...was a bit wet.
You can't beat the sound of xtr eating itself in the morning. No brakes left by half way through my second lap. Bloody good fun though strangely.
Carnage. Absolute carnage.
Brake pads went by beginning of second lap, rotor has somehow shaved about 0.5mm off the front caliper!
Chainsuck varying from every other pedal stroke to every couple of mins. 2nd lap took 2hrs 37 mins! For 10 miles! And there were slower times on the screen too!
The trails are pretty wrecked now for the foreseeable future.
I was the sweary bloke with the skull mask ziptied to the back of my helmet. Apologies to any delicate ears I offended.
I hope no one went for the advice of Racing Ralphs!
It was biblical. So glad i ran SS. By my third lap the entire course was an absolute mud-fest. Glad i rode the course before the rain so i got to enjoy it as its meant to be.
Really like the new venue. Feels all proper and professional now, although it has lost some of the smaller community feel it had a few years back but i guess that's bound to happen as it gets popular.
Loved the Exposure guys providing chargers for us Exposure lights owners to keep things easy.
It was damp... That's all
I bust my collarbone at Elveden Pit, off the bike for 6 weeks 🙁 The Doctor couldn't believe you could break your collarbone that high up 😕
I was really enjoying it to that point and recon we could have got on the podium in mixed pairs.
I hope no one went for the advice of Racing Ralphs!
Ya I rode with racing ralphs and rode most of the course until about 4pm 🙂 decided to retire and save anymore damage to body and bike!
First lap fun but the rest!!!!! beyond wet and muddy 🙁
Thecrackfox - nightmare.
I chose discretion over valour on some of the bombholes! The combo of sloppy mud & no real braking ability didn't make the bombholes very appealing...
Funnily enough it didn't even occur to me, not to ride them 😕
Until after the event.
physioclinic.net give them a call about your collar bone. I was back on the road bike in 3 weeks, xc bike in 4 for £200 and much more comfortable from the off.
Was leading solo riding round with Steve until 5hrs in then my knee went again. It only does it with the grinding through the mud putting so much force through it. Any idea who won in the end?
Results are up on Timelaps. Well done Steve!
Steve smashed it in the solo George - shame the knee gave out, you were looking really strong as well. Absolutely foul conditions, can't say I enjoyed it much, My (rather long) report up [url= http://singularcycles.posterous.com/steve-webb-wins-d2d-solo ]here[/url].
Did one lap at midnight - took 2 hours 15! Retired after that - just not enjoyable and limited lights meant i had no scope for line choice. Still can laugh now.
Respect to all who carried on. Guy in front of me put his shoulder out on a bombhole.
my second lap took an hour longer than my first... 😯
Really horrible conditions last night, huge kudos to all who were able to keep going through the night, we stopped at about 3:30am. Pity about the injuries at the bombholes (get well soon), very tricky conditions on most of the course.
i love that film, juliette lewis mmmmm
First lap OK,handed over, second lap absolutely flew(or so I thought), third lap....bottled it as hypothermia set in due to not having enough changes of clothing. My team mate gamely did two laps on the bounce before throwing the towel in at about 0230.
soloed untill 2.45 when i decided that 5 laps and 2 bikes destroyed that i had had enought and packed it in. gutted to say the least but i wasent enjoying it one little bit. feeling seriously ill and beaten today.
I was due to enter as part of a pair a month or so ago but changing of jobs has meant that I no longer had the time to take off to prepare and recover so I was "forced" to cancel.. 🙁
How glad am I now 😀
Cycling = fun on a bike.
D2D 2010 = no fun.
For me last night, the race stopped being a race and mainly not fun about 3.15am and that was it.
I know I won't be on the podium, so thought it best to stop, having no brakes and no spare pads is not good!
Roll on the winter series and next years D2D
Thanks to the singular guys and girl (I didn't catch your names, sorry) in the solo pits for the kind words and offers of hot drinks 🙂
rOcKeTdOg +1
Salma Hayek mmm
loved D2D last year. This year however was a bit of a nightmare.
Came home with 2 broken bikes (that I need for Relentless next weekend) and a scratched eyeball caused by some shite that got in there on my second lap.
Was doing ok until I spent an hour in the medics tent after my agonising 4th lap, emerging with a Crimean war-style head bandage thing covering my eye.
ouch.
I was cosy in the van for the rest of the night though. Well done to all those who soldiered on.
So how D2D 2010 is to be renamed D2 around about 3.
Well done to all those that turned up and tried their best.
Well if you can bear it some photos are now online;0)
We didn't last the distance either, it's not just bikes that get wrecked in that sort of weather!
[url= http://www.joolzedymond.com/joolzeD/D2D2010.html ]D2D Photos[/url]
That was hard. My first proper attempt at an enduro and I was soloing it. Managed 3 laps before taking a rest at about 2:30 with the plan being to head out again about 5ish for a couple more. Didn't make it out for the couple more and ended up with 99th place in Solo Men but on the whole kind of happy. Certainly haven't been put off even though my 3rd lap was probably the hardest 2 hours I have ever spent on a bike. Not sure that the Nomad/Aspen was the ideal bike/tyre combo for the race but at times it was actually fun.
Absolutely knackered this evening though.
I think I'll be there next year to do it all again.
I started to enjoy it a lot more when I stopped thinking about it as a race, and more a test of ability to stay upright whilst riding through slime with no brakes.
Hi stumpy01 I passed you and your Frankstein team-mates. I never did see dracula though.
Solo-ed until 3am at which point all the teams in my group had thrown the towel in and I'd run out of pads (change 3 pairs). Only 1 other rider in our teams did more than 2 laps.
Sorry to hear about your collarbone crackfox. Elvenden pit was seriously tricky - went over the bars on my fourth lap.
In the end I felt OK but wasn't really having much fun. 5mph pedalling through gloop isn't really cycling.
Not entirely fun - the riding was neutral to unpleasant, the company and cameraderie excellent. Went over the bars in Elvedon pit, narrowly avoiding the tree trunk lying in the bottom.
Amazing what a diffence the mud made - from a big ring blast to 1.5hrs of sodden grinding.
I've never had such misted up glasses, even at MM in 2008 and that seemed to be a similiar level of rain and mud. Just a massive shame, so much effort by so many people and ruined by the weather. We quit about 2:30 as well. Felt ashamed and useless but my brakes had nearly gone (I know it hardly mattered under the circumstances but..), I couldn't see much alot of the time, esp when under trees, and it just wasn't fun or worth it. Bike is shiny clean now but sounds completely knackered. At least I replaced my summer tyres with Trailrakers. During the early mud stages, up to say 1.00 i was cruising past some people simply because i had grip and they didn't.
The early laps were fun, the 3am lap was hell. If a team mate wasn't waiting on me I'd have stopped in the wabbit run for a nap.
Racing Ralphs - aaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.... Hats off to you solo people, that was a slog.
Thought it was brill!
Solo'd and came 10th with 7 laps, which I'm pretty happy about. Rode my trusty Singular Swift, which was just perfect apart from the comedy Summer tyres.
Single speed was definitely the way to go last night. Drivetrain this morning seems fine (though just stuck the WI freewheel in whitespirit to be on the safe side). ISIS BB is a bit wobbly though.
I was running my big-ol Maxxis Summer tyres, which were very sketchy once the rain started coming down properly. And I have to admit my third lap was hard, with lots of falling off, and thinking about what else I could be doing.
But the 4th lap was much better - the rain was so heavy by then that the gloop was really runny, so a lot of places was quite easy to ride. And I felt stronger, which meant I could ride better and faster.
After that I just kept going round. Walked all the bombholes - even the skip; walked most of the Beast. No brakes really, just held on to them in a few places for reassurance rather than to actually slow down.
Start of the sixth lap I had some Torq Rhubarb and Custard gel. All I can say is Wow! That stuff is like nectar! And then the sun came up. Took off the rain coat, slogged very slowly round the final lap, saw some deer bound across the trail; felt a bit rubbish in the middle and then was up by the crazy Vivaldi music and finished!
HUGE thanks to ac282 who took over bottling for me for a few hours. It was really appreciated. Also to the other guys in the solo tent (you know who you are) offering encouragement in the pits. And to all the people shouting out encouragement on the way round. Really genuinely appreciated. Someone even took time to tell an entire joke and punchline about money and toilets.
Just keep those pedals turning. That's what it was all about.
Bit of a nightmare really- first lap was ok, second started off fine, but in the singletrack there was no traction for me, I'm not fast enough to keep out of the ruts in those conditions. All downhill from there. Did 3 laps, went to bed with the alarm set for 4- it had just stopped raining by then, but the memories of the trenches were too fresh, so packed it up, and went home.
Worse than 2008 I reckon.
Respect to the top runners- still flying through the singletrack.
I've heard that there will be two new categories at D2D next year, Bog Snorkelling and Synchronised swimming...I've decided not to enter....
Well done to all who had a go...
I've heard that there will be two new categories at D2D next year, Bog Snorkelling and Synchronised swimming...I've decided not to enter....
Well done to all who had a go...
I did the first lap at 8pm and it was fantastic, then my next was at 4am and I couldn't believe how the course had changed. Was very hard work!!
tonyg2003 - my dracula clad mate was solo-ing too. He managed 3 laps before calling it a day.
My first lap was at 11:30pm and took 1hr 11 mins less than my second lap immediately after! Think my team mate managed to get the best lap in; the first one!
Took a late solo entry thanks to 'Spud' (Hope your fit soon mate)an what a year to start!
Ran the Pace RC104 SS with RC31 fork and with Mountain King 2.4's. Friday in the dry and even Friday night in the rain the course rode well and I could even make it out of all but two of the bomb holes. I decided on those rides that 32x18 was too low so started race on 32x16. Two laps in and with the course cutting up I'd changed my mind and on lap 3 decided to regear at end of lap 4. Like 'Luked2' I found lap 4 one of the easier with the mud slurry better than the sticky goo as the rain eased 😯
The pit stop lasted over an hour partly because the Pace has a small grub screw on the brake hangar slider. I also had to go and buy more brake pads from RJX + a supper bacon & egg bap for my pitstop to set me up to go out for more 😆 (All part of the joys of going fully solo and not bring a support crew. Fellow solo's and crew more than made up Tx)
Despite the gearing change, lap 5 felt harder as the rain eased and mud became glue like. I think I walked at least 1/2 the singletrack an most of the 'Beast' for laps 5 & 6. Finally with daylight and the trail drying a rideable line became visible. I was determined to ride the whole lap an even made it out of one of the bomb holes 8)
With 3 miles to go I hit the wall but managed to keep moving even thou my speed was under 6kph across the last field
I was really chuffed to find that my 7 laps gained me 8th solo. Even if I'd not taken the extended stop I couldn't have ridden further 😳
Mine was the last remaining tent in the solo camping as I slept before the drive home. The venue was fantastic for us soloist's with the jet wash next to the solo pit tent a real bonus
Bring on next year in the dry
Someone even took time to tell an entire joke and punchline about money and toilets.
Glad it was appreciated! 🙂
<waves>Plovair</waves>!
You were flying round that course; I saw you go past me after your extended pitstop and I knew there was no way I was going to keep up with you.
I was determined to ride the whole lap and even made it out of one of the bomb holes
!!!!!!!!!
even made it out of one of the bomb holes
Ah, the ropes and spikes from the pitstop helped then!
That was a barmy night, kinda fun in a " omg, every pedal turn is either giving me chainsuck or destroying my brake pads a little more " kinda way...
I did our pairs first lap and the course was really nice, by the time of my next lap, well, y'all know that one...
bonkers.
First time on SS 29er - came 5th solo. Very pleased and wasn't expecting that. I learned a lot of lessons from 2008; you don't need gears screwing up in the wet, wet tyres are a must, 3am is a low point so have some proper food ready, don't stop for very long, don't overdress, waterbottle of energy for food per lap.
Thanks to exposure who got my light working instantly when muck got into the smart port, survived for 1 lap on joystick.
Bike was excellent but ecentric BB was falling to bits just before the start!
It was almost fun but if you can get past 3am you will survive!
so it seems the organisers did me a favor in banning me from taking photos at this years' event!
was the weather worse than 2008? now that was wet. surprised i didn't break my camera.
I called it a day after 3 laps in the solo. I finished in 2008, but this time I really couldn't face another 8+ hour of riding around in the filth, plus my brake pads had gone halfway round the 3rd lap and I knew I didn't have enough spare pads to actually be able to complete the 12 hours, so would have had to quit at some stage during the night anyway. Very glad I was on the SS, I was using Nobby Nic tyres and found them really good in the conditions.
I think the difference in 2008 was the rain started later in the race, plus that year I seem to remember the trails were very dry at the start. This year as soon as the rain started the trails rapidly turned into a bog.
sounds lovely!
I was wondering what that really loud grinding noise was:
[img] 
[/img]
lack of brakes didnt seem to matter a great deal early on sunday morning, the mud seemed to act like the best set high end 6-pot DH brakes ever 😯
I sacked it after 5 hours and a whole 3 laps ! One gear left, no brakes (but wasn't going fast enough to need them), no rear shifter. Started a 4th lap and then even that gear stopped turning, so it was a zero speed.
Went to sleep for 3 hours then woke up to find out about the total collapse of the already sparse womens field, and I was 2nd. Was leading when I quit, glad I didn't know that would have had to find another excuse to pull, crash or something !
Ace prizes a nice Joystick light and tons of Torq booty, felt a bit of a fraud on the podium tho I have to say.
[img] 
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First attempt a photo posting.
Elveden Pit 1 thecrackfox 0
Rename to 'TheCrackedFox'?
Ouch 🙁
Elveden Pit isn't even that much fun in the dry from what I recall. Decent fun on the way in, 6 inches of sand on the way out. Last year almost nobody made it out the far side after the first couple of laps (and I never made it out).
I rode Ralphs for all three (ish) laps.
The third lap on my Swift was better than the 2 preceding on my Superlight.
I had to bale out before I finished the third lap as my lights shorted out and I had managed to leave my back up light behind in the tent :/
Thanks to the guy who shadowed me back to HL, hope your back recovered.
Yes well I was too midget sized to even climb out of one of the pits when it got wet - had to ask a bloke for help each time, and that was after er gently deriding some chaps earlier for putting their handbags down in the mud !
There was a girl ahead of me being given a hand out of one of the bombholes - a kind gentleman was lifting her bike out as she scrambled out.
I was hoping he was gonna offer to take my bike too - but he didn't. 😉
I found overshoes have the massive disadvantage of completely covering any chunky tread on the bottom of your shoes, making scrambling out of bombholes a particularly slippy affair!
Agree with hels, there was a lot of handbags and flouncing off going on in the middle of the night.
that was after er gently deriding some chaps earlier for putting their handbags down in the mud !
You weren't on a titus were you- girl in front of me at one of the holes gently derided the guys in front struggling to extricate themselves, then proceeded to block the line out herself. Provided me with the ideal excuse for not clearing it.
On my 4th lap I had to stop at the top of a bombhole to help a lady out of the bomhole. She could hardly get herself out nevermind her bike. When she got to the top she sweetly said.
"Thanks for that. I'm completly f*****d". It made me laugh for most of the rest of the lap.
I did Howies pit in the glupe (Chicken run exit) but only able to do it as some kind bloke shone his light down there for me (My one remaining one was crap) 🙂
Oh btw Hels -respect for doing 3 in THAT
Respect to all that took part on Saturday. This is the second D2D I've missed in a row due to family commitments. TBH I was gutted until I was sitting at home (20 mins from venue) and the heavens opened! Then I was rather glad to be inside. I rode the event in 2008 and that was BAD, but by all accounts this was on another level. We're due a dry one next year, when hopefully I'll be back.
Which of the Bombholes is 'Elveden Pit'? I've been riding at Thetford pretty much every week for the last 10 years but dont recognise the name. I assume from the comments it's the one with the rooty drop in about half way round the lap?
slowjo - Member
I rode Ralphs for all three (ish) laps.The third lap on my Swift was better than the 2 preceding on my Superlight.
I had to bale out before I finished the third lap as my lights shorted out and I had managed to leave my back up light behind in the tent :/
Thanks to the guy who shadowed me back to HL, hope your back recovered.
Did you managed to get your light sorted out? No worries on following you back, was in no state to rush back to the pits. we decided to call it a day after that. well done to everyone who rode it, dont think ill be doing it again after this year.
Last year Elveden Pit was about 2/3rds of the way around the course; basically the second to last bombhole (but the last one in the woods).
No I wasn't on a Titus (bit overbiked shurely ?) but an Orange EV06 which will now be known as the Zero Speed.
I'll def be back next year - the first lap was fun ! And better prepped for bad conditions...
S_J - MemberWhich of the Bombholes is 'Elveden Pit'? I've been riding at Thetford pretty much every week for the last 10 years but dont recognise the name. I assume from the comments it's the one with the rooty drop in about half way round the lap?
Elveden Pit was the 1st this year. It was closed after 'thecrackfox's' mishap. I saw him standing at the marshals tent with the classic dropped shoulder 😕 like the x-ray pic
"Elveden Pit" is adjacent to FR8.
cruzer...I had had enough by then. I have dried my lights out and they are on charge now, hopefully I'll be testing them after lunch.
I think we'd have been better off running the whole thing CX style!
1st lap 55 mins, 2nd 1hr, 3rd 1hr 25mns, 4th 2hrs 5mns, tent/sleeping bag. 4th lap as hard a time pedaling as ive experienced lately. Had to throw sleeping bag and tent due to mud ingress. My Anthem X1 is looking decidedly shagged as well. But RRs rear and NNs front worked quite well! Dont think any tyre would work in those conditions. Well done all who took part, see you next year.
ps hope all who hurt themselves get well soon.
As I went through the timing gantry for my 3rd lap, I heard "There's no.118, currently in 3rd place in Solo's". I thought "blimey, I must be fantastic, going better than I thought etc etc". Only when I looked at the results did I realise what he actually said was "There's no.118, currently in 23rd place...."
Oh, how my hopes were dashed (until I dropped out anyway)
Apparently the Cadets had asked for Elveden Pit to be shut, due to the number of prangs. I think it was the rut I hit in the bottom that chucked me off, but I'll be back and sh1t happens.
cruzer - the lunch time test failed. The battery took the charge ok but I failed to spot that the switch was full of water! I attacked it with my wife's hair dryer but I think it is due a spell in the airing cupboard now.
IMO the pits should have been closed well before they became that dangerous. If few could ride in and even fewer ride out because of the gloop, it begs the question - why were they kept open? Having said that, I saw so many people fall off apparently at random on fire road and singletrack, you could argue the pits were no worse than anywhere else! 😯 😉
Unfortunately missed it this year, but probably for the best by the sounds of things - anyone got any pics of the carnage?!
Well i suppose it was character building, did lap 2 and lap 5 for our team, the first of which was fun, but the 2nd was grim, some how i seemed to get into a nice flow and tried to give cheery words to anyone who i passed, i think i only had to walk one bit of the lap, and that was certainly faster than trying to ride it, but then the cold set in and i felt like poo.
Big thankyou to all involved, without you it would never happen, and get well soon to all those who took a knock.
My only moan is the cost of parking, the lovely wife came over to watch, and help with the team, now correct me if i am wrong, but £10 to park from 6.30pm until 10.30pm seems a bit steep to me, thats another pair of brake pads...............
An excellent event, shame about the weather.....
The new venue is superb.
Did our first lap, and that was fine, next lap was at 2am, OMG what a difference! My team mates warned me, but I wasn't expecting that!
Had a great time as usual, roll on next year!
Many thanks to the two riders who on the first lap, at the first pit, pushed past the queue waiting to ride it shouting "fast riders". 🙄 When they got to the front, they waited for the way out to be clear.. to shouts of "Get on with it" or similar. Then in they went, in line...got to the bottom, where the front rider went over the bars, and his mate ran him over. Sheer class! Mucho cheering!!! 
Many thanks to the two riders who on the first lap, at the first pit, pushed past the queue waiting to ride it shouting "fast riders". When they got to the front, they waited for the way out to be clear.. to shouts of "Get on with it" or similar. Then in they went, in line...got to the bottom, where the front rider went over the bars, and his mate ran him over. Sheer class! Mucho cheering!!!
I think D2D is generally very good for comeradery and people cutting each other a bit of slack, but there were some people taking it all just a bit too seriously on the first lap. I remember getting really irritated when I had to bale half way out of a pit because the bloke in front of me hadn't made it, and someone a couple of riders back shouted at me to get out of his way. My only other option would have been to run him over. Quite how people can get quite so stressed out over a few seconds at the start of a 12 hour race I have no idea.
Far worse conditions that 2008, guess the ground was already saturated. How can the first lap be ridden in the big ring then the next in the granny ring. Never know a surface deteriorate so fast.
The sereal moment for me was waiting at the gazebo for the handover to do my second lap, shuffling my way in just to get a few minutes of dry and knowing the next few hours were going to hell, i looked up at the sponsers sign above the finish line and what does its say - Marin bikes CALIFORNIA. Kind of rubbed it in for me.
@thecrackfox. You're break looks very similar to mine which I did back in May. Although I had a 40mm displacement and a plate fitted to re-align the two parts of my clavicle. Had surgery 7 days after accident and still have plate in. Looking like it will be removed in 4 weeks.
I've not been on the bike on the road/off road, except the turbo or a spin class at the local sports centre. Only given the all clear to start running again 2 weeks ago, due to the vibrations through the body running on/off-road.
Hope yours gets better quicker than mine. I was told it could be up to 9 months off the bike on the road. 5 months so far.
Well done to all the others who finished. I remember 2008 being bad, but 2010 sound a lot worse. Glad I couldn't ride it!
Paul
Cheers 'flatout', 40mm of displacement, that has got to smart.
Trying to get a fracture clinic appointment sorted ASAP as I'm still out of county.
Talking of collarbones. Bust mine in 4 pieces had it plated and 9 weeks after the op I did the 2009 D2D. Not really the best decision ever but no lasting effects. Perhaps I did enjoy 2010 more in hindsight 🙂
Hope you better soon Crack(ed)Fox
What a race, enjoyed it in an odd muddy way! I'm amazed that all that needs replacing on my bike is brake pads...I was sure that it would be a lot more expensive.
I'm thinking I may have to go back next year as I would love to try riding it in the dry.