[Closed] Brighton Big Dog Bog Race

I think that was the toughest race I've ever done. great fun, tough course, and I had a shocker of cramp on my last two laps (meaning missing the 6:15 cut off by five minutes - gutted)

great to slipping around again, I'd forgottenwhat riding in mud was like!

MASSIVE thanks to the morvelo guys for putting on a great event, it's brilliant to have a local, proper grass roots event organised by people who do it for the love - too many events these days are for profit and as a result corners are cut (Muc-off 8, I'm looking at YOU!). BigDog is a shining example of how great these events can be.

see you next year!

missed it again 🙁
had to work - next year I definitely want to ride it!

It was ace. Super tech riding on the wet roots and the walk up that steep climb in the mud felt like something out of Commando training. I could hear people screaming at their bikes in frustration in the woods at some points.

Never have those after race beers been more well deserved.

I was placed 9th in the men's solo when my frame cracked! Finished 17th. I'll be back next year for another go.

The only downside is that I'm not sure the stanmer trails will be rideable for us local riders for a very long time.

Agree with the above. Excellent event, but bloody hard. We came last in the team of 3 category 🙂
Huge credit to morvelo for the course - I've been riding around Stanmer for the past year and a lot of yesterday's route was new to me.

Good race, well organised, the mud was a bit of a shocker after 4 months of bone dry trails!

Very hard work after the rain started. Even in the dry its a hard course, technical , tight, twisty, tree lined singletrack , very fast in some sections.
The course required all the fundamental skills to be used alot of time, on the climbs and the steep descents , into , through ,and out of the corners. There were few sections where you could relax, grab a drink and just grind, then it was into another section of trees.
My bike wheels were so clogged they would not rotate in the frame. The gears kept jamming and skipping ( was a newish drivetrain ) and the front mech wouldnt throw to granny . Just finished cleaing the bike and the washing machine is doing battle with the mud, and my top limit screw on my rear mech is gone?
Being a tard i started last , well I am never going to win anything , ever , so we just add to the prize fund... This meant a long wait to enter the first section of singletrack , and then walk the fist 200 meters or so of that .
So, so dangerous on my third lap, got some noice scarred arms where i binned it being overconfident, It really was like riding through deep snow , just drifting along hoping the tyres would fing a firm patch and engage.
Big Thanks to Rory / BMTB / SMTB for organising , routing and marshaling the event .
Still people throwing gel wrappers on the course . Stop it if you want ot be able to race on quality singletrack like that in the future ( I know its not anyone from here , but it is somebody)-
Saw a few STW 07 blue tops too , hope you all enjoyed it.
Bonty Mud X 1.8 was the tyre of choice for a few of the riders i saw riding through. the clag

mdb - How the hell could you see your frame was cracked under all that mud !?!?!?

Was an awesome race and I'm pleased for one that i managed to keep going in such dire conditions having taken the easy route out at Bonty 24/12.

Cheers to the marshalls who stood out in the rain for most of the day and shame on those who said they would marshall and then just didn't turn up, you know who you are ! 🙄

Thanks to Rory, Morvello and all the other peeps who helped organise a great event & to Darkstar Brewery for the finishing line beers 😛

Just came back from a spin around stanmer for my usual sunday quick ride..
Dont envy all you who were trying to slither around that yesterday. It's still a slippery peanut butter stciky mud fest, and it's had all night to dry out.

And yes... avoid those particular trails if you're a local. They're thrashed.

I really enjoyed that event guys, thanks!

It was a great course, brilliant prize presentation and fantastic prizes 😀

It was a shame not many people were doing skids in front of the mule bar/ ana nichoola tent though!

Wet wasn't it?! I had the pleasure of standing by the chalky turn before the bridge but actually there were few offs there - clearly the 'caution > slippery' sign had some impact. Got a few photos which we'll put on the BrightonMTB site. Was relieved from my duties at 1615 and then decided to try a lap of the course, starting and finishing at my marshalling spot - it was seriously muddy and slippy, gears stopped working, summer tyres filled frame with gunk to the point of immovability, was disappointed the technical climbs were too greasy to pedal because they're very satisfying to get up cleanly in the dry/damp, but at least I got to overtake a good few riders on the downhill bendy bits! Eventually got round in 1'08". Serious respect to the pairs and teams and massive kudos to the clinically insane individuals that battled through the quagmire for 5 hours (following a nice 1 hour race pace 'warm-up' in the dry. And thanks to Mrs Guru for painting the signs!

Yeah, many thanks to the Marshalls, I always try to give them a laugh when I go past - one way or another - and my mate gave one a belly laugh when he picked up his mud clogged bike and threw it ! Hadn't realised anyone was there....good plan to give THOSE paths a miss for a few weeks !

I marshalled and the majority or you lot appeared to be having fun. Good effort :O)

I was on the last drop back into the areana and gave a bit of heckling and a load of encouragement. Lots of sideways action reported but some people totally owned that section (whilst others made walking it look difficult!)

Tim

Oh, Ian Leitch - top bloke, great rider and even took time out to say thanks to the marshalls on his last lap whilst still racing. I doff my hat.

timbur - Member
Oh, Ian Leitch - top bloke, great rider and even took time out to say thanks to the marshalls on his last lap whilst still racing. I doff my hat.

Totally agree, awesome effort and thanking the Marshalls as he passed to, what a great chap.

I marshalled too, hope the laughs/encouragment/heckling helped a few on their way. Everyone seemed to have a smile on their face. Hopefully I'll take part next year, but more than happy to help again.

my brand spanking new, never been ridden, brilliant white cannondale will never be the same again.

there was serious dirworker envy going on in the pits. had i been more mercenary i could have made a fourtune.

the last dh is great although the drop was taped off which nearly caught me out.

I had a great time dispite the Mud. Certainly was challenging surfing around the single track!

Anyone get any good pics?

Hey, we didn't finish last in the 3 man teams ! We only did 5 lenghts but so did loads of others and I can hardly swim !!

[url= http://www.brightonbigdog.com/gallery.php ]Photos are now online[/url]

I like this action shot of me just before a [url= http://rupertrivett.photoshelter.com/gallery-image/BIG-DOG-MOUNTAIN-BIKE-RACE-2010/G00001yedm97Tcdo/I0000Nx2_S1HCpeE ]front wheel wash out[/url]

Absolutely mental and loved it. Got there at 4 feeling out of place being so clean and shiny and did my Oneder dog lap in 1.09. I've been riding those trails all summer and that's the first time in conditions like that. Made it a whole new kettle of onions. My 4 day old Genesis Alt 30 handled like a beaut (as much as it could) and got a proper christening. So nice to have something of this ilk that I can cycle to from home too. Big up to everyone who made it possible.