[RoyMember]

Bol, good to hear. I was talking to Dig the other day and I reckon you could twist his arm too. Tonguey was also talking it up a while back but talks’ cheap. You need a bed, job’s right just call in.

Slashed the track last weekend. It is prime conditions. Not wet enough to be slippery, prime traction, no dust. Basically the same layout as normal but with a few minor realignmnets to prevent overuse of the one track and permanent scarring.

Don’t forget to fax in entries.

[RoyMember]

Best of luck. The photos I have seen of Hattah look like a very physical track. How long is ironman.

[RoyMember]

All fixed. We’ll do anything out here to try and fit another race in.

[RoyMember]

That’s how real men floss.

[RoyMember]

What I want to know is “Who have you been paying to wash your bike”. I know it wouldn’t have been you.

[RoyMember]

Not sure about classic posts but I have seen some cracks forming in Bollocks posts of late and TB’s post quite often have me seeing red.

[RoyMember]

I know what you’re saying boony and that is the one thing that I’d like to fix about the current dnf system. It sort promotes the blokes who couldn’t be bothered to do another lap and wait for time to be up. I know thye are taking the risk of someone manning up and keeping on going and getting past them and if no one does then at the day it has made no difference anyway.

You can’t just say anyone caught waiting will be given a dnf either as they will just wait further away where you can’t see them. I suppose at the end of the day they are not breaking any rules and they are actually giving people slower than them a chance to get ahead. It just doesn’t sit right in my gut that during a race people don’t want to race to the end and get as much riding as possible, especially the pairs.

Having said all that I was rather relieved that time was up at bike territory the other day. I didn’t wait to check and I would have done the lap crying like a busted old man but I can’t deny I was relieved to see the checkered flag.

[RoyMember]

Aaron, thanks for the vote of confidence but at least this time it wasn’t me. Just a query from another poor sucker who rides solo.

I am in agreeance though. No finish then only 1 point. This is also what I have told the person in question. Something in my tiny little brain tells me the essence of enduro is endurance (of both bike and body).

I have sent an email to mnsw to see if they have any official rulings on what should be done (especially since we don’t have supp regs). Their response may mean a change in plans for next year. Will keep you informed.

[RoyMember]

Just some more general photos. Sorry for the long post, got a bit carried away with it all.

I only have photos taken from the pits. Unfortunately not too many from out on the track.

[RoyMember]

By this stage it was raining again and the hill had got really really bad. I never ever made it up cleanly again from this point. Lets just say if two strokes had a rev limiter I would have exceeded it getting up to the top. I think my bike boiled both times in these last two laps. My 4th lap was pain. Starting not to care if I got passed. Figured if they weren’t hurting as bad as me then they deserved it. Even the ramps over the fences were getting to me. Just couldn’t seem to get my body right, but at least I made it every time. By this time the single was one long rut with ski marks either side where people were skiing with their boots. I only paddled for the very worst bits. Was picking up the odd c grade bloke which lifted my spirits momentarily.

Headed out for what I hoped was my last lap. Had real trouble on the hill and I was done in. No more laps left in this tank. Got to the single and smashed my hands on two trees. Was getting tired and lazy. Had to start thinking or I was going to get hurt. Lapped by 3 A graders, including Chris Thomas who was riding A grade solo in 2nd place. Lapped by the leaders in B grade. Made it back in one piece. Very tired, couldn’t have done another lap, and couldn’t load my bike. The good news was I didn’t cramp in the hands or inner thighs only the calves every time I fell off which was way to regular. Did I mention it was slippery.

Ended up in second for the day, so was happy with that. Was never in contention for first despite what they told me at refuel. My ribs are very sore, I have either broken one or at least done the cartilage. This is not good in conjunction with a cold that makes you cough.

A big thank you must go out to Scott and Regina Michell at Bike Territory. Not many people would have let that race go ahead or help out as much as they did. It had the highest DNF rate of any pony express I have been too with 20% failing outright and a hello of a lot more pulling up early and waiting it out for time to come up.

At least there was no dust.

[RoyMember]

Hooking in trying get a gap. Down a couple more times and starting to tire. Not good on lap 1. Settled down and started to ride smoother. Bloody hell, the over 35’s had caught me (started 2 minutes behind) and I wasn’t even half way round. First one round me, hung with him for a while and felt good. Then Blue (my old partner and the owner of bike territory) was catching me. Let him round and he told me I was going well which I took to mean I was leading for sure.

By this stage I was having trouble with the bike. I only had my grips wired on and the wires had busted. This meant I had to grip tight to stop the wet grip slipping on the throttle tube. Time to man up. Then it felt like my clutch was having real slippage issue. Convinced myself that it was just lack of traction and kept going.

Lets just say I am now a firm believer in grip glue.

Lap two and into it again. The easy hill was looking horrid but somehow it seemed to be getting grippy. Still managed to put it down. Pick it up and go again. First signs of cramp setting in. A long day was ahead. The single trail was going to the pack. One long rough rut. No grip at all unless you were in it. My body was taking a pounding. There was one steep down hill in the single. By the end it was all I could do to sit on the bike and paddle down the rut. Lap 2 done and onto 3.

Up the easy hill unscathed, getting good grip. Still no signs of anyone but was getting caught by a few bikes in other classes and everyone was making me nervous. My clutch and grip issues were not going away. By this time I was convinced my clutch was on its way out but that $15 trophy at the end was still worth it. Got to the top of this hill

And there was a tight rock pinch you had to squeeze through. Went for the brakes to take the gap. No rear brakes. In my panic hit the front a bit hard. Down I went. Right into the rocks. It hurt, it hurt a lot. Back up, bikes coming, oh no this was it. No grip, my throttle grip had come off. Couldn’t see it anywhere. Just about to go without it and there it was, grabbed it and jammed it on. Off again, no one passed me, ribs a bit sore. Now down the hill with no rear brakes. Made it, rear brakes coming back. You beauty.

Into the pits for fuel (bike and body).

Not everybody can get there bike refueled personally by their sponsors. I can

Thanks Blue. Hooked into some carbs and out again. Found out during my pit stop I was 2nd. One of the blokes had made it up the hill after all.

[RoyMember]

Off I go thinking “bloody hell these corners are going to be interesting of the start. Then I got to the hill. (Unfortunately no photos as yet). The sweeps were waiting at the bottom. I asked had anybody got up the hard way. Apparently two people had. So no better chance to find out then if three people could, up I go. Better to fail now then in the race. Half way up and confidence was building, this wasn’t too bad, then it all went to poo. Down I came tail between legs but instilled with the knowledge not to try that in the race. The marshals couldn’t stop laughing. Said I had roost going up 3 stories in the air.

Off to the easy hill (ladies way from last year). Was a bit concerned when I found 10 bikes at the bottom and a few high revving no moving bodies half way up. I wasn’t waiting I had preparation to do when I got back so couldn’t afford to be last back. Up I go. It was like riding up an inclined ice rink but I managed to keep it moving, dodge incoming bikes and get to the top of that section. There was no way I could do that for 4 hours though. Had to get the track changed. Anyway the rest of the hill was pretty easy until a little steep section for the last 200m. There were bikes here going crazy and just to add to the pressure there was a 20 foot drop off on the edge. Nothing for it, in I go. Unscathed, you beauty. Now for the down hill. Braced myself but it turned out pretty grippy as well. That was 5km of 22 done.

Hit the single trail. Bit muddy but not too bad but ominous looking ruts were already forming. One was already deeper than my crank case. Finished the lap nervous and scared for my body.

Filled the bike ate some food put on the safety glasses and headed for the start line. It was starting to rain again. A grade gone, B grade gone was heading out for Ironman when the girls called me out. The computer wasn’t working for the electronic scoring. What to do. Less than 2 minutes to the start. Up to the tower I go, sorted the issue luckily and back to the start line, all mental preparation gone. 30 seconds left.

Got a shit start. 4th out. Felt like I could round up the front runners though so just stay calm. Did I mention I suffer at the whims of adrenalin. Was eating a lot of mud supplied for free by several 450’s. Rounded one up on corner 3 and got to the jump, two of the boys were stuck on the left. Went right and into the lead. Time for some smooth riding with plenty of roost I would be home. Corner 7 and down I went, front tyre washed out. Back third and dirty with myself.

Gaining on 2nd but 1st was pulling away and we got to the hill. To my surprise the first two blokes went up the hard way. What to do. Time to wise up. Went the easy way, but was very worried I had just cost myself the race. Hit the easy hill, clear run, not pretty but made it relatively unscathed. No other bikes at the point where the two tracks merge. Figured the other two had failed and I was in the lead. Time to make hay but there was no sun shining. Little did I know it but this was the last time I was to see an Ironman for the next 4 hours.

[RoyMember]

Boony,

Straighten the disc mate. Just spin the wheel and measure the points where it starts deflecting against a fixed point (say the swing arm). Then get a shifter and put it in the middle of the bend and straighten.

As for the solid discs. I actually heard they give you better feel. My mate swears by them. They wear your pads out less as the pads are rubbing against less edges (ie the edges of all the little holes). As for stopping power they would be exactly the same. Friction is not dependant on the area of contact but the force applied to the contact which is exactly the same. At the end of the day you only need enough on the rear to lock it up and as soon as that happens the tyre/ground is the weak link.

[RoyMember]

Entry fees,

If you pre enter (requires the whole effort of filling out entry form and faxing it in before the race) $25
Enter on the day $45

One day licence $50

Narrabri Club membership $30
If you are a member of a club in the series (Armidale, Moree, Inverell) then Narrabri will give you a one race mebership of $10.

So basically once you have done a round of the series the membership costs are $10/race after that instead of $30/race.

[RoyMember]

Track is pretty much the same. A little shorter to try and get average lap times under 30 minutes. Bit different at the start. The start straight has been shortened and a couple of corners and jumps added to give the spectators some viewing pleasure. Only small jumps but something to watch when you’re in the pits.

[Author]

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