Oktoberfest: The Morning After
I wake up with scratched hands, heavy legs and a booming head. Completely disorientated I reach for my phone and read, “Wow, you went for it last night! I’ll be laughing at the photos for a while!” What in heavens name happened yesterday? We wanted to meet up and exchange long-term test notes and have a cosy end-of-season session. But then cosy is not really our thing…..
The end of a long season is often like waking up after a night of boozing: the memories of what actually occurred are just a dim fog. Too much has happened, too many experiences made and too much consumed. Whilst at night it’s usually mainly about good music and a beer or two this years long-term test season involved thousands of trail kilometres all around the world – the feeling of intoxication during and hangover after are astoundingly similar.
Every one of us experienced his own stories: US-Editor Daniel in Colorado, full blood racer Jim in England and the German team on trails all over Europe. As individual as each of these stories is, they are all characterised by countless hours in the saddle with ecstatic highs, a few lows, some impacts, short blackouts after a crash or the amazing feeling on the trails when suddenly everything perfectly clicks and you can completely lose yourself to the moment. Every one of us had a fantastic season. And in order to finish it with a crowning ending we met up on a sunny October day for a chilled ride to share stories, make plans and of course most importantly: give it some one more time!
Whilst our bikes show many battle scars the trails we were riding were freshly cut. Berms and jumps had just been shaped and even the locals weren’t familiar with every line choice. Flying blind we ploughed over the fresh earth, everyone packed closely together and deep in the flow zone as we swept along the trail. A real treat! The front rider set the pace whilst all others tried to keep in contact true to the motto “whatever happens don’t get dropped”. At full speed we bombed through the woods and only slowed down when the first flat forced a break (someone had been overdoing the whips).
Of course on a ride like this everyone had been too lazy to bring the right type of pump and so the task of re-inflating a tubeless fitted tyre became a true challenge.
Whilst this took place the rest philosophised about their favourite trails, the best race experience or their personal season highlight. Of course the topic eventually moved to the potential advantages and highlights of the off-season. And so we decided, tired and worn out after a long season to give one of those highlights a chance: the Oktoberfest!
So out with sweaty bike clothes and in with the Lederhosen. Our dress code was a 180-degree u-turn into Bavarian eveningwear. All dolled up we marched out of the underground station towards the Oktoberfest. The contrast to the empty afternoon trails couldn’t have been bigger as we pushed along the crowded thoroughfares past candyfloss stalls and fairground rides heading to the biggest marquee.
The whole tent was already extremely packed and it was pure luck that we bagged a table next to a group of Oktoberfest beauties dressed up in their Dirndls.
Half a chicken and a beer later we were already in party mode and realised that the off-season at has some unbeatable advantages, at least in the evening. It was impossible not dance on the tables and even I, the ‘foreign’ Bavarian was a true credit to my new home – appropriately dressed, and with every “Prosit, der Gemütlichkeit“ * the intoxicating feeling of bliss at the crowning glory of an outstanding season grew. Here’s to the team, friendships, new adventures and experiences in the coming season!
Words and Photos: Christoph Bayer