Last Sunday, Simon and I drove North, and turned off SH1 just after the Waitarere Beach turnoff. We were headed for the third round in the Wellington MTBO series. I had my Giant XTC in the back, fresh from a bit of loving by Oli at Roadworks. As usually happens, I'd taken it into the shop for one thing, only to be told that it was fine (and implicitly my diagnosis poor), but on the other hand... That's why I love him so!
Anyway, MTBO is my favourite discipline, and today was to be a fixed order event. You're given a map with controls marked on it, and you get a couple of minutes to mark the sequence on the map, before setting off. This race was the first at which I'd had electronic controls. Rather than clip a card with a unique clipper, each control has a little hole in the top of it, into which you place a small card, which sits on your index finger. While a little bit strange at first, it was comfortable to ride with, and great to "clip" at controls. And, the beauty is, you get splits in between controls afterwards, as well as instant results at the end.
Anyway, I had a pretty good ride. The terrain was virtually flat, and suited me well. The 4WD roads in the forest were mostly on a grid, and I found the navigation pretty straightforward. I generally chose the thicker lines on the map, which generally translate into faster riding, even though sometimes less direct. Of course, it's impossible to make the correct choices all the time, and occasionally I got it wrong. In those cases, it's probably better to keep going than to turn around and try a different route. The day went well for me, and I took out the win, a few minutes ahead of Ian Paintin. I had a bit of luck with Bryce Lorcet doing the course in reverse, though recording a faster time than me. Sadly for him, his result didn't stand, as the game's completely different in reverse...
On the way from the event, Simon pointed out a funny looking cow. She was walking backwards, and looked like she had a stick stuck up her bum. It turned out not to be a stick, but the front leg of a calf. We stopped the car, put the hazard lights on, and spent the next quarter of an hour witnessing the miracle of life! She had the head out before she lay down on her side, and delivered the calf with some big, but silent, efforts. She lay there unmoved. We sat in the car nervously waiting for some action. After a few minutes we saw an ear flicker, then a bit of movement in a leg. After what seemed like an eternity, the calf shook its head, and Mum leapt up, and started licking it. She had clearly been waiting for it... Had we waited a little longer, no doubt we would have witnessed its first steps, and feed, but pikelets, cake and coffee were calling... A quick stop in Levin, and then homewards. We were so engrossed in conversation, about 29ers I think, that we missed the turnoff to Petone, and had to double back from Thorndon, such is life. If anyone's interested in the splits, here they are http://www.obasen.nu/winsplits/online/e ... 47&ct=true Hopefully they activate the RouteGadget function which allows animation of the riders in race time...
I had a pretty quiet week on the bike, though did manage a pretty neat ride with Simon one lunchtime. We climbed Mt Vic 3 times using 3 different routes. The first was the Kio Bay zig zag, hooking into another one somewhere in Roseneath. Then down the new singletrack to the bus tunnel, and up Upoko Rd. Strangely it seems much steeper in a car! Finally, we rode up Hay St before hitting a path up to Palliser Rd, and before I hit the wall. One day I will mash my way up there successfully if it's the last thing I ever do!!!! Warning, it's STEEP!
I planned to do three cycling events in the weekend: a cyclocross race in Totara Park, the 350.org ride in town, and then BP4 out at Miramar. For a hoot, and for logistical reasons I thought I'd do them all on the same bike - my Giant CRX commuter bike. Although one of my cheapest bikes, this is the one I use most, and probably couldn't do without. It's basically a Giant OCR, but with more space around the fork crown and stays for larger volume tyres, and with little v-brakes, and a flat bar. Saturday was the first time I'd put Maxxis Locust 'cross tyres on it, and damn it looked pretty choice! If only I'd know what racing 48 minutes on it over a rough grassy park, I'd have been out on the XTC again... The bike absolutely rocked on the gravel section, and I could just manage the short steep climb with my 36x27 (or 25?) each time. The 4 wee barriers per lap were not too difficult though I was probably doing too much running by getting off my bike too early, and getting back on too late. Before long, I felt really sick, not so much from the exertions, but from all the jiggling around - contributed by the steeplechase action, and the lumpy grass with the narrow, high pressure tyres...
I was passed by Nick_K about 30 minutes in, and Davo shortly after. He made me giggle by screaming "sifter I'm coming inside you" as well as giving the crowd a good laugh too.
I couldn't quite hang onto Marco or El Jefe on their MTBs in the final part of the race, and ended up in about 9th or 10th I think. I was the last rider on the course, having missed out by a few seconds on being lapped for the second time by Nick.
After a brief prizegiving, the bike went back on the car, and we set off for Miramar.
I didn't have a huge amount of time before the first start, but it was good to catch up with a few familiar faces, and connect familar faces with familiar vorb-names.
I'd made a small number of bad calls in the MTBO. I'd made one bad call in the cross race. Here, I can't even count the number of bad calls I made. Firstly, I had a freaking fantastic race bike sitting at home. It goes fast. Instead I had my commuter bike, granted one of the fastest commuter bikes in the west, but still a commuter bike. Secondly, said bike had the wrong tyres on. Instead of small fast road tyres, it had fat slow knobbly tyres. Thirdly, I'd raced in the morning, and gone pretty hard. Fourthly, rather than do a bit of research into the relative speeds of the bunches, I simply decided to drop one group into Break 2. I didn't consider that I'd been dropped by Break at the very end of BP1, nor that I'd been dropped by Break about half way into BP2. I didn't consider that Break 2 aren't that much slower than Break, nor did I note the trickle down effect of riders over the series which saw Scratch riders in Break, and lo and behold, Break riders in Break 2. Fifth, I didn't consider how the bunches were all going to group up, so starting in a slower bunch wouldn't be the end of the world if a faster group caught up. Finally, I paid little attention to the fact that my legs were rooted, and that no matter what group I'd entered in, I was going to struggle, even if I'd been on a motorbike... Get the picture?
The start was tricky with a line of traffic to negotiate at the Give Way sign. Around the cars, straighten up, and bam, there goes that wheel. Within 30 seconds of the start, I was having to work much harder than I was capable of, and I desperately tried to hang onto any wheel I could find. Less than 2km into the race, I was pinged off the back, with about 36km or so to ride. My folks, who've really enjoyed watching us all race on the road were at the bottom of Awa Rd to cheer us on. I was relieved they didn't think I was in a breakaway!
I got about 30 seconds riding in with Break around about Shelly Bay. Tony the Tiger gave me a nice shout, so I was able to increase my pace to theirs moments before they came past. Scratch came by a few minutes later. I made no attempt to speed up...
A guy caught me somewhere near the end of the second lap. To that point I'd been struggling to maintain 30km/h on the flat, but was determined to work hard until the end. It was nice to have some company, and we took turns for a bit, before I again went into self preservation mode after the small hill in Miramar. I was ever so slightly stronger on the Awa Rd climb, so when we got to the bottom, I suggested he sit in for a bit, and took a decent turn towards Scorching Bay. In a small bunch, I think I prefer long turns to short frantic ones where we're desperately trying to pass each other. Toward the end of another pull, we catch a lone rider, and he ends up in second wheel, with my mate in front. A gap opens, and I'm on my own again. No matter, not long to go now...
The climb up Maupuia was pretty tough. About half way up, I see Mum and Dad driving down. They'd been driving all over the place trying to work out where the hell I'd got to! I had my first win in Break on this climb, in 2007, and last year I'd started with Scratch and finished 5th across the line, ahead of the likes of ThingOne, and series winner Lee Evans. This day, I was faster than only a handful of riders, and almost last across the line! All in all, I'm sure this will prove a useful experience, and one which I will not readily forget. I can't promise it will never happen again, but I will endeavour to turn up to the next gunfight with a gun, rather than a stick...
Tomorrow, I'm doing my first short Akas loop of the season, anticlockwise from the Hutt side of the Haywards. Hopefully Alex and I get around before the weather craps out...
Originally published on vorb
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