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Re: The journey from small guy to teenager...
Posted: Sat Aug 02, 2025 7:37 pm
by 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
Re: The journey from small guy to teenager...
Posted: Sat Aug 02, 2025 8:40 pm
by millemille
weeksy wrote: Sat Aug 02, 2025 7:37 pm
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.
Re: The journey from small guy to teenager...
Posted: Sat Aug 02, 2025 9:53 pm
by Dodgy69
weeksy wrote: Sat Aug 02, 2025 7:37 pm
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.

Re: The journey from small guy to teenager...
Posted: Sun Aug 03, 2025 7:25 am
by 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.
Re: The journey from small guy to teenager...
Posted: Sun Aug 03, 2025 7:51 am
by Count Steer
Hope it all comes together, the stars align, the gods smile down and the lucky rabbit's foot goes turbo

Re: The journey from small guy to teenager...
Posted: Sun Aug 03, 2025 9:27 am
by 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.
Re: The journey from small guy to teenager...
Posted: Sun Aug 03, 2025 9:36 am
by 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
Re: The journey from small guy to teenager...
Posted: Sun Aug 03, 2025 12:27 pm
by weeksy
Sent him on his way, I can relax now.
Not really
Re: The journey from small guy to teenager...
Posted: Sun Aug 03, 2025 1:30 pm
by 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
Re: The journey from small guy to teenager...
Posted: Sun Aug 03, 2025 3:28 pm
by 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.
Re: The journey from small guy to teenager...
Posted: Sun Aug 03, 2025 3:46 pm
by Nordboy
weeksy wrote: Sun Aug 03, 2025 3:28 pm
But first it's beer and a relax in the pool.
That's him sorted, but what about you?

Re: The journey from small guy to teenager...
Posted: Sun Aug 03, 2025 4:09 pm
by Dodgy69
It's all a great experience and that's always a good thing.

Re: The journey from small guy to teenager...
Posted: Sun Aug 03, 2025 4:57 pm
by MingtheMerciless
Any split times before he got stopped by the arboreal saboteur?
Re: The journey from small guy to teenager...
Posted: Sun Aug 03, 2025 4:59 pm
by 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.
Re: The journey from small guy to teenager...
Posted: Mon Aug 04, 2025 9:48 pm
by 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.
Re: The journey from small guy to teenager...
Posted: Sun Aug 10, 2025 7:52 am
by 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.
Re: The journey from small guy to teenager...
Posted: Sun Aug 10, 2025 9:26 am
by Count Steer
The way the weather forecast is looking it may well be similar ºC when you get home.
Not as hilly though.

Re: The journey from small guy to teenager...
Posted: Tue Aug 12, 2025 4:55 pm
by 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
Re: The journey from small guy to teenager...
Posted: Tue Aug 12, 2025 7:17 pm
by Noggin
weeksy wrote: Tue Aug 12, 2025 4:55 pm
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

Re: The journey from small guy to teenager...
Posted: Tue Aug 12, 2025 9:02 pm
by weeksy
Noggin wrote: Tue Aug 12, 2025 7:17 pm
weeksy wrote: Tue Aug 12, 2025 4:55 pm
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