[Closed] MTB Marathon Series - Marshbrook

Looking like a big turnout 🙂

Its great in the dry, but there are some steep and unforgiving climbs!
No cover on the Mynd so bring the sun block. We'll be down tomorrow afternoon, have a sprained ankle so debating whether the 45 or 70K route.

I expect that it should be dry and fast after the last week (hoping so anyway) I have done the Ruthin and the Bulith wells events, the Ruthin has a long hard climb at the start, is this as serious?

I'll be taking the scandal with summer tyres so the climbs should be quite doable, it's the anticipated 30 degree weather that may pose the issue.

Either way, due to injury i'll be enjoying the ride more than racing this time.

Is there much in the way of decent singletrack?

Cheers

I did it last year and enjoyed it. The course was ok although I did go awol once and had to re-climb a large hill. That hurt on the SS! Enjoy.

Great course, will be fast in the dry. Bear in mind some of the distances previously missed out Minton Batch descent...

The 30k route misses out minton batch BTW.
Personally i think its over rated, long but nothing special Imo.

I thought that too. It was a bit 'Is that it??' However, generally good riding round there. Esp in these conditions.
muddy - you coming over for my monday pub ride?

Would love to sometime, but i don't drive so a bit problematical!

I'm doing it - doing the 75k route
Driving there from Warwick on Sat morning.

Can't decide whether to take my FS Yeti or Ti Hardtail. Nice problem to have.

Should be a fun event plus I'm picking up a new frame and bits on the way home.

Last two years ive taken my 33lb Wolf Ridge, this year I'll revert back to my old Faithful Mount Vision, a lot lighter - especially in this heat 8)

My friends are but I'm injured atm.. I'm genuinely gutted.
Good luck and good on ya! x

Did it the last couple of years, really loved it, but as they've moved it to the Saturday now means that I can't get there without taking time off which isn't on the cards. Gutted.

A great course, not as tough as Ruthin I would say. The long grass climb up is just brilliant - always enjoy it.

I'll be there on my cx bike. Give us a wave on the descents...

Yup. Will be there with a few mates, also doing the Abergavenny event in a few weekends time.

I'll be on a yeti and will be with my massive mate on his massive turner and with another mate on his orange 5, who may be wearing his riding cravat and jodhpurs as he is nothing but a dandy

Cheers chaps

Leaning towards the 45k despite the time off the bike recently, had a quick spin around Whitwick Quarry and Cademan woods last night and no ill effects so really looking forward to this.

Going with a summer tyre set-up I reckon, Maxxis Monorail up top and a race king on the back.

Good thing about the race being on the Saturday is I can have a few too many on the Sat afternoon / night without it smashing me to bits for the ride.

Have fun all

Was a great ride on the Saturday, if not utterly sweltering out on the totally exposed Long Mynd.

How did you get on?

Did the 45k and really enjoyed it. First time biking in that area and though it was really good fun. Must have drank gallons and still needed more in that heat. Long middle climb was a killer - how many false summits? 🙂

I did the 75k and at the second feed point wished I'd done the 45 but it was the furthest point from the arena so there was no choice but to plow on.

It was of course rather warm and I struggled a bit trying to keep hydrated but we complain about the bad weather often enough so it was nice to have a cracking day.

Very well organised and great to see a real mixture of people and kids out.

Hey...Did the 45k and my first enduro for 8 years after going through the trauma of having kids 🙂 Thought that middle climb was fierce, one lad had a temperature gauge on his bike and it reached 104F up there. Well organised and good fun. Enjoyed having the ale house at the bottom of the hill. Did not seem as many people or trade stands as there used to be but that could be my memory!

Yup, that climb was a real killer, Matt-P those false summits were heart breaking in that heat, just when you thought you might be getting some wind through your hair on a descent it carried on towards the sky 😀

Fair play on doing the 75k Dave(thought it was 80k, don't undersell it 😉 ) I managed the 45k and can't imagine how hard that would be twice.

Final descent was good fun, the loose and dusty conditions added an extra element.

Anyone ever done Abergavenny?

Cracking day out and I echo peoples sentiments on that climb, fiendishly hot too!

Amazing trail conditions, battered about on the rigid forks at times but found the singlespeed not to be too bad, we only did the 25k though as we had a young-un with us who was not particularly happy at any point but he got round in the end.

I bailed from the 75k and did the 45k. Not ridden in the area before and really enjoyed the terrain even on cx bike. Couldn't believe how hot it was on the first fire road climb. I almost bailed and turned back. Little bit of breeze once higher up thank goodness. Look forward to going back there and riding the trails. Doesn't Matt usually do commentary at the finish?

+1 on the middle climb being a killer, I measured 40c on my garmin and it felt like it too. Felt there was a bit too much road in the middle, it was so hot I swear my tyres were sticking to the road. Final descent ( monton batch descent?) was incredible though...

I don't like cycling when it gets too hot and that was too hot for me. I bailed out of the 75 and did the 45 where it split. I've never drank as much on a ride before (2 L + over 15km) and that second climb was awful in terms of oppressive heat.

Overall though I really enjoyed the event. Beautiful area, well organised and some great descents, particularly Minton Batch, and that last bit in to the finish line. Also lots of chatty and friendly people en-route which made it very sociable.

I had a chat to one of the guys who helps organise it when I was refuelling on those Celtic burgers and Coke. He said they weren't happy with the amount of tarmac themselves (unprompted), but there was no better way to link the rest of it. To be honest in that heat I was glad of it.

Dave, I did try to send you a pic of my cool beer at the end just to give you a bit of encouragement but Facebook wasn't playing ball! I know you'd have appreciated it.

did the short one with a friend, and found the heat, very, hard work 🙁

good day tho, and good feeling to get to the end! 🙂

I enjoyed that final descent a lot, however I did think putting the feed station at the top of it bunched everyone up and you had to work quite hard to pass people who were (understandably) going a bit slower.

Thanks Crell - you're all heart.
Your text informing me that you were in the pub made me feel very happy. I read it while trying to cool down in the shade.

I also didn't mind the tarmac at the time, it meant the k's were ticking off and you managed to get some speed and a breeze to cool down.

When the sun went behind a cloud my speed almost doubled - quite amazing the effect it has.

Anyone got a gpx of the route?