Old stuff.... and a new season

[Conn]

Hello MTBO fans.

Was watching Chunky's vid of Eston Hills years ago, thought I would add something of little or no interest. 

 

I feel like that wise old elf on lord of the rings, you know the one, pointy ears. The one that said to Gandalf. 'Ow, mate.  Yer doin' me ed in.  I know cos I woz there.'  Well i was there too, not 1000s of years ago fighting  the orcs of Mordor, on Eston hills 20+ years ago. 

I still have some of the shirts thatI I was riding in the early 90s.  Cleveland Mountain Bike Club, Pedal Force of Redcar, cannot find my pinky Bike Scene one tho'.  See below

I would love to say that things were better in the old days, but they were not.  Shitty suspension, no spds, bike thieves every time at Eston.  Anyone remember the time the thieves tried riding the stolen bikes away but were spotted.  Trying to get away from  some of the fastest bikers in the North of England was never a good idea.  They were caught and given a good kicking...ah...fond memories.  (We had to kick them with crappy bike shoes too, made out of newspaper and string maybe. Non of those fancy carbon fibre things with velcro that we have now, oh no!)

 

So forget the boring old past...  its 2013.  Whats happening this year?  I've been trying to train all winter but it really is hard work with the winters we have, isn't it?  I have been spending lots of time swimming, not sure if this will have any benefits to biking, surely nothing negative.  And i have discovered the missing link between us, land mammals and marine based mammals.  Not that i can swim like a dolphin, far from it but its still a great feeling to be able to move forward in water.  And unlike dolphins i have the power of speech, so unlike the poor creatures in Sea World I can tell people to stop trying to touch my blow hole.  (we all have this power, i am not unique)

The MTBO world champs are in Portugal this year, October.  So I am going to try and do as many summer events as possible as preperation for this. 

Taking of MTBO, the NYMBO and NEMBOS events are always worth a go.  I know its boring map reading but they are always good value events, enhanced OS maps to help with route choice, a long way from xcountry racing (half the price for starters), and not far to travel.

Thanks for reading... 

andy

[Nick Piper]

Another quality post Mr Conn - your blow hole comment just lightened up a particularly bleak day in the office :-)

On the jersey front there's some more race kit winging it's way towards you - fingers crossed prior to the Whinlatter Challenge - you riding it this year btw?

[Stretch]

Map reading is the new rock and roll. Good luck for the season Andy, hoping to get a few events in myself this year. Got a Cleveland Mountain bike club number plate hanging up in the garage from  a race up at Guissy woods (1990ish, started at field below high cliff). Nothing like being toe clipped into a brakeless boneshaker to get them bike skills up.

[Dan Pattinson]

Roll on 2013. Hope you have another successful year.

Think Ive still got my Pedal Force jersey somewhere too. Happy days.