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2003 Holidays Red Bull 2002 Red Bull 2001 Charity MTB Challenges

2003 has got underway with mud, mist and then weeks of sunshine - as I write this it seems that March is the new Summer.

So far we've had a few away rides, including a couple of absolutely freezing circuits in the Peak District; Piddy really ought to invest in some thermal undies and everyone else was very glad of ear warmers and thick fleeces.

There have been some pleasant local jaunts with birds tweeting, flowers flowering and not too much dog toffee (well done to those riders who have made their disapproval known - politely - when they saw some dimwit emptying their pooch on the path).

And on the 23rd March, Kevin and I went out to play with the Rough Riders - thank you Steve for the invite. We did a very pleasant 20 miles from Scammonden Water by the M62. A 10:30 start in glorious sunshine was followed by about 3 hours of steady moorland trails and beautiful quiet roads (I quite fancied getting out my racer). It was interspersed with tea and cake and finished off by a shandy. The guys we were out with were very welcoming and had excellent taste in bikes (we looked like the Santa Cruz owners club, only better looking but less tanned).

Congratulations to Andy and Rachel who got married in March. Thank you for a great "do". Rachel looked great, Andy looked remarkably sober, it was nice to see some of the Red Bull team and we didn't fancy Adrian's at all (but nor did he; unless he put the beer goggles on after I left).

Congrats too to Scott and Sam (married earlier on, and in the snow so a real white wedding). Another great evening spent in good company. Alas that was the prelude to emigration to N.Z. All the best and you'll be missed.

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A Holiday In SouthernScotland
What a fantastic long weekend! Great weather, superb company and fantastic riding. The weatherman said fine but the M62 cloud had other ideas until we crossed the Pennines and the sun shone again. A long but easy journey culminated in a crawl through the first part of Scotland looking for silly place names followed by arrival in Dumfries. Pub and bed set us up for a trip to Dalbeattie and Mabie forests with the local crew. Brilliant single track (berms and switchbacks), granite slabs, rock gardens, sweeping forest trails and views across the hills. Seventeen riders and one dog made ait a memorable experience. What an excellent day with a massive Chinese banquet to end it all.

	The following day saw us move off to Innerliethen and Glentress Forest for possibly the best man-made trails in the UK. The Helly Hansen V Trail (black route) is an absolute must. It has FANTASTIC single track: berms, hairpin switchbacks, sheer edges, steep plummets, smooth curves, rocks a plenty and views to die for. Even the climbs are enjoyable (if you are me or mad) - well graded, varied and never a case of "Oh God, how much more?"
Essentials are good brakes, good gloves and a wide face to accommodate the grin that you'll be wearing most of the time. What a blast.
	After that we went to our B+B, chilled, fed and then spent a huge amount of time at the pub drinking whiskey till 2am. Monday, and Dave had a small interaction with a trailer and we went back to do the red route. Wow! For many of us, this weekend had been the best for a very long time. When do we go again?
A Holiday in the Lakes
Kitchen passes had been booked for months but only Adrian, Piers and Scott made it to the Lake District for several days of riding classic trails and watching the World Cup. Ade and the bog.	Our first day's ride was rather extreme, suffice to say that it was mostly unrideable (even for a trials star); but at least we were out doors and the sun was shining. Beware of guide books filled with understatement! The tour of Great Gable is a no-no.
	The weather was a little less than perfect around Buttermere on the following days. Pubs, TV, footy and easier rides figured large.
But the evenings usually turned out nice, the midges stayed away for the most part, the beer was good and England didn't loose 'till we got back, so that was OK too.	Scott and Ade chill.

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Holidays Elsewhere
Other places we've been include: Wales, Morzine and the like for riding and skiing.	No one has sent any pictures and I'm too lazy to type any more. Send some text etc if you want people to read about Dave's helicopter ride, Andy's knee or what Ade did to embarrass himself. That's a hint!
2003 looks to have a lot of weekends away. Book early so as to ensure that all the details are sorted and stress free well before the event.

Saab Salomon Mountain Mayhem 2003
No words yet. But it was very very very good.
Red Bull 2002
Well, we came back (see RB 2001). We did even better and didn't feel too rough either. This was despite having glandular fever (Ade), sickness & diarrohea causing 1/2 stone weight loss the previous week (Piers), a ripped knee (Paul who just couldn't make it this year), and a lack of training (everyone). Thanks very much to Phil for joining us at the last minute and doing a fantastic job of fitting in and riding fast. Although the weather was cool and rather dull everything remained dry and the sun even put in an appearance on Sunday (appropriately). Friday afternoon/evening was really pleasant and just about everyone did their practice lap on dry, dusty trails. Saturday dawned and after stuffing ourselves at breakfast, we ambled down to the 'trade village' to sign on and collect our free gifts. There were quite a few things to ogle, including the USE forks and Gary Fisher's bike (if you liked white with stripes it was great, if not it looked rather cheap). More food and then a nervous scuttle took us to the start line. Five minutes of P.A. mumble standing near Gary Fisher and a few other famous bods and we were ready to dispatch the runners.
	And then it all got underway.
Change-overs went smoothly, no-one fell off too heavily (that's not to say that we didn't ride over to odd downed competitor, snap chains or flat) and we all managed to squeeze out a smile now and again. Personally I found the back to back laps in the night a relief compared to last year - you could get some rest between stints in the saddle and hit a nice rhythm during. We saw some very grim looking riders on Sunday morning though - no solid food, no sleep and hard riding can scar you mentally. As Sunday drifted into view our support team was especially appreciated. Hot pasta, cups of tea and someone with their wits about them to talk to kept us sane. They were good last year and fantastic this.
Two pm approached and we were keen to do as well as possible. Phil (our lead out) volunteered for the last lap and Piers managed to get in for the change-over with only 10 minutes to spare. Waiting at the finish line we all cheered the lad as he brought us 74th.

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Red Bull 2001

For those not in the know, the Red Bull Mountain Mayhem is a 24hr team relay race around a 10 mile off-road circuit. The course is in West Bromwich (by Birmingham) and is not too tough until fatigue kicks in at about 3 in the morning, then it starts to get a little weird.

I (Piers) loved every lap and the rest of the crew enjoyed at least a few (the massage tent was another matter, a rude awakening for some expecting a soothing rub). Adrian maintained his tradition of spending as much time as possible in A&E whilst I bent various bits on my bike ploughing an alternative line across a sharp rut (thank you Shimano service guys for sorting it!). Scott and Andy rode hard but didn't smash anything, Tony and Paul put in storming performances and Greg and Dave worked hard to match the pace.

We finished quite respectably and had a fantastic time. The Red Bull drink was appreciated on the journey home though.

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Charity MTB Challenges

The South Pennines is the usual location for these fun 26 milers. You pays your money, gets the list of check points and turns up to trundle around the varied scenery west of Bradford. 'Trundle' is something of a euphemism since we are beginning to set ourselves time / placing targets (but we leave winning to James!).
The routes are way marked and marshals are on hand to direct or give out drink and food. At the end you get a 'T' and sore legs from some of the stupidly steep road climbs - how do the locals cope?

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Sorry, I didn't have one to put in ;)