[Closed] Hit the North - Provisional start list and course photos.

I love riding in jeans and a tshirt. Makes me feel 13 again 😉

Looking forward to it and a top 62 place.

Now to choose which bike? SS or geared

there's no massive climbs John. If it was me I'd [s]race[/s] ride with gears. Stick it in the big ring and give it some 😉

there's no massive climbs John

...apart from the ones that you have to carry up. 😀

SS+Endomorph FTW John

swoons @ racer john. 😉

I don't do winning/racing

Do you do carrying?

JohnClimber - Member

I don't do winning/racing

In fareness you have no idea how to finish 4th with style either. 😉

oh balls, you;ve got Mrs NBT all excited now, she;s seen the start list and worked out she'll either come first or second in mixed 3s - and naturally, it *has* to be first!
I see Trio has some competition for solo female though!

Oh gawd, Mrs NBT is racing Derek Starship & co for the mixed 3s title. It's gonna be carnage!

Derek (Neil), Lee & Jane have been training too.

Should probably book my train ticket and chase up the bike.

Lance prepares for le Tour in the same way.

Can you chase up our prizes while you are at it?

It's home turf for Short 'n ard, so they do have the advantage of knowing the racing line 😉

racing line? We only carved the racing line out of the earth with our scythes yesterday.

I love riding in jeans and a tshirt. Makes me feel 13 again

That second picture in the OP. Is it junction 16 to 17 that is part of the course, or 17 to 18? Am I allowed to overtake in lane 3?

you can overtake where you like petal.

Well, Im hoping i can make it, some chump knocked me off my bike last weds, and im a bit sore..........

Trev, if you're not well enough to ride come over anyway and we'll give you a comfy chair and a cuppa.

how long do you expect a lap to take? (for a fat middle aged rigid ss'er)

been off work sick all week with a nasty virus, currently in a team of 3 and and have told the other two that they'll be riding on their own but i'll still be coming and i'm sure i'll want to do a lap even if i walk most of it.

Im not one of the "team" as it were but I've done a couple of the preview rides. I reckon the top lads will be lapping in 25 to 30 minutes, 45 to 50 for your more average MTber 🙂

Quite quick. 6.5 miles and over half of it is pretty much flat out. The rest is a lesson in zero margin of error terror. Imagine the speeder bike chase in Return Of The Jedi, but without the little furry fellas.

It was designed to get as many laps in as possible. No hanging around for ages in the pits waiting for a go. The pairs will have next to no time to do their thing between laps.

Im defo gonna be there eitherway Jase .......

Looking at those pics I can understand why you were struggling to sell tickets. Even the singletrack looks straight and boring. I do hope it's not all like that, I thought the riding was better up North...? 😕

cant wait to come to the race your organising PeterPoddy.

PeterPoddy - Member
Looking at those pics I can understand why you were struggling to sell tickets. Even the singletrack looks straight and boring. I do hope it's not all like that, I thought the riding was better up North...?

[edit]The last two are in the singletrack.

Thank god for that! If I was looking at those pics having entered, I'd be asking for a refund. My ride to work is tougher than I can see there. In fact, if I take a different route like I do on sunny evenings, it's remarkably similar to be fair, it looks very like the Blackwater Valley Path.

Looking at those pics I can understand why you were struggling to sell tickets.

We were wondering why it wasn't filling up as quick as we'd hoped (given the 3 previous races we organised were so well received) - good job you were here Poddy to share your wisdom.

I took them when I was out posting the footpath closure notices.

Actually, the camera doesn't do the gradient justice. You'd struggle to walk quickly down the bit that Terrahawk is riding.

From previous outings...

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- good job you were here Poddy to share your wisdom

Believe me, I'm not the first or the only one to notice, just the only one to open his big gob. And it needed saying. Sorry.

As a mater of interest (I'd like to compare it to a local course) how much climbing per lap?

900ft

thank god your opinion amounts to **** all eh?

Mr Poddy, have you actually ridden the course?

Making snap judgements based on a few photos is easy - creating a genuinely exciting event which appeals to 'crossers, experienced racers and long term bimblers like myself is bloody difficult.

Doing it twice a year, for the love of it, then donating the profit to charity is above and beyond the call of duty.

I'd suggest you attend the event and ride the course before commenting further.
Sticking your oar in at this point, just to make negative comments, frankly stinks.

Attempting to justify it as helpful advice is disengenuous at best and does you no favours at all.

So am i 😉

[edit] your comment seems to have been deleted

Enough of this bitching.

This is the last HTN. If you turn up you'll like it. If you're not coming then to be honest I don't care.

Mr Poddy, have you actually ridden the course?

Making snap judgements based on a few photos is easy - creating a genuinely exciting event which appeals to 'crossers, experienced racers and long term bimblers like myself is bloody difficult.

Doing it twice a year, for the love of it, then donating the profit to charity is above and beyond the call of duty.

I'd suggest you attend the event and ride the course before commenting further.
Sticking your oar in at this point, just to make negative comments, frankly stinks.

Attempting to justify it as helpful advice is disengenuous at best and does you no favours at all.

So you post pictures up of the course, which make it look flat and boring. Someone then points this out then gets called a "cock" for stating the obvious?
Would anyone have bothered entering at all if you hadn't have received preferential treatment in advertising your race in this forum (for free), when other promoters have had threads removed or received bans for doing the same thing?

6.5 miles, nearly all flat out? Would it be better to take a road bike?

As stated earlier. Enough of this bitching.

Pictures 2 and 3 are actualy quite steep climbs. Whatever... as I have said earlier this will be the last one for me.

Would it be better to take a road bike?

You can if you like. Two wheels one rider are the only rules.

Please note, now my comment has been removed (pray tell why???).

EDIT: Its come back again!!!! Eh????

From the forum rules.

"In addition to the above guidelines we have a limited number of hard and fast rules that you should familiarise yourself with before posting on any of our forums.
No Trade or business advertising – except bona fide retailers may respond to genuine enquiries from potential customers"

I hope this rule is enforced.

We're giving the money away. £6,500+ in the last 2 years.

We actually have done our best to stay away from the forum but we had to make a decision a few weeks ago. Our choices were.

a) Cancel and give a partial refund to the competitiors. - Not an option.
b) Cancel and cover the losses ourselves. - Not an option as we gave all our money away.
c) Try and save it. - We did. It worked.

Sorry if you have been offended.

Making snap judgements based on a few photos is easy

Very true, spot on in fact. Which is what I did. Why? Becasue that's all I have to go on. I'll be deadly straight with you - If I was anywhere near you guys there's a very good chance I'd be entered, but those first pics look deathly boring, and I'd be extremely disappointed. Go on, tell me it just looks looks like a good course from those first pics and I'll see if I can keep a straight face.

Mate, if I was involved in the event somehow, I'd be sitting here with my head in my hands in dismay.... It was only my snap judgement that brought some better pics out!
Maybe I'm looking at things 'through the lens' a bit after spending a day taking pics at AYTE, I dunno.

900ft of climbing sounds pretty good given the course length, so I'd imagine there's some decent descents that would have been a lot more photogenic than motorway underpasses and flat gravel tracks. 🙂

Mate, if I was involved in the event somehow, I'd be sitting here with my head in my hands in dismay....

I am.

I'd remove those pics if I were you..... Maybe link to a set from last year, or the official snappers pics?

[i]Would it be better to take a road bike?[/i]

http://www.singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/just-over-a-week-to-go-before-hit-the-north-20
😆

DezB - noted, in more than one respect. 😀

PeterPoddy - Member
I'd remove those pics if I were you..... Maybe link to a set from last year, or the official snappers pics?

I'll leave them as they are. Taking them out isn't going to help.

Sorry if you have been offended.

Not offended, just want to make sure there is a level playing field for everyone.

I'd second the idea of replacing the pictures, it's not the best way to advertise the course, is it?

Hope it all goes well anyway, and hope the weather is good.

I put the pictures up to show that it was dry and dusty. Wish I hadn't bothered. One of the bits that looks flat is actually so steep that it washed away in the storm before HtN 1 (we had no control over that) and ended up being deposited on one of the other bit that looks flat.

If we were spending the money on sniffing coke out of the bum cracks of members of Atomic Kitten it would be a different issue. As it is we'll probably be giving whatever we make away to a cancer charity and a contribution to saving a local listed building.

I am looking forward to this very much. Hopefully I shall have time to fit some gears to my "race" bike before Friday however.

The course a couple of years ago was murderous in the mud, it'll be a lot more fun bone dry and quick. 🙂

Also looking forward to next years inaugural Peter Poddy Festival of Mountain Bicycle and General Awesome, which will undoubtedly be the single best mountain bike race ever staged. 😉

[i]Peter Poddy Festival of Mountain Bicycle and General Awesome[/i]

I believe that's in a couple of weeks! Now it has a name! Yay!

Andrew, I'm sad to hear this will be the last HTN having done all of the previous events. Having read through the comments above I can see why, what a load of hassle.

If people judge these things on a few photos of a course then I really don't think they get it. It's a race around North Manchester, what are they expecting? Of course there's not going to be a Jacobs Ladder descent, it's a 6 mile loop of the local woods...

It'll be a blast. The craic will be on. I'll enjoy shouting abuse at some passing racer as he doesn't tell me which side he's passing me on, then I'll probably make myself sick trying to keep up with said passing racer for 100 yards just so I can see if he can ride the bombhole. He will probably ride it and I will probably go arse over tit. If he does fall off/bottle it I will get a small sense of satisfaction. Then, at the end of the day I will go home and drink beer having ridden round in circles for 8 hours - 8 hours in which I am not thinking about work, doing the garden, getting the car MOT'd etc. And next weekend I will go and ride down Jacobs Ladder, however I might have a winge about it on here as there will be no one to race down it.

Keep up the good work mate. I'm just grateful that there's a race on my doorstep...

George

Cheers big fella. I'm fillin' up.

See you in the beer tent.

Then, at the end of the day I will go home and drink beer having ridden round in circles for 8 hours - 8 hours in which I am not thinking about work, doing the garden, getting the car MOT'd etc.

Nooooo, STAY and drink beer. It's miles better. 😀

Andrew, I'm sad to hear this will be the last HTN having done all of the previous events. Having read through the comments above I can see why, what a load of hassle.

If people judge these things on a few photos of a course then I really don't think they get it. It's a race around North Manchester, what are they expecting? Of course there's not going to be a Jacobs Ladder descent, it's a 6 mile loop of the local woods...

It'll be a blast. The craic will be on. I'll enjoy shouting abuse at some passing racer as he doesn't tell me which side he's passing me on, then I'll probably make myself sick trying to keep up with said passing racer for 100 yards just so I can see if he can ride the bombhole. He will probably ride it and I will probably go arse over ****. If he does fall off/bottle it I will get a small sense of satisfaction. Then, at the end of the day I will go home and drink beer having ridden round in circles for 8 hours - 8 hours in which I am not thinking about work, doing the garden, getting the car MOT'd etc. And next weekend I will go and ride down Jacobs Ladder, however I might have a winge about it on here as there will be no one to race down it.

Keep up the good work mate. I'm just grateful that there's a race on my doorstep...

I second this statement 100% have done HTN before as have many of my club and all loved it, it will be a sad day a well organised event which gives you a chance to hassle cyclocross riders on the DH and get passed by them running ends!!!!

Stop moaning about the course and enjoy riding what ever the trails are you ride!!!

remember folks, if you keep buying us beer in the tent after the race, you've more chance of persuading us to organise another one 😉

(unless this one turns out to be a bit sh1t, obviously!)

terrahawk - Member
remember folks, if you keep buying us beer in the tent after the race, you've more chance of persuading us to organise another one

Can you break this news to my wife?

bring her down on Saturday and we'll get her p1ssed (then tell her).

Would love to stay and drink beer, but have 2 problems:

1. I'm driving
2. We're having some friends over for dinner... 7pm + finish lap + load car = 8pm... Half an hour home to Mossley and unload... I'll tell them I'll be home for 9, that will leave time for a quick pint with you boys.

Or... Finish riding at half 6, abandon car, have several pints and ride home... turn up at 9, pished...

Hmmmmmmm

3. Ask your friends & partner to meet you in the beer tent?

Very good Indian restaurant just up the road as well.

Hang on, do you think that F[s]a[/s]orts of India would deliver to a field? Could be a plan....

Am trying to persuade my local bike shop to enter: they do have a race team and with the current entry list there's a very good chance of a podium place. Bit short notice though, apparently 🙁

Rusty Spanner - Member

Very good Indian restaurant just up the road as well.

Are you there on Friday night? Can you bring a menu so we can order please? Might be worth popping in with a map on Tuursday night and telling them to expect a couple of phone calls over the weekend 😀

I can't see what all the fuss is about.
When I looked at those photos, my only criticism was that it's going to be a bit noisy that near the motorway.
Looks like a good mix of bits that are fun to ride and bits where it's possible to overtake. You can't have it both ways all the way round.

Rusty Spanner - Very nice use of the word "partner". Did the thought process go something like this:

"Hmmmm, STW board member, probably straight, but, never actually mentions a girlfriend... best opt for partner"? 🙂

Myself and my mate Ron did the first HTN - the 12hr one. So we could keep out of the rain / get changed we'd erected a tent. Our partners turned up an hour before the race ended to help pack away. By the time the race ended they were that pished that Ron's missus was opening the door to the tent whilst he was getting changed, telling everyone to look at him, so we sent them back to the beer tent and packed everything away ourselves. She made him get McD's on the way home & then she was sick everywhere in the car.

It would just be easier all round if I go with option 1 or 2 🙂

ps it is girlfriend, in case you were wondering!

Rockitman, I always use 'partner'. I work in Hebden Bridge, it's the safest option. 😀

George, I do hope your gf is coming to the after-[s]race[/s] event party next weekend 😉

I've just test fired one of the generators. It made me feel like a [b]man[/b].

We've got all the stuff now. I just want to get on with it!

More flat bits.

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Shoulder is getting better, gonna pin a number on, not sure if im gonna drive or get the train from Mossley there and back so i can have a beer or 8......... either way im there. cant wait.

Drive. Bring a tent.

keep the good news coming....I could get used to this.

Good news... Dinner party moved to Sunday afternoon. Result.

Why do you want my gf to attend Terrahawk? Have you seen the pictures online? 😉

Right. Will talk to her tonight about attending. I might join Manchester Trev in getting the train in from Mossley and then see if she'll pick me up... Given that she's organising 14 graduation ceremonies this week at Salford Uni and working 16 hour days I might get told to f off, however she may fancy a beer. However that would mean I have to drive...

Why do you want my gf to attend Terrahawk?

just cos she sounds like a lorra lorra fun

more good news - just spoke to the guy who will be bringing a van load of technology to that we can time everyone and I now have the distinct impression that HE KNOWS WHAT HE IS DOING.

Yay!

Looks like PeterPoddy (ProperNoddy) has fell off his toadstool.

The last set of pictures is much more typical of the HtN course.

Now where's me carb's.....

A Samedi tout le monde!

Looks good. Im away for this but heres to a great race etc

To be fair to Peter, the original photos don't do the course justice: for those of us who know the course, we know about the good bits, and we know that the photos show a lovely dry dusty course rather than the gloop-fest of HTN1. Not everyone is a great photographer, and not everyone can be bothered to stop on the good bits to take photos

That second batch of photos are far better. Shows why a CX bike might be a good idea too, with that carrying 🙂 and why it might not be a good idea, with the subsequent drop 😀

Not everyone is a great photographer

Cheeky bleeder.

Poddy is a great photographer as well as an expert course designer, so he would not have had this problem and therefore would not have exposed himself to criticism in the way that you have. 🙂

bet it don't look that good at weekend, spot of rain forecast, hopefully heavens won't open properly until sunday.

Gutted to be missing this, would have loved to join you all.