Woodside whispers

Nick · Joined: 16 Apr 2008 Posts: 16

Cool, as you say will there be any available Rolling Eyes

If this fuel strike goes ahead, we may not be able to go at all, I'm working in Aberdeen during the week, some have to fuel up to travel home to fife then fuel up to travel to Pathhead and back via fife to Aberdeen, bloody nightmare with these fuel prices, for sure this will be everyone biggest outlay this year at these prices... I'm all for the strike, ex union member, they wouldn't be going on strike unless they felt they had too, I think we are starting to see a return to the days of old... cost of living is rocketing by the day..away enough ranting...

Bought a camelpak last night, just wondering how it will cope with larger Laughing

might be better with Ale Rolling Eyes

any advice Shocked

gasser100 · Joined: 06 Nov 2007 Posts: 52

Their is some energy drinks you can dilute can't remember name but do work well.Heard it is quite wet in places.Remember try and pace yourself its not 15min + lap.See you at scrutineering or if your stuck in a bog.Hope you get on ok nick.cheers ian

stucinabog · Joined: 21 Jul 2006 Posts: 60

Science in Sport or High5 are the drinks that I use. You can get science in sport in Tesco these days in the 'Sports' section.

I wouldn't recommend mixing either of them at what is suggested on the tub. 2/3rds of what they recommend is what I work with - otherwise it is far too sweet for my liking. I normally go through about 3 litres of water/drink during an enduro. Few energy bars, bananas, flapjacks wouldn't go amiss either when you get back to pits. Stick them in your toolbox and stuff your face when you get the chance!
_________________
If it aint broke keep trying.

Nick · Joined: 16 Apr 2008 Posts: 16

Nick · Joined: 16 Apr 2008 Posts: 16

Hey, made it back in one piece, managed my 2 laps, well under my first time but over the 2nd after falling in a bog twice!

apart from that it was great, very demanding, some great trails, superb to be able to ride in such fields and forrests, quite hard to imagine riding such distances, you never really know where you are, you just keep plugging away...

one section was like whoops, but it was a mile long! didn't think the end would ever come Laughing

2nd lap the track had changed considerably, the ruts were much deaper.

Only downside was the bogs, they were difficult and very hard on the bike,I thought it would sieze in one when I had it flat out sreaming its head of trying to get through!! Oh and cleaning the bike afterwards was a nightmare,think I took home most of Pathead.

Learned alot and will be more prepared for the next one, yip I'll be back... not sure which one Rolling Eyes

not sure If the YZ is the right bike, she performed perfectly all day, but I think I'd like to try and exc 2stroke and perhaps and 4 stroke.

Thanks for everyones help and advice

gasser100 · Joined: 06 Nov 2007 Posts: 52

Glad you enjoyed it nick.A lot of sportsman were over time.A lot of riders got stuck in the bogs some more experienced than others.You must do selkirk.A breeze compared with pathead.The lap by the way was 18 miles.cheers ian

Nick · Joined: 16 Apr 2008 Posts: 16

Cheers Ian...

learn't a lot in a short space of time, felt really comfortable in the woods and fields. The bogs were a different story, by far the hardest part Wink

Selkirk here I come Laughing

Dax · Joined: 11 Jun 2007 Posts: 29

It was a hard event with a lot of slippy, wet sections. Last year Pathhead was my first enduro, it was dry, and I got round in sportsman clean on time. This year I battled round in clubman B, which was cut to 3 laps, and struggled badly on lap 3. Havent seen the results yet but I was late on the last check. Bits of the special test were like riding on ice, the grass was so slippy.

More than anything, the weather dictates the difficulty. Selkirk 1 last year was a nightmare in the rain, Selkirk 2 was a doddle in the sun. Im looking forward to Shiplaw, if we get a dry week beforehand, it may not be too bad.

old git · Joined: 13 Dec 2005 Posts: 227 Location: Aberdeenshire

I thought Pathhead would be the ideal venue for moving up to clubman B from sportsman. When I signed on I thought the times were very generous and I looked forward to 4 laps thinking that I'd have plenty of time at re-fueling as in previous years. Very Happy

The reality was more than a little bit different. I struggled through the technical stuff at the start and seemed to hit every root and stump on the course. I looked forward to the open areas and for a while things were looking good. I was just about keeping up with a quicker clubman but being continually roosted I thought I'd take a different route off the boggy going and into a wooded section....BIG mistake..the ground opened up and swallowed the bike Shocked

. I struggled to get the bike out and after about 20 minutes of being up to my &rse in mud I eventually got it free. Feeling totally exhausted at this point I wished that I had made a much bigger effort to maintain a decent level of fitness Sad

I slipped and crashed my way around to the end of the lap. I had a quick drink and went through the check 17 minutes late. Lap 2 went much better. I had a couple of minor tumbles but really enjoyed the fast moorland sections. The frantic 2 stroke power made easy work of the long bogs and I got back in a minute or so early. I spent a few minutes refueling etc.. and heard that a lap had been cut (no complaints about that). Lap 3 was a complete disaster. I struggled through the woods and trying to avoid a boggy section I sunk into an even deeper one and toiled again to get the bike out. At some point I misread the arrows and ended up missing a big section of the course, including the special test. A complete disaster of a day and a DNF for my first effort at clubman B. Crying or Very sad

I signed on for day 2 very tired but with the prospect of fine weather and a drying course. A few changes to the course missed some of the dirtiest sections and a couple of the badly rutted woodland bits were cleverly bypassed. Great work by the marshalls! I did my first lap with time to spare, dropped a couple of minutes on the tighter 2nd lap, struggled round on third lap due to exhaustion. I went out for my fourth and last lap but after repeatedly falling at the railway cutting before the first road crossing I gave up...completely done in.

Had I stayed in Sportsman I would have been looking at 2 finishes but 2 DNF's were what I got. I've only got myself to blame....I'll never finish a hard event on my ability. Maintaining a good level of fitness is usually what gets me through and this time I just didn't have it.

Thanks to all at Melville MCC for another great event Wink

3 weeks to Shiplaw, 3 weeks of excercise bike, weights and brisk walks in the hills.

See you there Wink

gasser100 · Joined: 06 Nov 2007 Posts: 52

I think i spoke to you on saturday.(marshall yellow gasgas).I was exhausted just marshalling and ofcourse helpin at the bogs.Experts were coming off on the test as well.neil flockhart one on saturday.not bad for a motocrosser.

Nick · Joined: 16 Apr 2008 Posts: 16

The special was very demanding, I was struggling for grip on the rear, think I ran it too hard to avoid a puncture Rolling Eyes

which didn't help during this stage Wink

Was the part that was cutout in the woods where the rut and roots appeared not long after crossing the raod?, there was quite a few stuck there when I arrived, I got of the bike and pushed it along the right hand side near the wall and managed to avoid the ruts Smile

and riders Wink

Oh and the camelpak worked a treat, don't know how i would have got on without one Shocked

gasser100 · Joined: 06 Nov 2007 Posts: 52

yeah right at the road crossing at the wall..just before you needed lights.

gasser100 · Joined: 06 Nov 2007 Posts: 52

Her's a link to pix of pathead enduro www.mikebiagi.co.uk

Nick · Joined: 16 Apr 2008 Posts: 16

1 pic of my taken through a tree Crying or Very sad

old git · Joined: 13 Dec 2005 Posts: 227 Location: Aberdeenshire