So – I don’t claim to be a celebrated author and this will be full of grammar errors etc but it’s mostly written on the hoof. So 0 If you don’t like it jog on! This blog has been created because anyone who knows me will know I get fed up explaining something more than twice and I have had quite a few questions about how to get to Romaniacs etc so I decided to record my journey so I can get grumpy and point them here!

Anyway – my name is John Shearer and  I have been riding bikes of and off since I was 14 years old. My first one was a TY80 then a TY175 about the same time as Graham Jarvis was on tv for junior kickstart. Graham Jarvis became the king of hard enduro – I became the king of hard enduro in my head! These TYs were kind of special they original belonged to a famous musician from here – Phil Coulter – his sons!

After 20 years of riding on road, track and making up numbers on the clubman’s short circuit scene covid arrived and that knocked the on track activities on the head. Sometimes things didnt go quite to plan on the track!

Even when the restrictions were lifted on track was still really a no go as the race officials be didn’t want to flood NHS A and E with selfish bike racers looking for their fix and chucking themselves into the gravel then getting carted………so that meant no bikes for me…………..That was until some of my track buddies told me get yourself an enduro and come out with us!

My first few excursions were ultra painful, exhausting and had me crying for me mammy but I persisted and nearly 4 years later I’m still riding and taking part in every race I can timewise. I have watched highlights of Romaniacs and thought that looks good but no way THEN last year I decided it was now or never and I registered. I will record what all I have done as I go along and what you need to do to get there.