Neave twins
The season is fast approaching and Tom has been enjoying his testing programme.
Well, what can I say? This is pretty much the most boring time of year, as it’s just, after all, the dodgy winter weather and just before testing in some nice sunshine. Basically, it means that as there’s bugger all proper racing going on, I’m having to work pretty hard on the farm, which isn’t cool. It’s not too bad though, and our cows have just had calves, which are basically like little Labradors, so it makes things a bit nicer. Even Tim came back to work with us for a week! I reckon it was because they were sick of him at his real job and wanted a week off, but thankfully he’s back with them now. I think he's still a bit jealous, as we did an Instagram poll on who had the best looking MX bike and obviously I won with the CRF.
As far as riding goes, I’ve been trying to spend as much time on two wheels as possible, and I’ve finally been able to give my Supermoto-spec Honda CRF pit bike a blast – and it’s awesome. It’s the first time having my own one and I wish I’d got it sooner; it is proper fast, handles like a dream and is probably the best type of training for me. I just need to enter some races over summer to keep me ticking over. That’s exactly what I’ve been doing on the CRF anyway, as I entered an Enduro last weekend, and jeez, was it hard work. I’ve always been more of a dirt track kind of guy, but I always wanted to have a go at one, so I went for a two-hour job in Derbyshire just on the edge of the Peak District. The conditions were utterly brutal and the race was a proper slog. Phil Crowe and I were the only two lads on proper MX bikes, and the 450 was properly savage and aggressive in the pools of mud and water, but I managed to bring it home third in class. I was happy with that, and 11th overall out of about 100 riders, considering it was the first one I’d done. Funnily enough as well, I was wearing a heart-rate monitor and it got me working the hardest I’d ever been! This morning at the gym I got it to 186bpm and I felt like I was being sick, yet during the Enduro I was knocking on the door of 189bpm and still soldiering on, which shows just how beautiful adrenaline is. Something has to keep me going now I'm single!
It also gave me a chance to check out my new winter testing gear. It’s absolutely incredible being supported by the best companies in the business, and when Alpinestars are one of them, they really do look after me. I mean, they even sent me a whole load of mx kit to keep me safe through winter. The race stuff they sent is awesome as well, and I don’t know how I ever lived without it, as our Vircos suits come with their airbag technology, and we’re wearing their boots and gloves. I tell you what, if I go as quickly as I look, I’m definitely going to be up the sharp end. Bring on testing this month.