The journey from small guy to teenager...

[weeksy]

Well it didn't go great, didn't end in disaster.

There was a 75min delay as some kid was air coptered off and a long long process for that due to his condition. I don't think this helped people much. 

In his seeding run he made a few mistakes and some poor lines, or missed lines. He also had a slight off track excursion, but only minor.

"Just braked too much everywhere really"

We then walked the track and honestly I could put up the 20+ pics I took but they're pointless as it shows nothing of the craziness of it. It's sooooo steep, rooty, rocky, off camber, it's just utterly insane how anyone gets down it, let alone all of them 

So many line choices with him showing me his line and me just laughing at the WHY anyone would choose it.

Massive rock drops, huge road gaps into a root fest landing and hips like houses! 

I think he finished 53rd, which he's deeply unhappy with and feels he has so much more to give, but getting it done is sooooo tough 

[millemille]

Well it didn't go great, didn't end in disaster.

There was a 75min delay as some kid was air coptered off and a long long process for that due to his condition. I don't think this helped people much. 

In his seeding run he made a few mistakes and some poor lines, or missed lines. He also had a slight off track excursion, but only minor.

"Just braked too much everywhere really"

We then walked the track and honestly I could put up the 20+ pics I took but they're pointless as it shows nothing of the craziness of it. It's sooooo steep, rooty, rocky, off camber, it's just utterly insane how anyone gets down it, let alone all of them 

So many line choices with him showing me his line and me just laughing at the WHY anyone would choose it.

Massive rock drops, huge road gaps into a root fest landing and hips like houses! 

I think he finished 53rd, which he's deeply unhappy with and feels he has so much more to give, but getting it done is sooooo tough 

The European tracks are just a world above the UK tracks.

There's a place near me that's got the steep, rutty, rocky, rooty stuff that's as gnar as anything I've ever seen around the world if you ever have the time for a road trip.

[Dodgy69]

Well it didn't go great, didn't end in disaster.

There was a 75min delay as some kid was air coptered off and a long long process for that due to his condition. I don't think this helped people much. 

In his seeding run he made a few mistakes and some poor lines, or missed lines. He also had a slight off track excursion, but only minor.

"Just braked too much everywhere really"

We then walked the track and honestly I could put up the 20+ pics I took but they're pointless as it shows nothing of the craziness of it. It's sooooo steep, rooty, rocky, off camber, it's just utterly insane how anyone gets down it, let alone all of them 

So many line choices with him showing me his line and me just laughing at the WHY anyone would choose it.

Massive rock drops, huge road gaps into a root fest landing and hips like houses! 

I think he finished 53rd, which he's deeply unhappy with and feels he has so much more to give, but getting it done is sooooo tough 

Don't matter..make him laugh and give him a beer.

[weeksy]

Yeah we completely get it. The Euro Champs this year is different in juniors as only certain people are allowed to race, it's based upon UCI points and if you've not got any, well, you can't race in juniors. So whereas last year you had some slightly lower riders, this year it's not. 

Out of his field only 15 or so are not 'National Team's riders, 4 of the non Nationals are World Cup racers 

But this is the level he aspires to, so the only way to get it is to come and get it, both in terms of riders and tracks. So that's the plan. 

We're up and ready to race, new pads in the rear and bike checked over, let's do it. Practice only 1 hour this morning due to racing starting early. Maybe 2 runs this morning. 

[Count Steer]

Hope it all comes together, the stars align, the gods smile down and the lucky rabbit's foot goes turbo

[Skub]

Competing against those on a higher level is the best way to raise your game. It's much easier to glibly type those words than to be there having your arse handed to you when you are trying your best. From what I've seen and read,I've no doubt your lad possesses the mental strength and the talent to take him where he wants to go.

[weeksy]

Last practice done before race. Race run roughly 2.08 European time. Boy seems happy and ready, just need to get him fed and watered and away we go.

Bike has been checked, rear caliper slightly realigned and is good to roll

[weeksy]

Sent him on his way, I can relax now.


Not really

[weeksy]

Crashed into a tree, don't know the full story yet. But he's all good and about the same time as yesterday, which won't make him a happy boy. Going to be a long evening

[weeksy]

He's happy enough. The weekend is complete, well apart from the new headset to be fitted, possibly some new tyres, a strip, clean and sort. But first it's beer and a relax in the pool.

[Nordboy]

But first it's beer and a relax in the pool.

That's him sorted, but what about you?

[Dodgy69]

It's all a great experience and that's always a good thing.

[MingtheMerciless]

Any split times before he got stopped by the arboreal saboteur?

[weeksy]

Unknown until they post them on roots and rain. But either way I think he was 4s off at split 1 which was respectable but I know his time was slower than he'd hoped in that split.

It's hard to be unhappy though as it's just a mental track and any split is great lol.

[weeksy]

Bit of a holiday blog type thing for today. We headed up to Pal Arinsal Andorra for some riding, for not other reason than, well, we both love riding bikes and it'd be rude not to when we're so close.

We both absolutely loved the place.



My trails were mostly blues, he was riding the World Cup track. Both were brilliant in their own way. The fact the blues had a bit more tech to them than Morzine really made them. 

Commencal HQ/shop was visited but somehow I managed not to buy a new bike, not sure how, if we'd have been staying another day I may have ended up with a yellow framed ohlins shod Clash. But we still have nearly 6 hours driving to go, which I'll freely admit I've had enough of at the moment lol. 



We saw Ventoux from a distance earlier

Plan is to head to Morzine tomorrow for 10-11 days of fun. But his much ill ride, I'm not yet sure. I'm a bit fried and peaked at the moment. 

[weeksy]

Weather in Morzine has been superb, 28 most days with I think 32 yesterday. That was somewhat on the warm side though I admit for riding. But with a cold beer at lunch for me, we survived.
The boy has been riding every day, some Plenty steeps, some Les Gets but not the WC track as it's mostly closed. Spending time hitting loads over the Swiss side too.
The bikes as always are taking a battering. Mine less so than his of course as I go slower and lower. Both are creaky and in need of TLC.
They get fully checked before each days riding, mostly on his it's rear wheel spoke tension that takes a battering, but I'm on top of that. The rest is generally just a bolt and pad check. He'll need some pads after today/tomorrow probably on both ends. We've got plenty with us so we'll be fine there

Another day begins, bike is ready and he's off out shortly. I'm at home and probably the pool with Mrs Weeksy, may even shoot out and watch the football later in the bar.

[Count Steer]

The way the weather forecast is looking it may well be similar ºC when you get home.

Not as hilly though.

[weeksy]

Late night lift opening on the Pleny tonight. So a quick afternoon change of SRAM Maven Galfer pads for him along with a set of pads thrown into the DB8 on my Trek Fuel. Quick bleed and piston setup, piston massage and he's off out. Time for me

I do hate that we have to pay £20 a set for the Galfer green, lol but damn they work.

That said, he's got a set of black in today now 

IMG_20250812_174909 by steveweeks59, on Flickr

[Noggin]

Late night lift opening on the Pleny tonight. So a quick afternoon change of SRAM Maven Galfer pads for him along with a set of pads thrown into the DB8 on my Trek Fuel. Quick bleed and piston setup, piston massage and he's off out. Time for me

I do hate that we have to pay £20 a set for the Galfer green, lol but damn they work.

That said, he's got a set of black in today now 

IMG_20250812_174909 by steveweeks59, on Flickr

What's the plan at the weekend? Currently not working (might change!) and a change of scene could be cool if it fits in to meet up

[weeksy]

Late night lift opening on the Pleny tonight. So a quick afternoon change of SRAM Maven Galfer pads for him along with a set of pads thrown into the DB8 on my Trek Fuel. Quick bleed and piston setup, piston massage and he's off out. Time for me

I do hate that we have to pay £20 a set for the Galfer green, lol but damn they work.

That said, he's got a set of black in today now 

IMG_20250812_174909 by steveweeks59, on Flickr

What's the plan at the weekend? Currently not working (might change!) and a change of scene could be cool if it fits in to meet up

I'm afraid we're leaving Thurs as we have a race to get to in north Wales on Fri. We're getting home 10pm Thurs and out the door Fri morning. I've then got to strip and rebuild his bike for Sat morning practice with new bearing etc