Sparkling in the morning sun. Freshly washed. Gears tweaked, tyres inflated to just the right pressures and the forks tuned. It’s the attention to detail that’s important when preparing a bike for racing.

First race for a while this weekend, the final of the Gorrick Spring Series. Haven’t raced a mountain bike (or any bike come to mention it) for a while, so it’s a venture into the unknown. How will the legs respond? Will the lungs explode? I’ll only know the answers once the flag has been dropped on Sunday morning and the race begins.

I’ve given my bike a good wash. Important to have your bike sparkling before a race. Yes it’s going to get muddy, but you can’t turn up to the start line with a dirty bike. Bad karma that is. I’ve also fitted some new parts; WTB’s Moto 2.1in treads, new Alligator disc rotors and a new RockShox SID fork.It should be a bit lighter, and it is: 21.14lbs on the scales. Just need to fit some new foam grips I’ve been wanting to try for ages, and it’s ready to go.

Yes, those are 26in wheels. Retro. Smaller wheels are still lighter…