Negotiating your way up and down rocky, and at times steep, terrain might not be everyone’s idea of “a nice day on the bike” but that’s what Tamworth’s Mick Sherwood is looking forward to when he contests this weekend’s Mountain Bike Australia’s National Cross Country Championships in Armidale.
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The prominent cyclist-come-mountain biker will compete in the Expert men and is “feeling good” but not carrying high expectations.
“I’m just going there for a bit of fun. I’m not going to be competitive,” he said.
Sherwood is only a relatively new convert, making the transition from the road last year.
“I picked it up for something else to do,” he said.
“There wasn’t much racing on the road at the time.”
“I really enjoy it.”
“It’s a bit different from the road. You are on your own, riding your own race.
“It’s a lot more mentally demanding than the road.”
He has in the past stuck more to the longer races like the 12-hours in the Piney but on a friend’s recommendation thought he’d try some of the shorter stuff.
One of several Tamworth Mountain Bikers preparing to take on the country’s best, he is also looking forward to watching some of the club’s young guns “tear it up”.
“Nick Chisholm, Justin Roberts and Steve Roberts, those guys have just come on in leaps and bounds the last year or so,” Sherwood said.
“They’re in the top tier for their age groups.”
Justin Roberts and Alex Day will compete in the under-15 men, Chisholm and Joel McIntyre the under-17 men and Steve Roberts the under-19 men.
Isla Maidment will meanwhile race in the under-15 women, Ann Buchan the expert women and Alyssa Rogan the Masters 4 women.
Describing the UNE course as technically demanding, Sherwood anticipates the riders that have good bike handling skills, and can sustain the high power outputs that are required will be the one’s that come out on top.
