So who else is going?
It's a different experience for me this year, after solo'ing 24's for the last few years I'm back in a team of 4 riding for KTM UK Factory Race Team, as a whole there's 4 KTM backed teams going, us, SWICK Racing, KTM Bike Strong and KTM / FLi Distribution with 3 of us camped out in the main arena in the big mainly orange set up 😀
So who else is going and praying it doesn't rain?
Yep, 4 of us all doing solo.
Barely been on my mtb this year, just done road miles as the weather has been so crap.
I am really rather keen for it not to rain - my previous 24 hour races have been wet.
First attempt at a solo here. Riding a 12hr nearly broke me, so this should be interesting...
First solo for me too. Weather looks good currently. I live very close to the venue, we have had a lot of rain recently but hopefully it should be running pretty good. I can cope if the course is a bit wet in places but not the campsite!
Team of 5 here, I think our club has done every one. Looking forward to it. Hope it stays dry
Picture on their Facebook page of a pretty clean looking bike that has just done a couple of laps, so looks hopeful.
I’m going but have to leave on Saturday morning sadly. Home town is Market Harborough - grew up cycling the roads and bridleways surrounding in the eighties. Feels very strange that mountain biking is coming home to perhaps the worst place to mtb in the country. The main problem with the area is loads of lovely land that’s privately owned so no access. Should be a good route through the woods though (access granted) and there’s some short sharp hills Sibbertoft way, so not as flat as you think it might be.
It’s coming home, it’s coming, cycling’s coming home... IGMC.
I was going but had to pull out due to work commitments. So give a wave to the retro bike crew when you pass them. There will be loads of them making up umpteen teams and heckling from the side lines 🙂
Taking the easy option and taking part in a team of ten - I think there are 9 of us ‘racing’. It is five families with numerous kids, so just going for a weekend of camping with a bit of bike riding thrown in. I have either raced or been pit crew at every Mayhem since 2005, it will be interesting to see what the new venue is like compared to previous years. Forecast doesn’t look too bad, but will be packing mud tyres just in case.
I'll be there, as part of a team of five. You can't miss me, I'll be riding a bright orange Commencal hardtail. Fingers crossed for dry weather....
So how did it go ladies and gents?
I was really happy it was warm and dry, and that the course was bone dry too.
Surprisingly tough course I thought, with the 3 short but brutal climbs and jarring downhills per lap.
I managed 29 laps, despite not having a support crew - reckon a helper would have been worth another lap at least. Friend came fourth in the ladies solo, again with no crew.
Retrobikes camp was definitely erm, vocal.
Our team, me included cane 7th in Open Male and 3rd 4 man team.
A couple of others from the tea. Were there, one guy solo'd to 10th place and our resident 14yr old whippet went moonlighting for the Shibden team in Open Mixed and smashed it, they won and he set the fastest laps for the whole event, his best was low 25mins!!! And he was doing back2back 25min laps at one stage!!
25 minutes is just insane. I don’t know how I could even go that fast with ebike. A real talent. My first lap was about 48 but that involves lots of queuing.
I did the first lap then had to leave but at least I got that in. Was busy on first lap with a long queue to get into the first single file drop into the woods but that’s to be expected.
I grew up around there and although there isn’t much real elevation, some of the climbs are steep. As mentioned above, 3 brutal buggers that tested leg and lung. I made it up the third one the night before but pushed in the race as really hot and going faster. Some of our retro crew made it up the rocky one which was all about traction and momentum - once you spin you, errrr, lose. I didn’t see anyone make the rooty one as it was so steep but I bet some did.
Great course though and liked the loamy downhills in the woods, and my 30 year old Marin was great on the more open bits. Brutal, scary, but brilliant.
One of the best events of its type anywhere.
My 13th Mayhem and really enjoyed the weekend. Think they nailed the route tbh, which was a pleasant surprise for a debut location.
No Pat though, any ideas? Hope all okay!
We really enjoyed it in a team of ten (actually 8.5 people in the end). We finished 4th, but weren’t really there to challenge the podium, just a bit of fun - although slightly annoyingly my wife’s average lap time was 12secs faster than mine, I need to work on that for next year!
I have done lots of Mayhems before and I thought this was a good one, good course with every climb having a reward of a fun descent. The whole event seemed smaller, but the general atmosphere seemed great. I am not sure how the course would hold up in the wet, I could imagine a lot of it could be very difficult to ride - luckily great weather this year.
The kids we had with us really enjoyed it. Most of them raced Saturday morning and then spent a lot of the race cheering people on at various points in the woods. They spent a lot of time at the A/B split.
Planning to go back next year.
anyone know who or what where photographs are etc?
my first mayhem team of 4 vets. enjoyed weekend a lot but have to say course didnt seem to make me want to go out and smash it like at bigdog especially the downhills.
did not like drive home though!!
There’s references to ~900 riders. Does anyone know if that figure is correct?
It did “feel smaller” but at 900, that’s a fraction of the number of entrants that Pat used to attract!
I took a look at the sign in sheets, and 900 seems about right. From a size point of view the event felt more like Sleepless Saddle when that was at it's peak - which is no bad thing I thought it all worked fine for an event of that size. I may be wrong, but I think at it's peak Mayhem used to attract 2,000+ riders.
Vertical Climber, in case you haven't seen them official pictures are now online : https://www.flickr.com/photos/wljmtb76/albums/with/72157709257928442
You’re right Jason. I recall ~2000 riders and selling out in a couple of days.
I guess riders have more choice now, Scott Marathons etc
Still, it did mean less congestion for the rest of us at the weekend 😎