Just got back from the Exmoor Explorer, I thought the course was rather good this year (a bit more taxing than some of the recent ones).

course was good but some of the mud was gopping

it was fab (other than the mud) – didn't see anyone else on ss which is unusual

Excellent course ! well organised really enjoyed it and was nice to catch up with lots people i have't seen in ages too.

dc

ps saw 2 single speeders today crazy fools !!

Just uploaded the GPS route.
Garmin Connect

Yup just got back ourselves – I would say it would have been a perfectlt organised even only sl. let down by the mud – would have made some sketchy decents brilliant – Great organisation , good waymarking and nice tea and cakes mmmm. Well actualy I am sick of sweet stuff now

i take it dibbs it has our slight detour 😉

The return leg from Porlock was a bit of a dull drag, esp with the mud in the middle. But I suppose you have to get back some way. Organisation was ace 🙂 Playing 'Spot the Singletrack reader' was fun, but some of you make it to easy 😛

i take it dibbs it has our slight detour

Sorry about that mate 😳

I thought it was the best one for a while (apart from the mud). The singletrack descent off Porlock Hill alone made all the painful climbing worthwhile. Let's hope the trails are dry'n'dusty next year.

I liked the course again, shame about the thick mud in the middle of the return leg. The downhill into Porlock for the teastop was a good'un though. And great cake 😀

Was a damn good day! Shame i only found you at the finish line Dibbs, at least you didnt get me lost tho.

Best bit was the last off road section joining up the road climb with the road home.
Steve and I had a total blast down there and I seemed to gain some legs and really push the slight climb. Cheers to the fella on his bike who shouted go on lads as we passed him!
Oh… and next year I dont need so much time at the tea stops! Or the flat on the first bit of off road.

At least my detour (a couple hundred yards) wasn't as long as last year more than 3 miles).

Dibbs – what was the overall ascent of the course according to the GPS? I couldn;t see it on the link.

I thought it was dull. At times seemed like an exercise in pushing your bike up steep, goopy, unrideable trails.

Organisation was great but whoever chose the route needs to think again – preferably making more of it rideable.

nearly 6000ft Climbing i think.

I made it 5370ft climbing. It was the 4th year for me and the best coarse yet, it was muddy in places but not as bad as previous and with rain every day for close to 3 weeks I would imagine it would be difficult to find a route without it. The cakes were divine, the spirit was great and the decent to Porlock awesome. Much resect to everyone who managed to ride SS including my mate pikey. Roll on next year!

rain every day for close to 3 weeks I would imagine it would be difficult to find a route without it.

Absolutely! No much to do about that. Apart from one section (half-way through route back) I thought the trails held up well.

Results here:- Results 2009

I thought it was great! Had a great time, and will be doing it again next year. Blitzed the Dunkery descent, and paid for it the next big hill. Loved the descent into Porlock, despite going head first over the bars into a ditch.

Lost my sunglasses here:

Realised I lost my sunglasses here, gave out some of my flapjack, then walked 1/2 a mile back for them, didn't find them.

More Photo's Here Took a few photo's of other people, while waiting for friends to catch up.

I lost my Specialized Singletrack sunglasses, did anyone find them? I've emailed the organiser, but no harm in asking here too!

Great event yet again but a bit too tough for me with lots of killer climbing & I suffered big styli 😕

I stopped to help out rider No. 200 – Nigel P – who had a big off on a sharp switchback close to the T stop. I saw him at the T stop later & he didn't look a happy bunny but I left soon after. If anyone knows if he's OK I'd be grateful to know.

I've only missed one in ten years, 11 now. As usual fantastic event. Couple of climbs that were unrideable, due to the weather more than anything else, but it is England after all 😕 More than made up for by the cracking descents.

I'll be there next year and the next etc, etc.

Milkie, great pics especially the second one with the guy having a P in the background.:) Anyone we know ?

Milkie, great pics especially the second one with the guy having a P in the background.:) Anyone we know ?

He must be either putting the fire out on his bike or cleaning his broken down bike cos it's upside down 😆

Crispy Bacon,

Nigel P's a mate of mine. He decided to pack it in at the tea stop and got a lift back. I think he's OK but I'm sure he'll have a stiff knee for a while plus, of course, wounded pride.

I think about half our contingent had some kind of 'off'.

I enjoyed it but decided to stick to the short route. Worst thing was my bike (Orange 5) decided to develop chainsuck like symptoms after the muddiest sections of the outward leg, particularly in the granny ring on the steepest climbs. Eventually cured by pouring lucozade onto the chain and rings.

Thanks spinout – I'm glad he's OK as it looked pretty bad as he high sided it over the bars. Maybe he'll be back next year?

Booked my place but had to back out at the last minute. Gave my entry to someone on here so hope they had a good time.

Worst thing was my bike (Orange 5) decided to develop chainsuck like symptoms

I know my new chainset (also Orange Five)(XTR, SRAM CHAIN 971 and XT cassette (6 months old, new, 6months old) had chain suck and I know of 2 others with the same problem. Just the tons of sticky mud I think like you said!

Great ride, good organisation, and cool to see some peeps i've not seen in a while (good hardtail skills on that last rocky descent charlie!- i can tell you're going to love that orange5).

my first exmoor explorer. i'd love to give it a go at full tilt next year as i reckon it would be cool to 'race' that distance without going round and round in normal xc-course circles. but at least i got to stuff my face on flapjack, cake, and jelly babies on the tea stops. again, great organisation on the food front as well as the course.

i just wish there were more events like that on the SW moors…am thinking of the newham 60 now…

Hey Charlie i was rideing with steve r and Lee, and yourself,on the last part of the course, good to meet you mate! had a blast for my first event and hope to be just a little quicker next year….great day out well organized and still cleaning the shit off my bike!!!! cheers Scratch

hey scratch…cool to ride with you outside of the ilfracombe loop! just gutted that you beat me 😉

Exmoor is great.

Couldn't do the EE, but the British heart foundation are doing one next month with a wide choice of routes. Coincides with Porlock carnival too. Can't wait.

Below is an email from the marshal at the top of the Zig Zag that led to Porlock Rec and the tea stop. You made his day!

"What and exciting place to Marshall.

5 riders managed to hit the gate and throw themselves down the 6 foot drop into the holly bushes taking my umbrella with them. The first one over was rather alarming but they all came out unharmed apart from a few scratches. Another 50 or so managed to visit the bushes down the Zig Zag.

As the later numbers arrived I was suggesting they may like to walk through the gate. One of these looked at me as though I was barmy – shot through the gate and buried himself in the bushes at the first bend. There was 3 hours between the first and last rider. Otherwise everything went smoothly.

Same spot next year please!

Congratulations on another great event"

Well I wasn't one of those thankfully 😉 but I do remember that section – would have been OK if the riders ahead hadn't back up and stopped and you could get a decent run up 🙂

He's right it was a fairly funny place to watch. I liked the guy infront of me, his technique was to let go of the bars and grab an overhanging tree tarzan stylee 🙂 Didn't work though.

Hey Rex, nice one mate, hope you had a good one? you riding wednesday? fully recovered now, need some more fix…..

didn't see anyone else on ss which is unusual

I only saw one complete nutter… Going up hill, he got off his SS bike, and started running up the hill with his bike! Was that you Clink?

Nigel P? Was that the guy on the LandRover bike, who's front wheel exploded?
Dibbs think my mate followed you the wrong way, I was waiting at the water crossing for aaages, he said he followed someone the wrong way.

I rescued the Land Rover bike man, he was kerry packered, nothing wrong with his bike.
Unless there were two of them?
We sent Exmoor Search and Rescue out after #200 Nigel P, they were getting bored, and were very disappointed to find he had scarpered and made his own way back to the tea stop.
The urge to get to the flapjack/cake is obviously overwhelming.

Dibbs think my mate followed you the wrong way, I was waiting at the water crossing for aaages, he said he followed someone the wrong way.

I just checked my GPS tracklog and my detour was 0.3 mile and 6 minutes max I very much doubt it took anyone aaages 😉

Rex… that last flat and downhill were awesome! Kinda got the legs back for that and had a blast. Got to the point where I couldnt even cover the brakes! Took quite a bit of work avoiding the drainage channels.

Cheers for the company to you both!