well just three of us made it to this one, and the riding for me was the best I've ever been on!
Arkley got to mine Friday night and we got away early Saturday as every minute saved was more riding time at the other end. we set off with my dog in there as well just to complicate the itinerary and arrived at the Llangorse Lakeside Campsite at about noon and even beat Mark by 15 minutes or so. Tents up Mark introduced us to his long time riding buddy Brian and then round the corner with his 8 year old son on the back came Paul our team guide who has lived in the Ebbw Vale area all his life and ridden every trail known in the area in that time.
next along came a young women named Caroline who rides a WR250 - and does she!
well we set off at break neck pace and what with all the rain the rocks were VERY slippery and there was no grip to be found. after an hour James took a big knock at a rock face and retired back to base to prepare for Sunday. I rescued two sheep that had been lined up and were wedged behind some wired fencing.....any rumours of a gang-bang can quickly be quashed when I say i handled them myself and all was well..... :twisted: :twisted:
happy to sit at the back I noticed that Carolina didn't like being anywhere except second and would always try and be there, to watch her climb some of the trails was a site as she often had both lags trailing the bike or flailing and yet always got the job done. nothing beat her and she only fell a couple of times.
the terrain:
was swampy welsh peet on hillsides as well as rock infested steep trails. we did 'A bluff' and the riding was fearsomly steep with one roller after another and all done near the edge of the mountain. I was advised quickly by Mark to do my crazy second gear climb on the INSIDE edge of the mountain if I were to continue and I took the advice and changed to first at the same time. things then started coming at me a wee bit slower and I got to the top in the next go. I looked down once and saw that the last three in out group were all laying on the ground at various points up the climb - it was bloody hard!
we went up the rock strewn 'brown trousers' and then down another one up which a rider had recently died from a heart attack..... all you could do was lock the back brake and try and use a bit of the front but the rocks WERE loose ones so it was edgy stuff!
in between all this we had been over a mountains and across thick peet bogs. the ride was tough with exhastion overtaking many members. I do two nights per week down the gym and felt strong but I also steamed up my glasses so removed them. trust me to have the cheap ones....
suddenly we went up through some pine trees and I was last up, bolders 10" plus tall and the throttle kept open, if others were stopped you rode round them or over them but you kept going. suddenly i went round two riders blocking the trail and got jabbed in the face by the tree so I was dismounted right in front of the pair of them!
and to add insult to injury: on this occasion it turned out that they weren't stuck but waiting to see if the trail was good to go....
in between all the difficult stuff our leader Paul was amusing us all with his tales and I could have listened to him a lot more as he had so many tales to tell! our charismatic leader in between difficult bits was riding like a nutter! simple stuff that could have been a rest were taken at break neck speed!
as for the Husaberg well I fitted the .50nM fork springs and took all pre-load out of the nut. the springs are still compressed by 3mm - even on the minimum and I had to keep re-adjusting my thoughts which I never actually achieved. you know the feeling: fire + hand = pain! sharp jagged rock = jarring and you stop breathing.
I kept hitting stuff and thinking 'oops! this is gonna hurt!' and yet it never did! it was like I was riding on a cushion. I never, ever got used to it and it'll be sometime before I ever do. I still used all the suspension just. the high bar mounts I'd had made were good and stayed the distance but I need to get the correct mounting bolts.
so at the end of a breathtaking Saturday we swilled a few pints and Caroline started to look prettier with each drink although what she thought probably can't be recorded! :lol: :lol:
dog tired we retired for the evening but James and I went back to 'The Star' in Llangorse later for supper and a pint while James reflected on his fall and how he wanted the long day to go.
On the Sunday Brian, Mark, James and I headed off and firstly Paul was away and Caroline didn't show. we did 'The Gap with its stunning views as well as 'Brown Trousers' downhill and a few more with unrepeatable Welsh names.
apologies for being 'Taff' and not remembering them!
the day was long and James began to fade with its remorselessness. gradually each rock began to hurt and he had to give it every last piece of energy he had to make it to the end. well done mate! great effort.
It was another superb days riding and Brian and Mark know every route and trail keeping it all going! Both Mark and I had identical fuel figures and after 5 hours riding on the Saturday only needed 6 litres of fuel. a great return (Mark was on 'soft' and I was on the 'middle' power curve).
shame only three UHE members there but the quality of these two weekends to Wales this year has been awesome and hopefully we will agree to being back up near Llangollen (or see below) next May Bank Holiday 2012.
If any UHE member feels they can guide a group or organise one to be guided then please let us know and help sort something out and make it happen!
regards
Taffy
