Black Canon Collective

Category: TickerTape Winter Series

  • Festive Tickertape Fun

    It’s been a while since the last Tickertape so when we decided to organise this one we weren’t sure quite what to expect, but it turned out to be a great day! The sun was shining, the trail was excellent and we had a good turn out of riders and spectators.

    The event was the usual format of three hours of unlimited timed practice on a taped track, no winners just riding as fast as you can to beat your own best times and personal targets.

    The track was 143, in to Moron, then finishing on the bottom fire road. It seemed that the main challenge was getting through the first couple berms at the top of the track (made harder by me blowing out the second one!) after the greasy turns it was big jumps and flowing berms to a big double before joining the single track of Moron for some flat out pedalling for a fast finish.

    Ben `Elite’ Deakin was putting in consistent fast times through the session but Sam Marzetti rode the fastest time of the session. Jack Wells and Charlie Evans were fast and stylish, especially through the mid section of the track. There was some very fast riding and several people were getting a lot quicker through the session.

    Thanks to everyone who helped with setting up and to Al for helping to get it organised and James Woollard for first aid support.

    The next Tickertape will be on Saturday 18th January and we will be having a dig day the Sunday before then to get a track ready, so please come along and help.

    – Steve C

    (There are some more photos on Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/events/181783402018826/)

  • Tony the tiger says, ‘Tickertapes, they’re Grrrrrreat!’

    Today was a good day, windy and overcast at first, still and sunny at the end, where did the wind go? It blew away, and so was everyone with the track we used for today’s Tickertape.  Puppets was the track, with a twist, Punch met Judy and everyone lived happily ever after, all be it a little worn out and beaten, but that’s what happens when Punch meets Judy, people get a bit beaten up, ( however in this case – not with sausages? )
    Beans !

    Curtis Saunders, riding his Transition hard tail with 80mm front suspension had been practising coming into this round and absolutely schooled everyone in the art of G-narrr, taking the fastest time of the day, where does this boy get his energy from? Full commitment and throwing cranks in at every opportunity, a true racer.

    Dean Evans, who has been impressing us with his progress, commitment and enthusiasm, was duly awarded this months beans trophy, kindly donated by Rose bikes.  Other mentions go to Ollie Butler, Tom Dunford and Ben Lovell for good sportsmanship and riding.

    Chris Marsland received a spot prize of Muc-Off kindly donated by Chris Smith for his welcoming attitude that makes Tickertape’s so special.

    Boats and hoes ?
    There was quite a ‘jam’ feel to today’s Tickertape, at one point there must have been about 35 – 40 people, people enjoying some of our other trails, people taking pictures and capturing comic crashes on videophones 😉 It was proper bonza mate and was well worth a didgeridoo to do. Well done to everyone and many thanks helping set up and pack away, its much appreciated.
    Thank you also to Rose bikes and Chris Smith for the prizes.
    Smithy speed
    Same place, same time next month – 11am set up Sunday 19th February, and don’t forget Dig Day on Sunday 5th February from 10am.
    Sam Chedgy managed to record some crash footage on (puts on Nelson Mandela voice) I phone, so prepare to cringe, laugh and go ‘eeeee’ ‘ahhhh’ ‘wooooo’ and maybe a bit of ‘woah buddy! ain’t nuttin but a peanut!’

    Now for the results.

  • Tickertape a plenty!

    Sunday 20th November was host to the first round of the 2011 Tickertape winter series.  On a muggy kind of day, 26 keen downhill riders met up for some very fun timed runs down a slightly differently taped track we fondly refer to as ‘Spoons’.  The track alterations were very welcome, giving the track more flow and speed whilst presenting interesting changes in soil conditions as you made your way down the course.  There were perhaps 3 different types of soil conditions; soft and loamy, hard and a bit slimy and places where it was a little bit boggy.

    Riding the course you had one of two options, you could ride the course as if you were riding a rollercoaster rolling and pumping your way down the track and get to the bottom with a big grin, a testament to the flow of the track, or you could go balls out putting the power down and get to the bottom with a bigger grin but be out of breath.

    The times were really close, with 10 seconds covering most of the field’s FIT’s (Fastest Individuals Time).  Curtis posted the fastest time of the day coming in at 43.94 seconds.  Beans awards went to Nick Gregory and Ollie Butler.  Beans awards are given to people who show a combination of enthusiasm, commitment, determination and sportsmanship, so a big well done!

    Sam Chedgy looked super smooth and stylish, whilst Neil Cousins schooled everyone by going silly quick on his xc/enduro bike with not very knobbly tyres.  Keith Saunders kept on posting time after time and at the end of the day finished joint 10th with Jack Wells.  Dan Little and Sam Wells also finished on exactly the same times sharing 12th.  Chris Smith looked pretty rapid aboard his new DH bike but couldn’t hold off the ever impressive Curtis Saunders.

    After the prize giving and clearing away, there was still riding to be had, so people started to session 143.  It was a great session, you know the ones where nothing else matters but riding your bike with friends, feeding off of each other’s enthusiasm.  Andrew Denham and Tim Batt were on fire, going huge with style and speed.  Seeing people get this loose on a bike, whilst maintaining such calm focus is a joy to watch.

    Excellent day had by all, many thanks to everyone who helped set up and pack away, Rose bikes for the prizes, Tom and Chas for the photos and Andrew Denham for organizing the day (get well soon).

  • Tickertape results – round 1 – Winter series 2011

    Today was ace, some track alterations to Spoons made for some very fun, fast, friendly and flowy ticker-taping.

    Curtis smashed it again and Neil whooped ass on his XC bike with not very downhill tyres.  Then afterwards Tim scared everyone on 143 by ‘letting it hang out like a fat girl in a bikini’ as Rob Warner would say.

    Full write up with photos to follow, for the meantime here are your results…….


     

  • Our Retro DH is on Bikeradar.com!

    That’s right, our end of series special event made it onto the MBUK of the tintermewebber. Ace.

  • TickerTape RETRO DH – 19th March

    The final round of the TickerTape Winter Series is gonna be ace!
    It’ll be the same format as normal, starts at 11 runs until 3, £2 entry, and it’s for BCC members only, but although you’ll have to wear a helmet FOR THIS ROUND ONLY IT DOESNT HAVE TO BE A FULL FACE.
    Instead of Beans we’ll be awarding prizes for whoever shows the most GNAR and as for the track, well it’ll be full of loamy drifty corners, some radical straights and will require plenty of pedalling / speed tucking.
    Any mountainbike will do so long as it’s working and has brakes, so don’t be shy come along and give it a go!

    See you there….

    Here’re a few videos to get you in the zone:

  • TickerTape Rnd3 – Rise of the Machine

    Ben bat is a machine. When he rides everyone watches. When he crashes the trees try and move out of the way and when he takes his helmet off we all laugh at him for going bald.

    The truth is that the only way to deal with Ben is to find something meaningless to tease him about, otherwise you are faced with the reality of his times, and to be honest most of us would prefere to laugh at him.

    Anna Glowinski, our newest member, managed to school some of the boys at her first TickerTape, not bad especially seing as she’d turned up with an airfix bike that her boyfriend Ed had to lovingly assemble before she could get muddy, or crash on here hand.

    Along with Ben and Anna there were plenty taking part on Sunday; in fact it was our most attended TickerTape this series with many of the participants doing so for the first time.

    The track was slippy and the roots were slippier. I managed to injure my knee ligaments on my first practice run meaning that I only managed one timed run in an effort to stay in contention for the overall.  But with so many of the top riders absent from the white board it was a very different picture by the end of the day, although no less deserved.

    Ben Irons (hater of hardtails) was top dog for 235 of the 240 minutes, but was beaten at the bitter end my the tree scarer. That’s racing, but it’s important to give Irons credit for his early times.

    Ben Lovell showed that he’s a natural on a bike, putting in some fast times after competing in a motorbike trial that morning, so he along with the Mr Batt were awarded Beans.

    Bob Darvil was fastest hardtail but more than that he was riding with noticeable speed and control; a good performance that certainly made the beans decision a hard one.

    Liam Arkell has proven that he’s a rider to watch, with a steady rate of improvement and his first podium finish it’s fair to say that he is one of if not the most improved rider in the club right now, something to be proud of for sure.

    So that was it, I think…… Anna escaped a broken hand, I escaped a snapped ligament, and most of the trees escaped Ben Batt.

    Well done to everyone who took part, thanks loads for all the help setting up and packing away and for the awesome photos thanks to Dan Irons and Andy Colby. Thanks also to Shimano for the race tape, and of course to Rose Bikes for providing the prizes and trophy.

    The next and last round will be a special one off RETRO LOAM DH TRACK that will be marked especially on the day, so there’s no chance to practice I’m afraid.

    I can say that there will be no features (drops / jumps / rocks) so for this round only the event will be open to all club members not just those with full face helmets. It’s going to be amazing so make sure you don’t miss out.

    As for the overall, well it’s all very close, attending every round is obviously a huge bonus but with a big final field and completely different trail I can see it being very hard to predict the outcome.

  • TickerTape Winter Series – Rnd3 – 20/02/2011

    (will Curtis manage to destroy the field again? he’s been practising…)

    This month it’s BBMS.

    You know, the really tight singletrack descent with lots of roots and awkward off-camber.

    Yeah, that one.

    Yeeeeeeesss the one with that horrible double root combination on the tight corner right near the bottom.

    It will be slippery, you’re right.

    Well then you’ll have to slow down for it!

    No, it’s staying in.

    Because it’s the same for everyone, and will make for some very interesting racing.

    I know, it’ll be awesome!

    See you there, racing starts at 11 and finishes at 3.

    Turn up early if you’d like to help out, it’s always appreciated.

    Oh, and don’t forget to bring a small donation, £2 should do it.

    Beans.

  • TickerTape Winter Series Rnd2 – CANCELLED

    Unfortunately we’ve decided to cancel tomorrow’s TickerTape race for the following reasons:

    1. We can’t get a vehicle anywhere near the trails, this is important as we all know that people do on occasion need to go to casualty (last month for example!).
    2. Even once cleared of snow (no small task to clear all 500mtrs of trail) the trail is largely frozen underneath.
    3. The temperature is set to stay at around -3 to -1 tomorrow http://bbc.in/fbPioo so it won’t thaw out..

    So, I’m afraid to say that the event is too dangerous to hold.

    The winter series will now be 4 rounds, next month will now be Spoons, then BBMS in Feb and the special event in March which will be on the Dinner ’til Dusk Descent (MCC).

    Here’s a video of the trail, turn up the sound and you can hear the ‘ting’ of the rake on the frozen ground: http://yfrog.us/jc69201837z

    Please spread the word…

    Thanks

  • TickerTape Winter Series – Rnd 2

    Will Rob Lewis show up?

    Has Chris Smith fitted mud tyres?
    Does Ben Irons actually ride a soft-tail?
    Is Steve Geall gonna bunny hop really really high?

    Who knows, you’ll just have to make sure you’re there to see for yourself.

    Sunday, 11:00 – 15:00 Oh, and this month is Puppets, but you knew that already…

    Remember it’s members only, £2 suggested donation towards the timing equipment.