The season starts here!
By TMX Archives on 17th Jan 14
Well, 2014 is upon us! Every year I am shocked at how fast the off-season goes and before you know it we will be down atLandrake for the first round of the Maxxis British Champs.
Since the last column my life has consisted of riding, training, eating and sleeping. And a couple of nights on the town!
Just before Christmas myself and Emma headed down to Exeter to the team's ‘works' do.
It was a casino-themed night so I had to wear a full Tux, which I wasn't too keen on – I'm a jeans and hoody kind of guy.
But when we arrived everyone from the team had the suits on so I soon forgot about how uncomfortable I felt.
That may have been helped by the ‘Proper Devon Cider' DT (Dave Thorpe) had forced me –
Anyway after a few more ciders, shots, tequilas and everything else Ryan and Will were ordering it started getting a bit loose.
At one point Swordy busted out the worm in the middle of the dance floor.
I think he had peaked at that point because it went downhill for him after that resulting a taxi full of sick...
Anyway, Christmas came and went and it was a steady one really apart from the five-hour Monopoly game.
Since then I have been pretty flat-out riding. I've driven so many miles in the last two weeks.
First off we went up to Tain to do some testing with Scott Gardner from Planet suspension – a nice 400-mile drive up north!
After seven hour' driving we arrived at the track and we weren't disappointed.
We dropped £10 each into the honesty box and headed straight out onto the track.
We just rode all day with no sessions –perfect!
On the Saturday we tested suspension and I am happy with where we are up to.
Ando (Brad Anderson) was also up there but he had to ride my bike because something happened to his.
I think it was to do with the oil, or lack of, but I will let you guys ask him about that.
I am feeling confident and at home on the Honda and looking forward to getting on the race bike.
Myself, Brad Anderson and Elliott Banks-Browne have all got trials bikes from the team as well just to have a play around, which is awesome.
Even though I have no balance, throttle or clutch control I love riding trials.
Ando wants me to go up Penrith way and do a trial with him. He has got to be worse than me on a trials bike, surely?
That boy's throttle control is on or off!
I'm off to Wheeldon off-road for a bit of Arenacross riding next week which is always good fun and changes things up a bit from the deep sand of the north.
I am really looking forward to being indoors away from the wind and rain and I am also going to put my bmx in the van and have a little shred on the skatepark they have down there.
Right that's all for now I'm off to prep my bike for this weekend...
