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Well paralysis can cause stiffies so who knows indeed.
I've got some picture from my marshal point, I'll upload later as I'm off to work now!
See my computer was spot on at 80 miles, slightly under at 90 and read about 96.5 at '5 miles' to go. It said 100.4 at the end . . .
Maybe you didn't zig-zag as much as the others.
What a great ride....just thought i would post my ride in case it helps anyone in the future....Those last 5 miles put me in another place !!
Had an off at ten miles...tore my eldow to bits, blood dripping for the whole ride. Oh well that what its all about.. Rider 571
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/47798955
Thanks to everyone involved....
I sort of enjoyed it. Goal was to finish and test fitness for T-P so set a 9mph goal. Came in at 8mph after a couple of punctures and far too many pisses!! stopped for nearly 1 3/4hrs. I was riging with a mate so we stopped with each other which I guess added to the time.
I hated the trails in general, I was riding a rigid, normally fine but due to the nature of the fire roads and trails I daren't run the low pressures I would normally so got somewhat battered. Not painful, just slows you down.
Despite what Raddogair said, I should have run my fatfront tyre, would have been way quicker over all the singletrack, you live and learn.
Felt good at the finish, never want to see another Jelly baby again, no physical after effects so probably could have gone faster.
Very well organised event, but the midges might keep me away again!!
And thanks to cancan and his GPS here you do an elevation. I just thought to do this folks who already have GPS details so nothing personal.
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I was rigid too. Kept having to stop on the Kielder red grade bits to allow the cramp in my right hand to go so that I could straighten my little finger. My right hand's a bit swollen today.
The rigid forks hammered my upper body much more than riding a SS hammered my legs.
Very well organised event, but the midges might keep me away again!!
A small plan may be coming together to ease that, if it works should be 100s of thousands instead of 100s of millions. 😛
One thing i didn't do was elevation correction !!
Somehow I completely missed you were on a rigid Mike, that said 536 bikes is a lot to remember. Some how though even that many I was able to remember bikes to people as they came back to the Castle I had a rough idea when they were at Newcastleton in relation to another. But ask a rather important fact from yesterday or even what the wife asked me to do job wise this am and I have no fekn idea.
One thing i didn't do was elevation correction !!
On the profile it won't make it look to much different.
My 705 clocked 165.9km and 3318m of climbing (corrected) if I can sum up the will to beat the midges I'll be back next year.......9:45 riding actual time 10:19, if only i'd not stopped I would have made my 10hr goal and not have to go back again! 😆 Ave.Speed was pleasing at 17km/hr if only that extra few miles..........................
A small plan may be coming together to ease that, if it works should be 100s of thousands instead of 100s of millions
Nuke them from orbit? Only way to be sure.
Actually, I overheard a bit of the plan while having breakfast in the Duke's Pantry on Sunday morning. Sounded interesting.
A small plan may be coming together to ease that, if it works should be 100s of thousands instead of 100s of millions
A midge eater?
They need to be in place for a couple of weeks before I think but they've had good results elsewhere
A couple of big fans at the castle area wouldn't hurt the effort
Or a helicopter hovering above 😆
Probably Mike but as long as the Southners keep coming they'll leave me alone or it could have been the 3 Indian take aways I had last week.
Coopersport are you French what with this Km and metres rubibsh? 😛
A small plan may be coming together to ease that, if it works should be 100s of thousands instead of 100s of millions
moving the date?
Top ride Andy Cockburn. I think I was still in a state of muttering and swearing to (at?) myself when I finished , and I dont think I congratulated you as I should have!
Neal
I clocked almost 15500ft of climb (4700m) on my Garmin 205 and a smidge less than 103 miles.
Took me 11:35 with one crash and no mechanicals. Would have probably been a bit quicker had I not neglected to suplement my energy drink with water until I realised I'd not pee'd for 6 hours and it then hurt when I tried (OUCH!!). Spent the remainder of the ride trying to take on enough water to avoid complete dehydration but I definitely suffered for it badly between 70 and 80 miles.
I think I rode some of the second 50m with trickydisco (Gav?) and his cheery outlook kept me going (Thanks!).
Awesome adventure, perfect weather and excellent organisation... hoping to be back for more pain next year.
Oh, and Cheers to Mike for his timings sheet thingy....Really glad I had that!
Paul
Ooh those midge eaters look interesting.
The Cafe have fire barrels they use when they do BBQs to keep them under control, they kindly mentioned them yesterday morning to Sara. DOH!
[url] http://shop.midgeater.co.uk/index.php?_a=viewDoc&docId=7 [/url]
[i]Only females have blood sucking tendencies[/i]
uhuh.
The Cafe have fire barrels they use when they do BBQs to keep them under control, they kindly mentioned them yesterday morning to Sara. DOH!
That's what I overheard. Plus, they'd look ace 🙂
moving the date?
Nope that's not likely to happen or at least by much of a variation.
Aye fire is brillaint.
Sorry Awesome.
From reading samuri's link, we just need to all hold our breath and have a few cows tethered within 100m. Easy!
I think I rode some of the second 50m with trickydisco (Gav?) and his cheery outlook kept me going (Thanks!).
Awesome adventure, perfect weather and excellent organisation... hoping to be back for more pain next year.
TeaBoyPaul? Were you riding the santacruz? Was good to meet you. Helped chatting to you along the way
as weird as it sounds. I felt the midges helped me in that they kept me riding and each time i had to stop they forced me to get back on the bike.
teaboypaul - I had the same experience with peeing, not helped by then spiking myself with my saddle on the Newcastleton singletrack OWWWW! Worked out I'd drunk at least 5 litres all day tho but obviously not enough.
They've got midge eaters at Ridley Hall, Haydon Bridge but I think their effectiveness is pretty localised. FWIW the midges were much worse when actually out on the trail than I've ever known. Riding through clouds of them which then sat on you and nibbled wasn't good - normally they get blown off!
It was so still though, expect at Newcastleton where it was too sunny and a bit breezy. Think I got a good spot as I have tanned arms and very few bites. 
My tan turned out to be a mixture of bites and dust 🙂
As well as lube could we have people armed with skin so soft at the checkpoints?
coopersport1 it looks like our Garmin 705 were sining from the same hym sheet !!
As well as lube could we have people armed with skin so soft at the checkpoints?
Interesting suggestion.
"What some lube and can I moisturise you?"
Hmmm! Think someone else can do that job next year then given the male to female ratio.
I came in just under 11 hours. It was a really great event, many thanks to all the organisers and volunteers!
I was on a 5 inch full-susser with 2.35 tyres with plenty of air in them, not the quickest set-up but I avoided any tyre problems and I was able to just sit and spin on some of the rougher sections. I'm already thinking about how to go under 10 hours next year, despite swearing "never again" for most of the last section.
The wee cadet who was running the water station at 37 miles was brilliant. We were waiting to fill our bottles, one of the faster guys came down the hill and tried to turn left and go down the singletrack the wrong way, the wee man was standing screaming "NO, NO, NO, THAT WAY!!!" at him.
Fair play to all the marshalls, a lot of people seem to go into a bit of a trance and lose all their common sense, its nice of them to keep everyone in line. When I got to Newcastleton I tried to cut the corner and miss the feed station, got redirected, then outside the cafe I presented my chip to a very bemused man who was holding a digital camera in his hand, instead of a timing box. I really hadn't a notion what was going on. 😆
I could have done with some more udder cream too but I wouldn't wish the supply of that on anyone 😉
lol Shandy lots of bods tried to cut the corner at Newcastleton and all who did had that glazed "I need food" look.
paul4stones - you need some of [url= http://www.xcracer.com/shop/viewproduct.php?productid=114 ]THESE [/url]stashed in your drop bags 😉
Excellent! Now you wouldn't want to pick the wrong one up when dazed and confused would you.
Yep, was very nearly 1 incident of mix-up, thankfully spotted it once id ripped the top off and noticed it was the wrong colour 😳
Thanks again to Miketually, I strapped the timings to my bars.
I was riding a rigid Jones, my fork is more rigid than a normal rigid, but the Jones bars/ bike setup allows me to relax my grip on most of the descents except coming into braking bump zones, all things considered happy I didn't get any pain but definitely FAT if I do it again.
Major respect to you fast guys
Great day, even though i wasn't saying that during the last 5 miles, apologies to anyone who was in earshot of me f'ing & blinding along the hellish trail centre dolomite climb just before the finish.
Managed to come home in 12hr40mins, never stopped eating & drinking all day. I reckon i drank at least 12litres of water with electrolyte tables & that energy drink they were knocking out at the feed stations during the day & still only peed twice! half a kilo of jelly beans, fig rolls, gels. I inhaled 4 butties at Newcastleton, couldn't get them in quick enough!
I was the most challenging thing i have ever done, both mentally & physically, think i hit my lowest ebb at about 35miles thinking we were only a third of the way round. Felt ok at 65 & peaked at 80 thinking the back of the ride was broken. The last 10 miles were soul destroying, knowing you were so close, felt like crying at the 5 mile to go marker & as i said that last climb was torture!
Whyte 19 trail hardtail was fantastic, one squirt of lube from the guy at 65miles was all she needed!
Many thanks to everyone, organisers, caterers, feed station helpers, marshals (every one had a smile & words of encouragement, even if a few did tell porkies about it all being downhill from here!) The young cadet at 38 water station was a star along with his mate a little bit up the hill who was screaming her head off constantly to clear the road. All the riders i spoke to along the way & everyone else who helped to make it a fantastic event.
Having said all that i wont be back next year, been there, done that! Once in my lifetime is enough ;o)
A guy at the 80mile point had some sort of undercarriage treatment in his drop bag. I [i]very[/i] nearly asked him for some but the thought sharing that is just a bit [b]too[/b] personal. Red raw!I could have done with some more udder cream too but I wouldn't wish the supply of that on anyone
I just don't get rigid single speed !!....i needed all the gears i had....Trek Top Fuel 9.9, Tubeless Conti Race Kings..bike preformed faultless....shame about the bloke riding it though !!
I feel dreadful 🙁 i was the marshall telling you all that it was only a coule of miles to go and mostly downhill but that's what i'd been told!
If i'd have known i was to be last marshall i'd have ridden it to let you know as i know how important that info can be.
Don't worry Diane....all is forgiven from me...it was good to hear the encourgement, it wasn't meant to be easy !!