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Taff's Trail

With German efficiency Urs delivers.

Pattaya 8 hour is the best organized and physically demanding event in toyland Maxxis 4 day may have the prestige but not the riding. Signing on and sighting practice of the 7 kilometer course laid out with MX stile banked bends, tight and tricky switchbacks, fast straights and 2 rocky loops up and down a hill and plenty of deep loose sand. Being my first 8hr, I just throw my hat and two bikes into the ring. As it turned out I was in a genuine British expat senior team (05) with Elle 46yrs on TTR250, Ollie 43yrs on yz250 and john 40yrs on an old CR125. I would ride the `pig' my `03wr250. With my little used `04wr250 going to help another falang team (04). Needing a gofor, Lu-Lu had to forgo her 12 hours sleep, as the race started 8.00am Sunday, blurred by alcohol on Saturday evening I had forgotten my team talk and offer to bag the first 3 laps. With 6 bikes per minute starting with a ridiculous 50 meter run to the bike, which was the highlight of Lu-Lu's day, as she confirmed ` old man was second last to get to bike. A bottle of water poured over her while pinned down by 85 kilos, dampens her spirit. My next set of 3 arrived earlier than expected, as my team mates opted for 2 laps. 3 hours into the day with 9 laps chalked up, I saw petrol dripping onto my exhaust, from what must be one of the only weak points in Mr. Yamaha construction of the WR. (Plastic seam joint in the tank) Team meeting, the easiest option was for me to use the other 3 bikes in rotation. 3 laps on the YZ was a pleasure, with the hours slowly ticking away. Elle DNF ed out on the course with his TTR, after it had been reported to Urs, we incurred a further 4 minute penalty, as Ollie waiting to go out, With energy levels dropping like a Tesco battery the only good news was I would not have to ride the TTR. Now down to 3 riders and 3 hours to go I decided to start running the clock down by riding 4 laps at a time, which on Johns' CR125 was no pleasure at all, he confirmed this by telling me, he would be more than happy if I blow it up. One more set of 4 on the CR left me with my last 4 on the Yz; this could close my riding out with only 30 minutes for Ollie and John to wrap it up. At least I could open my first Leo beer before the eighth hour ticked past. Having sent the `pig' back to the shop, I sank a few beers before riding my other WR back home, skipping the presentation and the bullshit which was going up as quick as the beer went down. Results to be posted on www.enduroracingthai.com . Although I received a message from my team mates that they had picked up our 3rd place award, knowing the 2 teams ahead of us where out to win with mixed Falang and Thai riders. I'd just say "we where the winning all falang senior team". For me, it was just another weekend in Toyland. Enjoy your riding Taff

Bangsaray Enduro 5/8/07

Bangsaray enduro was the decision after Friday evening out with `Lu- Lu', along to monitor my alcohol consumption. (although I'm sure she drinks thai whisky quicker than my Leo beers) Here at `last minute Thailand' I had waited nearly 10 weeks since the first championship round had been postponed at the last minute with no information available to Farang, who are out numbered by at least 6:1 at events, although contributing sponsorship and support to the growth of this sport. Try to contact thai F.I.M.at fmsctthailand@hotmail.com to ask what infrastructure & information is available to a sport that could be really first class in every respect is still pending. (Infrastructure is not bamboo poles lashed together with string). Weighting up this weekends' choice between a small club event or the first two day of a three round Thai national championship, was not too difficult, because haven ridden 4 weeks earlier ,at what was regarded as a well organized & executed event. I have thrown my hat in with the sponsor www.bellevueproperties.net  of this local event. An earlier morning walk to 7eleven revealed a nice overcast sky. Although riding would be on dirt tracks, scrub jungle and newly cut special test in the jungle curtsey of the event sponsor Matt Brennan ktm450.Purchasing my supplies I knew a least 4 litres of water with electrolyte would be required to avoid dehydration. This was also the first event on my recently arrived Steve Plain prepared Yamaha wr250F, in keeping with the low budget thai riders have, I decided to use an old 6 day trick of riding, along with my kit to the start. Still with my comp 3 tyres from last weeks' 200kms in `death valley' & `07snowrun, 06Cambrian rally &2 day crychan still on, there wasn't much more tread left for the 25 kms ride from the shop to the start.

Unlike stories I had heard in Phetchabun at the Maxxis 4day international where rather than ride a 90kms liaison section nearly all on tarmac, bikes and rides seemed to be appearing fresh and well rested at the next check, with later numbers already waiting as other riders suffering heatstroke and dehydration under clear skies at 40C +temp.arrived a little less prepared to start SS1. . So arriving promptly at 8.00am I am invited to Matts' house for a coffee, as he was surprised to see me turn up without the unusually thai support crew, my boys had a shop to open as their boss ran alone. The Pattaya 8hr on Sunday august 19th(their day off) will be the first chance to come along. An enthusiastic Thai army of marshals cut their teeth in the dark art of coarse building, resembling http://www.enduronews.com/dkcrychan.jpg  (T.E.reg17 (a) providing an obstacle to challenge all classes of rider) Starting in one group, lead by `cam' we rode liaison section to jungle, where a course had been marked. Dialing into the local geographic, I find myself able to recognize the topographic of this area southeast of Pattaya City. Two litres of water later I had arrived at the special test. With one sighting lap to use and plenty of time available, this was quickly used up, along with the water. After an hour of mayhem and eventually completing the course, I had worked it out, this had been designed as a last man standing format, working my way past enthusiastic young thais on step thrus' wearing their work boots or trainers, I'm sure the odd one had no crashhelmit on, I managed a loamy climb up a hill through hanging vines that can stop you dead if you get tangled in them, a tight u-turn a the top with a short drop into an opening although another cutting had dead branches covering the entrance turned on up to the right, but having dropped down into the clearing I could see what the marshals must have considered to be their `dead crow hill'. Now alone at the foot of this last climb, it seemed a good time to tackle the hill before anyone else arrived. with nobody about to witness a embarrassing moments, amazingly I managed it, as I then found this extra climbing loop dropped back down over the dead branches on to the earlier u-turn to the drop, as I could see the first of the stepthrus' scrabbling up the first climb. I continued on around the course Back at the start I was first to attempt the timed run, which given the percentage of abandoned bikes with riders seating around drinking and talking. I still remained focused on the challenge, a clean ride back around, missing the debris, straight into a second just to prove the point. Back at Matt home for a presentation with plenty of Leo beer and food, abandoning the bike for the night, I accepted a lift back home.

Another day in toytown taff

Its' all in a days riding !

Imagine stirring every morning with beautiful girl who looks after your every domestic need. Imagine being waved off as you ride away to meet a group of trail riders all up for a great days riding. Imagine riding through the early morning countryside covered with small holdings with a happy wave from the locals out tending their crops and livestock. Clearly your not in the UK. But this is Thailand where if respect the locals, they will be as friendly and helpful as anyone could expect. So 8.30am off to set to do 160kms in 5hrs actual riding. 95% on dirt. Varying from sand tracks around farmland, round an enduro coarse (6kms hard going between trees).up in the mountains (hill actual) disappeared into cloud. Then with thunder lighting 2 seconds apart (has anybody on bike died, I thought not because of the rubber tyres!) .pissed down with rain for one hour. Going from dry at 28-30 degrees to about 20-23C in the rain. At this temperature and humidity its’ a pleasure to keep riding, only then stopping for lunch in a small town with a bar/restaurant in the centre. The local boys gather to admire the bikes, the girls seemed more commercially aware in offering use something else which is not required in the middle of a trail ride. Anyway getting dried off & accepting a body massage while eating your lunch is plenty of relaxation at lunchtime. Fed and fueled up its’ back to a mountain section resembling a trail of something between Pant-glas and a hill just above Dulverton in exe valley but about 10 times as long. (not for the average trailrider) then linking up some fast farm tacks back to one of the guys home to sink some beer, reminisce and relax some aching muscles

chow taff

My First Thai Enduro - Sunday 2nd July 2007.

Turn up, pay your 6 quid entering seniors (over 40) & show a crash helmet with a strap that works. Put your bike straight into the parc-ferme as they must assume all farangs’ have well serviced bikes. All signing on by 10 am, riders meeting 10.30.am, start at 11.00 am. Liaison section 12kms. SS1 6.5 kms timed straight away. Liaison 5kms. SS2 9kms timed. In for lunch stop while all 120 bikes at one per minute finish these stages. Then SS3 reverse of both tests joined together; return to start area in town to 3 laps of a motocross track in best placed groups of 10. The 5 classes consisted of 18 Thai experts on enduro bikes - including the Thai national champ & other Thai hotshots. Seniors 8 falangs (foreigner) & about 14 thais on enduro bikes/trail. The other 70 or so made of modified thai manufactured step throughs, 125 wave/four stroke. 125/twostroke.openfourstrokes.

After getting my ass out of bed at 6.30am, meeting 5 of the other falangs, arriving at start about 8.45am. We eventually rode off at 12.30 pm.As seniors we were second into SS1 after thai experts, 3rd up I was about the 18th to start the stage, about halfway around a Vic Madley marked coarse, I meet half a dozen Thai coming backwards on the coarse. Although avoiding them, I completed the coarse only to return for the restart. I never did both to inquire why ? This time SS1 & SS2 went without further delays although in true enduro fashion I would claim my first untimed run was quicker than the second as I dumped it as I braked on greasy clay before a 90 degree left on to hardgravel.The event was held just north of Rayong on the south coast of the gulf of Thailand. Presently it is the wet season; although it seems to be early morning or night heavy storms appear. There was plenty of water running in the streams we crossed and overnight rain had left deep puddles and a prefect racing conditions, overcast cloud all day with temperature about 28 C No other major problems, with some nice scenery around the lunch stop, I chewed the fat with my colleagues drifted back to the finish, waited around sinking beer as the results appeared, disappeared, reappeared a few times with a lot of discussion in thai. Eventually I received my 5th place award in the seniors behind my two falang colleagues 1st & 3rd, with two thais spitting us up.

Having now seen the opposition, I’d better leave the drink alone the night before, The best information I have out here is the enduro sport is very popular with all interested parties, although what national organization there is, seems under funded and split, so plenty of reasons to stay here and help out.

Cheers Taff alandavies208@tiscali.co.uk