[Closed] Exmoor Explorer 2010 - Cracking route

wasn't particularly keen on the fields or the amount of tarmac, but after last years mud I can see why the organisers would have picked a slightly more weather proof route.

For those at the front, there seemed to be a huge number of gates as well... seemed to be forever stopping an opening them! All round though it was pretty good fun, even had time for two flapjacks at the tea stop!

even had time for two flapjacks at the tea stop!

I thought it was excellent. I even managed to acheive my ambitious goal of not being overtaken by the two blokes on unicycles.

I now know however why the bottle of scrumpy was free.

Downhills were good. Got a bit bored of fireroad and tarmac climbs though. Maybe should have tried the extra loop - how was that?

Bike now covered in sheep shit.

The long loop was by far the best for technical interest, really enjoyed riding it and discovering some tracks I hadn't known about before.

Dibbs - how on earth did you manage to get lost? there was orange tape the whole way around!

Dibbs - how on earth did you manage to get lost? there was orange tape the whole way around!

Personally i thought today involved way too much tarmac, fireroads, rutted fields and stop start descents through gates. Not enough technically for me i'm afraid. Had high hopes after great feedback fom mates who did last years.
It may well be that the organisers were going for the weather proof dependability that the route would have given or maybe trying to appeal more to novices, don't get me wrong i was knackered come the end but didn't feel i'd had enough good trails to pay back for the effort put in.
This was my first time on exmoor and i'm sure there are much better trails up there, i won't be attending next year - or maybe i'll buy a cx bike and do it on that.
Apologies if this offends anyone but i paid my money and am entitled to my opinion. The event itself was so well organised,marshalled and tea stop etc was great so credit to the organisers for that.

Come back with your mtb. There're plenty of us who can show you the goods for free.

I'd love to thanks, the frustrating aspect was knowing that there are so many good trails on tap up there and we were on one road/fireroad after another.

Ahh come on - go and do the Dyfi if you want hardcore descents - I did it last year on my Five and was arduous but technically good - today on my HT it was fun! Maybe dump the 5 inch trail bikes and get back to basics 🙂

Yes i thought about doing it on my inbred but my mate rode last year and reckoned with the decent downs of last years route the five would be more ideal, no matter what bike i'm on though i'd rather not spend the majority of my ride on tarmac,fireroads and through fields.
If you all enjoyed it then it means i'm in a minority and the route was a success, if thats the case then its good news for the organisers, maybe i'm just a bit grumpy but i stand by my opinion. My expectations were probably too high which didn't help.

Sorry - tired 🙂 Get your point about the road sections could have put a bit more off road in - but I was on form today - buzzing along and thought overall a great day - not just about the course - great weather, nice bunch of riders, no rude ****ts, good atmos, dry trails, tech descents would have been the icing on the cake but......

I've done it 4 times now, though not last year, every year it is different and that's half the fun.

Its a great event, the peoepl who organise it, staff it, cover the route, check you in and best of all give you cake are marvellous and should be thanked profusely by everyone.

I too thought it was a bit road/fire roady this year, that last slog was torture, and that sharp climd after the cake stop on the 10mile loop, with too many cakes in my tummy, was spiteful. but the section of downill strck at the end of the 10m loop was outstanding. Next year it will be different, iys a great way to ride exmoor and it raises cash for charity, I'm there!

Different feel to the route this year (apart from being dry!) - no impossible rocky climbs and (as has been said already) less 'technical'. Overall, I enjoyed it (especially the stony gullys and the fast descent on the long route), but I did struggle a bit on the final monster climb. As usual, the organisation could not be faulted and it was good to see so many ladies riding (plus we all raised a grand for a good cause!).

...oh, and apart from free cake you also got a litre of farm cider. Which I've just enjoyed thoroughly. How nice is that!

Im not won over by todays route.... I preferred last year by quite a lot.
I should have taken a road/CX bike for the amount of time we spent on the black stuff!
However I did enjoy that last fireroad climb, probably because I actually felt quite strong there.

Managed a fall within the first 4 miles tho as soon as we went off road

Have also written of my Whyte frame, it now has a second dent but this one goes thru the tubing! Arse!

Ahh come on - go and do the Dyfi if you want hardcore descents - I did it last year on my Five and was arduous but technically good - today on my HT it was fun! Maybe dump the 5 inch trail bikes and get back to basics

I did, on my SS, and there was still too much road for that! I had to keep getting a 'tow' from geared riders on the roads. The course was IMHO the worst of the 4 Exmoor Explorers that i've done, however i take on board the possible weatherproof and different trails each year approaches.

High praise though for the organisation and the flapjack, really was excellent. 😀

Well I did the Dyfi this year - great descents but the climbs were dull dull dull - all fire road, on and on - at least the EE this year had a good mixture of stuff IMHO 🙂

Hats off 2 the Organisers, they manage to put together different routes every year rather than the "same old" like other events.
Didn't like this years route??? Come back next year and try whats on offer.. If not, stay at home and stop ure "bleating". 😡
And the tea/cake/stop was tops. 🙂

Didn't like this years route??? Come back next year and try whats on offer.. If not, stay at home and stop ure "bleating".

I probably will, as i have done for the past 4 years, as i know how good Exmoor can be. Maybe if they didnt set such a high standard with previous routes i wouldnt be 'bleating' 😉

BTW - If anyone wants the full route for the day (some prob not 😉 ) its here as a GPX 🙂

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/9914773/Exmoor%20Explorer%202010.gpx

Anyone have any photos they took yesterday? or know anyone who did? I'm was number 370 if anyone has any!

What - so no one took any photos all day?! must be a first for a bike race...

There seemed to be at least 3 stops where there was a guy with an SLR - I epect the'll be up when the results are up - the 2009 stuff has been pulled so I guess in teh next day or so?

@ Kitz - BTW what bike were you riding- were you up the front?

Yea I came in first (can't win if it wasn't a race) with another local guy; we rode around together and stopped to fix each others punctures!

I was riding a White commencal super 4 with Crank Bros colbalt wheels (pretty unique!)

ah yeh saw you upfront but not for long 🙂 came 16th but I know from the clock I was several minutes behind 😉

well done chris,shame we didnt see you at the finish,you were probally home by then! (fellow c/m rider)

Well done Chris, I saw you. You were going through the tea stop for a second time after completing the extra loop, just as I was leaving the tea stop for the first time, about the start the extra loop!

Dibbs, next year just follow the red tape not your GPS you always take a detour an end up lost!! As they say if you dont see tape for 1/2 mile your on the wrong track!! Just another cxxk up where your concerned boyo . Lol
Wait till I speak to Rob at the nick he'll laugh his pants off cos I bet you havnt told him.
Anyway just the job foe me this ride was put a smile on me face those descents.
And the bacon and egg butties at the end by the lovely lass, what more caan I say

I had a great day.

This is my fourth year of doing the Exmoor Explorer and I would agree there was more fireroad/roads but I enjoyed it and completed the Long Loop so was very happy.

Thanks to all that organised it and to Foxy for the GPS routes.

However; in a couple of places the orange tapes did NOT follow the GPS route. The two routes did merge again after half a mile (at most) but there were discrepancies 😀

I enjoyed the route. Sure, it wasn't that technichally challenging, but it helped to show off some alternative trails that not everyone will have ridden before. It was excellent for the less experienced and for those on 'cross bikes 😉

Tea and cake as good as ever

However, I was very disappointed by the number of idiots who wanted to race despite being stuck in the rearmost part of the pack. A few people making dodgy overtaking manouvers and shouting 'out of the way' really spoiled it with the few new comers that I went along with.

Well the done thing when descending faster than the person in front of you and with an overtake opportunity is to shout rider left/right and a thankyou/sorry as you head on by. I was guilty of this on a few descents but there's no way i'd have shouted move or get out of the way to anybody. Bluey grey orange five with pikes so if i offended anyone in particular i apologise.
I like to enjoy my climbs and descents rather than push up and mince down wasting good brake pads dragging them and bouncing off every rock on the trail. Did hear a few handbags around the first bits which were amusing!
Agreed it wasn't a race which is why 3 of us decided to go around together despite varying fitness levels and varying levels of hangovers, i do however like my downs to be done where possible at my speed not somebody elses.
A bit of karma for anyone i happened to pass or one of my mates on his white meta, at the top of the big off road climb after the tea stop on the long loop as you start a short descent and take a right, me and a mate missed the tape and headed down the best descent of the day, rough, flat out, long and the wrong way! A good 20 mins back up and then my mates meta had a hissy fit and a puncture,torn sidewall and then a few miles later another puncture. Thats probably enough payback in my eyes!

This was my first yeat at EE, and probably my last!!
My friend rode last years EE and hadn't stopped banging on about it, so when registration opened this year I willingly signed up to see what the fuss was about!
Coming from a more DH orientated background I knew that I would need to train a LOT, and have put in a good number of sessions in preparation. Still, the climbs were very difficult for me and I constantly found myself going backwards!BUT whilst going backwards I was VERY aware of the riders behind me who would need to pass me, I cycled to the side of route, or stopped to let them pass.
NOW THEN! Whilst on the decents, myself and my friends were constantly held up by people who were going soooooo slowly that the smell of brake pad was burning our nostrils, people stopping on the decent to declare that they 'weren't riding down that', people refusing to let us pass, even if we were clearly going twice as fast as them, people actually blocking any overtaking moves by weaving to and fro across the track deliberately and to find yourself having to trackstand on a medium angled decent was ridiculous!!
Now I'm very aware that riders have varying abilities in all aspects of riding BUT Sundays EE was TOO inclusive, there were riders there who clearly only ever rode on canal paths or to and from the shops!
I trained for the ups, maybe they should have trained for the downs, or at least learn some trail etiquette and get out of the way of riders who were clearly going faster than themselves!
I doubt I'll return next year(I'm sure this will please some more conservative riders) as i found the amount of road and fireroad stupid for an off road event, coupled with the lack of consideration from other riders, I think I'll head to Afan for the weekend next year instead!

Go do a proper xc race then you will get past going up and down

"Go do a proper xc race then you will get past going up and down "

You clearly haven't read what has been written and the point that I was making!
Firstly-it WASN'T a race!!!!
Secondly- This is all in response to someone complaining about people overtaking! You have to expect to be overtaken, unless you're likely to be the winner!
This is about common curtesy and trail etiquette, people need to be more aware of their position, ability and those riders around them!!

Calm down dear, the wide range of different riders in the field is kind of the point with the EE (panniers and all).

It does help to start up near the front if you want to press on - I got a good clear run all the way round, but I didn't spend long at the cake stop...

For anyone who thought it wasn't tough enough, there's always Singletracksurfer's 60-mile epic in September:

http://www.activeexmoor.com/site/whats-on-diary/bhf-exmoor-bike-marathon-p677303

@the00 - should have joind us up the front - was lovely and quiet and no barging or shouting 😉

@JAG - yeh the GPS was wrong at one point in the woods on the out loop - ignored it and rode the orange tape route 😉
[b]
ITS NOT A RACE.[/b] However if your like me and wanted to know what position you finished I have sorted the results below. If not look away now

@ Mr Agreeable - I was going to do that but I am doing another ride that weekend 😉

However; in a couple of places the orange tapes did NOT follow the GPS route.