So as another year rolls around it's time for 24/12 which this is teasing us with possible dry weather. I'm back in a 4 man team this year but not expecting a repeat of our shock 3rd of last year.
So who else is about for the dust/mud (delete as required) fest?
12hour solo, still can't feel half my foot thanks to 25hours of muddy hell last year!
one of the more polite overtaking pivot boompods
you are lucky, i will not be handing out the free beer this year
Entered 10 years in a row and finally put off at the end of last year, by too many wet yrs.
If it was local we'd probably carry on, but it's a 6hr drive and then to get home and have the drudge of drying out a ton of wet kit/tent etc we decided to knock it on the head.
And this year, we get what looks to be uninterrupted sunshine.....seems to be how these things go. Bit gutted to be honest, but hey ho...
12 hour pairs this year, last year was 24 team. It wasn’t the riding that was awful in that weather so much as the in between times, huddling under a gazebo in pissing rain waiting each time was so demoralising.
The lack of shelter last year was horrific - hopefully this year it'll be sun we're sheltering from...
I still haven't used my lights or unpacked my tent since 2016. 12h solo this year.
I'm sure it'll all be fine...
Me, 12 hour solo!
I thought I was going to miss it this year as my husband got into Ride London on the ballot. He's deferred until next year at the last minute though, as he a) felt guilty that he had quite a few events to do this year, and Pivot was the only one I wanted to do, and b) mangled his feet doing the Jurassic Coast challenge weekend just gone.
I did Pivot for the first time last year, which was also my first event after having our son. I absolutely loved it - despite the rain, the course held together really well and was good fun (certainly when compared to Mountain Mayhem 2012, which was the last event I did prior to that, heh heh), and the atmosphere was brilliant. I got cramp on one of my laps and some helpful randoms straightened my leg out and gave me water, whilst holding a brolly over me.
I'm just hoping it's dry this year, but I'm not counting on it (I don't think I've ever done a mtb event where it's not chucked it down at some point...)
12hr solo here. After a lay off since 2009
Torchbearer last year (4th because I was too stupid to give up), was pondering signing up this year after that when I got a message that I had been signed up for 24hr pairs.
Just finished fixing the force 10, will get the ferry over on Thursday and then back on the monday.
Really hope the weather stays decent, if it's lashing I'm getting leathered and hurling abuse at the sky.
Anyone got some stats on the course? 14km any idea on the ascent? I’ve been training at about 120ft per mile. I’m hoping it’s not much over that!
Training?
185m over 10.5km.
More climbing than the last few years courses.
https://mobile.twitter.com/twenteefour12/status/1005448539038797824
I’ve entered. Last year was my first year and even that didn’t put me off. Hoping to do a lot more laps this year though, but am doing 12 solo so I can please myself without any pressure. Just going to enjoy it, course was great last year even if the weather was horrendous
As per Superstu, I’m not really looking at being competitive at all, just doing what I can and enjoying the rest. I have a couple of back & shoulder muscular issues which may cut my 12h short anyway. This won’t be helped by Millets failing to deliver an inflatable mattress before I set off.
Time to drain / recharge my lights ready for the weekend, pasta meals and SIS are ready. aiming for a Friday Pizza and a beer. Packing comes early for me as I’m working in Dorchester Thursday afternoon so I’ll be throwing everything in the car and hoping for the best Wednesday night before I drive down Thursday.
Actually looking forward to this after failing to complete the 24’s the last several years due to the above physical issues. And unusually for me the above course news comes with a smile as I’ve spent all year training my sustained climbing ability.
All I have to work out now is - what pace for a 12h? 😀
I'm in, 24 hour solo, looking to complete rather than compete.
How does it all work in terms of being solo, I will arrive Friday lunchtime with a van full of food and bike spares and am planning on doing a few laps then stopping to refill bottles / eat / change as required.
Do I need to be packing stuff away and locking the van while I'm riding or is it all fine to leave everything set up? (e.g. a pile of bottle filled to swap out, snacks for pockets etc.)
Do I need to be packing stuff away and locking the van while I’m riding or is it all fine to leave everything set up? (e.g. a pile of bottle filled to swap out, snacks for pockets etc.)
Just don't leave anything valuable out as the site is open to anyone to wander around. No one will Nick your bottles, bars or sweaty bibs drying in the sun though
Cheers - Sounds fairly straightforward.
I think I'll come up with a system where the 24 hours is four x six hour blocks of riding including a 20-30mins faff at the end for preping food and bottle for the next six hours, eating something and changing into fresh shorts.
Looks like it'll be warm and dry so should be an interesting weekend.
Kryton - want me to bring a spare inflatable bed thing?
24hr solo for me just want to finish it this year looking forward to it.
Great event and vide.
Might have to demo a pivot but then maybe not as I be on old school 26ers hardtail.
Good luck everyone.
Demo'ed a 429? Trail last time which compared well to my 26" xc marathon machine.
I did wonder why there are no SL versions brought along as fox 36's and the like are overkill for 24/12.
V nice bikes but not in my budget for quite some time.
12hr solo - if I can start as my wright wrist may be slightly fractured from fall in slippery rock pool
12hr solo – if I can start as my wright wrist may be slightly fractured from fall in slippery rock pool
One of your camping comrades did the same with his ankle 2 years ago. I'll let him tell you about the gruesome op he's had recently.
Kryton – want me to bring a spare inflatable bed thing
As much as I'd love to, they never arrived so I popped around to Millets and picked only one up earlier today. The only thing I have spare is a roll up self inflating mat. Its lost its self inflating ability so you have to blow in it by mouth, but its only an inch thick - you're welcome to that?
Crossed wires there, I was offering you a spare inflatable mattress.
No worries.
Oh sorry!
Thanks for the offer, very much appreciated, but no need.
Yep back again even after last year.. pairs 12! So as we pitched it started to throw it down ;-/
Dare we have a dry one like 2 years ago..???
Its looking dry this year. Might be the odd light shower Friday e day to dampen the dust down, but its looking almost perfect, 22-23 degrees and slightly overcast occasionally.
Course has a bit more climbing than normal, but nothing horrendous. I'll be down there tomorrow cutting grass and taping the course so will update you all in the evening.
There are a lot of travellers in Plymouth at the moment, so without stereotyping, just be careful and use common sense. Security on the gate overnight, and gates locked at 11pm, but there are hundreds of ways out of the park on a bike in the dark. Lock bikes up at night to be 99% sure.
Best bet if you are solo is just make friends with your neighbours and I guarantee their family/pit bitch/friends will keep an eye out on stuff left lying around, but very unlikely you'll have issues. We did have beer nicked one year which upset us.
Martyn isn't organising this year, but most of the other crew have taken it over so expect a few tweaks, and a lot of the feedback from last year has been taken on board from what I gather.
Typical Newnham Park, its gone from Sunny to light rain Friday, and from Saturday midnight through Sunday.
Maybe.
Still time for another change 😀
All the forecasts apart from the BBC show less than 1mm of rain over Friday, cloud cover varying from 30-80% so either a couple of showers or a bit of very light drizzle. Same for Sat. I’m still hopeful of a pretty much dry weekend!
Martyn isn’t organising this year, but most of the other crew have taken it over so expect a few tweaks, and a lot of the feedback from last year has been taken on board from what I gather.
Somewhere to shelter from the rain I think was the main one? I really missed the Bontrager yurt...
Well I packed a wet weather front tyre and inflator so its not my fault!
Is the clif bar climb in? I don’t have fond memories of that.
What's the deal for spectating? I'm only 20mins from Newnham so might pop down for a bit to cheer you all on (hurl abuse!)
Not going to risk quotes!!
Start Finish Arena is different this year, much more "cosy" with a "pit lane" in for transition.
Lots of decent food including Thai and Pizza.
Clif Climb (aka climb up from shooting ground )is in. Tarmac/Concrete Climb is NOT.
No Grassy Descent into the arena. Its in the Dedicated Demo loop tho.
Looks like less big climbs (other than Clif), and a few more very gradual ones. Cottage return is in!
More to follow.
No Grassy Descent into the arena. Its in the Dedicated Demo loop tho.
That's one of my favourite bits!
Cottage Return is in yeah? & the bombholes? & I heard it's a descent through bluebell woods? But also more climbing?
All the forecasts apart from the BBC show less than 1mm of rain over Friday, cloud cover varying from 30-80% so either a couple of showers or a bit of very light drizzle. Same for Sat. I’m still hopeful of a pretty much dry weekend!
Pfft, did you not see that I've entered this year? I bring the rain - this year's drought could have been avoided if I'd entered more events! By Sunday, you'll all be wishing you brought canoes instead of bikes.
dabaldie, do you know if the course has increased in technical difficulty this year? Last year I felt that it was perfect (apart from the mud) - despite being very enthusiastic and having ridden for over 10 years, I'm actually a bit rubbish at mountain biking (partly down to missing ligaments in my knees, partly down to not learning to ride a bike until I was 27), so I'm always a bit paranoid at events they'll suddenly ramp up the difficulty!
I've only been on the Mtb once this year, the technical level is the same as last year.
It's all a bit odd compared to previous years (course wise).
Saccades I need five event t-shirts this year, how you fixed for a bit of gambling ?
I think its a great little route, picking on all the great bits Newnham has to offer and only at the cost of one painful climb.
It was running lovely in the dusty dry conditions last night, however its currently raining and forecast for more :/
Just done a sighting lap. Really enjoyed it. Course pretty flat with some cracking singletrack in it. Minor hillage in the middle. That’s what I’m telling myself anyway
I'm just hoping that it's been so dry that any rain will just dampen things down rather than turn it into a mud fest!
^^ I think it’ll just damp things down a bit tomorrow but unfortunately Sunday looks a nightmare.
What's the wind like down there at the mo?
If you've got anything like the amount of wind we've got here there'll be tents and gazebos all over the place!
Maybe check your guy lines are nice and tight!
Sadly I'm in A&E having faceplanted a tree. Tad too much speed and front pinged a rock. Much blood. Sttches to follow
Ahh sorry to hear ADSH. I sprained my ankle badly yesterday so sat at home watching it morph to a nice purple colour.
