Round 2 of the challenging BDMCC clubman championship saw me riding my not yet run in Sherco 290. Lap 1 was to all intensive purposes a test to see how I'd fair on the new bike and would it mean I advance my riding abilities or fight an expensive bike. A wet Stonegate is the place you need to test you and your bike, the correct bike is something only each rider can answer and my own interpretations of "is this the right bike for me?" was yes. The bond between man and bike is strong, if not physical "steady" and the first opening couple of sections straight away proved I bought the right bike. The marks I lost on most of the early sections were mainly down to me not willing to over-rev the bike and trying not to become to large-boy with my confidence. The clerk of the course had done a top job with the expert route, the few section which eluded me were at the stream, or correct word would be the "Zambezi" stream. Two sections were only accessible in the stream they were 8 and 10. Section 8 followed a similar route to last year's section 7 when I hit a tree hard going down hill bending the front brake disc on the bike and nearly breaking two fingers on my left hand, unsurprisingly the thought of doing the same again didn't grab me but the Sherco gave me the confidence I needed to attempt this once more. The section commenced with a short left turn after passing through the start gates, then turning right rolling forward some ten feet to approach the point where it all went horribly wrong for me last year, I paused for a moment cleared my mind and released the brakes, the bike rolled forward a couple more feet and there was no going back, I applied the rear brake gingerly as the bike slithered forward running down the steep slippery bank and missing the trees, just before the bank levelled out I applied a little front brake and the bike came to a remarkable controlled stop, then turning the bike 90 degrees to the right, rode up around the back of a tree then dropped into the stream "see photo 20" the stream was about spindle height deep will an array of hidden rocks which caught me on the last lap - so then riding in the stream turned left for a third gear up and out exit to the stream. Section 10 fazed me by the depth of the river and even after a lengthy chat with Gary Roberts the section was to beat me on every lap.

well done to all those who laid this trial out in horrendous conditions, and thanks also to the land owner.