[Closed] Muc Off 8 - What was it like, any pics, vids??

Windy, a quagmire down by the river, hilly but fun!!! But i thought it was well run but over priced.

What malc said but the jet wash area needed a time limit or more of them.

Rumours of one of the girl teams cutting big sections of the course seem a little bad form if true.

I saw plenty of people taking a "shorter route" i cant see the point of it myself, and that girls team did look surprisingly clean to me!! surely your just cheating yourself! And the wash area as Jim said was held up by some bods trying to get their bike spotless when all i wanted to do was get it clean enuf to put in the car!!

The course didn't flow and it was difficult to build and maintain momentum. The best bit (for me) was the long climb to the top of the course from the feed station - the longest part of the course where you weren't interrupted by bog.
That said there were some heroic efforts - especially by Ian Leitch.

I'd like to go back when the course is dry and less of a slog.

Fairly expensive for what was on offer.

Not a great course: too many ups, downhills bar the timed one were plunges down the hillside (one on Tarmac), very cut up in many places not enough singletrack (might be my perception cos of the mud). Expensive, no showers a VIP area not enough jet washes (I thought you were a supposed to be able to clean your bike between laps - I lined up once - for an hour). On the plus side, good atmos, good use of electonics - timing knowing when team mate was due and the announcer and music were good as was the food.

Anyone going to put names to their accusations? I think it's such a shame when blokes can't take being beaten by fast girls. I was supporting my sister and her winning Mule Bar girls team for a couple of hours. They seemed to be as muddy anyone else, riding well and I know for a fact that those brand new white skinsuits are never going to be the same again...
One girl from the team is very new to MTBing but is very fit and runs flipping fast and so ran a lot of it. She looked pretty clean apart from her feet and lower legs...

i wasnt there, but its my opinion that if you are paying to race somewhere then the organisers should ensure it's fair. that means clamping down on short cuts there and then, as they happen.

echo pretty much what everyone else has said but easily the most expensive one day event i know and didn't offer anything other events don't. Potentially a good course but suffered from the rain we've had, albit a dry proceeding week. maybe the course would be better suited to a later date, although parts of the course look like they are permantly wet as there were flowing streams cutting across and down the singletrack.

if there was cheating can't see how you can police this unless you have a marshall on every corner and that wasn't going to happen, can only remember about 6 on the whole course.

p.s.

anyone know where the results will be published. and who the photographers were.

I only remember seeing about 4 marshalls on the course on straight fire road sections, quite inadequate in my opinion and did nothing to prevent short cutting. I would say they didn't get the basics right - to charge a tenner each to camp on top of the £40 entry (for 2 hours riding if you were in a four man team) and then not have showers is not on. The feed station was poor too.

Leggyblonde: what's sex got to do with anything? All I and others have said is that rumours and suspicions where cast around... True or false is irrelevant, I paid my money so I was going to ( slowly ) ride every muddy inch of the course. *I* hate it when women automaticly assume it's purely down to a mans fragile ego. Cheatin' is cheatin' regardless of what shape yer bits are.

Fisherboy,
Ive asked the question on here about the results/pictures but no answers yet? Give em time. I looked on their site and nothing up yet

Did you see it happen Jim? Rumours and suspicions without proof is very poor form and smacks of bad sportsmanship.

I agree cheating is cheating but I know the girls were quite upset when they overheard some "clean kit" comments. Whenever I saw them they seemed to be tanking along never using their granny rings on the ups and sitting in 70th or so for the timed DH section.

I have man bits BTW, you don't have to be a woman to see how upset competitive men get when they're beaten by pretty girls in pig tails 🙂

£10 quid to camp and no showers??!?!!??!?! That has to rate as the most expensive camping experience ever??!!

Photos will be on www.sportivephoto.com but nothing there yet, not sure about the results. I thought the course was pretty good, ok a bit boggy and it certainly felt that I was climbing more than descending, but loved the long fire track climb and that open downhill afterwards. It was overpriced, and I dont understand how they expect you to register on the saturday, presumably camp and don't provide showers ? Thank god it wasn't as muddy on the Saturday. Definitely worth doing and a great atmosphere.... get yourselves entered for the 'set to rise' another cracking event.

No, I didn't see anything happen, but like the riders, I was disapointed that such rumours where being suggested; it undermines the hard work of those that rode fairly. Apologies for the gender assumption, in a similar vein I have longer hair than most of the women there...

Right, I need to unblock the washing machine...

no worries, the forum name might confuse people!

I didn't see anyone cheat, and I know for certain that my team (mulebar girls)were powering fast enough to allow the mud to bounce off. Can't wait for the DH times, we've got our fingers crossed for top 3 fastest girls.
Defo about the no showers mentions, for ten pounds I'd expect luxury holiday facilities, jacuzzi's, sauna's etc. They even had an illegally low number of toilets!

im slightly confused as to how a reference to 'a girls team' has led to such a specific rebuke? I feel like ive missed something?

Im a girl , I raced solo, I did 6 laps (no short cuts) and I picked my way through all the boggy bits so I did not get that muddy.

When your bike gets chainsuck like mine you just learn not to be a 'happy hero' through the mud.

Six laps for me solo too but on the SS, should have been seven but stopped for a bit too long chatting and eating. However, I thought as Napalm said there was just no flow to the course and in places it was just brutal and an incredibly tacky surface, it got better the later it got but was never great.

My biggest problem with the course was not just the lack of marshalls and mud (after riding all winter it wasn't that bad) but the fact there was no warning signing on that stupid wheel sized ditch at the bottom of the flat out open descent, it eventually claimed a victim mid afternoon.

no warning signing on that stupid wheel sized ditch at the bottom of the flat out open descent, it eventually claimed a victim mid afternoon.

I know the exact one you're talking about - I had a very, very close call with that one on my last lap. thank god for decent brakes!

Results are out @ www.votwo.com

more worried about stopping people cheating, than putting up signs to warn you about an obstacle you have ridden over 7 times in the same day...

Where was the wheel sized ditch?

A few pics here. http://www.flickr.com/photos/23318875@N02/sets/72157623838548200/
Only saw the start and then had an hour to stroll round so didnt see much of the lap.

[img] [/img]

GeeWavetree - Member
Where was the wheel sized ditch?

fast open descent before the river/bottom of lake crossing. top of the descent had some rooty bits to pop off and then 2/3 of the way down a ditch - you could probably jump it if you knew it was there....Wasn;t really bad, but obviously it caught one or two people out....

[i]there was no warning signing on that stupid wheel sized ditch at the bottom of the flat out open descent[/i]

My team mate hit that full on during our reccie lap, he ended up jumping it as he had no chance to slow down. On a similar vein, that 'dismount ditch' by the fireroad that also caused someone to land on his head, why didn't they just stick a few logs in it so you could roll across?!

Hated the course on the reccie but didn't find it too bad when I actaully did my laps, just very draggy and no where near enough marshals. Not even a marshal or the promised medics that were meant to be at the bottom of the downhill run.

And sort out the camping, I wanted to park my smallish campervan alongside team mates tents, I got four different answers from four different marshals, end result was no...can't you walk 50 metres?! 15 minutes later, there were four vans and a caravan in the field. I asked for a 5th time and got told I could park in the overflow camping field, at which point I got a bit pee'd off and complained as he knew where I wanted to go. Rest of the team wern't happy about leaving bikes and valuables locked in cars 500 metres away overnight so we ended up creating a big stack of bikes and locking them together. Just make it a freeforall and let people camp where they park!

Ditto the marshalling "issues"...first enduro race Ive ever done where I had to avoid a couple of cars (not course vehicles or ambulances) being driven in the opposite direction on part of the circuit...Also slightly surprised to see walkers out on the circuit and also a horserider!

Paying an extra £10 per person for camping with virtually no facilities was a bit cheeky too. As for the one small mobile toilet block for about 500 competitors, thats just bad planning.

To be fair, the track did get better as the race wore on and was actually good fun and nicely technical in places but there were two points that were a bit too dangerous (listed above)to be used without very clear signage or some kind of course alteration: If I heard correctly there was one incident of a broken ankle at the bottom of the fast straight grass downhill: not good.

Overall, a potentially very good event in a good area (with a lot of climbing) but it needs work to improve it.

i thought it was a tough course but great fun especially when rotors deep in some of the mud. Was good to see riders of all abilities out. Favorite section was fast dry descent then along the single track by the river.
Can't comment on the camping as arrived in the morning.
Think that we were lucky with the weather, and if there was any amount of rain the course would have suffered badly.
A bad point for me was one rider trying to push through the obligatory first lap traffic jams shouting and swearing at others, was not needed as they didn't gain much.

Loved it. Yes the camping facilities could have been better but the course was great in a lovely area. We had lots of fun playing on drops and steep stuff in the woods on the Saturday afternoon! 8)

Surprised to here people complaining about lack of warning signs, this is MTB!

Looking forward to seeing some photos!

I did our teams last lap and only on that lap did i see people cutting the course. They just walked up the hill where the tractor was and carried on up the fire road and not across the field. Caught them up anyways on the next long climb but still, if they wanna cheat......
There was definatly not enough marshals on the course! On the wheel sized bump on my second lap and guy had fallen off and thought he had broken his ankle so stayed with him for a bit until a forst aider turned up, first one to turn up was another rider!!!! Carried on riding to get a marshal and first person i saw was a photographer. Nearest marshal point was at the bottom of the last climb and thankfully they had already been told and phoned the accident in. Also no marshal by the dangerous section at the lake, where on the practise saturday i saw a guy who had fallen in the lake cos of the slippery roots.
I thought it was a great course, mud just made it more technical and sorted the roadie wanna be's from the real mtbers! A bit expensive but would recommend this race for next year.

We had a team mate fall into the lake at the spillway/brick crossing, he went right in up to his neck 🙂

My challenge for the day was to clear the dip and rooty climb out at the opposite end of the lake. Four failed attempts on my reccie lap, managed it on my second lap 🙂

Didn't see any serious course cutting although one rider cut off a big corner where they army dug outs (and tents on the reccie) were, missing all the mud and jumping several places.

photos now up on

http://sportivephoto.thirdlight.com/viewdir.tlx?albumid=265143&home=1

I hear the prizes left a lot to be desired too, some Muc-Off for the winners! The owners must have absolutely raked it in! Poor show I say.

I thought the course was great. An interesting mix of everything. Lots of people comment on Mayhem being a ride around a flat field. This was anything but that!

I loved the last section along the water. Technical and rooty with my legs still buzzing from the downhill section. Lovely:-))

Like lots of comments, it would have been nice to have Marshals looking out for our safety rather than giving us course directions. The only marshal I saw actually on the course rather than on a road was the chap at the top of the downhill section telling us all to speed up!

Any one know who the photographers were?

I didn't even visit the bike wash down or Muc Off area (presumably they had a stand there?!) It was out of the way and the stories of 40 minute queues put me off.

I was with the bloke who landed on his head after the ditch, he cracked his helmet in half and was pretty shaken up. It turned out he's not english and didnt understand the word "ditch" !!! Need some universal signs, bring back the arrows...

no medics? Hardly any marshals? Crap prizes? inadequate signs? No showers? A charge for camping? Insufficient bogs?

Jesus, what a load of pants. This is an event that reckoned it was 'taking endurance racing to the next level' as well.

Ana, you were in mostly white?

I went passed you and the guy in front must've told the medics as I met them jogging back up the track.

Yeah I was. He was ok in the end, I thought he was really concussed and kept forcing him to sit-down as he was talking jibberish, but caught up with him later and it turned out he was just talking in a different language! haha

A few reflections / comments on the above:

Being relatively new to racing I thought this was a good course to experience - especially with such good weather and such a nice atmosphere. Lots of people in good spirits and nice to have 70 riders from the Red Bull racing fraternity out there - some of whom clearly had never been to anything like this before. I also thought the catering was good - great mix of options and impressed with how quickly they dealt with queues.

There were some nice parts to the course - particularly the back half after the refreshment table - a couple of good climbs and a fast descent, splash through the river and a nice bit of single track by the river 🙂

The first half I found a real challenge - I am glad I wasn't aware of any short cuts! So much energy sapping mud that eventually I also took to walking and saving my legs - I also managed to come off on my first attempt at the timed downhill - all my fault and serves me right for doing family duty rather than a practice lap on Sat...

On the prizes - clearly I didn't win anything - but I thought a dirt worked and supply of muc-off / lube was quite appropriate for the winners - £200 worth of goodies!?

Clearly they did make mistakes in the org front - but nothing that can't be put right:
- not enough water volume to keep three jet washers going
- too few toilets in the main arena at the start
- marshals / signage need improving
- results monitors didn't split competitors into their category - made it really difficult to see where you were / know what you had to do to make up a place or two
- policy on charging for camping just means people stay away / get grumpy about lack of facilities

All in all I think the course was a real test of skill and stamina - I learnt a lot about myself and my abilities (or lack of them) and might even be tempted to try it again next year just to check up on my own progress. I would want some serious assurances from the organizers that they have listened to feedback and made changes first though...

"The first half I found a real challenge - I am glad I wasn't aware of any short cuts! So much energy sapping mud that eventually [i]I also took to walking and saving my legs[/i] - I also managed to come off on my first attempt at the timed downhill - all my fault and serves me right for doing family duty rather than a practice lap on Sat..."

Dyslexia can be a challenge, I read that to be [i]I also took to waxing and shaving my legs[/i]

Stops the mud from clinging I guess :wink:!

but I thought a dirt worked and supply of muc-off / lube was quite appropriate for the winners - £200 worth of goodies!?

From what I've heard from the solo winner there was no Dirt Worker! Even then, £200 would be seriously pushing it!

To AnaNichoola were you in the mulebar team?.
With the huge white van = lots of space....

Why didn't you take your black bin bags of rubbish home with you?

No one else abandoned a pile of rubbish in the middle of the camping area
and
if it wasn't you sorry but to whoever it was sort it out next time take crap home with you.

A photo from Saturdays practice lap. It was fun. 😀
[img] [/img]

[i]To AnaNichoola were you in the mulebar team?.
With the huge white van = lots of space....[/i]

The huge white van exactly the same as mine, except longer? It was a LWB Iveco Daily with a huge garage and canopy.

I walked past a couple of times being nosy, your van is much shinier and less dented than mine, but I think I will be copying your matt black painted wheels 😛

I really enjoyed doing the muc-off,my first but not last enduro. I was one of the 70 odd riders from redBull, our entries all kindly paid for by Mark Webber himself,top bloke or what!

For next year they definately need more loos,showers,and more jetwashers. the catering was good but pricey, 60 quid to pitch a 6 man tent in a field was probably the most pricey camping in the uk that weekend! The course is about what i'm used to and expected but its not suitable for the first timers and i know a lot of work mates are put off doing another which is a shame.
I managed 5 laps solo in 8 hours 2 minutes, cant wait to come back fitter and better prepared next year and go for 6 :o)

p.s anyone know where the pictures from the water splash and grass downhill section are for sale?

Sounds like a proper rip-off to me. I was tempted to buy one of the entries that was for sale on here and do solo - glad I avoided it now.