Singletrack Sleepless in the Saddle

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We’ve been racing. It was ace!

Wheeeee!
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We’ve been down south this weekend for the UK’s most chilled out 24-hour mountain bike race, Singletrack Sleepless in the Saddle. It rained a bit and the unlucky riders caught in the aftermath found themselves battling Catton Park’s infamous peanut butter mud for a lap, but the rest of the weekend was blue skies and sunshine. Perfect conditions for hanging out in a field with bikes, we think you’ll agree. We were there riding bikes, manning the stand and wrangling errant poodles; there’ll be a gallery appearing on the site tomorrow but for now here are a couple of pictures to prove just how lovely it was.

This hill looked flat from the track. Thankfully this verifies it's not.
Lovely woodsy singletrack just out of shot.
Missed sticker placement opportunity. Tsk tsk.
Everything feels faster at night. Even the light.

Singletrack and Pro-Velo Support would like to thank the riders for every one of the 6,952  laps completed during the course of the race; the friends and supporters who cheered everybody on (with added Singletrack cowbell); the marshals and first aiders who kept things running smoothly; the course groomers for all the fab woodland singletrack (as it was almost entirely in the trees and often amusingly dark, we’ve not got many pictures but rest assured it was tight, swoopy and lots of fun); the hot showers and flushing toilets for (mostly) staying luxuriously hot and flushing; and the trade stand and catering staff who kept you fed, watered and entertained throughout the weekend.

We’d also like to thank the event sponsors for providing the podium prizes and all of their support: Endura, Kenda, 2Pure and the Good Mountain Bike Guide.

Here,  in no particular order, are the winners:

Solo Men

  1. Mike Hall 28 laps 24:32:22
  2. Pete Crawforth 27 laps 24:03:51
  3. Nathan Judge 24:01:27

Solo Women

  1. Amy Baron-Hall 20 laps 24:04:17
  2. Gemma Bond 18 laps 24:01:
  3. Jenny Middlehurst 17 laps 24:06:07

Mens Pairs

  1. Lumicycle 33 laps 24:07:54
  2. Red Kite Cycles 32 laps 24:00:34
  3. DVATC/Cyclomonster.com 32 laps 24:22:02

Womens Pairs

  1. Pedal Sport Cupcakes 22 laps 24:52:26
  2. Pink Heifers 19 laps 24:00:11
  3. Still Only Got One Friend 19 laps 24:52:33

Mixed Pairs

  1. The North Face/Santa Cruz 27 laps 24:00:07
  2. Dirtwheels Cycles 27 laps 24:11:46
  3. Hartle/Hendry 23 laps 24:00:23

Enthusiast Men

  1. ACU 1 35 laps 24:36:20 ACU
  2. Craven Energy/C & N Cycles Crew 34 laps 24:12:39
  3. Columbia Bikefood Pronghorn Racing 34 laps 24:14:00

Enhusiast Women

  1. Craven Energy Girls 25 laps 24:14:04
  2. Gritty Kittys 23 laps 24:01:01
  3. L & C Girls 23 laps 24:13:32

Mixed Teams

  1. Team-Elite/Paul Bethell Electrical 37 laps 24:10:37
  2. Salsa Factory Racing 35 laps 24:26:16
  3. Fruit 4 London 34 laps 24:37:26

Expert Teams

  1. GWR Joyriders 34 laps  24:01:44
  2. The Heroes of Tele 34 laps 24:23:08
  3. Lloyds 1 30 laps 24:01:21

Vets Teams

  1. Cycle Shack B 33 laps 24:01:17
  2. Banjocycles.com Old Boys 33 laps 24:27:41
  3. Cycle Shack 32 laps 24:07:28

Singlespeeders

  1. Lutterworth CCRT 28 laps 24:00:38
  2. Godiva Trailriders Singlespeed 27 laps 24:00:25
  3. Richard Wilson (solo) 21 laps 24:00:05

Services Teams

  1. ACU 1 35 laps 24:36:20
  2. ACU Mixed Team 30 laps 24:06:03
  3. Screw & Washer 20 laps 24:00:08
You're all winners!

Singletrack had two office teams in, each with their fair share of 24-hour racing first timers. Although both teams were affirmedly non-competitive and ‘just riding for fun’, Singletrack Why? (Chipps, Mark, Beate, Vicki and Jenn) would like it to be known that they completed 25 laps, over Team Singletrack Ex’s 24 (Benji, RichPips, Random Dave, Charlotte and Kat). Benji got the fastest lap though (42.02). Is that a grudge match gauntlet we hear falling to the floor, or just the sound of the still-unpacked Singletrack van fermenting in the car park…?

1 34 24:01:44 GWR JOYRIDERS
2 34 24:23:08 THE HEROES OF TELE
3 30 24:01:21 LLOYDS 1

Jenn Hill was the deputy editor here at Singletrack up until her untimely death from Lung Cancer in October 2015. She was and remains an inspiration to us all here at Singletrack. Jenn Hill - 1977-2015

More posts from Jenn

Comments (9)

    Many thanks to everyone who played their part in organising the event. Its the first time ive done SSITS since it left Trentham Gardens back in the beginning, but i have to say i actually enjoyed the course more than Mountain Mayhem – probably because i wasn’t completely banjaxed after each race pace lap! Some feedback that you might find useful – there was no clear way back into the race arena from the campsite, no water camp site side and why did the ‘toilet people’ choose to empty the toilets at 3am saturday night? All in all though – a great weekend.

    I can second the constructive comments above – a better route back to the campsite would be better!

    A great weekend racing and all round fun (especially enjoyed the unofficial jump competition at the start of each lap!) and a big thanks must go to Singletrack for stumping up the required investment to make sure the event happened – cheers guys!

    Loved the race, thanks to everyone who made it happen. Shame no winners jersey’s this year as love my one from last year!

    “We’ve been down south this weekend ”

    has catton park moved?

    Catton Park is south for us 🙂

    A great weekend’s riding and racing was had by us

    The course was fun, survived an horrendous 60min weather window admirably and the atmosphere throughout the event and out on the course was fantastic.

    Well done Pat Adams, Pro Velo Support and Singletrack Magazine

    can’t get much more chilled outier than Clic 24 IMHO

    Staffordshire is down south is it?

    “Blaadie Nooorvern maankeeys” etc etc

    looks like a good time was had by most, well done!

    topangarider said: On August 8, 2011
    I can second the constructive comments above – a better route back to the campsite would be better!

    A great weekend racing and all round fun (especially enjoyed the unofficial jump competition at the start of each lap!) and a big thanks must go to Singletrack for stumping up the required investment to make sure the event happened – cheers guys

    really appreciate the feedback and had an amazing weekend with “The Jump Of DOOM!” i will upload pictures from the whole weekend. and on the note of the jump the winner of the jump competition was number 9 closely followed by number 1050. thx for the comment and will be bringing back the “The Jump Of DOOM!” bigger and better for next year so get ready:)

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