Pebblebury Common: 4th Circus of Dirt

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BY: Matthew Lewis

Published: 9th August, 2011

Bike bits these days are increasingly being made from cheese.

 

Last sunday I ventured down to Woodbury Common near Exeter for the 4th round of the Circus of Dirt series and a bunch of abuse from one of the Hortons.

The course was a cracker and one that would usually suit me since the climbs were short and steep. Very steep. Back in May I managed to get a 3rd place and was hoping for more of the same but I excelled myself within 500metres and fell off. From a brief pre-ride I clocked that the first descent was quite a tricky one with a very nasty off-camber rooted section. From riding it twice I spied, along with other riders, a much smoother line through the grass but hitting the front of the Masters pack and flying down the first loose, pebble drop I entered the woods and promptly fell off.

After sprinting ahead of everyone I then held every one up and rolled about in the roots for 30 seconds. The bunch soon sped past and over me. This crash was ok though. Nothing damaged apart from a sprained ego (and a lost pump, thanks to the marshall who found it and handed it back later!)

By now I was still in the top 10 just, but the others had made their escape. The course was lovely and should've really suited me. By the end of the 1st lap I had managed to get back up to 5th place and could see the usual suspects (Ferguson, Loake et al). I was able to pick the pace up for the 2nd lap and coming in for the end of the 2nd lap I washed out on the corner at the end of the lap. That corner after the long pebblely climb. The most harmless looking corner you've ever seen but I hit the ground with a right old thump. I spectacularly trapped the bars on the top tube ( got the shifter wedged on the tube tube) hit the ground head first ( I now know why people wear Oakleys since despite landing on my face the sunglasses didn't shatter). Jumping back on my bike I then realised that I had bent the hanger and the lower cage of the Sram rear mech since the gears were all over the place. It was like a malfuntioning Di2 groupset or whatever they're called. The gears were shocking and having to stop every so often to straighten the mech (with very limited sucess). By the start of the 3rd lap I was in 8th plae but the gears were jumping all over the place but like a tart I was more worried with the gouge in the top tube of the bike! That'll teach me for swapping the stem over to negative rise.

 

The next 3 laps were a training ride with 2 gears. I managed to sit the chain in roughly the middle of the block (but it still jumped far too frequently) and use the front shifter to give me some variation. Pete Dawe came flying past and I couldn't help think just how feeble modern day bike components are. I swear that I have an old Shimano Tourney 5speed mech languishing somewhere that I may now put on the 29er that'll take me down to 10 speed and with that niche factor I can then start posting on Singletrack with some earnest. They don't make bike bits like they used to.

On the 5th lap I decided to call it a day since hauling myself up that first steep climb I attempted to shift gear and immediately sent the chain off the sprockets and into the spokes. I couldn't face the thought of destroying the wheel too so much to the amusement and mickey-taking of Jay Horton I called it a day whilst still in 10th place.

A pretty poor showing then at Pebblebury common. Great course though and all those pebbles are all that is left of the desert that once was there about 200 million odd years ago. Bloody things.

The dismal performance has now spurned me on to try and the make the final round at Taunton on the 3rd of September but before then is the Big Dog down at Brighton. Any offers for the 5speed Tourney rear mech gratefully received.

Thanks to Snapper Chick for the great photos. Thanks to Jay for the abuse and mickey taking.

Matt Lewis

 

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