Still on site now.
Got back an hour ago from taking my 7 year old niece for her first night ride!
She only really learnt to ride a bike last Christmas but has absolutely loved BBB. My non riding wife and 2 year old daughter have had great weekend to.
Thank you loads to Nick and the team behind the event, will be putting next year in the diary...
Stan
I won the drag race. As in "was fastest" and "nobody beat me"And that's the 2nd time I've won it
I rock.
That's official.
😀 I think that's the race I won the first year (but it was up to barrel and back?). I'll race you for it next year!
Mine are uploaded now.
Album - https://picasaweb.google.com/dezb99/BigBikeBash201102?authuser=0&feat=directlink
Some Pics:
Trackstand!
[img] 
[/img]
Chopper!
[img] 
[/img]
Mud!
[img] 
[/img]
Lycra!
[img] 
[/img]
Shore!
[img] 
[/img]
Backflip!
[img] 
[/img]
http://www.pinkbike.com/video/213737/
Check out some of the other Vidz. Couple of good ones for the lake jump
Likin' them videos!
Having said to a bunch of people (some of whom came a reasonable distance), "we're doing this, want to come along?" I was glad it turned out as ace as it did 🙂 Haybales of WIN, cool course, general relaxedness and the ability to kind of do things or not as the mood took you. Oh, and splendid beer, of course.
North meets sarf
Then, right:
We knew it wouldn't last - Sarf meets fist pie
😆
He's a big feller is that Ton, and no, I'm not just far away! Lovely bloke, lovely family. Pleasure to meet him, and many others too.
Fantastic weekend, such a great chilled out atmosphere, the perfect place for a little urban Elf to relax in the fresh country air...
Seeing the joy and happiness on so many little (and big) kids' faces makes it all worthwhile. And to see the BBB legacy in the Pump/Gravity/Northshore tracks is brilliant.
As for pics; the photographer lass, Maya, worked tirelessly all weekend, she was just everywhere! Some cracking pics; please visit her site, buy pics, as a percentage goes to the UK Youth charity as well.
http://www.mayafiddlerphotography.com/portfolio213764.html
The best bikes bands and beer event in the country. By far.
Well, as a first time helper, I can confirm that it was a brill week! (just got home now!)
Nice to meet loads of you.... 😀
I will be back next year!
If anyone missed out on the merchendising then check this thread - http://www.singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/big-bike-bash-t-shirts-and-water-bottles
Here Elfin, do you reckon that combined gallery will ever happen?
Just got off the phone with him.
we are going to try and get a gallery page of official and unofficial pictures up there.
not sure of the best way to do it yet.
You could start a BBB photo thread on here purely for pics and links to pics.
er.. I did. This one!
No-one has even viewed my pics, so dunno why I bleedin bother 😉
I have and they are very good.
Why thank you 🙂
BBB2012 - Date announced already!!!
18th / 19th August 2012
im there!
Woo Hoo!
get in!!
When can we book a hut? 🙂
Huts and Teepees can be booked now directly with Avon Tyrrell. You can use the contact details from the current website.
I am going to try and get a stop-gap webite update to allow you to buy the BBB tickets in the next week or so.
I will be email details to people who came this year directly as I wouldn't like to promote the event on this forum 😉
The date for next year is also the weekend before the airshow, so traffic won't be as bad, and if planes and things float your boat, it might be worth extending your trip.
Worth mentioning that you can stay at Avon Tyrrell for the week before or after as it is a permanent camp site.
Forgot to tell Ton and he thought he had to leave on Sunday. He ended up in another more expensive camp site just down the road.
Extra nights need booking directly with Avon Tyrrell but make sure you tell them you are attending the BBB
We're still here - along with a few 4yr olds who keep saying "BIG BIKE BASH" ! so they're still impressed.
And... If you are staying longer, or arriving earlier, and bunch of us can show you round some local 'cycle routes' 😉
We spend most of our lives just out there!
Well our 3rd BBB and as everyone has said what a cracker. Thanks to Nick and his extended family and also to Louis and the Avon Tyrrell crew for all the hard work they put in to make it happen. Have to agree that the live bands were the only thing that was not as good as previous events but a great weekend none the less.
Big respect to this guy...
[img] 
[/img]
[img] 
[/img]
who wiped out on his run in to the lake jump ramp but just got up and went again to produce this fine effort...
[img] 
[/img]
Here is a link to the photos my daughter and I took...[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/31852911@N07/sets/72157627492809716/ ] BBB 2011 on Flickr[/url]
Here Elfin, do you reckon that combined gallery will ever happen?
Yes, waiting to hear back from Maya, and I understand Nick is sending out an email to all those who bought tickets, to send in links to their Flickr etc pages, so's I can go through them and pick the best ones. Might even be a prize for the best pic (I shall be judging them!), you never know.
Already some on here that are contenders!
Might be worthwhile getting yer tickets booked early, as there is a max limit on numbers, and it's very possible they may be sold out next year.
Muke - Can I send those pics to the guy. He doesn't own a bike. Has never ridden a bike properly but lost a bet in the bar on Saturday. Brilliant timing on the first shot.
Thanks for all the positive comments. A few things to learn from/do differently/think about etc;
position of music tent,
decent bands (well one let it down and drove people off) to get people up there dancing etc,
smooth and properly angled run up to lake jump. All easily solvable.
More of a dilemma - getting approaches by certain big names/companies now so thinking caps on this autumn how best to play it, perhaps separate event(s) as it would be a shame to lose the slightly chaotic/family friendly appeal of the BBB.
Apologies for Big Maggy not being able to make it, sends his apologies, but great to see Grant Chopper Fielder there. Should know amount raised by mid-September, and again, UK Youth will put it back into cycling facilities/activities for young people.
Cheers
[i]He doesn't own a bike. Has never ridden a bike properly but lost a bet in the bar on Saturday[/i]
Superb!!
A few things to learn from/do differently/think about etc;
The food.
Looking at the pictures there are some folks who don't fit into the racing snake category and a decent portion would certainly not go a miss, myself included. Plus a bit more variety. I found myself cracking out the camp stove at the camp site, something I have not done before at the BBB.
A few things to learn from/do differently/think about etc
It's a fab event. 😀 If it gets too much bigger it will lose it's appeal - but you seem aware of that.
The food we eat (on Sunday) was great - but we fed ourselves in campsite most of weekend due to cost (not that food was expensive - but food for 3 families for a weekend isn't cheap!).
Keep the coffee man - wife wouldn't come otherwise!!
Music - difficult - it needs to be accessible and fun. Good luck with that one. The DJ on Friday (and on Sat?) with decks was GREAT.
And you need more toilets and showers to cope with that number of people (particularly families) - but that's a campsite not BBB issue.
[i] Can I send those pics to the guy ?[/i]
Of course, no prob.
A few things to learn from/do differently/think about etc;
Well I and many others thought this year was the best so far; just the right balance between professionalism and chaos. What needs to work, does, everything else Nick just wings it, and it seems to come off well. Stuff like the impromptu kids' pyjama race for example.
Would be nice if Brighton Big Dog try to avoid clashing with us, as it's better for both events if they're on separate weekends. Shame the Bournemouth Airshow has bin shifted to two weeks after though.
Cheaper beer please. I think fifty pence a pint is more than enough to pay...
BBB came of age this year I think. Great to see what was once a party at WCA's house has turned into a party at a great venue with fantastic facilities.
Sorry, I may be biased, but BBB is far better than Mountain Mayhem for someone like me, who just wants to chill out, ride me bike, listen to choonz, drink beer and have FUN!
Keep the feed back coming. We are having a lessons learned and beer drinking session towards the end of September to make sure the event keeps improving. Don't worry though, while I am still involved there will be chaos.
We are keeping the ticket prices and the limit on numbers in place.
This is the first time food was done by Avon Tyrrell did the food. Last two times it was done by MrsWCA friend but it cost her money each year and she couldn't afford it this year.
Music - we were thinking more cover band and less original but with a spread across genres. I know no-one likes covers on principle but they help keep people dancing and drinking.
Coffee man is already booked. I NEED his espressos to get me through the week. 5 hours sleep for 5 nights requires good coffee.
Toilets - point noted. Amnyone else felt under catered for? We had the same number as last year.
Showers - The green block of showers had a fault so no hot water which may have made an issue.
Will monitor this thread for feedback. Please post ideas for new stuff too. We will read it and may well ignore it but at least you can feel involved 😉
The website will be updated asap to include a comments/feedback section, and we'll try to include a FAQ section for those, erm, Frequently Asked Questions such as 'can I bring my dog', or 'is there a likelihood of contracting Dysentery if I do the Lake Jump', etc...
Thing is though, here will always be minor niggles no matter what. Impossible to iron out [i]all[/i] the little issues really. Personally I think it was a tremendous achievement by everyone who was involved in the organisation and helping out and that, to make it works so well. You had people like Moses off here, who haddunt planned to be involved, but ended up coaching people on the Gravity and Pump Tracks. That's what BBB's all about, just getting involved and enjoying it. a proper family atmosphere where no-one need feel left out.
Who would have thought that an East End scrote off of here would give so much time and effort to help some country bumkins. Every year I am amazed what people do for the BBB. I had the idea for a party and everyone else makes it happen.
After some earlier comments about the money I did a quick and rough calculation and reckon it cost me between £200-£300 to put on the event. That is the cost of petrol and other expenses I don't bother accounting for less the cost of the beer and coffee that sometimes I get for free. I am happy to pay £300 for a ticket to the BBB.
Group hug to everyone.
DezB, I can't see a link to your photos but maybe that's just because it's late and I'm tired. Anyway, please post another for me and all the other numpties.
Of course - [url= https://picasaweb.google.com/dezb99/BigBikeBash201102?authuser=0&feat=directlink ]HERE[/url]
The only very, very tiny negative for me is that the trailer racing was sufficiently delayed to move into "kids tired and grumpy" time. But that's more an issue with children than the event, and we rustled up a couple of opponents and set up our own race anyway 😉
Having looked at pictures and put names to faces I appear to have Elfin to thank for dissuading Nick from supersoakering me in the face while I was having a little trackside lie down in the sun covered in children, so thanks for that 🙂
I was thinking that a bit of a team relay on the short course could be a giggle.
Anyway. It was very lovely and I'd never have imagined that a bike event could keep the family entertained so successfully. Mrs D rode her bike for the first time in months and has become reenthused, eldest daughter got to the top of the climbing tower twice and raced her bike for the first time, small boy got way better on his balance bike from watching the other eleventy million balance bikes in use. We'll be back (as will the others we persuaded to come).
Also, I'm almost hilariously local, so if I can be of any assistance for 2012 let me know 🙂
Having looked at pictures and put names to faces I appear to have Elfin to thank for dissuading Nick from supersoakering me in the face while I was having a little trackside lie down in the sun covered in children, so thanks for that
🙂
He's a git. Next year I'm going to bandage his haynds so he cant operate a supersoaker or throw energy bars in people's faces. 😐
So nice to see so many positive comments. So many people there were enthusing about how good it was. Even that Ton bloke seemed to be enjoying himself, and he's a miserable Northerner. 😉
[i]I was thinking that a bit of a team relay on the short course could be a giggle.[/i]
New event next year - The Mike_D Team relay!!
Teams of up to 4. Use a banana as a baton. Each person rides around holding the 'baton' then passes it to the next person. Might get a bit squidgy but I am sure it will be fine. 😉
Makes not to order banana box before next year! I am pretty sure we can get a good Troll team for the banana relay!
How about a big course relay with laps only taking 20 to 25 minutes it should be a breeze! 😀
Mid Open race beers were good but they should be compulsory next year as it gave the non drinkers too much advantage over those of us with a beer plan from the off! 😡
Might do the long course as a 2 person relay. That way small groups can arrange grudge matches within their own friends!
Makes not to order banana box before next year! I am pretty sure we can get a good Troll team for the banana relay!
Oh me, ME! Pick me! Pick me! 🙂
"When can we book a hut? "
Now and I have. Same one as this year confirmed !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Wooooooooooooooooo Hooooooooooooooooooo !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
