proved to be another chance to view Martins’ anatomy as he paraded naked once again.

The 10 o’clock start time came and went and it became clear that 26 riders were not going to be coming. The ‘Usual Suspects’ span off up the trial and tackled the first climb. The plan was to complete the W2 ride, have some lunch, and go back for another loop but it quickly became evident that a second loop was unrealistic. Surprisingly there was a distinct lack of snow until we hit 1000 feet and the temperature dropped to minus sensible. Pete and Richard were riding single speed which they expected to keep them warm. Myself, Nick, Martin and Sean were wearing the entire contents of Bear Grylls’ wardrobe and froze.

The descents were as exciting as I have ever ridden at Afan with light snow turning to slush and then to mud as the descent progressed. Nick led out on the first descent as we all wanted to see the experience on snow he had gained from ‘Mega Avalanche’. He quickly disappeared into the distance as the rest of us worked out what to do when the bike starts to slide at high speed. Richard tried a superman air on a particularly quick section which ended with what can only described as a ‘nostril stall’ and was a considerably quicker braking method than his ice covered v-brakes.

At the top of the trail the beauty, grace and power of the wind turbines was completely wasted on us as we huddled together like those penguins in that Christmas documentary that seems to have been watched only by me. Nick was the next victim to the trail as launched himself into a pile of rocks, battered his elbow and scuffed a fingernail leaving him with pins and needles for an hour. The only irritating thing about Afan is the huge amount of wooden speed control styles that require you to dismount and clamber through or over. This was somewhat irritating for Richard who had got his cleat stuck in the pedal and had to take his shoe off and pad through in his socks each time and somewhat comical for the rest of us as we watched him cart wheel off into the bushes each time he slipped.

Four hours after we had set off we returned to the car park to find others had arrived late and missed us on the trail and Martin had his biggest challenge of the day when he ordered enough food in the ‘Skyline’ cafe to kill a bear. A seriously challenging day that was more fun than expected by all. Looking forward to the next one.

And finally, just when you were thinking, ‘where are all the pictures?’ a surprise picture for all to enjoy. The new kit has been ordered for the team and for the social boys (who have something similar in green glam). Comments and feedback will largely be ignored.

Pic kit

Soggy Bottom 2 on Sunday. See you there. Mike

STORM (not that bird off X-men)

2009-12-01T21:19:00.005Z

The day began like any other with the obvious exception that it didn’t. The sky was littered with filthy grey clouds unleashing the contents of their being onto the backdrop of the Exmoor hills. Normally this would be a good chance to potter around the kitchen in slippers with a bacon sandwich clenched firmly in fist, however this day was the South Fork team ride.

Ten of us pulled up into the deserted village of Exford at 9am ready to ride into the storm wearing most of the UK’s stocks of ‘Gore-Tex’. Chris kindly led us straight up to Dunkery Beacon where the wind was comparable to being hit in the face with a sock full of pennies. Fuelled on a crazy mix of Accelerade and secret energy bars supplied to us by our new team mum Jane the ride from here on in became nothing short of nice.

We descended from a height of 519metres (for the profile ponders) into a valley with nine river crossings. On a normal day I pride myself on being able to ride all of these without a dab but, today was going to be more of a challenge as the usually 2 inch depth had been swollen to about the top of the wheels. Pete went first as on a single speed as he couldn’t afford to lose momentum (however he could it seems afford to lose all self respect as he was for some reason wearing what can only be described as a ladies handbag on each foot). Gary followed with skilled success and Luke …………did not. As I sat on the river bank chatting gaily with Mr Toad and Badger enjoying this fine autumnal day I spotted a pair of white Specialized shoes drift lazily by in the current. Attached to said shoes was a drowning Edgar snorting Exmoor’s finest frigid waters from within his cavernous nostrils. My how we all laughed.

Chris led us up vale and down dale (not Winton) before trying to kill us all in shute descent through a holly bush and over a small cliff. At the top of the next cliff Sean pointed out that our intrepid guide had disappeared and while the temptation was to pretend we hadn’t noticed and push on into the 60 mile an hour head wind Nick made it very clear that he would sulk and make his life miserable, so we waited, and waited and shivered and waited. A quick cuddle with Matt and a discussion on library books staved off the immediate danger of exposure and Chris finally appeared after Jane went back to rescue him.

The last descent was crazy foolish. Slippery green slabs of Exmoor’s finest rock covered with flowing crystal spring water may sound like an M&S recipe but in fact nearly served most of us up on a plate. Pete and Nick nailed it a high speed which appeared to be the best method as the rest of us took the drop a little more slowly and got eaten up. I was particularly proud of my athletic ability as I vaulted over the bars and landed feet first. As I ran off the speed whilst trying to avoid the chasm of rocks on my left I was slightly bemused to see my bike cart wheel past me on the right and land in a hedge.

Back in Exford we attacked the local pub for a carvery dinner and between us polished off the majority of an Exmoor pony, a small vat of the local brew (called ‘2 Stroke Ale’) and deposited most of the outside inside. Goodbyes followed shortly and as Sean wiped the last, tear from his eye we were all silenced by the sound of someone kicking a dog in the throat. Turning to find the source of the noise we couldn’t help but wonder at the irony of Chris’s choking, retching car being a ‘Rover’.

Last weekend saw the muddiest of racing weekends so far with Luke and Pete riding the cross and myself and captain cheese heading to Aldershot for the first of the ‘Brass Monkeys Series’.

In the cross, both Luke and Pete were treated to high winds and heavy rain as the race began. On lap one the mud imbedded itself in the gears and started to cause issues. Pete seems to be coming into his own in mud and tore the field apart (in the literal sense) to take second place on the podium. Luke sadly built up such an impressive pile of mud on his rear sprockets and the rear mech finally gave up and wrapped itself around the chain stay before snapping clean off.

In Aldershot I had planned to take a few pictures to blog but gave up on the idea (see picture from car) almost immediately. The race began 45 minutes late, by which time myself and Sean were nearly dead from cold. As the gun went we sprinted directly into a marsh hub deep in mud and were instantly stuck. The wind howled and rain exorcised its demons upon us turning what looked like seriously useful single track into a shallow river. After the first lap some 500 riders had passed over the course make the race a consistent battle of technical skills and screams.

After just two laps no one had any brake pads left, everyone was shivering and people were packing like a cheap holiday in Benidorm. On lap three Sean’s mech snapped into three pieces (see picture) which still left him positioned in the 60’s. After 3 hours and 55 minutes I was running the descents as I had no brakes and shaking like ‘Stevens’ so I climbed off with the temptation of going back out for a final lap firmly spat out of my mind leaving me 7th place. Five hundred riders started and as I ran back to the car park I discovered no more than 50 cars still in place.

That’s all for now, team ride at Haldon on Wednesday 2nd December 18.30pm all welcome.

Mike

Unimaginative Blog Title

2009-11-17T21:36:00.005Z

Much of Chard was destroyed in a devastating fire in 1577 which seems somewhat ironic considering the name of the town. Last weekend the South Fork Cyclo Cross boys headed over the Devon border to Holyrood in Chard Somerset for a race of mud, muck and mire.

Luke was once more on form and loving the mud, I can only assume that because he lives over the boarder in Somerset that he is used to scrabbling about in filth as his performance was not effected one bit by the conditions and he battled his way into 2nd place. Pete being Devonian is more used to the balmy conditions and favourable terra firma associated with the holiday county but still flung himself into fifth position.

This weekend has seen racing for both the Cyclo Cross and Mountain bike scene. Pete raced cross in mud even thicker than that found the previous week and took the second spot proving his mud learning curve to be steep and effective. The rest of us went down to Plymouth for the first in the Soggy Bottom Series.

Within two minutes of being there four people had asked me where Gez and Pete were and after thirty minutes I considered mounting a sandwich board on my bike to save repeating myself. Pete and Gez have not missed a Soggy Bottom for about three years and the event didn’t feel quite the same in their absence. In attendance however was myself, Luke, Matt, Nick, Henry, Marc, Martin, Cheese, Barny, Chris and our newest rider Jane.

Having endured four solid days of torrential rain it was assumed by all that the conditions would be horrific so mud tyres were fitted and drainage holes were drilled into gussets prior to arrival. It was therefore somewhat of a shock to discover that the course was mostly dry and seriously fast. Martin treated us all to a viewing of his superman underpants which seemed to set the scene for the day. As the team kitted up, warmed up, lubed up and tuned up I looked around me at the assembled crew of heroes fresh form the pages of a ‘Marvel’ comic.

Martin and Nick seemed to be having some sort of grudge match despite being in different categories with Martin smugly taking the lead early on in the race. Nick however was laying down some seriously quick lap times which proved to be more than fast enough to pass Martin on the last lap as he pushed his punctured steed over the line with his smug smile firmly removed. Henry and Marc rode hard in the sport category battling a little with each other and a lot with the rest of the field to finish 6th and 7th with Henry leading in.

The expert/elite race was one of the most exciting of the day with a battle for supremacy going on for the top spot. Iain Payne led out from the start but was quickly pulled back by Luke. The lead battled on for four laps with both riders close enough to buzz tyres on the long ‘Cottage Return, descent. On lap five Luke attacked for the last time on the ‘Clif Climb’ winning himself a small gap which he was able to sustain for the duration crossing the line 47 seconds clear.

In the masters event we actually headed off the line in a reasonably sedate manner and by the top of the climb I found myself in the lead group. I knew Jay Horton was somewhere behind me and likely to catch up soon so I hid behind Ollie Taylor and Alistair Lovell to save some energy until he arrived. In theory this was a good idea but good ideas are after all ideas only and I was dropped just a few minutes later. Jay caught me on the next lap and then passed Alistair and Ollie to take the lead. By lap three I started to warm and found I have plenty of leg left, upped the pace and pulled back Ollie and Alistair. With about a mile to go I caught Jay and jumped his wheel to regroup for an attack. Sadly Jay had plenty left and when he decided it was time to go, he went and there was nothing I could do but settle for 2nd place. Matt crossed the line very shortly after me riding his new team bike for the very first time into 7th place with Barny and Cheese following smiling as always.

Are newest rider Jane ended an excellent days racing in the veteran ladies race wandering casually over the line in first place. Despite puncturing and running half the last lap Jane won by over 11 minutes.

Next week we have the team ride on Exmoor (all welcome) and the week after sees the first round of the ‘Brass Monkeys’ series so the next blog will be after that.

Mike

Jelly Fish Wardrobe

2009-11-02T22:34:00.001Z

Various shades of grey coveted what had never been a promising sky for an Exmoor extravaganza. With a flask full of coffee I left the house at 05.45 and headed to Minehead to meet what must have been almost the whole South Fork Team. A few of us had entered the 100 mile event and everyone else the 100km yet as I pushed my bike to registration I had to wonder how hard it had to rain horizontally into my face before water would push its way past my eye balls thus filling my nasal cavity with water and effectively drowning me.

The first ray of sunshine appeared when the organisers deemed it too dangerous to run the 100mile and forced everyone to ride the 100km. I tried to look disappointed for appearances sake but in my head I could hear the ‘Happy Talking’ song from ‘South Pacific’.

We all sort of agreed to ride together, partially as a bonding exercise and partially to share the gale force wind out between us. In true team SouthFork style we spent so long standing around talking about bikes and watching Martin have intercourse with a wet floor sign that we nearly missed the last start time. Everyone scrambled to find their bikes and ended up of going off in separate groups. I happily found myself in a group with Nick, Henry, Martin and Luke. At a comfortable pace I span along watching tiny droplets of water forming on my jacket like miniature crystal balls depicted a very wet near future for us all. When I looked up Luke had disappeared up the road at a speed that could only mean that McDonalds had just opened.

Sixty mile an hour head winds greeted us as we fought our way up onto the top of the moor. We tried to keep it social but no one could hear anything anyone else was saying so everyone just nodding and shouted yes at all communication. I believe this how the system was born. ‘The System’ seemed to mean that each of us took a turn of about 2 minutes on the front at finding a route through the crowd. With 1700 riders present hiding from the wind was not nearly as difficult as shouldering our way through the writhing throng. I casually flicked the bike between two riders with Henry and Nick on my wheel before throwing myself to the left to whip around another. The rider turned out to be riders…….on a tandem and I had to slam on the brakes almost skittling the lot of us. Swiftly relieved of my duties on the front Henry took over and dragged us into weather that could be described at best as, un-clement. Tim Moore describes this sort of weather better than I might.

“My helmet was pinging with a spasmodic tattoo of heavy rain; in minutes so was the inside if my skull. The scenery pulled down the shutters and before long my blinking, slitted gaze dropped to the wet road in front of me.”

While all this was going on Gez and Luke were up in the top twenty riders laying down sub four hour rides, Matt was dragging a serious soiled cross bike with knobbly tyres across the open moor, Martin was still entertaining the masses with jokes and fire juggling somewhere and Sean was a quivering wreck after clashing elbows at high speed and nearly falling over a 600ft cliff.

At the first feed I joined up with an old friend and spent the remainder of the ride gossiping like an old bag women. Important issues were covered that afternoon including the merits of Accelerade, the consistency of gels, girls in lycra and the suitability of ‘The Michelin Man’ as the logo of a sporting product. Before the topic of retro mountain bikes was complete it was all over. The Butlins’ building appeared out of the rain and hot coffee was burning my throat. A fitting finish to an excellent days riding topped off with gold finishing certificates for all. A particular well done to Sean who raised £300 for charity.

The cyclo cross riders have still been plugging away the last few weeks with excellent results for all the team riders. A special well done to Luke and Pete who finished 3rd and 4th in the Bodmin round and 4th and 5th in the Kingsbridge race.

I have no photos at present as it has been too wet to get the camera out but I will add some later when the official pictures appear. See you Soggy Bottom.

Mike

2009-10-08T17:56:00.005Z

With cyclocross season in full swing I think it is important for those of us with little understanding to view the video above to see what it is all about. The commentator is particularly amusing......."it seems to combine all the worst in cycling and cross country running!!" That just makes me want to try it.

The South Fork team have once again been busy. The week before last saw the end of season blow out at Newnham Park. Cyclists like to keep busy so Saturday the last of the National Championships was held, in the evening a cyclo cross race and then on Sunday morning a 60km enduro. In the National race Luke took a very respectable 12th in category while Pete was relegated to the back of the field for ‘un sportsman like behaviour’. Pete claims that he misunderstood the ‘pit’ rules and accepted a spare wheel when he punctured, however word has it that he was actually caught in the bushes defiling an inner tube and a bottle of latex.

On Sunday a whole flock of the SF Massive rolled into the car park for the 60km enduro. Pete and Luke were well up the front of the finishers and everyone else dragged themselves into the arena just a few minutes later. Nick, having worked in the shop for 72 days straight with just slow blinking for a rest bite picked this Sunday to have a wash and totally engulfed himself in the last river crossing. See picture.

The weekend just gone enjoyed the last of the glamorous weather for the Cyclo cross at West Buckland. I have no photos at this time but our newly appointed Captain the rider formally known as ‘Cheese’ (now to be referred to as Mr Cheese or Yes Sir Sean Sir) has promised to send them to me later. In the seniors Luke took 3rd, Pete 4th, Blake 6th, Gez 12th, Matt 16th, Bradley and Nick a few places back but still in touch. Pete took a good crash on the head on the last lap and Bradley being the well dressed ever professional competitor wisely waited until he had finished before crashing into the crowd.

Injury has dominated the end of my season forcing me to miss all the fun events and go straight in the winter training schedule which appears to involve riding off road at speed with no lights, riding in circles in the woods in the rain and getting lost with the Wednesday night crew. Many thanks to Pete who agreed to guide Luke, Bradley and myself around Woodbury common, got us lost on MOD land and led us through a field full of explosives.

The ‘Soggy Bottom’ series is just around the corner and everyone wants a piece of the pie. The new Soggy marketing campaign includes a picture of a wrestler in South Fork kit which proves how far the team has come in such a short space of time and has promoted a desire for us all to ride in Mexican wrestling masks. They can be found on E-bay in similar colours to the kit or it is possible to borrow masks from Martins’ personal collection that he keeps in a plastic Asda bag in the cistern of the shop toilet.

There is another cross race this weekend, the Exmoor Beast in a few weeks time, Luke will lose his keys…………..again and another team ride in the pipe line (see Mr Cheese for details)so I will report again in a couple of weeks.

Mike

Busy Times

2009-09-14T20:58:00.006Z

A lot has been going on in the last few weeks which provides a partial explanation for my tardy blog postage for the last few weeks. The season is nearing the end so the South Fork boys have been entering all events to try and scratch that last itch before we return to plugging small gears in the dark, wearing an Eskimos wardrobe and smearing our bodies in goose fat.

The weekend before last Sean, Barny, Matt and Ed entered the Exmoor Beast, Gez, Pete, Matt and Luke were racing cyclo cross, Blake was getting his mug featured on here www.simonkeitch.com with the other cycling greats and Chris and I headed up to Scotland for the Keilder 100. Sean has sent me a report which I have edited a little as it was 4000 words long.

100 kms across Exmoor for charity sounded good until the alarm clock went off at 4am Saturday morning. I quickly had my breakfast, packed my kit and food as recommended by Southforks long distance specialist Mike. At 04.30am I picked up Barney the other Southfork social riders attempting the 100km marathon and Ed and Matt who were doing the 50 km loop which started 2 hours later.

We arrived in Porlock not knowing what to expect but were both surprised at the amount of riders getting kitted up at 5.30am ready for the 6am start. We had the usually talk from the organiser about it not being a race but we had a number board so the gauntlet had been laid.

Barney had his usual pre race mechanical losing his light bracket on the way there being a highly skilled metal worker he found a bit of rope and used this as a temporary bracket. The pace from the start was fast and within the first couple of miles we were up the front but Barney was having trouble with his spds causing a stop for an adjustment that saw the whole field go past us.

By checkpoint 1 we had climbed on coastal bridleways with great views and worked our way back to the front end of the field and at checkpoint 2 in Simonbath the marshal informed us we were within the first 10 riders. After 5.5hours we climbed up to Dunkery Beacon at 519 metres bumped into fellow Southfork social riders Matt and Ed doing the 50km loop. We stopped briefly to compare stories and take a few photos before embarking on the massive rocky descent from the beacon which rattled my chain in half by the bottom. From here we destroyed the tracks through Horner Woods combined with more monster road climbs to take us back to checkpoint 3. Driving winds whipped up to test our man strength as we flogged through one seriously muddy bridleway across the moors followed by a short section of road until one of the best descents of the day through Porlock Woods to the finish.

An epic ride in which we were in top 10 finishers on 100 km loop completing 8495 feet of climbing in 8hrs 2 minutes.

While Sean and crew were testing the Exmoor facilities the Cross season was starting in Wellington and four of the team were helping to kick off the season. New bikes were apparent on the start line as Gez, Pete, Matt and Luke had taken receipt of their Cannondale cross machines sprayed up fire engine red.

As the gun sounded the boys slid down the pole (except Matt who danced around it in a weasel skin thong) onto the fire engines and off to Trumpton.

Unbelievably Pete is still peaking (I’m sure that’s not possible at his age) and crossed the line for the third podium place closely followed by Luke, then Gez and Matt. A good start to the cross season and a perfect outing for the new bikes.

Meanwhile Chris and I were flogging the motorways on the way up to Scotland. Chris sensibly left at 7am and cruised across the moat of Kielder Castle and 3pm. For me the race had already begun. I left home 12.30, got to Manchester at 7.30 with the sat nav giving me an ETA of 22.40pm at Kielder. The last sign on time was at 22.00 which left me sitting in my extra brown safety pants as I completed the final leg in 2hrs 15minutes.

Kielder Castle loomed at me out of the darkness as I stepped out of the car in a Stephen King inspired forest. Silence reached my ears as I trekked through the woods using a mobile phone as a torch. I had read an article in National Geographic about the reintroduction of wolves into the Scottish forests and while I was on the English side of Scottish border and the wolves should be on Scottish side I had to wonder if the wolves knew that.

Chris and I were staying in a hotel in Newcastleton which meant a further drive to slumber. At 23.00pm we arrived at fore mentioned hotel having eaten nothing for 8 hours to discover the kitchen was shut. Some how the hotel owner had discovered that Chris was working on the ‘Tour of Britain’ which was passing through Newcastleton in 2 weeks time. Hoping to receive some TV coverage he gave us the biggest room………the honeymoon suite.

In the bar the manager was very keen to feed us and left us nursing a pint to hack up a pig and throw it bleeding onto a plate. Two good looking young guys staying together in the honeymoon suite caused for interesting questions by the barman who naturally assumed we were lovers. I strung the guy on for a little while but Chris finally cracked when the barman suggested that he might like to watch our love making and explained that I was married and had a small child. Enjoying Chris’s discomfort I protested that it was about time he was honest with himself and gave the barman a slow wink.

Fortunately the hotel had put a single bed in our room next the double and we settled down to the luxurious 4 hours of sleep before the race began. In the morning as we left at 05.15 for the start line I sneaked back into the room and carefully made the single bed with hospital corners that would have made Florence Nightingale proud.

The race itself began a 06.30 and treated 230 riders to some of the most spectacular trails and scenery I have ever seen. When I reached Chris’s first Accelerade dispensing point at 25 miles I felt as strong as a hobos breath and was sitting just outside the top ten. At 53 miles my body started to give up and small injuries I had been carrying since Trans Wales 2 weeks before became serious issues. At 68 miles I was a ruin and waved the flag, dropped down off the mountain to the valley road and completed the 18 miles back to the start on smooth tarmac. That 18 miles was a highlight for me and with a roaring tail wind like the hand of god shoving me down the most beautiful valley in the world I quietly smiled to myself at the thought of the hotel staff finding just one bed had been slept in.

The Kielder destroyed me but I left a happy man with a promise to return next year and give it a sound kicking. Until then many thanks to Chris for his support and to Nick for the rapid turn around on my bike repairs.

Mike

Trans Wales

2009-08-25T19:08:00.003Z

Over the years Wales has been continually chastised and repressed. The Romans started this trend in AD43 but the Welsh were then mostly left alone after the Romans decided the climate was miserable and went home. The English dominated Wales many years later and treatment of the locals was notoriously poor which still causes some resentment today. Interestingly the repression of the Welsh by the ‘English’ began with ‘William the Conquer’ who was French and the French do not appear to be on the end of any resentment at all. I had to wonder at the irony of this as I crossed the French built Severn Bridge and paid my £5.40 into the French bank account of the toll company last Saturday on my way to the ‘Trans Wales’.

The ‘Trans Wales’ is a 7 day stage race starting at Builth Wells and looping 540km around the largest mountains in the country scaling 16,800 metres and completing 4 time trials. The SouthFork team sent myself and Fiona as a mixed team to represent the shop.

‘Man's mind, once stretched by a new idea, never regains its original dimensions’

New ideas and learning were the order of the week. I learnt an awful lot about my riding, the benefits of riser bars, interval training and good nutrition, but most importantly that Fiona is mountain biking ‘gay icon’ and that sherry and Red Bull are not better than drinking warm beer (thanks Noel).

Day 1 was a day for riding the legs in as no time trial was planned. This didn’t make the day any easier but was a great opportunity to potter through mountains, meet the other riders and suss out the competition. It seemed for me and Fiona that the competition was likely to be from Maddie and Jay (team Certini) and the South African brother and sister team of Theresia and Werner Baumker.

The first time trial was held at the ‘Climax Trial’, one of my favourite descents in any man made centre. While we didn’t really expect to beat Jay and Maddie overall, Fi and I had picked out 2 stages that we were going to try and win based on previous experience and what we considered to be our strengths. We were to cross the start line together but then split up and an average time would be taken from both of our times. I felt really strong on this trial treating every climb as a full effort interval and finding the flow on all the descents. Staying on the ground was an issue here, too much speed meant airborne sections and risk of serious pain but too little lost the flow and ruined all enjoyment. I crossed the finished line on just the front wheel 46 seconds in front of Jay feeling tremendously pleased with myself.

We had 4 time trials throughout the week with three of them placed about 50km into the days ride and one at night time. Maddie and Jay pipped us in all the time trials although just by 8 seconds in the last one leaving myself and Fiona placed in second at the end of the week.

The Trans Wales was my holiday this year having foregone the trip to Spain with my wife and child in favour of sleeping on the floor, eating breakfast at 06:30, defecating in a plastic box and showering with other men. While I was really happy to get home to Becky, Gideon and a real toilet, I’d do it again in a heart beat.

On the road Blake Pond has been topping the podium once more this time in the Generation Sports & Cycles Upavon Summer Series 12/14. Blake erupted from the pack to out sprint all his peers and take the honours. The shocked faces of riders like the ‘Sports Beans’ team said more than words could have and Blake took a pile of points closer to his ‘Elite’ license. I have scoured the internet for a picture but failed. If you have a podium shot of Blake drop me an e-mail and I’ll add it later.

The Kielder is the next race coming up for me and Fiona and the Cyclo – X season is starting for the rest of the team so the next report will likely to be in 2 weeks time. Until then I leave you with words from the great Albert Einstein.

“Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving”

Mike

Sun, Sunny Day

2009-08-10T20:32:00.008Z

Things have quietened down a little since last blog with the race calendar easing up a little a bit and riders recovering from their efforts at Bontrager 24/12. That said Pete was racing again last week in the Southern XC Championships sadly unaccompanied by Luke who has been having some problems with rectal sores since the last race (sorry buddy, couldn’t help myself).

Pete described the race as the hardest he has competed in this season with a fast course that kept his pulse mostly in the high 70’s for the entire duration. Despite the unrealistic amount of lactic acid accumulated in his legs Pete pulled off an excellent result with 6th place in category. Pete can be found this week recovering in his new caravan in Newquay enjoying the pleasures of the open road (of course anyone with a caravan has an open road……….in front of them). Sadly this meant Pete missed the SouthFork and friends party ride on the Quantocks.

This weekend Sean/Cheese stepped up to organise a team ride for SouthFork on the Quantock Hills. After much ‘Facebook’, text, phone and e-mail work Sean pulled it off and managed to get 13 riders to Lydeard Hill Car Park by 09.30 on Sunday morning. Typically the shop boys were a little late (they had much further to come) and once arrived Henry got his bike out of the box, took out his tool kit and started to assemble it.

The weather was perfect with clear skies and just enough breeze to keep the smell of 13 sweaty riders moving away from us, unfortunately it was not strong enough to keep the smell of Henry’s arse away from us. It had only stopped raining 2 days previously but somehow the hills were mostly dry and dusty with just a few muddy patches to remind us we were hard core off road specialists. Punctures came thick and fast with three in 5 miles but, the group camaraderie and swooping technical descents made up for any mechanical difficulties.

After weeks of sliding or carefully nursing the front wheel around slippery corners the dry trails made for an unleashing of downhill pent up energy with rolling eyes, gritted teeth and giggling that induced faster and faster torment. With one more big descent before returning to the car park we all let loose the demons on a rooty, gnarled woodland beauty with just 2 line choices. At the front of the pack we all jumped into the left line railing the corners and getting just slightly airborne over the worst of the roots. Banked into a left I was first to discover a tree across the trail and forced myself to shut my eyes as I ploughed through the felled branches before bursting out the other side. I screamed ‘TREE’ to warn the others and was relieved to hear them all clear the gap, relaxing I changed lines to avoid a branch and heard the hiss of a burst tyre followed by the distinctive clatter of bouncing bicycle.

Gez had changed lines for the same reason as myself but clipped a tree stump totally hidden by grass which pretty much torn his tyre from his rim, at the speed we were moving he didn’t stand a chance. Chris was just behind Gez and saw him travel fifteen feet through the air Matrix stylie before unceremoniously slamming headfirst into ground. Clutching his neck and failing to move there was none of the usual laughter associated with a good stack and silence awaited an unsure outcome. Gez slowly started to move, complained of serious pain in his neck, took off the remains of his helmet (which was in three pieces), shook his head until his eyes were back in the middle and calmly repaired his punctured wheel before riding back to his car.

Every now and then you have a good ride with friends that has a bit of everything and reminds you why started riding in the first place. It is these rides that you remember, recount over a beer for years to come and it is these rides that you look forward to every time you kit up and head to the hills. Thirteen riders started this ride and thirteen returned, all happy, all tired and all satisfied that this summer we have had a least one ride that was undeniably awesome.

Apologises go out to Matt and Ed, we hunted for you up the hill and down but missed you somewhere in the trees. Speak soon.
Mike

24 hours but not as we know it

2009-08-04T09:55:00.000Z

Fi writes:

I was disappointed to miss the 24\12 last weekend. In my view it is the best 24 hour mtb race in the country and I am delighted the field has grown in depth since last year. The course is always fast and fun and the atmosphere fabulous.

However, this year I decided to head north to the Cheviot Hills in Northumberland to support my boyfriend Andy in his own 24 hour effort. He was racing the Open 24, a 24 hour adventure race involving mountain biking, trekking, running, kayaking, canyoning and abseilling. Oh, and of course navigation. You collect as many checkpoints as you can in each of the stages, timing each transition according to your route book and trying to gather as many points as possible.

I am out of running-action thanks to a nasty ankle injury back in April, so thought I'd marshal and then drive the boy home. I racked up a 13 hour training week on the bike in prep for the Trans Wales and was dead tired as I scraped myself out the tent on Saturday morning for the marshals briefing, (leaving Andy to repack his transition box for the nineteenth time and make final preparations to his race pack and scour the maps one last time).

But as I hung around the HQ drinking tea a friend appeared looking lost and sad. "My partner's dropped out. He's got swine flu. I really want to go and race with someone. Do you think any of the marshalls would do it with me?" I laughed and replied, jokingly, "well if you can put up with someone who can't run, I'll come and race with you!" Wry smile, twinkly eyes. Oh dear.

Fastforward an hour and a half and i've swapped my yellow marshall's bib for a numbered red one and I'm lining up with 100 other competitors under the start arch, race pack filled with borrowed food and inappropriate clothing.

Crazy.

So I raced my own 24 hour race this weekend. No laps, no commentary, no pit - just wilderness, tired eyes scouring the map, the satisfying beep of the dibber, the breathless fear after a 20ft jump into a plungepool, giggles as we abseilled down the wall of a castle at 2am, the Farne Islands at dawn, snatched sleep in a campsite laundry room, climbing without a granny ring, evil armppit-high bridleway grass and the ache of my feet as I drank coffee at the finish, under the incredible towering grandeur of Hogwarts (Alnwick Castle).

Then came the prize presentations. I suspected, but did not know for sure, that Andy and Kim had won the mixed pairs. They raced non stop, hard and adrenaline fueled for 23hrs, 59 minutes and 34 seconds. They never said 'it's only worth 5 points so let's not bother'. They raced intelligently and fast. They deserved their win and I had to choke back tears when it was announced. There are 3 races in the series and they have come 2nd in the first 2 (5hrs and 12hrs). This was a well-deserved and hard-fought moment.

Ali and I managed 4th in the mixed pairs thanks to the bike-heavy nature of the event. We had some strategical 'issues' which left us without any point collection for 4 hours (but lots of sleep!)Nevertheless we were both delighted with our result and thoroughly enjoyed being in such a staggeringly beautiful part of the world.

Mid Season Highlights

2009-07-27T20:35:00.004Z

Lots has been going in the last two weeks with team riders flogging themselves up and down our fine country and that on the other side of the water. Fiona has sent me the following report from Morzine whilst stinking of garlic and wearing onions around her neck.

I am currently riding the Alps in preparation for the Trans Wales in August. I thought ‘perfect… 7 consecutive days of big mountain riding’. Should be spot on. Well, on the first morning when we saw the hundreds of downhillers with there eleventy-million inch travel forks and their full-everything padding I suddenly felt strangely apprehensive; what with my 22lb carbon-forked Kona Hei Hei and light-as-a-gnat’s-handbag helmet. And indeed, as we hurtled flat out down our first run (a ‘blue’ so easy…), narrowly missing two 4ft gap jumps, I was a little concerned I had bitten off more than I could chew. I didn’t read any trail guides before I went, but imagined meadows and cows and rolling rocky trails and lots of climbing. There were cows, and meadows, but the climbing seemed to all be done sat on your arse on a ski lift and the descending battered your body and your bike to the point we considered roasting marshmallows on our rotors. So at the end of day 1, over a beer, a plate of stinky French cheese and the Tour highlights, we scoured the map for some more ‘us’ trails. And the first 100km up and down day was devised, taking us over to the Col to Cou.
As the week proceeded our confidence grew and we tackled a lot of the descents (even a black, with an amusing ‘don’t make me’ interlude on a vertical mud slope half way down) and managed to find some serious Wales-style climbs – all big rocks, gushing streams and grunty granny-ring efforts. Perfect. More 6hr days followed and that feeling of earning the descent came back. (Mind you, our lift passes got some serious use…)
Thankfully the last day has rained so hard that we packed the bikes up into our slightly-too-small-to-take-a-bike boxes and headed for the pub to watch The Tour and the new arrivals braving the rain. After a few days off to recover from the trip I’ll back on the bike, picking up the mileage each day and creeping towards 16-18hour weeks in preparation for the Trans Mudfest. I feel fit and surprisingly fast but disappointingly EVERYTHING hurts, probably thanks to the 6 crashes I’ve had out in the Alps. I currently can’t raise my left arm above chest height, have a broken-bone feeling in my already damaged ankle; I have skin on my calves like a scoured leather writing desk and a strange feeling that my pelvis isn’t quite where it should be.

Back on British soil Luke and Pete were heading east to Erlestoke for the Southern XC Championships. Pete rang me on his way home to express his love of the Erlestoke course that provided fun, fast flowing single track with the occasional sections of ‘air time’. Pete had just started to come to form this season and on arrival spotted the usual suspects milling around in the car park and expected the usual pecking order to prevail. Jay Horton from team Certini told me,
“Pete had an amazingly fast start and just didn’t slow down for the whole race, his lap times show that”
Pete finished 6th in category, dusting his peers and grinning all the way home. Luke had an equally good ride at Erlestoke and also finished 6th in category.

On road the Barnstable Criterion has had an invasion of the SouthFork glamourflage of late with Matt Loake and all the shop boys turning out last Wednesday. The race started quick but manageable until a break away forced a turn of speed with Matt Loake and Martin Crocker leading the chase. It was however Nick who showed the finest turn of speed as he shot out of the corner and found himself alone with a big gap back to the main field and a short gap to the breakaway. Nick attacked again to try and close the gap and join the riders up front but unfortunately the next corner turned back into the wind and Nick was swallowed up by the chasing riders.
With a mile to go Matt Loake mounted a ferocious attack to get clear of the pack and take the win but the wind once again took his legs from under him and it all came down to a frightening sprint. It was now Henry who had been hiding from the wind and saving his legs for just such an occasion that appeared unexpectedly like a grey pubic hair and led out the sprint for the line crossing in 15th place and leading the shop boys home.

The grand finale of these last two weeks came at the weekend with Bontrager 24/12. Pete, Gez, Matt and Luke were entered in the 12 hour team event and attacked right from the off displaying fast and consistent laps for the whole duration. Luke had suffered a little at the last team event but had clearly rebuilt his legs since then and was spinning around the course grinning and giggling at a speed the rest of us dream of. All four members were lapping in very similar rapid rate which led to the destruction of one of the strongest teams in the country ‘Team Yeti’ who finished in third. The boys took 2nd spot on the podium and made us all proud.

The social boys proved once again that their riding is clearly not social as Sean, Ed, Barny, Carl and Bradley (sorry if I missed anyone, it was dark when I finished so I didn’t see everyone) sent the blood ringing to their ears and stretched all sinew to take 14th place in a field of 78 teams.
As night fell and the moon slid behind a cloud, a dog barked in the distance sensing a drop in temperature, fear ran down its spine and a warm puddle formed beneath its sagging tail. In a tent near the solo pit a hag settled by a steaming pot of brake fluid before opening the guts of a small gecko with a sharpened disc rotor. The solution bubbled and spat, a morass of muscle, sinew and baboon enzyme formed into a twisted, wretched carcass of pure energy. Slowly the shape splits into two and shapes, human like in appearance drag themselves out of the now fractured pot. Nick and Martin had arrived.
Nick and Martin rode through the night and found themselves on the podium as the sun rose on Sunday morning.
I rode the 12 hour solo and having started at an impossible speed blew up after just 3 hours. For a further 2 hours I died many times before riding back into my legs and spinning through to midnight when I climbed off in 6th place.
Until next time, fear the morass.
Mike

The mud is back

2009-07-07T20:15:00.004Z

After so many weeks without mud it all seems a bit out of order when your bum gets wet, your eyes fill with grit and you swallow most of a molehill trying to drink from your bottle. With this in mind we went racing last weekend. Luke and Gez headed to South Wales for round three of the ‘Dragon XC’ and I headed for to Mid Wales for the Llanwrtyd Wells Marathon.

The Dragon XC was looking highly promising with bone dry trails on a course that had been described prior to the event as pure evil. The pre race warm up lap proved this to be correct with a monster climb to start and a fast forest descent to follow. That was it for eight laps for some people, climb until your lungs bleed and descend……..repeat. Everyone through on their fastest tyres and lined up for the off. Usually on the start line there is a nasty smell of flatulence as the stomachs of riders start to deal with the overload of adrenalin and the first gel starts to react with body enzymes. It was fortunate therefore that it started to pour with rain which took the gastoral niff out of the air. It was unfortunate that suddenly the course was very wet and no one had the right tyres on. While most slid sideways down the descent before casually drifting over the handlebars in the stream crossing at the bottom our Luke Eggar shovelled the coals on the fire and took the win by an astonishing 7 minutes. As the second rider from ‘Team Torq’ crossed the line Luke was sitting down to dinner.........in Milan.

Saturday night I lay in bed listening to the rain hitting the road outside so hard it was bouncing back into the sky and disappearing before returning again for a second try. I had checked the forecast and it was not raining in Llanwrtyd Wells so I ignored the small ocean forming on the other side of the window and went to sleep. The following morning bought cloudless skies and I loaded the car at 05.45 in high spirits. I collected friends of SouthFork Andy and Gary in Taunton and hit the highway. It rained, dear god it rained and then a cheerful text from Llanwrtyd Wells told us it had rained all night.

The flag went down at 10am and off we rode into sunshine. Yes it was sunny, all day it was sunny, the course was however very wet. After a lead out from the Merida team car hundreds of us attacked the first climb, half way up my seat post slipped and suddenly my knees where hitting my ears. I lost a lot of time trying to pick my way through the crowd that had formed while I was fixing my post and was feeling a bit miserable as I walked through the first bit of single track due to the sheer numbers surrounding. With some considerable guilt I felt a bit better when I saw Ryan Bevis from RAM had punctured and was now in the same situation as me and had to suppress a chuckle when I saw his socks had got dirty.

After 4 and half hours and 2700 metres of climbing I was shocked to find myself at the finish feeling pretty fresh. I had spun carefully most of the day as I am training for the12 hour solo I have in a few weeks time and speed was not on the menu, but I still felt I deserved to feel a little more punished at the finish. Cheerfully I crossed the line and was given a spot prize of a pair of socks and the usual T-shirt. A perfect day out.
Picture of Luke at Dragon is courtesy of Roy Bevis. Unless I get a report from Blake to post in the next few weeks I expect the next blog will be after 24/12. Good luck to all and see you there.

Mike

Hot, Hot, Hot

2009-06-30T19:36:00.002Z

Last weekend saw round three of the Nationals and on return Pete Dawe rang me with a report. The course it seems was very quick and very hot, the lack of rain had made for fast trails littered with roots. Pete was feeling good with Mayhem still coursing through his legs so went off hard and was able to hold the pace for the duration leaving him in 17th, his best Nationals position so far this season. Luke Eggar, having survived a near death experience last week when he fell asleep at the wheel (as did Martin and Barny) and ran his car off the road put in another lightening performance and finished 4th just seconds off the podium.

Sean and Barny who seem to have a very full race calendar this season were again in attendance. Sean finished in a very respectable 22nd and Barny was forced to pull out on lap two as a result of a groin strain he had picked up cage fighting the day before. Robin Sillett also rode for the SouthFork Social team and finished a very credible 10th place with three incredibly consistent laps (all 27 minutes).

Blake has once again sent me a very exciting report and seems to be enjoying life as the ‘SouthFork Marked Man’.

God this month has been up and down to say the least. Started out well with a 3rd place finish at the Surrey league road race, which gave me my final points needed to become 1st cat so needless to say I am very happy with that.

Four days later I was in action again at Ilton, and found out how difficult road racing is once you are a marked rider, everywhere I went I had riders stuck to me like excrement to a blanket and disappointingly had to watch the break go up the road as no one wanted to chase if I was there. I managed to get away with two laps to go and nearly managed to bring the break back but missed out by a few seconds and had to settle for 11th.

The next race was Portreath crits and I felt I had a point to prove, if riders wanted to sit on my wheel then I was going to rip their legs off! The pace was high from the start and I was in the first move of the day with a friend of mine Gary Chambers but it wasn’t to stick as people with fresh legs chased us down. As soon as we were back, a counter attack went off from James Smith and Rob Wilcox of Somerset Road Club. I watched them quickly get about 300 yards on our chase group which surprise surprise I was on the front of with everyone looking at me to do the work. So I gathered my self and attacked like a Tasmanian Devil on chilli sauce to leave the other riders trying to hang on to my wheel for dear life which thankfully they didn’t manage to do.

Mission accomplished, I time trailed my way up to the others and we worked together well eventually lapping the rest of the field meaning we had 1st, 2nd and 3rd in the bag at the very least..... This however was a mixed blessing as I was in a 3 man break and two of them were team mates meaning I was at some stage going to get attacked for the win! With about 6 laps to go they started and I must have chased them down one after the other about 30 times in those last 6 laps. Into the final lap they knew they weren’t going to shake me and instead sat on my wheel forcing me to lead out. So I just rode tempo and kept a beady eye on what they were up to. With 300 metres to go I picked it up, put my head down and hoped they wouldn’t be able to get round me. At 200 metres to go they were still on my wheel but I had more left so I buried myself and thankfully held on for the win.

my next race was the Kalas 2 day which after the weekend before I went into with high hopes of a podium position. The only worry was the team time trial as I was in a composite team having failed to persuade any of the Southfork army to join me.

The prologue went very well finishing 3rd, covering the mile in 2.08 and only losing out by one second to ‘the terminator’, Marcin Bioblocki. So all was on track.

In the circuit race I wasn’t feeling great but managed to finish well up in the bunch meaning I didn’t lose any time on GC.

Then into the Time Trial... as I lined up with the four other riders I was worried to say the least, the only one I knew I could trust was Gary Chambers who is a demon time trialist but I was hoping at least one of the other 3 could hang in there as the time would be taken on the 3rd man across the line!!!!

We started slow to give the other riders time to settle in and to my horror had dropped two of them by half way into the first lap! With just 3 of us left Gary and I decided we would do all the work and all the other one had to do was hang on!

Things were looking good then until 2 and a half laps when I heard Gary start shouting as we had dropped the 3rd rider. We sat up and freewheeled for about a minute before he caught us again, then it was just a case of damage limitation as we tried to nurse him home. In the end I we lost over two minutes and it dropped me from 3rd overall to 35th.

The next days 72 mile road race was going to be all or nothing for me now and with Sports Beans controlling the pace it proved to be the later. I had a good few goes at getting away but was brought back every time, the pace was red hot all day and with an average speed in excess of 27 mph on a hilly course. It wasn’t really much fun and over half of the 80 man field was dropped. I came home in 11th place on the stage and 24th overall but was bitterly disappointed at what could have been.

Still as they say onwards and upwards, National Championship Report to follow!

Thanks Blake, keep it coming.

I am off to Wales this Sunday to ride a 100k Merida so if I have not dehydrated and died I will report on that next week sometime. I couldn't find any pics of Blake or the boys so went for irrelevant. Sorry

Mike

Mountain Mayhem

2009-06-22T21:37:00.006Z

Mountain Mayhem is the measuring stick that all mountain bikers gauge themselves and each other against. With this in mind I feel that SouthFork will need to buy some very long rulers.

No one was really looking forward to Mayhem this year. Let's face it, it is always cold, it is always wet and it leaves mud stains on your body that can only be removed with mentholated spirit. Nether the less, we entered three teams. Sean captained the ‘Ten Man Team, Fiona by default captained the Mixed Elite and the four man ‘Sport’ team was led by a small demented squirrel called Norman.

Luke, Chris and Barny flew out of the blocks for the run with Luke well up the front looking very serious, Chris and Barny just behind looking knackered. That first lap from Luke put us in an excellent position and put the Sport team in contention for the podium. During the night we took the lead and fought hard to hold onto it. Through the night we battled with Pete, Gez and Luke laying down some seriously fast laps and myself just laying down as I kept crashing in exactly the same place every lap (apologises go out to the marshal I squashed in his deck chair…….twice). As the sun rose over the new SouthFork gazebo and I quashed yet another bottle of ‘Accelerade’ (now sold from the online shop) we were leading by 12 minutes. With four laps to go we suffered a broken chain and try as we might could not regain the top spot finishing second in our category and 10th overall.

The ten man team were also making their mark with Sean’s consistency, Barny’s new found form, Robs new wheels, Andy’s grim determination, Nick’s funny looking bike, Martin’s funny looking face and Matt’s disappearance (seriously buddy, where did you go? I asked the others and they said you exploded!), they were soon serious players in their category. Fuelled by Sean’s carbon sausages (now being used by Tiverton primary school for ‘colouring in time’) the team finished 3rd in category.

The mixed elite team also rode a strong race, Henry threw down a 46 minute lap only bettered by Matt Loake who would have been quicker had he not paused to blow kisses at the camera (see picture). Chris was also draining the Accelerade and this concoction of carbs, protein and lobsters motivated him to be the only team member to go out for a double lap in the dark while it was raining. Fi, having previously only ridden Mayhem solo, kept looking around at her team members with a look of slight unease and confusion. It may have been this that prompted her to get into a fight in the woods leaving her bleeding from her spud like knee. The team finished either 4th or 5th – TBC.

Nationals are rearing their head once more next weekend. I am not going but will endeavour to interview those who do and get a report blogged shortly after. If Blake has any roadie news I will get that up here too. Finally many thanks to Matt in San Francisco who e-mailed to express his enjoyment of the blog which he is reportedly ‘living vicariously through’. It is nice to know people read it.

Mike

Lake Wettern Bike Race

2009-06-15T19:59:00.003Z

Fiona has once again been racing abroad but this time she turned to the dark side and did it on a road bike. Fi sent me this report this morning.

The Lake Wettern bike race is epic. It is a one-lap road ride clockwise around a stretch of water so large you can’t see the other side. You start in waves of 50 people in 2 minute intervals any time between 8.30pm and 5.30am and you just keep on riding until you’re back at Motala on the East side of the lake. 19,000 people entered this year and I was lucky enough to win a place to ride.

The atmosphere at the event is electric and streams and streams of people on bikes of all shapes and sizes constantly set forth over the starting mats and head out for their personal Vatternrundan challenge. Our 9.28pm start was a good slot and we had over 2 hours of daylight to enjoy the first 100km, which was down hill or flat and with a tail wind! I immediately stuck in behind an 8ft Dutch guy and barely pedalled for the first 9km, thinking ‘this is going to be easy!’ A puncture and 15 minutes of stress later and I wasn’t feeling so good. Having lost my 8ft windbreak I had to rip past group after group desperately seeking out a bunch that was my pace.

70km passed like this and still no group (although a few waifs and strays had begun to string out behind me). I stopped at the first big feed station and refilled my bottles, gathered my thoughts and shared a nod with Anders, my new cycling buddy from Stockholm who had been the only one of my collection of riders who had bothered helping me out on the front. It was agreed, silently, that we would ride together. He was a Vatternrundan veteran of 4 attempts and knew what it was all about. He was also a mountain biker and us fat-tyre folk tend to stick together!

Together we rode on and at some point just before dusk, at about midnight, a team of Norwegians flew past us. Without any hesitation we jumped on their tail and that magical moment occurred where your speed bounces up and your heart rate bounces down simultaneously. We settled in for the 3 hour dark patch, joysticks illuminating the logo-ed and lycra-d butt of the guy in front. Time flew past and we were eating up the miles, now heading northwards and into a head wind which only made itself known when we wavered slightly to the left of the wheel in front.

Anders had said he would stop for lasagne at a major feed station and at 4am I reluctantly left the Norwegian engine and joined him for a feed. It was good though – a big slice of lasagne and carton of milk. The food of champions! 10 minutes later we were out again and battling into the headwind on our own. We tried 2 minutes each on the front but it was too hard. We slipped to 1 minute and battled to keep our speed above 30. I knew it had been going too smoothly. We had been rocking with the Norwegians at 34 and this was a major blow. But we kept saying ‘we’ll be caught soon and have some shelter’. 50 minutes passed and still no group to join. Anders was losing his morale. We passed my hotel in Karlsborg, which was 200km in and I shouted with joy – that meant we were over half way up the North side. Only 50k left until we turned south again. Anders just grunted.

Eventually we reached another drinks stop and saw a gaggle of green and white riders by the side of the road gearing themselves up to get going again after their stop. “The Norwegians!” I cried. Brilliant. Soon they would catch us and we would ride together again. In the mean time we joined a bunch riding roughly our pace or a bit slower. It was better than breaking away and suffering for even longer so we stuck with them. About this time I had an incredible second wind and felt very strong. I started to organise our group, who were flagging somewhat. “No more than a minute on the front, but ride hard!” I said. The boys laughed at me but did what I suggested and our speed picked back up to 34 or 35 on the flat. We were making far better progress and when the Norwegians caught us we melted in with them easily. I was feeling stronger and stronger with each passing km and riding hard up the climbs. The group thinned and soon it was just Anders and me plus 2 Norwegian teams. We were rocking.

The end of the lake appeared and we turned south. Anders had planned another stop 50k from the end but I said ‘no way’. The thought of more battling on our own without the others was unappealing. With our tail wind we were motoring at 38 or 39 and I persuaded Anders he could hang on for 1 hour more. I gave him some food and we continued. The last 40k was hillier but it was the home straight and everything came out the bag. We were making breaks, sprinting up the climbs, rolling through and off and enjoying the tussle. The Norwegians were a strong team and it was a real learning curve for me riding with such experienced roadies when I’m just used to mountain biking.

Motala appeared, complete with waving marshals, a few sleepy spectators and some tight turns. A sprint finish saw me take 2nd spot from our group and we all stopped, medals on, and shared a smile and a hug after a fantastically exciting and fun ride. The ‘sprint’ of course was pointless because we had all started at different times, but it was all about enjoying the moment and the smiles said it all. I never new road riding could be so fun. I’ll never give up mountain biking, but riding those smooth Swedish roads, smelling the pine forests at night and working hard with a group of great riders was a lovely feeling and a far cry from the procession that endurance mountain bike racing can sometimes be. I will be back next year for sure, Oh, and I might try and beat my 10hrs15 overall time (and my 9hrs47 ride time).

Thanks to Exposure Lights, Goodness Shakes, Spoke Shirts and Southfork Racing.

Multi Meteo

2009-06-08T20:38:00.007Z

‘Anyone who says sunshine brings happiness has never danced in the rain’

Margam Park has traditionally been the sweat box event of the season and this year was no different. Temperatures of 27 degrees saw the faces of most riders caked in white salt, many of which were trying to lick themselves to get some of the lost electrolytes back into the blood stream. The suffering began when on Saturday morning the sun hit the highest point of its arc and Luke Eggar flung himself off the blocks, elbows out and eye capillaries bursting. The battle Luke had with Russell Turner in the last round must have laid a gauntlet as Luke crossed the line a minute in front of him to take the second spot on the podium.

Later in the day as the heat maxed out and it started to become difficult to breath I withheld a small chuckle as the gun sounded for the start of the masters and open male event. Gez, Pete, Sean and Barny all sprinted off into the heat haze pouring with sweat before even clipping in. Pete crossed the line in 31st Masters, Barny finished a very respectable 11th in the open followed by Sean in 21st.

The Sunday proved to be just as hot for the Marathon Champs which resulted in most people cramping at some stage. Regretting the chuckle I had suppressed the day before I went out slow in the 100km to try and avoid dehydration. The tactic failed me in a spectacular manner and I screamed like a girl as I cramped on the third and forth laps. More than five hours later I crossed the line 6th in category. The 50km was a very fast ride and Gez who had recovered from the previous day rode a very fast race and came in just seconds behind Pete for 12th and 13th place. Chris also had a good day and shocked us all with a blistering two laps putting him just a few places behind Gez and Pete in 17th. Nick turned up to Margam on some crazy looking rig that was at least 20lbs lighter than it looked and punished me for calling him an asthmatic donkey by flying over the line in 10th place.

This weekend took us to the other end of the weather spectrum. Rising at 5.45am the sky was clear and the temperature pleasantly clement. Within 5 miles of Bristol the sky went black and most of the sky fell on my head, ‘Bike Fest’ began. SouthFork had entered a mixed team (Pete, Gez, Matt and Fi), a pair (friend of SF Rich and myself) and two social teams in the pairs.

The course began with thick mud, greasy tree roots and cold wet shorts filled with blackened grinding paste. Despite this the mixed team rode a near perfect race with consistent lap times throughout securing their dominant position right from the gun. Myself and Richard went off equally as hard catapulting ourselves right up to the top end of the catergory. Sean and Barny were however the big surprise as they set off at leisurely pace posing little threat to anyone. As the conditions wheedled out the runts, Sean and Barny slowly worked their way up the field like a couple of ninjas secreting their way into an evil lair. Sean and Barny finished in 6th place just two places behind myself and Richard in forth. The podium of the day went to the mixed team who exited the woods for the last time in 2nd place. Good work guys. Congratulations are also due to friend of SF Andy who won the solo ‘Old Gits’ with an understated ease.

Sunday was all too much for me so I had a nice rest in bed before attending my son’s second birthday party. Fiona however dragged her stinking kit back on and rode around in circles for another six hours winning the Sunday solo event for another SouthFork podium.

We all have a weekend off next week to prepare our finely tuned bodies for Mountain Mayhem. Personally I will listening to ‘Eye of the Tiger’, ingesting complex carbs and hardening my muscles by rubbing my legs with ice cream.

Mike

SouthFork on Top

2009-05-29T20:38:00.003Z

With so much going on the next few weeks I thought I should get a blog in quick before it all mounts up I don’t get a chance to include everything.

Coming up this weekend is the next National XC at Margam Park followed by the National Marathon Champs on Sunday at the same location. Next weekend is Bristol Bike Fest so I will endeavour to fit a blog in reporting on those before Mountain Mayhem.

Recent news sees the end of an era with the death of the ‘Glamourflage’. A new is kit is going to print that will look very much like the South Fork Downhill kit but tighter……. Oooo yeah. Last Blog I asked for the other South Fork factions to let me know what they were up to and have been rewarded by road team member Blake Pond so many thanks buddy.

Set2Rise was the race to be at last weekend and myself and Fi were there to ‘Flash the Flage’ in the mixed pair category. My experiences of SPAM events involved dragging myself through field after field of hub deep mud whilst listening out for new and inventive swear words to use later. It was with some huge pleasure that I discovered the lap consisted of seven miles of bone dry single track perfection…………imagine Thetford with hills.

Both Fi and I have been off the bikes injured so we began with caution slowly teasing are bodies up to speed before blowing up and dragging our sorry bottoms in circles for 12 hours. The saving factor was without a doubt Fi’s boyfriend Andy who had a mug of a tea ready after every lap, looked after the bikes, timed the laps and the battery life and delivered food and motivation right through the night. With Andys help we won the category convincingly and took the top spot of the podium.

It must be a good week for wiping the South Fork shoes on the top of the podium as Blake Pond reports form Totnes.

‘A Great night of racing promoted by Mid Devon CC in Totnes saw closed roads and large crowds lining the streets to cheer on a full field of 50 riders for an hour of racing plus 3 laps.

The pace was high from the gun with all the top riders happy to show their cards and try to establish a break on this tight technical and cobbled 1k circuit.

Within ten minutes of the race starting the field exploded and saw the lead group of five riders including myself lap the bunch which meant that over 35 riders were eliminated. I attacked several times without success testing the legs of Mid Devon’s Jake Durrant who kept closing me down. The pace slowed at the 45 minute mark allowing the chase group of 10 riders to re join us at the front of the field.

I decided the front was the best place to be and rode tempo keeping the other riders strung out behind , noticing some were starting to struggle I made a decisive move at around 55 minutes and attacked up the drag through the high street quickly opening up a gap of 15 seconds on the bunch, I have been time trialling well of late winning the Barnstable Ten this week and used this form to keep the gap. With 2 laps to go it was in the bag baring a crash. Coming into the climb on Fore Street for the final lap I had time to zip up the South Fork jersey and enjoy the win in front of the crowd.

Five seconds later Jake Durrant crossed the line closely followed by Gary Chambers for 2nd and 3rd.’

Good work Blake, keep it coming. Next report after Bristol Bike Fest.

Mike

Munching in May

2009-05-14T20:37:00.001Z

Since my injury I have had gaps in my week where I would normally be training, recording my training or talking to the boys about training. In order to avoid the inevitable despressing void I turned to saturated fat and buns which has been a less successful training technique than I expected. Fortunately I am now back on the bike and readying myself for the next few busy weeks.

Round 2 of the ‘UK Bike Park Downhill Championships’ was another successful outing for the shop boys with Nick bettering his position from round one by finishing top of the podium in round two. Richard took his new bike (an Iron Horse Sunday) along having not ridden it yet and lost a few postions while he was getting used to the ride, this pushed him off his usual spot on the podium but he’ll be back up there in the next round after all he has been described as ‘****ing awesome’. Nick has some good photos festering in the South Fork camera that I will post up here as soon as I get them.

Dalby hosted the National XC Champs last weekend and Matt Loake, Luke and Gez made the long drive up to represent. Gez described the new course as mixture of natural and man made trail that flows well at speed gradually building your confidence and excitement before slapping you in the face with a rock. Gez can testify to this as he hit a log on the warm up lap and now sports an attractive blue tatoo that matches the forest floor on his knee. Matt had bad day as we all have sometimes, scooped his lungs off the front wheel and pulled the plug on lap three. Luke rode a fierce battle with Russell Turner of team Certini and scored himself a podium place. Good work buddy.

On the social team I am sad to report the death of Sean’s FSA seat post. The funeral will be in his garden on Wednesday for those who wish to pay their respects. In order to finance a new post Sean will going to France to sell bags of urine to the Tour riders, if anyone wishes to make a donation please contact him through the shop.

The next three weeks are shaping up to be exciting with ‘Set2Rise’ next week, ‘Margam Park’ the week after and ‘Bristol Bike Fest’ after that so keep an eye on the blog for updates. On a final note I feel I am excluding the efforts of the South Fork road and tri riders so would appreciate information on what you are all up to. My phone number or e-mail can be obtained from the shop if anyone wants to keep me updated.

Mike

Battered, Beasted and Barefoot

2009-04-27T20:50:00.001Z

‘The most dangerous strategy is to jump a chasm in two leaps.’ – Benjamin Disraeli

An interesting two weeks littered with daring do and damage has occurred since the last blog post, fortunately some aggressive and successful racing was involved somewhere along the line.

The first ‘Merida’ of the season kicked off in Builth Wells and was for the very first time rewarded with sunshine, dusty trails and sunburn. I was fortunate enough to be representing the shop along with Matt Loake who had driven all the way up from Cornwall to flash the ‘Glamouflage’ in the sunlight. The race started with a seven kilometre lead out by the Merida van which was rather pleasant. Sitting in the pack feeling strong, getting sucked along at 25mph I couldn’t help feeling like I was going to be right up there with the fore runners on this day. I changed my mind a few minutes later as the van pulled away and I went backwards choking and retching on the first climb. After an hour I started to feel better, my lungs cleared of flem, I picked the pace up and started working my way back up the field finishing in a respectable position near the front of the pack.

Matt Loake had a very different Merida to myself going off very fast in the first breakaway and staying in the second group when the lead bunch split. Unfortunately I found Matt at the 30km mark in a field surrounded by sheep, covered in dust, bleeding a bit, with no shoes on his feet and his new team bike under one arm. My immediate thoughts were that he had forgotten he was no longer in Cornwall and thought that everyone had to share one pair of shoes therefore had handed them over to another rider. I quickly discovered that Matt had forgotten he was no longer in Cornwall and thought that everyone had to share one pair of shoes therefore had handed them over to another rider.

Elsewhere the Downhill team were leading an aerial assault on Blandford Forum during the first of the ‘UK Bike Park Series’. Nick may ride XC like an asthmatic donkey but on a downhill bike he dons the persona of the winged Greek god ‘Eros’.
"Ruthless Eros, great bane, great curse to mankind, from you come deadly strifes and lamentations and groans, and countless pains as well have their stormy birth from you in the arena of downhill riding." - Apollonius Rhodius, Argonautica
Nick finished 2nd in the first race putting himself in an excellent position to challenge for the series win later in the season.
The Southern XC Series last Sunday was apparently the race to be at with super dry trails, plenty of single track and an huge turn out of over 400 riders. Gez, Pete and Luke were in attendance with a mixed bag of results. Gez rode an excellent race in an exceptionally fast field of riders finishing 14th despite a crash on the last lap. Luke took 5th in the sport category just a few seconds behind the podium spots and sadly Pete took a big crash on the head dislocating his shoulder and earning himself a trip in the blood wagon. We all hope you have a speedy recovery Pete.
Fiona attended a skills course in the Lakes last week and discovered she was a natural at performing manuals, unfortunately she pushed her limits a little far on a later ride in Aston Court flipping the bike and spraining her ankle. Fi is currently on crutches so we also wish her a speedy recovery.
I have myself also sustained injury after a training ride with the Tiverton boys left me with a damaged knee that has kept me off the bike for the last ten days. I wish myself myself a speedy recovery as there is no one else to do it.
Finally, congratulations to ‘SouthFork Social’ rider ‘Tiverton Matt’ who with his new wife is expecting his first baby. Good work buddy.
Mike

It all Kicks Off!

2009-04-06T21:24:00.003Z

A busy two weeks has just passed for South Fork with team kit appearing on start lines all over the country. Three weeks of dry weather has perfected road and trails alike making for the best riding conditions for many months.

Blake Pond got the ball rolling in the Ham Hill Road Race which attracted some seriously handy riders this year turning an early season leg warmer into a sinew tearing battle of attacks and breakaways. With this in mind it was no mean feat for Blake to carry his South Fork vest well into the top ten.

The XC season began on Sunday in Sherwood Forest where the team was represented by Pete, Gez and Matt with Cheese and Barny flying the flag for the ‘Social’ boys. Matt went out with the Elite category and posted some very fast lap times in the hot and dusty conditions. Pete(35th) and Gez(37th) also rode a very hard and rapid race which Gez described as, “one of the best but hardest races I ever ridden”. Sean and Barny finished together in the ‘Open’ catergory inside the top third with Sean crossing the line first but I can imagine a polite situation at the finish involving a lot of, “after you old boy” and “shall we meet for crumpets after?”

Also this weekend was the last in serious of the ‘Winter South West Downhill Championships’ which if nothing else has a very long title. I had not watched the shop boys ride downhill before and found myself in a situation where I was partly in awe and partly scared for their well being.

On arriving at the venue I could see almost nothing of the course but quickly spotted South Fork downhill jerseys in the car park and asked Nick where I should watch from. Having been directed to a “reasonably sized jump” I climbed the fire trail following the uplift vehicle. I later discovered that the uplift had two purposes, firstly to portage the riders up the hill and secondly to transport the riders’ brains in jam jars back to the bottom where they collected them at the end of each run and put them back in. The ‘reasonably sized jump’ turned out to be a 30 foot road gap which Nick, Chris and Dicky were effortlessly popping off with the sort of ease it takes most people to jump off the curb. As Dicky threw a whip into his aerial assault I decided that it took a special sort of person to ride downhill races and I was no less of a man for being afraid to try it anytime soon. Just as this thought passed through my mind a 12 year old launched himself off the jump, ate a mini milk, threw the wrapper at my face and gracefully landed 35 feet away.

Nick took second place in the Veteran category with Chris holding the same podium spot in the Masters. Dicky’s true name is known only to the elves which made him hard to find on the finishing sheet but I believe he finished 4th in his category. I asked Dicky about his whipped jump and he modestly explained that he was “******g awesome.”

I have no video or pictures this time but will make sure I include something visually enhancing next time.

Mike

New Seasons Greetings

2009-03-25T21:43:00.002Z

A lot has happened since the last blog back in November, the most important of which being that Martin has decided to share the blogging work load due to his demanding training schedule. This should mean that the blog will be updated a little more regularly so please keep logging on check.

Since November the MTB team has altered and a new starring line up has emerged. Myles and Pete are still the key stone riders, Mike has returned for another season too but the exciting news is that we now have the company of both Matt Loake and Fi Spotswood. The social team is expanding also and is now large enough to merit its own team kit so keep an eye out at all events for the ‘Kermitouflage’.

It has been a busy winter with some excellent team sightings on the podium of the ‘Soggy Bottom’ series from Pete and Mike, a very well ridden and tactical race from Myles putting him right up there with the UK big guns and a whole pile of South Fork members well up the top of the overall results table. Fi had a good crack at the ‘Stinger’ event finishing in third and more recently took the top podium spot in a road race. The season ahead looks highly promising particularly with many riders flying on the ‘Kona Hei Hei’s’ (see the online shop) that South Fork are knocking out at a ridiculously cheap price!

The annual training weekend to Scotland came around somewhat rapidly this year and clashed with mothers’ day which made for an interesting scene on the Sunday. Watching ten grown men surrounded by their peers ring their mothers and tell them they love them whilst remaining butch and focussed on the surrounding mountains could be described as comical.

Friday saw an early start with all four vehicles leaving the south west at around six thirty in the morning, all passengers twitching and gibbering in anticipating of the empty trails ahead. Cheese was particularly excited to receive seven hours of analyzed lap times and training techniques.

Being cooped up for seven hours clearly lit a few tapers as everyone attacked the single track with a fever and blood lust reminiscent of Boudica herself. Two hours later the demons had been exorcised and eleven riders limped back to the cottages ready for a pub dinner.

Saturday I expected to be a little less vicious with six hours riding planned at Killoughtree and Dalbeattie. It was with some surprise that I found myself retching at the top of the first climb of the day and seeing stars by the end of the last one. Sunday was a bit more of a sedate affair and in true ‘Scotland Weekend Stylie’ the big accident came on the last day, fortunately nothing more than a few cracked ribs.

Coming up in two weeks time is the first national of the year and Matt and Pete will be representing the South Fork Team. I will probe both of them thoroughly afterwards and get a report up on here shortly after. Until then ride hard, crash soft and enjoy the Scotland video below.

RESESSION,DEPRESSION AND REGRESSION!!!

2008-11-27T16:41:00.002Z

CYCLO-CROSS, ROAD RIDING AND MOUNTAIN BIKING ALL DONE IN THE RAIN!. THE SOUTHWEST SERIES IN CYCLO-CROSS HAS BEEN WITTLING ON AT A FAIR OLD RATE NOW THROUGH THE WINTER MONTHS STARTING IN SEPTEMBER AND FINISHING IN THE MIDDLE OF DECEMBER. AFTER THE WEST BUCKLAND RACE THE FUN MOVED ON TO PLYMPTON FARM IN KINGSBRIDGE ON THE 19TH OF OCTOBER. THE COURSE WAS BUILT TO FAVOUR A MTBer WITH PLENTY OF OFF CAMBER AND TECHNICAL BITS. SOUTHFORK HAD A LARGE GROUP OF RIDERS TAKING PART WITH SOME IMPRESSIVE FINISHES. PETE DAWE FINISHED 6TH OVERALL COMING IN JUST BEHIND THE LEADERS, MARC WOOLACOTT HAVING STEPPED UP TO THE SENIOR CATEGORY PUT IN AN IMPRESSIVE RACE FINISHING IN 13TH OVERALL. CHRIS GREEN MADE A BRIEF COME BACK TO THE LOCAL RACE SCENE CRUISING AROUND THE COURSE TO FINISH 24TH IN A HIGHLY COMPETITIVE RACE. THE NEXT MAYOR OF BRAUNTON, HENRY BENNING WANTED A TOP 25 FINISH IN HIS FIRST CROSS RACE MISSING OUT BY 1 PLACE AFTER SUFFERING A CRASH ON THE LAST LAP FINISHING 26TH OVERALL. A CLOSE BATTLE WAS OCCURRING IN THE SOUTHFORK RACING MINOR STANDINGS BETWEEN 2 SHOP TEAM MATES, WITH NO TEAM ORDERS ISSUED IT WAS EVERY MAN FOR HIMSELF. NICK BUTLER WAS THE UNFORTUNATE MAN TO LOSE OUT TO MARK LEES AFTER THEY BATTLED THE WHOLE WAY ROUND SWAPPING PLACES, NICK LOST IT IN A LAST LAP DO-OR-DIE OVERTAKING MANEUVER TO SEIZE GLORY ENDED UP ON HIS ARSE WHILE MARK RODE OVER HIS HEAD (ON PURPOSE!) AND WENT ON TO RECEIVE THE SPOILS FINISHING 40TH AND NICK TRUNDLING IN 44TH.
HU-EFFING-RAY THE SOGGY BOTTOM WINTER SERIES WERE BACK, SO WE COULD DISCARD THE SKINNY WHEEL BIKES AND CRACK ON WITH THE MANLY SPORT OF MTBING!!!!. ON A VERY VERY WET SUNDAY NEWNHAM PARK WAS THE SCENE FOR THE DIRT BATTLE OF THE BOARDERS. THE TEAM WAS THERE EN-MASS AND THE TURN-OUT WAS MIND BOGGLING. WITH RECORD FIGURES RECORDED FOR ENTRANTS.....MOUNTAIN BIKING WAS BACK BIGGER AND BETTER BEFORE!.
PETE DAWE AND MYLES GERRARD THE MAINSTAY OF THE SOUTHFORK RACING TEAM PROVED THEY HAD JUSTIFIED THEIR SELECTION (YEAH LIKE THEIR SELECTION WAS EVER IN DOUBT) PETE STEPPED DOWN A CATEGORY TO MASTERS TO FINISH AN AMAZING 2ND OVERALL AND ONLY BEING BEATEN BY A FEW SECONDS, MYLES CAME IN FINISHING 4TH HAVING HAD A BIT OF HIS AUTUMN TRAINING INTERRUPTED BY INJURY AND ILLNESS, THIS WAS A MASSIVE RESULT. ALSO IN THE MASTERS CATEGORY (WHICH HAD A RECORD NUMBER OF ENTRANTS OVER 63 IN TOTAL) CHRIS GREEN FINISHED 13TH OVERALL RIDING HIS NEW STEED, A YETI ARC HARDTAIL (WE STOCK A MASSIVE RANGE OF YETIS PLEASE CALL FOR DETAILS) AND ONE OF THE NICEST MEN IN THE WORLD SEAN CANNOCK FINISHED A RESPECTABLE 39TH. IN THE SPORTS CATEGORY WHERE AGAIN MORE RECORD FIGURES HAD TURNED UP (62 TOTAL) SOUTHFORK HAD 2 TOP 10 FINISHERS. MARC WOOLACOTTS IMPRESSIVE RUN CONTINUES OF TOP 10 FINISHES IN CYCLO-CROSS AND MTB, HAVING FINISHED 5TH OVERALL JUSTIFY HIS FIRST TEAM SELECTION THIS WAS CLOSELY FOLLOWED BY HENRY BENNING WOULD FINISHED 8TH CREATING A PROBLEM FOR THE SELECTORS OF THE ENDURO RACE TEAM (THAT'S ME BY THE WAY AND I CAN BE BRIBED WITH MONEY OR BEER!!). A GUEST APPEARANCE BY SOUTHFORKRACING.CO.UK SPONSORED UNDER 21 BRITISH MOTO-CROSS CHAMPION ALEX SNOW SWAPPED HIS MOTO-CROSS BIKE FOR A MOUNTAIN BIKE AND FINISHING 14TH OVERALL. THE VETS CATEGORY HAD THE BIGGEST INCREASE OF ALL THE CATEGORIES IN NUMBERS TOPPING OUT AT 60 ENTRANTS. THE SOLID FOUNDATION OF THE SOUTHFORK TEAM SET OUT BY THE OLD REAR GUARD (COFFIN DODGERS/OXYGEN THIEFS) NICK BUTLER DESPITE CRASHING (AGAIN) FINISHED A HIGHLY IMPRESSIVE 17TH OVERALL BRINGING IN TO QUESTION SOME OF THE DEDICATION OF THE YOUNGER MEMBERS AND MELVIN EVERLEIGH, A REGULAR TO THE SOGGY BOTTOMS, ENTERED THE YOUNG MANS CATEGORY (VETS INSTEAD OF GRAND VETS FINISHED WITH A SMILE ON IS FACE AS ALWAYS IN 48TH.
IN BETWEEN THE CROSS RACING AND MTB SOME OF THE SOUTHFORK POSSE TOOK PART IN THE EXMOOR BEAST CYCLING SPORTIVE ACROSS EXMOOR. IT WAS A VERY EARLY START WITH A MASSIVE TURN OUT OF PEOPLE WITH OVER 1000 PEOPLE TAKING PART HAVING A CHOICE OF DOING 100K OR 100 MILE. THE MAGAZINES LISTED IT AS THE HARDEST OF THE SPORTIVES AVAILABLE IN BRITAIN.....THEY WEREN'T WRONG. GOOD ORGANISATION MADE FOR A GREAT DAY.....WILL WE BE DOING IT AGAIN NEXT YEAR....REMAINS TO BE SEEN!!!!.

South Fork CycloX

2008-10-20T19:57:00.001Z

THIS IS THE CAMPEST THING YOU WILL EVER SEE

WINTER WONDERLAND!!!!

2008-10-20T18:56:00.004Z

EVERYTHING THAT IS GOOD,WARM AND ENJOYABLE IS NOW OVER! THE BIG DARK ABISS IS HERE THE BIG W.....WINTER!. TRIATHLON SEASON IS OVER, TIME TRIALS AND ROAD RACING ARE DONE, BUT ONE SAVING GRACE, WELL 2 ACTUALLY HAS BEGAN THE UP AND COMING SEASON OF MTB RACING AND THE ANCIENT SPORT OF CYCLO-CROSS.
MTB RACING HAS RISEN FROM THE ASHES RECENTLY WITH LOCAL, REGIONAL AND NATIONAL RACES, MARATHONS, 12HOURS AND 24 HOUR COMPETITIONS FILLING UP ONLINE AND POSTALLY WITHIN HOURS. IF YOU ARE KEEN TO HAVE A GO MOST OF THE RACES HAVE CATEGORIES FOR EVERYONE SO WHY NOT TRY IT! LOG ON TO WWW.XCRACER.COM .
CYCLO-CROSS HAVE A SOUTHWEST SERIES GOING ON FOR MORE INFO LOG ON TO WWW.CYCLO-CROSS.ORG.UK THE SERIES HAS REACHED ITS 4TH RACE KINGSBRIDGE. CYCLO-CROSS FOR THE PEOPLE WHO AREN'T IN THE KNOW IS........MOUNTAIN BIKING CROSSED WITH ROAD RIDING CROSSED WITH TIMETRIALLING......ITS HARD AS HELL!
RACED OVER A GRASS COURSE, WITH LAPS RANGING FROM A MILE TO 2 MILES PER LAP AND YOU HAVE 1 HOUR TO DO AS MANY AS YOU CAN AS QUICK AS YOU CAN!!! ALL OFF ROAD.
THE BOYS OF SOUTHFORKRACING.CO.UK HAVE BEEN EVER PRESENT AT THESE TORTUROUS EVENTS BRINGING A LITTLE JOY (YEAH RIGHT) AND MERRYMENT!. FOR EVIDENCE OF THIS, IF YOU HAVE A YOUTUBE ACCOUNT (WWW.YOUTUBE.COM) LOG IN THEN IN THE SEARCH BAR ENTER SOUTH FORK CYCLO X AND CLICK ON THE WEST BUCKLAND LINK AND MARVEL AT THE SKILL AND SPEED OF THE TOP BOYS (PETE, GEZ AND MARC WOOLACOTT) AND LAUGH AT THE CAMPNESS OF THE ALSO RANS OVER THE PLANKS!

ITS BEEN A WHILE

2008-08-07T18:45:00.002Z

YES, YES, YES I KNOW........ OH ITS ABOUT TIME SOMETHING NEW TURNED UP ON THE BLOG, WELL THERE IS A BIT TO CATCH UP ON.......... WE NOW ARE RUNNING DOWNHILL UPLIFT DAYS EVERY ALTERNATE WEEKEND ON EXMOOR SO IF YOUR INTERESTED GIVE THE SHOP A CALL AND GET YOUR NAME DOWN QUICK. THE BOYS RACING FOR SOUTHFORKRACING.CO.UK HAVE BEEN DOING THEMSELVES AND US PROUD, WITH A SERIES OF TOP 3 RESULTS BEATING FULLY SPONSORED RIDERS INTO THE GROUND, LEAVING THEM PLACED 2ND OVERALL IN THE SERIES. BEST OF ALL THE RESULT AT THE BONTRAGER 24/12 3RD OVERALL.....SOME TEAMS WILL NOT BE HAPPY!.....TOUGH SHIT WE ARE STOKED!!!!!....MYSELF, NICK, CHRIS WOULD LIKE TO EXTEND OUR UP MOST GRATITUDE TO WHAT THE GUYS HAVE ACHIEVE. A SPECIAL MENTION SHOULD GO TO MIKE WHO RODE THE 24/12 SOLO FINISHING 3RD OVERALL.....OUTSTANDING WHICH STANDS HIM IN GOOD STEAD FOR THE TRANS WALES WHICH HES DOING ON THE 16TH. FOR ALL OF YOU WHO AREN'T FAMILIAR WITH THE CONCEPT ITS 7 DAYS OF MOUNTAIN BIKING OVER SOME MASSIVE HILLS.
THIS TIME OF YEAR WITH THE 2008 SEASON WINDING UP AND THE NEW 2009 MODELS COMING OUT, AT SOUTHFORK WE HAVE BEEN BUSY SPYING ON THE NEW BRANDS GRABBING SOME QUALITY INSIDE INFO.........STAY TUNED!.
SOME OF THE BOYS HAVE BEEN OVER IN FRANCE IMPROVING THE ANGLO FRENCH RELATIONS!. COMPETING IN THE MEGA AVALANCHE RACE WHICH IS EFFECTIVELY A 2 HOUR DOWNHILL RACE OFF OF AN MOUNTAIN. THE WEATHER ON RACE DAY WAS HORRIFIC, WITH MORE RAIN THAN ENGLAND, THUNDER AND LIGHTENING AND FREEZING TEMPERATURES SOME OF THE PARTY DECIDED THEIR ENERGY WAS BETTER SPENT AT THE BREAKFAST TABLE. ONE TEAM RIDER DID FINISH IN THE MIDDLE OF THE PACK.
MITCH BARCLAY HAS BEEN FLYING THROUGH THE TRIATHLONS FINISHING IN 10TH POSITION IN THE CHALLENGING BUDE TRIATHLON, THEN FINISHING 40TH OVERALL IN THE NATIONAL TEAM TRIATHLON RELAYS AT NOTTINGHAM.

OH I DONT KNOW IF ANYONE NOTICE BUT THERE WAS A RATHER GOOD LOOKING YOUNG MAN IN LAST MONTHS 220 TRIATHLON MAGAZINE FANNYING AROUND IN A WETSUIT AND A LAKE!. ALSO I DONT THINK THIS IS A COINCIDENCE BUT ALL OF THE SHOPS THAT SOLD 220 WAS SOLD OUT AS WELL! (YEAH MY MUM SPENT A FORTUNE BUYING ALL THEM COPIES!!!!.
ANYWAY HAPPY RACING TO YOU ALL................

3RD ROUND OF THE CLOUD COVER DOWNHILL SERIES

2008-03-19T16:47:00.004Z

VENUE: AVILL HILL NR DUNSTER
WEATHER: WET
MEMBERS PRESENT: NICK BUTLER,CHRIS GREEN,BRETT JAMES AND RICHARD MARKS

IF ITS WATER YOU LIKE THEN THIS WAS THE PLACE TO BE. IT RAINED AND RAINED AND RAINED TO THE POINT OF DECIDING WHETHER TO ROUND UP 2 OF EACH ANIMAL AND THEN BUILDING AN ARCH. PRACTICE WENT SURPRISINGLY WELL DESPITE THE CONDITIONS.
THE COURSE WAS FAST AND TECHNICAL WITH RACE RUNS TAKING UP TO 1 MINUTE 45SECONDS. HAVING DONE WELL IN THE FIRST COUPLE OF RACES THE BOYS WERE NOT PUT OFF BY THE CONDITIONS.
"DICKY" MARKS IS PROVING TO BE THE ONE TO WATCH THIS COMING SUMMER AFTER RIDING HIS WAY TO A TOP 5 FINISH. BY MANAGING TO STAY ON HIS BIKE HE IMPROVED BY 3 SECONDS ON HIS SECOND RACE RUN MIXING IT UP WITH SOME OF THE SOUTHWESTS BEST YOUTH RIDERS. THIS ALSO LEAVES HIM IN THE TOP 5 OVERALL IN THE SERIES.
CHRIS GREEN NOW FINDING MORE TIME TO GET OUT AND RIDE, FINISHED 3RD IN THE MASTERS AFTER A GREAT FIRST RACE RUN AND A DISASTROUS 2ND HE STILL MANAGED TO FINISH 3RD. THIS LEAVES HIM SECOND OVERALL FOR THE SERIES.
BRETT JAMES CAME OUT OF WINTER RETIREMENT TO RACE AND PRODUCED ONE OF HIS BEST RESULTS, HE PRODUCED A LATE CHARGE TAKING 3 SECONDS OFF HIS FIRST RUN TIME, FINISHING 7TH OVERALL.
MATT WELLS TURNED UP....DID ONE RUN.........WENT HOME. DID HE DO WELL? WHAT DO YOU THINK!
LEAVING NICK BUTLER WHO SWORE AT THE START OF THE SERIES HE WAS GOING TO WIN IT PROVED THAT HE WASN'T JOKING, AGAIN FINISHING 1ST IN THE VETS. HAVING RIDDEN WELL WITHIN HIMSELF ON THE FIRST RUN, THEN HAVING A MARE ON THE SECOND RUN IT WAS ALL OVER AND NOW HAS A MASSIVE LEAD OVERALL IN THE SERIES. WITH ONLY 2 RACES LEFT SOUTHFORK HAS A GREAT CHANCE OF COMING HOME WITH SOME MORE SILVERWARE. BUT A LOT CAN STILL HAPPEN E WILL KEEP YOU POSTED!

JUST TO GIVE YOU GUYS THE HEADS UP POWER TESTING IS COMING TO SOUTHFORK. SOON WE WILL BE A POWER TEST CENTRE, TO BOOK A POWER TEST LOG ON TO http://www.powertestcentre.com/ . CHECK IT OUT IF YOU ARE SERIOUS ABOUT YOUR TRAINING.

COME TO SOUTHFORK TO SEE A YETI

2008-02-27T20:53:00.004Z

NO I DON'T MEAN NICK BUTLER, WHAT I MEAN IS THAT SOUTHFORK HAVE JUST RECIEVED THE FIRST BATCH OF YETI FRAMES 575 AND ASR. ALL CAN BE BUILT TO ANY SPECIFICATION YOU DESIRE. THIS IS THE ONLY YETI YOU WANT TO BE SEEN GETTING MUCKY WITH IN THE WOODS!

WE ALSO STOCK SCOTT,FELT,MERLIN,LITESPEED,KONA,GT AND LOADS MORE LOG ON TO http://www.southforkracing.co.uk/ IF NOT E-MAIL US ON SALES@SOUTHFORKRACING.CO.UK . WE ARE ALSO A REGISTERED CYCLESCHEME SHOP. LOG ON TO FIND OUT HOW YOU CAN SAVE UP TO 50% ON A NEW BIKE, THROUGH THIS SCHEME ON http://www.cyclescheme.co.uk/ .

2008-02-27T20:50:00.001Z

RACING,RACING,RACING

2008-02-27T19:39:00.002Z

WELL WHERE DO WE START QUITE A FEW THINGS TO CATCH UP ON INCLUDING DOWNHILL RACING, CROSS COUNTRY RACING, ROAD RACING AND TRAINING CAMPS........
THE SECOND DOWNHILL RACE OF THE WINTER CLOUD COVER RACE SERIES. FEBRUARY IS A BUSY TIME FOR RACING BUT NONE THE LESS THE SOUTHFORK TEAM HAS BEEN IN TIPTOP CONDITION WITH THE BOYS PICKING UP THEIR TRAINING IN THE WEEKS RUNNING TO THE RACE. WITH THE COURSE NOT BEING THE BEST THEY HAVE SEEN RACING TIMES WERE DISCUSSED,LAUGHED AT THEN AGREED. 1ST RUNS WENT ACCORDING TO PLAN,RELAXED AND PROFESSIONAL. THE SECOND RUNS HOWEVER WERE THE PROPER ONES, FLAT OUT!
RICHARD MARKS FINISHED 5TH IN THE YOUTHS CATEGORY AND 33RD OVERALL WITH HIS FIRST RUN BEING THE FASTEST, SHOWING THAT THE EXTRA TRAINING HAS PAYED OFF.
CHRIS GREEN TAKING HIMSELF UP TO ANOTHER LEVEL IMPROVING HIS FITNESS HELPED HIM TO 2ND IN THE MASTERS CATEGORY (19TH OVERALL) ONLY 3 SECONDS BEHIND THE WINNER,AGAIN WITH HIS FIRST RUN BEING THE FASTEST.
NICK BUTLER COMING OFF THE BACK OF SOME IMPRESSIVE TRAINING SESSIONS WAS AND IS STILL THE KEEN FAVOURITE TO WIN THIS WINTER SERIES AND PROVING THAT HE WOULD BE A SAFE BET, HE FINISHED 1ST IN THE VETS CATEGORY (43RD OVERALL) AFTER HAVING A MARE IN HIS FIRST RUN THEN TAKING 10 SECONDS OFF THAT TIME ON HIS SECOND WINNING COMFORTABLY 5 SECONDS AHEAD OF HIS NEAREST RIVAL. SO YET AGAIN MORE SILVERWARE TO POLISH FOR OUR TOP GUYS AND WITH THE WEATHER BEING SPOT ON SUMMER IS GONNA BE BIG!

3RD AND FINAL WINTER SOGGY BOTTOM RACE OF THE SEASON
WE HAD A SLIGHTLY DEPLETED TEAM GOING INTO THE FINAL RACE OF THE SERIES BUT PERFORMANCES SPOKE VOLUMES.
PETE DAWE FINISHED 2ND OVERALL IN THE ELITE/EXPERTS CONFIRMING WHAT WE ALREADY KNEW...THAT HE WAS A SUPERSTAR!
MYLES GERRARD AFTER FINISHING IN THE PACK IN THE MID DEVON SPRINGTIME PURSUIT ROAD RACE ON THE SATURDAY HE DRAGGED HIS TIRED ARSE UP EARLY TO RACE ON SUNDAY FINISHING AS ONE OF THE TOP MASTERS.
OUR YOUNGSTER OF THE GROUP MARC WOOLLACOTT FINISHED 6TH OR 7TH IN THE SPORT CATEGORY...WELL SO HE THOUGHT UNTIL HE REALISED THAT HE MAY HAVE ONLY DONE 3 OF THE 4 LAPS..........WE ARE GOING TO GET HIM A LAP BOARD!
NICK BUTLER AGAIN PROVING THAT AGE IS NO BARRIER HAS GOT BETTER AND BETTER THROUGH THIS SERIES FINISHED 8TH IN THE VETS PUSHING HIMSELF TO THE LIMIT!

SPRINGTIME PURSUIT NO 1 CIRCUIT ROAD RACE.
NEW ONE FOR THE BOYS BUT NONE THE LESS FLAT-OUT RACING IT WAS! ON A 50KM COARSE AT WHIMPLE ON A LOVELY CLEAR WINTERS DAY. AFTER CATCHING THE JUNIORS, MYLES AND JULIAN RIDGLEY LED FROM THE FRONT TO SET THE PACE AND AFTER JULIAN SUFFERED A NASTY CRASH JUST BEFORE THE FINISH, ALL CREDIT TO HIM HE DUSTED HIMSELF OFF TO FINISH JUST BEHIND THE PACK WITH MYLES FINISHING JUST AHEAD OF HIM. PICTURES TO FOLLOW.

SPRINGTIME PURSUIT NO 2.
THIS TIME SOUTHFORK HAD A FULL COMPLIMENT OF RIDERS WITH PETE, MYLES AND JULIAN ALL RACING IN THE TEAM COLOURS. WITH A FEW FUNNY LOOKS PETE TURNED UP ON HIS MOUNTAIN BIKE WITH SLICK ROAD TYRES ON MUCH TO THE AMUSEMENT OF THE OTHER 'ROADIES', HE HAD THE LAST LAUGH THOUGH BEATING MOST OF THE THEM TO THE FINISH. JULIAN MANAGED TO STAY UPRIGHT THIS TIME AND FINISH IN THE PACK WITH MYLES AND PETE.

JUST A QUICK THANKYOU TO MYLES FOR THE PICTURES AND TO THE OTHER BOYS FOR THEIR EFFORTS THROUGH THE WINTER....................

NEXT STOP IT WILL BE SUMMER!!!!!!!

2008-01-14T21:21:00.000Z

VERY,VERY SOGGY BOTTOM NO 2

2008-01-14T19:57:00.000Z

SUNDAY,THE TRADITIONAL DAY OF REST!....YEAH RIGHT UP AT 7 O'CLOCK (AM THAT IS) CHECKING THE BIKES OVER, PACKING THE KIT BAGS........ALRIGHT, ALRIGHT START AGAIN.
UP AT 8:29AM BEING READY FOR ER 8:30AM. BIKE GENERALLY HOSED DOWN WITH WATER A BIT OF MAGIC SPRAY TAA DAAR JOB DONE! (ONLY JOKING DID IT FRIDAY NIGHT, BAG PACKED ON SATURDAY NIGHT, PASTA FOR DINNER AND TEA, PLENTY OF WATER AND EARLY TO BED). THE MORNING WAS SURPRISINGLY WARM AND BELIEVE IT OR NOT IT WASN'T RAINING.............YET!. AFTER THE TROOPS WERE ROUNDED UP (ALL 4 OF US) WE SET OFF TO THE FAMILIAR STOMPING GROUND OF NEWNHAM PARK IN PLYMOUTH FOR THE SECOND ROUND OF THE CROSS COUNTRY WINTER SERIES. HAVING PRODUCED A FEW GOOD RESULTS IN THE FIRST ROUND WE WERE ALL LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS ONE. ALL THE GUYS HAD TRAINED HARD AND IN ALL KINDS OF WEATHER. RACING STARTED AT 12:30PM......WE TURNED UP AT 10:30AM SO KILLING TIME WAS CALLED FOR. BACON AND EGG BAP, 2 MARS BARS, BOTTLE OF WATER AND 2 COFFEES LATER IT WAS TIME FOR A WARM UP LAP. THE COARSE WAS WET ON THE SURFACE AND THE GOING WAS GOING TO GET HARDER AS THE COARSE CUT UP. THE RIVER CROSSING WAS THE HIGHEST IT HAD BEEN FOR MANY YEARS AND JUDGING BY THE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE STANDING NEAR IT THEY WERE EXPECTING A FEW SPILLS!.
WE WERE SPLIT INTO OUR RESPECTIVE GROUPS (ALL DONE ON AGE) THEN SET OFF 3 MINUTES APART. FIRST TO GO WAS ONE OF SOUTHFORKS NEWEST ACQUISTIONS MARC WOOLACOTT. MARC WAS RACING IN HIS FIRST CROSS COUNTRY RACE, HAVING FINISHED IN THE TOP 5 IN THE SOUTHWEST CYCLO-CROSS SERIES WE ALL HAD HIGH HOPES. BEARING IN MIND MARC IS STILL CLASSED AS A JUNIOR SO HE WAS BOXING WELL ABOVE HIS WEIGHT STILL HE DIDN'T DISSAPPOINT, MARC FINISHED WITH A MASSIVE SMILE ON HIS FACE AND 7TH WITH A TOTAL TIME OF 1:15:00 IN THE SPORTS CATEGORY. DESPITE HAVING A FEW MECHANICAL PROBLEMS ON THE FIRST LAP HE STILL BEAT MORE SEASONED RIDERS BY A MILE. MATT WELLS NORMALLY LET HIS RIDING SKILLS DO THE TALKING ON A DOWNHILL COARSE MADE A RARE VENTURE INTO CROSS COUNTRY WHAT HAPPENED NEXT IN HIS OWN WORDS WAS "HORRIFIC". DESPITE ENTERING 3 RACES LAST YEAR AND BEING IN BETTER SHAPE HE ONLY FINISHED ONCE. HE CAME IN A RESPECTABLE 4TH........FROM LAST, BUT HE FINISHED........THEN SWORE NEVER TO DO IT AGAIN! WITH AN OVERALL TIME OF 1:36:00. MARTIN CROCKER AGAIN STEPPING UP TO HIS NEW AGE GROUP IN THE MASTERS CATEGORY. HAVING SPENT MOST OF THE TIME ON HIS BACKSIDE DUE TO THE POOR CONDITIONS! (OR COMPLETE LACK OF RIDING ABILITY) FINISHED A CREDITABLE 13TH WITH A TOTAL TIME OF 1:13:00. NICK BUTLER FINISHING 22ND IN THE LAST ROUND AND BEING DISGUSTED WITH HIS PERFORMANCE SET ABOUT THIS RACE WITH A NEW ATTITUDE. HARD TRAINING AND A GOOD DIET PROVED TO WORK FINISHING 10TH OVERALL HAVING GONE OFF WITH THE BIG BOYS PUSHING HARD. HIS OVERALL TIME WAS 1:18:00. AT THE SHARP END WAS THE OFFICIAL SOUTHFORKRACING.CO.UK MTB TEAM MYLES GERRARD WAS UNFORTUNATELY SIDETRACKED DUE TO FAMILY COMMITMENTS, SO THE JOB WAS LEFT TO JULIAN RIDGLEY AND PETE DAWE HAVING JUST BEEN GIVEN THEIR NEW SCOTT SCALE 30 CARBON RACE BIKES. JULIAN SUFFERED SOME TERRIBLE LUCK AND HAD A DOUBLE PUNCTURE ON THE FIRST LAP LEAVING HIM WITH A DNF, HOWEVER PETE DAWE MUSCLED HIS WAY THROUGH TO A BRILLIANT 5TH IN THE ELITE/EXPERT AGE GROUP SNAPPING UP A FEW POINTS ON THE WAY. AGAIN WE COME TO EXPECT FAULTLESS RACE ORGANISING FROM MARTIN SALT AND HIS CREW AND AGAIN WE WEREN'T LET DOWN.
SO WITH ALL THE KIT PACKED AWAY THAT WAS A CUE FOR THE WEATHER TO BREAK. IT POURED DOWN FROM THE MOMENT WE LEFT PLYMOUTH TO THE MOMENT WE CAME HOME TO BARNSTAPLE. SO MY TIP FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS.....GET THE TURBO TRAINER OUT. IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN DOING A MTB RACE LOG ON TO WWW.XCRACER.COM

FIRST DOWNHILL RACE OF THE YEAR OH AND THE LAST

2008-01-09T21:40:00.000Z

WHILE FATHER CHRISTMAS WAS STILL STUFFING HIS SACK BELIEVE IT OR NOT THERE WAS SOME RACING ON. THE DATE WAS THE 23RD OF DECEMBER (YEAH YEAH SORRY ITS LATE STILL WORKING OFF THE CHRISTMAS STUFFING!) HAVOC DESCENDED ON AVIL HILL THE LOCATION OF THE FIRST OF 5 RACES TO MAKE UP THIS YEARS WINTER SERIES. FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO DON'T KNOW AVIL HILL IS JUST OUTSIDE A LITTLE VILLAGE CALLED DUNSTER WHICH IN TURN IS JUST ON THE OUTSKIRTS OF EXMOOR. THE COARSE IS ON PRIVATE LAND AND IS OPENED TO DOWNHILL RACING BY APPOINTMENT ONLY. ARE YOU SAT DOWN BECAUSE THIS MIGHT COME AS A BIT OF A SHOCK BUT THE WEATHER WAS ERM PERFECT, THAT'S RIGHT BRILLIANT SUNSHINE WARM...ISH AND CLASSIC CONDITIONS FOR RACING. SOUTHFORKRACING.CO.UK HAD ALMOST A COMPLETE SPREAD WITH MOST OF OUR TEAM COVERING ALL THE AGE CATEGORIES, 6 MEMBERS ALL IN ALL SOME IN PRIME RACING CONDITION AND ER SOME IN.........WELL TROUBLE!. PRACTICE SESSION STARTED AND FINISHED WITH ALL THE LINES AND TACTICS CHOSEN THE AFTERNOON WAS ON FOR FLAT OUT RACING. AS AN EXTREME SPECTATOR I WAS ON THE SIDELINE AS OFFICIAL TEAM MANAGER AND GENERAL SUPPORT THIS TIME WITH MY SIDE KICK MR HENRY BENNING ARMED WITH THE WORLDS MOST EXPENSIVE CAMERA TO CATCH THOSE RACE WINNING PHOTOS.......OR SOMETHING HILARIOUS TO SEND IN TO YOU'VE BEEN MAIMED!. STANDING ON A RATHER TECHNICAL PART OF THE COARSE WE SOON REALISED THAT THIS COULD BE THE BEST PLACE TO SEE THE ACTION. SOME PEOPLE SAILED THROUGH AND SOME PEOPLE GOT CREAMED!.
RIGHT RESULTS TIME STARTING WITH THE YOUNGEST (SORRY NICK YOU WILL BE LAST!):
RICHARD MARKS COMPETING IN THE YOUTH CATEGORY FINISHED AN OUTSTANDING 3RD DESPITE SUFFERING A BIG CRASH ON HIS LAST RACE RUN AND PUTTING A HOLE IN HIS ELBOW. RICHARD HAS WORK HARD THROUGH THE WINTER MONTHS TO GET THIS FAR AND IS SHOWING SOME TRUE PROMISE.
MATT WELLS FINISHED 28TH IN THE SENIORS WHICH CONSIDERING HES ACTUALLY QUITE GOOD AT DOWNHILLING IS A SHITE RESULT BUT IT CAN'T GET ANY WORSE.
THE SURPRISE OF THE DAY CAME FROM GLEN PREECE WHO WE ALL KNOW IS SUPER FAST BUT PUT ALL THIS TOGETHER A FINISH IN AN AMAZING 9TH PUTTING HIMSELF AMONGST THE BIG BOYS WITH A TOP RESULT.
BRETT JAMES HAVING SPENT MOST OF HIS TIME IN THE WATER RECENTLY (SURFING THAT IS!) HAVING HIS FIRST OUTING THIS YEAR ON HIS DOWNHILL BIKE FINISH A RESPECTABLE 13TH WITH ALOT MORE LEFT IN THE TANK TO COME.
CHRIS GREEN WAS UNDER PRESSURE TO PERFORM WITH SOME GOOD RESULTS LAST YEAR BIG THINGS WERE EXPECTED, HE DIDN'T LET US DOWN FINISHING 3RD OVERALL DESPITE ONLY HAVING ONE RACE RUN.
THAT LEAVES ONLY ONE PERSON MR NICK BUTLER....HAVING BEEN LEFT A RUNNER UP LAST YEAR THE MAN WAS ON A MISSION. HAVING TAKEN A MASSIVE CRASH AT THE END OF THE SUMMER BREAKING 4 RIBS AND SUFFERING CONCUSSION HIS WINTER TRAINING STARTED A LITTLE LATER THAN PLANNED. HAVING SPENT SOME GOOD HOURS IN THE SADDLE TRAINING HE WAS BACK ON TRACK AND THIS WAS REFLECTED IN THE RESULT FINISHING 1ST AND WINNING HIS CATEGORY AND BEATING LAST YEARS OVERALL WINNER BY 4 SECONDS PROVING THAT THE PRACTICING AND TRAINING DOES PAY OFF!. NOT ONLY WAS THIS A HUGE WINNING MARGIN BUT MOST OF THE VETERANS ONLY HAD 1 RACE RUN DUE TO A "SERIOUS" INJURY TO A RIDER WHERE THE AIR AMBULANCE HAD TO BE CALLED AND THE RIDER WAS AIR LIFTED TO HOSPITAL (ONLY TO BE RELEASED LATER THAT DAY). SO ALL IN ALL A VERY SUCCESSFUL DAY WITH THE TRADITIONAL STOP AT MACCY D's AND TELL TALES OF WHAT COULD OF BEEN AND HOW BIG WELLSY MAN BOOBS HAVE GOT ETC ETC. THE NEXT RACE IS ON JANUARY 20TH TYPE IN NACC EVENTS INTO GOOGLE AND LOG ON THAT WAY TO ENTER.
THE SECOND OF THE SOGGY BOTTOM WINTER RACES ARE ON THIS SUNDAY (13TH, PROBABLY NOT A GOOD DATE) SO IF YOU FANCY TRYING SOME CROSS COUNTRY RACING THEN LOG ON TO WWW.XCRACER.COM FOR MORE INFO OR TO ENTER.
HAPPY NEW YEAR TO EVERYONE!!!

OH I FORGOT

2007-12-06T17:14:00.000Z

OH I FORGOT,

SOUTHFORK ARE ONE OF ONLY 7 SHOPS IN THE UK TO HAVE AN
INTENSE FRO 6.6 SLOPE STYLE FRAME,
IN MATT BLACK WITH RED CAMMO STICKERS IF YOU WANT MORE INFO PLEASE CALL US!

2007-12-04T11:29:00.001Z

THE SCOTT REVOLUTION IS HERE

2007-12-04T11:15:00.000Z

WE HAVE JUST RECIEVED OUR FIRST BATCH OF SCOTT MOUNTAIN,HYBRIDS AND ROAD BIKES. IN STOCK WE HAVE A SCOTT RANSOM 20 ALL MOUNTAIN (HAVE A LOOK ON THE SCOTT WEBSITE http://www.scott-sports.com/ IT IS THE NUTS!). ALSO RECIEVED WAS A PLASMA LIMITED EDITION TT FRAME AND A ADDICT R4 FRAMESET. I HAVE PHOTOS TAKE A LOOK SEE WHAT YOU THINK!. THESE BIKES BELONG TO A GUY WE SPONSOR WHOS PRETTY TASTY AT THAT TIME TRIALLING LARK, EVEN IF HE WEARS FAKE TAN AND IS A COMPLETE BIKE GEEK (HE EVEN ADMITS TO IT!. COO-WEE MARK). OUR PREVIOUS BLOG FROM CHRIS WHO WAS DESCRIBING HIS CONQUESTS OF SOUTH AFRICA DIDNT PAINT A TRUE PICTURE WE HAVE IT FROM A GOOD SOURCE THAT THE LAST 30KM HE SUFFERED SO MUCH THAT IF DEATH HAD A FACE AND RODE A BIKE THEN CHRIS WAS HIM!.

. . . . . . .GREETINGS FROM SOUTH AFRICA!!

2007-11-29T15:38:00.000Z

AFTER SUFFERING FROM THE RIGORS OF A SERIOUSLY OVERLOADED SCHEDULE THROUGH THE SUMMER CHRIS GREEN HAS GIVEN HIMSELF A WELL DESERVED HOLIDAY TRIP MIXED WITH A BIT OF BUSINESS AS WELL, TO SOUTH AFRICA. IT WASN'T ALL R&R AS HE SIGNED HIMSELF UP TO DO 2 ROAD RACES. THIS IS THE RACE REPORT WE RECEIVED BACK:

RACE ONE: 100K ROAD RACE,
GREETINGS FROM SA, I FLEW INTO JOHANNESBURG ON FRIDAY WITH ONLY 2 DAYS TO GET USED TO THE HEAT AND THE HIGH ALTITUDE, JOHANNESBURG IS OVER A MILE HIGH AND THE TEMP WAS OVER 30 DEGREES!.THIS CAME AS QUITE A SHOCK TO AN ENGLISHMAN IN NOVEMBER AND THE FIRST THING I ACHIEVED WAS EXTREME SUNBURN ON MY BALD HEAD (ITS BALD THROUGH CHOICE, NOT THROUGH MY AGE OR GENES....HONEST!). I REGISTERED ON THE SATURDAY AND I WAS READY TO RACE ON SUNDAY MORNING ALONG WITH THE OTHER 28,000 RACERS.....THATS RIGHT 28,000.
THE RACERS WERE PLACED INTO GRIDS BASED ON PREVIOUS RACE RESULTS BUT AS I WAS A SOUTH AFRICA RACE VIRGIN I HAD TO START AT THE BACK WITH THE OTHER VIRGINS/FATTIES/BALD MEN. THEY SPLIT THE FIELD INTO 52 START GROUPS WHICH LEFT 5 MINUTES APART AND I WAS IN GROUP JJ!!.
THE DAY WAS HOT, THE WIND WAS PUMPING AND THE RIDING SKILLS OF THE PEOPLE AROUND ME WAS...ER...INTERESTING......SOME WERE FIT, SOME WERE FAT BUT NETHER THE LESS WE WERE BOUND TOGETHER BY A COMMON BOND, GETTING TO THE FINISH LINE ASAP!. IT TOOK ME 3HOURS AND 1 MINUTE TO DO THE COURSE WHICH WAS HEARTBREAKING FOR ME BECAUSE I HAD TO ANSWER A CALL OF NATURE (SEE ATTACH PHOTOS). I FINISHED 3RD IN MY GROUP AND IN THE TOP 2000 (NOT TO SHABBY REALLY) THE EXPERIENCED GUYS SAY STARTING FURTHER UP THE GRID CAN SEE AN IMPROVEMENT OF UP TO HALF AN HOUR.

RACE NO 2: 200K ROAD RACE,
THIS WAS THE BIG ONE WHICH EVERYONE SAID I COULDN'T DO........ONE THING I HAVE TO SAY YOU.......SCREW YOU I DID IT!!!!!!.
IT WAS A DIFFERENT CONCEPT TO THE RACE THE WEEKEND BEFORE, THE IDEA IS PRETTY SIMPLE, 12 GUYS IN A TEAM, THEY COVER 200K AS FAST AS POSSIBLE AND THE OVERALL TIME FOR THE TEAM AT THE END IS WHEN THE 6TH RIDER CROSSES THE LINE. WE STARTED ON THE BACK FOOT BY ONLY STARTING WITH 8 MEN IN OUR TEAM AND THAT WAS INCLUDING ME!!!. 168 TEAMS STARTED INCLUDING FACTORY TEAMS, A TOUR DE FRANCE TEAM AND PRO CONTINENTAL TEAMS, IT WAS A "WHO'S WHO" IN SA RACING AND A FEW INTERNATIONAL "RINGERS" WERE IN THERE AS WELL INCLUDING EX ASTRANA TEAM.
OUR TEAM SET OFF IN ABOUT 70TH BUT AFTER ABOUT 100K WE WERE SECOND ON THE ROAD WITH THE BIG BOYS BEARING DOWN ON US, AT 140K SA DE JEUX CAME PAST US LIKE A TRAIN WHICH MOTIVATED US AND WE WENT STRAIGHT BACK PAST THEM ON ONE OF THE LONG CLIMBS, WE LOST A TEAM MATE AT 160K AND THEN ANOTHER AT 170K WHICH LEFT ONLY 6, WE ALL NOW HAD TO FINISH TO GET A RESULT. AT 180K THE DAIKEN TEAM PAST US ON THE ROAD WITH ONLY 6 MEN LEFT AND AMAZINGLY THEY DIDN'T LEAVE US FOR DEAD.
WE ALL WENT THROUGH VERY BLEAK PLACES IN OUR MINDS AND I REACHED PLACES MENTALLY AND PHYSICALLY I HAVE NEVER BEEN....WE WERE ALL THE 6TH MAN AT SOME POINT DURING THE RACE AND I SUFFERED MORE THAN MOST I'M SURE BUT WE DID IT AND WE DID GOOD!.
15TH PLACE OVERALL IN A TIME OF 6HOURS AND 6 MINUTES. IT WAS HILLY,SERIOUS HEADWINDS AND WE STARTED 4 MEN DOWN. DAIKEN FINISHED 2ND AND ALL THE TEAMS IN THE TOP 5 HAD PROPER PROS IN IT AND ALL THE TEAMS IN THE TOP 30 WERE FULL OF TOP SA RACERS.
THE GOAL IS FOR A TOP10 FINISH NEXT YEAR AND TO GO UNDER 6 HOURS. IF WE HAD FINISHED TEN MINUTES QUICKER WE WOULD HAVE BEEN WELL WITHIN THE TOP 1O AND THAT'S DOABLE WITH ANOTHER 4 GUYS.
I WOULD LIKE TO THANK ALL THE GUYS IN SA WHO THOUGHT IT WAS A GOOD IDEA TO GET AN UNFIT BIKE RETAILER OVER TO JOIN THEIR TEAM AND DO A RACE THEY ALL TAKE VERY SERIOUSLY!!!
WITH MY RENEWED EXCITEMENT FOR RACING I ONLY HAVE ONE MORE THING TO SAY.......LOOK OUT!!!
CHRIS GREEN.

ALL THE SOUTHFORK TEAM WOULD LIKE TO CONGRATULATE CHRIS ON HIS ACHIEVEMENTS IN THE PAST 2 WEEKS PROVING TO EVERYONE WHO SITS ON THEIR ASS ALL DAY THAT WHEN MOTIVATED YOU CAN ACCOMPLISH ANYTHING YOU SET YOUR MIND TOO!..........ONLY JOKING.........

2007-11-27T13:35:00.000Z

NOT QUITE SO SOGGY BOTTOM

2007-11-27T11:53:00.000Z

BELIEVE IT OR NOT THE WEATHER WAS OK AND THE GROUND WAS GOOD TO FIRM FOR THE FESTIVITIES AT THE NEWNHAM SHOOTING GROUND WHICH WAS HOME TO THE FIRST IN A 3 SERIES RACE PROGRAMME OF CROSS COUNTRY MTBing. BEING THE FIRST RACE THIS IS NORMALLY A LITTLE BIT OF A TESTER EITHER TO SEE IF YOU HAVE YOUR AUTUMN/WINTER TRAINING SPOT ON OR IF YOU NEED TO PULL YOUR FINGER OUT AND DO SOME MORE!. SOUTHFORKRACING HAD A PRESENCES AT THE RACE WITH PETE DAWE, MYLES GERRARD,CHRIS GREEN AND NICK BUTLER TRYING TO SHOW A LITTLE EARLY SEASON PROMISE. PETE RACING IN THE ELITE/EXPERT CATEGORY FINISHED IN A SPECTACULAR 2ND PLACE, BATTLING FOR FIRST AND SECOND ALL THE WAY THROUGH THE RACE FINALLY FINISHING ONLY 32 SECONDS BEHIND THE WINNER. CHRIS GREEN AFTER TRAVELLING THE WORLD THIS SUMMER WITH VARIOUS COMMITMENTS FINISHED A RESPECTABLE 14TH IN THE LARGEST CLASS OF THE RACE, AFTER LEADING FOR 400 YARDS THINGS TOOK A TURN FOR THE WORSE WHEN HE REALISED THAT THERE WAS STILL ANOTHER 3 AND A HALF LAPS TO GO!!!. MYLES GERRARD HAVING WON THIS SERIES LAST YEAR STARTED WITH THE PROMISE HE WAS GONNA WIN AGAIN BUT THEN SUFFERED A TEAR IN THE SIDE WALL OF HIS REAR TYRE EITHER DUE TO HIS ROUGH ASS RIDING STYLE OR THE CHEAP KNOCKOFF TYRES HE BOUGHT OFF THE INTERNET! LESSON LEARNT I THINK! (WE KNOW OF AN OFFICIAL STOCKIST!). LAST BUT NOT LEAST MR NICK BUTLER RACING IN THE SECOND BIGGEST CATEGORY FINISHING 14TH BUT HAVING ONLY STARTED HIS WINTER TRAINING ROUTINE AFTER A HECTIC SUMMER MIXED WITH INJURIES AND DOWNHILLING THIS RESULT WAS TO BE EXPECTED (OR THE FACT HE IS 2 STONE OVERWEIGHT!).
RIGHT, SORRY TO MENTION THE C-WORD...CHRISTMAS THAT IS,WE WILL BE HAVING A DOWNHILL GET TOGETHER UP ON EXMOOR BETWEEN CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR. THIS IS A BIT OF A TRADITION WE HAVE DONE IT FOR THE PAST 7 YEARS AND NORMALLY THE WEATHER IS OK, WE RIDE FOR THE MAN PART OF THE DAY THEN STOP OFF FOR A MEAL AND MAYBE A FEW LOCAL ALES!!!. KEEP YOUR EYES ON THE BLOG FOR MORE UP DATES.
FOR THIS COMING WEEKEND NORTH DEVON WHEELERS ARE HAVING A SMALL GATHERING UP THE QUANTOCKS FOR A DAY MOUNTAIN BIKING, IF YOU ARE INTERESTED PLEASE CALL US AT THE SHOP OR E-MAIL US ON SALES@SOUTHFORKRACING.CO.UK . WE HAVE STARTED TO RECIEVE OUR NEW 08 RANGES WITH SOME OUTSTANDING ROAD AND MOUNTAIN BIKES FROM SCOTT,FELT AND LOOK, AGAIN IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR WANT A PRICE GIVE US A RING WE WILL BE HAPPY TO HELP OUT.
THERE IS LOADS OF STUFF UP AND COMING IN THE NEW YEAR, TRIPS TO WALES CROSS COUNTRY RIDING AND DOWNHILLING AT AFAN, CWMCARN ETC, 12/24HOUR RACES, MORE EXMOOR TRIPS.
SUNDAY IS OFFICIALLY A DAY OF REST BUT IF THERE IS ENOUGH PEOPLE WE ARE GOING TO BIGGER RIDES IN EXCESS OF 3 HOURS (WEATHER PERMITTING. A FEW ROUTES WERE CHECKED OUT AT THE WEEKEND DEVELOPING IN TO AN 5 HOUR EPIC RIDE. PICTURES FOLLOW.

WINTER,WINTER RUDDY WINTER!

2007-11-08T21:16:00.000Z

WELL LADIES AND GENTS ITS GONE FULL CIRCLE AGAIN AND HERE WE ARE LOCKED IN THE DEPTHS OF WINTER. AFTER A LONG AND PRETTY BUSY SUMMER AND AN EVEN BUSIER AUTUMN WE HAVE REACHED THE TIME IN THE YEAR THAT MOST OF US DREAD....NO NOT DARK MORNINGS AND EARLY DARK NIGHTS......BLOODY CHRISTMAS!. I'VE HEARD ALL OF THE EXCUSES...BUT LETS BE HONEST IT IS A GOOD EXCUSE TO EAT AND DRINK TOO MUCH.
NOT ALOT TO REPORT WITH THINGS SLOWING DOWN FOR THE TRANSITION PERIOD. THE SOGGY BOTTOM SERIES OF RACES STARTS AGAIN THIS WEEKEND STILL AT THE SAME EXCELLENT VENUE ALL DETAILS AVAILABLE AT WWW.XCRACER.CO.UK . THE SOUTHFORK BOYS WILL BE OUT IN FORCE AND HOPEFULLY THE TEAM WILL ALL BE ON THEIR NEW TEAM BIKES BY THE END OF CHRISTMAS. WE HAVE A NEW ADDITION TO THE TEAM WITH A YOUNG RIDER CALLED MARC WOOLLACOTT JOINING US AFTER A SUCCESSFUL START TO THE SEASON IN THE SOUTHWEST SERIES OF CYCLOCROSS WITH TWO SECOND PLACES UNDER HIS BELT WITH HIGH HOPES FOR THIS WEEKEND COMING. HE WON THE TOP JUNIOR AWARD AT THE NORTH DEVON WHEELERS PRIZE DINNER TAKING HOME A NICE SELECTION OF SILVERWARE.
THE LOCAL SERIES OF DOWNHILL RACES SEEMS TO BE UP IN THE AIR AT THE MOMENT, AS SOON AS WE KNOW IT WILL BE POSTED ON OUR BLOG.
LOADS AND LOADS OF PEOPLE HAVE STARTED TO ASK US AGAIN WHETHER SOUTHFORK WILL BE ORGANISING SOME MORE UPLIFT DAYS ON EXMOOR, THE DOWNHILL/FREERIDE SCENE SEEMS TO BE GROWING AND GROWING LOCALLY SO KEEP YOUR EYES ON OUR BLOG ALL GIVE THE SHOP A CALL TO FIND OUT BUT WE WILL BE STARTING THESE UP AGAIN.
THE SHOP WINTER RIDES ARE STILL GOING TUESDAYS IS ROAD RIDING AND THURSDAY IS MOUNTAIN BIKING IF YOU WANT TO JOIN US PLEASE GIVE US A CALL AND WE WILL GIVE YOU THE PASSWORD!...........MORE THE MERRIER!.
RIGHT THEN ENJOY YOUR WEEKEND WHATEVER YOUR DOING GET THE WATERPROOFS OUT THE MUDGUARDS ON AND GET RIDING! ENJOY!

WAS THAT SUPPOSED TO BE SUMMER!

2007-09-18T20:32:00.000Z

I DON'T KNOW ABOUT YOU BUT I FEEL A LITTLE RIPPED OFF WITH THIS YEARS SUMMER. WE HAD MORE RAIN THAN WE HAD IN THE WINTER, RACING WAS MINIMAL ALONG WITH THE MOTIVATION!. BUT THE GUYS AT THE SHARP END OF THE STICK WAS THE SOUTHFORKRACING.CO.UK MTB RACE TEAM WHO HAD A STRING OF TOP TEN RESULTS IN THE SUMMER MONTHS STILL PRODUCED THE GOODS AND HAVE WORKED WONDERS THROUGH THE YEAR GETTING STRONGER AND STRONGER AS THE SEASON WENT ON SO A MASSIVE WELL DONE TO JEZ,PETE,JULIAN AND THE TEAM FOR ALL THEIR HARD WORK.
SOME OF THE DOWNHILL TEAM WENT AWOL ON AN INTERNATIONAL JOLLY TO FRANCE TO TAKE PART IN THE MEGA AVALANCHE RACE. IF DOWNHILL WASN'T HARD ENOUGH THE RACE IS OVER AN HOUR AND A HALF LONG ON ICE,SNOW,GRAVEL,GRASS,ROCK ETC, ALL THE BOYS PERFORMED WELL AND RETURNED IN ONE PIECE (NOT ESCORTED OUT BY THE LOCAL POLICE! APPARENTLY THEY HAVE VERY NICE CELLS IN MORZINE!). THE TRIATHLON TEAM HAVE BEEN BUSY TAKING PART IN NATIONAL EVENTS HALF IRONMAN, JAY LLOYD FINISHING 46TH AN GOING TO FLORIDA TO COMPETE AFTER QUALIFYING AT THE SOMERSET EVENT AND FLYING OUT AT THE END OF OCTOBER (BEST OF LUCK MATE, LOOK AFTER THE BIKE! OH AND YOURSELF). DICK CONGDON ALSO PRODUCED AN OUTSTANDING RESULT FINISHING IN THE TOP 10 IN HIS AGE GROUP IN THE SAME RACE. MITCH BARCLAY HAS AN IMPRESSIVE SET OF RESULTS FINISHING 13TH IN THE CASTLE COMBE 'MONSTER' DUATHLON (RUN,RIDE,RUN,RIDE,RUN) OUT OF 120, 3RD IN THE CITY OF BATH TRIATHLON AND 5TH IN THE DOONE RUN (12 MILE MULTI TERRAIN RUN). MARTIN CROCKER FINISHED 22ND IN THE CASTLE COMBE MONSTER AND SET HIS FASTEST PB 10 MILE TIMETRIAL TIME OF THE SEASON AND 25 MILE TIMETRIAL PB.
NOW WITH THE NIGHTS DRAWING IN TIME TO DUST OFF THE LIGHTS, CHECK THE BATTERY PACK AND MUD GUARDS, GET THE OLD FAITHFULL OUT OF THE SHED, TART HER UP, GET THE 3/4 LENGTHS OUT BASE LAYERS, WATERPROOFS, THERMAL GLOVES, OVERSHOES, HATS,SCARFS, SKIS, SNOWBOARD...............DON'T EVEN GET ME STARTED! OH WELL INTO THE DARKNESS MY FRIENDS, DOOMED....WE ALL DOOMED!.

BRISTOL BIKE FEST/ AMIGOS 24 HOUR EVENT

2007-06-11T20:15:00.000Z

ONE OF THE SUNNIEST AND HOTTEST WEEKENDS PAID HOST TO ONE OF THE BIGGEST COLLECTION OF OFF ROAD RIDERS IN THE COUNTRY....THE BRISTOL BIKE FEST. SOUTHFORK HAD ENTERED A 12 HOUR RACE TEAM WITH HIGH EXPECTATIONS BUT WITH OVER 1200 RIDERS THE RACING WAS MADE HARDER BY THE CONDITIONS (TYPICAL IF ITS NOT POURING DOWN OR FREEZING COLD ITS BLOODY BOILING, WE CAN WIN!). THE TEAM WERE LEAPING UP THE LEADER BOARD WITH PRO BACKED TEAMS SUCH AS TEAM PALIGAP, BAD ASS BIKES AND YETI CYCLES SO THE JOB LOOKED TOO BIG TO DEAL WITH. AFTER A STERLING EFFORT THE BOYS FINISHED 8TH OVERALL MANAGING TO CRACK OUT 23 LAPS OF THE 8.25KM ASHTON COURT COURSE IN THE BLISTERING SUN. WE CANT THANK THE TEAM ENOUGH FOR THEIR EFFORTS.
NOT JUST THE SOUTHFORK MOUNTAIN BIKE TEAM HAD A BUSY WEEKEND, WILL NEWTON (WWW.WILLNEWTON.COM) A PERSONAL COACH/IRONMAN/MADMAN WHOS ALSO SOUTHFORK SPONSORED AND A PERSONAL FRIEND OF THE SHOP HAD HIS OWN MARATHON TO ENDURE. A LOCAL CHARITY HAD SET UP A 24 HOUR CYCLETHON TO RAISE MONEY AND AWARENESS FOR ORPHANS IN UGANDA. THIS WAS ALL TAKING PLACE ON OUR LOCAL AIR/MARINE BASE, RMB CHIVENOR. THE MISSION WAS SIMPLE TO RIDE 4000 MILES AND RAISE £24000 TO BE SPENT ON HOSPITALS,EDUCATION AND SHELTER FOR THE UGANDANS. WILL BEING THE TYPE OF MAN HE IS DECIDED TO RIDE 24 HOURS NON STOP AND TO HIT A TARGET OF 400 MILES, YES I WAS THINKING THE SAME APART FROM BEING MADNESS HOW SORE WAS HIS ARSE GOING TO BE?. AT 10AM ON SATURDAY THE 9TH OF JUNE HE STARTED ON A 2.5 MILE OUT AND BACK COURSE. THE FIRST 25 MILE WAS A QUICK 1:09 THEN 50 MILE IN 2:18 IN THIS HOT WEATHER THE PACE WAS A LITTLE QUICK WHICH WILL SUFFERED FOR LATER ON IN THE DAY. WITH SOUTHFORK BEING THE CO-SPONSOR OF THE EVENT MOST OF ITS RIDERS THAT WEREN'T RACING AWAY TURNED UP TO HELP WILL THROUGH THE DAY. AT 8PM THE CIRCUIT WAS CHANGED TO THE LIT MAIN RUNWAY WHICH VARIED THE RIDING. NICK BUTLER, MITCH BARCLAY AND ME (MARTIN CROCKER) HELPED WILL THROUGH THE DUSK AND NIGHT BY RIDING WITH HIM UNTIL MIDNIGHT THEN HE WAS ON HIS OWN. DAWN CAME AND THEN THE WELCOME SIGHT OF THE SUN. WE CAME BACK AT 8AM TO BE GREETED BY A LONE FIGURE STILL BANGING OUT THE LAPS. NICK AND I SAT WITH WILL ON THE LAST COUPLE OF HOURS EGGING HIM ON AND REASSURING HIM THAT A MAN HIS AGE COULD RECEIVE VIAGRA ON PRESCRIPTION!. 10AM SUNDAY THE 10TH OF JUNE, WILL FINISHED, CLOCKING UP 423 MILES HOPEFULLY RAISING A SHED LOAD OF MONEY ON HIS WAY. THE WEEKENDS EVENT WAS OUTSTANDING FUN AND A SPECIAL THANKS TO PHIL AND HIS AMIGOS TEAM, GLEN, POLLY AND RMB CHIVENOR FOR ALL THEIR HELP, LANTERN FM AND ST JOHNS AMBULANCE. FOR PICTURES OF THE EVENT GO TO WWW.PLATINUMIMAGES.UK.COM CLICK ON AMIGOS 24 AND ENTER THE PASSWORD AMIGO.

TIVERTON SPRINT TRIATHLON

2007-05-18T11:44:00.000Z

13TH MAY TIVERTON SPRINT TRIATHLON
WELL IT COMES TO SOMETHING WHEN YOUR ACTUALLY WETTER OUT OF THE POOL THEN IN IT!. THE WEATHER WAS HORRIFIC BUT NONE THE LESS 145 BRAVE/STUPID SOULS BRAVED THE CONDITIONS TO TAKE PART IN THE TIVERTON SPRINT TRIATHLON. THE REPUTATION OF THIS RACE HAS GROWN OVER RECENT YEARS RESULTING IN AN EXPLOSION OF INTEREST. THE DISTANCES CONSIST OF A 400METER SWIM, 25K BIKE RIDE AND A 5K RUN ALL IN SHOCKING CONDITIONS. AS PER USUAL THE ORGANISATION WAS TOP NOTCH AND THE BIKE AND RUN COURSE CLEARLY MARKED AND WELL MARSHALED (BRAVING THE WEATHER). A LOT OF WELL SEASONED TRIATHLETES USE IT AS AN EARLY TESTER OR USE IT FOR RACE PRACTICE. AS USUAL THERE WAS A SOUTHFORK PRESENCE AT THE RACE WITH MITCH BARCLAY AND JAY LLOYD DOING THEIR FIRST COMPETITIVE SPRINT OF THE SEASON. AFTER RETRACING SOME OF HIS TYRE TRACKS ON THE BIKE (THINKING HE HAD TAKEN A WRONG TURN!) ADDING ABOUT 3 MINUTES TO HIS BIKE TIME LEAVING HIM IN 25TH OVERALL. TOP 20 FINISH WAS WHAT WAS NEEDED/WANTED AND THAT'S WHAT MITCH BARCLAY DELIVERED FINISHING 13TH OVERALL, SO WELL DONE TO THE TRI GUYS AND THIS WEEKEND (19TH MAY) IS THE 2ND OF THE SUMMER SERIES DOWNHILL RACE AT COMBE SYDCOMBE ON SUNDAY AGAIN A BIG SOUUTHFORK TURN OUT WILL BE EXPECTED.

NITE RIDER 12 HOUR RACE

2007-05-03T13:58:00.000Z

12 HOURS OF MOUNTAIN BIKE RIDING MOSTLY IN THE DARK COLD RECESSES OF NIGHT ISN'T EVERYONES IDEA OF FUN BUT MANY CAME AND MANY TOOK PART. AT THE SAME VENUE AS THE SOGGY BOTTOM WINTER SERIES THIS WAS THE FIRST OF HOPEFULLY MANY MORE NITERIDER 12 HOUR RACE. BEING A MAJOR RACE IN THE SOUTHWEST CALENDER THERE WAS A SOUTHFORKRACING TEAM ENTERED. WITH A GROUP OF EXCEPTIONAL RESULTS IN THE WINTER RACE SERIES THE TEAM WAS LOOKING VERY STRONG. THE FIRST COUPLE OF HOURS/LAPS WERE HOTLY CONTESTED WITH THE SOUTHFORK TEAM JUST EDGING AHEAD, DESPITE PUNCTURES AND MECHANICALS BOTH THE SOUTHFORK TEAM AND THE WR RACING WERE RIDING FOR THE WIN. WHEN DAYLIGHT CAME THE RACE RESULT WAS STILL TO BE DECIDED. WHEN THE FLAG DROPPED SOUTHFORKRACING WAS JUST EDGED OUT OF FIRST BY WR RACING.
WELL DONE TO THE SOUTHFORKRACING.CO.UK TEAM (JEZ,PETE,JULIAN AND CHRIS) JUDGING BY THE PHOTOS EVERYONE HAD A GOOD CRACK AND THE LACK OF SLEEP DIDNT LIMIT ANYONES PERFORMANCE..........(CHRIS.....?). A SPECIAL MENTION FOR THE EXE VALLEY PIRATES TEAM WHO HAD 8TH SEWN UP UNTIL THE LAST LAP WHERE A MECHANICAL FORCED THEM BACK TO 9TH.
ON THE TRIATHLON/TRAILATHLON SIDE OF THE SOUTHFORKRACING.CO.UK TEAM A MASSIVE CONGRATS TO MITCH BARCLAY FOR FINISHING 2ND IN THE FIRST ENDURANCELIFE.COM TRAILATHLON (12MILE TRAIL RUN, 4 MILE KAYAK AND 20MILE MOUNTAIN BIKE) AT WIMBLEBALL LAKE ON EXMOOR, LEADING ALL THE WAY UNTIL THE LAST LAP OF THE MOUNTAIN BIKE FINISHING 30SECONDS OFF THE LEADER AND MARTIN CROCKER DOING THE (LADIES) LITE VERSION (2 MILE KAYAK, 9 MILE TRAIL RUN AND 10 MILE MOUNTAIN BIKE) FINISHING 1ST BY 4 MINUTES!!!. LADIES BEWARE!. WELL DONE TO EVERYONE RACING IN THE SOUTHFORK COLOURS YOUR HARD WORK HAS BEEN NOTED FOR THE END OF SEASON AWARD DINNER (DOWN THE PUB IT IS THEN!).
ENJOY THE GOOD WEATHER!!!!

2007-04-25T12:46:00.000Z

WARMING UP FOR THE SUMMER

2007-04-25T12:00:00.000Z

WITH THE RECENT NICE WEATHER THE SOUTHFORK TEAM HAVE BEEN BUSY WORKING HARD IN THE SHOP AND TRAINING HARD AS WELL!. THE DOWNHILL BOYS HAVE HAD THEIR FIRST SUMMER OUTING PRODUCING SOME OF THE FORM THEY HAVE CARRIED THROUGH FROM THE WINTER. CHRIS GREEN WON THE MASTERS CATEGORY, NICK BUTLER WON THE VETS CATEGORY AND THE YOUNG RICHARD MARKS FINISHING IN THE TOP 10 OF THE YOUTH CATEGORY. WITH THE SUNSHINE HEATING OUR REPTILIAN SKIN FROM THE WINTER SOME OF THOUGHT A CHANGE OF DISCIPLINE WAS NEEDED. A COUPLE OF US WERE APPROACHED FROM OUR LOCAL TRI CLUB (WWW.NORTHDEVONTRI.CO.UK) ASKING IF WE WANTED TO TAKE PART IN THEIR INTER-CLUB TRIATHLON,ALWAYS UP FOR A CHALLENGE WE ACCEPTED. 600 METER SWIM, 20K BIKE AND A 5K RUN. AFTER SPEAKING TO THE BOYS I FOUND OUT THAT SOME HAD BEEN DOING SECRET TRAINING, OTHERS HADN'T SWAM FOR 10 YEARS, SO A LAUGH WAS EXPECTED. THIS WAS ALSO GOING TO BE THE FIRST TIME THE SOUTHFORK TRI KIT HAD BEEN WORN SO A PERFORMANCE TEST WAS DUE. EVERYONE THAT TOOK PART HAD A SMILE ON THEIR FACES AND A SHED LOAD OF FUN WAS HAD BY EVERYONE, SO A MASSIVE THANK YOU TO MIKE CULLEY THE GUYS OF NORTH DEVON TRI FOR MAKING US SO WELCOME. IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR WANT TO MEET UP TO TRAIN WITH THEM THEN DROP THEM AN E-MAIL, THEY ARE A NICE BUNCH OF PEOPLE.
A MASSIVE WELL DONE TO MITCH BARCLAY WHOS LOOKING GOOD FOR THE UP AND COMING TRI SEASON WHO FINISHED 3RD OVERALL AND TO JAY LLOYD WHO FINISHED CLOSELY BEHIND HIM IN 4TH (HAVING THE FASTEST BIKE AND RUN TIME),SO GOODLUCK FOR THE UP AND COMING SEASON. ALSO TO NICK AND CHRIS WHO COMPLETED THE TRI WELL PLACED AND LOVING EVERY MINUTE OF IT! (JUDGE FOR YOURSELF BY THE PICTURES!).
NEWNHAM PARK ARE HOLDING THE FIRST 12 HOUR RACE THIS WEEKEND SO IF YOUR AT A LOOSE END OR FANCY A CHALLENGE GET YOUR NAME DOWN IT STARTS AT 8PM ALL THE WAY THROUGH TO 8AM SUNDAY MORNING.

2007-03-27T11:41:00.000Z

WINTER SEASON RACING ALMOST OVER.

2007-03-27T10:43:00.000Z

THANK GOD THE WINTER IS ALMOST OVER. IS IT ME OR WAS THAT THE LONGEST WINTER EVER?. FIRST OF ALL I WOULD LIKE TO THANK ALL THE GUYS ON THE SOUTHFORKRACING.CO.UK TEAM WHETHER CROSS-COUNTRY (WELL DONE TO MYLES GERRARD WHO MURDERED EVERYONE IN THE SOGGY BOTTOM SERIES, PETE DAWE WHO DESPITE COMING BACK AFTER A BACK OPERATION IS LOOKING IN CRACKING FORM AS WELL, SO BIG THINGS ARE GOING TO HAPPEN IN THE SUMMER! ALSO TO MITCHELL BARCLAY IN THE SPORTS CATEGORY PRODUCING CONSISTENT RESULTS THROUGH THE WINTER), ALL THE DOWNHILL BOYS FOR A MOST ENJOYABLE COUPLE OF SUNDAYS STOOD IN THE SUN (YEAH RIGHT!) WATCHING YOU IDIOTS WIN AND CRASH AND TO WILL NEWTON FOR COMPLETING THE SOUTH AFRICAN IRONMAN DESPITE FEELING ROUGH AS HELL.
WITH THE CLOCKS GOING FORWARDS THE LIGHTER NIGHTS AND THE BETTER WEATHER HOPEFULLY HERE MORE RIDING AND TRAINING CAN BE DONE!. DON'T FORGET THAT THE SHOP RIDES ARE STILL GOING ON BUT WILL CHANGE WHEN THE NORTH DEVON WHEELERS START THEIR 10 MILE TIME TRIALS AGAIN.
RACING SEEMS TO BE TAKING OFF AGAIN AND THE SPORT SEEMS TO BE THRIVING WHICH CAN ONLY BE A GOOD THING.
A MASSIVE, MASSIVE THANK YOU TO MARTYN SALT AND HIS TEAM. ALL OTHER RACE ORGANISERS NEED TO TAKE A LEAF OUT OF THIS GUYS BOOK, EVERY RACE WAS ORGANISED WITH GERMAN PRECISION AND RAN SMOOTHLY ALL DAY, WE SHALL BE RETURNING!.
THANKS AGAIN TO ALL THE SUPPORT THAT'S BEEN GIVEN TO THE TEAM, SEE EVERYONE IN THE NATIONALS OR THE LOCAL SUMMER RACES.

2007-03-13T17:32:00.000Z

FINAL ROUND OF THE CLOUD COVER WINTER SERIES AT COMBE SYDCOMBE

2007-03-13T15:53:00.000Z

THE GRAND FINAL OF THE CLOUD COVER WINTER SERIES AT COMBE SYDCOMBE NPS COURSE.
With the previous race being one of the most successful southforkracing.co.uk have had this season, the last race was set to be a stonker on the NPS course. The lay out of the track hadn't been changed so a time up in the early 3 minutes would be a hard time to beat. 7 members of the team made the trip up to the course most with new team bikes being raced for the first time and all the members had our new team orange camo kit (see photos for details!). With some unusually spectacular weather the track started to dry out quickly so the race run times were going to be super fast. To be a spectator on this course was a real pleasure with wooded technical switchbacks, 25 foot road jumps and 3 sets of doubles there was lots to see and lots of style to witness. Overall series placings were tight so seconds counted. Nick Butler in the Vets category need to produce the race of his life in his long long, career to finish first overall, 10 seconds all in all is what he needed to win by. Brett James needed to win this race in masters to take home the silver ware of first place overall. Christian Welburn having been up with the bigger boys all season was starting to slip back in the overall standings having won this series last year so only a top 3 finish would get him some silverware. Richard Marks was improving with every race and with the course being long and pedally this suited him down to the ground. Matt Wells on his brand new M3 team bike was flying in practice but was struggling to put it all together and the search is still going on for the dummy he spat out in practice!. Graced with a rare appearance from Christian Hatcher down for the weekend race, practice was mixed with a touch of class and style over the road jump with big whips being performed!. Having won the Masters category in last months race Chris Green was pumped for big things on this longer course even if a set of doubles caused him sleepless nights!. So here we go>>>>>>
Christian Welburn consistent over 2 runs finished 9th in Youth cat which left him finishing 61st in the race and 4th overall just missing out on the silverware. With a new training programme set out the summers racing is going to be fruitful!. Richard Marks looks like the real deal with an outstanding performance finishing 12th in Youths, 74th in the race and 15th overall having only taken part in 2 races. Despite being in one of the toughest seniors category for years the boy stuck at his task and produced a string of good results, Matt Wells finished 20th in the race leaving him 31st overall and 12th overall for the series. Having been seen out training, trusting he can be kept on the road and out of the pub the summer is looking bright. 32nd in the seniors and 60th overall for Christian Hatcher, but what he lost in time he made up for in style with one of the biggest tail whips over the road jump and with the 4x season underway all race practice will help. Chris Green having made his big come back into downhill and this only being his second race the stats are good reading finishing 5th in his category which equates to 48th overall. That only leaves the 2 stars of the winter series, Nick Butler despite not getting the 10 seconds he needed to win the overall series finished 3rd in Vets, 63rd overall leaving him in 2nd place in the series claiming a big piece of silverware, showing the young lads the way and setting the standard for the summer race series. Leaving the one and only Brett James, not having one of his best races he finished i5th in Masters which was 107th overall just leaving him a few points shy of picking up first place for the series but being one of the nicest guys on the race circuit he still had a huge smile on his face and was nothing but graceful in defeat finishing 2nd overall ( Apart from the foul language that was used when he attempted the road jump and flat landed it!). Well thats the winter over and done with a massive thankyou to all the Marshall's and Dave Morgan for making racing entertaining, enjoyable and possible through the winter.

P.S Best of luck to Will Newton who is doing the South African Ironman on the weekend of the 17th of March racing in the Southfork colours and is a friend of the shop. Best of luck mate from us all!. To follow his progress log on to www.ironman.com

2007-02-21T21:53:00.000Z

NACC WINTER SERIES ROUND 4 BIRDS HILL

2007-02-19T16:35:00.000Z

It was time for the older team members to steal some of the racing limelight and take some of the pressure off of the young performers (so I was told). Practice was a wet and muddy affair with every race line choice being changed every run due to the wet and technical conditions. When the afternoon arrived the weather was good and the attitude of some riders who decided to pack up and go home was questioned as well as their ability to ride (they know who they are). The course was heavy going and most of the corners had been ridden out and no one line was the fastest but that didn't deter the Southfork race team. By the time the racing started half of the team had pulled out (those riders will be spoken too and race fees returned). For the remaining members of the team they performed faultlessly. Leading by example was Nick Butler, who after his first run was leading by a commanding 3 seconds, extending that margin on his second run to stamp his winning authority on the race and leaving him placed 3rd overall in the Vets category. Brett James leading the overall series in the Masters category put in a safe and steady first run only to crash out on his second and still posted a quicker time, finishing 3rd in the Masters category (Then having to have a few days off due to illness and old age). From the other end of the age scale the young lads were pushing but suffering from bad luck, Richard Marks despite snapping his chain then tearing off his rear mech and hanger but still finishing 20th in a hottly competitive Youth category and Christian Welburn only being able to muster up enough energy to do one race run leaving him 13th scuppering his chance of finishing in the top 3 overall f the Youth category. A massive well done to the Dads Army of southforkracing.co.uk for carrying the torch forward to the next and final race in March.

INTENSE DEMO DAY

2007-02-13T18:17:00.000Z

WE HAVE BEEN INVITED TO A DEMO WEEKEND WITH THE SOLE UK IMPORTER OF INTENSE CYCLES. IT WILL BE HELD ON SATURDAY 24TH AND SUNDAY THE 25TH OF FEBRUARY AT CWMCARN FORREST CAR PARK. THERE WILL BE INTENSE DEMO BIKES THERE CROSS-COUNTRY, FREE-RIDE AND DOWNHILL BIKES, ALL YOU WILL NEED IS A PHOTO I.D KIT AND PEDALS. IF YOU ARE IN THE MARKET FOR A NEW BIKE AND ARE SERIOUSLY CONSIDERING GETTING ONE THEN GET IN CONTACT WITH US AS PLACES ARE LIMITED. FOR ALL OF YOU RICH ENOUGH TO OWN YOUR OWN INTENSE THERE WILL BE A FREE UPLIFT SERVICE ALL DAY. FOR MORE INFO GET IN CONTACT WITH THE US AT THE SHOP.

BRAND NEW FELT EQUILINK FULL SUSPENSION BIKES

2007-02-09T17:36:00.000Z

ITS BEEN A LONG TIME BUT FINALLY WE HAVE THE NEW FELT EQUILINK VIRTUES IN STOCK. WE ARE THE ONLY FELT EQUILINK TEST CENTER IN DEVON SO TO BOOK A TEST RIDE PLEASE CALL 01271 817247 OR POP INTO THE SHOP AND TAKE ONE OUT. YOU HAVE READ THE REVIEWS AND LISTEN TO THE HYPE, TEST RIDE ONE AND ANSWER YOUR OWN QUESTIONS.

4TH ROUND OF THE CLOUD COVER DOWNHILL WINTER SERIES AT BIRDS HILL

2007-02-09T17:15:00.000Z

4TH ROUND OF THE CLOUD COVER WINTER SERIES AT BIRDS HILL IS ALMOST UPON US. THERE IS AN UPLIFT DAY ON SATURDAY AND RACING ON THE SUNDAY. THERE IS A CHANGE OF COURSE RATHER THAN THE NORMAL BIRDS HILL COURSE THE BUSY BOYS AND GIRLS OF OUR LOCAL DOWNHILL SCENE HAVE BEEN BUILDING A NEW TRACK TO TEST THE BOTTLE AND NERVE OF EVEN THE BEST DOWNHILLER. REPORTS HAVE REACHED US THAT THE COURSE IS SHORT AND FULL OF SWITCH BACKS AND TECHNICAL PARTS WHICH WONT SUIT EVERYONE. HOPEFULLY YOU HAVE ENTERED BY NOW (£28) IF NOT THEN IT WILL COST YOU AN EXTRA £10. THE WEATHER FORECAST IS COLD,COLD,COLD,WET,COLD,SNOW AND COLD. THE SOUTHFORKRACING TEAM WILL BE MAKING AN APPEARANCE, BEGRUDGINGLY!!! AND MAYBE THE RESULTS WILL BE AS GOOD AS THE PREVIOUS RACE. THE TEAM IS SLIGHTLY UNDER STRENGTH BUT A NEW SIGNING IS IN THE PIPELINE THAT WILL HOPEFULLY SHAKE UP THE YOUTH CATEGORY. ALL IS YET TO BE REVEALED. SEE YOU ALL THERE.......FREEZING OUR COBBLERS OFF!!!.

2ND ROUND SOGGY BOTTOM CROSS COUNTRY

2007-01-26T14:19:00.000Z

With the weather as bad as it has been the change of coarse at Newnham was a god send, only one thing stood out in our minds was the mention of a river crossing (images of Niagra falls started to rattle around my head, with the current amount of rain). Turning up into the carpark the ground looked quite firm, the morning was clear but cold the need of motivation was high. Donning kit and setting off on the practice lap friendly banter was well recieved and exchanged like wise. With the start being flat and on a wet yet hard packed fire road fighting for a decent place up the first climb was going to be tough. The hill was long steep and hard but the quick flowing single track on the top was well worth the struggle. A wet bridge crossing was enough to test your concentration then a nice flat grassy field crossing leading to the river crossing. Now normal crossing would be a rocky uneven affair but this was a concrete manmade crossing but it had quite a large volume of water passing through it which sent you sideways when you entered it, if you were unfortunate to come off (apart from it being freezing) the next stop would be Plymouth sound. After the splash down was a level straight then finishing off with a nasty kicker to cross the line. The coarse was fast and the race seemed to end really quickly, but we still suffered the same.
Mitch Barclay finished 11th (again) for the second time, Martin Crocker finish 15th in the Sports catagory. Mark Lees for his first time Mountain bike racing in 11 years produced a couple of outstanding laps only to have a nasty crash and have to pull up with an injury, but he has promised to destroy us on the tarmac ( judging by his road form last year we are all in for a royal kicking). Many thanks to Martin and his team (especially the girls at registration having to deal with idiots turning up without there race numbers!!) and the marshalls and spectators for spuring all the riders on even in the cold weather, many thanks again.
A few dates have been batted around for a downhill day soon, due the bad weather recently we are going to wait until the ground drys a little then post the dates up for you.

2007-01-15T23:25:00.000Z