AFTERMATH - Brighton Big Dog

waaaaay!

Here's a few shots to whet your appetite, and more on the link:

Camp Retrobike


The warm-up


Bryan555 in the singletrack


Fixies swooping through the concourse


Well deserved rest


The Retro Metros victory


bryan & tad 15 minutes of fame


Just don't spray it on me... red rag, meet mr bull.


Revenge + victory = sweet and smelling of booze.


The complete set are available here (in reverse order for some reason)
http://photobucket.com/retro_bigdog_2011

Well, what a cracking race! The weather was very kind, sunny but not crazy hot. This is the way it went for me:

I volunteered to do the out lap, and had a pretty good one. after starting fairly far back on the grid I gave it some welly up the grass climb and managed to pass lots of folk presumably saving themselves for the rest of the hill. The rest of the first lap was spent in a fair amount of pain, but I managed to go fast through the singletrack and gain some more places. Lost a few places when I managed a painful cartwheel going up that nasty singletrtack uphill on the other side of the road getting my front wheel caught in the roots. I recovered from my eye-watering collision with my unforgiving square top-tube enough to enjoy the rest of my lap, popping back out into the arena in 40.33, rather surprising Tad (AKA i believe in fixes), who wasn't ready at the changeover point.

My second lap was quicker (sub 40) with less 'traffic' through the singletrack, but those climbs didn't get easier. Legs were OK until the Brighton BigLog, when I hopped it my calves cramped in a major way! I struggled up the last fireroad climb issuing expletives at my legs, which did the trick. Cramp under control I had a lovely blast down that last downhill run, passing 4 riders in the twisty singletrack before the bombhole!

The next two laps were progressively slower (42.09, then 43.04) with those punishing climbs taking their toll on my legs, and having to slow down a bit where the the course got bumpier with braking ruts not agreeing with my rrrigid set-up. I wasn't pushing too hard, as we had a comfortable lead but when I saw that my Tad wasn't ready as I went through the arena on my fourth lap I headed out for another, before realising that there was no way the 2nd place team could catch us! We won the Retro Pairs by a comfortable lap and 3 minutes!

Big thanks everyone involved, and to The Green Rabbit et al for setting up the Retrobike HQ, and of course a big thanks to my team mate Tad.

some more photos surfacing (courtesy of Danno, thank you, you bugger)

my agressive start line strategy..



already up three places! (moments of encouragment from team mates)

You can just spot me half-way up the hill if you really zoom-in

forgot to add Bryan, thanks to your Dad for the photos. Very pleased to have one or two of us up on the podium, makes it all worthwhile

Morvelo are printing more BigDog Ts for anyone who missed out when they ran out on the day.

Details here: http://bit.ly/qsxcWC

bat40a6 is famous!

http://mulebar.blogspot.com/2011/08/bri ... -pics.html

bottom pic

Looks like a great day, excellent pics. Sorry l missed it but too busy relaxing in Greece. Took an mtb out but ended up with three thorn punctures in the front wheel within the space of two hours!

Well done chaps!

I'll be entering a different cat next year than the over 18 pairs, despite four laps each, mine were 37,39 and two 41's , my pairs partner a little less quick but not hugely- we came 12th.