Nbd: the "don't you already own this one" ?

Nearly a colour match for the Trek too 😉

I thought it was purple?

I thought it was purple?

That's the other one.

If that’s you garage I’m envious!

If that’s you garage I’m envious!

No mate, I wish. It's a very nice garage.

🤔😝🤪

🤔😝🤪

Tell me about it, I've got 7 days to learn to ride!

WEll the rear has been re-sprung to my weight now, sag seems good, but i can't really fully test other settings due to the very soft spring in the front. TFT are getting that out today, so should be with me tomorrow.

Race entry is in for Sunday.... Assuming i survive Saturday that is...

Ridiculously i've have to order a pair of riding trousers, as my boy tells me "You can't race DH in shorts, that's riidculous, get a pair of trousers ordered" Hahahahahaa.

[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52417862330_37088b9be0_b.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52417862330_37088b9be0_b.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/2nRZfg5 ]2022-10-10_12-06-52[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/152318156@N08/ ]Steve Weeks[/url], on Flickr

You can’t race DH in shorts, that’s riidculous, get a pair of trousers ordered

Don't give into the yoof mate, stick with the shorts. Good luck with the race, I'd love to have a proper go on a DH bike.

If i'm having a mid-life crisis, i may as wel go all in 😀

Nice and good luck in the race. Yeah, wear what you want. You won't feel comfy if you are usually in shorts.

skinsuit with bullet helmet....

If i’m having a mid-life crisis, i may as wel go all in 😀

...whilst elsewhere at Weeksy Towers, Mrs Weeksy is checking the life insurance policies 😉

(Running joke in the fazzini household whenever I have a hair-brained scheme 😂)

it might be giving into fashion but I bloody love riding in trousers fully recommend, I wear them whenever its cool enough now not just for uplift days.

Son, your bikes is writing cheques your body can't handle...

Son, your bikes is writing cheques your body can’t handle…

Of that there's no doubt buddy, but the MIJ races are FoD are more DH Lite than full on crazy gaps and bonkers... There may be the odd little gap, but it'll be closer to 6' distance than 15' distance and with luck me and the massive skills compensator will bundle our way over or around it hahahaha.

In another bit of weirdness, the bike has had an annoying creak for weeks now... Today when i whipped the spring off to fit a new one i noticed the DU bush was also a bit crap and a tiny tiny bit of play... Between the DU bush and/or the spring fitting, the bike is absolutely silent again... Joy and happiness.

It's really good to see that the bike buying is working out in your favour!
+1 for the trousers. I've found that they're a godsend for narrow trails through brush and brambles so wear them more often than shorts these days.

It’s really good to see that the bike buying is working out in your favour!

I'm happy... this way i can keep the Trek EX9.8 should i wish and have the big bouncer for the bigger days, it's what's called a WIN WIN i think...
Being a M i think it could be argued that the sky blue bike doesn't fit me quite as well as his Purple one would, even though that's also a M, but it's a bigger and longer M. However, as some may have seen in the past, i don't mind a bike being a bit on the small side, i arguably even prefer them a little smaller than many others would do... So i've been setting up the contact points on it and getting it ready for this coming weekend.

I'm currently not sure what wheels and tyres i'll be runnning on it as the boy has the front Hope Pro4 fitted in his bike with the Assegai, it was dryish and fastish yesterday so we went with that. I've got the Michelin DH22 fitted on the Blue bike at the moment, but i don't think i can do that one justice, so my options for the weekend are

DH22
DHR
DHF
Magic Mary
Shorty
Big Betty

The weather for the remainder of the week will decide a few bits, but lets be honest here, when battling as far from the pace as i'm going to be, it barely even matters what i fit 😀

Just to keep up to date, as your accountant... does this mean the Whyte has been cancelled? *Opens spreadsheet*

Just to keep up to date, as your accountant… does this mean the Whyte has been cancelled? *Opens spreadsheet*

That's correct... to cut a long afternoon story short... i went to collect it, the bloke decided to pick 1000 faults, issues, marks etc on my bike, but didn't accept the fact his bike had any marks at all and wanted more money to swap, so i left him standing there open-mouthed as i took his G180 off my car, walked it back into his warehouse, picked up my Trek and said "don't bother mate send me a refund for my payment, i'll take the Trek home"

He then started mumbling that he didn't want more money he was just commenting on various things... i just laughed and drove away. I'm more than happy for a bit of negotiation, more than happy for someone to make some money as a business.. but taking the p**s out of me, well i'm not having that.

whilst elsewhere at Weeksy Towers, Mrs Weeksy is checking the life insurance policies

When I picked up a mate 17 years ago to drive to the airport to go kayaking in Turkey his wife refused to let him out of the front door until I had witnessed his will.

Which was fair enough.

LOL lets not have me marked down as dead just yet hey fellas....

So long as you have fun it doesn't really matter!

Indeed! Die doing what you enjoy most 😆

Tyres wise I imagine fox isn’t too muddy at the moment. Probably magic Mary front and then either dhr2 or big Betty out of the tyres you’ve got for me 👌

Yeah assuming it's not raining too much he'll be stealing the Assegai

I think it's already got the DHR on the back so just a question of pulling the DH22 off the front and throwing the MM on then.

If the DH race you've signed up for is the MIJ one at FOD then I guarantee a DH bike will be overkill xD

If the DH race you’ve signed up for is the MIJ one at FOD then I guarantee a DH bike will be overkill xD

You've not seen me ride.

Admittedly I've ridden both their usual courses on non DH but whether I need the DH bike isn't really relevant.

It's me going FF, goggles, DH kit and looking like I belong, despite the fact I don't.

It's a day or two out as Mrs weeksy is away.

Don't be fooled by the pic.... this is NOT my lads bike...

This is MY bike 😀 😀

[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52420762143_60a2766c61_b.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52420762143_60a2766c61_b.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/2nSf7gR ]2022-10-11_02-18-45[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/152318156@N08/ ]Steve Weeks[/url], on Flickr

Well, until he needs it again (if ever) and then it'll be re-sprung back to him

Need to get the weedkiller out, and that valve ain't lined up on the rear. Sheesh. Standards 😉

(Love it - you'll have a wail of time)

NOt my path 🙂 next-doors 🙂

Mixed tyre brands? You monster. haha

Looks ace, you'll have a blast! oh, and definitely trousers, I'm a convert, they just make much more sense, unless it's stupid hot

The child has stolen most of the maxxis.

We do have a brand new pair but

https://flic.kr/p/2nPmtge

I'm not cool enough for tanwalls

No one is cool enough for tan walls. They look terrible. I was so happy when sidewalls turned black over 20 years ago.

Then they came back.

I'm with you, they just came in thos DT Swiss when we bought the wheels as spares.

I may just fit them to freak people out

TEsting this morning i think the 500 spring is too soft, so i've gone for a 550 in there for testing tomorrow. But should be pretty close.

Other than that i had to move the gear shifter to the inside of the brake mount, that's about it though.

As for “what tyres?” I’ve been bimbling around the FOD today. It’s dry. The only exceptions are the drainage ditches and the exposed ground, where 10 minutes of rain has coloured the dust slightly darker.

Cheers squire. My choices are pretty much already set based upon what we have

Sunday is on Elephant Man. Yay. I know it and can get down it, which is good.

I actually rode it with joebristol once, the drop is a bit droppy lol, but it's ok.

Death may not actually happen 🤣😂

Well 4 pairs of pants/trousers arrived and the TLDs are the chosen pair... Fit lovely, vented, nice..

I had a slightly tempting offer in my Pinkbike Inbox from an old Advert of a swap for the Fury against a Canyon Torque CF7. Has the right geometry, the right sized wheels.... but it does remove the option for my lad to have the 2nd DH bike, so i'm a little torn. It also leaves too much of a crossover really between the Fuel and the Torque... whereas the Fury is quite a different bike, so very little crossover.

I'll make a final decision after trying it in anger over this weekend. But i think i'm likely to say no.

Not much in the way of practice videos from today I'm sorry to say.

Last night the boy came down with smally man flu, he was useless last night and in bed by 8.15, so we went today, he did 3 runs of practice, I did 4.

I'll be the first to admit I find elephant Man challenging to ride. Steep drop in, jumps, drops, then into tech. But I got down 4 times ok.

The Fury is awesome, really nice to ride. Front end grip is exceptional. It makes me feel fractionally less rubbish.

I did flat in the car park, hole and sealant leaking out, so the dhf is in the bin and a shorty stuck on the rear for tomorrow.

It's obviously a very focused bike to ride and next year it'll go back to being the boys spare DH and sprung to suit him once again, but for now as we have no big races upcoming, I'll get to enjoy it.

Severe lack of 'air' 🤣 looks like fun though

I'm not the teen boy, he sends, I bonk down like a breeze block falling.

3 runs of practice. Crashed on run1. Hurt my pinkie finger lol. 2 others were ok. He's off 12.26. I'm of 13.13.
Although they never run to time

I'm feeling pretty confident of propping up the final spot in Grand Vets. But in honesty, I'll be happy getting to the bottom in 1 piece.

That Canyon Torque would of been ideal.

The Torque is a nice bike. Especially as it’s in your size. And your son probably isn’t going to want to switch back to a smaller bike now he’s used to his new one. And didn’t you hint that he might have a new bike next year anyway?

Remember, the slower you are the more value you get out of the race.
Remember, if you stay on the ground you get more value out of the suspension when you use it on every root, rock and compression rather than being a pussy and jumping over all the difficult bits like the kids do. 😉

Remember, the slower you are the more value you get out of the race.

Haha - love this theory

Well in that case, I gor true value out of it as I was last in Cat.

Am I disappointed, a little bit in honesty yes. But today gave me things I struggle to find in any other walk of life, in terms of emotions, excitement etc. I was horrifically nevervous in the lead up this morning, the crash in practice not helping either. I ripped off the end of my grip and I'm not quite sure if I've potentially broken my pinkie, or just bruised, but it's properly sore.
The drop was playing on my mind all day, despite the fact it's only 3' or so it kicks you up and along the trail, so a bit of air time. Then the tech areas lower down, I was a bit daunted.
I've raced motorbikes in the past and done 150 trackdays, people who do trackdays tell me they're crapping themselves before going out, however I'm an empty shell of emotionless darkness. Today though, yeah I was on edge.

Getting down without being caught up from behind and without stacking it, was a massive relief. The result, I'm not too fussed.

I now feel I can say "I've raced DH" which I think is a big big step at 50+ years old.

I hate to sound like an arsehole but it's so so different. Doing it when taped, with people shouting and cheering, it's so so different. It's a trail I've ridden before but bears no resemblance to racing it

Which drop are you struggling with Weeksy, the slab after the step-up in the first section or the drop onto the fire road at the end?

I now feel I can say “I’ve raced DH” which I think is a big big step at 50+ years old.

Good for you 👍🏻

Which drop are you struggling with Weeksy, the slab after the step-up in the first section

That one. I hit it 7 times over the weekend but still freaks me a bit.

Both the ones after the fire road I was hitting fairly well

As a slow 50+ wannabe I can say that the faster you hit that, the better. Took me a while and I had to follow a mate in but I can now happily clear it. Just pedal like buggery and keep your fingers off the brakes.

Oh I hear you and that's pretty much what I was doing, but Jeepers I wasn't keen lol.

This arguably wasn't my best photo up to now of the day, but i had very few with me in goggles and in full on DH mode.... I only wore the goggles for practice 1 in the morning, i not only find them very uncomfortable and claustraphobic, but i also can't see properly without glasses, so the goggles were binned after run 1.

Oh and i'm pretty sure, on that run of morning practice.... my finger is broken. HAHAHAHAAHA muppet.

[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52434182335_212a29dd6d_b.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52434182335_212a29dd6d_b.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/2nTqTCt ]randr-photo-9251163-4000px-by-gareth-dalley[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/152318156@N08/ ]Steve Weeks[/url], on Flickr

Another interesting point, i was chatting to our suspension tech at RSR Bikeworks who was also racing (and won), he was saying that due to changing the spring rate massively on the bike i should have slowed the rebound both ends by 2-3 clicks as a start point... Sadly we never had this discussion until AFTER the race, so i was probably running way too fast rebound, but hey, that's OK 🙂

I think after this weekends racing i'll have to put the blue GT back to the boys weight for racing... We saw a few instances over the weekend of crashes that would mean 'game over' without a decent amount of spares and or a new bike to replace, things like a wheel here, a mech there, a set of bars etc.. But i wouldn't like to see the lad miss a decent result potentially just because of not having something.

We were lucky that when i stacked the GT i ended up ripping and destroying the grip on the left side, but i had 2 spare sets in the box, so was a doddle to swap. But if it'd broken the brake, that would have been a bit more complex and we may indeed have not got it fixed before race (we arguably would have, but not always)

So it'll get sprung back to his weight.

I'm currently debating whether i keep the Trek Fuel ex9.8 and buy myself a DH bike in a couple of months, or swap the Fuel for a 170/180mm bike. Having both would be nice.... but is a little excessive.

It's a decision running round my head currently that's for sure.

We stopped & did a bit of mid ride heckling yesterday. Was probably the driest part of the forest looking at the conditions.

I’m currently debating whether i keep the Trek Fuel ex9.8 and buy myself a DH bike in a couple of months, or swap the Fuel for a 170/180mm bike

Of all of the locals & other friends who were racing, either winning or podiums in categories, I think they were all on ~160mm bikes.

Unless I was planning on pushing for podiums at big regional races, I’d rather race a decent 160mm bike with a couple of sets of wheels than a DH bike or a big 180mm truck that would be purgatory on anything remotely flat, as my only option.

There's no such thing as an 'only option' there's always space for more bikes.

But you're arguably right, i do wonder if i'd be slower on the Trek, or maybe even quicker.... it's 150front 130 rear which is a bit less, but 29er wheels.... It's always an interesting question.

The simple answer is, i wouldn't race anything harder than yesterday, or certainly not much harder... That's about as tricky as my world gets and with all the best will in the world, anything much over that and i'm not likely to get down it 😀