Black Park XC12

Rankles
Rankles Posts: 144
edited March 2012 in XC and Enduro
Anyone riding this weekend?

I'll be popping over for 4 laps in the morning.
http://app.strava.com/athletes/ranklesxc

Comments

  • pilch
    pilch Posts: 1,136
    yes looks like it may be a tad damp
    A berm? were you expecting one?

    29er race

    29er bouncer
  • JasonRwmb
    JasonRwmb Posts: 268
    I am going, but not racing.

    I think my son is going to race in the U10 race (he is only 6 so not sure how he will get on) and wife is racing in the single speed race, so no time for me to race....

    If you haven't been before Black Park is very flat. It is normally a good course with lots of singletrack. There is nothing too technical, but some sections of singletrack can be a challenge to ride flat out.
    http://www.tunnelhilltrolls.co.uk
  • njee20
    njee20 Posts: 9,613
    I'll be there in the Expert race, as the poster boy for it, I feel obliged :-)

    As Jason says, it really really is flat, and thus incredibly fast. Saying that it can be a bit slippery in the wet, which isn't so great, particularly looking at the forecast.

    They've made the course longer than usual, and thus cut the laps I think.
  • pilch
    pilch Posts: 1,136
    Cheers....I was going to ask "does hold up well in the rain'....but you got in before me, guess i'll be changing the furious fred on the back end then...
    A berm? were you expecting one?

    29er race

    29er bouncer
  • njee20
    njee20 Posts: 9,613
    If it does rain I would. I was going to fit mine if it doesn't.
  • JasonRwmb
    JasonRwmb Posts: 268
    Having looked at the forecast I don't think I will be going now. I don't mind standing about in the rain, but my kids will only get grumpy after an hour or so... Lou is still racing.

    njee, I hope you are finished before the sleet/snow starts.
    http://www.tunnelhilltrolls.co.uk
  • njee20
    njee20 Posts: 9,613
    Good god that was horrific! War of attrition! 2:25 for 7 laps, longest race in a long time! 4th though, just through virtue of finishing.

    How did Lou go Jason? Didn't see her there!
  • JasonRwmb
    JasonRwmb Posts: 268
    Well done Nick, good effort in keeping going.

    Lou won the single speed lady's race (I think that is the 3rd year in a row). She did say it was pretty tough going. Your race started about 10mins before she finished and I don't think she hung around too long after her race finished, something about being freezing cold.

    Hopefully next Sunday will be slightly dryer at Crowthorne...
    http://www.tunnelhilltrolls.co.uk
  • WisePranker
    WisePranker Posts: 823
    njee20 wrote:
    Good god that was horrific! War of attrition! 2:25 for 7 laps, longest race in a long time! 4th though, just through virtue of finishing.

    How did Lou go Jason? Didn't see her there!

    Well done mate, the conditions were horrendous!
    I don't know how you managed 7 laps, the fourth and final lap for me nearly killed me. Still pretty happy with my 20th place though despite starting 5 or 6 minutes after the race had begun due to a slight timing issue :shock:

    Roll on the Knobbly Tread 2 in October, hopefully the weather will be better then :D
  • njee20
    njee20 Posts: 9,613
    Lou won the single speed lady's race

    Well done to her!

    Anyone's who's not seen the results are here.
    don't know how you managed 7 laps, the fourth and final lap for me nearly killed me.

    Anyone who finished deserved a medal, well done for toughing it out! Shame really, that course would have been good fun in the dry, the new bits looked like they'd have been fun!
  • pilch
    pilch Posts: 1,136
    Top course even though it was complete bogfest i'd like to go back in the dry.... what about that bit just before the wooden bridge, there was a few moments there where I thought I was gonna end up in the ditch :lol:

    Managed a filthy 6th in the vets - 6 laps in 2hrs 5ish..... purgatory!
    A berm? were you expecting one?

    29er race

    29er bouncer
  • WisePranker
    WisePranker Posts: 823
    pilch wrote:
    Top course even though it was complete bogfest i'd like to go back in the dry.... what about that bit just before the wooden bridge, there was a few moments there where I thought I was gonna end up in the ditch :lol:

    Managed a filthy 6th in the vets - 6 laps in 2hrs 5ish..... purgatory!

    From the left hander round the tree just before the bridge to the finish line was a killer. It really took it out of you every lap.

    I reckon my bike and kit must've weighed 50% more by the end of the race due to the amount of mud I collected along the way!
  • njee20
    njee20 Posts: 9,613
    I dunno, it wasn't particularly sticky mud, just wet. My kit certainly weighed more, but not so sure about the bike! Biggest issue I was having was my transmission was all over the shop, reckon the cheap '10 speed' chain could actually be a 9 :?
  • WisePranker
    WisePranker Posts: 823
    I reckon that riding FS yesterday was a mistake on my part, the mud just seemed to sit on the suspension linkages and shock and just build up!
    The transmission was all over the place on mine too, I gave up trying to shift the front mech and stuck in the middle ring as nothing was really working. The rear was struggling after a couple of laps as well but it managed to keep going for the duration. The only other problem was a few episodes of chainsuck which I've never had a problem with before but that's just one of those things!
  • stuart_c-2
    stuart_c-2 Posts: 805
    Yep, I was there too. Agree with all that has been said, great course (would've been awesome in the dry), last 1/3rd of lap was killer, was rather chilly. I was lucky my race was in the morning before it really got bad. Although finishing and then realising my brother had the key to the van and was still out on course somewhere led to a rather cold me standing in the rain, thnk I should've just kept riding to keep warm.
    "I ride to eat"

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