Who'd have thought after the bog of a car park and biblical storms
that the bikes would come back covered in dust. Another top weekend
with a nice atmosphere, cracking trails and good weather on race day. Amazing how one of our quick team did a sub 29minute lap off nothing but pot noodles and bananas! Mark (Pedalhead) got a well deserved second in solo s/speed, looking strong enough to have kept going for another 12hours and the fact he won a tubless kit for 26" wheels when he's part of the 29er revolution...we did have chuckle! I'm sure amongst many team there will now be lots of spreadsheet fuelled post-match analytical bullshit, but kudos to Pedalhead (who should be wearing a jersey with some financial support behind it). I decided late Friday night (after my girle pair got struck down with sickness) to give solo a go! best way I think, no training, no nutrition plan and no flipping clue as to what I was doing. Got around 13 laps and didn't come last so super chuffed, can't say I want to do it again next year mind! Thanks to the organisers, every lap the young lad on commentating spured me on as he knew what craziness I had taken on. Brilliant weekend shame I can't do Oktoberfest this year.
So give us your review of the weekend.
He won something? Did we miss that? We got our generic medals for third in the teams and nowt else!
Great course, amazingly lucky with the weather, inspired commentary from Matt Carr, but hard not to feel a bit cheated. Not bothered about an inner tube and a puncture repair kit, but a nice trophy wouldn't go a miss. Particularly for £55 a head!
you came 3rd in the team prize but only got medals? how wierd, when me and a female mate came 2nd in female pairs in Oktoberfest we got some prizes..beer and a giant Pretzel!!
I can't believe the luck with the weather, did a runner from the campsite early this morning before the rain came back!
Great weekend, looking forward to next year already (but not solo).
Indeed we did. Not even the winning team got anything other than a medal.
An event sponsored by a bike distribution company... surely they could have provided a few prizes or nice trophies.
I have to say that doesn't sound right, however look on the bright side you got to meet me. 😉
Did you go to the marquee to ask about your prizes? It wasn't very obvious, but they had a big stack of stuff there.
I ended up with a Muc-Off kit and a 5 Nm torque wrench. Not the best prize ever, but better than nothing.
I managed 11th Place in the 12 hour solo with 19 laps - so chuffed - can't really say anything else about the event as didn't see anything else apart from the trail!
Agreed on the trophies - for £164 per team I expected at least something that said Bikefest on it, although I've customised mine with a Sharpie so I don't forget what it's for. Even a small bottle of sealant per rider would have been appreciated - given that Paligap sponsor the event nothing at all is a bit of a joke. I've always preferred a nice trophy to a prize - you keep trophies longer than random bike things which just end up on eBay.
The course is great - it's all-weather as was proven this weekend. Name another enduro venue which would have stood up as well to the biblical rain on Thurs/Fri... The fact the course is pretty much guaranteed not to be a mud fest is the big attraction for me. I don't get what people expect from an enduro course - people were walking sections on that lap so it cannot be made more technical as it would just put people off. I found it really good fun to ride at speed and although it was narrow in places overtaking was ok. A few people that weren't used to racing out there but that's what you expect at an event like that.
The council, rightly given the situation on Friday, are concerned about that state the field will be left in. Yes, it sucks that your event is shorter but at least it's going ahead. As has been said, not BBF's fault.
The race was good, some signage to the rugby club would have helped as I had no idea where the showers were. Also the start was just chaos - we needed a marker where you were allowed to remount rather than having people riding/running/falling off all over the place. That was more than a little dangerous.
All in all a brilliant race, good banter and good team.
GB
Aidan - no we didn't - they didn't mention anything when we were on the podium. Medal round the neck, photos, move on... I guess the event was about 5 days too short for you though?
Have to agree about the chaos at the start. Someone even moved my bike further up the hill so it took me a while to find and then it was a tricky job working through the crowd of riders/runners/flappers.
Still, that was only a couple of minutes in an otherwise fun 12 hours.
Also the start was just chaos - we needed a marker where you were allowed to remount rather than having people riding/running/falling off all over the place.
the start was [s]chaotic as they'd moved it further down the hill to extend it, meaning half the field hadnt reached it before the gun went off bang on 0900, so slower runners and riders were turning around and running back to the bikes they'd only just left at the same time as the quick people coming up from the actual start[/s] fine for me thanks 😀 .
Had a great day! First lap/start madness still needs sorting but at least they are thinking about it. Greasy/slippy and damp at first but this soon sorted by correcting tyre pressures (and sun joining in) and some real fun racing ensued:)
Overtaking was mostly polite, and likewise when passing i always thanked other riders. Still amazes me how much people carry on a half hour loop :-0.
Atmosphere 8/10 loads of friendly people and Matt Carr did a great commentary all day. Be nice to see some footage of the last half hour and the finish line jump.
Sure it can always be improved slightly/better value for money etc, but everybody i talked too seemed happy overall.
Now to look through the pic`s thread 🙂
Top day out!
Yes the start is carnage, yes the first corner is a bit mental, yes the first lap is cramped... but that's just Bristol Bike Fest!
Brilliant atmosphere, great weather and lots and lots of fun racing. 3rd time I have raced in Ashton Court and felt that this was the best 'behaved' on course, thought everyone was very fair on what is a fairly tight and short track.
We came in 20th in teams which wasn't too bad for a bunch of boys who like beer and were more intested in sunning themselves than grabbing every second - some of our changovers were umm ponderous to say the least!
Massive massive respect to anyone who has the fitness and mental strength to lap that course for 12 hours straight solo.
Loved the jump at the end for the last finishers, funny stuff.
Team inappropriate bikes, very funny to watch and nice boys too.
🙂
A superb day but as it turns out, riding 17 laps between us on childs bikes is...tortuous.
Many, many thanks to those who came over to say hi, relieved themselves of loose change and lastly (and certainly not leastly) provided great banter on the trail. Always a friendly event and this year was no exception.
P.S. We've been wondering whether the 12 teams we managed to beat should donate some monies as a punishment! 😉
Seeing you overtake riders on the first bit of Singletrack was priceless. As were their reactions to being passed by someone on a 20" wheel kids bike having spent thousands on a skill compensator.
GB
Are the results up anywhere yet?
Not yet that I can see. They'll be on Timelaps tonight I imagine.
"DO THE JUMP!!!!!!....." followed by "loser" or a manic cheer!
The solo guys were awesome, some of them had perfected the "thousand yard stare" by 2000 so God alone knows what got them through the last hour.
Team Inappropriate bikes = legends
Had a lot of fun, cheers to everyone for general niceness and camaraderie.
This was the eighth time I've done it, so they must be doing something right!
Even though it's one of the largest 12 hour events in the country it doesn't feel like it. It's not an event that has a massive amount of trimmings (except the year they had SSUK on the Sunday, and the prizegiving went on longer than the race!) Some people might feel underwhelmed by it but it does translate into a nice relaxed atmosphere, on and off course. In fact this year might have been the politest one yet.
What stands out for this type of event is the great weatherproof course. I'd rather take this over a big event village or more free crap in my entry pack. We've had biblical rain here over the past couple of days and the new trails just shrugged it off. A Mountain Mayhem or a Sleepless would be a joyless sticky slog under the same circumstances.
There's a rumour that an adjacent field is going to be converted to hard standing for parking, hopefully this is true as it should sort out any weather issues for future years.
Anyone had any problems with bike security?
I've had my roof ripped off my garage and some tea leafs attempt to nick some stuff out of it. Luckily nothing gone, but I do need to spend a day securing the garage roof up.
Bit suspect considering that it was the day after BBF.
I agree with Mr Agreeable with everyone he's said. i've raced BBF twice and Oktoberfest once and this was by far the politest, yes there were a few idiots but when one of them over took me dodgily then ploughed himself into a tree, after checking he was okay I did s****!! Nice to even have a few people comment on my singletrack skills so made for a great day.
never done solo before, wasn't planning on it either until pair buddy dropped out very last minute with sickness bug. it was great as I had no expectations, no plan/strategy, no idea what to do nutrition wise so anyhthing more than 1 lap was good!! Thought i'd aim for 12 and squeezed in 13! I was well chuffed, if I'm honest it wasn't as hard as I thought it was. I took some advice from the young guy at signing on (who was commentating on Sat, woolly hat and suit jacket, love his style!). Loved it and glad to say I did a solo event, survived and completed a respectable number of laps (still a way off the female solo winner though at 20 WTF!!!!!!) but can't say I want to do it again next year.
Great weekend, love every minute of BBf. Chilled out atmosphere, fantastic weather proof course that isn't just weather proof but super exciting to keep you entertained. I'll definately be back there next year.
Sorry to hear that Neil, there have been a few attempted break-ins through garage roofs recently. Have you contacted the police? Make sure they pass your info on to the Priority Crime Team at Southmead they'll be very interested.
Arrrg Neil. That is not good.
Yep ace atmosphere as usual at Bikefest. The start was indeed a bit of a farce. I got to the line 5 seconds before the start (long walk or what?!) but there were still tons of people further up the hill who just turned right around & got a head start. Oh well, at least we can't cut the corner any more 🙄 . As mentioned above, prizes are in the marquee, but you don't get told that. I nearly missed out last year so made sure I didn't this time. 26" tubeless kit was a giggle for a 29er rider. Would prefer a more event-specific medal really, but a sharpie scribbled on the back will have to do.
Gee, did you get the fastest lap? Pretty sure you flew past me at warp speed a couple of times as I plodded around on the singlespeed.
Results here... http://www.timelaps.co.uk/assets/uploads/EVENTREPORT.aspx?eventid=209AshtonCourt,Bristol09/06/2012
I got a 25:45 - a Torq rider, not sure who but I would guess Lee, did 25:15.
My first 2 laps were a total snotfest, not sure what was going on. Felt better after that but have a really nasty cough now 🙁
Blinding lap time, good effort.
BristolPablo - Member
"DO THE JUMP!!!!!!....." followed by "loser" or a manic cheer!
Special mention to the guy who followed Matt Carr's request only to land on the front wheel, endo for a full 3 metres before cartwheeling over the bars in a heap with bottles flying, in front of 150 baying spectators!
Someone had to do it!
I echo all the thoughts above, a great day, unique atmosphere and I'll be back next year. How Paul gets the weather to behave so well I do not know.
gee - Member
I got a 25:45 - a Torq rider, not sure who but I would guess Lee, did 25:15.
Wow, respect! I think I just managed a sub 30min lap but that headwind was brutal.
sod fastest lap; did anyone see my msasterclass in mountain biking muppetry which was my attempt at the jump?
grade 2 shoulder separation for my troubles, 3 weeks before Alps trip 🙁
Possibly the most embarrassing moment om my life, but at least i got a good cheer. Anyone get a pic? (red helmet, Wish You Were Here jersey)
😳 😳 😳 😳 😳 😳 😳 😳 😳
EDIT - you got there first...
Sods law Hamish - feel for you! I was so tired after 19 laps but I manged to jump it - not sure how I landed it though as had the 20 yard stare even after about 6 hours of a 12 hour solo! 😯
The thing that surprised me was all my laps were between 33 and 37 mins - bit too constant for me - not sure what went right! LOL
Edit OMFG - I got 10th place !!!!! Whooo hoo
2nd in the 12 hour solo and 22 laps for me, which I was pleased about.
Didn't really get a chance to take in much of what was going on on site as I was riding all day but the atmosphere in the arena was great when I passed. Loads of heckling and encouragement. The jump was a great addition to the lap :-p
As for prizes, don't really mind what people are given, some events are better than others. It's always nice to have a medal to keep as a reminder though.
Amazed that it stayed dry throughout the day and the organisers did a great job as usual.
Hamish.....really sorry to hear that! It was quite spectacular but I'm afraid I didn't get a picture of you.
I got one of Pedalhead on the last of his 21 laps in Solo SS. Check out his expression....
[url= http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8161/7358740924_589b1d36d7.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/46104585@N05/7358740924/ ]IMG_1057[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/46104585@N05/ ]rogerbaker01[/url], on Flickr
Well done Mark!
Nice one Huw - wish I had you legs - and you put my thoughts more eloquently than I could 🙂
ha thanks for that Dr_Bakes! As you know I do prefer my wheels on the ground, although I'm proud to say I did that ramp on almost every lap. Great atmosphere at the start/finish line especially in the final hour or so.
I won a pair of wire bead 26" tyres for 3rd solo single speed.
I took them to the Ritchey tent and they swapped them for folding 29ers. 😀
Somehow, I entered veterans by mistake and asked to swap to SS instead.
I should have stayed in veterans, I'd have been 2nd. 🙄
Great course, great event, great atmosphere and thanks to everyone who shouted "Go Vegan !" at me.
DrBakes.. that's a cracking pic! Loving the expression Pedalhead. I felt a bit deflated this morning with achiness, lack of sleep and bit of event come down I'm now back on a high reminisicing to myself and can't believe I finished a 12 hour solo! WTF .... fab weekend, it's in the diary for next year already.
I should have gone with that- go Midland trailquest graham was too much of a mouthful when I was riding behind you...
Yes Munge-chick - precisely how I feel - had a quick power nap this afternoon 🙂
Munge-chick...did you get your pork pie?!
Loved the whole weekend! Spent most of Friday night pushing cars out of muddy trenches because people can't drive, but that just added to the fun. (The usual routine was listen to them slow down, watch as they ended up spinning the wheels, laugh for a few minutes while they struggled then eventually dive in and sort it out. The more beer we drank the funnier it got!) I can fully understand why the Sunday was cut short, if the weather had come in no-one would have escaped the camping area! I hope it isn't too damaged and recovers okay so that BBF can continue.
The course was great fun. Not hugely challenging but that's a good thing for a first time soloist! Happy with my 12 laps, know I could have done 13, suspect I had enough to squeeze 14, so i will definitely be back to try again. Obviously with that result I have nothjing to say about prizes!
The atmosphere all around the site was great, and as a slow solo I'm pleased to report only 1 attempted overtake by a muppet, otherwise everyone on course was a joy to ride with, even the racing snakes.
Will be back in October to do the duathlon for a change, but already looking forward to BBF 2013.
Jclay I did get my pork pie after 3 laps when I had horrific stomach ache, it was then suggested to me that a pork pie probably wasn't best for a 12 hour solo attempt, so I no longer attempted to eat the other 5 🙁 shame .. after that I survived on a diet of salt and vinegar Pringles (or their Tesco cheap equivalent) bananas, SIS go pro energy bars, water and 5:1 carb drink. to be fair I think I did well with nutrition for first attempt no bonks or horror stomachs about my stomach afterwards.
Fab weekend, now I'm slowly recovering and don't hurt as much I can sit and smile and anaylse HOW much I have to do to podium... lose my lower body in weight and ride more, harder and faster. I pencilled BBF 2013 into my diary for next year today......
It was a great day all round and we were very lucky with the weather. Felt sorry for the Sunday guys having a shortened day. Seems like the BBF team had no option and in fairness it was probably a good call given the potential for camp site chaos
It was a really cool and chilled atmosphere and passing is no where near the issue you would fear it could be with that level of singletrack. Almost everyone is polite when passing or being passed.
The start was a bit of a farce though in fairness I doubt it matters to any great extent
Anyone know where the official photos can / will be found
Neil - sorry about your break in. Glad nowt was taken. You at Salisbury this weekend?
Graham, what ratio were you using?
Great event I loved it!
I won't mention the team, but did anyone else see the guy sprinting the run at the start then when he got to the bike someone else from his team rode off to do the first lap! 🙁 Is that in the rules?
Was it just me, or were the Torq riders SO polite after the comments made at last years Oktoberfest. Good show anyway, it didn't go unnoticed
Andrew I saw that as I was standing with you and it definitely wasn't in the spirit of things....
Also my mate had a nice bike taken off his roof rack on the Sat night. Cable cutters through the 1/2inch cable lock. Still if you leave a nice bike on a roof overnight at bristol you might expect it to go.
Anyway apart from these niggles it was a bit of a classic bikefest in the sun. Loved my laps and the atmosphere at our bike down the bottom straight was excellent.
Name and shame!
Graham, what ratio were you using?
4.1m.
I rode everything except the hairpin right hander at the bottom of the long cobblestone climb.
I rode it the first lap, but had to take it so wide to avoid stalling, that I realised it would be quicker to dismount, push about 10m round the steepest, shortest, inside line, then remount.
I pushed a short section of the other stony climb up the side of the field once as well, after spinning on loose stones and stalling.
Sorry I'm being thick, 4.1m?
EDIT: Got it, you are using metric.
MarkyC - MemberName and shame!
[b]If[/b] it was the same team I heard about then they might be seen plucking stringed instruments in their shop. One of their teams in the Old Gits cat came in a mere 44s ahead of the next team!
Hello,
I was the runner of the stringed instrument playing cyclists pair who tried a different tactic to cover up our fading fitness!! It didn't work that well; no great result but my team mate did have a slightly easier first lap. I had a read over the info on the website and couldn't find anything that said you counldn't so we thought we'd give it a try to make the most of the shakey start procedure!
Didn't want to offend anyone just an attempt to make the most of what we had!! 😕
I'm fairly sure the rules don't specifically state you can't ride a motorbike, but come on do you really think that kind of tactic is in the spirit of things? In a word, pathetic.
I assume you ran up to the transition area then?
" Riders need to change over in the ‘transition area’ after passing the Time-Lapse timing station, which will be clearly marked. Simply enter the area after your lap, touch your team mates arm and off you go. Riders can come and go freely from this area at any time."
Not bothering with a hand over in the transition area seemed a popular tactic. Apparently "I can see my team mate" was sufficient to start riding. May pack binoculars for next time.
You get a choice of where to put your bike at the start which gives you a trade-off: you can leave it further away, and possibly avoid the snarl, but have to do more running, or put it closer but get stuck behind more riders.
Kudos to Adam for 'fessing up, but as Pedalhead says, not really in the spirit of things.
Got it, you are using metric.
It's the best way. Would anyone who insists on quoting ratios otherwise know how a 50x28 belt compares to a 32x18 chain ? 😛
http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/why-does-no-one-use-gear-inches-or-metres-development
Kudos to Adam for 'fessing up, but as Pedalhead says, not really in the spirit of things.
And it kind of puts the soloists at an immediate disadvantage too.
Or it would if they were racing against teams.
The slightly sad thing about teams that bend the rules in Bikefest: you know they're probably doing it in the hope of winning a generic medal and a wire bead tyre.
Does anyone know the website for the photo's of last weekend's Bristol Bikefest please?
Didn't even work out as well as a wire bead tyre, just sore legs and the realisation that we're not as quick as we want to be 🙁
Great event though...
Adam_Buckland, Im glad you confessed. I and a couple of our team saw you do it and felt it really was not in the spirit of the event.
Some teams ride their guts out to end up a few seconds ahead after 12 hours, so any form of cheating / bending the rules is well out of order. I stand no chance of winning anything with my 35 min laps, but even I felt cheated by that tactic.
Lets hope your confession shows anyone else who may be tempted that they will be spotted.
Thanks for being honest in the end.
Well TBH I would only be bothered if that person who cheated was on the podium - I was in the 12hr solo and I was just glad to finish intact 😉
I dream of the day I win a generic medal and a wire bead tyre.
It's Friday and my legs still ache.
Yep I know how you feel, I manged to swim on Wednesday but I was almost asleep at my desk on Thursday.
For some reason that race ****ed me up good and proper.
Yep Graham, I must admit to still feeling a little tired today. The training plan has been a bit of a chore this week and I have 8 hours MTB riding to do this weekend! 🙁 Roll on tapering!