The gentle art of crashing.

Recently a lot of people have been stopping me as I ride down the street and say, "Hey Neil how do you have so many awesome scars and yet stay so lithe and youthful".

These questions have made me wonder... Do I have a skill that I could share with others? Is this yet another thing I'm awesome at? What seat clamp will look best on my hardtail?

Crashing protocol.

Rule #1: Always protect the face. Your face is your money maker and it pays to stay pretty.
Rule #2: Place the bike gently on the ground. If it says Baum on the side it's worth keeping as pretty as your face.
Rule #3: Tuck and roll, keep extremities tucked to your body and roll with the momentum of the fall. If you try to stop yourself you'll come off second best.

Rule #1 is the most important of all, from there you must follow each law providing it doesn't hinder you following the one(s) above.

Once you've stopped rolling around the ground, stand up, brush yourself down and adjust your kit like a euro pro winning a classic (socks equal height, jersey straight and zips done up).

From this point begin to check your bike and subsequently your body for any damage. If limbs are missing check the surrounding area and tuck them discretely in jersey pockets. The comfort of surrounding riders is paramount, so stay composed and polite at all times.

If these instructions have helped you, then I'm glad, but if you're still unsure, come follow my lines, you'll soon be an expert yourself.

GMBC Racing

Tomorrow is the first of the GMBC winter series at the You Yangs. The series starts with a 3 hour enduro and includes a time trial, a crit and the final race is a handicap. Lots of fun. See www.gmbc.com.au for more details.

We will be there, and we will be helping the club sell some raffle tickets. Baum and the club have got together to raffle an Espresso single speed MTB frame and rigid fork with all proceeds going to the building of toilets at the Stockyards area of the You Yangs. The raffle will be drawn at the You Yangs round of the National Series.

See you tomorrow, ready for some fun racing

Rock Hop photos

As predicted, it was a mud fest. It was not a really bad, slog through sloppy mud affair, but it was slippery, wet and muddy. Here are the photos...









Neil looking very serious....


....and not so serious

Rock Hop at Beaconsfield

As I write this, the rain comes down outside - relentless and wet. 24 hours from now I expect to be cold, wet and waiting to head off for a lap on a track that has been thoroughly churned up by the 500 people who have done a lap before me. I don't know what our results will be like, but I do know that I will be about to get myself and my bike covered in mud. Should be GREAT FUN!!!

I will take a camera along and get lots of wet muddy photos which I will post here, just as long as the camera survives.

Until then....

GMBC Crazy 6 at the You Yangs

Neil survived the Single Speed Nationals down in Tasmania (see the previous post) and fronted up with the rest of Team Baum (Darren Baum, Harbo, Neil, Jim, Ryan and David). Oh, and Prue Baum managing the whole show with sons Will and Luca racing in the kids race.

Despite the harrowing time in Tasmania, Neil was riding hard and having fun as were the rest of the team. What followings is a pictorial essay for the day.


Jim waiting for the start


The Baum stable


Darren coming down the hill just before the finish....


....around the corner....


....and off to transition




David interviews Neil. What is that man thinking?


David


Ryan refuelling






Harbo looking fresh, despite it being late in the race