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Week 9 of "52 weeks"
I'm attempting to compete in the Mega Avalanche in 2010 - It's a journey of 52 weeks till I actually get there and it's gonna be tough! Read on to hear more about my week of repairs, riding and new gear!
Inside are the pics, video diary and loads of letters from the alphabet, which form words that will tell you about week 8 in my journey to Mega 2010This weeks Video
Sunday
So awoke a bit sore after yesterdays timed runs at Race guild - but I recieve some sweet pictures from alex smith photography on my email! Great job mate and I think we will being seeing loads more of this guys work in the future all over pinkbike!
![photo]()
It seemed overnight my entire family had gotten ill - including me! So after a lazy morning I jumped on the net for Cannock results from the previous days racing. So after a read, i was bit, like gutted at first, but happy too. The results page got me down for 17th place in seniors with a reported 1:03.5 - Bit gutted as I have to say my second run was actually clocked at 1:02.00 as we wrote it down at the finish line and filmed the clock for the blg, but it doesnt matter - it was all for fun - not points etc. So i got 17th on the day - which i am happy with and it is actually enough to know I was actualy 0:01.05 faster on the day.
Monday
Went hunting for a local spot in my area and found a beauty of a Dh/xc forest for training on. After 2 hours of ripping up some loose and dusty singletrack - I then stumbled across some DH runs littered with some hucking drops and ripping jumps. My rec-y quest for new training grounds was a great success and has proved to be a real gem of a find! After the walk/ride back to the car I decided I am going to get some mates to help me get some shovel work done here and then I can get the level of these trails higher for the time and effort i`ll be spending here for Mega training.
![photo]()
Tuesday
Daddy day care all today followed by a quick trip to Morley woods to play in the early setting sun on the hard tails. Got in around 90 minutes on some smooth jump trails and runs, great late session.
Wednesday
Started the day with a 25 mile training route with elijah on board for some added weight, weather was sweet and the ride was unpunishing and rapid - i like that feeling when you get home with energy still to spare!
As julia rrived home - elijah was swiftly passed over to his mom and I was off to Loughbrough to visit richie - from racers guild - to buy a replacement shock off him as my Manitou six way in knackered on the Devinchi.
After getting lost in this hole of a town for way too long, I finally arrived and we got on with the job at hand. Now getting the shock off was easy as slicing a melted Chocolate Gataux. But getting the new one in proved not as simple - Some of the bushing`s were being a wee bit stiff - so after some good old hammering - we had finished! After some further inspection of the rear of the bike we discovered a dodgy loose and broken pivot above the BB - which needs sorting out asap - but it will last for a thrash on richies local tracks tonight, we were off ton Beacon hill.
Some nice fast rocky adventures were had - see helmet camera footage section on video - We did a few runs and hit some high speed Rocky Gnar up on the hill just before the sunset and the cows took over and blocked our view.
![photo]()
I dont remember how we began talking about it - but it came up in conversation that we had a question for the biking community -
"what animal have you ever hit riding your bike?"
I cant think of anytime or thing I have ever hit on my bike apart from 1000`s of MIDGES, however richie began telling me a story about the time he hit a baby squirrel on his bike, and that he had to actually stop and get off his bike to finish off the kill - as it was screaming in pain! Harsh but im sorry to admit it made me laugh alot!
Thursday
Geax tyres arrived! awesome treat in the post from our new sponsors - Thanks to matt and damian at upgrade for hooking us up - Bikes have been blessed with new tread and I love them already n first impression!
![photo]()
Friday
Replacement Pivot arrived in under 24 hours from order to arrival in my hands - cheers Jim at Freeborn - rapid and very helpful service!
So it was a day for getting that rear end tightened up and working plush! Bike on the car and I was off to visit my friends at my local bike shop - Holts cycles derby - who are legendary at getting the job done asap and to a high quality of work! After a quick natter and handing over the spare parts I headed off to the local park with the family for some crazy time for my son on the adventure playground, to return 2 hours later to pick up my bike.
![photo]()
So bike is working plush - guys I have to say it appears you seemed to have greased up all of my pivots, but some sweet looking gold slime sticky stuff in my BB and just checked the rear triangle and tightened it all up - Quality lads and a bargain to boot for your labour.
I cant stress the next statement hard enough - Support your local shop - one day you will need them as much as they need you!
As the sun began to cool off I Headed to my local bmx track for a few hours of sprint training with ollie. As the hours passed we seemed to get swamped in with loads of kids and semi decent riders - so after some pump track races and sprint races - it was time to go home before the cider suppers arrived in the setting sun!
Saturday
Knock knock at 7.30 am - postman delivers the best blessing I have had in my project so far - a set of DH flat and wide bars for my devinchi - An awesome fellow off of the mecca of cyber biking - PINKBIKE - called FLATLINE sent me these as a donation to my project as he loves my blog and the aim of 52 weeks! Mate thank you so much!
So after a fiddle and tinker with me new bars, I was almost late for the Church leadership training session. All went well and on arrival home it was a quick food stop followed by a family trip to sherwood forest! Cracking weather and a fantastic day chilling and learning!
![photo]()
Sunday
So after some eggs and bacon it was down to business - first thing first - prioritys in order - Church at 9am and the nlunch followed a mission with Oli on his new secondhand Kona joyride rig to my new local spot for a DH SESSION!
I love this spot and after a few hours quality riding mainly focusing on working on loose turns, commiting to holding speed and pedaling on rough ground we had done enough riding to satisfy the likes of a freaky road rider. so it was off home for some bevy`s in the garden and to post my blog of week 9
as always, see you next week!
John aka Jumble
Thanks to all our sponsors
Inside are the pics, video diary and loads of letters from the alphabet, which form words that will tell you about week 8 in my journey to Mega 2010This weeks Video
Sunday
So awoke a bit sore after yesterdays timed runs at Race guild - but I recieve some sweet pictures from alex smith photography on my email! Great job mate and I think we will being seeing loads more of this guys work in the future all over pinkbike!
Hitting the berm at Cannock with Alex snapping the pic
It seemed overnight my entire family had gotten ill - including me! So after a lazy morning I jumped on the net for Cannock results from the previous days racing. So after a read, i was bit, like gutted at first, but happy too. The results page got me down for 17th place in seniors with a reported 1:03.5 - Bit gutted as I have to say my second run was actually clocked at 1:02.00 as we wrote it down at the finish line and filmed the clock for the blg, but it doesnt matter - it was all for fun - not points etc. So i got 17th on the day - which i am happy with and it is actually enough to know I was actualy 0:01.05 faster on the day.
Monday
Went hunting for a local spot in my area and found a beauty of a Dh/xc forest for training on. After 2 hours of ripping up some loose and dusty singletrack - I then stumbled across some DH runs littered with some hucking drops and ripping jumps. My rec-y quest for new training grounds was a great success and has proved to be a real gem of a find! After the walk/ride back to the car I decided I am going to get some mates to help me get some shovel work done here and then I can get the level of these trails higher for the time and effort i`ll be spending here for Mega training.
New training grounds discovered
Tuesday
Daddy day care all today followed by a quick trip to Morley woods to play in the early setting sun on the hard tails. Got in around 90 minutes on some smooth jump trails and runs, great late session.
Wednesday
Started the day with a 25 mile training route with elijah on board for some added weight, weather was sweet and the ride was unpunishing and rapid - i like that feeling when you get home with energy still to spare!
As julia rrived home - elijah was swiftly passed over to his mom and I was off to Loughbrough to visit richie - from racers guild - to buy a replacement shock off him as my Manitou six way in knackered on the Devinchi.
After getting lost in this hole of a town for way too long, I finally arrived and we got on with the job at hand. Now getting the shock off was easy as slicing a melted Chocolate Gataux. But getting the new one in proved not as simple - Some of the bushing`s were being a wee bit stiff - so after some good old hammering - we had finished! After some further inspection of the rear of the bike we discovered a dodgy loose and broken pivot above the BB - which needs sorting out asap - but it will last for a thrash on richies local tracks tonight, we were off ton Beacon hill.
Some nice fast rocky adventures were had - see helmet camera footage section on video - We did a few runs and hit some high speed Rocky Gnar up on the hill just before the sunset and the cows took over and blocked our view.
Views from on top
I dont remember how we began talking about it - but it came up in conversation that we had a question for the biking community -
"what animal have you ever hit riding your bike?"
I cant think of anytime or thing I have ever hit on my bike apart from 1000`s of MIDGES, however richie began telling me a story about the time he hit a baby squirrel on his bike, and that he had to actually stop and get off his bike to finish off the kill - as it was screaming in pain! Harsh but im sorry to admit it made me laugh alot!
Thursday
Geax tyres arrived! awesome treat in the post from our new sponsors - Thanks to matt and damian at upgrade for hooking us up - Bikes have been blessed with new tread and I love them already n first impression!
Specialized P1 gets treated to new Geax Booze tyres first
Friday
Replacement Pivot arrived in under 24 hours from order to arrival in my hands - cheers Jim at Freeborn - rapid and very helpful service!
So it was a day for getting that rear end tightened up and working plush! Bike on the car and I was off to visit my friends at my local bike shop - Holts cycles derby - who are legendary at getting the job done asap and to a high quality of work! After a quick natter and handing over the spare parts I headed off to the local park with the family for some crazy time for my son on the adventure playground, to return 2 hours later to pick up my bike.
Dveinchi after repairs and new parts
So bike is working plush - guys I have to say it appears you seemed to have greased up all of my pivots, but some sweet looking gold slime sticky stuff in my BB and just checked the rear triangle and tightened it all up - Quality lads and a bargain to boot for your labour.
I cant stress the next statement hard enough - Support your local shop - one day you will need them as much as they need you!
As the sun began to cool off I Headed to my local bmx track for a few hours of sprint training with ollie. As the hours passed we seemed to get swamped in with loads of kids and semi decent riders - so after some pump track races and sprint races - it was time to go home before the cider suppers arrived in the setting sun!
Saturday
Knock knock at 7.30 am - postman delivers the best blessing I have had in my project so far - a set of DH flat and wide bars for my devinchi - An awesome fellow off of the mecca of cyber biking - PINKBIKE - called FLATLINE sent me these as a donation to my project as he loves my blog and the aim of 52 weeks! Mate thank you so much!
So after a fiddle and tinker with me new bars, I was almost late for the Church leadership training session. All went well and on arrival home it was a quick food stop followed by a family trip to sherwood forest! Cracking weather and a fantastic day chilling and learning!
Family time with Elijah
Sunday
So after some eggs and bacon it was down to business - first thing first - prioritys in order - Church at 9am and the nlunch followed a mission with Oli on his new secondhand Kona joyride rig to my new local spot for a DH SESSION!
I love this spot and after a few hours quality riding mainly focusing on working on loose turns, commiting to holding speed and pedaling on rough ground we had done enough riding to satisfy the likes of a freaky road rider. so it was off home for some bevy`s in the garden and to post my blog of week 9
as always, see you next week!
John aka Jumble
Thanks to all our sponsors
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Author Info:
Lake District, United Kingdom
Must Read This Week
ive run over a dog on my bike.it was in the early hours of the morning after a night on the stella,i was giving my mate (konakilla123) a fronty and a dog came out of nowhere growling and barking at us so i just ran over it.
dont judge me,it was a pretty big dog!