700 photos from the event

I was looking forward to Lane End, even though it’s not been my luckiest of tracks. Tony, Steve, Pete had all entered as well. Club DB new comer, Peter, had managed to get a lift with atxjohn from the TBM forum, so we made quite a group. Peter was taking part in his first race. Hats off to Graham as well, who decided he was going to take part again, having just recovered from a broken back!

me, pretending to be ...... Obi-Wan Kenobi ! (the fat years)

pre race checks

As I was one of the first to try out the new on line booking system I was consigned to the front row again. Still, due to the championship being disbanded, I wouldn’t be starting with all the top guys this time, so we wouldn’t be pushing each other. Atxjohn however was on the front row with me and he’s more than just handy on a bike.

me, Peter (in green) and Tony behind him waiting for the start

The Morning Session....

Taking into account my general lack of any fitness training over the last few months, I knew there would be zero hope of me keeping up with John, so I decided the best bet would be to hang back at the start and let him go. Unfortunately someone forgot to tell my brain this and I got the holeshot away from the transponders! This must have caused minor panic in the control room with little men running around shouting orders until someone hit the emergency stop button. The result of which caused an eye/brain/hand co-ordination malfunction and I squirted the gas around a bend which pushed me too wide. This wouldn’t have been a problem had someone not placed a log in the way, so down I went with arms and legs flying in all directions. Picking the bike up I thought - “oh no not again – I hope this isn’t going to turn into one of those days”.

me with atxjohn close behind with his homemade 'dawn to dusk' headlight burning bright

followed by steve who was also on the front row (pete was too but he never made it into frame)

Tony started further back

A little rattled now, I set off in pursuit of the other guys and managed to get past some of them later in the lap. Unlike the course earlier in the year, this one was a lot tighter and more demanding on the arms due to all the tight changes in direction. After a short bit of woods we broke out into the open to power up the hill, a good wheelie action location if ever there was one. Turning back into the woods the track more of less covered every single bit of ground in the woods by weaving up and down the slope of the valley. All the usual ‘star attractions’ were utilised i.e. the ‘bomb hole’, the two tricky climbs and the run through the small tree plantations.

Pete

Tony

you can see the sort of debrie the bike kicks up when you are crossing the open fields!

atxjohn

Being September, CHEC had the use of the large open fields and two areas were used. This was real high speed stuff across some rough terrain. Glancing down at the speedo I could see 80 mph on the one back straight and could have easily got more out the bike but I was playing safe and rolling off the throttle. Several times I’d been caught out and struggled to make the turn on these open sections, the bends seem to suck you in all of a sudden as you get closer and you go from “I still have loads of room” to “holy shit – I’m not going to make this one” very quickly indeed. Judging by all the missing tape I think I wasn’t the only one to have these problems!

Steve

Tony

this guy's bike is looking slightly secondhand!

About three quarters round the lap you had to negotiate a trick slope by weaving along its face and I somehow managed to stall the bike and toppled over, rolling down the hill. Picking the bike up was a chore, as it was laying with its weight downwards.

I finished the lap at last but didn’t feel like I was riding very well at all. I managed to catch up and pass most of the front row including Pete and Steve but by the start of the third lap my left arm was really tired and the muscles were starting to burn and I got slower and slower as the burning sensation become burning hot coals in my shoulder and arm muscles. All of a sudden Pete (and maybe even Steve) overtook me again, mmm that wasn’t part of the plan at all, so I dug deep and tried hard to pick up the pace until I overtook once again and tried to pull away. Well I think I did anyway, but I can’t be too sure now, we’ll have to wait for the results to come out!

'Furby' off the TBM forum riding in Rob's place - just leaving the woods.
check out the modified bike in front of him!

Pete - with his bike still in one piece

me again

I managed to cock up the tricky slope somehow on one of the later laps. I sort of lost momentum and the bike tipped over onto its side with me hanging on. A marshal was on hand fairly quickly and we got the bike upright just as one of the Ford n Ellis riders came past, but I think he must have taken a crap line due to me being in the way, so he crunched into a tree at the top. I got the bike turned around with the help of the marshal and rode it back down the hill and tried again (successfully) while the marshal went to help the other rider.

By the end of the forth lap I really didn’t feel like doing another nine miles lap but I got back to the pits with enough time in hand, so I was more or less forced to do another one. Today there were no penalties for being late at the lunch break, so long as you could start another one in your two hour slot, you were ok. Unfortunately this really eats into your rest period, something that I didn’t need but the lure of the extra lap was too much. I got to the pits and refilled the bike. It took almost all the 10ltrs from the can and I think it wasn’t far from running out of juice due to the mega fast open going across the fields and the fact I was riding for almost two and a half hours and not the normal two only.

Lee from the TBM forum was going very well but a tactical error cost him a top five place!

Lunch...

Trudging back to the car I tucked into a peanut butter and honey roll, a can of relentless energy drink and a snack bar while filling the camelpack camera bag with water and changing helmets. I didn’t really feel like lugging the heavy camera setup about, but I knew I’d be disappointed later if I didn’t. I popped a painkiller and rubbed some ibuprofen gel into my arm and shoulder muscle. Back at the pits I asked Steve to connect the cam up to the wiring loom and everything was set just as the front row was called.

The Afternoon Session....

Somehow the ‘one minute warning’ went by in 20sec so I was still trying to get my gloves on when the rest of the group roared off! Not a good way of starting the afternoon at all, but one of the other riders had an even worse start as he crashed on about the third bend – even earlier than I had done in the morning! I caught the next rider fairly quickly but couldn’t get past as the track was so narrow. We came across and passed rider number 5, who looked like he’d overshot a bend and was rejoining the track. I sat behind the rider until we broke cover by the wheelie hill and I managed to get past. In the lead of our little group now I wanted to keep up a steady pace but as no.5 was behind me I couldn’t help but go a little quicker. Knowing that I’d tire myself out I pulled to one side to let no.5 through as we joined the sapling plantation. This didn’t really work for me, as now I found myself trying to keep up and still riding too fast. A short while later I heard another rider (no.17) coming along and after nearly hitting a tree trying to see where he was (so I could let him past), I pulled over to let him by. This allowed no.5 to get away and he must of latched onto the other rider as he disappeared.

powering up the hill, having just overtaken someone on the first lap in the afternoon
(in the lap vid)

Tony getting a move on....

A bit later in the lap he (no.5) either had an off or I started riding faster, but either way I caught back up to him again. Within a few minutes we were back out onto an open stubble field again. I tried to stay to one side to avoid the inevitable barrage of flit being thrown at me, and closed up right next to him as we entered the next field. I decided to go really tight to get the inside line into the next field. Unfortunately it was a little too tight and a slight ridge nudged the front end of the KTM skyward, forcing me to back off and allowing 5 to get to the crossover section first. We both pinned it onto the next run and I had to duck as his bike threw a massive chunk of flint in some sort of dick dastardly move out of the wacky races. BUT this field was rough, very rough and 5 was on a KTM as well, like me, but I had a steering damper so I just kept it pinned and flew past, getting to the woods entrance first. I stayed in front during the woods part then hit the boost button once more when we got to the next, even faster, open part. One short section of woods later and that was the lap over, no sign of the other chap either.

me

Tony

no - he never fell off !!

Peter

Starting the next lap I was feeling pretty good. The gel seemed to than done the job of keeping my arm pain in check and I almost felt like I was riding properly.There were few things bothering me though. I could hear this brake squeal every now and then but every time I looked over my shoulder no one was there. Not only that, but there was a funny whoosh of air going ‘phut phut’ every time I hit a large bump. Getting distracted I missed a corner and spent valuable time trying to turn the bike around to get back onto the track. I could see the track in front of me but I didn’t want to be one of those who cut the course, so I turned it around in the end, only to find that all that trouble was just for a ten foot left/right bend!

Pete had some issues
He hit something harder than a KTM front mudguard thats for sure!

By the third lap I was still feeling ok. The gel was still working and the only trouble I had was a small tumble at the two way section where that enthusiastic marshal was standing. I came down to the two way bit from inside the woods and just as I was going to cross over back into the woods on the other side, I lost the front end for some reason. Not sure exactly how it happened but I think it was a small eight inch long little round branch that must have rolled out the front wheel. A marshal was there straight away to help pick it up and I was on my way in no time at all. Unfortunately (fortunately?) I was caught on camera by Nicky!

is that a chocy bar on the floor?

Furby

me playing in the woods

Redbikejohn on the first lap of the afternoon session. Late starting as usual!
A great NINE miles course was laid out with varied terain - ultra fast open going at tight woodlands as well.

I think at either the start of the third or forth lap I noticed my wristwatch that I have attached to the bards was loose. Not wanting to stop, and also not wanting to have it come off miles away from nowhere, I grabbed it and just before we re-entered the woods at the bottom of the hill near the muddy patch, I chucked it in the general direction of a spectator, hoping he’d either pick it up and hand it in or I’d come back for it later after the race.

Peter

Lee

Eventual winner Jack Turner

From then on it was a fairly quiet race for me. Now and then a faster rider would catch up or I’d pass someone but for the most part I seemed to be all alone, and that was how it ended. I clocked out for the final time and parked up at the car, walking back to drop off the transponder and pick up my trolley (which my mates took the piss out of) with my spares box, toolbox and fuel on.

me wheeling up the last hill just before the transponders on the last lap

Pete - now minus his mudguard backpack!

The "trolly"

I had a brief chat to John (CHEC Chairman) about the day then walked back to the car to find out how everyone else had got on.

Oh dear – not too well by all accounts. Pete had hit a tree in the afternoon and ripped off his front mudguard and bent up his bars etc. He had already left by the time I got back to the car. Atxjohn had been sidelined very early on in the race when he had a small tumble and landed badly, sustaining a suspected broken finger that became painful enough to force him to pull out. Peter, Tony and Steve on the other hand all survived the day and had a great time.

The Bike Sustained Some Damage

Once back home I surveyed the damage to the bike. The ‘heavy breathing’ from the front was traced to one of the fork bleeders snapping off. The brake squealing sound was traced to the rear brake being bent! I only found that when I was lubing the chain and the rear wheel kept on sticking. There was a contact mark on the outer edge of the disc where a rock of some sort had hit it and bent the disc. Grabbing a shifting spanner I corrected the displacement enough for it to clear the pads but then noticed a hairline crack on one of the rotor arms, time for a new one.

The Watch Hunt.....Tuesday

The next day I suddenly realised I’d forgotten to pick up my watch. I posted on the CHEC forum to see if anyone had picked it up but GJ replied that no one had handed anything in. Tuesday morning I washed the bike then decided to take it for a short ride to warm the oil up for draining. I was just pulling back into the driveway when I suddenly remembered my watch again. Turning round I took an easy ride over to Lane End and pulled up at the farm house that overlooks the paddock that we use for the park ferme. I knocked several times without luck so I said hello to all the dogs in the front garden ignoring the ‘beware of the dog’ sign as they were quite happy to see me. I waited for a while then thought I might as well walk down the hill to where I tossed it to see if I could find it.

found it!!!

I walked about for over half an hour but didn’t have any luck. I even walked out the woods trying to re-enact the events of Sunday. still no luck so in the end I gave up and walked back up the hill. The temperature had shot up by now and I was sweating heavily by the time I got to the top again. I could hear someone calling “hello” several times so I hurried back to the farm house and explained my story to the lady. She was fine with it and said I should take the bike down here so I didn’t have to walk back up the hill! Even though I should have been heading back home and onto work I thought I might as well give in one more go. This time I road out the woods as if during the race and again tried to visualise here I tossed my watch. Another fruitless search was just coming to an end but I still had a hope of finding it (I’m lucky with these sort of things) so I thought right where is the least likely spot for it? And right at the edge of the woods I found it! turns out it was nowhere near where I though it was supposed to be, but I was pretty please with myself for finding it. I popped back up to the house to say goodbye and to tell her the good news then headed home to quickly drain the oil. Black as a coal miners butt it was after only two races, so I’ll have to think about doing some work on it, within the next few hundred hours or so!

the bike is parked where i thought i tossed it
and i'm standing where i found it

Thanks to the CHEC club for laying on another great day, we are all looking forward to the next one in October.

Results:

• Me: 3rd in O40 and 12th overall
• Tony: 4th in O40 and 13th overall
• Pete: 16th in O40 and 37th overall (had big'ish off)
• Furby: 40th overall (riding as Rob)
• Peter: 59th overall
• Steve: 90th - a couple of mech problems

So a better results for me than i thought i got. I'm a bit surprised to be honest - one in who well i did and two, just how close Tony came to beeting me! I'll have to keep an eye on him! Well done mate :)

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