23rd August 2005 :: Report by Mike Westley :: Web Link: www.redtread.com

Most off-road racers stick to riding the pastures of their own country. Not so for our Club Newsletter editor and long-time B50 sufferer, Mike Westley, who jumped at the chance to sample off-road riding in Southern Spain...

For those of you of a sensitive disposition, I suggets you stop reading now! The following article contains references to Japanese machinery and foreign food that may be distateful to some of you and even offers a chance for you to do the same at a discounted price!

While you were all whizzing round Marks Tey in a cloud of dust and Castrol R, I was basking in the sunshine of Andalucia, Southern Spain, psyching myself up for a day of riding the trails of the Sierra Almajara in the company of my brother-in-law. The day dawned bright and warm as we set off on the 40 minute drive to Competa some 2000ft. above sea level to where Redtread are based. A quick chat with Ian and Sally to assess our off-road skill levels, followed by donning of the full safety kit and a talk through the do's and don'ts of riding the local trails and we were introduced to Paul, our guide for the day. Talking, and coffees, completed we were shown over our bikes, Suzuki DR400e's with, what at the time seemed over-emphasis, instruction on how to pick one up if it should be laying on the ground.

Photos taken, we set off on a short road section to familiarise ourselves with the bikes (think overbored B40 except half the weight, electric start, long suspension, just a shade (!) more power, and very firm seat) before hitting the first of the trails. It should be mentioned here that Chris, my brother-in-law, is even less well versed in things 'off-road' than I am, so a reasonably gentle route was chosen taking us down to a practice track where we could hone our skills to perfection.

Some 2 miles along the track, heading down a fairly steep loose rocky hill with a 50ft drop to one side, Chris decides to assist the slowing down process by whipping in the clutch. Fifty yards later and at a by now considerably increased rate of knots, Chris realises his error and grabs a handful of front brake. Now on a 'proper' bike like my B50, the front brake is specially designed (?) so as not to be capable of locking up the front wheel but those Japanese chaps obviously don't understand a panicing riders needs, so in a very short time Chris is sprawled across the bike with his head lodged against a bank making strange moaning sounds ! Frantic scurrying by Paul and I manage to get first Chris and then the bike upright with a top-up of water for Chris and a quick repositioning of the clutch lever for the bike before setting off once more.

About fourty minutes later, having passed through avocado, lemon, olive and orange groves with wild azalea bushes adorning the sides of the streams and irrigation channels (I can be quite poetic at times !) we arrive at what must be a Pre-65er's idea of heaven - a huge area of public land that has all types of terrain with well defined tracks all to ourselves ! After a couple of sessions of tuition on cornering technique from Paul, we followed him round the 11/2 mile track for three laps at cruising speed before the obligatory watering stop. Paul then went off to a strategic position ready to take the all important action shots leaving us to ride round to our heart's content or at least until we had to stop for lunch at a local restaurant.

Fed and watered, we set off back into the hills and into the National Park for an exhilarating ride up into the clouds (the sun had decided to take mercy on us after lunch) with spectacular views of the 'real Spain'. The descent down was tricky in places but nothing too difficult and even Chris was smiling as we crossed the last stream before leaving the National Park and taking a well deserved rest before tackling the fifteen minute road section back to base. We'd been 'on the road' for about seven hours, including lunch and watering stops, and covered enough miles to make my knees burn and get sunburn where the sleeves of the shirt supplied didn't quite reach the gloves.

Overall an excellent day out with a knowledgeable, natural, rider on very reliable equipment. It was refreshing to get away from the extended building site that the coast has become and travel through areas where time truly seems to have stood still. Chatting with Paul and Ian afterwards, some of the trails higher in the mountains are much more challenging and provide even more spectacular views and the chance to travel greater distances at a reasonable speed, but as Chris's confidence had literally taken a thumping early on in the day we didn't manage to get up there, but I have vowed to return later in the year for a second bash !

The one element they do not mention on the web is a 'you break it, you buy it' policy, but the prices charged are discounted and only apply to items that are damaged beyond where they can reasonably be used (Chris wasn't charged for the clutch lever or scuffing to the radiator shroud / tank as they could be straightened or polished out). Having used riding gear from one of the English tracks before, it was very pleasing to find all the kit (including the helmet linings) are cleaned properly after each use. The accomodation is in the process of being upgraded and should be completed by the time you read this - a video is shown on the website.

This is where it gets interesting, or not, depending on your point of view. The owner of Redtread, Ian, has agreed to an overall discount of between 12 and 15% for a group of six or seven riders from the Pre65 Club - basically "one goes free" (that's me !) distributed amongst the group but I will expect a couple of beers as an 'organisers fee'! If anyone is interested in trying three or four days November time drop me a line or come and have a chat with me in the pits. Details of what they offer can be found on the Redtread website (www.redtread.com). Rough costs for November would be £600 for four nights accomodation (B&B basis), three days riding with lunch provided, and flights Stanstead to Granada with transfers at the Spanish end. A CD with photos of your endeavours and a library of scenic views from the trails is an additional 20 Euros.

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