And the guys with the "High five" and "Pull a wheelie" on the ascent up to the bridge cross over. They were only there for 1 of my laps but I got the hi5 in, couldn't manage the wheelie though.
Bike Forum
what was you best and worst bit from Mayhem 2011?
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Posted 11 months ago #
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My best bit was my idea to set up the now infamous
"JUMP OF DOOM"!!!!
With not riding this year I felt I had to entertain both myself and especially the riders.
So was created the ""JUMP OF DOOM" !!!!!!
That little jump certainly seemed a favourite with most riders, especially so for a lot of the solo riders, it s bought many a smile to most peoples faces...
Felt sorry for one chap, who pointing to the 1st blue larger jump which was in front of the
"JUMP OF DOOM"
said "Ah the "Jump Of Doom", and then proceeded to jump it...
Was then told after exiting the blue jump, and pointing to OUR jump that in fact.
"NO THAT'S the "JUMP OF DOOM" !!!!!!
He immediately heads for our jump, jumps it front end washes out and off he goes, hits the grass with quite a clatter, and proceeds to travel for at least ten meters from point of take off !! (the one and only faller).
We all pipe up.....
That's why we call it the "JUMP OF DOOM"!!!
Brushes himself off and off he goes.....
So thanks to all the riders that showed the appreciation for our little piece of handy work. I didnt do it all myself I was ably assited by Andy Chadwick and crew.
Cheers lads Jezz Scarratt "One legged and Ok !!!"Posted 11 months ago # -
Best Bit: Jump of Doom! Jump of Doom! It needs to be a feature EVERY year! Had trouble getting crossed up on it but it made me chuckle all the way up the lovely climb to the obelisk.
Worst Bit: Could have done with at least a dozen more stutters in the stutter bump teeth rattler. Wicked! Oh. And I forgot the Banana suit for the grand last lap this year. Doh!
Banana!
Posted 11 months ago # -
The jump of doom certainly helped me through some dark solo moments as did the encouragement from you guys, thanks
Posted 11 months ago # -
Best Bits
Jump of Doom was ace - even jumped it one one of my laps! Found all the riders I met /overtook/overtook me to be really good natured and courteous. Not using the granny ring for any of the course (except 1 little bit at the top of the Kenda climb on lap 3). All the supporters. Girl riding for Scott looked fantastic in lycra (she wasn't the only one who looked great, just the only one I noticed as I went up the monument climb. Great atmosphere, great team.Worst Bit
F###wits with a big generator in the caravan/tents next to me. When I asked (politely) if they could turn it off at 10.30 and then again at 11.30 to be answered with "I am not sure if we can". Won't be getting a kitchen fitted by them!Posted 11 months ago # -
Bad first - aggressive s African photographer with long lens pushing past my sister in law and 3 yr old to get a shot down the start straight of the run. He then decided to move left and blocked another photographer. When he made a gentle sarcastic remark the guy turned and told him to be quite with no sense of proportion V menacing and a knob of the highest order.
A bit too much up and down the camp site at the end of the route. no sleep as my available slot was the party hours for everyone else.
Good: putting in lap times of which I was proud. Good company at camp. Dawn lap with views over malverns(albeit seeing home from the top and having a deep yearning for my bed). the lass who paced me all the way from arena to the hill before the north face cottage and then encouraged me to go fo it (best legs at MM award). Nailing all the tricky bits on all 5 laps on my summer "dry" tyres. The top marshals at the last road crossing. Loved itPosted 11 months ago # -
Best Bits - the whole thing, Jump of doom, having 4 newbies in out two teams and all of them surviving intact and wanting to come back again.
Worst bits - getting too wrapped up at night looking after and sorting out teammates and then having a last minute light failure and being late to transition for my buddy who had just bust a gut on his lap....sorry Rob!
Entering the arena uphill at the finish again, much better the previous two years coming in from above and being able to really nail it down the finishing loop on slighlty rested legs.
Quavers -theyve been better, seem to ahve alot of inexperienced staff who didn;t know what they were doing and lacked a basic food hygiene understanding: changed queue to avoid the lass on the left hand end with the purple painted fingernails after watching her antics - I don't really fancy food poisoning if i can help it to make MM more challenging. Avoided Quavers totally after that. Shame. Indeed, bring back Wilfs - Garlic Bread - "It's the Future!"
second the lack of cover over transition, would have got mighty busy in those stalls below if it had rained more during the event itself.
Posted 11 months ago # -
Best bits:
The dawn lap, beautiful and the appearance of the sun was so welcome.
The jump of doom, the girls handing out haribo to any girl riders and the kids giving out high 5s, asking for bunny hops and skids, brilliant!
Getting bullied out of the way by someone rude at the top of the steep rooty drop only to blast past him with one foot clipped in (from where I'd had to stop at the top of it) when he got off to walk down it!
Oh and placing 14th in sport mixed on my first OSMM without realising we had a chance of finishing so high up
Worst bits:
The top of the kenda climb on lap 2 hurt, really hurt!Posted 11 months ago # -
was the "jump of doom" the little wooden one down by the sumo disco about halfway through the lap. It picked me up getting a cheer doing it every lap.
Posted 11 months ago # -
Worst: Running out of water and food on my night lap and getting SUMO'ed for awhile. That and the crazy amount of riding down and then back up the same slopes on grass in the arena for no apparent reason.
Best: Pretending I was breaking the sound barrier down the last stuttery descent on a hardtail ("Buffeting! Buffeting!"). The girl who shouted "well held" when I went into a bush during an overtake. Also trying (and failing) to keep up with some of the Charge and JMC team riders.
Only saw the jump of doom once, as I passed it
Posted 11 months ago # -
" Indeed, bring back Wilfs""
I utterly agree.
Posted 11 months ago # -
What ratios were the single speeders running??
Posted 11 months ago # -
34:16 switched to 34:17 after 2 laps. Hard work, but worth it!
Teammates were 32:15 then 32:16 once he had my cog off me, another 32:16 and a 32:20 on a 29er
Posted 11 months ago # -
changing gear on a singlespeed mid-race? how odd, would not just taking a geared bike be simpler?
32:18 on a 29er, same as always
Posted 11 months ago # -
We weren't expecting so many hills. Mine's a flip-flop hub so usually only takes a minute... except when your buddy wants your cog. Broke my chain whip too
Posted 11 months ago # -
We weren't expecting so many hills. Mine's a flip-flop hub so usually only takes a minute... except when your buddy wants your cog. Broke my chain whip too
Did someone tell you it was riding around flat fields?
Posted 11 months ago # -
Best bits: Rolling into our pits each lap to be greeted with a full on party, everyone seemed to be having so much fun I barely wanted to leave (strangely this feeling grew as the race went on...).
The way the course sped up as it dried.
A shiny clean bike waiting for me every lap.
All the encouragement from other people while riding - I had no idea that many people knew (or cared) who I was Worst bits: The fact that I could barely climb/descent stairs yesterday (and they're not exactly fun today either).
My lame jumps off the JUMP OF DOOM.
Ripping my shorts on the 2nd lap and having to ride round with my arse hanging out!Posted 11 months ago # -
Did someone tell you it was riding around flat fields?
It was definitely a tougher course than 2008 when I last rode it!
Posted 11 months ago # -
Best:
Utterly nailing it on the last section of downhill, going as fast as I possibly could pedal and having spectators ring cowbells as i zoomed past!
Some girls handing out free water as we passed back into the arena area. Much appreciated!
My night ride even though my light only lasted one lap, it was a great experience.
The technical, rutty wooded areas with tight twists and turns
Utterly faultless and well performing bike! Not a single technical glitch! I don't know if thats down to the bike or my fettling expertise!
Worst:
Really really sore arse that almost stopped me from riding my last lap
The off camber bit
Came off twice at low speed.No sleep. At all.
Really crappy service at the food tent. Really crappy food. Expensive too.
Posted 11 months ago # -
Team Sumo were on 32:20 in the main, with one 32:18 for one chap. Well we were heavier than most and certainly sweating more than most.
Best: All the banter from riders and spectators, but especially riding behind geared riders and having a chat, then as they reach for a lower gear on a hill, getting out the saddle and passing them. You could almost hear chins hitting stems as they realised they had been "sumo'd".
Worst: can't think of one, except wanting to ride more laps - thought the course was a great.
Posted 11 months ago # -
CiderRiderRich, I take it 32:20 was on a 29er..?
Posted 11 months ago # -
Hope you guys enjoyed our retrobike retro disco with light show ,will apologise in advance though for the heckling on the megaphone by some of my fellow retro bikers
Posted 11 months ago # -
I passed one sumo guy at the bit right near the top at the obelisk, I called "on your left fatty", and the bloke in front turned around, I think he did then realise I was probably not being quite so insulting, he seemed ok with it! Only saw the jump of doom once, and too late to hit it!
Best bits: my last lap being my fastest of the race, the course being dry and grippy, the sun out and knowing I was nearly done, The encouragement on the Kenda Klimb, the random shouts, the high 5s.
Worst bit: standing in transition waiting for my first lap and it starting to pour with rain, I just thought "is this it!?", thankfully it wasn't!
Posted 11 months ago # -
Errrr no....... 26" Whippet. My best lap was a 1.22 I think - not flying but ok for the atire and for most of the ups - we had a lot of gravity helping on the downs.
Posted 11 months ago # -
Why apologise crezzy?
The heckling was hilarious!
Posted 11 months ago # -
Best - having done a couple of laps on the rigid, I moved onto the hard tail with lighter (non mud) tyres at about 2pm. My move to was very well timed - exciting and quicker (although not reflected in times). Just like when the F1 guys go early to slicks and it pays off.
Worst - not being one of the guys in the team affected by the muddy, wet laps.
Other good - Indian at 7 or 8pm was pretty good.
Posted 11 months ago # -
Best .- Riding for Team Bullheart ( what an eclectic mix of skills and nonsense) Meeting Sharki , Mamdirt and Njee . cruising up behind MTQGraham and sending him the std " Hello MidlandsTrailQuestGraham , its Singletrackmind here" He got at Erlestoke 12 . The fact i am now able to almost enjoy enduro races .Ok so 1.12 is never going to win anything, in any category, but on a personal level Im happy with it. The chirpy mood of the girls coming in to changeover in the middle of night . nutters .
Worst. SomaRich getting confused with who was who and geting me out of a nice warm sleeping bag 2 hours too early for a night lap, when i then had to stand around shivering for another 30 min in changover as i waited, and waited . The velcro treaclemud was rubbish , and i regret not removing the mudx's and giving the larsens a go for the lsat lap, as the parts you needed a full mud tyres for were a small percentage of the lap
Posted 11 months ago # -
Worst Ending up riding in the Expert Mixed Category as we were down a rider.
Best Having a good race for 6th/7th/8th in the category. Nearly keeping up with a fast girl from one of the other teams and realising I can work that hard on a bike.
Posted 11 months ago # -
Best:
-Jump of Doom
-Opening up the taps on some of the downhills
-Awesome camp and team
-The rain holding offWorst:
-All the empty gel wrappers over the course. Disgusting.
-Getting off my 6am lap to find that my team-mate had taken the difficult decision to stay in bed and having to go round again.
-Running over the bloke who crashed in front of me off the Jump of Doom!
-Getting shouted at for not calling a side when I overtook a couple of people. I felt really bad. If that was you, I'm sorry.
Posted 11 months ago # -
What ratios were the single speeders running??
32:20 for me, rigid 29er. Good fun though, although the ups were a hell of a slog...
Posted 11 months ago # -
Best bits - dusk lap, dawn lap (I was the loon half way up to the summit taking pictures), JUMP OF DOOM, final lap when all my mates camped up trackside and cheered me on, the really cool Sumo singlespeeders, on course teaching from some chilled out riders, looks of amazement when riders hear that I've only been riding for 4 months, owning a magic bike with special mud repellent properties, chilling with a couple of retro bikers at the North Face house dishing out jelly babies to all and sundry, weather was better than forecast
Worst bits - Ankle seized up good and proper by the end of lap 2 so had to stop maybe half a dozen times to massage it, being unable to see down the last descent as my eyeballs were bouncing too much and the realisation by the end of my first lap that I'd be coming back next year...
Posted 11 months ago # -
-Getting shouted at for not calling a side when I overtook a couple of people
People need to chill, unless you actually cause them a problem I can't see the issue.
I saw one guy properly laying into Liam Killeen for not calling. Started shouting "YOU'LL COME PAST WHEN I F**KING LET YOU PAST" in the first bit of singletrack. Very unnecessary, it wasn't even a bad manouvre, the guy maybe had to dab the brakes, but he was rather slower than Mr Killeen, who was long gone!
Posted 11 months ago # -
LOWS, Hearing someone at the top of the Kenda Climb say "nice 29er singlespeed" and then follow it up with "oh no, he's got a hub gear". I had a spare wheel with me and if only I could have found someone with an 18T freewheel for sale it would have been a singlespeed.
Getting bog all sleep on the friday night due to the rain rattling on the roof of the van.HIGH, Camping trackside with the Sumo gang. There were 28 of us all in.
The whole area being safe enough to let my ten (very nearly) year old go off on his own.
Finding that the final bumpy descent feels smoother on rigid forks once you get ABOVE 26mph.Posted 11 months ago # -
I didn't find any problems with passing whilst I was out. I'd call ahead "can I get past when there's space" and say "thanks after. That seemed to work.
I may not have been in line for a podium but when you've put the effort in on the climbs the singletrack and descents are the payback and I wanted to make the most of them.Posted 11 months ago # -
I found everyone very courteous. I did crash into someone on the bridge, she wobbled into the line I was on (I'd not called admittedly), she seemed a bit annoyed, I apologised, we both stayed on though!
Personally I only call on singletrack or when I think someone may move onto the line I'm on - if it's just fireroad then I just go past.
Posted 11 months ago #
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