Swansea Uni Bike Club - Update

Half the term has flown by already! I thought it would be a good point to post an update on the uni club. I think we are really set to achieve a lot this year and so far have had an absolutely awesome start. The more "pedally orientated guys" went up for the Student Hillclimb Championships on the weekend and absolutely rocked, taking the team win for Swansea. Pete Greenwood won the individual despite being new to racing and riding a mountain bike! Some serious props being handed out to those guys, that is some real bravery/insanity racing up a hill, from what I have heard the celebrations after were equally impressive! The bar has been set though and definitely a challenge for the rest of us to keep Swansea high in the BUSA rankings.


The Downhillers were also out in force with the final round of the Dragon held up in Caerphilly. The welsh weather played its part as ever to provide interesting conditions for the weekend. Will Soffe and Jack Malone were representing for Swansea. Will ended up taking 5th in the senior, we should see him dominating the podiums next season!

We had a club ride up at Cwmcarn the weekend before last which was a great blast. The riding was dominated by hangovers thanks to Alex throwing one of the best house parties I have been to the night before. This definitely left me Jack and Sion farely well written off for the morning! Once the head had cleared though the riding was awesome. CwmCarn definitely has to be one of my favourite tracks in terms of sheer fun. All in all it has a perfect combination of flat out sections, switchbacks, that tight techy black run through the trees and then of course the jumps. I think I have finally got over my fear of jumping a full suss, mainly thanks to turning the rebound up to a sensible level! There was some good banter going on, I have to say Monet winding Jack up on the bus was absolutely classic, I am not sure I have ever seen a grown man that embarrassed! The uplift service up there is running really well they were fully booked up and yet the service was still slick and we still got loads of riding in, well recommended.

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Some Philosophical Rambling!

Went up to Tredegar today with Sion and Jack, the van was absolutely rammed full of bikes and we were all stoked for a quality days riding. We ended up ditching the DH idea and heading back via Caerphilly trails. Filly is riding mint at the moment, we had an awesome impromptu session. The bikes have been a bit neglected recently, getting out today reminded me just how good it is to be out having a laugh with your mates. I have just caught the surf bug again and have been out 3 or 4 times a week. A good session is immense, chilling out the back with mates and then all charging for the same waves, sun going down and that really calm feeling that comes from lying out on the sea. It still doesn't stand up to biking though, biking has so much buzz, one run down the hill and you have a stupid grin on your face, that doesn't depend on weather conditions! A hill will always be a hill. I think it is important to keep it mixed up and try other things, when you pick the bike back up it gives you so much appreciation for the sport. Nothing makes more sense than two wheels and a hill!

I have been back in Swansea for getting on a month now. The start of term is mental so much getting crammed in, partying mainly! It has been absolutely awesome fun and great to catch up with old mates as well as meeting some new ones. I am running the DH/DJ side of the bike club this year which is really exciting. I think we have more than 60 riders signed up which rocks. Took the DH lot up Clyne on Wednesday and theres definitely a few guys showing some serious talent which should give some of us old boys a bit of a kick to sort our act out! This year looks stacked already with a load of trips and races planned, should be off the hook!

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