21st June a 2nd day of downhill Mountain biking

On my 2nd day at about the same rate as my fingers blistered I became better and more confident. The key to being fast at Morzine is being good in the berms. Gradually I have become better, and so I can carry more speed out of them. Early in the day I had a go at the straightest lined, and thus steepest black run into Morzine. I had already tried the less steep black run that is parallel to it and found it o.k. But this was in parts very difficult. There are Very steep sections and very steep parts with tree roots mud and wet rocks. It is the toughest track I have ridden. After walking sections through sheer terror I made it down relieved not to have had an off.

That came later in the day. After a 7 mile out and back to the campsite I carried on, and it started to rain as I started my decsent on the red run to Les Gets. A route I have done more times than any other. I was going well until I heard riders closing in behind I then took too many risks and jumped into a berm too late to take it and came off quite badly. The French guys following stopped and retrieved my, or should I say Torricos, bike from the bushes. They were really nice, asking in broken English if I was o.k. After I worked out which way was up, I realised that apart from a badly grazed right knee, arm, and hip I was o.k. I think all those falls from fell running must have helped. The only thing wrong with the bike was that the handle bars were not lined up properly with the front wheel.

 So I decided whilst me and the bike were still in one piece, to call it a day. I still did parts of the easier run into Morzine and parts of the black run, as they say you have to get back on the bike.