Steve Biddle's Blog 2011
Intro: Colin Jones. Blog's: Steve Biddle
Intro
Steve has been, and probably will continue to be, one of our most prolific event riders over the last few years, riding Enduros, both Timecard and Hare and Hounds disciplines.
How to use Steve's blog: the latest additions will always be nearer the top of this page and there are always links to Steve's previous events in the right-hand column, (separated into years.)
Steve's current Sponsors
Great news as Local boy Steve has great support from local Forest firms'.
- B&H Transport - Fuel and van upkeep
- SSB Haulage and Contractors - Parts and some tyres
- CEEFAX Commercials - Use of workshop and some work on van
- CLEARWELL Contractors - General help
- M TEC Engineering - Helping with welding and fabricating of bash plates, knuckle fenders, etc.
- BELL Tyres - Help with tyres and mousses
- BREAM Auto Store - General help, sprays and oils.
- NW Alignments (alignments@btinternet.com) - Help with tyres and alignments
- FARR AND FARR Homes - General helping out
The Blog
17July2011: MDR Sprint (Results)
At the end of last season Gail and Phil said about doing a sprint the same as the one that Jonty Edmunds runs as a British Championship. So it was all set to go at Clearwell on the 17th July with some pretty good interest.
Some of us have done a few sprints before like me, Craig, Ade, Arran, Nathan, Roger and a few others. So we knew what to expect. Glen and the others did a great job, not only with the track, but in helping those who hadn't done one before try and understand the format.
We all did a sighting lap to see what was out there, then we did our 1st lap and followed by the other groups with 15 secs between each rider. Everybody was straight back to the clock once they had finished their lap to see what their time was. It was a great atmosphere and something different.
We had a break at dinnertime and did another 3 laps in the afternoon. By this time the track was dried right out and was getting faster. Most of the experts were up 30 to 40 secs up on their 1st lap time.
In the clubman 2 Roger Holland was leading more or less from start to finish, but the ride of the day in clubman must go to the only girl rider Rhian George taking 4th, fair play to her.
Clubman 4 was won by local lad Martin George who rode his heart out for the win.
In the Super Vets it was really close between Ade Evans and Dai Beer but Ade was the winner in the end.
In the Vets Andy Wolfe won with Ant Moore in second.
In Experts Gareth Hopkins took the win with me in 2nd Arran Wells took 3rd, Dan Bishop 4th Craig Thomas 5th, Kevin Wallace 6th, Simon Ellway 7th. Nathan came in 8th but Nathan had a puncture on lap 2, but if you look at his lap times for the rest of the day he was up close to the top 3 riders in Expert. This shows that in a sprint you can't afford any problems or offs because the times are so close. All good practice for special tests though.
Well done to everbody who helped with the event. Hope we have some more, full results on Mercian's website.
Next event Abbotside enduro at south glos.
10Apr2011: MDR Rnd1 Llangrove (Results)
As a lot of you already know I lost my mother to cancer 2 weeks ago at the age of 68 in Goucester Royal and I would like to take this chance to thank everybody who has supported me lately. Obviously this is why I haven't been racing for a while because of her illness, but last week it was round 1 of the Mercian Championship, which I always like to do, but there was one problem, my mum's funeral was the day after so at first I wasn't entering. After speaking to my family and friends about it they all said "she would like you to do it." Also speaking to Phil and Gail, they told me that this year it's 5 rounds out of 5, so I entered.
Being down at Llangrove it's nice and local, so me and Rucky and Martin got down early and walked the track with Ade and Craig. Martin hasn't rode for nearly 2 years now and Llangrove was his last race where he had a nasty off, flat out in the top field and ending up in hospital with a broken shoulder. He's been through a lot of hassle with it as well trying to get it sorted, so quite a nervous day for him as well. I just told him to go steady and enjoy it.
Meeting half way round with our new Clerk of Course, James, and he explained about some new parts that they had put in. I rode there about a month ago at the sprint which was my first one I've done, and it was well good, fair play, I might try and do some more of them.
Back at the pits I had a look at the entry list and we had a full house at 120 riders and some good riders up in Expert with me.
We were starting at 11 with the super vets mixed in with the experts. I had a really bad start, last off the line with a sticking kill button, I raced off thinking I'm never going catch that lot but after the first lap Rucky told me I was 6th. On the 2nd lap on the motocross track I caught up with Neil Thomas, who at the moment is riding really well, so I was doing okay.
Coming up to the hour mark I was still behind Neil swapping places now and again, then we caught up with Rob Breakwell in the gulley and coming out the other side me and Neil got passed, but I think Rob had a problem as I didn't see him at the end, hope he's ok.
I think now we were running 4th and 5th with Rhys, Milling and Gareth Hopkins up in front. I think with me and Neil racing close, like we were, helped us push on. On the last but one lap we caught Rhys Davies and Neil passed him but I just couldn't find any more energy to get passed. Where I haven't raced for a while and haven't been down the gym I'm a bit out of fitness, so I just tagged on the back of Rhys and came in safe at 5th place. Martin was back at the van before me and he was crashed out on the floor, but he was okay and he finished with an excelant result in clubman.
That was the closest racing I've had in ages, 15 secs separated me, Neil and Rhys at the end, and the thing is with Llangrove it does get quite whooped out on the motocross track and is a very tiring track after 3hrs, but good for your fitness.
Racing that day was one of the hardest things I've ever done, all round that track I kept thinking about my mum and the funeral the next day. There are some people out there that might say I shouldn't have rode but you've got to do what you think is best.
Well done to all at Mercian, great day again.
Next race CTR at Trelleck on 17th should be good. Results are on Mercian website and report on enduronews.com
Well it always comes round does the snowrun, and I said, like every other year, I will give it a miss this time, but it never happens.
All the boys said 'come on You've got to do it' we haven't done it before so you've got to show us around.
Spoke to my friends down yonder, Ade and Craig and they said 'well... we might as well then' Rucky said they've got rnd 1 of the Twinshock series, so that was it we were off. (We might be able to prise some of Rucky's pics off him later. ed.)
I got to say I think it was the biggest entry I've ever seen in Expert at the Snowrun, lots of talent and competition.
We got there early and sorted out our stuff and after looking at the check times they all said there not knocking much time off and I said wait till your first lap before you say anything. I was right as well, the second check was very tight I did take my time studying the test with Neil Thomas and Gary Jenkins and came in on the check on our minute, so we was very lucky and they were knocking off 2 minutes off us on the last 2 laps.
Weather was good in morning but rain was forecast for later. For us it was 4 laps at 25 mile with 2 tests per lap for 3 laps, Vets and Clubman 3 laps 2 tests for 2 laps. Vess and James were on 2 laps in sportsman. After the 2nd lap and the state off the track I could tell it was going to be tough to finish on time. Then on the start of our 2nd test 2nd lap Steve Plain stopped me and 4 other experts and held us back from going on our test because they were changing the track, we said to steve we are going to be really late now on our check and he explained to us that watever time we lost we were to carry the lost time all day and they would take it back off us, which now sounds alright but on the day you do get quite confused and also you think will they really give it back to us.
My tests weren't too bad but on our last lap we did catch slower riders which is a bit of a pain. I came in just on time on my 3rd lap and was feeling really tired by now because it was getting very hard going and I was sure that I would be late on my last lap. I've got a bigger tank on now so if I came into lap 4 and time was tight I could go straight through and not need any fuel but I had 2 mins so got some food in and a drink and set off for my lonely dark last lap. That's the only bad thing about the Snowrun that last lap when you're tired and there's no one else out there and it always rains and everybody is going home apart from Champs and Experts. Roll on going into the Vets.
I really pushed hard and I knew I couldn't afford any mistakes so I dug deep and had no problems and came in on time, tidy!
Really pleased with my result considering who was riding in Expert and staying on time a lot of riders did drop time. Results are above and enduro news. Good day, brill event as always well done to WTRA. Vess, James finished with 3rd and Vess 5th good results. Craig Jones dropped a bit of time but did really well to finish it was only his 2nd timecard. Gary had an off and had a DNF but well done. Ade Evans and Craig Thomas both finished with Ade taking 7th in Vet Expert and Craig had a excellent 10th in Clubman. I came 7th in Expert.
There are some vids and pics on WTRA site, have a look.
Next event is Boxing Day Trial then next Enduro is probably Wentwood or maybe 1 in between, got to rebuild the bike now a wet Snowrun really knackers your bike up, I trashed 2 sets off pads 1 disc, front sprocket, dented front pipe, drowned the bike twice so new piston and things, back tyre, charging coils burnt out and voltage regulator which then burnt out my speedo and lights, flattened my front mousse and dinged my rim, bust 2 spokes, broke my back mudguard and cracked the front one, broke my chain guide, oh and lost 2 straps off my boots and toe tector, 5 goggle lenses, 40 tear offs and a set of roll-offs, 30litres of fuel. 5 pairs of gloves, 2 shirts [cheap sport this enduro]. Oh well, all good fun
23Jan2011: CTR Pontypool (Results and Pics on EnduroNews.com)
Two weeks ago carl tiley ran a event at the great Tyr-Shon-Shenkyn track at Pontypool and instead of moving everything to another venue he chose to run the final round back there.
I contested 3 out of the 4 rounds with Carl in the winter championship and I was just 10 points behind the leader Gareth Hopkins, so I had to do the last round and had to get at least a top 4 result to take the win because Gareth didn't do the last round.
We got there nice and early to walk the track as Carl said he had reversed it and put in some changes, and the track was very wet. I then signed on and checked who else was riding in Expert and there was some good competiton, Charlie Evans, Freddie Broadway and some local quick lads. Ade Evans was riding but Craig Thomas was pitting for him and Rucky for me. Ade has won most of CTR's Super Vet races this year but was out of the winter champs because of waiting for delivery of his new KTM 300 6 day on the last round.
Craig has made the move up to Expert in the Mercian club and is riding well, we meet up with these two at most races, they're a good laugh and thats what its all about. We also meet up with Roger and Rich Holland from Monmouth, they were both riding for the top class in the novice. Also there was Alan Dorel, also from Monmouth, and riding in the Sportsman on a KTM 250. I know Alan from the Mercian rounds and I have recently prepared his bike for him, calming it down and setting his suspension and putting him on mousses, so this race was a trier for the bike and him.
Carl started us at 12 o'clock, a bit later than usual because the frost was still on the track and in places was deadly.
I had a bad start, 7th I think but soon got up to 3rd right behind Freddy where I stayed for a long time making sure I made no mistakes on the wet track.
Half way in the race Freddy pulled a few mins on me but when I came into fuel Rucky said 'You've passed him in the pits', back out on the track I could see I had about a minute up on him.
Towards the end we had a bit of a battle but I let Freddy go, all I needed was a third.
When I came round to the pits Rucky and Craig said 'let him go you've got the win anyway and you've lapped everybody else in Expert, so you can't lose, go steady,' so that's what I did.
I made the 2.5hrs and came in 3rd. Ade had won the Vet Experts, can't remember were Rog, Rich and Alan came, but all the results are on enduronews.com and CTR's site and a really good vid, so have a look.
At the end Carl gave a little presentation with some very nice trophies for the top 3 in classes for the winter championship. I had 1st in Experts. Roger Holland had 1st in sportsman and his dad had 2nd. So some good results brought home. Spoke to Alan at the end and he said his bike was awesome and really enjoyed the event. Fair play to Carl he's put some good events on lately and are really worth doing. He starts his summer rounds soon and I will try and do some more.
Next event is Snowrun and there's a few of us going down so should be good.