We have another new area coming to MTBO this year, Swynnerton and Hanchurch Woods, near Stone in Staffordshire. A Potteries Orienteering Club Area, they have all but given up on it for foot orienteering, the brambles and undergrowth completely overwhelming the map, but for MTBO it’s perfect for a middle race.
I have spent a few Saturday mornings out both on bike and foot working on the map which is very out of date, with huge tracks now gone beneath brambles, and lots of new MTB tracks appearing all the time. I spent today surveying the trail-fairy made downhill areas. It’s got my mind working on how to map some of it. Great sweeping single-tracks but with, eerrrrrmmm, well just say the odd obstacle, built by, eerrrmmmm, nutters!
At present I think I will probably map them with a pink bar across the track but I think a few of them need an exclamation mark or two as well.
With temperatures back in sensible-land and my bike in pieces, I decided to have a go with the Purple Harry polish today before putting it all back together. After a little T-Cut on some scuff marks I gave the frame a good dose of polish, before leaving it to dry. I then used the bizarre two-fingered fleece glove provided to bring on the shine. Result! It is also meant to give the frame some protection and should be easier to clean next time.
So on to assembly time. I got the bottom bracket back in OK, but my headset was in a bit of a state. However, after soaking the races in petrol for a while and careful reassembly with some nice new grease it should last the season, definitely not indexed steering anymore!
I’ve decided to lose a few hundred grams with a few components from the XCRacer Shop. XCRacer is the place, other than the British Cycling website, to find out about Cross Country Mountain Bike Racing in the UK. It now has a shop specializing in light weight components and bling for racing wannabes. I’ve gone for a light weight scandium handlebar and some brake rotors. Ill give them a review in a few weeks once they have been on the bike for a bit, but at first glance they seem very good value for money.
CycleShack is a new bike shop located near to Cannock Chase at Heath Hayes, just off the A5/M6 Toll, between Cannock and Burntwood. It is run my Matt Williams, who has dabbled successfully in Trailquests/MTBOs in the past and knows Cannock Chase like the back of his hand.
Hosting lectures in a bike showroom cleared of its stock is a novel way of getting people into the shop and, judging by the nearly full house, it works. There was a mix of cyclists and runners of all ages present to hear the first in a lecture series by acclaimed nutritionalist Barry Murray.
As I saw Barry last year which helped me alot, I knew it would be useful to go, and perhaps get some inspiration to tighten up my diet again.
Barry Murray
Luckily Barry was slightly late, as, otherwise, he would have caught his audience tucking into the cake and coffee supplied. It broke the ice nicely as he was setting up, us all hiding our cake & surreptitiously munching away when he wasn’t looking.
This week’s lecture was entitled ‘How to Boost your Immune System’. Very apt, as I sat there sniffing away.
Barry’s delivery of what could be a very boring subject was first class. He explained everything in layman’s terms with little diagrams and lots of similes: Good Guys, Bad Guys, building your walls, arming your soldiers, and bringing in helpers and backup.
His cheeky Irish lilt and casual manner also helped make the lecture entertaining and I learnt a great new word, ‘arseways’, as well as lots of advice on how to combat those nasties intent on making me ill again.
With my cold in full swing he advised hitting the Vitamin C hard, although a little late, and I have taken him to his word. Apparently Vitamin C is water soluble so you can’t overdose on it, it just comes out in your urine. So today I am taking rather alot of it. The only side effect is that the amount people can stand varies and the side effect is diarrhoea :-{ no problems so far……
Thanks to Barry and Cycle Shack for a great evening. Barry has a Facebook group where he posts regularly for anyone interested in nutrition for sport . The next lecture is in two weeks, check the websites below for details.
A year on and with no racing this weekend I thought it a good time to strip my Corratec Bow and give it a good service. Whilst apart I thought I would have a little session with the kitchen scales (shhh dont tell Cath) and look for some cost effective weight savings before I put it back together. I might even treat the frame to a little Purple Harry polish 😉
I’m very aware I am not posting very much on my blog at present, having been ill and don’t want to be too negative but thought I’d better do a little update.
It started with a small calf strain following the snowy street orienteering event at the end of November. After a couple of days rest I stupidly took the Singlespeed out on a recreational ride round Hanchurch Woods. At the end of this my calf was worse than ever so I was forced to rest it. I then caught a stomach bug from Holly, followed by full on Flu. It wasn’t that man flu thing where you sniff a bit, I was flat out on the sofa for two days, finding it hard to do anything. The cold from this flu then went to my chest and I’ve been trying to cough my lungs up pretty much since.
I had been looking forward to the Military Challenge, and by all accounts it was a classic, won by Ben Plowman in a little under 3 hours just 47 secs in front of Ifor. Full results and maps available here
The turn out for the event is a little disappointing, there usually being far more competitors when it is on the weekend before Xmas.
So what next for me, well I tried a 30 min recovery ride on the turbo last night which didn’t go particularly well, forcing more coughing a wheezing, so it was definitely the right decision not to go down to Longmoor.
Today (30th dec) I feel a little better so I might do another turbo recovery ride tonight and perhaps a slightly longer MTB ride on New Years Eve. I am meant to be running in the New Years Day score foot O event, and the club champs is on Sunday. Hmmm a bit too much too soon I think……..
After a few issues shifting into big ring and a little chain-suck during my last race I thought perhaps that , even though the current chain hasn't done that much, I ought to replace it before things got too worn, forcing wholesale replacement of the complete drive train.
A quick test ride on the chase has left me in a quandry. I'm getting a little bit of jumping on one cog at the back. Not much, and not on a gear I use that much but still annoying. The alternative £50 on yet another cassette, and the big ring at the front is a bit worn, where to stop? particularly with at least 3 months of winter racing before the international season gets going properly when the bike needs to be in perfect condition..
I think Ill just put up with it and replace the whole lot in March, when I put the bow on a bit of a diet!
With Christmas fast approaching, its that time of year that brings a long trip down south for the event made to burn off those extra calories gained in the party season: The Military Challenge.
The Challenge for me over the last few years has been not just the event but the travel there and back, particularly last year when the event was nearly cancelled due to the snowy conditions.
This year the timing of the event moves to the Wednesday between Christmas and New Year and the event returns to Longmoor Camp, with a promise of more intricate navigation with a series of butterfly loops. See you there!
We have another new area coming to MTBO this year, Swynnerton and Hanchurch Woods, near Stone in Staffordshire. A Potteries Orienteering Club Area, they have all but given up on it for foot orienteering, the brambles and undergrowth completely overwhelming the map, but for MTBO it’s perfect for a middle race.
