Mws
Bringewood Feb 19th
- Lets doo it on a Swiss railway
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 "Unless
you’re a complete geek like me the chances
of you knowing where Bringewood is, slim to slim
just left town, So for those not in the know Bringewood
is a large wood just to the west of Ludlow (where’s
that I hear you ask) a small town in the heart
of Shropshire (oh look it up on your map, if you
still don’t know where that is). Right hopefully
I haven’t alienated (pi£$%^ off) you
lot and you might carry on reading my drivel."
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| So
now we all know were I’m writing about,
“let’s dooo it”**. This rather
large wood near Ludlow has hosted DH races since
way back in the day, mainly on the south side
but now has found a more permanent venue on the
north side. With two starts each having two or
three routes joining about mid way down the hill
with maybe three lines down to the pumping station
and another two lines to the bottom, which gives
this venue a great deal of variables reducing
the “been there, done that” effect
that some older venues can get, however if you’ve
never ridden here before you are at a disadvantage
as about 90% of the field already know it like
the back of their hands. |
So after a bad week
in the office (don’t ask it would just make
the report even longer, like I need an excuse)
come sat pm me and two other generations of Gray
set of two Ludlow for a day out. “Oh as
we’re in Ludlow we might as well go to the
woods! Oh look there’s an uplift day, oh
what are the chances of that?). I so wished I
had blagged a two day pass out instead of one,
it may have been cold and misty am, but by the
time I touched down pm the sun had burnt the mist
off revealing the track just starting to enter
the sweet spot (tacky to dry, perfect high roller
conditions).
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From the top a mellow
start (boggy and slow on sun) weaving in between
the trees roughly 6 to 10 feet apart from top to
bottom, After about 2/300 meters the first major
jump in the shape of a small road jump which for
speed is best jumped but can be ridden round (shamed
to say I rode round it on my race run) leading back
in to the trees for more tree dodgems left, right,
pedal, left, right, into a deep rutted left. The
track opens up a bit and you’re left with
more than one line too chose from some work some
don’t (changing ever run), pedal, left, right,
left, pedal, left, right pedal for a double bomb
hole, pump through the first and boost out to try
and double the second get ready for a hard landing
if you get it wrong. |
| Once past that boost
the table after it into a left hander on landing
pedal or pump to the right hander to the main fire
road, cross that and of a drop in. from here you
split right to join up the summer course in a densely
wooded section that in the mid of summer only a
little light gets in so in Feb. don’t expect
to se much. Two long flat right’s greet you,
if you can hold the tight inside line (just watch
out for the roots laying on top especially if wet).
Just after that a dragonesk*** set of trees to negotiate
if you managed to hold the tight inside line take
the first exit on the left but it tight and I mean
tight if not go the slightly longer and slight wider
one on the right. Pedal, again a flat right that
if you can hold the tight inside line gives you
a chance to pop over the foot high tree root to
save a few tenths, if not ride round it. |
| Back
to the sheep line for a while in the form of some
nice bermed left right lefts, Then as you break
out into the day light a mad flat open left with
about hundred ways to go round it but watch out
as on the exit some bugger put a tree in the way
(over time a berm has formed just before it and
if spectating down the track it looks like the rider’s
are going to hit it and then they just pop out to
the left of it at mark 3). Now if you’ve got
the energy pedal like a mad man for the big (25ft)
step down table but watch out for the adverse camber
in the wet. The next 300 meters or so is dirt jumpers
delight, rich beard (I think that his name) has
crafted the most natural set of rollers going (I
cant do it justice it’s just something that
has to be ridden). |
| Across a fire road by the pumping
station back to more moguls into a mad right hander
that has a sneaky left side entry for max speed
but watch out it flattens out mid corner and it’s
so easy to wash out on it or hit the tree’s
on exit back two a few more sheepish left and rights
pedal and doge the tree stumps left in the track,
flat left hit the sneaky left line in to the trench
that greets you next, a few more flat left’s
and right’s the n you merge back with the
summer track. Pedal or pump downhill for the big
jump at the bottom of the track land that and muster
up every bit of ompff you’ve got left for
the pedal to the line. A good time is under three
and a blistering time is In the 2:30’s |
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So
after a bit of spectating and networking (talking
bu”$%£%) for a while we headed home
and on the way out the views across to Ludlow
were eerie.
So sun morning and by the time I get going instead
of the blue room that normally greets me at an
unnatural time on a sun I “get up with the
spoons” as he would say and only ¾
of an hour later and I’m touching down in
the rave racing paddock (well actually the pit
paddock but we kind of did take over a bit).
Thinking that I knew it all (it’s greet
being a dad) I had put my dry tyres on the night
before and was going reap the reward later when
the sun came out and dried the track. How wrong
could have I been as it was snowing whilst getting
changed.
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I managed to grab the
second uplift of the day, boy was it cold firm
but cold and foggy. As you crossed the main fire
road and split right in the woods, they were so
dark you might as well have had you’re eyes
shut ( I do sometimes when it gets scary) it was
hard enough to see the trees let alone the roots
littering the track.
Now I know a bad workman blah blah but high rollers,
poor light and a rapidly defrosting track theft
me course inspecting (read crashing) more that
I preferred. By about 10 it was becoming clear
that it wouldn’t (clear that is, keep up),
so I changed to a spike up front. About this time
B.C. commissare and Dave Pearce were starting
to bang heads as to weather the race should go
ahead or not due to the poor light.
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We were going to
get at least one run and most asked would have ridden
blindfolded if need be. So after a quick bite and
quick watch trackside, marc Beaumont had it pinned
through the moguls J.B. (Johnny Brain) wasn’t
looking to shabby either. Time to race and as usual
I can’t see any racing on the back of a truck
so I missed most the early starters from hard tail
to vets. What I didn’t miss was one lad get
DQed for not strapping his helmet up by part time
p.a. part-time commissaire full time laugh except
when his got a hang over Si Paton (you’ve
been warned, it’s for your own safety) |
| By the time I got to the
top I had only five to ten mins before the off,
which leads me into my run. The top had defrosted
and was hard work to plug through and it wasn’t
till after the road jump were it was more compacted
could I get going. The woods after the fire road
someone had highlighted the trees and roots making
about 200% easier to ride (or at least know which
tree you’re hitting). The run into the moguls
was hard work and later I saw good riders struggling
to even get close to the down slope. The next bit
was fun to the big jump at the bottom then it was
a hard slog to the line. P.a. at this time was done
by the one and only chopper harries till si came
down and I must say if theirs one thing chopper
can do well is talk so this maybe his new vocation,
watch out si. |
Whilst
Dave and the B.C. were at fisty cuffs over light
conditions and if we would get a second run (the
light was technically to low to have had a first
run). I went trackside to watch in the woods it
was quite sheltered but out in the open boy was
it cold. Then over the radio the inevitable happened
Dave 0 B.C. 1 one run only was the out come. As
I watched the experts and elites through the dark
woods it was nice to sell them struggling (still
way faster than me though).
From the results
I can tell you from the elites up. Marc Beaumont
blew everyone away, seeing him trackside it was
clear how on it he was, with an amazing 2:28.3 (the
track must have dried out since I rode down, yeah
right) over another one of peat’s prodigies
Breadon fairclough nearly ten sec down in 3:38.0
only just beating local nutter rob smith by .3 of
a sec. close but no cigar went to boom boom in 4th
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| In the experts J.B. on his new Santa
cruzz vp3 (I think it went past so fast it was hard
to tell) came in at 2:41.6 although not as impressive
as marc’s winning margin it was still nearly
2 secs quicker than Shucky (Phil shucksmith) in
second (2:43.5). The final podium position went
to Rob Breakwell thrashing/trashing probably another
test bike for dirt an intense uzzi/5.5 in 2:44.4.
Chris Sinden just missed out in fourth. |
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Out
of the 83 seniors who rode Ben Morgan comfortably
won over his nearest rival Andy wakefield. Filling
out the podium was Dave Richardson.
On to the girls and well all kirsty had to was turn
up (on her new Endruo sx) to win in the elite but
you have to be init to win it.
In the girls seniors again all three got podium
just by turning up Hannah Wilson got value for money
by being on the track for over five mins whilst
sue Mahoney would have given kirsty a run for her
money if the cats were joined. Had the cats been
joined young Aimee dixx would have cleaned up by
nearly four seconds, she’s going to be one
to watch when her strength catches up with her bike
skills, the skene boyos are doing a good job! |
| Right on to my pet cat,
the one that interests me the master’s. Top
three spots all covered by to me unknowns (sorry
lads) Craig “who that” Bullen 2:52.2
maybe uses to much of his sponsors product. Ian
white shows his not just a one hit wonder with a
2:53.8. In third yet another “who” from
Richard keates with a 2:57.7, us old boys are going
have to keep an eye on you lot. The next six were
more familiar names to me si paton, rich green and
myself separated by less than a second (all with
our tails of woo). Wayne, jono and Jamie rounded
out the single digit results. Not only did some
of our lot not get entered in time notably Collins
willims was missing on track and in stead was trackside. |
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In the vets steve
parr only just took the win over rich abbot in a
very respectable 3:15.2 and 3:15.7 respectively
and dai jones came in third ahead of ady hume.
Now to the teens or juniors as you have to call
them, well they weren’t hanging around that
for sure, Ralph jones 2:40.2 would have came 5th
in elite and would have won any ohther cat with
that time. Darell upton came second in 2:44.7 only
slightly slower that rob breakwell. Skenes niki
whiles returing to form after breaking both wrists
last year with a 2:49.3 and could have given him
a top ten in experts |
As if the juniors weren’t
quick enough on to the youth’s. joe smith’s
amazing 2:39 could have put him 4th in the elites
(I hate cleaver kids). Sam dale was his nearest
rival some 7 sec behind in 2:46.9 and benard kerr
brought in a thrird with a 2:52.2
Onto the juvs who in few years will just get faster
and faster had a close finish with top and second
spot split by .06 jamie maller and Stephen mill
yard both did 3:28.8 but crucially Jamie was quicker.
In third reece shields with a 3:40.8 |
And finally
the hard tail’s (crazy guys) john malcolmson’s
3:06.4 was enough to take the win over neil cousins
(3:11.2) and third went to vincent Leonard.
Core that was hard work I remember why I don’t
do this often. And so onto the alternative entertainment
of the day mud plugging A.K.A going home what fun,
the pics don’t really do it justice it was
boggy and some 4x4’s were struggling and I’m
glad I didn’t have to get the caravan out.
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| Well that about sums
that up. Next stop back ere again possible may be
the summer start who knows. I do know the young
whipper snapper up from seniors are going to start
pushing us older boys this year if we want a sniff
of a podium (oh well only five years to vets, what
am I saying I might as well get in a coffin now).
So until then or I get a product review out on my
new bike (its gathering dust in dysons ), see you
around the Timmmey |
| * Title amalgamated from both reports
** ref rik mayle in the young ones or bottom not
to sure which!
*** read sick as f£$^
**** fast show (as if I needed to tell you that)
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