Rock Shox SID SL Ultimate - First impressions

In anticipation of there hopefully being some races later in the year I've completed my planned 2020 bike upgrade. After 4 years flawless service my DT Swiss fork has been replaced with the new Rock Shox SID SL Ultimate.

The DT's were lightweight, but the new SID's take lightness to a whole new level. 1248g after I'd cut the steerer to length!

A suspension fork however is judged more on the performance than the weight. I had my first ride yesterday over to the local singletrack playground at Whiteways. Unfortunately I ripped a tyre sidewall on the way so I had to show a little caution and wasn't able to push the fork as hard as I'd have liked. Despite this I was very surprised to see a number of PR's (personal records) pop up on my Strava feed when I got home. So it seems without even trying the fork was fast!

My initial impression is that it is far more supple that my old DT. Very little initial stiction allows it to smooth out the smaller rough stuff on the trail. On the bigger hits I noticed less of a difference, but this may partly have been because I was trying to nurse the tyre.

I'm about 72kg in my cycling gear and used the Rock Shox app as my starting point for the set-up. I put in just over 100psi and wound the rebound on 7 clicks. Usually it takes me several rides to tune suspension to how I like it, but this felt pretty much spot on and by the end of the ride the O-ring was up at the top of the crown, suggesting I'd made the most of the 100mm of travel.

To be honest I wasn't sure about the blue when I ordered the fork (black was out of stock), but now it's here I'm pleased with the SID signature colour. I've never been one for bikes with the subtle "stealth" look anyway! 

So first impressions: 
It looks good, satisfies my inner weight weenie and makes me faster. I can't wait for the next ride!

What to do when there is no racing?

A month has passed since the Gorrick Spring Classic. At the time the first race of the season was met eagerly, everyone ready to assess their form after the gloomy winter months. Excitement was high in anticipation of the summer of exhilarating racing that lay ahead. Little did we know it would be our only race for who knows how long.


The Corona virus was only something we were vaguely aware was happening in China. Now it has put a stop to all local amateur and professional bike racing across the globe. Bike racing seems irrelevant and unimportant in the grand scheme of things right now.

So what do we do without the focus of racing goals to galvanise us into heading out for another hill rep or interval session? Well ever since the lock down was announced it seems the weather has been brilliant! The days have got longer and the sun has shone. Which means the trails are running perfectly! Fortunately in the UK we are still allowed our one form of daily exercise as long as we maintain a safe social distance from everybody we meet and pass, so we've been able to get out and enjoy those glorious conditions.

I'm working from home, and relieved of school run duties since the kids are home as well. So I've been creeping downstairs early in the morning and getting my ride in before work and Daddy responsibilities kick in! To be honest, lock down and isolation have had their benefits in this respect.

I haven't been "training" just enjoying riding my bike, which hopefully has a similar result. Before lock down I had a new regime of three 'proper' rides a week and I've continued this, but just fill the days between with additional family trailer bike rides and leisurely cruises around the local lanes and trails. Wednesday and Friday are 60 to 90 minute rides of a decent tempo, basically having fun and pushing myself! Sunday is a more steady paced ride, up to 3 hours. The frustration is that I'm unable to share the glorious spring trails with my friends, not able to chase their wheels through the dusty singletrack. Instead I've taken the opportunity to explore some more unfamiliar trails and revisit older routes from my past.

One thing about the current situation is the importance to not put unnecessary strain on the emergency services and from a personal Corona risk perspective avoid hospital! So the rides I've chosen have been less technically challenging, more old school mountain biking on the smooth open bridleways of the South Downs. I've also been taking extra spares and tools with me so if I have a mechanical issue I don't need to force my wife to have to make any unnecessary journeys.

Make the most of the opportunities you have, it's not all bad.

Gorrick Spring Classic

To quote Gorrick themselves "After a couple of false starts due to the weather, it was so good to be running an event again." After such a rubbish winter it felt fantastic to be back in the familiar surroundings of the Gorrick arena waiting for the start of the Veteran Plus race.

Life and work commitments mean I'm not riding anywhere near as I much as I have in the past 10 years. During January and February I've also missed chunks of time in the saddle due to illness and I've been away on a nice family holiday. Around these breaks I have settled into a new weekly cycling regime, based on 3 solid rides a week. So as well as enjoying the buzz of racing, Sunday was also a great chance to assess where my current performance level is at.

As is normal for the Area 51 venue the course was made up almost entirely of singletrack. Great fun to ride, but horrible to race if you're trying to get past the rider ahead. This was immediately evident from the start. We sprinted away, quickly funneling into singlefile. Gaps quickly opened and split the race into groups as quicker riders got trapped behind slower competitors who'd made better starts. This lead to the need for some fairly rude and savage passing manuevers. The air was full of shouts as riders chopped infront of others and the sound of foliage and twigs being broken as people attempted to cut down the inside of corners into gaps that weren't always there!

The first mile of the course opened with repeated short steep climbs, the type I'm usually perfectly suited to. Frustratingly instead of surging up the slopes, all I could do was stay in line and follow those ahead. Even more annoyingly a West Drayton rider swept around the outside of one bend and I had to take avoiding action as he cut back infront of me! We worked our way to the front of the bunch and I got my revenge as he tried to find a way around the slower rider. As they jostled I managed to shoot past them both on the opposite side of the trail! 

I was now able to ride at my own pace much of the time, we just had to wiggle our way past a couple of other riders during the first lap. The guy from West Drayton MBC crossed the line glued to my rear wheel. This is exactly where he stayed for the ENTIRE next lap and the 3rd as well! I think that the narrow course was actually working to my advantage now. For I was aware I was probably stronger on the climbs, but he was frequently buzzing my rear tyre on the decents unable to get by. 

Towards the end of the third lap, with 20 minutes of racing left, I did my best to take on a gel to provide an extra boost in preparation for my push to the line. I chose the straightest section of trail I could, but ended up fiddling around in my pocket for longer than I'd hoped. As a result I had to ride several corners one handed! I wandered around, wobbling off the edge of the trail once or twice. I managed somehow (probably my erratic swerving) to keep my racing shadow behind me. Back in control and fueled up I dug in on the final climb of the lap just to test his legs. The gap opened slightly but he soon closed it down.

Into the final lap I pushed as hard as I could on the early climbs, but my legs were beginning to fade and I had to resort to a little coasting on the decents to recover. As the finishline banner came into sight amongst the trees, I felt my rear tyre being rubbed again several times and twice my challenger got his front wheel halfway alongside me. These may not have even been genuine attempts to pass, he was probably just trying to pressurise me into mistake. I held my nerve making myself as wide a possible and defending the inside line at every bend. Then on the sprint (fast crawl!) up the final slope to the finishing line I finally pulled a few bike lengths ahead. We crossed the line further apart than we'd been for the entire 1hr 30min race!

It had been a great battle, one of the closest I've ever been part of. It was just unfortunate it wasn't for a position higher up the field! I'll admit to being very disappointed with 27th. It answers my initial question about where my fitness currently is. No more challenging for podiums, or even it seems the top 10! Yes I know I am better at the longer formats of racing, but with its hilly profile this course played perfectly to my strengths, so it hurts to finish much nearer the back of the field than the front.

Rock Shox SID Ultimate Carbon - Unboxed

I bought my bike a present for valentine's day! A new fork - the Rock Shox SID Ultimate Carbon. Weights below to keep me happy while I wait for my new boost wheel. 

Brass Monkeys Round 2 - The New Year Hangover

After coming agonisingly close at the previous race I was totally focused on a top 10 finish at round 2 of the Brass Monkeys. I've ridden some tough events but I can't remember hurting myself so hard in a race. I gave it everything from the gun to the flag. After nearly 4hrs of pain and maximum dedication you can imagine my frustration to finish 11th AGAIN!! 🤬 

From the 3rd lap of this 6 lap race I was hurting! All races are tough but I really suffered on Sunday. I definitely went off harder and faster than normal, determined to get that top 10 finish. As the race wore on that early effort definitely of had an impact. Riding hard also gave me less opportunity to take on food and water. For January it was a relatively mild day and I was sweating buckets. I was perhaps wearing slightly too much and I feel in hindsight that I maybe neglected to replace the lost fluids and minerals as well as I perhaps could, skipping a pit stop on lap 1 and lap 2. Despite by then downing 3 bottles some gels and 2 bananas, by lap 4 I was dreaming of the sandwiches in my car!! Crossing the line after 6 laps I could barely talk until I had eaten.

I have a lot of memories of racing at Porridgepot Hill. Including what to this day I would say was my best performance in a race - 2nd at R U Tough Enough in the summer of 2011. It is a great venue and it was fabulous to return after too long an absence. Some of the familiar classics were still there, the twisting descents, the rooty bomb holes and the long sandy climbs.

The weather was spectacularly kind, the sun shining on a bedded in and grippy course. Some of the best trail conditions I can remember at a Brass Monkey event.

You can only race the people who turn up on the day and yesterday there were 10 faster riders than me. I am happy that I gave it my all, leaving nothing in the tank at the line. Perhaps I just wasn't on a good day but I also have to be realistic. Family comes before cycling nowadays and I've been spending less time in the saddle training than I have for many years and it is beginning to show. I'll still be going for it again though, next time at the final round in just 3 weeks. 

Brass Monkeys - Christmas Cracker!

The Brass Monkeys series is the highlight of the winter MTB race scene here in the south of England. Back in February at last seasons final round I battled hard to secure my only top 10 result as a Veteran. As much as I was looking forward to the race I definitely wasn't expecting a repeat performance this Sunday.

I know my fitness isn't where it was earlier in the year and as I've documented in my blog recently, the loss of form means I've been struggling for motivation. To get my excuse in early I'd also had a terrible disturbed nights sleep looking after my poorly son. In fact I didn't even decide to race until 8.45.

Fittingly for the first day of winter, it was a cold day in Aldershot. The puddles were still frozen as the 4 hour race got underway. The course was based around firm well draining gravel tracks so conditions were perfect in the morning Sunshine.

I'd been up for hours and the truth is my heart wasn't fully in the racing. I set off just enjoying the opportunity to ride somewhere different. Riders swarmed away and I drifted around the course about mid pack. The gears on my bike started miss-shifting and I began to consider how long I would ride before calling it a day. 

Reaching the pit area I stopped and checked the bike out. There was nothing obviously wrong. Luckily the process of just looking obviously dislodged something and when I jumped back on the mech was running across the cassette smoothly again. I needed all those gears on the massive opening climb of the lap. As the trail headed skyward I re-passed those who had gone by while I had fiddled with the bike. This has to be the longest climb I've raced locally, starting as a long drag it ramped up right at the end. I was out of the saddle crawling over the crest of the hill after several minutes of climbing.

Bike functioning again, now I was having fun in the sunshine! A herd of roaming cattle providing extra mobile obstacles as they grazed in amongst the trees. I was enjoying myself and the sense of speed in a group, but still wouldn't say I was fully committed. One motivation to keep up the pace was the threat of being caught by friends in the Grand Veteran 3 hour race which had started 5 minutes after our event.

Matt was the first to finally catch me on lap 4. I tucked in following his wheel and slicing through the singletrack when I heard the dreaded PHSSST! from the front tyre. PUNCTURE! The No-tubes latex didn't immediately seal the hole so I had to stop and get out the pump. A number of riders I recognised passed while I was stationary for 3 or 4 minutes at the side of the trail.

Strangely rather than totally break my resolve the puncture really kick started my race! I chased off determined to regain my position. Charging into the penultimate lap I could see 3 riders ahead, but had no idea if they were Grand Vets or in my race. Regardless I chased them down and attacked them as soon as I got past, opening up a gap behind me. When I hit the bottom of the opening hill for the final time I could only see one rider ahead right at the top. The 3 hour event having now ended he had to be in my race. Glancing behind nobody was in sight. My steady early race pace meant I still had plenty of energy in the tank to attack.

I had several minutes to make up on the rider ahead, so once at the top of the hill and into the wood I lost sight of my target. Still I continued to press on at maximum speed. Turning out of the wood half way around the lap I looked up and could see the gap had closed to less than a minute. I sprinted along the hillside track, the gap closing all the time. We then dived back into the wood for the final loops before the finish line. At one steep switchback he was just below me and we exchanged a knowing glance! I pushed and pushed, but the line was getting closer and I couldn't quite close the gap in time, finishing less than 10 seconds back. 

So imagine my frustration when the commentator announced I'd finished in 11th place! Argh! The result is still far better than I expected. Without the puncture and with a bit more commitment earlier in the race a top 10 result would have been in the bag.

I know I'm lacking fitness at the moment, but as at the Gorrick Autumn Classic a few weeks ago my finishing position was definitely a pleasant surprise. Perhaps it just goes to show how important experience is when racing. 

Racing Myself - Solo Training Ride

I was Billy no mates on Sunday! With no cycling buddies to hook up with I took the opportunity to leave the house bright and early. 3 hours later when I pulled up sweaty and mud splattered outside my house, the Garmin read exactly 50.00 miles! I had set out with a route in mind based around the classic South Downs climbs of Harting, Bexley & Duncton, but definitely hadn’t planned it with a 2 decimal points attention to detail.

During the 45min ride north towards Harting I noticed my average speed was approaching 17mph. This isn’t unusual or amazingly fast, but it became a target to try and maintain my pace to the base of the first climb of Harting Hill. As the road rose up into the mist and low cloud, my speed dropped and I fully expected to say goodbye to a 17mph average for the remainder of the ride. I had plunged down through the murk and raced through the sleeping village at the bottom of the hill before I looked down at my Garmin again and was surprised to notice Aver: 16.9mph. 

It was a challenge that came out of nowhere but I was now hooked on the magic number of 17! I popped out of the saddle on every short incline in the road, and tried to hold a steady power on the relatively flat run into Midhurst. Despite the grotty mud strewn roads I reached Easebourne and the bottom of Bexley Hill with the average now reading 17.6mph. Even with a large margin in hand, as I approached 1 hour 30 min ride time I definitely didn’t expect to hold the 17mph average over such a long drawn out climb.

Approaching from the south the hill grinds upwards at a steady and relentless gradient. As I spun away at the pedals I occasionally glanced down at the handlebars, 17.5…17.4….17.3 down to 17.2. As I approached the crest I was out of the saddle pushing a big gear over the top. No time to stop (in the mist there was no view to admire anyway) instead I headed straight down the wet and slippery 20% decent. The twists and turns mean there isn’t any chance to release the brakes and let the bike go. I edged down cautiously my fingers griping the brakes. Adding to the perils water flowed down the tarmac, washing stones and grit out of the verge and making the corners more hazardous. It wasn’t until I’d safely reached the bottom that I was able to take a breather and pull an energy bar from my jersey pocket as I turned south and started heading homewards.

The undulating lanes around Selham and Graffham that lead through to Duncton meant repeated short efforts were needed to maintain momentum and I could feel it was beginning to take a toll on my legs. Duncton, the final big climb of the day, is a steep diagonal slope up the north side of the Downs. It’s made more challenging because the half a mile leading into the hill is also a subtle upward gradient. My legs were getting tired by now so I didn’t exactly dance on the pedals and by the top I was down to a 16.6mph average.

There is only a brief drop before I turned along the valley into a pronounced head wind. I kept my head down and the power on the pedals tickling the average up to 16.7 by the base of the final recongnisable climb of the day up to Benges. Out of the saddle I burnt the final matches I had remaining with a big effort.

From there it was now an 8 mile blast home, with downward glances at the Garmin to see how I was doing against my self created target. At Tangmere I had to cross the pedestrian bridge over the A27. I whizzed up and down the zig zags as fast as I could. 17mph for the entire ride was not a certainty yet. Once I cleared the bridge I had the final 4 mile flat run home. I kept the pace above 20mph on familiar roads, dodging the pot holes and Sunday drivers. I slammed on the brakes at my front gate having not stopped for the entire 50 mile ride. I'd averaged 17.2mph.

The totally unplanned 17mph challenge transformed my training ride. I’ve averaged more than this before on rides even more challenging, but it provided the focus and motivation that kept me pushing on when a Sunday ride on my own could have become a weekend cruise.