You wait years for a mid-week race and then..

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BY: Matthew Lewis

Published: 27th June, 2013

Just like buses,  as the popular saying goes, two come along at once. Since moving down from London one of the biggest things I've missed about living there is not being able to race a mounatin bike on a Wednesday evening. That is, of course, until now!

 

I had originally planned to enter the Red Kite mid-week race event up in Mid Wales but due to events at work and the Forest of Deans cycling Club's announcent last week on xcracer that there would be a race on the 26th June I opted for the latter besides, as great as the course is up in Mid-Wales I can cycle to this one!

The course up in the Forst of Dean was excellent and punchy doesn't do it justice!  A proper mountain bike circuit shoe-horned into a little section of the Pedalbikeaway centre. The riding around here is superb and the race organisers had laid out a varied, proper, albeit scaled down mounatin bike circuit with even a drop off not too disimilar to Worry Gill up at Dalby which in retrospect it would've been nice to have pre-ridden but I was told not to worry on the start line by the other competitors and the race orgainser. In fact the race organiser, Ian, was quite keen to stress that once his 8 year old daughter had dropped off the end of it he knew it was safe to include it. No pressure then being out-descended by an 8 year old.

The race kicked off at 7.20pm and the pace was high and there were a few handy riders up from Bristol; by the end of the first lap there were 3 of us in the lead and by the sart of the 3rd lap I had managed to get into 2nd place ahead of Rich Hobbs from BikeCity and just out ahead stood Dave, I think that was his name who frustratingly- dressed all in black, a bit like Johnny Cash- managed to keep in front of me! He was bloody quick despite him riding some old fashioned thing with little wheels and one gear.

All I can say is you missed a proper race and it really does deserve a greater presence for the next round on July 10th. The course was fantastic and it was such a great workout. Especially for me, I eneded up taking in more of the singletrack on the way home.

 

Seriously though, where was everyone?!

The only problem (not really a problem, at all!) is that there is another race up in Mid Wales on the 10th July, same date as the next round up in the Forest, just like buses eh? But come on racers, mid week races need you to support them.

 

Matt Lewis

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