So, as usual … I sign up well in advance for a race … and invariably I arrive at the event the night before … fly in after a few days of work fueled madness … this time however the madness was Webstock and it was just so damn good that I was on a total high.
One of these days I will actually have some kind of “normal” buildup prior to a race – something where I spend the week prior to the event actually preparing in the right way …
After many days of solid rain, the heavens cleared and we had a blissed out, clear and warm day for the 2010 Coppermine Epic and Enduro. My far better half and I were in the Enduro and Epic respectively.
To be really picky, it would have been better had it been drier but we weren’t to know that until later 
We arrived at the race start venue with everything ready to roll. The atmosphere was very relaxed and very … local … with a lot of Nelson based riders having entered the event. As both of us found out, the locals are great, always happy to chat even when there’s not much left in the lungs!
After a quick dousing of tyres with some anti didymo treatment, the bikes were ready, we were ready and soon enough the race rules were read and we were all lined up to go. The Epic riders went 5 minutes ahead of the Enduro. I lined up roughly in the last quarter of the field, and it might have been a better idea to put myself a bit further out front…
The race started and we quickly were off the sodden momentum killing grass and onto hard packed single track goodness! That ended quickly as we rolled out onto wide double track and climbed over undulations. My road bike riding was paying off as I climbed quicker and faster than most. The tables would be turned later though! The trail went up a long stretch of fire road – and topped out on a saddle where we went downhill for a short while, after which the rail trail section began …
So far the terrain was nothing new as such – singletrack, double track and fire road. However, the rail trail was something else. As the name suggests, it was a consistent gradient the whole way with a few ups and downs to make sure you were still concentrating! Otherwise, you found a gear that worked and you stuck to it … I was in the middle chainring and holding up a decent cadence as I settled in for the gradual climb up the Dun Mountain Trail. Annoyingly, I felt like puking for the first 30 minutes or so … I “rode through it” … 
We settled into groups that were moving at a similar pace, and I somehow turned into the pace setter for some. With a few folks riding behind me, I asked if any wanted to pass, and they all spoke/gasped/spat/grunted to acknowledge that they were happy on my wheel. Well OK … I just rode at my pace. I called out aloud, “so when does the feeling of puking go away?!” and everyone responded with more words/gasps/spit/grunts/(puke?) … after a while it was just me and one fella of similar build and speed from Nelson. The two of us pulled in and dropped quite a few riders on the hill climb.
The rail trail was excellent. Cool, dark and densely forested – it was a fantastic ride – and totally different to the barren and exposed slopes of the Port Hills of Christchurch. The trail is very accessible for riders of all skills and is an excellent way to gain some height and take in the astounding views of Nelson. The lovely and very friendly rail trail soon ended for the Epic riders as we were herded up a rather steep turn and up to the Black Diamond Ridge. Then, we were on foot. Pushing our bikes up sections so steep and wet that no amount of Jedi like traction control was going to let you spin your way up. I managed to ride some sections that others were walking and the very friendly riders would give way and yell out some encouragement, “come on FELLA!”. Nice … (puke?)
After what felt like about a 30 to 40 minute session of hill ride/walk/push/curse/grunt up a humid and densely forested hillside we topped out to see a man in a Safari Suit and lady in a Sequin dress offering you a beer or a ginger beer! They were real – they were not imagined – not the effects of altitude, exertion and nausea. I grabbed a ginger beer – chugged it down – said thanks and took off as the Safari Suit man told me that this is where the fun begins.
I had heard a little bit about the next “fun” stage. Gnarly ups and downs on a trail that most will only consider a walking track. The wet tree roots made for a lot of un-nerving fish tailing as you slithered your way down and then semi hucked and popped your way up until the lack of traction and control forced you to walk. Then came the bits that were just outrageously messed up. Trees fallen over, moist mulched up ground, tree roots – all at a steep angle of decent that people would walk with caution. I was about to carefully negotiate this on foot when a “FELLA” (!) came hurtling past displaying a modicum of control and a hell of a lot of nerve to actually ride the section! I had to yelp, “Come on FELLA!”.
So this went on for an annoying amount of time. I rode and walked with lots of different riders – some I was passing and others passed me. A couple of local boys told me that the wet conditions even had them on edge … and they then proceeded to drop a rather awesome set of steep steps/roots/etc … COME … ON … FELLAS!
So I adopted a technique on this section that saw me running with hands on the handlebars – trying to roll the bike over the sections I clearly could not ride. Soon enough the “detour” we took was over and I was back on the Dun Mountain (Rail) Trail. The Enduro riders got to climb the whole way up this rail trail, and they didn’t head up the (Epic) hill that the Epic riders went up. I was catching a dropping a number of riders being back in terrain that I could ride, and at a decent pace. The superbly skilled guys who were riding the harder sections earlier were now fading on the climb and I cruised past them … and I saw my partner on the way up too as she did her thing at her pace. Still smiling, still happy, enjoying the ride – she’s the epitome of someone who lives in the moment and rides for the fun of it … more power to you!
After the climb, was of course the rewarding descent and oh my … it was such a descent. The switch backs, the huge water bars and trenches were steep and deep enough that, to borrow some words from a friend, “there were soldiers dug into the trenches shooting each other”. That ended quickly and then we hit the “baby heads” section. Rocks…roughly the size of…well…babies heads. Lots of them. Never ending. Steep (ish). Keep rolling – dont stop – if you slow down the baby heads will get you. I managed to ride much of this, and walked some sections and I definitely walked the three massive drops that in my mind cannot be ridden – which is why I can’t ride them.
What followed were more switchbacks – good tight and nicely challenging ones – and we dropped down to the river below. We were asked to walk across with bikes on shoulders, and so after this was a really (really) fast section of double track and firetrail. W00t! Superb riding…
This then quickly ended and we were on a wide gravel road that led us down to the same sections we had ridden on our way up – just doubling back for the last few kms. Annoyingly this is where my cramps set in and I was again trying to just “ride through them”. The last sections of singletrack laid waste to a handful of riders that just had none left to give. As they nursed cramp, and lack of stamina, I rode past them, and received a few “come on FELLA!” as I attempted all the sections of singletrack remaining. I rode all but a very steep pinch where I committed till I almost backflipped the bike. After having walked so much of the Black Diamond Ridge I really felt like getting my money’s worth on the rest of the trail! Soon enough it was all over, and I was greeted at the finishing line by one of the organisers with a beer in hand and a handshake for a job well done…nice…you dont get that in any other race. You get nothing like that in any other race…to be fair not in any event I have raced.
In a nutshell – it was a bona fide mountain bike race. If you can climb like a whippet, descend like a demon, trial like Hans Rey then you would win the Coppermine Epic. The truth is that very few of us are blessed with holistic abilities such as this, and we all have a forte and focus. Mine is to climb hills. I love a technical climb, and a moderately technical descent and a fast swooping singletrack. I love it all actually – I just ride some bits faster than other bits. You rode to your strengths on the very diverse terrain on this trail. My hats off to the race organisers – the trail was fast enough, technical and demanding on all levels. The ambience was chilled out. People there were super friendly and the spot prizes were plenty with one lucky guy walking away with a brand new Santa Cruz Heckler…very lucky guy…let me tell you!
People – if you’re keen to test yourself – to push a little – try the Epic. If you’re keen to avoid the grunt and overtly difficult – try the Enduro. You won’t lose either way…
