Summit Racing Round 1
Lotts Wood, Amersham: 23/05/07
By Paul Howard
Clive and Paul headed up to the first of the monthly Summit Racing Wednesday evening xc races near Amersham.
Chris Radband (who helps set out Gorrick race courses) and the Summit team have made a big effort in recovering the race course in Lotts Wood, Amersham, after a winter of logging action destroyed much of the original 2006 course. Now extended to 2.6 miles and using all the available hilly terrain the course is predominantly singletrack. It weaves up and downhill through fast corners, big bombholes, dropoffs, and up some short unmercifully steep climbs. A couple of wide long straights give some respite for a quick drink, but otherwise you're on the gas non-stop and standing a lot too due to the bumpy surface. The race distance is 40 minutes (or 30 mins in the Fun category) plus a lap so the fast riders completed 5 laps. The short lap gives a great opportunity to get the lines dialled and the new course soon bedded in.
I opted to ride my 'shonky' singlespeed hardtail, partially in preparation for the UK Singlespeed Champs at Bristol in June (though apparently that race also involves a lot of beer drinking which I'm rubbish at!). The singlespeed is great for a short race as you have to put in a lot of effort to maintain momentum so giving an intense muscular and anaerobic workout, and it's more fun than doing structured interval training! Clive opted for his Spark hoping to use the full suspension to make gains over the rougher sections.
Paul heading into the steep bombhole [ Photo: Peter Radband ]
10 into 2 doesn't go...lined up 10 abreast at the start, within 30 metres we hit a narrow rough doubletrack. I got severely baulked and elbowed back to about eighth but soon made up places as some very fast starters promptly fell off the pace. Mark Hutt (AWCycles) had got off to his customary flyer followed by Brendan Divall (Summit) and another local. A friend of mine Dean Taylor, also riding singlespeed, was leading the next group in front as I closed them down finally passing by into the start of lap two. Every now and again I'd catch a glimpse of 2nd and 3rd some 30 seconds ahead. Keeping the effort steady I was making up ground on the hills and on the fast singletrack descents, perhaps riding a little ragged at times as wheels slid out and gripped again immediately on the stones and peaty surface, great fun though.
The way the course winds around the wood makes for points where you pass close by riders going the opposite way. This was great for seeing your competitors and to yell encouragement at Clive now and again!
Clive accelerates into another bombhole [ Photo: Peter Radband ]
Onto the final lap and Pete Radband was shouting out the time gap "30 seconds", "15", "10". Giving it everything I caught 2nd and 3rd down a long fast singletrack, my favourite part of the course. With less than a mile to the finish there was only one place to overtake which would then allow me to break away. As Brendan and third place clicked down the gears on a gradual climb I stood up and powered hard into the rough grass offline passing both. That was enough to ride the final downhills fast and create a gap big enough just in case they caught up on the final steep climb to the finish. Each lap I considered running up here rather than grinding away at 40rpm, even with a 32:17 gear ratio, but persisted!! The calves and thighs felt like they going to go 'twang' up here but I crossed the line to take 2nd overall and 2nd Master, some way down on Mark in first, but happy to be able to finish strong and gain places at the end. Clive raced his new Spark to fourth in the Veterans, sweating profusely from the effort of a humid still night. Other than the very fast first lap he was pleased to maintain another four good consistent laps speeding up a little for the finish.
This event really deserves a bigger rider turnout. It's run in the same format as the ill-fated Beastway, but held on a superb natural feeling wooded course. There are four more rounds; 13th June, 18th July, 22nd August and 19th September. Why not make an effort to 'steal a midweek ride', why does racing during the week feel cheeky?!
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Pos Laps Time Time+ Name Lap 1 Lap 2 Lap 3 Lap 4 Lap 5 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MASTER 2 5 01:07:02 03:58 PAUL HOWARD 12:29 13:34 13:36 14:01 13:22 VETERAN 4 5 01:15:51 08:27 CLIVE ELY 13:34 15:21 15:22 15:54 15:40