More BMX Racing

So its been over 6 months since I have written on here.  Best get you all up to speed on whats happened then, hadn’t I!!

According to my lovely wife Jus, BMX is taking over my life and, to some extent, I guess she is right.  

But Ssshhh, don't tell her!  

We are trying to balance it with at least one days family time at the weekend but it isn't easy!

On 2^nd Sept 2013 I woke my daughter up very early in the morning for the short 180mile journey up the M6, etc to bonny Glasgow for the Scottish Open Championships at Cumbernauld ( just outside Glasgow ).  There are a lot of Scottish riders that make the trip south to race in our The North Regionals so if we can’t go up there once to support them it’s a poor do.  It ended up being a long day and with so many riders taking part the poor organisers couldn’t quite cope which was a real shame but hopefully they will learn from it for 2014!! 

Special allowance for the home rider and my nemesis David Lindsay with Russ Hanlon gave us the chance to jeer at them ( everyone say loudly boooo ) as they had their own private practise having been on the pop the night before ( well Russ had, as Dave told us several times that he was driving.....).

There was a bit of chaos in the 5 pens initially which meant Tara missed one of her races.  Usually there are 10 pens for the 10 races to line up in at a time, but ( I think ) due lack of space, or the fact they don’t normally get so many riders, maybe 5 pens has always been sufficient for their needs?  

I tried to beat David but couldn’t get close to him really.  

My excuse? It was his home track so he should do well, shouldn't he!  

Slipping my pedal ( again ) over the first jump seems to be a thing I do quite regularly.  Maybe I should try clips? Maybe not.......

I still managed to finish second to him which was good enough to me.  

And I couldn't resist posting this of good buddy Geoff McHugh

who finished 3rd. Or was it for the legs?  You decide........

Runner Up in the Scottish Open Championship sounds quite good.  Ha ha.

Just a shame this isn't me, but I love this photo - whoa, watch out,

there's a bro-mance starting!  He's not bad for a plastic knee'd man!!

So, after the last Regional of 2013 we had the end of season one off race called The North Regional Club Championships.
This was on Preston’s BMX track on 29^th September and was a well supported event in good weather too.  

Some big names entered and I managed to finally beat my target man 

David Lindsay in the final with a fine 3^rd place.  Guess I’m improving a bit!

Ahead of Big D - Yes!

 But not ahead of Mr. T - boo...

Big D getting Rad....so jealous

And again......Sod....

 But not me...as.....

I come off...Oops!

Preston Pirates ran a Winter Series on the first Saturday of every month starting October.  These are the final standings and as you can see I didn't do too bad.......3 wins and 2 seconds!  

There is even a video of one of the finals where I got Russ Hanlon on the last berm ( SuperCruiser Final Dec 2013 ) but you will need to watch the 17+ Final and the SuperCruiser B Final before hand.  He wasn't too happy I think but thats racing!!

Scottish buddy David Lindsay even made an appearance too.  Top man.  This is what I love about BMX.  Its friendly and good fun ( of course if you win! ).  

Highlights from the series for me or should these be low lights?  

• Well, trying clips for the first time.  What a nightmare.  The first race I couldn’t get clipped in on the gate and lost my balance. Luckily I managed to get my free leg over my bike and stood there like a wally as the gate went down and the rest of the riders shot away.  I think that might have been the race I scared David Walker by passing him on the 3^rd straight though?

• David L taking out Richard Todd on the first berm with me following him whilst we both laughed at the move.  Unfortunately for me, Rich got revenge at the second berm - Damn.

• Finally beating Rich Todd. Hurray!  Even if he does think I'm sketchy....

• David Ives making a one off guest appearance on a cruiser in the last round of the series after breaking his collarbone and showing me how to ride the 4^th straight – well, how to ride it properly unlike me! He’s super smooth.

• Staying on the track.  They do say practise makes perfect but the number of motos I ended up being pushed out over the end of the first berm was just ridiculous.  I’m sure I’ve ridden the grass in between the 2 straights almost as much as I have been on the actual track!

Mr. Andy Hill, I'll get you after this...

 Stand back Suzanne....

But then the next race

Revenge.  Andy said his legs had gone but I don't believe him!

And because of all this ( maybe ) I’m now known as Calamity Nelson. 
Oh Well. 
Mr Richard Sealey isn’t funny ( as Emily tells me... )

Here is version 1 of the  Super Cruiser Final from January's Meeting and here is version 2 from Claire Walker's perspective

At Christmas me and Tara were asked if we wanted to ride for a team. Last time out for me that was on the Robinson National Team in the 80s!!! 


BMX Widow Photography team is a cracking team to ride for and we are both grateful of being asked by Team Manager Suzanne McHugh.

Suzanne takes most of the pictures at the BMX racing and puts in a lot of effort doing so.  She has captured a lot of really good action shots which I know is much appreciated by all who ride.  

She can be bossy though ( he he ) – but maybe that’s just to me when she doesn’t like me nearly taking her out as I leave the track!! ( See earlier )  

Here is some comments of FB after one of the Winter Series races - 

As you can see here, I was quite a way in front of Ivesy ( red and white top ).

My excuse, he hasn't stopped racing so I'm told and I'm only just back after nearly 30 years out.

And here is the video evidence too SuperCruiser Final.  Damn that Gaz and his GoPro ( Well I think its a GoPro ).

Needless to say my nice new BMX Widow Photography team shirt ended saying this :

And to round things off, for now, here's what we got upto at Christmas.....who said we haven't got a sense of humour.....or am I just plain daft?

By the way, this was a sort of training session and video edit at Blackpool BMX track who I ride for.

Please, no laughing. Thank you......

Now is Ric ( Sealey ) laughing at

what Father Christmas is doing to

his tackle or what Geoff is wearing?

 Tara, Aimee ( Hartley ) and Imogen ( Hill )

Is George ( Bland ) having a poo?

Luke ( Richardson ) .  Enough said...

 Lovely expression Lisa ( Hilton )

oooh David ( Walker ), you're soooo strong

Poor Gaz ( D Wilson ) doesn't know where to look.. 

Apparently Mr. Lindsay thinks I've nice bottom........oh dear god!!

And he flies........

But I'm not batman you muppets!

And following comments by the commentator Mr. Simon Barber at a few races 

"Its so and so out in front. He's got a GoPro on his head, well I think its a GoPro" 

this is Gaz Wilson's perspective of my Christmas present.  Such a pal......

Preston Pirates Open Day & Regional Race 10th/11th August 2013

The final round of The North Regionals was held at Preston Pirates newly built BMX track.  So, at least it would be `new` to everyone giving me a bit of a chance after the disasters of the Bradford races! 

On the Friday before the Races, the club had invited Radio Lancashire down to do an article on the new track.  Me and Tara had gone down for a bit of `extra` practise and ended up being interviewed as well.  I had to laugh at the reporter as she said looking to me and another guy “and here are a few dads, would you give it a go?”  Erm, there I was stood next to my bike and wearing my arm and knee pads.  Perhaps she thought that was normal clothing for walking the streets of Preston?  Here is a link to the interview if you want to listen to Neil Brooks doing his bit for the club.  Click here for the interview. 

The race was to take place on the Sunday but with the track being so new the club had organised an Open Day on the Saturday.  This must have been a big success as it was mega busy with tons of riders from the really quick ones to those borrowing the new club bikes and riding a BMX track for the first time.  Hot and Hectic was all I remember! Here’s a few shots from the Open Day.

Sorry, couldn't get them to go together on this blogger site for some reason!

Race Day

As you may or may not know, I was on my new bike which I was still setting up and was running my old Haro’s wheels so it wasn’t quite the finished bike I had hoped for.  But, it was still much lighter than the old one!!

I’m still amazed at the young kids jumping the way they do.  I have yet to grow a pair and man up enough to try.  
Preston’s first straight is a killer and, in my opinion, if you can’t jump or at least manual proper then you will find yourself miles behind by the time you get to the first berm.  Needless to say I can’t do either so found myself battling with the plastic knee man Mr. David Lindsay whom I seem to beginning to have a fair few battles with!!

Race 1 – Like I said, not being able to get the first straight nailed meant I was probably in 4^th or 5^th coming out of the first berm with Mr. Lindsay in front of me.  

Out of the 2^nd berm and over the steep double I slipped a pedal.  Running Nukeproof Proton pedals as recommended by Shaun Calvert, these pedals are damn grippy but if you do lose your footing because you are riding beyond your limits ( trying too manual !! ) then its difficult to get back into the right position!! 

Needless to say this wobble cost me a couple of positions but I pumped the last rhythm section and 3 of us crossed the line together.

Race 2 – same story as race 1 but this time just coming out of the 2^nd berm my chain came off!!  

Pump, pump, pump down straight 3 and 4 and I even managed to not lose my place – no, I wasn’t last!  The commentator shouted “and look at Darren Nelson pumping like his life depended on it”!!  Made my family and other people laugh!  This seems to be about my level as, some weeks later at coaching, Shaun commented that Tara is a good jumper, but I king of the pumpers!  I do like beans!

Race 3 – now with my chain back on, all I wanted to do finish and have a reasonably clean race.  

Into the 1^st berm I was about 5^th but with the dive bomb technique I mastered at Blackpool ( against David Lindsay, ha ha ) I did it again.  Diving under David I came out 3^rd ( still miles behind the 2 fast guys in front ). 

 Along the 2^nd straight David was just behind me on the inside of me, I could just see him.  Mindful of the last 2 races I perhaps gave him too much room and he returned the favour by getting me on the inside of the next corner.  At least I stayed on!  And that was how it stayed to the line.

Final – God, I’m crap at gates.  

Crapper at manualling!  

Awful start meant I was too far behind David to challenge him at all.  Another race to him of the plastic knee brigade!  I finished 4th.

Overall, considering it was only my 3^rd Regional, a good days racing.  Lots of family support too which was appreciated.  Made even better by my Brother & Sister-In-Law, Sharon & Charlie ( Shaz & Chaz! ) who presented me with a framed picture of my little bike ride from one end of the country to the other that I did with my mate Richard Burt back in April.  960miles in 8 days.  

Thinking about it, I’m not sure what is worse, road biking or BMX-ing!  Maybe I’m not so good at either ( now I sound like my daughter Tara!! ).

Now where’s that book - Idiots Guide to Manualing and Jumping For The Over 40’s Who Should Know Better?

Many thanks to Suzanne McHugh of BMX Widow Photography for the pics too!

Oh and here is mine and Tara's standings for 2013.