Taming the Beast

Eastridge, or Beastridge as i have now nicknamed was Sundays ride location. The intention of the day was to go ride the 5mile red route called the 'revelation' trail on the cx bike Liv Brava.

After a bit of a busy week and coming off the back of a really bad road ride the day before where i managed to snap my chain and somehow move my front mech to the point that it would not budge at all remaining stuck below my top chain ring. The result of this meant that even though I had managed to fix the chain i still had to limp home in small chain ring for approx 15miles. Oh dear...but my cadence was a max 159!!!! that figures.

So not feeling at my best i had suspected that today was simply about getting it done and discovering what the terrain felt like on the CX bike. The trail started well with a straight forward fireroad climb, this was doable all day long on the cx steed. The trail drops into the right as soon as you reach the top of the climb and you are greeted with what i can only describe as flat rock gardens, or at least that's what it felt like on the cx steed. Ploughing on knowing that speed is your friend and as long as i chose my lines wisely i should be ok. Arms and legs were however hanging after only riding a small section of less than 50 metres. The Revelation trail was so far proving to be an all over body workout and i knew that i was in for a tough day at the office. After bimbling through the flat rock sections at the top teeth still in tact, the trail then became Forest. Along with it came the roots and rawness of Eastridge.

So pedaling along nicely with my speed is your friend mantra, i soon came unstuck on a one of the dropped corners that featured a steep shoot and techie descent out.

STOP DROP ROLL I rolled to the top and I stopped!!!! i then rolled to the top several times more and only finally got the courage as Mark was stood half way down waiting for me. I had made this 'feature' into a massive thing in my mind and given what i had already ridden on the cx i knew how the roots and rocks felt on the cross bike. Finally managing to roll the top section of this, i was then spurred on to give the whole thing a go.

It would have been fine except I got the line slightly wrong by trying to veer a little right ready for a smoother exit, I started heading over the bars towards the tree - Eastridge 1 - Cyclocross Brava Michelle 0 meh!

Picking myself up and dusting myself off I knew that i had to complete the trail back to the van even if i had to resort to a cyclocross carry over more techie or steep unrideable on the cx sections. What followed was more of the above, roots, rocks and steep turns too.

Now most of these features were amplified as i was riding a fully rigid drop bar cx bike and although a very capable off road machine, i was finding that Eastridges features were proving to be non cx bike friendly. There were many sections that i managed to ride and found myself looking back once at the bottom and actually considering how the chuff i had got down. The bike was becoming rattly too, rear cones were becoming loose and the feeling of the bike did not give me confidence.

Despite the techie and roughness some of the technical climbs however were amazing and the cx bike became well placed on those alone, So i spent most of the trail praying for uphill.

Finally managed to get back to the van alive and in one piece, I decided that I needed to either find a cx friendly route through the forest for the challenge or consider swapping bikes to ride Eastridge. So with that i took on another lap on my trusty Liv Obsess MTB hardtail.

Lap 2 a different story all together, Roots? What Roots?, Rocks? What Rocks?, The obsess ironed out all the bumps that i had been shaken over on the cx bike and gave me the feeling of actually being able to Ride the trail rather than just survive it. Loving the feel that the hardtail MTB gives back and i was back smiling.

The Dropped corner steep shoot was ridden first time and it did not even feel like a small dropped kerb. I really enjoyed the trail on the MTB, This told me that I HAD to take along my Obsess for the challenge in order to tame Beastridge in one piece and not end up with a broken Michelle or worse broken Brava CX bike!!

In the end I found my happy MTB smile as was grateful for being able to finish the weekends riding on a high.

If you are interested in checking out my Liv Obsess you can do so by hitting link. I have upgradedthe wheels to Halo and Bars are Carbon Giant. I have also upgraded to a one by set up running full SLX Shimano.

Next weekend I am preparing to get some mileage under my belt or in my legs whichever way you look at it, a plan to ride 100 miles and practice fueling along the way too. If anybody has any tips or comments please share as i would love to hear them.

For now....

M...out riding somewhere