Flynny's blog

With all these new fangled purpose built trails popping up I can't help but thinking I like the old stuff better than the new stuff.

Sure bike park style trails are fun and there's a lot to say about modern sustainable building techniques but old skool trails can be sustainable, challenging and so much more rewarding.

Take the mount York trails. Purpose built for horse and cart in the early 1800s by convict labour and still some of the best mountain bike trails in the country.

Coxes rd, Built in 1813.

Paul from Ikou( http://www.ikou.com.au/ ) made it up on Sunday with the camera and asked me to post these up for him.

Here is a selection and the rest can be found here
http://s828.photobucket.com/user/thegocat/story/...

Didn't quite get my training right for this one but did OK.

I'd been doing 1 long ride (time wise) a week with a fair bit of climbing in it. but, being time strapped was relying on Tuesday night racing to keep my speed up and struggled to get time back that up. I really needed some more aerobic stuff and some intervals work thrown in.

In the weeks leading up I'd noticed my speed had dropped off on Tuesday nights and recognising my error managed to get a couple of spinnerval sessions on the trainer, a little late but better than nothing.

Every week I head out to Rydal, set up the track and tell myself "I'm not going to sprint off the start this week. I haven't got that fitness."

Every week I line up at the start (no warm up), give the speech, say "Every one ready, set, Go!"

Every week we take off the red mist descends and I bust my gut to get a good spot into the single track, send my heart rate through the roof and then blow up trying to keep my spot.

every week I die in the arse in the second or third lap, get heart rate back under control then come home strongish but suffering

It's a funny thing this racing caper. There's a whole bunch of stuff you have to get right for it to come together and the mind ply funny trick on you.

I went into last years 8hr at Rydal feeling reasonably fit. Lots of casual riding under my belt backed by a good lead in of regular Tuesday night races had me in good stead. Got a good start and went steadily down hill, cramping bad by the end of the day.

This berm was filling up with water during rain. The sandy soil drained quickly but it still needed a bit of help

First step was to make sure the inside right was the low point and dig cross drain

Next lay in some ag pipe

Then add a grate and cover with rocks

A good strong roll up for this one. Looks like as day light increases so does rider numbers.

Just before the start I realised I had gotten oil on my pads. The rear was doing nothing, the front was best described as a speed retardation device.

For once I got in a small warm up and after the last couple of weeks of sprinting off the start and blowing up halfway around the first lap I tried to settle down on the start and build into it.

Tuff little one tonight, and a bit longer than I had thought.

The new section "The Dump" worked well. Lincon and Steve have done a bang up job designing that bit adding that little bit of gnarliness to the over all trail.

I got excited each time we came into it. Woohoo down the high speed start, then I'd groan as the muddy bit ground things down. Then Woohoo as you drop into the next bit, Then Groan as you hit the hill.

Tonights course didn't give much chance to catch a breath but once it drys out it should be one sweet section.

Top race tonight.
The new section Richard cut in on the weekend was interesting and will definitely be a nice addition once it beds in.. Over all I think the track was the grippiest it's been. The rain over the weekend done it a world of good.

I got off to an OK start but it didn't take Beggsie long to round me up and push the pace. I tried my best to stay with him but he was riding like a demon. Brett was on my heals too and at the first fire road climb he blew past like I was standing still.

Well it was a little chilly out there but it didn't take long to warm up.

I followed Barnsie up into the single trail and he set a nice pace as we headed up the little climb for the first time. Brett was nipping at my heals and we openned a little gap on the rest of the field.

Then Barnsie jumps off his bike and start running. The angle log had caused him some drama in practice so he choose a safer cyclocross method. I bunny hop he log and almost land on top of him, get shoved wide into the long grass but somehow manage to get around him as he remounts, Brett comes with me.