Flyup uplift, Forest of Dean

Date of ride March 19th 2011; Bike used Commencal Supreme; No. of persons 7; Weather Sunny(!); Ground conditions Dry (woohoo!!)

It was an early start. A 7.30am meet on the M4 meant a 6am alarm call, and so I started this awesome weekend of riding. I climbed Blackheath Hill in the Mazda with the mean, green Supreme nestling behind me in the boot, and as I came over the brow of the hill and onto the heath I was enveloped in a wonderful, golden hue of uprising sunshine. Everything was golden all across the heath, a magical start to the day and surely means the start of a glorious summer.

The rest of the journey wasn’t so magical and we eventually arrived at FoD at around 10.30, after meeting another two of the crew on the way down on the M4; them booting it passed us, complete with obligatory middle finger salutes. Kitting up we realised there was more to our crew; the Kiwis from our trip to Les Arcs last year; Ash, Lewis and Chuck, all pinners in their own right, and a good crack too.

Lahar: carbon with internal gearbox

These Kiwis all love a carbon bike, but Lewis in particular had a distinctive ride. A Lahar, I’d never heard of it until our trip to Les Arcs but it certainly draws a few looks. Apparently made by a Kiwi who’s since been locked up on drugs offences, it’s a fully carbon frame with internal gearbox, slack as Hell and tough as old boots. The rear swing arm is actually designed to flex and assist the suspension damping. Mental.

I’d been to FoD a couple of times before so I knew the drill; down past the shops then cut back up the hill to the waiting Simon from Flyup with his trusty Transit and trailer. Pop the bike on, in the van for banter and lift up to the start. Slight pedal to the start, goggles on, then bang! Sprint for the the right hander turn over some rooty corners, take the chicken run round the bombhole gap, then it’s deep into the woods over a couple of jumps that float me over some rough stuff, down a steep drop onto the fire road before plunging once more into the woods down the last section of Ski Run. It starts with a slightly switchbacking ‘S’ turn that on the exit floats me sweetly over a small rise and down a drop, carefully setting myself up for the famous drop that Steve Hunt the resident photographer uses (see my banner at the top of the blog).

On a previous, wetter visit (Photo by Steve Hunt)

Plummeting yet deeper into the wood the trail traverses the hill over a lovely little double jump before hurtling at warp speed down and through the last wooded section, trying to keep off the brakes as much as possible, slightly blinded by the light diffusing through the trees, off a small kicker jump that floats me over some particularly nasty roots, then it’s a tight right hand berm, on the gas for the first, smaller tabletop that is pretty great to clear. In front then is the biggie. A huge tabletop that must be a good fifteen feet long, with a take-off that looks the same size as my front door and just as vertical. I pedal as hard as I can; up and over the face of the jump, through the air and just make the downside. It feels amazing. When you don’t make the downside, it’s quite a hard landing but when you clear it properly it feels so smooth as though you haven’t just been flying through the air fifteen feet off the ground. Then it’s quick left and right berms, before a little gap jump that launches me onto another left hand berm that feel awesome to rail round, before another right hand berm and it’s all over. Buzzing from it, we regroup and head back to the waiting van for another run.

This run I’ve described is the culmination of the runs I’d completed throughout the day. I didn’t make the downside of the big tabletop until the penultimate run (about run 8), but I feel I’ve started to up my game. I’m beginning to clear jumps that I’d have thought impossible a few months ago. And just as well. I’ve got my first race of the season in two weeks. Bring it on!! Oh and next time, I’ll be doing the bombhole gap jump. Promise