Classic Dirt Bike — Autumn 2017

TomCrumpflies

highonhisJawa.

RedMarleyHillC

limb

S

ometimesan event is so simple

it takes your breathaway...take

Red MarleyHill Climbfor instance.

There’sastart line, then 400 yards

or soawaythere’safinish line.Fourriders

lineupatatime, thegate drops and thefirs t

two over thefinishlinegothrough to the next

round. As thatcute–other points of vieware

available –furry creature on UK telly ads is

fond of saying “simples!”

And it reallyisthatsimpleto do. The bit

which makes it difficul tisit’supahill which

gets progressivelysteeper nearerthe end...

and then gets really steepveryquickly at the

end...oh, and thereare threeother riders,

noneof whomwill backoff, aimingfor the

spot whereyou are. It is averylevelling

experienceand justbecause you’remounted

on ahyperbikewhich supsmethanol like

it’sgoing out of fashiondoesn’tmean you’re

boundto getthrough each round.

Take this writer forinstance... not noted

as aspeedster and mountedon aroadbike

with scramblestyres on and the lightsoff –

thoughfor 2017asmartsmall capacity alloy

tank wasfitted instead of the hugesteel

one standardon650 Triumphs –Iactually

made thequarterfinalsone yearthanks to

aseriesoffluk es and luck.Thefluk es were

to be drawn inaclasswith only two riders

in (yes, Iwas second but both of us went

through), then wasdrawn againstareallyfast

blokewho hit‘The Pimple’ –asthe top bit

is called–atazillion milesanhour, took off

likeamoon probe andlanded withhis bikein

one county andhim in another,which let me

through. Then next time onelad didn’t make

the startand another brokeonthe line... all

of asuddenIwas amongfast lads wondering

how that happened... but thatisthe beauty

of this event, thingslike thatcan happen.

Another year Idrewreallyfast guys in each

of myfirstruns and went outafter one go.

Yes, there areafew riderswho will be vying

for the win, but thereare manymore, likeme,

who go alongfor the ride.Wedon’ttootleup

and we’rekeen to do our best butIknowthe

only wayI’llwin is if everyone else dropsout,

but it doesn’tstop me, or those likemefrom

liningup... concentrating on thatgate and

grabbing ahandful of throttlewhen it drops.

Wordsandpics:TimBritton andFionaWatson

Great Whitley, Worcestershire

Easter Monday

Sporting

action

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