Erzberg Training in Scotland - Day 1

Last weekend was bank-holiday weekend. Perfect opportunity for a trip to Scotland for some Erzberg training. We drove up on Friday night to the brilliant hospitality of Mike's Mom. On Saturday, Mike, Jack and I  headed out the a nearby old bing quarry for some training.

Trials on!

Jack, practicing his wheelies

It was a bit chilly - only 6 degrees, but dry. This is the same quarry we rode in November 09, but I was on my trials bike then. Mike and Jack were on their trials bikes, but  this time around I needed to get more time on the four-fiddy in preparation for Erzberg.

This was a great climb we found. It was loose and steep, the last 4 feet of it was almost vertical. It just pops you up over the top... huge fun when you get it right. Mike was getting it right all day...

...I didn't get it right every time... the big KTM spent a lot of it's time getting turned upside-down. My forks were leaking oil... from the top! They obviously weren't designed to be used upside-down.

Mike getting some air

All smiles!

A huge, steep bank... my wee camera can only show very little of what was out there

Up the bank in a big arc - 'wall of death' style!

Some of the bits were steep and sharp!

On one of the gnarly sections I lost it on a steep bank and slid down to the boulders at the bottom of the pit with the bike. It was a mission to get it out - you get hardly any traction... the big knobbly just digs a hole in seconds and I wasn't good enough to Dougie Lampkin it out across the boulders!

After the ride.

We spent about 4 hours riding the quarry. It was fantastic! The best training for Erzberg I could ever do. Big climbs up loose shale. Lots of losing it on a 45 degree slope that just disappears from underneath you if you're going any slower than running pace. Brilliant practice for maneuvering a 125kg bike buried in the dirt around, getting it  back up on it's wheels and then down the loose, steep bank... only to try get up it again!

That night we had a fantastic home-cooked meal at Mike's Mom's and sat, knackered around the open fire having a few beers and sharing war stories form the day. Awesome!