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So glad it was muddy! I had no idea the hole was so BIG!
Could see it all through your shorts in the solo tent boyo!!But I didnt tell you!!
[b]What a shambles.[/b]
Looking through each "group" of lap numbers, i.e. all the 10 laps, all the 9 laps etc, the teams that baled automatically get higher placings than the ones that stuck it out... 😡
Yes, doing 10 laps in <24 hrs (5 teams!) is obviously "quicker" than the 4 teams that managed to stay the course and do 10 laps...
... but it is an "endurance" event - the teams that endured, and reached the end should get the credit.
I agreed with what was said at the briefing - re declaring etc due to the conditions, but that shouldn't be at the expense of those teams that [u]completed[/u] the event.
ETA:- 19 of the top 50 teams in Sport Men had times < 24:00:00
The Wiggle Mountain Mayhem "bit less than" 24 HR Mountain Bike Endurance Event TM
ETA:- 19 of the top 50 teams in Sport Men had times < 24:00:00
Our team is like yours rkr01 in that we're over 24 hours in Sport category.
But personally I dont think its a problem. All the teams you've listed got more than 22 hours. Presumably they could of stayed and sent someone on a walk round and got another lap does it matter ?
You can see why they did this if you look at our results "The Burn" (sport men). Our last rider was determined to do another lap.
We came in at 26 hours 59 minutes ie 3 hours over time ! He was the last person to finish. Some may have been slower than him. The people organising the event would never have got home !
My post does re-read as a little harsh...
As posted, I did agree with the changes announced at the briefing. Just looked a little odd going through the results table.
Someone ^^ posted, there's almost 2 categories of final results. Not sure I'd advocate going that far, but was surprised at how many had declared early
not sure if this has been mentioned here, but has made some of the people on the MM FB page a little upset,
2nd placed solo appears to be swapping bikes mid lap
Interesting. A bit daft doing it in the middle of the day. Still Dan's ride and position was well deserved I think! Great riding.
But then our finish time still shows 20hrs as they have missed off the last 2 laps, when we in fact finished at 24:16, could be others
Does it specifically say in the rules you can't change bikes mid-lap?
Not in the spirit of things really, but is it actually not allowed? Considering the prizes involved are (or always used to be) pretty good, I'd be aggrieved if I was 3rd/4th and had been beaten like that!
not sure if this has been mentioned here, but has made some of the people on the MM FB page a little upset,
2nd placed solo appears to be swapping bikes mid lap
Well, he's swapping bikes at his pit area. Which is where they'd be kept! He's still having to do a whole lap in between changing bikes, so whereabouts on the course it is doesn't really make much difference - ESPECIALLY given how difficult it was to get set up anywhere near the course due to the conditions!
I fail to see any difference between changing bikes there and at the solo tent.
Aye, but the issue is if he's then changing at the solo tent as well.
...and why should he have the advantage of a "pit area" where he chooses, when everybody else is using the official one?
Nick - it does specifically say in the rules no outside assistance when out on the course (which covers swapping bikes I should think).
99.999% sure he wasn't.
(For one thing it was taking more than half a lap's worth of time to clean a bike, so he'd get to the solo tent before the spare bike did!)
...and why should he have the advantage of a "pit area" where he chooses, when everybody else is using the official one?
He probably didn't "choose" there, it will have been somewhat dictated by where his car got stuck! 😉
Most soloists set up somewhere trackside in the solo camping field each year, rather than lug stuff to the big marquee. In fact in recent years that big tent's been nearly empty.
Nick - it does specifically say in the rules no outside assistance when out on the course (which covers swapping bikes I should think).
Yep, I'd agree with that!
One of the (leading) Scott girls team punctured, and was about to be handed a wheel, but the (2nd placed) Four 4th team were armed with a camera to catch them in the act! Was quite amusing, it took her quite a while to sort.
To be fair to Scott it was one of their mechanics who stopped her being handed a wheel. Luckily a very helpful guy racing stopped and gave her a hand getting her tyre sorted out. Funny to watch as half of the Scott team where leaning over the barrier giving advice. Hope he got the promised free t-shirt. Karma restored the balance as one of the Four4th girls punctured on the next lap!
In the video above I think that is fine if that is the riders designated pit and they aren't getting assistance anywhere else. It would breaking the rules if you where also getting assistance at any other point on the course. If you have friends riding in a team it makes sense to pit with them, rather than on your own.
(For one thing it was taking more than half a lap's worth of time to clean a bike, so he'd get to the solo tent before the spare bike did!)
If you queued for the jetwash maybe. Otherwise does it really take you more than 50 minutes to clean a bike with your own kit?
He probably didn't "choose" there, it will have been somewhat dictated by where his car got stuck!Most soloists set up somewhere trackside in the solo camping field each year, rather than lug stuff to the big marquee. In fact in recent years that big tent's been nearly empty.
Except where he's getting his change is nowhere near the solo camping field - which is right next the the solo tent, hence nobody would even comment about a change being done there.
If you queued for the jetwash maybe. Otherwise does it really take you more than 50 minutes to clean a bike with your own kit?
Yes. There were a few of us helping two solo riders. At one point, it was taking over an hour (for one person) to clean and fix each bike - and we were using a dirt worker. The mud/grass combo was nuts.
Does it really matter where his pit is? He has one bike change (assuming two bikes) per lap, as does everyone else. They said in the briefing that solo riders didn't have to pit in the solo tent and it's pretty customary for riders to pit wherever - they certainly have done at every solo event I've ridden at (MM,SiTS, 24/12, Strathpuffer).
If you queued for the jetwash maybe. Otherwise does it really take you more than 50 minutes to clean a bike with your own kit?
Aye, it really was taking that amount of time!
You could probably have got the bike back to "it'll do" levels of cleanliness in less time (provided you weren't getting distracted, or having to do other things like get food/drinks/clothing ready), but few soloists that are 'in it to win it'* would want a bike that wasn't properly race ready each time.
Except where he's getting his change is nowhere near the solo camping field - which is right next the the solo tent, hence nobody would even comment about a change being done there.
It would have been, i imagine, if he'd been able to get there! Even if it wasn't, provided he only used one area as a replacement for the solo marquee it would be difficult to argue he's gaining any unfair advantage.
*Or are just fussy buggers.
njee20 - MemberAye, but the issue is if he's then changing at the solo tent as well.
But he wasn't. 🙄
and why should he have the advantage of a "pit area" where he chooses, when everybody else is using the official one?
They weren't. 🙄
2nd placed solo appears to be swapping bikes mid lap
that was Dan's pit area.( his whole set up was at this location and he never once even went near the soloists tent)
being one of his pit crew for the weekend I can 100% say that he only pitted at this point on the course for the duration of the event .
sometimes he he swapped his bike after one lap sometimes he did two laps between swapping bikes.
I hope all this ill educated talk of cheating is not taking too much off the edge of Dans pleasure at his well deserved achievement in such harsh conditions.
full marks to anyone who completed it
people should really get the full facts before trying to discredit honest folk