XC Racer Blog Post

Brass Monkeys Rd1

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BY: chris cooknell

Published: 26th November, 2012


A race series in November/December/January is a great idea.  After the racing through June/July/August and then lunching out, it provides a good motivational kick to get back in the saddle and start hurting myself.  In effect the 2013 race calendar starts here!  This first round was sold out, so I am not the only one that looks forward to some well organised friendly racing on an interesting, and (hopefully) weather-proof course.
Leaving my home in Somerset just getting out of the village was by no means a given, luckily (although still fountaining water) the crater at the bottom of the high street was no bigger, and the road across the levels was only partly submerged for a few hundred metres, so after proceeding gingerly on, and taking a couple of long-cuts I made it to the motorway.
Arriving at the gravely expanse of Caesar's camp, a dry ride looked possible, with the day light hours free of any Met Office extreme weather warnings.  The small event village, tucked away in the shelter of the trees buzzed with pre-race chat and soon everyone had their numbers courtesy of time laps and were waiting on the start line.  Despite the biting wind it was worth having waited around for a few minutes to get a good start as we piled straight into a short, relatively open but swooping and twisty start loop that led into some single track that brought us back through the finish line and off onto the course proper.
The course designers had done a cracking job.  OK they have a lot to play with; a huge expanse of the MOD's heathland and woods, but they had come up with an excellent enduro course. My guess is that the course statistics run like: tarmac - 3.5 metres, gravel double track - one mile (up hill or flat), single track - 7 miles.  The single track was a lot of fun, from the pedally, leany round the bends type across the heath to the dell-strewn whoopy stuff in the silver birches.  For the sake of balance there was one 10 metre section of boggy ground, where the bridging got submerged in mud brought down through the woods, but this was loose enough to ride, and if you had to get off provided a rest before the climb!
I paid for my rapid start as the race ground on, with my last laps dragging considerably, but although you can be beaten by faster, fitter riders you can only be defeated by yourself.  Brass monkey's run on the "laps started before x hours" format, so crossing the line with 10 min to go I was off for my victory lap - victory over the lure of a cup of tea and an early bath.  The last lap banter from fellow riders ranged from "this lap's not going to be pretty" to "this feels like a f---ing mountain now" and provided a camaraderie amongst those that had just condemned themselves to another 50min of pain - even if they were all riding away from me!
Round one provided a thoroughly good day out, a break from the hub deep water of Somerset's lanes, an incentive to get fit for round 2, and chance to meet up with usual suspects.  Big thanks to the organisers for a good show, and everyone who turned up for a fun day's racing.





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chris cooknell

Chris lives in the cycling heaven of Somerset; lonely lanes in the levels, killer climbs and sweeping singletracks.

http://www.bikecity.biz/

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