Fresh off the plane from Canada - full report to follow - and filled with (misplaced) belief in my riding skills news of a downhill race at Aston Hill this weekend could only result in one outcome: yes, time to go racing.

 

 Hopes I'd have a similar bunch of have-a-go-heroes to race with were dashed when the only people to join me in this escapade were two mates who work for MBR - both seriously quick boys - and my pal Nick on his Yeti, all packing rather more travel than my Orange Five. 

 

 Anyway, after a day of practising on Saturday my legs were pretty knackered come race day. Hard work this pushing bikes up hills nonsense, there being no sign of the chairlift or indeed floatplane I'd become accustomed to in Canada.

 

 With around 300 riders the entry was full, there being 60 or so in the Masters (old enough to know better, not old enough to go slow). The course was fast and flowing up top with a big jump into the fireroad, a quick chicane and then into the woods proper across the road again and through steadily steepening and tighter and tighter turns which by now were fairly cut up, rooty and very loose. Built specially for the race, it was already bearing the scars of a weekend of heavy use and was getting steadily more challenging as the weekend progressed.

 

 My first of two race runs was decent enough with no big scares and a clean ride down. But slow, MBR pal Danny going a whole ten seconds faster and in provisional third place. On a track not much over a minute. I asked fellow MBR man Mick for tips. "Just pedal harder," he offered.

 

 So I did for my second run, also pretty clean with no major mishaps bar getting my shoe lace caught in my crank in the sprint for the line and getting an "Oooooooh!" from the crowd as I nearly went over the bars. That must have been quicker. No, slower. By 4/100ths of a second at 1:22.69. Consistent at least. Consistently slow that is. But I did at least beat Ian 'Mr Aston Hill' Warby, so I'll consider that a result of sorts.

 And the reason for Mick's grin at the bottom? First place in Masters with a 1:11-something, beating Danny into 4^th place.

 

 He must have pedalled harder.

 

 Full results here: mikrotime.

For more MTBberkhamsted results click here

 Dan