"I've not updated the Mountainboard Derby page in a while, but the Monday Night Sessions have still been rolling on, with somebody (me) out on the slopes every (most) Monday, rain or shine. Going back to the original rough plan of action, it was proposed that the formal sessions would carry on until late October when the clocks change and the light levels would prevent safe lessons to take place. Realistically though, if I'm able to get to a session for 7pm, at most we are getting an hour riding before last light, and this is only going to decrease as the nights draw in. Therefore, I'm taking the decision to cease the Monday Night Sessions as they currently stand. Lessons will still be provided on request although these will most probably take place at the weekends, or afternoon if I'm able to juggle work.
However, riding will still take place every Monday night where possible, but the shift will be to either the woods in Allestree or the occasional visit to Hemlock stone, or anywhere else people suggest. Bring your torches and keep an eye to the Mountainboard Derby Facebook Page for your most up-to-date information regarding riding plans. We hope to see you out there!"
Monday 17 September 2012
Mountainboard Derby: September Update
Copied from the Mountainboard Derby Blog:
Wednesday 12 September 2012
ATBA-UK Downhill Round 2 - Write Up
I spend the days leading up to Round Two flicking between various weather forecast predictions, searching for the most optimistic of the bunch. They all say 'rain'. Undaunted, I pack the car prepared for the worst with all my items nicely grouped together in various bags:
- camping bag
- normal clothes bag
- riding gear bag
- more clothes to replace the ones that will inevitably get wet, bag
So with all this and a back seat stacked with boards and an mp3 player chocked full of tunes, Phill and I head off at midday, Friday in the rough direction of Mid Wales.
Day 1
Travel goes well. We cross the M6 at speed, whilst the cars below sit stationary. We are almost there in terms of distance, though only half way by time. Fun twisty, windy Welsh roads, here we come!
The directions to the campsite, though basic, get us there. Far from the idyllic patch of land I'd imagined, this was an exposed field already packed with tents. It was also raining and full of very serious looking men on mountainbikes. Ahh, the three day biking event was well underway already. Well, we're here now and so I drive down the track and onto the field. And instantly get stuck. Phill pushes me on a bit and one of the campers gives me two bits of advice 1) Don't go down the hill, you won't get back up, and 2) Don't get stuck. Cheers!
No sign of any other boarders, though we do see a van with a Bugsboarding sticker on the side...
We put up the tent close to a large stone in the middle of the field, offload as much as we can and then attempt to leave the campsite in order to find the competition track. Carefully this time, I avoid all the other ruts and exit the field with only one close encounter with someone's tent. His fault really for parking so close the the muddy puddle.
Finding the track is easy, it's exactly the same as last year, and there is good parking at the bottom. Only one other car parked up and certainly no sign of anyone around so we pad-up and make our way slowly up the 1.3 mile course. 3 cars come down the track, the drivers grinning and waving. What they were doing on a friday afternoon up a welsh hill is anyones guess, or perhaps they were just laughing at us with all our clobber. It is 4pm.
After climbing the hill for what feels like forever, we reach the finish line. It is still raining. I should have parked higher up.
After longer still, we reach the top. Due to us only riding uplifts last year, it was interesting to look at sections of the track in detail. We meet Andy Moon and family half way up. They are all looking very happy (and were probably happier still 30 minutes later when back in their car and the heavens opened). The top section goes on up and up and up and we debate where last years starting point would have been. In my head, I remember relaxing at the top, with several of us sitting on chopped logs. Unfortunately, someone had moved the logs. Still, there wasn't much to be gained from going much higher and so after both of us marking our territory on a couple of trees, we strap in and roll down. Not much to say on this, except that it all looks very much unchanged. No nasty surprises which is nice, so with knackered legs already, we head back to the car, fling everything onto the back seat, and jump in. It is 5.40pm already!
Discussing our tactics for the night, we decide rather than going back to the campsite, where I will inevitably get stuck again, we'd park in one of the towns carparks and head to the pub for some grub and a pint. Only the one, mind, as we're finely tunes athletes and an early night will do us good. Turns out that the pub we're in overlooks the fountain that will get turned on as part of the opening ceremony of the 'World Alternative Games'.
The pub is busy full of locals, couple of media types and various members of the Llandovery Male Voice Choir. We find a seat by the window and order up a couple of pies, plus a couple of pints to wash it all down. Yum, yum. We discuss the track and tactics for the next days event. Go quickly is the key!
The opening ceremony of the 'World Alternative Games' had to be seen to be believed but I will paint a picture in your mind. Imagine an enthusiastic samba band, a mountainbike chariot and a 6 inch fountain turned on by the local ex-mayor. There you go! The rain has stopped (for now), so all is looking good. In the excitement we go back inside the pub and have another pint. I get the feeling that the locals think Phill and I are an item. Hey ho, another pint it is then.
A plan of action is required. We're too drunk to drive but the campsite is only a couple of hundred metres away. "We could go back to the campsite now, or we could get a few emergency beers from the Spa, and try the other pub?", suggests Phill. It is raining and I think this is a fine plan of action. Good job we're finely tuned athletes and all that.
At around 11pm we stumble back onto the campsite with as much baggage as we think we'll need. It is dark and the serious mountainbikers are all tucked up in their beds - not quite the party we thought it may be. With a belly full of beer, sleep comes relatively quick. I bet the weather will be much nicer in the morning.
Day 2
I look out the tent at approximately 7am. It is raining and my head hurts. I vaguely remember seeing portaloos on the other side of the field. Its far warmer than the last time we camped up at Whinlatter, but that is little comfort right now. Is this what it's like in the Olympic village? We dismantle as much as possible and wonder why we brought so much stuff when the car is so far away (about half a mile it turned out) and dump everything in the boot. My system for separate bags for things has gone right out of the window and my set of Allen keys has disappeared - I'm sure that I had them on yesterdays run?
Anyway, we pad up, the Campbells arrive and park up behind us, the timing system is ready at the bottom of the hill, the van is ready to take us to the top of the hill and approximately 25 riders are ready to do this! Only one problem, and that's that the starting ramp has been inadvertently broken by Beiren on his first roll in. The solution, rather elegantly, is a wooden roll-in from the rear of the van. This allows both a 3 foot drop to gain initial speed and give two other riders time to strap in behind with further riders queuing up through the side sliding doors - clever!
"Where's the starting point? It's where the van was parked up first time. Where was that? Oh..." For the second and subsequent runs of the day, the starting line is very well defined.
Incidentally, the finish line has been moved up the track slightly as the track was running slightly slower than usual due to the bad weather. This made making the last corner a quick one less of a priority as there was far less rolling to do after this point.
The communal get together of all these boarders in one location must have appeased the riding gods because as the day went on, the weather just got better and better to the extent that I was applying mosquito spray just after lunchtime - Jungle Formula, very effective! Lunch was a couple of bacon sandwiches and beans provided by Phill - cheers Phill, the fresh Welsh air had done wonders for our morning sickness.
The riding was very quick and is best described in video form. First up, my on-board footage, and secondly, the official ATBA-UK version. From this it is clear just how much speed was being held through the chicane and on through the lower sections.
2012 ATBA-UK Downhill Series: Round 2 - 'Dave' from Adrian McCordick on Vimeo.
So, Phill and I rode until tired. Everyone else kept going, with Mark Sewell and Beiran looking tight at the top by the time we left. We hear that the times keep being chipped away with Matt Brind the overall winner with a staggering 3:00 minute run. The results in full are on the ATBA-UK blog here.
Our drive home is steady and uneventful. Kit is chucked in the garage and the long, long sleep begins.
Fantastic riding as always with great support from the boarding community travelling far and wide to attend. Big thanks to the ATBA-UK for organising such events and for taking the time out to repeatedly drive us all up the hill time and time again. In addition, it wouldn't be much of a competition without the time keepers who take time out from riding to clock us all out at the top and clock us all in at the bottom. And finally, the medics, who are there just in case, to patch us up after any silliness. Lets all do this again soon!
- camping bag
- normal clothes bag
- riding gear bag
- more clothes to replace the ones that will inevitably get wet, bag
So with all this and a back seat stacked with boards and an mp3 player chocked full of tunes, Phill and I head off at midday, Friday in the rough direction of Mid Wales.
Day 1
Travel goes well. We cross the M6 at speed, whilst the cars below sit stationary. We are almost there in terms of distance, though only half way by time. Fun twisty, windy Welsh roads, here we come!
The directions to the campsite, though basic, get us there. Far from the idyllic patch of land I'd imagined, this was an exposed field already packed with tents. It was also raining and full of very serious looking men on mountainbikes. Ahh, the three day biking event was well underway already. Well, we're here now and so I drive down the track and onto the field. And instantly get stuck. Phill pushes me on a bit and one of the campers gives me two bits of advice 1) Don't go down the hill, you won't get back up, and 2) Don't get stuck. Cheers!
No sign of any other boarders, though we do see a van with a Bugsboarding sticker on the side...
We put up the tent close to a large stone in the middle of the field, offload as much as we can and then attempt to leave the campsite in order to find the competition track. Carefully this time, I avoid all the other ruts and exit the field with only one close encounter with someone's tent. His fault really for parking so close the the muddy puddle.
Finding the track is easy, it's exactly the same as last year, and there is good parking at the bottom. Only one other car parked up and certainly no sign of anyone around so we pad-up and make our way slowly up the 1.3 mile course. 3 cars come down the track, the drivers grinning and waving. What they were doing on a friday afternoon up a welsh hill is anyones guess, or perhaps they were just laughing at us with all our clobber. It is 4pm.
After climbing the hill for what feels like forever, we reach the finish line. It is still raining. I should have parked higher up.
After longer still, we reach the top. Due to us only riding uplifts last year, it was interesting to look at sections of the track in detail. We meet Andy Moon and family half way up. They are all looking very happy (and were probably happier still 30 minutes later when back in their car and the heavens opened). The top section goes on up and up and up and we debate where last years starting point would have been. In my head, I remember relaxing at the top, with several of us sitting on chopped logs. Unfortunately, someone had moved the logs. Still, there wasn't much to be gained from going much higher and so after both of us marking our territory on a couple of trees, we strap in and roll down. Not much to say on this, except that it all looks very much unchanged. No nasty surprises which is nice, so with knackered legs already, we head back to the car, fling everything onto the back seat, and jump in. It is 5.40pm already!
Discussing our tactics for the night, we decide rather than going back to the campsite, where I will inevitably get stuck again, we'd park in one of the towns carparks and head to the pub for some grub and a pint. Only the one, mind, as we're finely tunes athletes and an early night will do us good. Turns out that the pub we're in overlooks the fountain that will get turned on as part of the opening ceremony of the 'World Alternative Games'.
The pub is busy full of locals, couple of media types and various members of the Llandovery Male Voice Choir. We find a seat by the window and order up a couple of pies, plus a couple of pints to wash it all down. Yum, yum. We discuss the track and tactics for the next days event. Go quickly is the key!
The opening ceremony of the 'World Alternative Games' had to be seen to be believed but I will paint a picture in your mind. Imagine an enthusiastic samba band, a mountainbike chariot and a 6 inch fountain turned on by the local ex-mayor. There you go! The rain has stopped (for now), so all is looking good. In the excitement we go back inside the pub and have another pint. I get the feeling that the locals think Phill and I are an item. Hey ho, another pint it is then.
A plan of action is required. We're too drunk to drive but the campsite is only a couple of hundred metres away. "We could go back to the campsite now, or we could get a few emergency beers from the Spa, and try the other pub?", suggests Phill. It is raining and I think this is a fine plan of action. Good job we're finely tuned athletes and all that.
At around 11pm we stumble back onto the campsite with as much baggage as we think we'll need. It is dark and the serious mountainbikers are all tucked up in their beds - not quite the party we thought it may be. With a belly full of beer, sleep comes relatively quick. I bet the weather will be much nicer in the morning.
Day 2
I look out the tent at approximately 7am. It is raining and my head hurts. I vaguely remember seeing portaloos on the other side of the field. Its far warmer than the last time we camped up at Whinlatter, but that is little comfort right now. Is this what it's like in the Olympic village? We dismantle as much as possible and wonder why we brought so much stuff when the car is so far away (about half a mile it turned out) and dump everything in the boot. My system for separate bags for things has gone right out of the window and my set of Allen keys has disappeared - I'm sure that I had them on yesterdays run?
Anyway, we pad up, the Campbells arrive and park up behind us, the timing system is ready at the bottom of the hill, the van is ready to take us to the top of the hill and approximately 25 riders are ready to do this! Only one problem, and that's that the starting ramp has been inadvertently broken by Beiren on his first roll in. The solution, rather elegantly, is a wooden roll-in from the rear of the van. This allows both a 3 foot drop to gain initial speed and give two other riders time to strap in behind with further riders queuing up through the side sliding doors - clever!
"Where's the starting point? It's where the van was parked up first time. Where was that? Oh..." For the second and subsequent runs of the day, the starting line is very well defined.
Incidentally, the finish line has been moved up the track slightly as the track was running slightly slower than usual due to the bad weather. This made making the last corner a quick one less of a priority as there was far less rolling to do after this point.
The communal get together of all these boarders in one location must have appeased the riding gods because as the day went on, the weather just got better and better to the extent that I was applying mosquito spray just after lunchtime - Jungle Formula, very effective! Lunch was a couple of bacon sandwiches and beans provided by Phill - cheers Phill, the fresh Welsh air had done wonders for our morning sickness.
The riding was very quick and is best described in video form. First up, my on-board footage, and secondly, the official ATBA-UK version. From this it is clear just how much speed was being held through the chicane and on through the lower sections.
2012 ATBA-UK Downhill Series: Round 2 - 'Dave' from Adrian McCordick on Vimeo.
So, Phill and I rode until tired. Everyone else kept going, with Mark Sewell and Beiran looking tight at the top by the time we left. We hear that the times keep being chipped away with Matt Brind the overall winner with a staggering 3:00 minute run. The results in full are on the ATBA-UK blog here.
Our drive home is steady and uneventful. Kit is chucked in the garage and the long, long sleep begins.
=======================
Fantastic riding as always with great support from the boarding community travelling far and wide to attend. Big thanks to the ATBA-UK for organising such events and for taking the time out to repeatedly drive us all up the hill time and time again. In addition, it wouldn't be much of a competition without the time keepers who take time out from riding to clock us all out at the top and clock us all in at the bottom. And finally, the medics, who are there just in case, to patch us up after any silliness. Lets all do this again soon!
The top-5 mountainboard videos available on-line right now
Hot Action by One-5 media
HOT ACTION from one 5 media on Vimeo.
If you liked this, then also check out: Shralpdown
Inshredible Part 1by Tom Sharp
If you liked this then also check out: Part 2 of course!
Giving Birth to Rad Mag by Tom Kirkman
Giving Birth To RAD mag! from Tom Kirkman on Vimeo.
If you liked this then also check out: Any of the ATCproduction videos
The Bull, Board and Bikepimp by Harry Jessop
If you liked this then also check out: Mountainboard Cable Cam
HOT ACTION from one 5 media on Vimeo.
If you liked this, then also check out: Shralpdown
Inshredible Part 1by Tom Sharp
If you liked this then also check out: Part 2 of course!
Giving Birth to Rad Mag by Tom Kirkman
Giving Birth To RAD mag! from Tom Kirkman on Vimeo.
If you liked this then also check out: Any of the ATCproduction videos
The Bull, Board and Bikepimp by Harry Jessop
If you liked this then also check out: Mountainboard Cable Cam
Monday 10 September 2012
Self Timing Systems : The Verdict
I guess you're all wondering just how well the Timing System worked in practice at the recent ATBA-UK Downhill Round 2 event in Mid-Wales? No? Hey ho.
I've still got to do the event write-up at some point but I don't think the following will be too spoiler-ific.
Day 1 - Training Day. It is raining. I hadn't considered whether a kitchen stopwatch would or would not be waterproof. It is not waterproof and the display goes funny. I can read the display however if I rub the screen in the right way. The stopwatch on-off switch appears to work all right though. I manage to time myself down the run although the time is meaningless as we don't quite know where the start or finish line is going to be.
Day 2 - Racing. It is still raining but the stopwatch is still working. As the day gets drier, the track gets dustier and the display gets harder to read. However, the the stopwatch is still working.
Run #1 - I forget to start the stopwatch until halfway down the first straight.
Run #2 - Faster run. In my excitement, I forget to stop the clock as I cross the finishing line.
Run #3 - Success. However, I crash halfway down and finish with a slower time than the training run.
Run #4 - Can't read display. Decide to concentrate on the riding instead. End up with personal fastest time of the day.
Summary
The system worked, and probably would have worked better had a) it not rained and b) I'd remembered to use it. Attaching the clock to the upperside of the deck, whilst a very safe place to put it, is slightly wasted as in no part of the riding did I feel that I was in a position to look down and read the numbers - I could have just of easily dropped it in one of my pockets or somewhere similar. Plus, the actual numbers are almost meaningless anyway - the ATBA have almost got the timings down to a fine art form with overall run times produced very, very quickly.
Epilogue
Couple of days back home and the stopwatch unit dries out. It totally works! I still chopped it off the board though - too much trouble to be worth bothering with. GPS, that's the future.
Day 1 - Training Day. It is raining. I hadn't considered whether a kitchen stopwatch would or would not be waterproof. It is not waterproof and the display goes funny. I can read the display however if I rub the screen in the right way. The stopwatch on-off switch appears to work all right though. I manage to time myself down the run although the time is meaningless as we don't quite know where the start or finish line is going to be.
Day 2 - Racing. It is still raining but the stopwatch is still working. As the day gets drier, the track gets dustier and the display gets harder to read. However, the the stopwatch is still working.
Run #1 - I forget to start the stopwatch until halfway down the first straight.
Run #2 - Faster run. In my excitement, I forget to stop the clock as I cross the finishing line.
Run #3 - Success. However, I crash halfway down and finish with a slower time than the training run.
Run #4 - Can't read display. Decide to concentrate on the riding instead. End up with personal fastest time of the day.
Summary
The system worked, and probably would have worked better had a) it not rained and b) I'd remembered to use it. Attaching the clock to the upperside of the deck, whilst a very safe place to put it, is slightly wasted as in no part of the riding did I feel that I was in a position to look down and read the numbers - I could have just of easily dropped it in one of my pockets or somewhere similar. Plus, the actual numbers are almost meaningless anyway - the ATBA have almost got the timings down to a fine art form with overall run times produced very, very quickly.
Epilogue
Couple of days back home and the stopwatch unit dries out. It totally works! I still chopped it off the board though - too much trouble to be worth bothering with. GPS, that's the future.
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