Mountain Mayhem Aftermath Thread

My thoughts from the weekend (if anyone cares ).
Firstly, thank you to John (and family), Andy (Gump) and Spencer for providing the beer, bbq, camping area, music and beer again! Also, thanks to Andy for providing retro toilet facilities and some lovely grub on Saturday evening.
The banter, as ever, was world class. It was just a shame we couldn't share (inflict!) it with others.

I was in the SW 10 man 'rats' team, that finished in a brilliant 6th place :shock:
Special respect goes to James, for being team captain and doing the extra laps, Rick, for doing the first lap, and John for stepping in and doing a lap for us when I was feeling 'fragile'!
I made a schoolboy mistake by taking my 80's Jamis out early. The course was dry(ish) when I left the camping area, but a 30 minute monsoon soon changed that.
It had stopped raining by the time James came in to finish our 2nd lap, and send me out on the 3rd.
My lap was a mixed combination of riding, walking, carrying, sliding and swearing, but was a cause of much laughter, to both me and others!
With about 2 quarters of the lap completed my back wheel shifted, while trying to power up a muddy rise, and that was me resigned to walking most of the rest of the course (should have been better equipped!).
Then, like some kind of flat capped angel, Nobby appeared at the side of the track. Being a true retrobiker, he had the required 15mm spanner and I managed a quick realignment and was back on the move.
A strong sprint finish around the arena, and I handed over to a worried looking first timer in Doug.
A garbled explanation of why I'd taken so long, and he was on his way.
Time for a shower, a curry and a rest before heading out again at 23:30.
I wolfed down a high5 energy gel while waiting in the changeover area, which was to haunt me later.
This time I went out on my newly built Orange Vit T2. The course had dried out a lot, but it started raining lightly just after I started so the surface went back to being sticky again :roll:
A rider next to me tried his best to kill himself on the Kenda downhill by flying off into a tree.
I stopped at the bottom and ran back up to check he was ok and fish him out of the undergrowth.
His first comment...is my bike ok
I was really enjoying this lap though, and nailed a few climbs that other were walking. I even got a few 'great effort' comments from others.
20 minutes in I bumped into DSP, quite literally! I pulled up next to him, got distracted and then promptly carved him up into the undergrowth
The next sight to great me was shocking....Andy out doing a lap, on his Klein! What wasn't a surprise was that he was knelt down in the trees, giving 'assistance' to another rider! DSP stopped, but I plodded on.
The course was now riding so much better than my earlier lap, and I tried to make up some time.
It was a welcome sight when I emerged from the trees to see the lights of the arena.
Another sprint finish before handing over to Stuart.
Back to the retrobike area for a shower, a cider than bed.
It was now that the high5 started to give me grief. I couldn't sleep, and my guts were like a washing machine.
Rick was sharing my tent, and was up at 4am for his next lap. I got up too, for a cuppa, and then promptly threw up!
I felt like crap, so went back to bed to try to sleep it off. James was great, and said he'd cover my lap.
John stepped in too, and went out for a lap on my Orange.

I took loads of pics (and I recorded both laps on my gopro, which I'll share after it's been edited)..... http://s246.photobucket.com/user/makste ... hem%202013

In summary I had a wicked weekend

Splatter Paint":3udhlhh9 said:

2: Bloke at bottom of the grassy climb stretched out smoking a roll-up

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Ah that'll be "our Nobby" :mrgreen:

makster":3iy9fi6h said:

I've just been looking on google earth, to see if I could work out the course details.
No joy, but I can see that us lot using the intruder as a huge urinal has left it's mark on the grass....

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This is a pic from my lap using Endemondo that shows the course (apologies for crap quality!)

Great to read your tales men........it was another brilliant weekend despite a lack of sunshine!......I arrived at about 4.30 on Friday, a little fearful following a year of poor work/life balance, and a crap winter leaving me rather less physically prepared than I would have liked! All the usuall casual banter over a few beers that we expect.......my weakest point of the weekend came at 1 pm on the Saturday afternoon. Waiting to do lap two in the 45 degree rain for Rupe who, unbeknown to me had flatted in the woods, shaking like a shitting dog as my top clung, utterly sodden, to my body!.......the 'coffin' was interesting first time round. Having overlooked the chance of a recce lap in favour of more beer on Friday my first taste of it was in anger, the last third of it I think I did on my front wheel, wide eyed, wired on adrenaline!!!.......I'm too old for that kind of thing anymore!......aside from issues of spectating and pushing, I thought the course was good........good single track, a lovely opportunity for a crossed up table top off the grassy bump on the woop de woop dip outside princess Anne's front door. The support from the first aiders around the course was great too!.....how good was it as the gloom from the dark woods eased and you emerged into the field realising your pain was over and the end in sight too?!

Firsts for me?.......hitting a rabbit in the red bull timed section!.....fortunately it hit the tyre, my zorro like wheels wouldn't have done it any good whatsoever

Thanks?.......niel for sorting us all out, well done!.....John for the BBQ and beer.......whoever left the pube on my 'pussy'. Tasted great as I slid it off my tongue!...... :shock: ......andy.......the chicken and rice (with juice, don't forget the juice!) was awesome, I think I'm having it again in the week!........p.s. park further from the hedge next time, the grass behind your van stayed wet all weekend.......I only know as I was in flip flops!....... :facepalm:

Apologies?.......firstly the chap who donna told to piss off.......I know the depth of the chain stays on my donkis nob is interesting, but not perhaps quite so to her at 6am on Sunday morning through two layers of canvas!.......she does now concede that you perhaps do actually have a life, sometimes not boring, and, indeed, may well have a father....... .......a mention too for whoevers wife saw the fat middle aged bloke do the one legged naked dance of shame trying to get into cycling shorts poorly hidden behind a small tent...... :facepalm: .......all of the previous owners of the litespeed who have looked after her so well prior to my time at the helm, I wouldn't have have had any more admiring glances and comments had I been walking around with the blonde bird from the hustle all weekend!

And........nobby!.......get that minge off your face!!!!!......


The beer down the nose comment of the weekend did indeed arrive on the Friday evening!

Thanks to all for the warm welcome when rolling up on a Saturday evening to watch the pain. You'll never know the amount of gardening I've had to do just get a pass for this short attendance. If the weekend had stayed where it should have been there would have been a far greater East Midlands contingent riding than heroic Captaincosmic and NakedGav.
I can't decide whether I would have liked the course or not, as the feed-back seems to be pretty varied, however from a supporters point of view it was crap. Particularly so when compared to Eastnor, where Retrobike HQ was perfectly positioned. Not only could heckling be practiced and honed (in the safety of numbers when insulting the Army), but heckling could also be in combination with the Ninjas when competitors were particularly in need of encouragement. The best thing about the Eastnor HQ was that it was sufficiently before the END of the lap to allow team members to tag their rider and get to the change-over point in readiness. No hanging about wondering what's going on. You could enjoy all the banter and be aware of the race.
Captaincosmic's offer of his solo basecamp as the HQ is typically generous but unless they change the course this will be AFTER the team change over. OK for heckling and banter and ok for the soloists, but not for the teams.
I'll stop now and rather than being negative be proud of the hugely positive contribution that Retrobike can bring to a major event if given the opportunity. Well done everyone. I envy you the riding no matter what the conditions. And Feetabix, happy to take the Dave Yates off your hands if it relieves marital stress.

Rob

feetabix":3syk18a5 said:

Apologies?.......firstly the chap who donna told to piss off.......I know the depth of the chain stays on my donkis nob is interesting, but not perhaps quite so to her at 6am on Sunday morning through two layers of canvas!.......she does now concede that you perhaps do actually have a life, sometimes not boring, and, indeed, may well have a father.......

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that'll be me then. she's definitely no morning person. but that must mean she's ace at night

Chris looking 'ard...

and not so 'ard...

Finally home and unpacked ,will give my full/garbled report when I regane my sanity

nobby the sheep":11x0jeel said:

Finally home and unpacked ,will give my full/garbled report when I regane my sanity

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a very long wait then

Thanks for the skis, but I passed them on. They were inserted into the Intruder