athers' race report...

Event: Innerduro  - Round 2

Date: 2nd & 3rd March 2013

Place: Innerleithen - Scottish Borders

Riding: Empire Cycles MX-6

Saturday - Practice & Race day all in one

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This bike has a host of questions following it around. For a simple single pivot, it's causing a lot of headaches - mostly for armchair engineers who insist its pivot is in the wrong place and 'it's made the wrong way'.

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Read his story below...

Event: British Downhill Series - Round 5

Date: 25th & 26th August 2012

Place: Bringewood, Shropshire

Riding: Empire Cycles AP-1

Saturday - Practice.

We arrived at the 5th round of the British Downhill Series at Bringewood, Shropshire. Before practice started I did a brief track walk just to see some changes made for this race, I had raced here earlier in the year so I knew what to expect. Practice started at 9.00 am on the dot and riders were keen to get some early runs in, I started around 10.30 to let the track become a bit clear of the mud, first run I coasted down the track to check it out, the rain overnight had made the ground into ice, dry tyres and wet clay do not mix with plenty of front wheel drift action going on. The track had been widened to open up the opportunity for new lines to give riders some sort of option. I found main line to be quickest and held well all through practice. The track started to dry out and became fast and tacky, Then around 1 o’clock it smashed it down, I had just got back to the van before the rain had started, the track was ruined, axle deep ruts and thicker mud developed in less than 10 minutes, so I decided to call it a day with 6 runs in the bag.

Sunday – Race day.

Sunday morning was race day, I was keen to get morning practice underway and to do 2 runs, first practice run was to check out the course to see what had happened to the track from Saturday. Luckily the guys from the race had done some well needed track repairing with axle deep rut now dug out and berms rebuilt. The morning went well with 2 practice runs completed and everything running well. Practice finished at 10.30 am and qualifying was underway, I headed up for my run at 1 o’clock and was 2nd to last down in expert category, the run did not go how I had planned.

I couldn’t get myself into a rhythm and was trying too hard and tiring myself out, as I headed into the second woods I slipped a pedal and cut my shin open. The run didn't end well and I crossed the finish line in a slack position of 20th. I sat down and regained my energy for my race run. I was at the start line for final race runs, the track had dried out and a change of tyres put me on dry’s for this run. I started off closer to the front of the pack as I qualified a poor position. I set off determined to put an good run together, dry tyres were a good choice and were working well, I had more energy and fell a lot smoother, the run was going well, a couple of mistakes on the open section were I missed a few pedals, but the run was good, sprinting to the finish line I took first place and was in the hot seat for a while. I waited eagerly and was knocked off and in the end got took down to 6th position, I was gutted just missing a podium.

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Event: Pearce Cycles Downhill Series - Round 5

Date: 15th & 16th September 2012

Place: Bringewood, Shropshire

Riding: Empire Cycles AP-1

Saturday - Practice.

This weekend we headed to the final round of the Pearce Cycles race series in sunny Bucknell, Shropshire. I had been here few times before to race the track held by Pearce cycles, the track hadn’t changed since I last rode only a few different lines and jumps. We arrived there Saturday morning to full sunshine and a dusty track, I went up for first run of the day to check the track out, the start was the same as usual over a fire road and into a rooty straight with a bomb hole you could either gap or role, I opted for the gap to keep thing fast and fun. Then into a straight of small jumps which led you up a ski jump, which you could scrub. Then into a large sweeping right hander into two table top jumps, you hit the jumps with a lot of speed and then into a tight left hander, which led into a couple of dusty switchbacks, over a large lump and into two corners. They had been taped so they could be cut out by riding over the top of them. Another rider and myself scoped out that you could send the gap and miss everything out, we both did it without problems apart from landing on a stump. This was a good line, but would cause me to lose the win come race runs. Then into the first woods, which were straight-forward: one switchback then into a straight, which led into a left turn onto off camber roots, in the wet they're hard but in the dry they're fast and easy. Exit the woods and a small step down onto a fire road and back into the last woods, these were longer than the first with fast turns and berms which became rough after a couple of runs, the track winded down until it hit a fast step-down into a rock left turn, over a lump which could be gap from a root just before and over a jump into a drifty left corner and up onto an uphill straight, the straight dropped off into a rocky left turn and exited into long switchbacks. Exit the last switchback and send it of the top of the hill onto the fire road, the road had a natural lip on it which could be gapped off and into the field, then, two sweeping turns and over a hip jump and a straight to cap off to the finish line.

Sunday – Race day.

Sunday I woke to an overcast morning but with no rain, practice started at 8.00 o’clock, I headed up for first run at 8.00 and just cruised down the track to get back into it. I did one more run in the morning which went well, only a small mechanical by bending my chain ring. First race run started at 1.00 o’clock, I was at the top ready to go feeling confident, the track was still bone dry just with a bit of wind in the open parts, top part went well until I hit the open section, that line I had scoped out went well until I overshot the turn causing me to stop and get going again, I tried to make up more time but was making more mistakes, I ended up crossing the line and went into 4th by 1.2 secs, I knew I could win if I would of held that line. Second run went better, with a smoother top half until the open section, on the same line I overshot but even worse, going off track and struggling to get back on, the rest of the run went well and smooth with a few close moments, I came into the finish strong, and crossed the line with a second slower than first run, I was gutted, I knew I would of done a sub 2.00 minute and could of took the win, but that’s racing, As this was the last round the overall was to be decided, as I had missed one round I stood in 5th position overall, as the podiums came around I managed to make up 3 places and take 2nd overall which I was pleased with, many thanks to Pearce Cycles for a great season of racing again.

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Event: British Downhill Series - Round 6

Date: 22nd & 23rd September 2012

Place: Llangollen, North Wales

Riding: Empire Cycles AP-1

Saturday - Practice.

This weekend we travelled to the 6th and final round of the British Downhill Series at Llangollen, North Wales. We got there bright and early Saturday morning to a thick blanket of cloud smothering the valley with freezing temperatures. I headed up for the first run of the day to check out the track. I have previously ridden the track a few weeks before, so I knew what would be in store. Half way up you broke through the cloud and into welcoming sun!

First run I rolled down, as the track was wet from previous rain in the night - the top straight was good fun with some small jumps and into flowing switchbacks covered in bracken. Here the track dropped onto a grassy straight and then dropped down into the beginning of the steep stuff - dropping into a left hander and straight into a steep, tight left hander again. The track was full of switchbacks which all linked together well. The track started off boggy but soon became more established as the day wore on. Half way down you hit a small rough straight and into a sweeping left turn - two options here: a tighter inside or flow round the outside. By race day these two lines were battered, I opted for outside line after trying both. Out of the left turn and over some off camber roots, into a high line or a low line, the high would set you up for the coming turn but low meant you could carry more speed with less hassle. The right handed turn was a bit tricky to hit fast, a steep run filled with holes and roots which led into a small catch berm. Firing out of the berm and into an off camber small straight which came up to a small double, gapping the jump and suddenly into a drifty left turn, out the turn and over an awkward right turn with a lump in it, this would sometimes catch you out if you hit it wrong, then down a fast boggy straight and into two switchbacks. Coming out of the turn you could get some pedals to gain some speed, this was the lower section of the track running up to the finish, you hit a few bus stops and pedalled to gap an awkward hip jump, you either gap the jump or a line around it. I opted to go around the jump as you lost time casing it. Off the landing and down into another bus stop, then onto a straight, round a left flat turn and off the step down at speed, and being fired into the finish straight. Saturday was a good day with no crashes or mechanicals, the cloud evaporated and it was sun for the rest of the day!

Sunday – Race day.

We arrived back bright and early Sunday morning to a bleaker day than previous. As soon as we arrived I was straight to the uplift for first run of the day - the track had been rained on in the night so I knew it would be pretty slick. First run I cruised down just to check it out, most things hadn’t changed apart from the size of holes that had developed, the track was running a bit slower due to the wet but by the 2nd run all was well. For this run I decided to change to spikes, I had been running dry tyres all weekend and I knew there was rain coming in at 4 o’clock.

Choosing spikes was a good idea as they suited these conditions perfectly. I went up for seeding run at 1 o’clock and the rain had held off. I set off for my run and was feeling good, although the run didn’t go how I planned - over shooting turns and slowing in the corners put me in 6th position. My race run was at 4.15 and the rain started to come down at 3.30. It wasn’t the heaviest of rain but it affected the track. My run was delayed by 20 mins so the track was even wetter and the rain was getting harder which made me feel good and confident as I like racing in the wet!

I set off and had a good run, a few small mistakes in the turns by over shooting them on the exit but all was going well - I hit the step down and into the field, I sprinted to the finish I came across the line in second, missing top place by 0.137 of a second!

I was happy but gutted at the same time. As I came into the race I was 4th in the overall and by coming second I thought I may just make it to 3rd, in the end I came 4th overall for the season.

I'm happy with the result but gutted the season is over :-(

Thanks to the British Downhill Series for a good year of racing! Bring on next year!

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