What an eye opening experience ! It was my 2nd time on a MTB Bike and my first was on Saturday on a ride around clwyd. It was a tough race and very technical. Think I was found wanting with my technical skills left at home. I came 44th overall and It was a great day for off road racing in Wales, No Snow, No rain – Perfect ! The race went ahead to schedule and after the 1st leg I had a strong run but didn’t go off to madly. The bike section was very technical and I managed to stay on my bike after some hairy moments. Think I need to take a few risks but I was more concerned in finishing in one piece for the up and coming season. All I can say to you MTB experts is wow you are nutters !!!
The final run section was fun and I managed to lose my shoe in a bog. The run sections were far harder than any cross country I had participated in. My full results are below but do not include transitions as I think my run splits were about the same time.
| Position Overall | 44 | ||
| Race Number | 91 | ||
| Category | M-F | ||
| Club | Team Trisports | ||
| Avg. Speed | Avg. Pace | ||
| Run Time 1 | 00:14:58() | 20.04km/h | 00:03:00 |
| Bike Time | 01:14:51() | 16.03km/h | 00:03:45 |
| Run Time 2 | 00:22:31() | 13.32km/h | 00:04:30 |
| Overall Time | 01:52:20 | ||
This was a first for the event and a first for me and probabably the last but I would still recommend to any wanabe MTB racers or experts as you’ll be competing in one of the toughest and most interesting races on the UK circuit. Some key points to help novices
- Tie you laces tight !!!
- Clean your bike after the event.
- Don’t get intimadated by other riders (mtb experts). if they are that good then they can pass you. I had many people pass me but didn’t ever felt I had to stop.
- If you back wheel is all over the place it’s probably your style rather than a flat wheel.
- Try and remain seated when climbing. I got out of the seat and managed to bang my knee against my handlebars and all I can say is heat packs / ibu.
Lastly a big thanks to all for the adivse I was given pre-race.
Signing Off
Steffan
