March Guild, bring me sunshine

March, time for Spring normally, fluffy bunnies and daffodils. We can start looking forward to the riding ahead with a hope of a bit of sunshine, dry trails and dust, but not yet. March is usually still a bit dull, cold and not quite there…

Not this March, oh no. There was sunshine, lots of sunshine. The glowing orb has been off on it’s winter holiday in Australia or somewhere and was now back with a vengeance.

I arrived on the hill at the crack of dawn (well 9.30) to find Harry, Mick, Del, Chris and Pog finishing off the course taping and getting set up for a good day. Harry’s floppy locks came strolling down the fire road (with Harry following somewhere behind) to confirm that the trail was sorted ready for the day’s antics.

So then, Ridge line. The trail has been closed since last autumn following the essential (but still ridiculously annoying) felling works but now it was ready. Bob and Mick have headed up the work to get the Ridge rebuilt and our March build day got the trail finished (let’s not talk about the S’s) and it was time to try it on for size.

Mint new trail, check. Unseasonal sunshine, check. Nearly organised organisers, check. Keen riders, check.

Game on.

The first BDS round meant that some of the regular rippers were off playing racer boy including our very own Guild Squadron members Andy, Elliott and (Squadron rooky Bike School) Adam so the field was open for everyone including our very own Scruff who’s been living on the hill for the last 2 weeks to get as many practice runs in as possible.

Practice for the practice over we kicked off at 12pm (all Summer starts will be at 12 from now on). Our very own laid back local guy Aaron Tolley set the benchmark time at 51.8 which looked like it was going to be hard to beat.

The improved Ridge Line was a real test. The main line follows the original route, the straight line blast from the start has been replaced and the finishing section has been sorted to pull in as many roots as possible, throw in the long time favourite ski jump and you have a tip top trail. The root fest at the bottom of the trail makes a big impact on the trail and the dry conditions caught a lot of riders out. After a winter of slop covered trails our tyres could finally grip and brakes actually slowed you down. It meant that even this short trail was catching loads of riders out and letting the good guys shine as bright as the sun.

Tolley wasn’t the only rider on his game though and this is where Paul Roscoe comes in. Jeans hanging low, boxers hanging out and Santa Cruz looking fast Roscoe had his sights on Tolley’s top spot. At 52.7 his first run was knocking on Aaron’s door although Jim Lycett was just ahead of Roscoe after run one with Rich Harman right behind Roscoe.

Tolley and Roscoe were hauling their jeans back up the hill for run after run and as the day came to a close Roscoe was in the hot seat with a 50.1 and Tolley was beat, maybe. With the last few time slots booked as executive decision was made to run for an extra minute and Aaron set off at 3.01pm. Could he do it? All eyes were on him as he wrapped the day up for us but in the end it wasn’t quite enough, 50.3 left Aaron .02 seconds behind Roscoe. That’s the click of a stopwatch button.

We had no girls (officially) posting time but the old codgers were headed up by Mick 10 runs Whyte with a 54.4.

High fives to the little rippers who showed us the future with 7 riders and James Patrick gets a mention for pulling in a 53.4!

The Ridge rocks, officially. We’ll be lucky to get many more days as good as this through the year so if you were there then thanks. If you weren’t then you were probably somewhere else.

See you all next month for April’s next instalment.