With racing on hold for a while it was time for a nice long training ride through the Sussex countyside. This star shaped 60 mile route heads out west from Chichester before turning north over the South Downs to Harting. Skirting the market town of Midhurst there is the climb over Bexley Hill to conquer before heading back south. Sticking to quiet lanes and peaceful villages, this rural ride takes you back over the spine of the Downs at Amberley before rolling home for a well earned cuppa!
The well at East Marden - Turn Left!
Head out from Chichester on the B2178. After a mile fork right and keep heading north until you reach West Stoke. Ride through the village and after the church turn right at the Kingley Vale car park and follow Downs Rd through to Funtington. There are great views along here of Kingley Vale to the north.
Take a right onto the main road, ride through the village and after the Fox & Hounds take Hares Lane north again. Descend to the T junction and turn right, follow the road for just over half a mile before the next right towards Walderton and Stoughton. Ride through both villages along the lane to East Marden, where you take the left fork at the well, up to the B2141. Turn left up the long climb and then down the the other side, turning right at the bottom, into Harting.
Follow the road out of Harting east towards Elstead where you turn right, winding your way through to Bepton. Turn left into the village heading north again towards Midhurst. After 1.5 miles turn left at the Country Inn. Follow the lane through to the A272 which you need to take for 1/2 a mile towards Midhurst before turning left and skirting Midhurst to the north on Hollist Lane. Straight across at the cross roads with the A286, join the A272 again for 100m, before taking Easebourne Street on the left. This is the strenuous climb of the day up Bexley Hill. Take care down the other side and at the bottom turn right and back on yourself at the village green.
Three main climbs - Harting / Bexley / Amberley
Follow the lane through Lodsworth until you find yourself back at the A272. Turn left and then immediately right and follow the lanes all the way through to Duncton. You'll be pleased to know you aren't heading up Duncton Hill today - instead turn left at the bottom and follow this lane past Bignor Roman Palace to Bury. Go straight across the A29 and on into Amberley. Unfortunately it is now time to head right up the hill to the Whiteways roundabout. Take the second exit to Chichester but stay off the main road by turning right almost immediately down through Madehurst. You'll now have to rejoin the A29 for a short time up to the garage at The Spur. Turn left here and wind you way back to Chichester through Westergate and Oving.
I know I said I was going to take a mid season break, but
Sunday morning came and I realised I would regret it if I didn’t race. I was keen
to defend my 5th position in the Southern XC Series points table. Crow Hill in the New Forest near Ringwood was the venue so
if Baby Ben did decide he wanted to make an appearance I would be close enough
to rush home!
The dark threatening clouds looked menacing overhead but the
track was still bone dry and very dusty! The warm-up lap revealed an undulating
course linked by a maze of woodland switchbacks which created a fast and punishing circuit.
Despite being gridded on the front row I had learnt the lesson
from the previous round and let the field flood past off the start. Towards the end of the lap I spied Alex Taylor about 30 seconds
ahead. As you’ll know from my previous blogs I’ve been racing Alex all season
but have become frustratingly familiar with the sight of his rear tyre.
As we crossed the line vocal encouragement from Jon and Ian
alerted Alex to my presence. I saw him glance back as we rode down through the
switchbacks, and for much of the lap all I saw was the occasional glimpse of
the green South Downs Bikes shirt ahead.
However, as we climbed up a leg stinging grassy slope
I closed the gap and then pushed down the opposite side, inching my way towards
Alex’s rear wheel. Again sensing my presence he was able to frustratingly stabilise
the gap at a couple of bike lengths. We continued through the trees, twisting left and right until we emerged at
the base of a steep climb.
On the hill I pushed past and pulled ahead. Now
it was my turn to be chased! The gap grew slightly and I started to relax but I
should have known better. A quick peek over the shoulder showed that Alex was actually
closing in!
I pushed on but I could hear from the brakes and crunching
of gears that my pursuer was close behind! As hard as I tried I couldn’t drop him and
then my worst fear was realised as a front wheel appeared and then inched past.
But it wasn’t Alex! The great thing about MTB racing is that Alex's family offered me encouragement every lap and we shook hands and exchanged stories after the race. I'll defintely miss the camaraderie over the next few months.
After 4 rounds I am now 7th in the series. With
the next round coming the weekend after my wife’s due date this will DEFINITELY
be my final cross country race of the year. I will have to wait and see if
those behind in the table can close the gap at the final race.
Highlight: 4th At the Erlestoke 6hr Enduro Low Point: 24th Southern Champs
Bike racing can be hard work!
The Southern Championships was intended to be the culmination of 5 months XC racing. Unfortunately it wasn't my day as either the pressure or fatigue got to me. So onto summer, traditionally the start of the enduro season - events to which I am more naturally suited.
I hadn't been intending to ride the Erlestoke race but I took the opportunity to put the disappointment of two weeks before behind me. I needed to average 40 minute laps to complete my target of 9, which I knew would get me near the podium places. After 5 laps I crossed the line on exactly 3hrs 20min - so I knew I had to ride the final 4 laps faster than the previous 4. I dug deep, racing each lap against the clock for the next two and a half hours. There was a colossal sense of achievement when I crossed the line in 4th place! Personally this was one of my most satisfying results, I rode strongly all day beating some well respected riders. Baby Ben is due is June so now would seem the perfect opportunity to take a break, on the back of this positive result. There are several enduro events to target later in the year, if I can survive the sleepless nights! I'll keep the reports coming in but cycling will take a back seat for a while!
I had only heard positive things from those who entered last years Erlestoke Enduro. I have raced at the venue before – but only through the mud, snow and ice of January's Salisbury Plain Challenge. With the weather forecast predicting the week long heat wave to continue into the weekend I was keen to see the venue in a different light! At 8.30am the temperature was already rising nicely as we struggled to wrestle three 29ers into Ian's car. I would be riding the 6 hour solo while Ian and Fay were entering the Mixed Pairs.
It was great to see a large turnout of South Downs Bikes riders to greet us in the car park, all sporting new 29ers!! There was just time for an early lunch of ham and jam sandwiches before joining the huge starting grid that formed for the Noon start. Numbers were undoubtedly swelled by the glorious weather – with 80 riders in the Solo male category alone!
There was a short starting loop to spread the field and then it was out onto the course proper. After a flowing descent into the wood the course emerged onto an undulating, strength-sapping grassy traverse across the fields to the foot of the hill. The climb started as wooded singletrack but then opened onto a steep gravel road. Having reached the top there wasn’t time for a rest as the route headed out across the open hill top into a strong headwind. The field was well spread by now but I was still riding close to the front and slipstreamed a group of riders onto Ian’s wheel and then followed him down the descent back to the arena.
As we rode past the campsite Ian took his eyes off the trail for a moment to check his watch and missed a little depression in the path. From my viewpoint it looked like somebody had tossed a doll into the air! When I reached the scene Ian was a bloody mess with road rash on arms and legs. He slowly made it back to his feet while I retrieved his bike and then uncomfortably remounted telling me to continue. He handed over to Fay and was patched up by the medics and rode another 4 laps. But I bet he was sore this morning!
The descent from the top of the hill was a belter. It was fast and flowing, twisting and turning between the trees on the chalky soil I am familiar with at home on the South Downs. Even after 6 hours I was still really enjoying myself, throwing the bike down the switchbacks!
I managed to keep the laps ticking over just under the magic 40 minute mark, completing my 9th lap with a couple of minutes to spare. My favourite race of the year - a combination of sunshine and great trails!
4th place on the day was my best result of 2012 and one of my strongest race rides ever.
I previously owned a set of Formula Oro Puros. They were superb brakes – never an issue, great performance, nice ‘feel’ and lightweight. When Formula brought out the R1 I couldn’t resist. The main selling point of the R1 at the time was its feather weight – 180g without rotors. To achieve this you had to sacrifice the Oro’s bite point adjustment and the gorgeous carbon levers but on the plus side black and red suits most colour schemes better than gold!
Initially I had a pile of problems with my R1’s.
My brakes leaked from behind the lever pistons – apparently a batch fault now rectified, but it did ruin a nice pair of carbon bars.
After a few months one of the rear calliper pistons jammed. The tools to service this are expensive and were going to take weeks to source, so in the end I purchased an entirely new calliper.
The tiny red aluminium torx bolts that hold everything together are VERY easy to round off. Unfortunately when this happens it can take weeks to track down replacements. Sourcing parts has become easier now Chainreaction stock Formula spares but there can still be long waits between restocking. I have stockpiled my own little stash of spares for emergencies.
The levers became sticky so they didn’t spring back out. The only solution I could find to this was to remove the two lower pivot bolts! The levers are now a little more floppy but I can cope with this. The levers themselves might look thin and spindly but they are comfortable and have stood up to several years of abuse.
The final problem is the most fundamental and annoying. There is VERY little clearance between the disc and the pads, so set-up is ultra critical if you don’t want annoying brake rub. Even a slight kink in your rotor leads to an annoying ‘pft,pft,pft’ as you ride along. Also if like me you regularly need to remove your wheels, it is usually necessary to reset the brakes. I have probably now spent hours of my life tuning and tweaking the brake rub. The actual effect of the brake rub is minimal but it is extremely annoying!
Finally the bleed kits and spares can be scarily expensive when you do track them down.
So after that tale of woe you are wondering why I still have the R1’s on the bike? The performance and feel that these brakes offer is superb. You can stop on a sixpence or lightly feather the brake into a corner, all with a single finger. The power is better than my old Oros but Formula have managed to maintain the superb modulation and control of the R1’s forebear. Once you have shelled out for the kit, bleeding the brakes is a piece of cake.
Finally there is of course that weight. Often after spending another evening tuning out the brake rub I have considered alternatives – but I can’t bring myself to add a chunk of weight to my bike!
In summary the set-up is fiddly and they need constant care and attention to keep them running smoothly, but the performance is powerful and wonderfully refined.
My wife is 8 months pregnant so Sundays race was the culmination of a truncated season of racing. With the national events this year either in Scotland or falling around the due date, the Southern Championships is the most prestigious event in my 2012 race calendar. Last year at the same venue I was very disappointed to finish 23rd and fully intended to make amends in 2012.
The first sunny weekend for months had left the course damp and grippy. There was only one climb of note, the rest of the course weaved amongst the bluebells in the dappled shade of the undulating woodland. I had rested since last weeks enduro, so when I was gridded 3rd with the warm spring sunshine on my back, everything was looking positive for a good race.
The start was a flat out sprint into the base of the climb. I lost some ground but still turned into the wood at the top in 9th place. Then it seems I forgot how to ride! In the twists and turns riders came past me left and right as I struggled for any kind of rhythm. As the lap continued things didn’t improve and I completed the first lap absolutely plumb last! From the front to the back in 20 minutes! I don’t know if it was fatigue from the Gorrick 100 and a hectic week at work, or the prospect of impending fatherhood playing on my mind, but I had absolutely no pace.
With my motivation in tatters I did at least force myself to keep riding, as there were still series points up for grabs. To compound my good mood I misjudged a turn and burped a large amount of air out on my rear tyre by hitting a root. Despite riding the entire last lap with a flat tyre it was still almost my fastest! I also caught and passed a few riders, finishing the day 24th one place worse than the year before.
It was a very disappointing day in what is becoming a frustrating year. Maybe it was just a bad day, or perhaps the thought of becoming a father means different priorities? Either way Sunday is in the past. I’ll now take a break from racing for a couple of weeks and look forward to the next round of the series. This will be my final race before the birth and I’ll be targeting enough points to ensure a top 10 position in the Southern XC Series.
Swinley forrest was chilly and damp as 90 nervous cyclists
gathered for the start of the Gorrick 100. Ahead of them 7 gruelling 10 mile
laps of twisting woodland singletrack, open forest paths and of course the
infamous sandy Surrey Hill climb. As if to emphasise the enormity of the task
ahead the race briefing included the information that all riders must be
finished by 6.30pm.
For me the Gorrick 100 is THE event that goes straight into
the diary every year. I have had good results here, but the challenge is still
a very personal one of forcing my body to complete a feat of physical
endurance. This was the 7th time I had stood on the start line and I
had made it to the finish on each of the previous 6 occasions, (my times
varying from just inside the time limit of 10 hours to last years 6 hours 20
minutes.)
It was obvious that this year wasn’t going to be the fastest
event. Weeks of rain had left some of the trails soft and claggy. Luckily it
wasn’t the mud bath of previous years, helped in part by the excellent
all-weather trails that form part of the developing Surrey Hills MTB area.
Experience is a wonderful thing! At the start I watched
excited, adrenalin fuelled riders streak away as I took it easy for the first
lap. Sure enough a lap or two later I saw many of the early eager beavers
again, this time their faces pale, eyes set in a blank stare as energy reserves
hit empty.
The second and most critical bit of knowledge I have picked
up is to eat, eat and keep eating! You simply can’t get enough energy on board.
From the start I was munching fig rolls, energy bars and bananas every 15
minutes. Probably as important is keeping topped up with fluids. I’ve tried
various methods of refuelling but this year I opted for a pit stop every lap to
pick up a fresh bottle and more grub. People with partners who have
extraordinarily high tolerance to boredom get their food and bottles passed to
them. Personally I haven’t found a way to persuade my wife to sit in a cold,
soggy wood for an entire day, but those lucky few have a definite advantage.
The hilly sections of the course were loaded at the
beginning of the lap so once over the traditional sandy cliff face you were
able to enjoy the singletrack. In fact this year my arms were struggling before
my legs as I wrestled the bike through the serpentine, switchbacks.
I quickly fell into a loose group with 2 riders. I say
‘loose’ because over this distance everyone rides at their own pace and has
moments when they are feeling good, and bad times when they start to suffer. We
constantly swapped position. I often gained on the climbs, then struggled to
hold onto a wheel on the flat.
As the day progresses riders entering the shorter distances
join the course. Obviously these are not real men (and women), but I’m sure
they have a wonderful time smirking at the anguished faces of the 7 lappers!
Anyway on lap four I was caught by Matt Knight from SDB who was riding the 40
mile challenge. After a quick chat we rode together and he kindly offered me a
nice slip stream. This pulled me ahead of the others in my ‘group’ and I found
myself alone.
Completing an endurance event can be as much about the mind
as the body. With the legs screaming for a rest, convincing them and yourself
that another 30 miles is a sensible idea can be tough. Your mind starts to
suggest it might be easier to sit at the side of the trail for a while, or even
better head back to the burger van in the car park. Lap 5 was the toughest for
me as those evil voices whispered in my ear. I probably pushed too hard while
riding with Matt. However, a brief comfort stop and an opportunity to top up
some lost air in my rear tyre and I was back up and running. I was passed by
one of the guys I had been riding with – which could have been a bad moment.
But actually I felt ok and I felt stronger again as the final lap closed in.
I had been in the saddle for over 6 hours as I approached
the climb for the 7th and final time. Never before have I cleared
the climb on every lap of a Gorrick 100. But this year surrounded by people
walking, who were riding far fewer laps than myself I cleared the top. I knew
then that I was going to finish and for the first time I started thinking about
my position in the race. I knew I was unlikely to catch the guy ahead as he had
continued to slowly pull away into the distance since passing me. I checked
over my shoulder and my heart sunk at the depressing sight of a 7 lap number
board a 100 meters behind. Damn! I pushed as hard as I could, strength in my
arms and legs failing, co-ordination wandering as I negotiated the descents and
corners towards the line.
Finally I could hear the commentary and smell the burgers! I
had hung on and rolled across the line in 18th. As a testament to
how tough this event is, only 47 of the 90 starters completed the full
distance. I had so little left that on the way home I had to stop for a nap.
Luckily it was a bank holiday so opportunity for a lie in the next day!
