Harkway XC

WINNER!!

The weekend started with me sleeping in and missing my departure time to get on the hell ride(sorry Bellie), I managed to get myself together and down to St Kilda just in time for the usual Spoke(n) beach road ride. Happy to roll with the group for a bit we rolled our way toward mordy.

After Black Rock i was getting bored. Solution? Attack! Lead out at 50 kph and try and hold the front as long as possible. Usual stuff.

On the way back from mordy it was more of the same. A good hitout and back to St Kilda by 9am for breakfast and to open the shop at 10.

After work it was home for food and a friends birthday party. Beers, Mates, Shit talking, dirty jokes, more beer and then it was 2am. Time for home and sleep.

Up at 6am. Look at my bike. Nothing is ready. Lucky i got up early.
On advice from the internet i changed my tyres to some new Maxxis Medusa mud tyres. The winning move i reckon....

It was pretty obvious the race was going to be wet and cold. The rain wasn't going away and it was a struggle to suit up.

C & D grades raced first, it was hard to tell whether their faces showed enjoyment or not.One thing was clear, the track was muddy. Real muddy.

I didn't do a sighting lap of the course, didn't even really warm up.

My secret weapon would be deployed today... Old Skool MX gloves! Super warm, super white, SUPER Fluro.. The camera just can't capture the brilliance...

We lined up and BANG! off we went. 7th place off the line. Chasing James Dickey, Joel Reed and Rohin Adams. Jack Lamshed, James Maebus and Matt Molan were further ahead.

The Mud was awesome. slick goopy muck, water, slops, minimal traction, drift-o. Ride it like its dry.....

Lap one i was on fire, riding when people were off walking, running when off the bike, loving the traction of a brand new set of tyres.

Kinda forgotten the order of things but this'll do... Through lap one i passed James D(on V-brakes and crossmarks. Wrong answer Dude!!), Matt, Rohin and then Joel. Up ahead was Maebus and Jack.

Lap 2 and I passed Maebus on a run and attacked Jack on a slippery pinch. The tyres won and i was in the lead! 3 laps to go, the track got harder to ride and most climbs became a run. By the last lap the single track climbs we off the bike, flat sections sucked at your wheel and the descents were out of control.

They never caught me.

1st Ben

2nd Joel

3rd Rohin

Awesome. Love the mud...