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Hi all,
Story to follow when time to write it...
It was a good course and day out...
LOTS of accidents and 999 call outs . as previous writers say.
HOT understatement.
Fun plenty .
Fast aswell.
Bob

Hi all ,
Here it is.
Well it started good left at a early time 11.00ish and headed towards Braintree.
A12 a car park zone .
Eventually after much stressing out arrived at Codham Park 1.00pm.
Signed on and it was looking good less than 30 racing .
15 not signed in and 1 extra.
(They turned up in the end .)
I sorted my self out and had a practise ride ( 400 yards warm up ) .
2.00 pm race start .
Unfortunately accident on BMX track and a ammbulance required delayed the start 20/30 m ins.
Got in the third row 21/ where I counted about 34 starters.
40+ group.
The off .... Last at the first hill .... Knackered me straight off .
Down the hill first bend ,fortunately I had seen it at the warm up approached carefully on dirt track .
Really enjoying the ride out . riders disappeared long before I got to the bottom hill.
into the woods (previous ride in National give me plenty of pre knowledge which made a difference .
couple of water crossings which was fun and cooling .
Passed into the meadow and on to the ridge and B line ... saw the rest of the riders coming out of it sweating away.
Even the B line had to be respected .........
After the bomb hole there was aclimb that I would not have done as a challenge fresh let alone after going a couple of miles .
But was now being passed by the leaders (expected )
But riding comfortable and enjoying it.
Through the BMX track no chance of crashing just about got to the top of the highest point.
over the finish line .
sxecond lap knowing what was in front stepped up agear and started RACE MODE , going for it now
Well managed to get to hill and down the track.
I thought I would try the corner at speed so took the wide approach via the grass edge on the right.
Well I hit the brakes and rear wheel went to the right and it was adevil of a job to control swinging left then back to the right and trying tgo get in front of the front wheel.
managed to control normal way off brakes and steer...
Trouble , to fast and the gravel on the bend was dodgy . Went wide and avoid the fencing by inches .....
reecovered and made anote KEEP OF THE GRASS........
Again speed on wards towards the finish line..
now slowing to let the chasers get past . This does cause loss of speed and grief alround and comments made goood and bad about rights of way.
Now answer to a question raised .
1. if you are not really in with a shout of winning then it is pretty harmless to get out of the way when it is safe and let ruiders pass.
2. If you are really competing then no hold barred without being dangerous.
But be warned no prisoners will be taken by those smelling blood .
3 bribes by the leaders is offered to slow the follows up (said jokingly but some times meant.)

Anyway back to race any excuse for a breather is used by me and let top riders through is always a good sign of sportmanship as they cheer me on at the end when I finish.
Last lap bell was ringing when I hit the ridge and I thought to my self that if I was quick I might just get aforth lap in which I would have been more that happy with.
Doing well till I hit the bomb hole area and I heading out of it when there was a down bit with a bend and then a narrow and a tree right in your path to avoid on the left.
Well you can guess what happened .
Tidness and concerntraction and over conferdence put me tree hugging.
When I extracted my b ike from the tree and the riders following passed . There it was my brake handle limp dangling on the pipe.
Holding in my hand the handle and now on front brack only and a few more slopes and down bits and hopefully another lap to do I really was in trouble.
Well having literally sitting on the back wheel and hardly braking the reasst of the race as the fear of going over the bars again was areal problem .
I got tio the finish line and it had been stopped .I had over 5mins of time left so another lap would have been a cert.
3 laps and 29 2 points to national ranking and a very happy rider till this morning looking at the cost of fixing bike.
Well 4 people I am told had serious injuries and taken away .
11.5 hour waits for vehicles and two came together.
Well I have to go now e bay and chain reaction no good looking elsewhere for bits now.
Good riding to all.
bob

Bob always fun reading your stories.. and yes that left hand bend after the fast downhill was fun.. Grass to loose gravel = arrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

People don't listen when they say speed over the bmx track doesn't end well, big wheeled bikes on that track always fun... and carnage.

Update from MSG towers on why race stopped early...


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Bob

Good morning read Bob I always enjoy it.
Most importantly you are injury free from your tree love affair

Hi ,
Only worry is POCKET damage -Just spent 37 pounds on a new brake system front left side.
Now looking to rebalance bike by getting a new right hand brake.
Bob

What was you riding Bob Red Specialized?

Yes ,
My beloved .
Looking well battered but gets me around . Shame I am not up to the skill to ride it properly.
It keeps going for it and I let it down.
Still I should get 2 points from sunday to go on the National rankings so maybe 6th not joint 6th depending if the others rode the weekend.
Enjoying my riding and I wear Lycra in this weather.
Bob

Hi
I was racing there on the 18th of may, I ve noticed a few people with a camera. Does anyone know where can I find the pictures? I ve checke MS&G web site, but they dont even run a gallery.

Check the MSG facebook page posts. There are currently 3 links to flicker with pictures

Bob, hope to meet you next time. Nice to read your report

Peter, I can find only one link to flickr

Here are the rest.

https://plus.google.com/photos/11682754 ... 6170544833
https://www.flickr.com/photos/irl2010/s ... 321016927/
http://goo.gl/DgGttX
https://www.flickr.com/photos/95869517@N02/page5/

Good pics Javi

sent from my non apple product

Up the first hill



This was coming down the B line


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