So it has been a busy few weeks after the last round of the PMBA and our trip up to Glencoe were we did the Macavalanch After a few weeks of been busy at work and not getting in much bike time I was looking forward to the fairly local to me Boltby bash Enduro.
My usual band of brothers Damo and James were to busy for this one so it was down to my long suffering wife to look after me and keep me company over the weekend.
Setting of on Saturday morning after panic packing, a busy week at work ment I was rushing as usual, it was good to know we only had a short journy over to thirsk, my wife kerry in good spirits not knowing what lay ahead (vanlife aint all that haha)
Arriving at about 10 driving up the windy roads to what can only be descibed as tight ha, we arrived at Paradise Farm! Beautiful surroundings and it had a good feel already, campers and tents with bikers getting geared up for a play on practice day!!
I had spoken to a few of the bikescene lads who ride Guisborough and organized to ride with them so Kerry set of to go do some shopping while I headed out with the crazy bunch.
Heading up to the first stage it was clear that we were going be greeted with some amazing scenery and breathtaking views, dropping in straight off the moors down grassy rocky descents that you could ride at a nice fast pace it was clear this was going to be a good race and I was eager to see what else lay ahead.
After a good practice doing all the stages bar stage 3 everyone was buzzing for the race a good mix of loamy fast corners fast grassy stages across fields with rocky drops and boulders.
We had decided to camp overnight and enjoy the delights of the hogroast and beer tent with live music, what a great idea aswel. We sat down with a few friends we had made during the day and tucked into some top quility grub washed down with some nice local beer. Settling into sleep in the van the heavens opened and after a fast dry practice I knew it was going to be a boggy mess on some of the stages!!
Waiting to set off
Stage#1
After a nice warm up peddle to the first stage it was time to get in race mode and as usual I had my pre race nerves, usualy goes after the first stage though so not all bad.
Dropping in off the top of the moors down a steep grassy bank over a small rise that dropped you into some sweet turns on to open moorland were you could pick up some good speed taking you over some dips and rises it then dropped into some nice rock gardens with a steep drop giving you just enough momentum to get up a small hill they had added, hitting the latter part of the stage things just got faster but you had to be carefull here as it had been taped just wide enough to skim past while holding good speeed down the jumps and drops before hitting the bog at warp speed near the end and hoping to come out the other side in one piece. Sprinting to the finish having to jump a ditch and back on the pedals again that was the first stage over not a bad run felt fast and but most importantly it was fun
Stage#2
The transition to this stage was good fun in itself and stage 2 did not disapoint, peddling like a loon into some nice loose loamy turns it was over a small track into some nice fast flowing singletrack littered with rocks and roots, keeping my speed I was managing to flow pretty good through here but the torrential down poor the night before had changed it massivley. Further down having to dab a few times but keeping it upright it was a game of dodge the riders who hadnt been so lucky and after taking a few sketchy lines to go around a few I was glad to get to the bottom without an issue not the best stage for me but kept it clean and smooth.
Stage#3
This was the blind stage we wernt allowed to ride in practice and what a stage! Starting of in a big field it was get your head down and sprint. Peddle peddle peddle I kept shouting to myself before hitting the first loamy turn and nearly getting it all wrong!! It was into pure loamy bliss OMG this is heaven, trying not to get to over excited as you just smashed loamy turns left right down around this was awesome. Shooting through a wooded area back out into more loamy turns before hitting a grass drop into a field taking on some tight taped off turns and sprinting to the finish !! Wow that was awesome !
Stage#4
Boooom!! Straight into it, a quick peddle then a left straight onto off camber into a berm. I'd practiced the highline into this and chose to use it here shooting me out other side with a nice drift ! Fast, who knows but hell yeah that was fun, zig zagging down the side of this awesome valley drifing berms before smashing into some techy drops and nasty roots trying to stay on this stage I was loose as a goose and I was loving it catching Neil from Bikescene near the bottom of the stage he had a mechanical so gave him some much needed abuse as we sprinted to the finish.
Stage#5
After some pretty hard transitions it was the last climb to stage 5 and with the hot weather damn it was hard! Rocking up at the start line totaly goosed I got me head down and went off like a nutter possesed, I was gonna nail this stage fast off the start into some techy rock garden holding it together along the off camber section it was a mad sprint corner then a mad sprint into a drop and a right, twist down a gully smashing a berm before sprinting again down a fast dirt track forgeting the right hander only hearing my wife shouting go right before hauling up and drifting round the turns into another straight were there was a big grass drop.... It was do or die as I hucked and hoped into the next section much to the amsument of a small crowd as the bike bucked and skipped around, managing to hold a tight line round the last corner sprinting to the finish!! Super fast stage flat out foot out !
Well what can I say an awesome weekend and definatly one I will go back to every year, me and the wife made some new freinds as did the dog, was a great 2 days riding with the bikescene lot. Cheers lads
So after peddling me arse off every stage and no crashes I was chuffed to see I had finished 4th!! 15 seconds off a podium and 8th fastest on the day overall so all in all a good days racing, proper happy
Masive thanks to my wife Kerry who pushes me and believes in me, thank you and to my sponser Richard Ford @ MountainBike Garage. It was great to have you there cheering me on
Cheers to all the Guisy lads was a great weekend out
And lastly the Boltby bash crew !! Be it marshels cooks well everyone you put on an awesome event with a relaxed feel awesome food, beer and cracking tracks !! Thank you we will be back!!
