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Haha - ok I'll send you round tomorrow morning to scope out the course for me 😉
I'm back on my normal tyres. Taking MudX tyres too but don't plan to change. Fingers crossed it was the right decision as I've never had such an issue to seal some tubeless tyres!!
weather forecast picking up a bit - seems there will be less rain tomorrow than anticipated.
Famous last words and the source is the bbc so take with pinch of salt.
That said the son is shining in this part of brighton.
DC
N.b. I rode on speed kings when it last rained and still have the scars on my legs to remind me.
Would only use these if the trail was bone dry.
taff does that mean i can keep my intermediate tyres on. This morning was on the verge of digging out the nuclear option, the trailraker.
I don't know!! Not sure I've made the right decision but it's nice today with the same forecast for tmrw!
well good luck if you need the mud tyres at the last moment if you are running tubeless.
Still thinking mud x at the moment and adjust tyre pressure to suit.
Spesh Purgatory front, Maxxis Beaver rear for me, been running that combo around Stanmer and the Downs for the last month, been ok so far 🙂
Good luck everyone tomorrow btw.
I'm leaving the Crossmark on the back until i get a chance to pre-ride the course tomorrow morning. Then if it looks bad i'm pressing the big red button called TRAILRAKER.
Trailraker 2.1 UST front and rear for me. Good luck everyone!
What's the best post code to use BN1 9QA? Presumably it's well marked off the A27?
Just out of interest...im taking it that you collect team numbers etc on the day?
Nowt has come through in the post
Have email confirmation etc
Ha ha trailrakers v stanmer roots ha ha ha
Enjoy!
Ming - that is what has made me take the MudX tyres off. Slipping on Ralph's etc is nothing in comparison to MudX/trail takers on roots!
Rubber Queen 2.2 front, X-King 2.4 rear, all singing and dancing tubeless black chili versions. If the mud is in a sticky mood it'll look like I'm riding the fattest of fat bikes!
Crap... It's pissing it down here
I'm near Stanmer now, it looks like its been raining overnight, but looks to be clearing now. The mud tyres are staying on for me. Good luck today, I'm sure it'll be a giggle if a little slower than last year.
Will be on a blue Tallboy,
Paceman
accept it'll be a slippery day and bring a sense of humour!
Yep, go with the flow... You'll need too 😆
looks like the rain is moving away - few dark cloud in the sky but also a fresh wind and some blue as well.
Ground is wet from last night but fingers crossed thats the last of it.
Yesterday they were predicting lightning and rain to start at 12.00 sharp so things are looking up.
Really must start to get ready and stop watching the olympics.
DC
I'm a bit behind! Aiming to be there for 10ish and not had breakfast or packed the car yet!! I have replaced my 'slick' on the rear as not changing anything during the race
Hi guys - how did you all get on.
Roots were on top form!
I went with the mud tyres which i was glad of but noticed plenty of slick tyes out there - rather them than me.
Tough race in tough conditions.
Ride reports please!
DC
N.b. didn't see that many offs - thought there would be a lot.
Went with Ralphs hoping it wouldn't rain and was lucky. Had 2 slippy laps but was fine. One crash when I rode into a hole on the trail at the top of the long climb. Mud tyres really were overkill as so much was dry and firm.
At the last minute, I decided as I'm not doing SITS this year (good decision - parts of the course are apparently being closed due to thunderstorm...) I bought someone's entry to this 6hr solo race. It started off a slippery muddy mess but dried out in about 2hrs and rode really well - amazing trails, massive climbs and brilliant descents. I rode with Ben Thomas again for the first 2hrs, then dropped back as I was feeling dreadful - obviously 2 weeks in France eating cheese and croissants not the best race prep... The next 2hrs really hurt, then my saddle snapped then I got constant chainsuck. Not a good middle 2hrs. I put lube over everything and the chainsuck got better, then the BB started making a hell of a racket. Anyway, I ended up 3rd only 10 mins down on Ben in 1st and 4mins down on 2nd. Pretty happy! The event had amazing prizes from USE, Lezyne etc... Makes a nice change to win something posh.
Had a really fun race! We lost a man from our team so moved into the very competitive male pairs class, and neither of us have the XC race fitness to come close to podiuming. My tactic was to blast out fast on the first lap, as I can go pretty quick for about ten minutes, which worked beautifully, right up until 'Badger's Plunge' when a flint slashed open my rear tyre and I spent 12 minutes fighting with anchovies and goo getting it to reseal. That put me right back with the slower riders so I spent the rest of the lap fighting my way through traffic, which cost me even more time but I had fun overtaking both up and downhill. My teammate managed a surprisingly fast first lap and turned up at the changeover point whilst I was just running back from using the facilities but despite that organisational fail we started working our way back up the table (we were 60th at the end of lap 1).
My lack of XC fitness started telling halfway through my third lap when cramp reared its ugly head (I could have done with a granny ring for once!) so I spent the rest of the race doing pain management (lower back from pedalling sitting down vs cramp from standing and stomping - usually my preferred approach). So that was the bad bits - the mechanical and the nasty pains. The good bits totally overwhelmed them though. This is my local stomping ground, I'm fairly quick on the downhill bits, my tyre choice was pretty effective and I was feeling in the zone. I actually rode some of the downhills substantially faster than at last year's bone dry Big Dog! And fortunately no-one seemed to have a problem with my shouts of "coming through fast" and much of the time I managed to overtake cleanly. Totally lost the back end through 'Into The Jungle', the boggy heavily foliaged bit near the end of the lap, and was reovertaken by a Klein retrobike but that was my only off. Had a satisfying moment when I heard a "leader" shout at the top of A&E (the rutted swoopy descent up near the top of Stanmer) and then didn't see so-called leader until I was well back onto the fireroad climb. I think that was when I set the fastest Strava time of the day on that segment, there was no way anyone, leader or not, was catching me down there!
So apart from the leg cramp and back spasms hurting a bit, it wasn't as tough as I was expecting - last year was too hot for me really. And I loved the conditions, there was way more grip on offer than most riders realised, and I know the best line choices so I could really push the limits on the descents. One small bug - I think the chicken run was a lot quicker than the bombhole but I rode the bombhole each time because it's more fun! By the end of the race we Phoenix Knights had worked our way back up to 28th and it looks like we'd have been in the top 20 if we hadn't lost all that time with the puncture and then getting stuck working through traffic, so we're pretty damned pleased! And after the ignominy of placing much lower than I expect in my first gravity enduro race I realise I'm pretty fast when I know a trail and am not against DH racers and suchlike! I ache rather a lot today...
The whole event seemed to run really smoothly and the marshalls and so on did a great job. The course marking was excellent this year, no moments of confusion on my part. I've been to every Big Dog, onederdog in 2009 (my lap took over an hour and I was scared witless much of the time, I'd only just started riding MTBs for the first time since the early '90s and it's a pretty techy course for an XC race), marshalling and onederdog in 2010, team in 2011, pair in 2012, and I swear it gets better every year! Didn't actually get to say hello to any STWers but I realise I must have known fifty odd riders yesterday with it being my local race. If you saw an orange Cotic Soul with a rider in a fluoro yellow helmet, that was me!
Now that's a ride report! Good work CGG. I think I may have seen the haze of your yellow helmet fly past Mes few times 😀
I think I gave you a compliment about the cleanliness of your bike. Looked like it should have been leant against the Peaslake bus shelter. If not you then someone else on an orange Soul.
GB
I think I gave you a compliment about the cleanliness of your bike. Looked like it should have been leant against the Peaslake bus shelter. If not you then someone else on an orange Soul.
If it was muddy it may have been mine, if not it was one of the other three!
Not muddy - half way round the lap and not a spot of mud on it.
Definitely not me, the bike and I were already muddy when I registered!
Yet another excellent BBD. After all that pre-race weather watching and tyre discussion it all turned out ok in the end. I ran with my "summer rubber" and by my second lap the course was running really well.
We were in the Mens Pairs (The Wagon Wheelers) and managed 8 laps, finishing 11th out of 79 pairs. Chuffed with that.
I was riding an orange / red Genesis Latitude, and was the one hooning it into the arena with 2 minutes to spare (didn't know that at the time!) at the end of the race.
Ended up having to give up after 3.5hours. Had a cold this week and felt really week in the legs. Got back to my car and slept for an hour!! Really good course, can't believe I've never ridden it before given how close it is to me. Really well organised event and was really taken aback by the quality of the prizes for not just 1st-3rd places but also 4th & 5th! I'll be back next year for sure-unfinished business with this event. My brother in law who races a lot was equally impressed and is rearranging next year ls school holidays to ensure he is down here again with a few of our welsh mates.
Massive thanks to all involved in the organising and running of the event
Must only be me who thought I had made a great informed local choice by opting to go for mud tyres.
Also was I the only one who thought the roots were a flipin nightmare -and i'm a local.
Gee / CGG the way you describe it, it sounds like these were perfect conditions - having said that you both sound like you race a lot.
Were you the guys on carbon 29ers (scott / Spec / Santacruz) - all apparently race leaders!!! lol.
Never realised there were so many leaders in a race.
May be a touchy subject but can race leaders ask to come through even when this forces you to get off half way up a climb and then have to walk the rest - whats the accepted norm here. I am guessing you get off and accept your in a race with some very good riders
DC
Darkcyan - I was on a Salsa ti 650b and wasn't leading, so wasn't calling that other than the first 3 laps when I was leading. There can be more than 1 leader as there are lots of categories. It's pretty usual that leaders call that IME. If you have just dropped the 2nd place team / rider and are trying to maintain a gap then passing swiftly becomes even more important. I wouldn't expect someone to get off if they were riding, however it is useful to move slightly to one side of the trail. We did a lot of calling/encouragement up the steep bits of the climbs as people kept stalling half way up which is annoying as we then have to get off. If you're not going to make it just have a little rest! I was really surprised by the amount of encouragement I got from backmarkers and how good people were on the whole about passing. It might have helped explaining the on your left/right calls at the rider briefing as there were a lot of novices who didn't seem to understand what this means. There were a couple of real facepalm moments such as the rider who had stopped blocking the transition from the very steep DH chute onto the fire road. Much shouting there. There were also a few riders who thought that 'on your left' meant 'slam on your brakes' which made for some clenched moments on the faster DH sections!
Brilliant event, just glad it didn't rain. It would make a brilliant XC race venue. Brilliant to have such rooty, technical trails. Reminded me of what Ashton Court was like pre-sanitisation. See you in 2013!
Thank you for the positive comments; we really enjoyed hosting the event for you again.
We have a post BigDog de-brief tonight and it would be really useful for me to collect any positive / negative feedback - you know, so we can continue to improve the event for you.
Cheers
Simon
[b]Napalm / Simon (Catmur?):[/b] A big thanks to all the organisers. We had lots of friends and family down to watch and they all had a great day out. My parents even came down and got to see me on the podium, which totally made my day (it doesn't happen often)
Yeah people were great about overtaking but I'd second what Gee said..wouldn't hurt at all to have "[i]on your left[/i]" mentioned in the briefing, as well as asking people walking their bikes up the climbs to give way to riders. I had to have words with one guy pushing his bike up the racing line on the Coldean climb (right where the rooty bit is) He seemed to think that because he couldn't ride it, no one else would be able to... Took 3 requests for him to reluctantly move over. I could have done with that oxygen too....
[b]Darkcyan:[/b] Indeed. I found the first 1.5 laps WELL sketchy (on Rocket Rons) Things improved rapidly after that though. It really is a *cracking* course once it's dryish and that last singletrack descent down to the bombhole (A+E is that what it's called?) is bloody brilliant.
Simon, the only tweak I can think of is to make the chicken run past the bombhole take more time than the bombhole! If you'd like us locals to cut that line before next year we'd be happy to do so.
DC, some of the quick locals I ride with also went for mud tyres on their first lap, and they'd ridden the course a couple of days before, so you weren't alone! My mud tyres are v slow and a pain to seat tubeless and I never use true summer tyres so I stayed on my usual rubber, which I'm now convinced is almost perfect for Stanmer when it's a bit greasy if you value safety and confidence over absolute rolling speed. This was me hitting the Big Dog Big Log (still can't bunnyhop it but at least I don't brake for it!)
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Definitely not a carbon 29er! 😉 It's an awesome weapon on everything but the climbs and is no worse at climbing than I am, so we're well matched...
Great day out, even with my puncture/CO2 failure disaster lap :(. Haven't raced at Stanmer for ages and had forgotten just how much fun the course is.
If any one here is the guy I loaned my Lezyne multi tool to on course, I'd quite like it back. Hung around the finish for a while after that lap but didn't spot you coming back in.
Simon, the only tweak I can think of is to make the chicken run past the bombhole take more time than the bombhole!
+1
Napalm - sorry didnt see you about but I was looking!
The passing was a little annoying as some of the leaders just shouted and expected people to move out of the way and then no thanks after. Remember manners cost nothing! I did my best to get out of the way when possible and safe but was very annoyed when I was knocked off on Badgers. There are so many routes up and it was pretty clear where I was going and someone decided to try and get past at a point that was not big enough. We both came off and he ran off up the hill without a word, no sorry or even a why didn't you let me through.
Oh and I was the bloke with cramp sat at the side of the course in random places with very pink sleeves
Can I add a few words on behalf of slower/less proficient riders?
I love to race, but I'm not as fast as the race leaders. If I can let someone past I definitely will, but I am not going to fling myself into the undergrowth, or prejudice my own race.
I know it's frustrating when you get behind someone slower than you because it happens to me, and it's particularly maddening when you have managed to pull away from someone in your category, and that person is now catching you because you are stuck behind a slow person. Happened to me quite a bit at Beastway. That's racing though.
If I have to walk up a climb I will try to get to the side so other folk can ride the climb. I have been physically pushed out of the way by another rider, and it made me very angry. It was at Thetford and I was on a narrow part with no room to overtake and nowhere for me to go except for into a tree. Shouting "Rider!" should be a warning, not a command. I find it useful to nominate the side on which I intend to pass. I also speak politely, it's amazing how much more helpful folk are when you are pleasant.
Slow riders pay for their entry in the same way as fast riders do, and are an intrinsic and necessary element of any race. They have hopes and aspirations just like the fast riders.
I think it would be helpful if every pre-race briefing included a few words on passing - to manage expectations of overtakers and overtakens and suggest a manner of communication: Left Side/Right Side/Please/Thanks/Could I come past please? etc.
On that note, I'm going up to Stanmer to ride the course - I was helping on Sunday so I didn't ride. 😀
Karinofnine - funny you should say that as my brother in law was quite shocked at some peoples attitudes and found the faster riders in this event the rudest he's come across in an event. He was more worried about people H&S on some of the decents and asked when you're ready which I though was quite nice.
Phew was worried I pulled a funny face for the camera when I went over that log! I can stop worrying and now get on with my day knowing I look like I'm sh***ing myself!!!
Karinofnine - much better put than me, but exactly how I felt
BBD2012 was a great day like usual. I'm local and have been to all of them starting with the onderdog in 09 and team of 2 there after. We've never managed more than 5 laps as my team mate dosent get much time to ride but we are there for the fun more than anything else.
I've never had a problem getting out of the way for the fastest racers, there's usually space somewhere not to hold them up too much and when I come up behind a slower rider I've not been held up too much (except on the 1st lap where it is very crowded).
I was relatively pleased with my laps (51min, 46min and 45min), although I was hoping for ~40min the conditions stopped that and also having a heavier bike than last year didn't help. The timelaps somehow didn't pick up my team mate going over the line on his 2nd lap so only shows us as done 4.
We will definately be back next year!