as good as Gene’s Sandpit-Scorpion at the Prologue??
Stu were you on the red ridley crosswind also? (same as mine?) If so we were both cursed.
I too owe Nikcee big time for providing me with a pit bike! Beers on me next Sat in rAdelaide!
Something in the depths of the mud pit completely ate my derailleur with an almighty CRACK and spat it out into my rear wheel (so that didn’t even turn anymore) so I had to run the course from mudhole onwards. I was thinking I had better try to keep going to hang on to at least some prize money to help pay for the damage even if it meant running for another 15mins! Could hear Brendan commentating from across the field something along the lines of “Gemma’s running, the whole game has changed now”, I was asking for a bike as I ran to the start/finish and there was Nikcee with his Kona waiting…
Brendan “this bike will be way too big”
Jumped on, perfect fit! kept going. If I shut my eyes I would have had trouble telling it wasn’t my bike other than there was no possible way of even half clipping in with what pedals were on there. Campagnolo and 32mm tubs and everything nice! Until I braked where his bike had a revolting shudder 
Cornered gently, went off kerbs gently, didn’t want to bin another bike, 5 laps later was finished, won enough money to almost repair the bike 
I just chucked some pics up: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150375449408573.414709.523228572&type=1
as promised (log into facebook to view):
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the game hadn’t changed at all. you still had a lap on your nearest competitor. i was just trying to gee you up!
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i did refer to nik cee as being “a stumpy-legged bugger” when it became apparent the bike fit you like a glove…
ahhh footage has gone!
gemm awesome job continuing like that, if somthing had put me out of the race in the last 4 or 5 laps i think i would of just collapsed not run with the bike for a swap
Ha, you bastard! I’m not far off 6’, it’s the girth of the legs that makes mine look short
this should become a nickname!!! let’s make it happen
totally… i just wanted to make sure what was billed on the internet and over the mic as the biggest duel of the day was recorded correctly. if i ever get out on the road the tables will be well and truly turned
yep, stu was on the ridley with the cursed (but amazing looking) wheels.
i had just grabbed my bike to go turn the legs over and check out how people were riding the puddle section and 2nd barrier when i heard brendan say you had broken your bike. i thought it might be close (56cm is the most common size for bikes) and it was the best chance i had of podiuming all day
the less said about that shudder the better… i have a good idea of what needs to be done to alleviate it, i just havent done it (it comes and goes).
i’d also like to thank CX for my wonderful call-up. spiro and i were nervously laughing in the front row with some bigger hitters standing behind us.
i hope hayden (SD kit and Oz SRAM product manager) is still talking to me after i heckled him mid-race about his SRAM drivetrain failing him (repeatedly it seemed).
After a season of muddy cross my HK kit is definitely looking worse for wear.
Yes Gemm, that was me. I blew out both of my tires - the carbon rims with the Ridley stickers - running tire pressure too low I’m guessing - at 40psi I was bottoming out a fair bit and in both cases they blew when I was cornering fairly hard - I am relieved they didn’t go when I came across the tarmac around the back - the bang when they blew was however pleasingly spectacular.
I have been running Challenge Grifo clinchers with them and they appear to be pretty supple and relatively soft - ie I’ve noticed a few cuts already - next year I’ll put a different set of tires on (after extensive consultation with Nikcee) and see if playing around with different wheels and tire pressure helps.
Nik gets a beer from me next time we get a chance for being the pit crew champ - lending me a wheel to keep me going and Gemm his bike is pretty amazing imho.
Stu
That’s odd Stu, as i was running 30 psi and didn’t bottom out once… I wonder what happened?
FJ body weight vs Stu bodyweight?
Riding style, tyre width, carcass flexibility, rim profile, tube thickness…
My pet Swallow weighs more than you! And he’s an African Swallow, easily able to carry coconuts…
I didn’t kill anyone!
but, steve, yes, I’m aware that it’s not a matter of where it grips it but a matter of weight ratios.
’
My daily croissant & pastry habit in France happened.
Was it a bit tight in the old skinsuit?
Do the words ‘muffintop’ ring a bell???
I’m hoping the extra momentum will help with track racing.
that’s the beauty of the skinsuit, no hems around the midriff to give you a muffin top
Get tub wheels next time, and don’t let who glued on NikCee’s tubs glue on your singles cause they were only 10% glued on! Scary!!! (Nik seriously the offer is still here if you want me to belgium tape & glue em?)
Stu sounds like you were actually rolling the clincher off the rim and blowing the tube rather than pinch flatting them?
I am heavier than you with far more impressive muffin tops and on 32mm tufos I would bottom out twice on the course, 33psi rear, 30psi front on tubs - on NikCee’s they didn’t have enough air so I tootled around, must have loosened up the tyre for him to roll it
Hopefully see you all on Saturday for rAdelaide’s last winter CX race (in 27C sunshine!)
Tip -bring tyres with not too big side knobs unless you want to high-side yourself! We have grassy corners, smooth packed birt, bitumen, sand and quite a few fast drifty corners just like the right-hander one at the VCCX after you turned off the road up the cobbled kerb… plus a run up x2 that half the field can ride, and the other half can’t… again up a loose surface…
so many lols