Splash
Race Dog
From a spectators point of view, Enduro World magazine have a formula which should draw crowds. I arrived early as I was sharing a pit with Shark_za and Bullfrog who were riding in the Novice A and Senior Pro groups. I was riding in the afternoon in Novice C for riders with less than one yearâ??s racing experience. Groenie came along to assist as well.
I could not have wished for a more pleasant morning with drama at every turn. The venue lent itself to a tight course of around 13 kilometers. Within a stoneâ??s throw away, I had a steep hill climb or deep gully or technical rocky bank or even a log to get over. I managed to run my cameraâ??s battery flat in no time. So much was happening. As usual for EWXC events, the course was not that easy which did lend itself to endless drama. William Gillitt was the course builder and I am sure that he lies awake at night worrying that he has gone soft and made tracks for sissies. Well, let me immediately assure him that he should have other things on his mind in the middle of the night and not on riding bikes.
I fetched my bike from a service (every 15 hours) during the week so I arrived with no idea if it would even start â?? no risk of that not happening as it is well looked after by my dealer.
It went brilliantly. I may have gone out a little too fast for a hour and half race and my level of experience, but I think that I am now am starting to â??get itâ?. After three laps, I still had enough time for one more but could not hold onto my bike anymore let alone pick it up so decided to call it a day. I can now vaguely understand that it is like to want to throw up in oneâ??s helmet. I have never taken off kit so quickly. I was totally finished and about to explode, figuratively. I guess that if one is given enough rope, so to speak, one will hang oneself â?? it really creeps up, just a little faster, a little further and so the race becomes a mission. How weak is the human condition. At my â??lastâ? check I got the â??do another lapâ?? signal, which was when I had to acknowledge how tired I really was, for a second I actually thought all I had to do to carry on was let the clutch out and point the bike and I would be off again. Sense did prevail and I stopped, not sure what I was going to do next. I indicated that I was retiring and it did not take more than an instant for me to make a hasty retreat to my pits and a frantic hurry to try cool down and get some air. I was boiling. The next necessity was a cold Coke and to sit and try make sense of what had just all happened to me and my poor little body in an hour and a bit. In consolation, I had had a blast, what a ride, what a bike and what a course. Much more I could not have asked for. I can see this new â??thingâ? getting quickly out of control. I cannot resist this challenge and I think I have found a new outlet for all my competitive desires. The next EWXC is in Van Reenen which sounds daunting. I cannot wait.
From a riding perspective, things are starting to fall a little more into place, excuse the pun. I am feeling much more comfortable on the bike and seem to have more control. I still managed to do another forward somersault, this time in a narrow gully, resulting in my bike facing the wrong way. It is physically impossible for me to pick up my whole bike (115 kilograms plus fuel and oil) and turn it around so luckily one of the marshals came to my rescue. He did have his standards and would only help me if my four stroke had an electric start. It does so it was not doomed to be left to be ridden over by my trailing competitors. He was very impressive as he ramped by bike up the side of the gully and let the bike fall down on its wheels in the right direction. So much still to learn, let alone just experience.
The EWXC events are fantastic, thanks for a great ride and days entertainment.
I could not have wished for a more pleasant morning with drama at every turn. The venue lent itself to a tight course of around 13 kilometers. Within a stoneâ??s throw away, I had a steep hill climb or deep gully or technical rocky bank or even a log to get over. I managed to run my cameraâ??s battery flat in no time. So much was happening. As usual for EWXC events, the course was not that easy which did lend itself to endless drama. William Gillitt was the course builder and I am sure that he lies awake at night worrying that he has gone soft and made tracks for sissies. Well, let me immediately assure him that he should have other things on his mind in the middle of the night and not on riding bikes.
I fetched my bike from a service (every 15 hours) during the week so I arrived with no idea if it would even start â?? no risk of that not happening as it is well looked after by my dealer.
It went brilliantly. I may have gone out a little too fast for a hour and half race and my level of experience, but I think that I am now am starting to â??get itâ?. After three laps, I still had enough time for one more but could not hold onto my bike anymore let alone pick it up so decided to call it a day. I can now vaguely understand that it is like to want to throw up in oneâ??s helmet. I have never taken off kit so quickly. I was totally finished and about to explode, figuratively. I guess that if one is given enough rope, so to speak, one will hang oneself â?? it really creeps up, just a little faster, a little further and so the race becomes a mission. How weak is the human condition. At my â??lastâ? check I got the â??do another lapâ?? signal, which was when I had to acknowledge how tired I really was, for a second I actually thought all I had to do to carry on was let the clutch out and point the bike and I would be off again. Sense did prevail and I stopped, not sure what I was going to do next. I indicated that I was retiring and it did not take more than an instant for me to make a hasty retreat to my pits and a frantic hurry to try cool down and get some air. I was boiling. The next necessity was a cold Coke and to sit and try make sense of what had just all happened to me and my poor little body in an hour and a bit. In consolation, I had had a blast, what a ride, what a bike and what a course. Much more I could not have asked for. I can see this new â??thingâ? getting quickly out of control. I cannot resist this challenge and I think I have found a new outlet for all my competitive desires. The next EWXC is in Van Reenen which sounds daunting. I cannot wait.
From a riding perspective, things are starting to fall a little more into place, excuse the pun. I am feeling much more comfortable on the bike and seem to have more control. I still managed to do another forward somersault, this time in a narrow gully, resulting in my bike facing the wrong way. It is physically impossible for me to pick up my whole bike (115 kilograms plus fuel and oil) and turn it around so luckily one of the marshals came to my rescue. He did have his standards and would only help me if my four stroke had an electric start. It does so it was not doomed to be left to be ridden over by my trailing competitors. He was very impressive as he ramped by bike up the side of the gully and let the bike fall down on its wheels in the right direction. So much still to learn, let alone just experience.
The EWXC events are fantastic, thanks for a great ride and days entertainment.
