Gorrick Brass Monkey and Summer Monkey 2016

Hi everyone,
It has been an age, life has been busy, work, house stuff and of course the pitter patter of little feet have arrived in our house, with the birth of a first child Molly, over a year ago now.  She is awesome!

So a quick update.

Brass Monkey Fatbike category was won, without a win, but consistency across all the races including the first round in the Summer Monkey 2015.  Pretty happy considering there was plenty of illness and trip back home in amongst it all.

Next was Battle on the Beach, massively under prepared and I got the hosing I expected to, finishing 12th I think.  Always, a great event.

Then it was back to the a Gorrick race, the Gorrick 100.  It was going OK, not great but OK.  Until it went a little less than OK for a girl racing.  She fell and I assessed her arm to be broken and waited track side with her until help arrived (or in this case a close friend) which I then went to check where the ambulance was (about 100 metres away and heading to her).  I pulled the pin there as many riders had passed me now and there was little time to grab one final lap.  I hope she is recovering well.

Next Summer Monkey 2016, in a depleted field due to other races on the same weekend, saw only one challenger Duncan Hard and if I am honest, whilst I had done more training, certainly not enough to take on Duncan.  Add that to my bars rotating on the 1st lap, as I listened to the Torq settings and I was behind the eight ball.  Having said that, I did my best to ride as hard as I could and tried to make it around to grab one final lap, due to the new timing format.  I missed giving myself enough time to do another, by about 4 minutes.  The course was one of their best yet, with good climbers, fast sections and some very good technical bits. Finishing 2nd in the end in a field of 3 as even other entered on the day to race fat chose skinny instead.  Although, I was about 5th overall in the 3hr Cat. Silver linings and all that. :)

A few things are now planned, which I will update soon on.

I also, had a very fun if wet trip to Bike Park Wales the other weekend and can recommend it, even in the wet.  This was the first time it has rained on me in Wales when I have had a bike there.

 

Giving it the Black Beard snarl at the Summer Monkey 2016

(photo: Kevin Sheldrake)

Also, testing the Alpkit Love Mud Scope carbon bars thoroughly, on a rough technical course.

Gorrick Merida Brass Monkeys Rnd 2 and 3

After a so so year. I decided over winter to do what I felt like doing.  First came the Morvelo Battle Royale, a great laugh and awesome event.  I avoided the first Gorrick Merida Brass Monkey as I just was that keen.  A good job, it was wet and horrible I am told.  But I entered Rnd 2 and 3 each week before as I felt like it and by then had formulated another plan and entered the Rovaniemi 150 more on that later.

Rnd 2 I decided to ride over and met Amanda (training partner and all round decent Kiwi) :) at the event village after a great ride over with the Fatboy Expert bikepack kitted out carrying my supplies for the race.  It was cold and clear and the track was running fast.  After suggesting I would have a slow start, bang we were off and I went out pretty hard.  But the track was so enjoyable I pressed on, the fatty was just too much fun on this course.

I pushed on as the legs started go heavy, I dug a little deeper, but soon a couple in my cat lapped me, but that was to be expected, all things considered.  With cramp biting a little in the second and a lot in the last lap, I slowed to ensure I didn't give away too many spots and soon hit the finish line in 10th, a pretty good result.

Next would be Rnd 3, a few weeks later and after Christmas.  But I had ridden a bit more in between and had decided not to ride over as the weather had been a bit wetter in between, but on race day, it had cleared up. However, tiredness on entering had caused me to enter the wrong race (first noticed by Sam P, when he popped over to say "Hi"). "You idiot Swalling" a slight panic and a few minutes later that I didn't really have that was sorted and I was in the 4hr Vet Cat again.

I rode around the field about twice and lined up far to far back for a quick start. We started and at the left hairpin the fat tyres allowed me to take an tight and fast line, passing 20+ riders. OK, that is a start. However, the Fatboy does take a little bit of winding up and the next two straights I didn't pass some of the riders I really wanted to by the time we hit the single track, "Balls!"

Calmly I waited and pounced when I could, stealing a place here, nabbing a trail position there.  The Fatboy allowing me to be every more creative with my off camber inside lines. Although at one point my speed was far too high for such a move, but fortunately I only took myself. Remounted and was in front of that group by the next single track.

I was loving this race, I had no idea since about the 3 lap where the hell I was, but everything was going well. However, at race pace the fatty does get heavy and takes its toll on the legs, which started to get heavy in the last lap. I lost one position here and spotting some late chargers, at the last 10 meters and squeezing a final hard turn on the cranks, I finished equal 6th. Damn that was close to being relegated to 7th, but I will take equal 6th.  if I knew they were that close I would have dug deeper earlier.

I have to say, I thoroughly enjoyed both these races and they have a hidden agenda, as does the long fatbike rides, short sharp CX and XC rides in the cold.  They are all training for the Rovi150 mentioned above.

There is more training to come, which includes a Scottish adventure, my next blog.  But for now.

Thanks:
Cycleworks
Wolf Tooth Components
Alpkit
and, Weldite

for the continued support.

2015 will be a little different, but not much. :)

Brass Monkeys - Rnd 4

26th Jan, saw the last of the ACU/Gorrick Brass Monkeys Rnd for the series.  Due to work, weather, life in general and concentrating on building core strength to set my year up I had not been on the bike much, but hoped for continued improve.  In short that is what I got.

Moments before the start it started to rain and it would do this up until a few minutes after I finished, challenging shall we say, as was the course, but apart from one hill that got to slippery for a single speed it remained very rideable, well done to ACU/Gorrick for an well planned course.

The race and weather would be brutal and there would be many retirements, crashes a plenty and more than a bit of sideways action :)  I mechanical forced a short stop after lap 2, but with it fixed I continued and it didn't plague me again.

Riding through the rain, slop and mud, squeezing past riders as I could nabbing many as they struggled on the sharp climbs, things seemed to go well.  In the closing k's of the last lap, the legs finally felt a bit heavy, but I found that my lower back was feeling strong enough continue to drive my legs and my pace didn't ease too much apart from getting caught in some traffic.  Try as I might I could not find the extra speed to slip past the Start/Finish under the 4hr mark for a cheeky extra lap.

However, finishing 10th in Vet 4hrs, was another improvement and has certainly continued to keep me motivated for the year ahead.

Special thanks to Wolf Tooth Components and Weldtite, keeping the single speed running smooth in some grim conditions.

Alpkit, thanks for keeping me warm before and after the race.

Cycleworks, there might be a full service coming your way. Ta  ;)

ACU/Gorrick Brass Monkeys Rnd 1, 2 and 3

After crashing and trashing my back in the Gorrick Torq in your Saddle 12:12 in August, I hadn't done a lot on the bike. I was tired, sore and a bit fed up.

But I duly entered the Brass Monkey winter series (Army Cycling Union and Gorrick).  Each year I look forward to this, but on the start line for the 1st Round I felt weak and uninterested in racing, but I still got on with things, well the best I could with my back feeling sore before evening starting.

Long story short it didn't go well and my back increased in pain and soon I was struggling to pedal let alone race and so I pulled the pin in pain and limped back to the van.  It was good to see the other Cycleworks team members and friends do really well.

Back to the osteo, back twisted, crunch and put right and a great deal of strength and stretching exercises issued and I was told to climb more (can't complain about that).  Whilst I started to do this a week later I threw myself and road bike down the road quite hard and once the bruising came out the next morning I could bare walk for a day or two, so I had a stay of rehab for an extra few days. Damn it!

I managed two rides before the 2nd Rnd of the Brass Monkeys and surprising managed to ride into 17th on the day, after some wheel issues and ensuring I took things comfortably.

Soon Rnd 3 was upon us after the Christmas and New Year season and two days of stomach bug made it hard enough to function as a human, let alone train.  So this race would be handle purely by a years accumulation of training and stubbornness.  In some very heavy conditions that a fatbike may well have be a better option I managed to ride into 13th, but not before have some loose chain issues and then some getting stuck behind a hundred+ 2hr racers on a lengthy bit of single track (it did hone my overtaking skills though).

So I am happy with one thing mainly with the above, I am improving again, building strength and have learnt how to managed the back if it does flare up.  However, that is becoming less of an issue, Yay!

Rnd 4 is not far off and I hope to get some more training in and be better prepared so I can see more improvement.  I have set most of my cycling goals for this year, so seeing improvement this early in the year would be a positive.

Fingers crossed.

Army Cycling - Are You Tough Enough

Last Sunday in some nice warm conditions I raced the Army Cycling Union's - Are You Tough Enough event, in the 4 hours Single Speed category.  The race would end with some controversy.  But I am over that and looking forward.

As I said the day was warm and this suited me. As I lined up I knew Al would be the man to try and beat or at least try to stay close to.  But with these events there is always one or that suddenly pop up out of nowhere and seem to be flying, then disappear for the rest of the year.

The race started and I planned to stick to my race plan. Often the best way as most of the time in these races it is hard to know exactly where you our.  As the laps whiled away and my nutrition and plan seemed to hold together another SS passed me, but without clocking his number and real idea I didn't chase, plus at this point in the race, it would be against my plan and the bigger picture in a few weeks time.

I pushed on and passed many riders, in many different categories and even got caught up in the start of the 2hrs race, but put in the effort to up my pace so as not to lose time on other I was racing to slowing to let these guys passed. Once these guys had passed I settled into my rhythm again and ticked the legs over nicely.  However soon, my bike was plagued by an ominous creak, which I decide to inspect thoroughly once.  I would have easily lost a minute here, but better than the alternative.  Everything checked and in working order I pressed on, however as I started another SS rider appeared on my wheel.  Balls! I had gifted him a minute or so.  But lets not panic.

Over the next 2 laps we swap positions, 2nd and 3rd a few times. Then I managed to steadily ride him off my wheel, but suddenly he reappeared. Onto the last lap and the same occurred I rode him off my wheel, but in the last 600m's he appeared from nowhere and latched onto my wheel, but he didn't have the legs to get past.

Coming into the last 300m's I made a simple mistake, which meant he sneaked past, but I was soon on his wheel again. Once chance was left, a dirty loamy corner in a steep climb.  I had nailed this every lap. I back off a bike length or 2 has he sat right on the wheel of the 2hr rider in front of him.  This would be a mistake, sure enough at the corner, they both faltered and stepped off. I called "track" and the 2hr rider who was on my line jumped out the way.  The SS rider, with not right of way, jumped in my way, knocking me off my bike.  Angrily I run my bike to the top as he did the same and sprinted for the line and just missed pipping him on it.

I have to admit I was quite pissed off at the time and rightly so.  But like I say I have moved on. After a while I focused on the good. I had stuck to the plan, my nutrition was spot on and I rode the sections the way I had planned after the first lap.  In fact, it was probably my most disciplined race in the last 18 months.  I also got 3rd in the Cat and roughly 16th overall in the 4hr.  So another podium for Cycleworks, the team is getting quite a few this year.

(Photo: Chris Noble)

So overall, I am really happy with this result.  I feel disappointed for Al Fairbairn, whos handle bars snapped, but glad he was OK and inspired by his massive attempt to get back in the race.  Thanks to Chris's dad for helping out, Cheers!

ACU and Gorrick, awesome course and great event well done again.

Thanks Cycleworks, Weldtite and Alpkit.

Next stop, Bontrager Twentyfour12.  Confidence is up, I am finding some form and everything else seems to be coming together nicely. Fingers crossed at the end of July I can have a similar blog to post.  :)

Gorrick Brass Monkeys Rnd 1 and 2

So in the last month and a bit I have competed in Rnd 1 and 2 of the Gorrick Brass Monkeys, with mixed and slightly unexpected results, all this in my new category of Vet, albeit a little early moving up thanks to Gorrick's birth dates requirements. :)

Rnd 1 came around it was cold, stayed dry, mostly and the course held up well. After struggling to find my rhythm with a geared bike I managed to ride myself into 8th in Vets and 21st overall.  Not too bad considering in the last 2 laps I really struggled to get past 2hr race back markers who mainly refused to get out the way of faster riders.  This was clearly addressed at the start of Rnd 2 by the Gorrick Officials.

So happy with Rnd 1 and a bit surprised as other things have taken priority since I effectively wrapped up my season and planned to use the Brass Monkeys to keep some race fitness up.

Onto Rnd 2, a stomach bug in the week and I had no aspiration of a great result.  It was sunny, fairly dry, the undulating and heavy course suited me well and I headed off at a steady pace and looking at the result timings I was doing OK.

Out on my 4th lap and overtaking a couple of 2hr riders, I heard a massive crack from my saddle. Balls! A quick check and it was toast, snapped clean through and directly over the seat post. No the rails the saddle. I tried to push on, but racing on a broken saddle for another 1.5hrs was going to be too tough and is a major pain in the arse (sorry)  :)

If it was half a lap or even a lap left I would have pressed on as that is close enough, but the prospect of another 2-3 laps without being able to sit down, didn't appeal.  I have finished races with 1 lap to go before with a broken seat post bolt and your legs don't like you a whole lot for quite a while.

So as I had done much better than I expected due to illness I was content to pull the pin and encourage the rest of Team Cyclesworks and my friends home.

They all did very well and it was actually nice to be there waiting for them at the end.

Good news for me is that even with a stomach bug in the week, I seem to recover well enough to at least put in a good show for a few laps, so the training is on the right path.

Happy Riding and Merry Christmas all and fingers crossed for some winter climbing.

Gorrick Brass Monkeys Rnd 1

Well this weekend sees the first of the Gorrick Brass Monkeys, put on by the Army Cycling Union.  These tend to be fast and not so much fun. ;)

The weather is looking like it my play into my hands, cold, wet for the days before and heavy going.  Single speed it is then, unless they change to fire road trucking, then I'll just be annoyed as it turns into a 4hr CX race and I will have a bread knife at a gun fight.

Great to see a number of CW team mates heading out as well.  Hopeful some podiums.

Gorrick 100 is approaching

this weekend and training this week should include a couple of horribly wet and muddy MTB rides, a criterium Wednesday night if the weather is kind, a CX smash Thursday and hopefully another MTB Friday evening.  I don't do tapering for the short races as I find my legs get stiff and heavy, I will back the intensity back a bit though.  Each to their own.

Lets see what work dictates as now my colds have gone.

Oh, there seems to be this orangey yellow sphere in the sky as well.

S

Sunny Gorrick

On Sunday I headed to the Gorrick Spring Series Rnd 4.  It was a sunny but cool morning and as I was on my new steed it was worth doing a practice lap.  By the time I finished it had warmed up a bit and I was well impressed with the course.

Soon Brian and Clive arrived and I had a bit of a chat pre-race to them, then got lined up. Off we went and the pace was pretty quick and my legs still felt a bit heavy from a ride the day before.  Anyway, I rode on, passed a few, got passed by a few.  I made all the climbs on the single each lap bar the really loose and soft one on the last lap, run about 10m's as my now stretched chain wanted to hop off the chain ring, which under torsion is never good.

As this race was quite quick and the course technical course technical I really had no idea where I was when I crossed the line until moments later, they announced I had finished 10th.  Not a bad showing really even in a small field and certainly a nice back test and warm up for Easter weekend and the 24Hrs of Exposure the first of the big ones.

Congrats to Em and the guys for good finishes all round and to Chris and Brian, awesome stuff for toughing out the mechanical and giving it a stiff go with skiers legs.

Good-luck to you all on the 22nd at the last Rnd.

Everyone meet Toad, his fast and very green.

Happy riding.
S

Gorrick Spring Series Rnd 2

It was a lovely sunny day, and lots of people had come out to play and maybe I should have been on a long ride somewhere instead.  Anyway I was stepping out in Super Master to fly the cycleworks.co.uk flag, whilst others, Brian, Emily, Chris, Callum and Simon would be out in other categories.

Racing single speed and with legs already cooked, I knew it was going to be a battle and after the first lap I had to remind myself that any race like these is training for the big ones, with some cheeky overtaking moves and using the single track to my advantage I peg a few places back and then gap my chasers.

Maybe another 10 to 22hrs and I would have done better than 17th. :) However, the course was awesome and I know it has done my legs some good, a short race when your legs are tired is not a bad thing.

The others rode well and certainly flew the CW flag high, Emily riding onto the podium again in Master Women and Brian putting in a great showing in the Vet Men.  I watched Callum head off at the start, but had to get going for the day.  I hope he did well.

I'll miss the next round as I have a date with some hills, a pack and a map and compass.

Congrats on a good showing team.