Facelift

So all the tracks are getting this and that done, and being back home and having to ride a track straight from the 80's I thought I'd jump on the train and get Ramsey BMX track looking more like a BMX track than a cycle speedway circuit. For the purposes of a development plan (and sounding like I know what I'm doing) I've split the re-vamp into 5 stages.
So Stage 1 we did the week before the Brits, by sticking a roller in at the bottom of the start hill and changing the 1st double into a longer lower tripple, its worked pretty well and teched up the track a load, this small change is just the challenge the kids on the rock are needed, its brought on their riding loads in just a few weeks.
Stage 2, in the past couple of days I've had 180 tonnes of sub soil and hardcore dumped at the track. I headed over the track this morning with £100 cash in my pocket, the promise of a 5 tonne digger and driver and BIG plans. I talked the digger driver over my plans and he sorta went... "3 hours? Don't think so." Plans got adapted and sacrifices got made but we managed to get the main job done, a proper berm in the 1st corner. Now when you look at something in your head and think how it will look, is it normally smaller than it turns out? Well this is, seriously, chaos corner has nothing on the "wall of death", I can't wait to get it fine tuned, whack some surface on it and get it riding, its awesome. Max from Lezayre Landscapes who did phase one with me is coming on saturday with his mini digger and we're gonna get everything fine tuned as well as stick in a jump on the exit of the corner into the bomb hole.
Big shout out to Liam, who is gonna be getting his crowser game on next season as well as repping in 19+. Holla to Rich with his new haircut, friends soon to be in the Isle of Wan, and mega fast clock, like a week fast. Brrrrrap snap to Sutty, 2 chains in 2 weeks, and you say I've got too much power. OJ's also got a blog, check it. Keep an eye out for Ramsey BMX's new blogspot which will be coming soon, and check out manxcycling.com for all your IoM related news though its pretty bare. Infact, so many more blogs to check, whats Oggy.net been up2? Hoppy won a NBL race! What fly kit will I be buying for next season? And what THE lid will I be shelling out for after my near fatal accident last weekend? I'm sure I noticed something else I should be linking the other day, ah well if its you, im sorry, message me, I'm fickle, you can have a link if you ask nicely.

What doesn't kill you only makes you stronger

It’s been a week since getting home from Coppull and what a fun week, not. Everyone has pretty much drifted back off to uni so the rock is getting quiet. Mums been off work all week cos she’s been ill so I was chauffeuring her round on Wednesday n get a phone call from Charlotte, “I’ve got a puncture, what do I do?” Tbh it didn’t take much persuading to get me to take the half hour drive to save her, beats cleaning horses. So went and sorted that to the tune of “so do boys get special classes at school to learn this stuff?” gotta love saving the day ha. But the price I paid for ditching mum was I had to go for a horse ride with her on Thursday, it’s been about 8 years since I last rode, n I remembered why about half an hour into getting ready, it just takes so dam long, getting them in, feeding them, putting all the stuff on, it’s such a ball ache, but meant I got to spend some time with mum which was good.

Did some work at the track on Saturday to make it ready for the Manx Champs on Sunday, just tidying up corners and throwing some surface down but it made for good racing come the 1st moto. So I’d got Skillz to come down and give this whole BMX thing a go, he rides downhill mainly but also hits the track up on his hardtail, he’s mad fast and I lent him me crowser for the day. I won the 1st two moto’s, but just before the 3rd the gate failed so we did dead man starts off the top of the hill, Skillz and Stephen got better starts than me, I passed Ste round the 1st corner but couldn’t get 1st, 1.1.2. in moto’s, to Skilly’s 2.3.1. It was grand prix so I had the advantage going into moto 4, I won, but Skilly’s gonna get a cruiser, do some gates over the winter with me and I don’t think I’m gonna catch him next year. Hopefully he'll be hitting up some nationals with me next year, repping Team IoM. Pic's right and below from last weekend at Coppull courtesy of rhodopsin.co.uk

Do things come in 3's? 3rd year in a row I’m club champ, I love it. I got a THE plate and £15 for winning, and a pair of Fly gloves courtesy of Ramsey Outdoors for getting the holeshot in the main. Winners in the other classes where Matt Black in the 6 and under, Tom Murray in the 8 and under and Brandon Cain in the 10 and under age group. A big thanks to Mark at Groove Racing who donated some prizes for the holeshot winners, so you know where to go for all your BMX racing needs. Anne Crain a local MHK came down and watched the whole days racing, she presented to prizes and really seemed to get into the spirit of things.

And 3rd time in 3 days riding that I've come off. After racing I was riding the 1st straight, and managed to snap my chain, it was right at the bottom of the start hill and going over the roller so there was no staying on, I remember seeing the ground and inch away from my face as my helmet slid along the floor, I’ve got a black eye, a cut above my other eye, grazes all down one arm and wrist, the other wrist is mega sore and doesn’t really move, I’ve pulled the muscles around my left hip and cut my knee pretty bad, and what have I learned from it all? No more XC chains. This one has lasted about 3 months, you save a couple of grams but lose ultimate strength, and with a chain there is no warning, nothing you can do, once its decided to go, your off and going down big.

So I’m really sore and feeling sorry for myself, went to a pub quiz with the lads last night, we got 3rd, and free chips. I could hardly lift my pint though which sucks. Got more big track plans this week, things are pushing forward and I’m excited, had some dirt dumped today and got shouted at by the grounds keeper for the park, I’ll explain more next time. L8rs