They're off!

On Sunday, Marc and Nikki started the BC Bike Race. I rode this race with Nikki last year and it was a lot of fun. The first day this year was on the North Shore and featured the Severed Dick trail, which was described by the race organizers as "a puckering ride". I caught up with the Fig Rolls in North Van after Day 1 and everything had gone well. They're somewhere in the middle of the Mixed pairs category and 10 mins ahead of the team behind them. Apparently they beat some Austrian guys... which Marc was pretty happy about. Next stop, Vancouver Island.

Start line confabulation

Marc and Nikki chasing a German guy off the start

Fig Rolls on their way to Mt Fromme from Mt Seymour

T.H.C. No... not that kind of T.H.C.

Fig Rolls Canada triumphed in the UROC Twelve Hours of Cumberland (can you see what they did there?). Fig Rolls ladies Nikki and Joan raced incognito with Fig Rolls special guests Chris and Lina (of divided Fig Rolls and Steed Cycles loyalties). The "Four Horsewomen of the Apokalyps" literally brought home the pottery with a triumphant 21 laps of the fast and furious course. Actually, I didn't see any fury going on at all... it wasn't that kind of race.

Horsewomen ride to victory

There seems to be a tradition in 12/24 hour races in Canada of having bonus laps available for riding a loaner "nasty" bike on the course. "Nasty" isn't the exact word used, to give you a clue... they were kept parked next to the toilets. In this race there was so much enthusiasm for the nasty bikes we could barely get our hands on them. Fisticuffs were nearly reached at one point to get hold of the Ross (who?) "Mt Kilimanjaro". The Fig Rolls boys team (Andrew, Marc, Paul, and Jacek) couldn't be doing with that business... got one lap each on the nasty bikes and left it at that. We paid the price. Despite getting the most laps of any team... we came second. Pah.

Paul, a nasty bike... and a toilet.

Jacek coming into the transition.

We had a great "recovery ride" on Forbidden Plaueau on Sunday and jumped in the river. Good times.

Photos can be found: here, here, and here.

World Hour "Fig Rolls" Record Broken!!

Well, not quite!


Fig rolls at the Velodrome in Manchester.

For More pics see this link.

It was amazing! 10 minutes tuition and then we were let loose on the track. 16 riders in total for 1 hour. Although not strictly allowed to race Joe posted a time of 18.6 seconds for one lap, Jade was 21 seconds, others difficult to gauge. We thought that was fast but Chris hoy can do a sub 10 second 3/4 lap from rolling start and the fastest Juniors do 15 seconds from a standing start! I don't think Chris hoy has much to worry about - even if John was trying to get the pose right! (see last picture)

All in a great session, would love to repeat - anyone up for it? You can hire the track and trainer for £85 and bike hire is £11 Inc. helmet and shoes...

We did a "taster session" which was £9.6 for an hour inc bike hire. more info here

Thetford Summer Series

Typical, not a drop of rain for what seemed like weeks then the night before it tips it down. Luckily the course at Tunstall Forest held up well to the onslaught of riders taking part in the first of the Thetford Summer Series. Joe and Niki rode in the mixed pairs 6 hour enduro.



some photos: Pic 1

Pic 2

Pic 3

Pic 4

We won! out of two teams! lol.

Good and bad

Over the last week...

Good - nice dry weather, long rides, maxxis crossmarks, new gloves and stans tubeless kit

Rubbish - rain, saddle sore, crossmarks made into tubeless and only inflating with a compressed air line, rain making my newly converted fast tyres useless until it drys.

Crash bang wallop

Blimey. I have actually managed to ride more than once in the past week. A few road rides, 2 trips to Sherwood, a road race and a nice pootle this evening. Great stuff.

Other than going to Sherwood on Sunday and leaving my helmet at home, so I hired a nice cheap one for £3. Then Sherwood on Monday racing Joe and stacked it nicely whilst trying to catch him on the downhill. Road race on Wednesday night with the closest call yet - bloke in front of me weaved a bit, I clipped his rear wheel with my front and then nearly went down! Some jammy 'skiing' with my big red look cleat on the road and a bit of funky moving and i was ok. Too close though.

:)