Hare & Hounds @ Slab Common

Just been looking for results or pics from teh Hare & Hounds Mike and I did on Sunday. Nothing yet... but found this on YouTube:



Always amazes me how fast these guys go... I only ride like that when I'm outta control and just about to see my arse.

The Hare & Hounds was good. It was at Slab Common, Bordon. A military training ground. Pretty cool thick sand with forested bits. They have tanks and all sorts of military vehicles around the place... weird riding around there. You come around a corner, drop into what I guess is supposed to be a river-bed and... Whooooah! There is a massive tank there!

Mike' helmet is about 15 years old... made before the ACU 'Gold sticker'was invented. They were scrootineering helmets too and looking for Gold stickers. My scrootineer admired and commented on my Knighter rep helmet... so it would be risky for Mike to use it for scrooting. No worries, just ask the friendly guys parked in the van next to us to borrow a lid. The guy Mike asks looks a bit apprehensive, but hands over his lid. Mike scuttles off to get scrooted... the guy then puts on a race shirt that says "Hampshire Police" on it. Doh! A copper... then he puts a bib over that that boldly says 'MARSHAL'. Double Doh!

He didn't knick Mike... phew!

I started well... Mike started like a scalded cat! Me and another dood on a blue bike were behind Mike... he'd gapped us by 15 yards by the time we reached the first corner! We were in thick sand... the blue-biked guy was too hard on the front brakes and cartwheeled. Spectacular! Thanks! I'm second into the first turn.

A mile in an I am going over a set of logs. my bike wasn't quite up to temp so I stalled on the last log. The guy behind me on a green bike grabs his brakes and goes down on the logs next to me... "Clump!". He's struggling under the bike. I calmly fire the four-fiddy up as the traffic jams up behind the flailing guy on the logs, he's swearin' and a cussin'. "Sorry." I chime and I dash off after Mike who had long disappeared.

Two miles later and I see a rider joining the track from the side... it's Mike! He got lost - I nip in front of him. Sucker! He passes me a mile or so later an disappears in front. Near the end of the first lap he passes me again! He got lost again!

I keep a steady pace and just grind out the laps. I don't crash too much... only once or twice a lap. Normally just ploughing the front through the thick sand, puting a foot down and tipping over. Nothing big... but all just as energy sapping. Some periods I enjoy... some are just a grind. I don't make any pit-stops... just crash-stops. They are enough to keep me going.

I manage to do 8 laps in 3 hours and 15 minutes. Mike also only managed 8 laps... but finished in just under 3 hours - he was too knackered to do another. I think we did okay. The best thing is... I hardly ached in the days after! I'm gettin' used to this endurance malarkey!