Eddie Soens

My first go at this in a couple of weeks - lots of people up here have said it's a bit of a chopfest. Of course, being a fat Cat 4 chopper myself, that probably suits me 
Has anyone ever ridden it before? Obviously not looking at doing anything in it, it's my first race of the year anyway and with elites and pros riding it would be pretty foolish not to expect to get absolutely brutalised - so more about just sitting in and maybe trying to join a couple of breaks and staying safe. Circuit looks flat as a pancake and nice wide turns, so nothing to expose my complete inability to take tight corners - but I imagine the headwind will be an absolute ruiner in whichever direction its blowing and, being Up North, it's bound to be psising down

Has anyone ever ridden it before? Obviously not looking at doing anything in it, it's my first race of the year anyway and with elites and pros riding it would be pretty foolish not to expect to get absolutely brutalised - so more about just sitting in and maybe trying to join a couple of breaks and staying safe. Circuit looks flat as a pancake and nice wide turns, so nothing to expose my complete inability to take tight corners - but I imagine the headwind will be an absolute ruiner in whichever direction its blowing and, being Up North, it's bound to be psising down
Fat chopper. Some racing. Some testing. Some crashing.
Specialising in Git Daaahns and Cafs. Norvern Munkey/Transplanted Laaandoner.
Specialising in Git Daaahns and Cafs. Norvern Munkey/Transplanted Laaandoner.
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Specialising in Git Daaahns and Cafs. Norvern Munkey/Transplanted Laaandoner.
Specialising in Git Daaahns and Cafs. Norvern Munkey/Transplanted Laaandoner.
Specialising in Git Daaahns and Cafs. Norvern Munkey/Transplanted Laaandoner.
Specialising in Git Daaahns and Cafs. Norvern Munkey/Transplanted Laaandoner.
I hope you informed him his riding was dangerous?
Actually, it wasn't as bad as I was expecting. Some really comedy cornering - I thought I was a sh*t bike handler, but I looked like Sagan compared to some of them - and a lot of nervousness when the elites made the catch, but nothing really out and out dangerous - apart from Ed Clancy peeling a knee warmer off, getting it wrong and having it churn through his back wheel... Bloody chopper
Pretty good fun, all told
Specialising in Git Daaahns and Cafs. Norvern Munkey/Transplanted Laaandoner.
To be honest mate shouting abuse at someone does nothing. They either just ignore it or shout back. A quiet word after the race or even during makes people really think about their riding and will actually improve it in the future.
Some one came and told me I was all over the place 5 years ago in a calm manner (think it was my first e/1/2) and it stuck with me. I actually went out and practised looking around and keeping the bike straight after that and now I ride dead straight!
It's our responsibility to ensure riders are riding safely. Random shouting matches don't do the trick but a calm tap on the shoulder and some advice from a peer goes along way to ensure racing is safer for everyone in the future.
Even if he was a censored
Edit: F**king hell I must be getting old
Not having raced until being an old git I think, perversely, helps me. I'm a little bit nervous on a bike anyway as a result of not riding one properly until a few years ago, so I think I concentrate a bit more than some of the younger riders, who have been doing it since they were about five. Was noticeable how many of them were nervous when the pro teams made the catch - I moved up a lot and hung around at the front of the bunch a lot more than the back after seeing some hairy riding back there. Once you dropped back though, it wasn't easy weaving your way through again. Glad I didn't get a ride at Grimbo the next day - it was absolutely biblical
Specialising in Git Daaahns and Cafs. Norvern Munkey/Transplanted Laaandoner.