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Mountain Mayhem 2013 - Weldtite

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BY: chris cooknell

Published: 18th June, 2013


Wiggle Mountain Mayhem 2013 15th/16th June Gatcombe Park

"Have a go on those tyres, but just go really steady."  These words were ringing in my ears (or was that concusion?) as I picked myself off the mud and limestone of the first descent, having just wiped out so fast that I did not know it had happened until after hitting the deck.  Luckily, the event had not started yet!  Pulling myself together this highlighted the need to finish the other 90% of my practise lap.  

Luckily for the Weldtite Racing team this was the last spill of the weekend for our us, in what were some pretty testing conditions on the virgin track.  Completing my lap I drew 2 conclusion, very slippery (after a night of heavy rain there was a lot of loose wet soil over the limestone bedrock) and very steep (getting up all the hills was gonna need a lot of traction).  I returned to the camp to change my wheels!

After Iain's awe inspiring effort at the previous weekend's Bristol Bikefest he was the obvious candidate for the Le Mans start - a 1km run from the arena, around some of Princess Anne's fields and back in to grab a bike.  He did not disappoint, returning in the top 10 to grab his bike and disappear for a first lap proper.  Ollie Taylor was next off and we were lucky that his pre-race nerves had got him to the line early.  After 36min (yes really!!) on the bike Iain had done his first 12km of riding (and 1000ft of climbing) to return to the arena in 4th position, just behind the 3 of the country's top riders.  What a start, we don't drag him out of Somerset very often but when we do he is good.


Ollie managed get around and hand over to Julian just before the biblical downpour that had any veterans of last year's event thinking "Oh no not again, please not again!"  (actually, we had a good time last year, watching £200k of Aston Martin getting dragged through 20cm of mud by a John Deere was funny).  Yet again Julian was somehow taking the bullet for the team, hitting the course at its most congested in the worst conditions of the whole of weekend.  Last up I managed to stay upright and enjoyed a lap on a course that after some traffic was in better condition than earlier that morning.

After a full rota we took a meaningful look at the timing board, the scores on the doors were good.  First in cat (sport men) just ahead of Worcester Cycles and Lumicycle-Naked bikes.  The announcer gave the news that Iain was even at the top of the leader board for the Red-bull timed section, ahead of mtb multi-legend Nick Craig!!  So much for "going steady" on his first laps.

After 6 hours we had done the first 8 laps and had a few minutes in hand, cautiously pleased, but well aware that we were only one quarter of the way through.  Conditions improved as the blustery wind and traffic combined to dry the course so times picked up until an un-forecast but shorter downpour made it difficult again.  The script was a bit like a re-run of the much missed Cheddar Challenge: rain, slippy (where are my running studs), dry, tacky, why does my wheel not turn?, dry, fun, rain, repeat.

Before the start the kind folks at Weldtite had given us some new shorts/jerseys (always handy in the Mayhem meteorological zone) and a box lube.  I state it now, and this in not patronage, but their TF2 Performance all weather lube was a miracle.  Cleaning and prepping bikes after each lap had the weird spectacle of the chain being the cleanest part of the bike, and still spinning like a pro's.  That stuff is cool.

We dieseled on at own pace (Iain and Ollie had a little more turbo than me!).  Setting out on lap 16 at 11pm we had a narrow lead of 10 minutes on Lumi-Naked.  Safely down the infamous Kenda Koffin descent and up the Wipperman Connex climb this lap felt good.  Then it happened.  Click, BANG!, CRUNCH!, WHOOSH!! …… lots of swearing (sorry about that folks).  A stick had gone into my rear wheel and caused havoc.


One third of the way around I had 3 choices: 

a) run back to the start, lose the lap and then have to get a team mate from camp, losing time
b) 'run' 10km in the slippery filth, take a lap but in stupid time and silly consequences (my knees and  running do not mix) 
c) fix it.

Option C (after all I was riding in a "We are bike maintenance" jersey!)


Being an old git with no bike handling skills this was not the first time that I had snapped off a mech in a race so I do always carry a spare hanger. 

Now, it turned out the rear mech had snapped a spoke before shearing off the rear mech, turning the chain inside out and pushing the remains of the spoke through the rim sealing strip and out of the side of the tyre.
 In my panic and frustration I only managed to discover one issue at a time so had to remove and refit the mech several times.  I must give a massive thanks to the Retro-biker that stopped to help and gave me huge moral support through all of this - he calmed the red mist that had enveloped me and got it thinking straight, what a gentleman.

After 20 mins of fiddling in the mud in the dark I did get my bike back on the trail, after a fashion.  Whirring, clicking and in terror of my twisted mech catching again (small sprockets only!) I handed over to a vexed and worried team mate.  We were 10 mins down.

On to double laps now.  I had time to assess the damage (big thanks to Matt for the help and support, well past midnight now) and elected to swap bikes, fully rigid carbon 1x10 from now on.  After prepping my spare bike, swapping over lights,  getting some dry kit and having a bite to eat I set my alarm, 2.5h sleep, max.

Waking to start my double at 4.30am we were still behind.  I loved these laps, the new bike felt great, no granny ring forced me to work hard and the lower torque transfer stopped the wheel slipping so I was cleaning sections that had had me walking before.  Daylight came and I handed back to Iain, we were still behind but the margin was down to 5min.  

Next visit to transition Julian had put in a blinder, we handed over next to the Lumi-Naked team, a quick good luctk and we were off.  I decided to try to lead it out, which I did, until their rider passed me.  Bugger.  Fifty metres later he ground to a halt.  I managed a "Good Luck" but had no intention of looking around just got my head down.

We pulled 5 min on that lap, 21h of racing and it was still down to the shifting favours of fortune - bad luck that time Lumi-Naked.

Mayhem had (at least) 3 hours left to run so any outcome was possible.  We tried to ride safe, but knew that needed to stay quick. Nine minutes ahead I started my last lap.  Steady on the descents and gunning the climbs was the recipe.  Topping out the Singletrack singletrack section and onto the home straight (2 miles) a glance at my garmin showed that I could just sneak in before the noon cut off.  I rinsed out everything, determined to make Iain go again and nick an extra lap.  Even after 23h57min racing Iain was waiting and shot off like a scolded cat!

We came home with 33 laps, a solid team performance - cheers lads!  Last year we made this podium by mistake (we were 4th really) due the mud killing the timing system, this year we were on top of it by rights.  


When I randomly passed Julian, on January 3rd, on top of the Mendips, in sleet and wind and ice and joked about how we were the only idiots stubborn/daft enough to be out here on a day like this I had no expectations that we could finish the job.  With a bit of luck persistence overcomes resistance.

Massive thanks to everyone that helped:  Mayhem team - vision and courage to stick out your necks,  Weldtite -motivation and clean smooth-running bikes, Iain's (extended) family - on-site support/company/tolerance, Julian/Ollie/Chris family - support and forbearance, mates and extended team - riding buddies!





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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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