"we’re just waiting now for some fine weather to dry it out to finalise the course" - hope it doesn't rain like it did in 2012.
I can't complain as it's moved to only a couple of miles up the road, but this made me chuckle...
I guess they're glossing over the fact that Gatcombe Horse Trials were cancelled due to the wet in 2012.The venue is on rock, a fine draining rock which is good
Sounds exciting, I have been considering making it my first 24hr, but twenty12 might just pip it, 7.5mile laps are quite short with mayhem numbers of riders.
[url=chris-noble-mtb.blogspot.com]chris-noble-mtb.blogspot.com[/url]
[i] 7.5mile laps are quite short with mayhem numbers of riders. [/i]
[ahem]
"We need a minimum of an eight mile course"
We have about seven and a half miles of trails that have been used for hunting and shooting [i]plus mediaeval trails that we are allowed to use.[/i]
[/ahem]
well that should guarantee plenty of TV and press coverage
But what date is it?
But what date is it?
a week earlier 15-16 , you can camp from 14th .
"We need a minimum of an eight mile course"
😀
As well as a new tape measure, they could also probably do with brushing up on their geography.
All the northern people want us in the north and all the southern people want us to be in the south so it’s important to find somewhere in the middle.
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Beginning to think we need two events, bring on "Mayhem North".
If only "Hit the North" was bigger, longer and warmer.
Woah! More convenient. That's good. Need to revise my sleep stop for the way home.
Big question. What tyres?
Doesnt look very hilly - not blown away
Lets look at the topography;
http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=387467&Y=199344&A=Y&Z=115&ax=387345&ay=199072
Lots of woods, lots of singletrack = not good racing.
Might be good for a ride with a few mates, but put a few hundred racers all queuing up to get through the singletrack.......
Eastnor in the mud last year was a nightmare, 2006 in the dry was epic. Anywhere in the mud is going to be as bad.
pitbitch - Member
Princess Anne places ?Posted 2 weeks ago # Report-Post
tang - Member
Gatcombe would make an excellent venue I live round the corner and can see some jumps from my office! Can't see it though.Posted 6 days ago # Report-Post
Good shout these men ^^^(from earlier speculative thread).
Lots of woods, lots of singletrack = not good racing
That's hilarious,so if it was in a field just going around in circles you'd be happier.........
To be fair, endless singletrack at an event with Olympians and MTB virgins riding together doesn't really work!
Lets look at the topography;http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=387467&Y=199344&A=Y&Z=115&ax=387345&ay=199072
Thanks that makes me feel better - lots of nice contour lines. I was looking at a photo which wasnt very inspiring.
Might give it a go then
[i]Doesnt look very hilly - not blown away [/i]
It's very hilly (or certainly has the capacity to be very hilly).
Good shout these men ^^^(from earlier speculative thread).
Oi!
aracer - Member
Gatcombe ParkPOSTED 1 WEEK AGO #
I don't think the estate covers a lot of the woods, I expect they will use the eventing tracks from March or similar.
Looks like lots of options and zig-zaging up/down most inclines will knacker most...
It would be good if they did have course options this year similar to Olympic course, put some litigation obstacles in place, shorter quicker but gnarly, or perhaps a commemorative 2012 mud pit option.
have to pay the bridge fee now 😉 👿
Discussing whether Loco Racing will be fielding a team at the moment 😀
It is very hilly, or could be. It's set in a steep valley. I lived a couple of miles away until last year (doh!).
Anyone know if the Shore will be a permanant fixture?
Has this event now sold out then? Certainly what the website suggests (I've been confused by various posts querying whether they may or may not be entering.)
Not much Strava activity: http://app.strava.com/segments/2758507
Edit: Looking at the website it would appear either entries are sold out, or they haven't come out yet. Probably the latter tbh.
they could also probably do with brushing up on their geography.
Everyone intelligent knows the north starts at Walsall. So Gatcombe is exactly halfway between the south coast and Walsall.
Sorted! 🙂
Has this event now sold out then?
No, not opened yet. Feb 28th innit?
Reading this thread makes me smile - typical STW
Lots of wooded singletrack = complaints that racing will be bad
Lots of wide tracks = complaints of boring course
Always complaints that it won't be hilly enough
It's always in the wrong location
Course will be wrong
etc
I think we need to give Pat and the team the credit that they've done this a fair bit now, understand that there needs to be a balance and they are by far the best people to make sure the event ticks as many boxes as possible.
After last year it had to move otherwise too many people would have decided enough was enough and they seem to think Gatcombe has what it takes to make a decent venue.
That's good enough for me.
Damn it.... Will also have to pay the bridge fee this year 🙁 But will be there whatever the course/weather...
You can't enter until the end of Feb.
Anyone got an idea on pricing for a team of 10? Last years price will do as a guide but I can't find it. Thanks.
Definitely potential for a great course if the juicy bits of the estate are used. I ride through it daily and know the area well. Plenty of open sections as per the eventing course. Contour long climbs possible as well as short very steep ones.
A lot of the tracks are high and have little topsoil, Cotswold limestone which grips nice in the dry and not bad on the wet. . Woods if used and its not dried out will be wet beech loam, hero dirt when it's nice, hard work otherwise. Links wise 25 mins from m4/m5. Rickie Cotter lives a stones throw from the course and its her training ground, there's your female solo winner!
Sounds good - but as with all of these events it is really down to the weather.
If its cheap I may enter and just bail out if the weather makes it no more fun to ride.
Doh! Always read the information...
Thanks for the Replies
This may be an opportunity to prove that bikes cause less surface damage than horses. 😉
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/equestrian/18768225
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Oops, sorry Mr aracer 😳
Perhaps there will be CX style obstacles at the new venue:
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😀
Doesn't look too far from Cotswold Farm Park where the Bonty 24/12 was held about 5/6 years back and that was a great course (apart from when it rained, which it did, a lot, which turned it into a slither/bogfest).
I don't believe STW sometimes...
No-one has ever raced there before but people are already complaining that it's not a "Mountain", the course is too short, not hilly enough, too much singletrack, too much woodland, too far south...
Seriously, WTF?!
If you can do better in finding a private estate with good access, enough space to fit thousands of people, cars, caravans, tents, trucks, showers, portaloos and with enough scope to run a decent MTB course round it, then go for it.
Doesn't look too far from Cotswold Farm Park where the Bonty 24/12 was held about 5/6 years back and that was a great course (apart from when it rained, which it did, a lot, which turned it into a slither/bogfest).
I don't know gatcombe, but i do live in the cotswolds, i think the Bonty course was pretty representative of what may be available. It can get incredibly muddy, in a deeply unpleasant sticky clogging way. But it can also be very free draining and fast in any weather. Depending on how the course is laid out it could be dry or it might not be. Real issue is how much is in the valley bottom which will probably be wet.
So no ideas what the course will be like.
Gatcombe estate is mainly up high or on valley contours if that makes sense. The bits that are low in the woods will be muddy unless we have a very dry spring. The woods are managed so plenty of access tracks/fire road. Think workmans wood in sheepscombe mrmo.
Thanks Tang,
Think workmans wood in sheepscombe mrmo.
so potentially very wet but in a way that still allows you to ride. just very filthy?
Are the high up bits comparable with Cleeve or Painswick Golf Course, ie dry short grass, fast, loose gravel where grass worn away? but never ever wet?
Just a shame you can't arrive till the Friday 🙁
Team sumo will be at www.twentyfour12.com this year, raising money for disadvantaged children
Are the high up bits comparable with Cleeve or Painswick Golf Course, ie dry short grass, fast, loose gravel where grass worn away? but never ever wet?
No, probably not. It's just off the side of Minch common but the similarity ends there. I raced at the Cotswold Farm Park 24. I'd guess it'll be similar, and yeah, similar to Sheepscombe too. And Avening, which is the other side of the same valley.
In places where the eventing is up high its really free draining and being on top needs bit of wind and sun to dry.
There are a number of stoney tracks that I'm sure will feature. I doubt they will use the horse xc as the big event is in early August and they will want it looking good! If its dry it will be nice and fast, wet mudx will be ideal! The grass up top is grazed by sheep so always short and topsoil is not deep (bit like the commons) hopefully with careful planning good sections should be weather proof ish.
I'm not complaining about the venue. No one has seen the course let alone raced it. But my point about 500 racers all queued up, trying to get through 2m gaps between trees does not make good racing. In the same way that a flat field does not make racing interesting.
Waits to see with optimism.
Quite looking forward to this. Sure there will be a queue for the first and potentially second lump of Singletrack but after that it will spread out and a little patience goes a long way. Pretty sure lost of the folk on here moaning already will not be on the podium so these issues are of little relevance.
Sit back, relax and chill for the first lap or get to the front, run like Usain Bolt then sprint like Cav for the first bit f singletrack - then slow everyone else down!
It will hopefully be a cracking weekend with mates. You know what it will be like, either sign up, smile and enjoy or er don't, and ride somewhere else.
Really it isn't that difficult.
Anyway - What tyres for Gatcombe Park?
Sure there will be a queue for the first and potentially second lump of Singletrack but after that it will spread out and a little patience goes a long way.
This ^. At Cotswold Farm Park 24/12 there was a stretch around the 'arena' followed by a wide grassy descent and a short, sharp climb into the first 1-at-a-time entrance to the singletrack. First lap there was a lengthy queue. By the time the second lap came around it was straight in. Same for the rest of the course as well which I seemed to remember included a fair bit of singletrack. Was a cracking course until it rained...
See if I can rope a couple of mates in now it's moved venue 🙂
At Cotswold Farm Park 24/12 there was a stretch around the 'arena' followed by a wide grassy descent and a short, sharp climb into the first 1-at-a-time entrance to the singletrack
I also remember some whinging because people were using the tape as intended and able to bypass the queue.
LoCo - Member
have to pay the bridge fee nowDiscussing whether Loco Racing will be fielding a team at the moment
Only if you go back 🙂
It's only 30 mins from my house. Woop!
But my point about 500 racers all queued up, trying to get through 2m gaps between trees does not make good racing
So you're telling me they shouldn't have any singletrack on a mountain bike event? I must have imagined all the bits where overtaking was difficult at Eastnor, and the lack of any major queues on them.
Sit back, relax and chill for the first lap or get to the front, run like Usain Bolt then sprint like Cav for the first bit f singletrack - then slow everyone else down!
I'll probably be in the top 1% of runners at MM. I'll be on a unicycle 😈
At Cotswold Farm Park 24/12
ah yes the mud. I seem to remember the course being a mix of landfill rubbish and chickenshit. Once it rained the smell was awful
[img][url= http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8179/7949877022_3e7a686e65.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/56594563@N07/7949877022/ ]Untitled[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/56594563@N07/ ]tangwyn[/url], on Flickr[/img]
Here's where I shall be watching you all(unless im riding this year)! I live about 1 mile away but office here behind those doors and have a bed! No tents for me. This overlooks part of Gatcombe wood and some of the xc eventing course.
Recall riding at Cotswold Park Farm and the mud collecting around my wheel, the bike stalled and I fell off. Soft landing though!
Isnt it about time that the name Mountain Mayhem actually meant what it said rather than some mudddy bumps in southern England
A Peaks venue would have been better (there are some bigger bumps there at least) and its central England.
Think I'll save the cash this year... 🙁
Not that one again Hphil. Last few years mayhem events were around 1200/1300ft of climbing per lap. The top boys will do >20 laps.
I'll leave you to do the maths.
A Peaks venue would have been better (there are some bigger bumps there at least) and its central England.
Yeah, I'm sure there are plenty of venues in the peaks that could cope with the numbers that Mayhem gets each year. Maybe they should base it in Edale. The climb up Jacobs Ladder should help spread the field out and prevent bottlenecks further on.