Morvélo Test Team

See the other Test Team Riders 
« Back to blog

So you think it's easy?

Something I learned at the weekend: downhill is NOT an easy discipline! Nope, if it was easy I would have woken up on Monday morning feeling fresh and ready to face the world. Instead I've spent most of this week feeling like this:

Image

It's not been a good week...!

Monday morning especially, I could feel my whole body groaning as I woke up begging me to stay in bed and rest my rattled bones. The weekend had been far from easy...

The last round of the Alpine Bikes Winter Series at Inners was a Downhill race and, since my return from hard training in Spain, I couldn't wait for some riding fun on my Pivot! I was not disappointed as Steve Deas of Icycles put together a, too be expected, fricken awesome track!! It was completely mental but it was awesome!! The top section was REALLY steep, rough and loose with random drops; I found this section really hard to ride on the wee Pivot but it still managed to get me down, just! Then it was into a fast pedaly middle section down some muddy rooty bits and to the finish. I knew this track was going to test the Pivot to the max and also my ability to stay on the track holding on to the bike for dear life!

Unfortunately, things did not start well... I wouldn't recommend turning up to a practise/race/ride etc. WITH NO SHOES. We've all been there and had that feeling where all your insides sink in disappointment only to rise straight back up again boiling with frustration at your stupidity. However, it was time to suck it up and vow NEVER to make that mistake again. So, I waited for my Dad who later arrived for a coaching session with my shoes - thanks Dad! And, at 2pm, I was on the bike opting for pedalling up the hill checking out the track as I rode past. I made it to the top and was greeted by a red flag (this means course is closed as someone has had a really bad crash) so I just did the top steep section a couple of times. Red flag down and two runs later that was practise over.... To say I was feeling unprepared was quite an understatement. What was worse is that I knew fine well that this was not a course you could get away with 'winging it' - especially if you wanted to do well and as ever, I did.

The next day Bex and I arrived in the car park to this..

Mother Nature was on form and had sent us some snow which was coating the tops of the hills. 

However, I REMEMBERED my shoes this time so Sunday was already looking better. I managed a good first run before the snow started to melt... This melting changed the whole feel of the course - a particular change that, on the second run, saw me more on the floor than on the bike due to the mud party that was happening the whole way down the hill... I was not feeling ready for racing at all!

Heading up for race run no. 1 I was fretting because I hadn't had enough time swap my tyres to some that would grip. Surprisingly though once off on my run I managed to somehow get down the first section clean!! Maybe I could get away with winging it... This was a stupid thought. Crossing the line at the bottom with a broken visor I was not a happy chappy as I'd just spent more time on the ground than on my bike during that run. The thing is, it wasn't even fun! It was a disaster, which was sad because I love flying down hills ON my bike but, in that run, I was just flying off my bike. 

Race run no. 2, heading up the hill this time with mega grippy tyres thanks to Dad and a fixed visor thanks to Nick at the Alpine Bikes stand! Reaching the top I was ready to give this run all I had to see if I could at least make it onto the podium. About 20seconds into the run I full on head butted a tree. It hurt a lot. But, I had a job to do so I jumped on my bike which turned out not so successful as I slid down the hill flying off my bike and into the midst of tape. Quickly jumping up I grabbed my bike and ran to the fire road. Not exactly the way I was hoping this run to go... Fortunately though, something clicked and the rest of the run my tyres gripped and I started to ride properly and felt like myself again!! YAY. All it took was a jolly good smack over the head and things started to come together. By the bottom I was happy, that was actually fun!! My time took me into third behind Bex in second (getting revenge after our last race together, one all now!!) and Angela Coats in 1st!

Here is a link to a sweet picture by Ian Linton of me in the lovely KMP downhill jersey on roots and rain, check it out This was before my broken visor!!

Picture_11

Just want to say a massive thanks to Innerleithen MTB racing and Alpine bikes for putting on another great series and to all the marshals who braved the weather and stood in the FREEZING cold all weekend! I salute you! Thanks to everyone who looked after me and helped me be a bit more of a 'down hiller' and less of and XC'er! And to my Dad for all his help at the weekend! 

Now I look ahead to the first XC race of the season where I'll be visiting Robin Hood at Sherwood Forest on the 25th of March! Training time!!

Thanks for reading, remember your shoes!!

Win tin tin

ALSO, my facebook page has a NEW LOOK!!
Check it out here at: facebook.com/KatyWinton
If you like then give it a 'like' and be the first to know all the latest shenanigans! 
Thank you!! :)

Posted by Morvélo