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As I didn't go this year - and a quick google / forum search here didn't answer my question...
did it rain this year?
Bone dry till Friday. Rained Friday night.
Course atrocious Saturday morning - quickly dried out on sighting laps. Faster and faster through the day. Then it rained at 2am ish on Sunday for a hour or two.
Back to Trench foot inducing mud. cleared up at Dawn - slowly dried out again.
did it rain this year?
For about 20minutes at 2am. Made the somme section into an icerink, and the last climb a bit sticky for about two hours after.
Bucketted down between 3 and 4am Saturday and a bit drizzly the same time on Sunday.
Ahhh so it was a 'proper' MM then 😀
....yeah, the cheating kinda detracts abit, esp when a lycra clad jey barks at you to get out of the way on the climbs, then you see them completely cutting out the final gully section at the top and heading on down the final decent field!!.....if you ain't going to ride the entire course...then, get back on the road homo!!
In saying that, at one point I heard a 'rider on your right' from behind and indeed shouted back 'you'll be lucky, ain't no room at the inn!!'....as soon as there was a bit of room, said rider popped on past chirpily...being the jey-mocker that I am (translation = unfit loafing downhill wanabee) I decided to chase said jet down through the gulley......and to my astonishment, he took some slick ninja high tree root lines....almost respect worthy......I later discovered that his name was Nick Craig or something......!!
One of the unicyclists tried to pass me on the right, at night, trouble was the rut was way deeper than he thought it was, I checked he was Ok and continued happily (and slowly) onwards with 2 wheels.
he took some slick ninja high tree root lines
High rooty lines in the Somme section etc were considerably faster than some of the low lines. The roots were dry an unpolished due to the lack of people riding them, so were grippier than expected.
I think the prefered phrase is, this thread is useless without pictures...
I did the 'hard' option twice thinking it was the easy, I couldn't work out where this so called hard section was until a realised my mistake, from then on did the easy as it was far quicker.
Had a great time 2nd time down the hard section on Saturday afternoon, there were loads of spectators in the bushes who jumped further in as I used all the ruts as berms and got a bit carried away throwing myself down it.
Really enjoyed this year, such a great experience. Met a bloke on a Cannondale from one of the shop teams (leisure lakes?) changed places with him for a whole lap, we got faster and faster at throwing ourselves past other people to get ahead, exhilarating stuff!
great weekend,
camping was rammed this year, we camped in the "quiet/family" area last year and it was almost empty, this year it was absolutely rammed.
Agree wholeheartedly about making the arena central again for everyone as it's a bit of a ball ache for spectators to have to do a 2 mile round trip to go to the arena!
Did the hard the first time but thought it was only dangerous because of all the people stopped all over. Would have ridden it for all my laps but wasn't confident my fitness was up to it and the easy route was a hoot.
Was a shame the easy route was shorter but the organisers were in a bind I guess and couldn't risk loads of preventable injurys.
Anyone that cheated on that course is a complete and utter stroker.
FWIW, this was my first MM and I absolutely loved it. The only aspect that I was a little disappointed with was the lack of concurrent leaderboard, like they had at SITS last year, on scrolling screens. This was only a minor point though, as it's a bit immaterial when you're towing your tripe out just to jump from 241st to 238th or whatever, I suppose. Having said that, it did help with a bit of motivation in the hard hours at SITS. The facility to tap in your own race number was good though.
I thought the course provided exactly what an event like this should provide. There were elements within to test all your bike skills and it didn't just cater for the point-and-shoot, out-and-out pedallers that have very limited technical ability/b0ll0cks/both, but have engines like Indurain. If there's no technical challenge then it just effectively becomes a road race in a park and mountainbike events should reflect the difference more IMO.
I also echo some of the comments above about the 'cobbly' section, immediately following the first long, fast descent on the first side of the course. I actually got off my bike and checked my back tyre thinking I had a flat because of the way the back end was rolling around behind me. I was amazed that it was still inflated!!
My experience of both the banter and the cordiality of the passing riders was good too. I only held one rider up for a short time when he requested to pass me. I just said that it was awkward at that point but he could come through as soon as it was appropriate for us both. That spot happened to be within about 50 yards and he thanked me as he rode past.
The highlight for me was on my second of a double lap stint. About half way up the surfaced part of the Kenda climb there were a group of children offering riders some sweets. I don't use either a camelbak or a bottle when I'm out on the course (I reckon that 15 and a half stones is penalty enough without add-ons) so I said 'yes please'. The lad gave me a large fruit pastill and it was absolute nectar. What a lovely gesture!!
I also managed to ride the whole course every lap - apart from the muddy section in the wood on my second night lap during the rain (and the 10 feet of off-camber banking that I didn't see anyone ride). Not bad for a pair of Maxxis Larson TT's at 60psi the whole time.
I took the hard descent on my first lap and nearly canned it at high speed when I caught the edge of the left-hand rut with my tyre wall for a short time. Managed to correct the situation (fortunately) but then decided to take the 'mincer's' route afterwards due to seeing everyone I'd recently passed sail serenely past as I was yomping up the climb back out. I also said at the time that the 'mincer's' route would have been 'fairer' if it had been staked and taped to create the kind of zig-zag queueing system you get for rides at Alton Towers and such, making the time penalty much greater for the easier route.
That's why I was a bit disappointed to find the really sketchy descent in the wood cordoned off in the latter stages. That was one of the areas that I was riding really well and gaining time on others around me. Once it went round to the left on the smooth path I lost any advantage. I appreciate (now) that injuries were happening there, but surely the less-confident should have had the foresight to walk it? Why is walking up the Kenda climb seen as more acceptable than walking a sketchy descent, cos plenty were doing? Again, if the course doesn't challenge all elements of the discipline then certain groups gain a default advantage, and that can't be 'fair'. Or can it?
All in all I thought it was a fantastic event and my thanks and gratitude go to everyone that contributed, however great or small, to making it so.
Did anyone end up in the pond at the bottom of the (our team name) "Olympic Sliding Hill"? As I was very close once it got super slushy.
😯Larson TT's at 60psi
i saw a pro taking the road shortcut along the top - this was at 3 in the rain and pro might mean factory kit - i wasn't exactly all with it at that point!
"I don't use either a camelbak or a bottle when I'm out on the course " Nutter. Wy not? You go a lot slower if you're dehydrated.
"i saw a pro taking the road shortcut along the top - this was at 3 in the rain and pro might mean factory kit" Sadly not necessarily a pro rider! We (Salsa) all ride in team kit but aren't pros by any stretch... You'd be surprised what the top riders do for a living (not that I'd include myself in that class).
GB
don't be a pedant.
do your team have matching bikes and kit? unless you paid full price for the kit and bikes (which is weird) then your semi pro. 😀
Why is walking up the Kenda climb seen as more acceptable than walking a sketchy descent, cos plenty were doing?
Actually is was as dangerous walking it as riding it. I nearly cleaned it in the dark until someone crashed in front of me. Then walked it at dawn and slid into a tree, if the tree hadn't been there I'd have been at the bottom on my a*se with the bike on top of me.
I wasn't intending to be pedantic - just making a point about the total lack of funding for our best riders to allow them to turn pro. It sucks.
I'm not even semi-pro - I just count myself luck to be sponsored for bikes and kit - I have a full time job which, at times, really removes any chance of riding/training.
GB
Pro - someone who is PAID as a full time bike rider.
We came 2nd in the Mixed elite class yesterday and I was on my hands and knees today fitting 50m2 of laminate floor for a customer, Oh the glory!
Rode the "hard" descent on the Friday kicking up clouds of dust and thought it would be bad in the race purely because there would be people walking and other race snakes trying to overtake. So gladly took the easy route and actually enjoyed it more with the bonus I overtook some people 🙂
At some point in the 24 hours I rode all the course apart from one small rooty section in the Somme woods before the watery downhill. But if you had good enough bike handling skills then it was ridable - I don't so accept I might have to walk some if it rains.
And as I ride in team kit for the lbs does this make me semi pro ??? Wohoo, mid 40's and I'm on the way to being a pro bike rider ..... maybe.
Semi pro?
If you were wondering about the difference see [url= http://www.bikemagic.com/forum/forummessages/mps/UTN/93945/URN/3/dt/4/srchdte/0/cp/1/v/6/sp/ ]this link[/url]
Apologies for the re post, but well worth a look if you haven't seen it - stick with it to the end.
For me it was neither hard nor easy. Those that know me will confirm that I am portly, possess limited technical skills and have a distaste of speed yet on my 2nd lap (19.30 -20.30ish Sat. eve.) I managed to ride the complete course (via the mincers' divert). More by luck with the weather, ground conditions, proximity of other riders than any other reason related to possible bike riding skills 😉
I came a cropper on my 4th lap on the wet, stoney descent to the pond. Not through lack of confidence; I think of it as bad luck to which my bruised left shin and skinless right elbow and forearm will attest!
I thought it was a good course. Reading the comments about pro- and semi-pro above reminds me of being passed first by Anthony ? (Mojo semi-pro?) soon followed by NickCraig (pro?) who promptly flowed up the hill as if I was stood still and Ant was pootling. The reality was that Ant was flying and Nick still reeled him in, chatted awhile and moved ahead. I was impressed as if I were a teenager 35 years my junior.
Downsides for me: the TROG team who ran a generator all through Saturday night and ignorantly dismissed any of their neighbours that asked them to turn it off for a while; the reduced number of trade stands (including the coffee people 🙂 ); the 'U' shaped arena; the smaller change-over area; having to fight through all the pedestrian traffic on the way to and from the change-over area due to the narrow strip between course and trade tents.
Good points: friendly banter, friendly heckling, dedicated marshalls, the mincers' divert, showers, bumping into old friends, that feeling when you finally get back after a mentally draining lap, Sunday morning fry up after an early mornin lap, a long soak in a hot bath when you get home...
One of the better ones I thought. Cheers to everyone involved.
Why is there not a trade stand just selling groceries? Would go down a storm I reckon.
or a beer tent.
No alcohol on site (or a least, nowhere *selling* alcohol) is part of the agreement. Many years ago in the days of the Malvern Classic event (same venue), they had bars/live music etc and, as the event became better known, it used to get gatecrashed by the local yoof - one year a young biker was fatally stabbed and after that - no more alcohol.
The fact that the food tent there was pretty average at best is a seperate issue. 😉
For those who endured 2008:
Imagine how this course would have held up under 2008's torrential rain.
Now tell me, hand on heart, that anything has really changed.
It might have less of the mud / grass / off-camber stuff but none of the sections that need all-weather proofing received any such detailing.
Why take the hard route when the mince route was quicker?
I enjoyed it far more with a constant middle (or sometimes the big ring) everywhere bar the tarmac Kenda Climb and not at all technically demanding.
Comments 2 or 3 posts above about the layout of the actual trade stands and start / finish straight , ride to and the loss of some stands are correct.
Tim
gee - I hope it wasn't you that shouted "let go of your breaks - you won't crash!" on the singletrack after the house to the poor guy that then prompted him to go headlong into the trees. Not good brand promotion - sponsored or otherwise 😯
somebody shouting 'let go of your brakes' caused someone else to crash? Must have been Derren Brown in cycling kit.
"Jump off the top of your house" And did you?
No, I thought not.
Besides, it wasn't me.
That may have been me - I do tend to encourage people to go faster rather than shout obscenties at them - although I don't remember anyone suddenly crashing as a result. To me that would be fantastic brand promotion - buy a Salsa, get special mind control powers.
If you could explain how encouraging other riders to go faster is a bad thing, do please say. It wasn't as if I barged past, or was rude. Just a bit of gentle encouragement said with a smile and a laugh when it's not safe to overtake - after all, it's always more fun if you're going faster.
GB
Personnally speaking, I thought the 'Hard' route was one of the more enjoyable parts of the course. I took it every time out, couldn't care less it took longer, I wasn't in it to win it, I was there for the fun - and ragging it down that descent like I was in a DH race was great fun, even at 3 in the morning in the dark.
As for it being too hard - we pre rode the course on Sat morning on our tandem, and never flinched at riding down it - maybe we are just nuts !! 😉
Best MM course so far (over last 3 years) I thought.
I thought about a grocery stall. It would be very popular.
We ran out of milk at one point. And bread. And sugar.
Hmmm.
I went arse over tit just trickling past the trade stands before the race briefing, so god knows how I made it round the course without further injury or incident?
lol@ dickyboy...
What the others said about the narrow corridor between the tradestands on the way to the paddock.Particuarly at 7am Sunday when that van was parked in the way !
On the Saturday morning, lots of people had been complaining, either that it was too steep and technical
Muwahahahahaha it's a field outside Malvern LOLOMGOLOLETC....
@ Ti29er
[i]"For those who endured 2008:
Imagine how this course would have held up under 2008's torrential rain.
Now tell me, hand on heart, that anything has really changed.
It might have less of the mud / grass / off-camber stuff but none of the sections that need all-weather proofing received any such detailing."
[/i]
I'm not sure the landowner will allow any all-weather proofing at Eastnor so Pat's hands are relatively tied in that respect.
Nope - they don't. The course has to blend back in after the event. Hence no weatherproofing. Catton would appear to be a different story, with the new surfacing which may help a bit in the wet.
surfacing.....that a bit like building a road innit? why not just go the whole hog and have the whole course smooth and grippy like the kenda climb.....
I liked the slippy bits, not cos I'm good at riding, (i'm not) but it's a mountain bike race. lots ofdifferent surfaces is what our bikes are designed to do.
I loved it, don't surface anything. the lottery of a mud bath or not makes mayhem what it is. and it's ace. don't want to wait another year for it though...