Mixing it up

I love riding my bike whether it is on the road or through the woods, in a race or out for a gossip with the girls and even those hard lung busting training sessions. My bike makes me smile, makes the world seem all good although sometimes it can also make me feel frustrated and like the world has ended! When I was racing horses we sometimes would have a horse that would go off the boil, seem a little fed up and just needed cheering up. We took them away from the gallops and took them on exciting new rides; we even took my highly bred horse to the local show which he loved. He ended up winning three races for me that season, it definitely cheered him up! Not having the best start to the xc season with ear infections, viruses and disappearing chains I thought I might do the same. Cycling is made up of so many disciplines so I thought I might have a go at a few new ones which would hopefully in the grand scheme of things help me get back on track with my xc racing while having some fun along the way. 

Photo courtesy of mjp Photography

First up was the Steve Peat Steel City Series downhill race in Sheffield. A year ago I would never have contemplated doing a downhill race but through the expert guidance of Ian from Firecrest MTB my skills have improved as has my confidence and with the arrival of a Orange Five full suspension it seemed as good a time as any to give it go. I had a well timed skills session a couple of days before in which Ian talked me through what it'd be like as it's so different to xc. I was so nervous on the way up there Pete had to put up with one word answers and mumblings of "what am I doing?!" Signing on settled my nerves a little as everyone was so friendly, we heading out to walk the course. It was quite bizarre to walk down a track first but it really make sense you get a feel of what is going to come up so in practice you don't get any of the queuing or the shock of coming round a bend to something big. The track had a couple of gap jumps, tight berms and the infamous bomb-hole. I took it steady for the first practice run but still had adrenaline pumping so much I was shaking from top to bottom and the end of the run. Luckily I met up with fellow xc rider Verity Appleyard so we could compare notes and not feel like we were the only one trying to fit in! I also met up with my ace glove sponsor Anna Glowinski of Ana Nichoola, not only is she a great designer but an equally impressive rider. It was great, each run we were pushing each other to try different things and get faster. I did the gap jump in the practice run but wussed it on the race run after convincing myself it would be faster to go round it. It wasn't so I lost a couple of seconds and finished seventh with only a second covering from 2nd to 8th I really wish I'd had a go in the race. Next year I'll be back to conquer it and I'd definitely recommend you do too. It's a great event with a fantastic atmosphere, friendly riders and a bar at the finish, what more do you need?!

One extreme to another I headed to Millbrook car testing centre for the Millbrook Classic. This was the first year it was run as women's race usually it is a men's race supporting the Women's Bedford Stage race. With the stage race being oversubscribed the organisers decided to run it as a women's race which meant we got to ride the brilliant circuit which includes the Alpine climb. It's great to see such numbers turning out for events women's cycling is definitely on the rise and it's even better that organisers are taking note and putting on extra events. Thank you very much for doing so it is much appreciated.  My road racing isn't really a strong point as my coach told me I ride them like mountain biker, I think that means I get far too excited and go off the front too much. I really did try to be tactical and sit in but the descent was just way too much fun and inevitably I was off at the front again. I managed to get away with two laps to go only to get caught on the final climb when my legs were screaming for me to stop. The group of girls I'd got away from cruised by and I slipped off the back of them. I was determined to get back though and pushed myself well over my limit to catch them as they started to jostle for position for the sprint. My lungs were burning and my legs had well and truly given up but before I knew it we were racing flat out for the line. I finished fifth so I was pretty pleased, not so bad for a mountain biker. 

Photo courtesy of Sarah Barrett

This weekend I headed to Eastridge for the One Industries Mini Enduro. After a couple of people mentioning that the Gravity Enduro format might suit I thought I'd have a go at a smaller one to see if I liked it before trying one of the Uk Gravity ones. In case you haven't heard Gravity Enduro is a relatively new discipline it is a number of timed sections in a course with a time limit to get to each stage. It combines the uphill of xc with the technicality of downhill racing. In short it's ace!  As it was a mini enduro there were just three timed stages and practice was in the morning with racing being in the afternoon. I headed out early to get some decent practice in; the complete loop was about two hours so it was quite a lot of riding. I was quite nervous as I really didn't know what to expect and seeing riders with full face helmets and dropper posts made me a tad apprehensive. I needn't have worried stage one was flat out fast with a pedaling section and a cheeky drop thrown in to keep you on your toes. It was definitely a stage that would suit me and the nerves were truly settled so I could just have fun. Stage two was a little more tricky with slippery roots to catch you out and a muddy off camber section. It took all my concentration to clear it cleanly. Stage three was going to be my weakest stage. Although I am getting braver my jumping still isn't great and this section had some in it combined with a steep section it was going to test me to my limit. I tried to carry the speed round the jumps and hoped I wouldn't lose too much time. Getting to the bottom of the final stage there was a little river crossing and I was feeling pretty chuffed with myself getting to the bottom.  I wasn't really paying attention before I knew it my bike had come to a complete stop hitting a rock I, however kept on moving over the handlebars and head first into the river. A real dunking! There was a nice man who asked if I was ok but even he couldn't couldn't contain his giggles. Luckily I had brought a spare set of kit so I would be dry for the race, what a plonker! 

I headed out early to the first stage to give myself plenty of time. There were quite a number of girls all very friendly and we were all chatting excitedly at the start. I surprised myself on the first stage catching the two riders in front of me. As usual my racing instinct kicked in and it was no longer for fun I wanted to win this thing! I pushed hard on the second stage hoping it would be enough to make sure I could limit the damage on my weakest stage. You don't get to know your times of the stage which in a way makes you push even harder. I missed clipping in on the third stage so lost a little time at the start and wussed out on the jump but I sprinted to the line hoping I'd done enough to get onto the podium. I really enjoyed the event, it was friendly and relaxed yet I felt I'd pushed myself really hard both physically and technically. I was rewarded with a place on the top step; I don't think I've ever been so surprised to get a win. It was great to see former team mate Andrew Walker getting the win in the men's section too.  I'm now filling my spare weekends with Gravity Enduros, I'd definitely recommend them! 

I'm back to xc this weekend with the first two rounds of the UCI XCO World Cup Series in Germany and the Czech Republic. Hopefully I'll have lots of tales to tell on my return.

Huge thanks to my sponsors supporting me in whatever event I choose to do, I couldn't have so much fun with out them. XCracer.com, Velocite UK, Firecrest MTB, Mavic, Schwalbe UK, Whackjob Jim, Ana Nichoola, Scimitar Sports, Exposure Lights and Working Bodies.

Advertise your business/event here »