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I'll be honest, I'd not be able to pick mtnboarder from a crowd - I was focussing so hard on that corner that I never really saw a face. It was a tricky one, I only had it properly figured out by the last lap (foot out seemed to help).
Snotrag was easier to spot because his bike's so individual! He seemed in good fooling for someone who'd ridden so many laps.
I was saying to my teammate that I've not seen an endurance race that size for years - there's clearly a market for it, even if the enduro stuff isn't viable. My suspicion is that a local cycling club or enthusiastic rider will have a go at it on a scaled down, lower key basis similar to how the Galloway Hillbillies run 10@Kirroughtree.
No worries! Most people had issues there- not helped by it changing from greasy and slick to dusty!
There was an inside line over the grass which seemed to have more grip than the trail, some were using the banking to setup wide- some successfully, others not so!
Only one person came off all day though, which was a surprise given how many had near misses.
Rode Enjoyro Evo yesterday (managed 7th in old guy ebike class) which I'm told had the highest turnout for any Tweedlove enduro at over 400. We didn't set off until 11am and there were still riders heading for Stage 1 as we were on our way to 4. Also many happy riders.
Tweedlove will be greatly missed, but the team seemed relieved that they will have some downtime, and they're going out on a high.
Late to the party here, but I had a great time, loved the course. All the marshalls were amazing, really supportive and encouraging. I was also paying too much attention to the tricky corner to really see mtnboarder, but tried to commentate my various failed lines ?
I managed 10 laps which was more than I expected and probably the hardest ride I've ever done. More importantly I finished the race without an ambulance, an improvement over 2022!
Other highlights were the line choices on the matrix for some nice passing, the walkers path bit which was interestingly rooty and the guilty pleasure of the super groomed blue flow to the finish line. Glad my tyres stayed on round some of those berms!
Huge thanks to everyone involved, gutted that it's all coming to an end.
I really enjoyed it, it was my first event like this for 6 years. I managed 6 laps plus the first in a pairs team, averaging around 41 minutes per lap. The climbs were my weakness. There were some fast riders there! I definitely need to work on the fitness, and will be looking for more races like this to do again. It's a shame it's the last .
Its back! The best things never die.
2024 was my first and I'm very glad it looks like not being my last.
Anyone wanna do pairs!?
In my diary now. Just the motivation required for a big summer of riding.
Yep, exactly, I was excited about this all the way though spring and summer last year so I'm really pleased its back on.
Its back! The best things never die.
Excellent! Date now in the diary, it'll be my first MTB race in... ummm... a really very long time.
I did actually used to be OK (Back In The Day™) in the endurance XC stuff - Enduro 6, the 10 Under / 10 Around races. It'll be highly entertaining to see just how bad I've got...
Glad to see it return in some ways - not in others though! (I hoped my 3rd fastest pair would be set in stone forever now, and I can't make that weekend. Booo.)
Can't do it, already busy that day, gutted!
Who's in then? This Saturday is coming round quickly!?
Proper looking forward to this one, I've had a somewhat cluttered home life since our Holiday in August with a van that blew up taking all my time (and money) and have done precisely ONE bike ride in about 5 weeks - so this is not ideal prep!
However, I've got some nice upgrades on my hardtail as motivation I'm relying on simply plodding round fuelled by continual eating and drinking.
Any clues or word on the course? Similar to last year? How wet has it been up in the valley for the past few weeks, I'm guessing I need to change the Aspen semi-slicks for something a little more toothy!
And whilst I may not by physically or mentally ready, my bike is looking 😍 so thats no excuse. Say Hello if you see me!
It's not been that wet and the forecast looks good for this week so could be nice and dry. I don't know about the course but I wouldn't expect any new trails.
I'll not be there - I had a holiday booked for this weekend long before the race was revived. I'll be sad not to race in some ways but I've absolutely murdered myself this racing season and need a big rest so I'm glad my body won't have to be put through it!
Ill be back to marshall this event, dont know where im going to be yet but hopefully see a few of you when your whizzing past
Looks to be the same as last year I think..
Not sure if I'll be helping this year, only got a half day to spare..
Marshall point 15 for me - the last one on the course, say hello as your all flying past.
I'm in for solo! Slightly apprehensive as I'd barely touched off-road all year and largely been on the skinny tyres. But I think it's largely fairly straightforward...pretty familiar with GT. The weather looks quite friendly so I'm pretty excited.
I'll be on a resprayed matte black hardtail so say hi if you see me!
No idea how many laps I wanna get. 7 would be nice.
Slight hijack - how will this affect access for those not racing? The kids fancy riding at Glentress with one of their mates. Map looks like should be fairly straightforward to avoid as usual but are there likely to be any issues?
It might make things tricky if you're riding the red/blue routes in terms of getting back down to the bottom at the end. Depends what you are planning really- If I was coming down spooky for example, you can still get back via the motorway to Buzzards then the blue to Falla Brae.
I would also avoid setting off between 9.30-10.30 as I think the forest access road is used for the start.
Parking won't be an issue either.
I'll be there, riding with two mates who've never done an XC event before so things could get interesting!
Hope no one on here was any of the accidents or mechanicals today. I read the map wrong and was on the transistion/pits so hopefully managed to say hello to a few of you. Enjoyed the whole day.
That was excellent. Random far too long memoir here:
I hope that the couple folk I saw who had nasty accidents in the last flow trail are ok, never nice to see.
I was hoping to get 8 or 9, but I told myself I would be happy with 7. Got there full of vigour, excitement and nerves but in the end it felt like I was pedalling through treacle straight from the gun and over layered for the first two laps. Legs were stiff and burning a long time before my breathing was heightened! Weird. I somehow forgot how to descend too for the first half / got a bit stressed out with the number of people for the first bit. Not a slight on the riders or the organisers, I've just never done a massive start MTB event before so it unnerved me a bit and I found myself waiting secretly for quiet spells. Need to be a bit braver with that.
Ended up with 7 fairly comfortably though, so I can't be too annoyed. Hard not to be a little disappointed as I know I'm capable of more fitness wise on a better day but alas. Was expecting it to be hard but perhaps underestimated it quite a lot.
Atmosphere was electric, and everyone was very sound. I didn't seem to bother anyone going downhill like a donkey and it was quite easy to let folk pass. Kept it rubber side down and zero mechanicals despite that. Some very, very fast riders around.
That steep fire road section after the walkers path with the silly signposts was savage. I've been to GT dozens of times and don't think I've ever ridden up there before! Found myself wishing for my enduro bike with the 52 cog instead of the 42 I had, I'm not fit enough for that on so much climbing.
I was very jealous of all the fancy full sus XC/downcountry bikes towards the end. It's very, very doable on a 100mm hardtail and nothing particularly scary, but jesus it felt like my teeth were getting rattled out towards the back end - especially on The Matrix.
Last note; it was beautiful how dry it stayed all day, only for the heavens to open as soon as it finished. Poetic! I can only imagine how sketchy the off camber rooty parts would be with that much traffic and was worrying about that quite a lot haha.
I hope there's another edition at some point so I can give a slightly better account of myself (without all the overthinking that I'm giving away with this posh!) now I know what it's like.
Hope everyone had a great time, had to miss last year from injury and had something else booked for this weekend but it was always a brilliant event. Even marshalling was a good time and let's be honest marshalling xc racing is the absolute worst.
Managed 9, my 9th was 46 mins and I had about 47 mins before the cut off. At the time I was totally spent but now wondering if I should have given it a go... At the time I was convinced I couldn't but from the comfort of the breakfast table I think I should have gone again. Easy to say now though.
One of the best things I've ever done racing was crossing the line about 20 seconds before the cutoff- whole crowd cheering, pa guy going bananas, had no idea if I'd actually made it or not. Like a penalty shootout but for bikes.
I loved it. think it might be my 5th go as a solo. Did some about 10 years ago (when it came through the campsite on a dual slalom track). Done the last 3 after finding a new love of mtb after time on the road.
I was a bit worried coming into it. I was working in the USA all week and spent Thursday night on a plane so was worried about jet lag and sleep deprivation. That and the weather was looking dubious.
It all came together though. I got 11 laps and the 3rd step on the v40 podium.
Definitely easier on a full suss. You can go faster for less effort on the downs. I've been doing a lot more hard mtbing this year and a couple of enduros. That really seemed to help as I set a few pbs on the way down! There were a few places where the obvious well worn line was not the fastest and being a bit creative could carry speed.
Did see a guy being treated on the bottom section. He looked ok and was sat up. I stopped to help a guy who'd crashed somewhere in the woods. Missed the bridge! He was holding his arm and complaining of a painful neck (it looked like a collarbone break). Checked him over and had a quick chat. Nothing broken and he managed to walk back up to a marshal point thankfully.
10 laps for me. Started really well but a battle against cramp from lap 5 onwards. Hard to balance drinking enough with stopping for more bottles. I was well chuffed to get 10 though. Only had 5 minutes total of non-moving time which I thought was good considering I had no one pitting for me.
Full sus might have been nice for a couple of sections, but my steel hardtail was perfect for 90% of the course.
Also, so good going mtbing in lycra. Quieter, more comfortable, nothing to get caught on anything. Baggies might look cooler, but really.
Was nearly an epic for my team but turned out bizarrely successful! One teammate had to drive up from Leeds early on the Saturday morning after trying to set off Friday night and ending up stuck behind a crash on the A1, so we were planning on how to cover for him if he slept in. I did the double to start, the shorter start lap and the first full to find he'd actually arrived just before the start so we ere okay. Team pulled together 9 laps in 6:59:30-something of which I got 4 in, short lap of 36mins and full lap times of 48, 46 and 47mins so nice and consistent. My Strava PB for the 'Rue Soufferance' steep climb at the top was on my last lap, so glad the legs held up!
We ended up laughing our heads off at ending up with a 'default' trophy - 3rd in the 'Male Trio <120' category out of 3 teams, and judging by the others stood on the podium, definitely the oldest team in the category!
Couldnt even muster the energy to reply yesterday! Glad everyone had fun, I'm so happy I got to do this again after my first attempt last year was supposedly the last.
Beat my target from last year - a very un-impressive 7 laps compared to some here but I was happy and given I've done one bike ride in about 6 weeks thats pretty good!
I need to push further forward at the start, I reckon I lost a good ten minutes overall simply by being at the back with the 'here for a good time, not a race' crowd. Which is, admittedly, great fun! Lots of good chat all the way round all day, from some of the fast boys and girls too.
Bike was flawless, nice light carbon hardtail but I agree with @elray89 up there, it was perfect for the majority of the day but there were a few moments in the afternoon I was hitting stuff quite fast and only semi-controlled!
The beautiful sunshine all day with the rain after the podiums was indeed poetic. I've proper got the bug, really pleased with how I paced myself and felt strong, I'm sure I can go faster now if I actually put some effort into training and losing a few kilos.
Well done everyone. Loads of ace photos up on RootsandRain of course too, I always like to support those guys.
One of the best things I've ever done racing was crossing the line about 20 seconds before the cutoff- whole crowd cheering, pa guy going bananas, had no idea if I'd actually made it or not. Like a penalty shootout but for bikes.
I was lucky enough to finish my last lap right in front of Solo winner Feargus (Behind me in the Black/White Peebles kit) finishing his, so got the full crowd effect round the berms and jumps into the line, great fun!