A result of last place in B grade usually comes with it’s share of excuses, & this time I had a few.
Starting with a rear flat tyre a couple of minutes before the off in B grade, I opted to use an instant patch instead of removing the whole tube which would have involved taking the rear wheel off the bike etc. Reflecting on my recent lack of training I rolled off the rear of B grade as we circulated clockwise around the Westgate Dirt Crit course in the usual traffic of the first lap.
Starting with a rear flat tyre a couple of minutes before the off in B grade, I opted to use an instant patch instead of removing the whole tube which would have involved taking the rear wheel off the bike etc. Reflecting on my recent lack of training I rolled off the rear of B grade as we circulated clockwise around the Westgate Dirt Crit course in the usual traffic of the first lap.
Recent dry weather left a few of the corners in soft drifts of loose sand/dirt, leaving the front tyre to plough through & sometimes wide when traveling with less than full gusto.
As we filed through for the 2nd lap I was feeling that tiredness in the legs. On the 3rd lap, as the field spaced out I used the clear track ahead of me to up the rhythm & run the corners faster, keeping off the brakes. In the worst of the loose sandy corners out the back of the course a sharp banked left that turned back on itself followed by a equally tight right was my undoing as the front pushed out so I crank some more speed into it only to have the front fold on me & I speared off into the dirt. It was an awkward head first dump that left me breathless & disoriented, which allowed the few reaming B grade riders through. Covered in dirt from the tumble I carried on to tick off the remaining 2 laps (4 laps of a 3.5kms course for B grade).
The last lap I came across a little green snake crossing the a tight bit of singletrack which left me taking to the grassy verge to miss it, leaving me bogged down in thigh high grass searching for a way out in a totally too higher a gear. Back onto the track I noticed my front tyre was slowly going down so I got on with it & rode it to the finish. Problem is, these 2.0 MTB tyres get all floppy when they go flat & I had an interesting time navigating some pretty flat & open two-track to the finish on my front rim with a flopping dead tyre.
And that was that.
The ride home was interesting though, hooking up on the tail of about 20 other MTBers heading back into the city from the event it was fun to get the tow & ride in the group of fat tyre flyers.
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