MTBBerkhamsted Vs OTT

Mountainbike – the home fixture

Saturday 17th April

 

After a successful trip to the wilds of Harpenden to visit the OTT Mountainbike boys on their local turf it was time to return the favour and see how they’d fair on the trails around Ashridge. Would home advantage play to our favour?

 

On weather nobody could argue the conditions made it clear first blood to the Berko boys, the glorious spring sunshine and bone dry trails giving a real first day of the summer feel in marked contrast to the claggy going a couple of months previously in Harpenden. Not that we were being at all competitive about this of course.

 

 

Dissent in the ranks about the route expressed on the previous Wednesday’s night ride silenced, Jeremy’s carefully planned ride would take us along 24 miles of local terrain, taking in some choice favourite trails along the way.

 

Breeding and house moves depleted our ranks somewhat, respectively Dave and Richard II (aka Lens) unable to attend but the numbers were evenly matched and 24 riders set out from Berkhamsted castle, Karl setting the pace with OTT’s Craig in hot pursuit and the rest of us taking a more leisurely run at the first hill and into Our New Favourite Trail. This snaking singletrack is so fun even Tom has been heard to say he doesn’t totally hate the experience of riding up it, the technical challenges along the way catching out a few.

 

Certainly the weather was playing ball, helping keep a jolly mood as the seemingly endless train of riders headed into Ashridge. Hell, even the walkers we met seemed to take it in good heart and impressed by the turn out.

 

En route to the monument the OTT boys claimed the first mechanical, chain faffage giving a chance for a breather and a regroup.

 A short distance from the monument there was a little pause for reflection at the place where one of our number, Mark Shepherd, sadly died just a couple of weeks before. This one was for you Mark, ride in peace chap.

 

 

 

Retracing our steps Polish Lukasz and I got a bit carried away looking for a chance to crack some airtime and before we realised what had happened everyone had disappeared. Damn! And then in the attempt to catch up we both nearly rode into a fence. Oops!

 

We regrouped once again and after a blast down the canal to Cow Roast headed up the hill on the other side of the valley towards Champeny’s. The ground was perfect, without a hint of mud but at Grimm’s ditch a flint sliced the sidewall of OTT’s Greek man Billy. MTB 0, OTT 2 on mechanicals, a bodged repair getting him back up and running after a short delay. First blood was with us though, or specifically me, after an attempt to prove Claire wrong that her chain was slipping ended with me on the deck picking bits of shifter out of my knee. Her chain was, it turned out, slipping. “Take the pain!” said Lloydy, with typical sympathy.

 

Jeremy’s route work was coming up trumps too, a trail new to all of us taking in a never ending, gently graded slalom through dried leaves to give grins all round. Some brutal climbs up the side of some fields were testing legs and stamina to the max and it was clear much of the group was now running on empty, the OTT boys contriving another mechanical to afford another rest. Not that we were complaining!

 

 

 

The final descent into Berko came as welcome relief, the knowledge beer and food were just minutes away prompting tired legs into delivering that final burst of energy and the Riser delivering in fine style.

 

 

And the third round of this epic encounter? There’s talk of neutral ground, perhaps around the North Downs. Look out Surrey, you’re in for a shock.

 

OTTs report

 

Enjoy the photos below, click on an image to enlarge.....