So, with the Mega week only days away, we all finally received our race numbers.
923.
That puts me in qualifying group 5. And if they do it numerically, in probably row 5 of about 8 (dependant on how many per row). Which is to say there’ll be 100 people infront of me, 75 behind me, and 24 to the side/s of me.
But, it could be worse.
I could be my brother.
1319.
His qualifying group includes Nico Vouilloz, Remy Absalon and Chris Akrigg (a trials rider?). And a couple of other apparent”pro’s”. Unluky. His only respite being that JUST outside his qualifying group are even more Pro’s that you just whouldn’t wanna have to compete against.
The weather forecast only goes as far as Monday, and it shows rain. Bummer. I was hoping for sunny dry conditions. Though I ride better in muddy boggy nastiness, I more enjoy the sun and being out in it.
In other news, well, slightly other news. I was changing my cassette on tuesday, only to have the freehub body come off. Not unusual due to it’s design, but very, very fortunate. It turns out that two of the springs inside had snapped. Quick search of the internet……nobody has them in stock, and they have no estimated delivery date either. Shite!
Emergency situation kicks in. First thing on wednesday morning, I phoned HOPE (they must’ve only been open about 40 seconds as the phone rang and rang and rang….and they normally answer lighting fast). It was like 8am, and as is always the case, I was fast asleep. So it was kinda nice to have the phone answered by somebody who sounded incredibly cheery and as though they were already having a great day.
My first words were:
“hello, I hope you can help me. I’ve got one of your Hubs”
I was replied to with “GREAT!”, not in a sarcastic but an enthusiastic way. There were sounds of empathy when I groggily explained my situation and the impending mega and how it was all just death gone wrong on a bad day.
To my entire surprise, I was told to give them my address and that they’d get the replacement parts in the post right away.
FANTASTIC!
How much? I ask.
Nothing! they reply.
Even more fantastic.
You have to love a company who thouroughly enjoy making and selling their product and realise the potential and importance of good customer service. Even more so when they go to such lengths to keep current customers happy…..lots of people over look this.
Thursday morning, bright and early. I get a comp slip, a handful of stickers and TWO new sets of freehub springs AND a set of freehub pawls. You really can’t ask for better service.
And in return. I shall use more than the normal enthusiasm for them, and HAPPILY state the Obvious:
HOPE products (from Barnoldswick oop northleft) are REALLY very good. And their customer service goes above and beyond what anyone could ever ask for.
Many thanks to HOPE for keeping my bike going for the Megavalanche, and for renewing my faith in companies and customer service. You guys rock!
As for me. I’ve got a big pile of bits in the corner of the room. More bits downstairs. A bike in pieces demanding a re-build (and I’m praying I can sort the gear indexing niggles). I’ve gotta clean the car, clean and pack my gear. Get a water proof top. And come Sunday night, I’m fooking off to the bottomright of France to enter a mountain bike race on a mountain high up in the Alps. A thing I’ve never done on a thing I’ve never ridden on in a place I’ve never been at a height I’ve never had to work hard at before.
It can only go well.
I’ll be back in a week…….hopefully.
Wish me luck.
the Bear (I’m a NAME not a number! But if you have to allocate me one, I guess 923 isn’t terrible!)
http://www.avalanchecup.com/megavalanche-alpe-dhuez-liste-des-inscrits-09.html
^^ That’s actually a link, but I can’t figure out how to do the cool hypertext thing. Be oldschool and cutty pastey it.
