Week Four

The week started with a failure. After claiming that I was definitely going to ride every day this week I failed on the first day. I can’t even say that there was a good reason. I had no urgent work to do. There was no domestic trouble. The moment just drifted away. I’m sure you’ve all been there. Part of the problem is trying to force bike rides to happen. It doesn’t work that way (nor should it).

On Tuesday I headed to the Singletrack Magazine office with a boot load of workstands for a studio photoshoot. Whilst the stands were being shot, I caught up with the latest news about the Classic Weekender happening later in the week. Everything was going okay bar the usual few last minute niggles and micro-panics.

Later that afternoon I managed to go for a ride with Matt (Singletrack Mag’s ad manager / photoshoot model / scribe). It was hard, sweaty, bloody, stinging, scratchy fun. It was nice to be riding for the sake of it (and riding my own bike too).

Wednesday was spent sorting out more stuff for my wedding day later this year. It’s shaping up to be rather ace. I reckon we’re 90% of the way there now. Hallelujah and phew!

Thursday ended up being the surprise hectic day of the week: I finally finished writing up the workstand group test, I uploaded some photos for the CTC Cycle magazine editor to pick and choose from, I took delivery of my fiancee’s Passport (complete with Visa for visiting India next month), I rode my bike around an ultra-sweaty and increasingly ace Delamere Forest (continuing to test out a pair of DT Swiss XMM100 forks), I topped the day off with one-too-many beers at my local pub with a friend and a friend of a friend. I found out that the friend-of-a-friend is a long-time freelancer (photographer). So we talked about the freelance life, the pros and cons. Not that I can really remember any of the specifics of what we drunkenly gabbled on about. I’m sure he had lots of useful advice and shared countless invaluable pearls of wisdom with me. Oh well. The beer was tasty anyway.

Setting up for the Weekender.

Friday, Saturday and Sunday I spent helping out at the Singletrack Classic Weekender event over at nearby Lee Quarry. It’s a fun and unique format of multi-discipline racing spread over two days. I wasn’t there in any official capacity really, just helping out a bit at an event that is quite close to me (in every sense of the word).

Friday was setup day – building marquees, lugging PA system bits, taping the course, signing people in etc etc. Saturday was the day when the Trials and Downhill races take place. I was a marshal on the Downhill course during practice and racing and did my best to encourage folk down the better lines. All whilst burning the hell out of my balding head. I couldn’t camp overnight as I had a prior alcohol-based engagement back in Manchester, which was a bit of a shame but at least I could get a decent night’s sleep before marshaling on the Sunday’s XC race.

Although it was another “lost” weekend of not-riding-bikes and not-doing-paid-work, it was still well worth doing from a karma point of view. The memory of watching Rowan Sorrel patiently riding behind an absolutely-knackered wobbly 13 year old junior (before finding the opportunity to pass safely and politely) will stay with me for a long time.