Dyfed Dirt Bike Club

The Caio enduro was the final event in what has been a busy season for DDBC. With the start at Alun Davies family farm, this gave the club a hard standing paddock area and direct access into the forest from the start. Caio forest isn’t the biggest forest around but what it lacks in size it certainly makes up for in quality of track, with some fantastic single track riding available. The club had also been able to negotiate the use of farm land for access to the Pen Lan forest to increase the lap length and a field for the special test. Originally the club was concerned with low rider numbers and were at one point considering cancelling the event. So when the final starting list topped 80 riders it came as a pleasant surprise to all! At 10am the first riders set off towards check 1, a short check with plenty of time but with enough technical riding to warm the riders up for check 2. Check 2 was planned as the tightest of the day but it soon became obvious that most would easily go clean on time. Most of the experts and vet’s A had lot’s of fun seeing how fast they could do the check in after Calvin set a bench mark of 11min. Check 3 was a fun ride back to the test and finish area that included 2 long climbs where DDBC marshals had been dispatched to make sure everyone got up safely, but by all account they had a quiet day as most flew up without any drama’s.

The special test started with a long fast straight line blast across a field that led to some very slippery off-cambered turns with a few bog crossing thrown in. After some more grassy turns the test went into the forest for a blast along an old rutted track before returning to the field and some boggy turns(which claimed a few!) before the finish. Robert Reese was the fastest rider of the day and only 3 other expert riders were able to set a sub 4 minute test. Unluckiest rider of the day had to be Bret Gardner who had a fall on his sighting lap of the test that earned him a broken ankle and trip in the air ambulance. Paul Davies won the Vet’s from consistent top finisher Calvin Williams, new comer Edward Gwyther won the clubman class after a last minute change of class from sportsman. DDBC’s Chris(Snipe) Larkin beat rival John Hunt to second place and in doing so both are equal first in the final standing of the Ceredigion Championship. Mark Lonergan won the sportsman class with a test time that would have put him at the sharp end of the clubman class. Rider feedback at the end of the event was very positive with most having a very enjoyable ride.

DDBC would like to thank the Davies family for the use of the start area, the George family for their help, support and knowledge in preparing the lap. Also a big thank you to everyone that helped on the day.

A special mention must go to the Forestry Commission, St Johns and Dirt Trax for their continuing support in 2009,