Well, the day started bright and early, with the usual post sleep, burping and farting. Richard my 'pit crew' arrived at about 7 and Dave Lip and his mate Tony picked us up at 7.30. And off we went in Dave's Team Ixion Race transporter. Got to the meeting after showing Dave the wonders of the B6047, a great biking road. On arriving, the bikes were off loaded and taken to the pits. The tyres on the bike were a bit worn, Dave left the MX tyre he was going to lend me in his porch :o( and looking round I noticed that everyone else had the harshest knobblies you can get fitted. Once I saw the track I realised things were not looking good in the traction dept. Still, I was there now, so what the hell, I couldn't pull out before I'd started! After a brief riders meeting, at which a show of hands decided it would be a 4 hour race not a 3 hour as some people had been told. I abstained. I thought it was the decent thing to do!
Off to the bikes, fire 'em up and we're off, mud flying everywhere,
everyone trying to work out where the track went, things were going fine
till we can to a muddy dip. I stopped and watched a few of the fast boys
negotiate it. Full throttle and nail it through seemed to be the order
of the day, so off I go, through a muddy bit that the fast boys weren't
using. I soon found out why, the mud was about 3 foot deep, the bike stopped
dead and I'd had my first off of the day [Valuable lesson learnt No.1 - Use
the lines that the quick guys are using, they are doing it for a reason.]
Several other places on the lap the mud was that deep that the PE's old
tyres might as well have been giant o-rings, thing were not looking
good. Several slow speed offs caused by the worn front tyre, were beggining to
wear me down. Then I found that there were two bloody big hills, the
muddy surface glinting in the sun.......oh god, what am I doing here??? I
could just park the bike and give up one part of me was saying........f*@k it
go for it you soft t*@t said my less sane side. Six attempts at the first
hill ended in failure. Sod it I thought, I'll just stay here and watch a bit,
try and learn a few things from other peoples mistakes. It worked,
throttle round to the stop, and off we go, just keep the thing driving, even it
is going in a direction I don't want, as long as it isn't back down who
cares. I made it! What a fantastic feeling! The same tactic worked on hill
number two, and all thoughts of poofing out were banished......
One lap completed. Lap two was slightly better. I was beginning to
get the hang of the bike [VLL No.2 - Never buy a bike having ridden it for
about 15 minutes, and the enter a 4 hour enduro!], a couple of spills,
but nothing major, apart from following a WR400 through a mud hole and
getting a face full of mud[VLL No.3 - You can't ride a bike when your goggles
are covered in about 2" of mud] I was even getting used to a two stroke [VLL
No.4 - Not having ridden a two stroke for about 8 years, the power
delivery takes a bit of getting used to!] End of lap two and I decide
its time for a pit stop, quick drink, fag and get my cleaned goggles I'd
slung at Richard as I passed. Another two laps, and things are getting better,
decent lines are appearing in the worst bits and I'm averaging one spill
a lap, the only problen I've got is if the bike lands on it's right side
the brake lever is bending back under the footpeg. But that's just a minor
inconvienience, one I suss that it can be kicked back into place....ish.
Into the pits for a fuel check, four laps done, quick drink and out I
go. I'm beginning to get the hang of this, lap 5 passes without incident,
and so does lap six, Richard shouts that it's pit time, fuel is still ok so
I shout I'm not bothering. I feel good the bike feels good and I ain't
crashed for 2 laps, then I suddenly find myself in a bush! Ah, getting
too confident, I slow a little but I'm still going. Pit at the end of the
lap and the PE needs a bit of fuel and everything that should be bolted on
still is! Lap 8 is another crash free experience, and so is lap 9.
Lap 10 starts well but then there's a long rutted slope, and I've had
trouble down it on several occasions, I've got some fast boys behind me
so I go down a bit faster than normal. I get to the bottom and the front
the slips left, shit! try and pull it back but the slope of the track is
against me. The bike is almost over when I notice a tree straight ahead,
ah, problem! Nothing to do but close my eyes and wait for the
impact......crunch, nothing, no pain! Great, look back about 10 foot and
the bike has hit the tree just below the headlight, and the front
mudguard is now sticking out an extemely weird angle. One of the guys who was
following slow and sees if I'm ok. And says "You don't want to park it
like that mate......" Cheers! I pull the bike up and go again, but the
mudguard is flapping in the wind so I stop the bike and rip it off (Sorry, Bob, I
know it was in good knick when I bought it) I pit at the end of the
lap, shit, I'm hurting now. I ask Richard how long to go as he checks that
everything is ok, about 20 minutes is the reply. Sound, I'll take an extended pit and hopefully get myself together a bit
and get out and do one more lap and when I cross the line the checkered
flag will await me. I stand talking to Richard for a bit, and he
comments that I'm just wasting time, and I have to agree. I'm hurting, and the
thought of another lap fills me with dread. I'm tired and starting to
make mistakes, the last thing I need is another spill. I check the bike over
again just so I haven't got to sit on the bloody thing let alone ride
it.
I can no longer put it off, it's now or never, out the pits and another
lap completed, another hole punched in my tag. Last lap, great, I loosen
up, things are going well and in a couple of miles I'll be passing the
finish line. I approach the line and they're still sending people
through......oh no, for a split second I think about pitting again, but before I can
make a decision I'm past the pits. Oh well, I can't hurt anymore and the last lap was ok, come to the big MX jump and I'm feeling good again. Give it a big handfull and over I
go, feels like I could touch the clouds, excellent. The rest of the lap I'm
going well, must have got my second wind, bit late really, but I just
pray that this *is* the last lap. Past the pits and thats it, the end, there
is no more.....thank god. Last punch in my tag and I get given a postmans
bag to go and collect some markers. I full my bag and it's back to booking
in......shit, where's my tag gone......I've lost it :o( I don't really
care, my first off road race and I've lasted the 4 hours, better that
some of the guys on the tricked out stuff, with my 17 year old bike. Last of
the finishers in my class, I don't care, *I've done it*!!!!!
Someone found my tag later so, thats ok, proof.........Ha ha!!!
Thanks to Dave Lip (How do you ride so bloody fast?), Tony, Richard
my "crew" and Flossie for turning up to support us.
