Potentially a bit early for new years resolutions but….

Looking for a decent good fun race within a couple of hours or so of southampton.

Not fussed if it's an enduro, xc etc… just want something to aim for. I have a reasonable base fitness so would like it to be a challenge.

What would you recommend?

Is the Salisbury Plain challenge still going? worth a trip did it a few years ago, tough and fun.

where?

and the last SPAM was crap – unless you had a cyclocross bike…

http://www.gorrick.com run a good series (mostly between the M3 and M4), and they have 2 lined up for this year (end Nov and end Dec)

You should have asked earlier, you could have entered the strathpuffer.

Army Cycling Union along with Gorrick have a series of Enduro's – Brass Monkeys

Brass Monkey Enduros:
29th Nov
28th Dec
31st Jan

Brass Monkeys

In early '10 you have:
Jan 10th Soggy Bottom XC
Jan 17th Gorrick Spring Series XC
Feb 14th Gorrick SS XC
Feb 21st Soggy Bottom XC
Mar 7th Gorrick SS XC
Mar 14th Soggy Bottom XC
Mar 28th Gorrick SS XC

Gorricks

Soggies

I think the SPAM winter challenge are always good to kickstart your years biking.
This years seemed to be made all weather friendly as its fairly hard when wet.. but turned out to be fast as **** as was frozen solid, combined with road sections made it very CX friendly. The spam blast was very good but still good for cx.
I like them, go for it i say.
Then get stuck into the gorrick races, the southern xc's & army enduros later in the year

Thanks for the suggestions – googling strathpuffer appears it is in scotland which is a bit more than a couple of hours. (maybe by plane…!)

Will look into the Gorrick events shame most of the ones this year clash with personal stuff.