Just got back from SITS where I heroically drank tea and sat about in the sun.

Congratulations to Mrs Flash for 4th in solo. Not bad for somebody who wasn’t sure if they should even bother turning up.

Also well done Mr Sparkle who look on the brink of death but was still top 6 in vets solo.

And finally, a “Good Work Fella” to Terrahawk for getting on the podium in the solo category on the Ragley Ti prototype.

Any other tales of daring do? I say Rockitman George looking very pleased with himself and Twinkldave looking less pleased as he dropped out from second in the solo on the other team Ragley, after being in the lead earlier.

Top work. At least you had nice weather for a change.

Great weekend for it, well done Mrs F and Happy buffday!

I was chatting to Terrahawk this morning and he was telling me about Brant popping over with a Ragley Ti prototype. Well done on the result mate 🙂

I thought it was muddy!?

It was.

awesome performance from Rob Dean there in the middle of the Podium picture

1st place on his first solo 24!

Well done to the regulars off here I cheered and jeered on,I,m feeling a tad sun stroked/hoarsey throat, and I feel as though i rode even though I did not throw a leg over anything including a bike.

Well done to JB who was asking for advice off here last week 21 laps on his first solo 2nd in subcat vets, bad show there were no podiums for those guys.

bad show for no beer Sat afternoon too…. 😯

Cheers Harry, nice to see you yesterday.

Have to say I am over the moon. Kept to my goal which was to keep going and not have any long stops, and did one over my lap goal of 12. I also honestly could not have done another lap.

Massive well done to Terra who not only came 3rd but also cheered me on each time he saw me.

I definitely made the right decision, had a great weekend, and plenty of fuss made of me 🙂

Sounds like a good birthday Mrs F – congratulations!

Wow, well done all. Especially Mr Sparkle, he's really old you know.

Congrats Terrahawk (didn't know that was you), and a superhuman effort from Rob getting 26 in!

I was pleased just to complete despite the extra-sticky mud and made a big push to get in 11 laps in my first solo 24hr. A great weekend, with beautiful weather and the friendliest bunch of people; those breathless words of encouragement really helped.

Safe to say it's going to be slack day…

Oh and special mention to Eth3r who was very cheery throughout as well and kept getting people to sing happy birthday to me!

I agree Lee, the atmosphere on the course was really good I thought.

Ah I thought that was Eth3r! (Pink helmet and gloves?)

I gave him a powerlink at around 11pm, so despite walking part of the course he still put in a sterling effort! Well done mate!

Did you have the gold tassles? I had the red pompom on my helmet…

Should say Congratulations to my girlfriend… only been riding since March and won the female pairs category 🙂 Bon effort indeed.

I did a similar thing of sitting around drinking beer, washing the odd bike and fixing the random mechanical…. tough life really.

I managed to get 12 in on my first (and last)ever solo, I know how much it hurt so how the hell did the winner manage to get 26 in?
My target was somewhere between 10 and 15 so reasonably pleased with that.
Feeling a bit tired today but have the day off to rest and sort my stuff out. Was surprised when I saw my race number (1) but it made for an entertaining 24hours with loads of people cheering/heckling as I went past. All in an enjoyable experience with a freindly crowd both competing and spectating.

I thought it was Eth3r too. I didn't say hello because I don't know how you are supposed to say Eth3r. Do you say it with a 3 or is it an E? Whatever, his pink hat gave him away.

Also saw the red pompom. I assumed that somebody had stuck it there without your knowledge.

Congratulations everyone!

As Harry says I was particularly chuffed with our performance. Was riding as a pair with my mate Ron. First lap, just crossed the road and I snapped the frame on my Yeti – epic fail, dogbone & both carbon seatstays – and had to carry it 3+ miles back to the start. Got my spare bike out a Commencal Meta 6 – all set up for the alps, not racing, chucked some SPD's on it & a 1.5" back tyre and rode it for the rest of the race.

Baring in mind 16 months ago I hadn't exercised for 17 years and had lived an unholy existence running nightclubs & DJ'ing, and I don't think Ron had ever entered a race before; for us to complete 17 laps we were really pleased. Came 32/50 overall!

Thought it was an excellent weekend and everyone was so friendly. Highlights for me were:

Completing 3 consecutive laps in the dark – I was tripping by the end thinking there were foxes moving in the trees.

Riding with the guy on the fixie – was red or pink – was it a genesis? We bumped into each other 3 or 4 times and everytime I was greeted with "Oh it's Commencal man". If you read this mate, you and the other soloists make me laugh. What a great bunch of guys. As we pootle down a hill in line, 2 "racers" come flying past without any shout – Fixie: "That's it mate, you just ask and I'll give you my line". Class.

Coming back after my 2 morning laps (got 2 hours sleep) and being presented with sausage, bacon & beans on toast and a coffee by my girlfriend and Ron's wife – our pit angels!

Having our pit angels tell us to sit down and chill whilst they take the tents down and pack up! I sat on the floor jibbering but tried to help where I could 🙂

Ha, yeah the dude riding the Voodoo Wanga fixed. Mental.

The real heroes were my mate Alan (Knuts) and GF Jenny who plied me with water bottles and massages, and the 4 guys banging cowbells and old steel forks and anything else they had in their toolbox at the course-side – a real help!

Good work rockitman, that's what it's all about :o)

Had a very brief chat with Eth3r out on the course, looked to be going really well. Third time trying to do a 24-hour pairs and the first time I've managed to finish, long story… We were quietly chuffed with 11th and 26 laps, I did 14 of them and – looking at the results – if I'd put some hammer down for the last couple of laps, we could have got ninth. Then again, the moon could be made of cheese 🙂

On a black Maverick ML7 by the way, cheers to everyone who chatted out on the course. The stickiness got a bit wearing at times, but everyone seemed really good humoured and I didn't get barged into the undergrowth once 😉

Oh and big congrats both to my mate Rob who won the solo men, but also Mike who came second in a totally unexpected performance and is probably still beaming now.

I'm the real hero. If i'd entered, it would have pissed down, like it has for every SiTS I've taken part in. Fact. The fact you're all sunburnt is entirely my doing.

That podium picture of Rob with little Mike and Jase makes me smile. 😉

Well Done Mrs Flash
Mr Sparkle pipped me in the solo vets on my first attempt, managed 17 laps, happy with that considering the conditions.
HUGE thanks to all the spectators making a noise, and all the competitors for being such a great bunch of people to spend 24 looooooooong hours with.
Big thanks to my pit crew, especially wifey , who said at around 5:30 am, when the sun coming up hadn't lifted my spirits as much as I'd hoped, "well, you knew you'd feel like this around now, so that's normal: If you didn't think you couldn't hold out for another 9 hours that'd be abnormal and you would be worried about it! It's unarguable reasoning like that that had me back on the bike!

Did anyone else find that around 7 am, along the first level bit before the first proper woods they were closing their eyes "just for a few seconds" to rest them while they were riding along, hoping to rely "on the feel of the rut" to keep on the trail, or was that just me!
Off for a nap now

Managed 11 laps on my first solo, I was worried on Friday when my race number tunred out to be 13!! Very chuffed given the sticky mud that didn't want to let my wheels go – or was that my legs not wanting to go..
Great support from the clan and from a 'just recovering from flu' Robin! Cheers mate. The atmosphere was excellent on course and words of encouragement from the supporters was very much appreciated!

It was the nice sunrise warming my bones that kept me on the trail – riding up from the cold and damp village I got a second wind on that section that lasted till 2pm!

Well done Terratalk. That's quite a CV of race results you're getting together. Just think, if you'd have started earlier, you could have won 🙂
Nah, well done fella, good on yer!

Mrs Flash i got a pic of you on the muddy descent, email if you want a gopy

Should also say well done to my girlfriend's team mate in the pairs, winning with 22 laps – 11 laps each! stonking for the little ladies.

Lee is a hero (thanks for the powerlink), met MrsFlash who is ace(i fussed about your birthday), brief chat with BWD, Terra and Gingerflash too, the guys at exposure were awesome and the dudes with the cowbells, legends! really kept me going. I had a very good weekend and met a whole bunch of cool people. Not as sore as I thought I'd be.
I was a bit hard to miss, Pink helmet, racecard 69 it took me a shamefully long time time to twig, only when my friend made a face as I was putting it on the bike. Many laughs were had, I don't know what I did to earn that number, but I'm glad.

BadlyWiredDog, I spoke to a guy who was his 14th lap as a pair. Damned if I can remember what bike it was. Was inside the last 3 hours and, I think, just after crossing the tarmac for the 1st time, then going along the edge of a field before turning right uphill. I do remember him saying he'd had 20 minutes of sleep since Saturday.

My heroic's extend to a small break to my helmet on my first lap after a stack on that slippery slope. Never noticed the break and completed that and two more with helmet in that condition.

BadlyWiredDog, I spoke to a guy who was his 14th lap as a pair. Damned if I can remember what bike it was. Was inside the last 3 hours and, I think, just after crossing the tarmac for the 1st time, then going along the edge of a field before turning right uphill. I do remember him saying he'd had 20 minutes of sleep since Saturday.

Yeah, that sounds familiar, I was feeling slightly the worse for wear by then, but strangely my legs kept working. Vaguely looking forward to Kielder now 🙂

/emails rocketdog

Eth3er whats your name did shout "ether" when you went past several times but no response you seemed to be in the zone!

Rich

postie, i think you may have shouted at me on top of the rollercoasters – i was wearing the retro kona and gt jerseys…

if it was you, thanks!

Lee, were you on the light blue explosif ss? I was on the ti29er looking like I'd died at the bombhole.
Spoke to rockitman as well, I don't know how he dragged that comencal round there.

I apologise postie, I don't hear as well as I used to (this is possibly a lie, but how else do I say I didn't hear you without making like I ignored you and frankly ignoring people who are nice to you and say hello and shout your name is rude, very rude – consider me told off) it's Keitu. Thank you for the cheering if though I didn't acknowledge it.

hey mark, yeah that is me.

well done getting 12 in. the funniest (and slightly delirious moment) was you coming up the rollercoaster and the hecklers shouting "it's number one!". i was expecting rob dean 🙂

I don't think in 24 hrs I tired of hearing all manner of #13 related shouts! All part of the fun!