Idiot's guide to pre-ride at Newnham.

There is a worrying trend for course practice at the National XC to follow the following format –

1. Sign on with the rest of the English speaking world when registration opens at 1200.
2. Head straight out onto the course for your pre-ride.
3. Stand and wait with everyone else to look at / have a go at the first ‘A’ line you come to.
4. Repeat again, and again, and again.
5. Moan about it incessantly.

 
For Round Two, you have options. If you choose not to take any of them, fill your boots but don’t bleat about the queues afterwards. Your options are –
 

1. Enter the Moonlit Soggy on the Friday night. That means you get a couple of laps of the course on the Friday, under a full moon, and you can sit back smugly all day Saturday.
2. Enter the Beat The Bike 5km trail run, also on the Friday night. You can still wear your skinsuit if it makes you feel better, and it’ll probably be the fastest lap you do all weekend!
3. Track walk. Yes, walk! Again, you can wear your skinsuit and helmet if you wish, but you can do a track walk on Saturday morning, bright and early, just like the downhillers do.
4. Skip the ‘A’ lines on lap one. Follow the B.C. recommended pre-ride plan, just ride the ‘B’ lines on lap one, then come back and look at the ‘A’ lines one lap two, when everyone else has gone.
5. Enter the Soggy Bottom series. Oh, you missed that one!

 
The organisers have enough to do without chasing riders off the course when they aren’t supposed to be there. It’s boring, it’s always the same people, and you aren’t insured to be out there so play by the rules like everyone else. 

Gratuitous attempt to get a Tank Girl picture into a blog? Who, me?