The most recent major change in circumstance, happened from an unexpected snappage of my bicycle frame.
I was planning on racing the first phat wednesday, we entered went up ready to race and there was a long cue which seemed to not be moving anywhere so we decided to go warm up on a-line. It was awesome riding a-line in the damp conditions and chainless. Until a little way down my bike made a few noise, then the third jump in the row I hit it pretty smoothly and luckily landed smooth as well but my bike suddenly collapsed underneath me and I grounded to a holt.
Not the best of luck considering I was about to race, but Cam Hux kindly let me borrow his quake and I got to the top just in time to race but didn't do well at all.
I've spent the last week off the bike, chilling it's been good catching up on sleep and getting energy back in my worn out muscles.
Last wednesday I in-vainly tried to get to the fast wednesday race, I went and walked the track with Joe Taylor at 1:00 scouted all the best lines and tried out a few. Then I went back to the lodge to try and sort out a bike, Peter from ticket2ride was very helpful and it was very nice of him to let me rent a bit to race.
So I shot up the hill, at about 3 hoping to get up to speed on the track I hadn't really practiced, but bad luck struck again with the rear tyre going down for no reason.
In a rage I went back down to purchase a new tube, I fitted it super fast and I went back up. Did one run on the commencal mini downhill on this not so mini downhill track. It was a 3 minute run with about 5 significant corners and the rest of the track pretty straight and flat out, with loads of rocks and bumpy traverses, steep rock shoots with big compressions etc. The holes where too big for the bike to eat up and I had to use my legs a lot which was hard when the long seat post kept threatening to through me over the bars on every big section of whoops.
But I got over that and went with it until I got a front flat about half way down, I then walked down to bottom to kindly get given a puncture repair kit to use from the chap at bike and bean.
Two patches later I was ready to go practice some more but the big clock said it was exactly 6 just as I was about to get the gondola the race started at 6 so that amount of practice had to do and that was as familiar with the borrowed bike I could be.
Oh well I went to the top and waited in line, really chilled out for a race, all these free riders and stuff around me saying "ah man, everyone takes these races too seriously" taking the mix about people getting into the racing ZONE.
Anyway joe popped up and we had a chuckle about his bike destroying abilities after he'd torn of his mech and hanger in his previous run.
I raced and it went alright, all the holes where a lot smoother than in my practice runs and it all went well apart from I thought I was going a bit to slow and braking way to much, but I was carrying good speed.
I thought I didn't stand any chance of being competitive on someone else's bike so I decided to smash the last do and die. I must of let go of the breaks a bit to early cause I washed out as soon as hit the turn, I missed the support and slid on the flat loose section. I quickly got back on, as it was the second from last turn.
Crossed the line slowly. My knee hurt and I noticed the bash ring had bent massively and had snapped the chain ring. Nightmare.
A lot of things seemed to be against me but I ended up 42nd which with everything not going my way was a surprise ok 30 sec of Tyler Moorland is a long way but i'd of been a little closer on my own bike for sure.
Joe stormed it though getting 8th Place only 10 sec of tyler and 6 sec of 2nd place, stoked and it's his first proper race if you can call it one.
Anyway of to Vancouver tomorrow to go to wreck beach,go karting and to the water park maybe not in that order.
No comments:
Post a Comment