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I passed them a couple of times. Last I think I saw them was about 2:30 this morning. Absolutely amazing, 10 laps for a 9yo is staggering. Well done Tom!! 😀
The only bike failure I had was my bloody saddle falling off halfway through lap 1 and had to ride the rest* with just seatpost. No sadly it was a run of the mill bodily failure that put a stop to things. Got to 2am and was going well when all hell broke loose and I started vomiting and shivering uncontrollably so had to retreat to my sleeping bag. I interded on getting back out there but it didn't 'happen as in the hour or two of inactivity my knee seized up due to one the 4 crashes I had on lap 12. Bloody annoying as I felt better on the last 3 laps than the preceding 5. Oh well, can't complain I had a good run while it lasted. Will be back next year, with gears.
Edit: *rest of the lap that is, not the whole race 😉
Minipips for spoty 2015! Amazing effort
Well done dazh. Fantastic effort mate.
Fantastic result Minipips, I was amazed at the rapha rising, the other year, but this is a whole new level, a talent for the future, and fantastic parents, a proper team.
do****cher - Member
He had a couple of naps during the race and is currently fast asleep in a hotel.The organisers did put very strict controls on his participation - one was that Richpips had to ride around behind him and if at any point Minipips said that he wasn't up for any more they would call it a day /night.
Tom has had a good couple of years practice riding endurance and has been training all the elements of a 24 hour race in the lead up to Strathpuffer. It is not as if his only experience of bike riding was a 3 mile summer pootle along a canal towpath. Yes this does make him exceptional for his age, but it was not a reckless whim or parent driven.
However I am all ears.
Thats what I wanted to hear, was unsure and did not want to hear that the young un did the 24 hour event non stop ! Well done Tom and great effort 😀 😯
[quote=kingkongsfinger ]
Thats what I wanted to hear, was unsure and did not want to hear that the young un did the 24 hour event non stop ! Well done Tom and great effort
I'm sure everyone is relieved you approve 🙄
Is that the closest Mr & Mrs pips will get to an apology from you bad mouthing them as parents?
I must say impressive feat from a 9 year old. Though gobsmacked by the reactions and the flaming of one of the few who doubt it was a good idea.
9 year olds are far from fully grown and hard and endurance riding can have serious consequences in the long term.
I have coached kids for years of his age too but often a bit older and know that they are capable of a lot. But they also often need protection to their eagerness or those of parents. I don't know the kid or the race/ride personally. I can just say don't take it as an example not even half of it as there is a good chance your kids body is not up to it.
Better safe then sorry.
Is that the closest Mr & Mrs pips will get to an apology from you bad mouthing them as parents?
I don't think he did, did he? He expressed doubt - which is fair enough, he doesn't know any of them and without clarification it could have been a bad situation. However he's happy that it wasn't. I don't see how it could've been handled any better?
Does this debate really have to happen? FWIW I passed minipips on several occasions and he appeared to be enjoying it, even at 10pm in a snow shower, which is more than you could say for me at that point in time. And he got the biggest cheer at the prize presentation at the end which was great.
Maybe another thread for discussion on participation of children in endurance events?
This should be celebrating those who participated - well done to all of them 🙂
Inspiring stuff, I might give it a bash next year (I say from my sofa with a beer).
great stuff, well done minipips!
As the oldest soloist I think I'm qualified to say Minipips is the future of endurance racing.
For those who have doubts about young people competing in 24 hour events, it doesn't appear to have done my daughter any harm. She did her first solo 'Puffer at 12, and each year until she discovered boys.
My race was a bit disappointing. I built a super lightweight fatbike (12.2kg) and I was hoping that would be a bit easier than pushing my 40lb+ Pugsley around. It was, but after 3 punctures and numerous minor malfunctions I was ready to chuck it in the river. Solved the problem by nipping home and rebuilding the old Pug from the frame upwards - I had to rob 4 other of my bikes to get all its parts back. So the old warhorse got to run in the 'Puffer again.
I'd rate this 'Puffer as up there with the toughest. It definitely had the best mud ever. (I've done them all). It just needed to be 5ºC cooler, and it would have had all the ingredients of the perfect 'Puffer.
Bloody hell epicyclo, that's some commitment! Sounds like that tour de France story of the bloke who had to walk to a blacksmith's to fix his forks.
You didn't have any assistance did you? You can get disqualified for that!
Hard luck dazh, at least you dragged your arse up there and gave it a good shot!
epicyclo- I passed you when you were having some issues, you still seemed cheerful enough- but that's half the battle with the'puffer I guess!
We did alright between all our various camps-
Spey Valley Brewery with Chris Bell Racing- we were fundraising for Glencoe Mountain Rescue in memory of our friend Chris. Last time we did the puffer we raised over £20,000 and you can donate for this year's effort here if you wish-
https://www.justgiving.com/Luke-Bradley/
We came 11th in men's pairs. I came back from a double with 4 minutes to spare to go out for a last lap but had budgeted for only two laps in a row so didn't have the energy. We'd have been guaranteed 10th if I'd gone but we didn't know that at the time. Also, my wife would have killed me if I'd been an extra hour with her doing all the driving back to Derbyshire in time to get to bed!
Surprisingly comfortable for a puffer that one- no mechanicals bar a wobbly saddle. Compact snow on the fireroads was easier going than slower muddy fireroads. I tried a new tactic of aiming for total consistency of effort, no hard efforts, and got the same number of laps as last time with some spare for a last lap if we needed it.
Was that last descent put in for a joke, though? Good god, it was horrible.
Got a photo on the BBC-
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-30877786
Extra big special thanks from us have to go to-
2Pure and Niterider for the loan of some awesome Lumina 650 lights.
Spey Valley Brewery for a few portions of delicious Spey Stout and Spiced Out and their luxurious gazebo.
http://www.speyvalleybrewery.co.uk/
And our support crew who were super.
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Also in our crowd were this lot-
CB/Honey Badger Racing- the other Chris Bell team, who according to them were the male quad who gave the least chuffs about results, got 2nd.
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Annie- Team Rainbows and Unicorns- Annie was 2nd solo woman, and singlespeeding. I saw her a lot on the course, I don't think she was ever off it. She had a veneer of good cheer- she's my new hero!
Mlehworld Moray Minxes- 4th in the mixed quads, sure they'll pop up and tell their story later but they were pipped out of 3rd by 2 minutes on the last lap!
was there any TV crews there? which channel and any ideas when any coverage will be on what channel? anyone?
It's generally on the adventure show in March Jekkyl.
We had ourselves to blame for the 2m loss, we were pretty casual about it to start with a it was as much about a fun weekend as racing.
I went a bit faster than anyone expected (not least myself aster a month's lay off and a heavy cold) so my handover was late twice and we missed 10m there, we had 2 chain jams for another 5-10m and Pete (Devilman) was 5m faster than anticipated at around 6am and I wasn't early, so a total of 20m+ lost.
I'm delighted though, loved it, did 10 laps of our 27 in ~8:20
Just properly read this - the Pips family sound amazing, looking forward to any TV coverage of the event.
And need to give myself a proper talking to and MTFU!
The Fatty owls managed a very surprising second place and we are all chuffed to bits after having a whole lot of fun we had the best weekend ever
and those crap Fatbikes rock
a big up to the Dingwall Pupils who whopped our arses and made a very entertaining battle .
Saw miniPips sometime in the night Good lad very well done your smile on the podium said it all .
Well done to all who took part! More than I've achieved, and of course to MiniPips too. Excellent determination and effort from someone so young. Beats sitting in your room on Xbox!
MiniPips too. Excellent determination and effort from someone so young.
My 9-year-old whinged about walking into town and back on Saturday. I showed her Minipip's photo yesterday and told her to MTFU 🙂
we were pretty casual about it to start with a it was as much about a fun weekend as racing
Aye, it's funny how the race equivalent of the red mist descends - "doesn't matter, just a weekend with mates... la la grrrrrrr RACE" It's those Minx girls to blame I tell you, both as bad as each other 🙂
breadcrumb - Member
epicyclo- I passed you when you were having some issues, you still seemed cheerful enough...
The 3rd puncture deflated more than the tyre though...
Just as well I still had all the bits for the old warhorse or I would have been forced to ride a bike with gears. 🙂
Heaven forbid!
I would not of been happy dragging a rear mech through that slop of a downhill. I don't think I've witnessed that much mud since a very wet Leeds festival.
I would not of been happy dragging a rear mech through that slop of a downhill
I wasn't sure of the wisdom of doing it singlespeed, especially since I"d never ridden more than about 30km with only one gear before, but seeing that mud on the first lap confirmed that it was the right decision. Unless your support crew are competent mechanics. My support crew moaned cos they couldn't get my tyres off when I decided to put the mud-specific ones on 🙂
Before the race I had a brilliant idea.
When knackered and hypothermic, I'm prone to the weakness in moral fibre of seeking shelter. So this year's brainwave was to provide none. I took the wife's Fiat Seicento but no tent, no sleeping bag, no cooking and no portable heater. There was supposed to be no support, but I did get a delivery of hot bread pudding at about 6pm, and some welcome cups of tea from next door.
The idea being no shelter would discourage stopping. Couldn't see any flaws with that idea.
So at about 6am when I needed to scoop the mud out my boots I sat in the driver's seat with my legs out the door. Someone objected to my door protruding into the track (I was a bit dopey at this point). I pulled my legs in and shut the door, but with my helmet on I was crunched double in the tiny car, so I leaned the seat back a wee bit to enable me to contort myself sufficiently to retie my laces.
It must have been too comfortable because at some point in the second knot I became aware that it was dawn. Unfortunately the wee Fiat is a condensation magnet and I was soaked, frozen, and shivering stiff. At that point moral fibre was completely deficient, and my body cried quits.
But any of you who wish to adopt my brilliant idea for next year are welcome to it. I don't need it any more. 🙂
A top weekend. Great to put faces to more names off of here. 🙂
Thanks to all the riders who gave my boy encouragement.
Riding such stuff isn't for all kids, but my lad loves it though.
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http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e124/ardsei/RIMG0013_zpsbfd89f50.jp g"/> [/IMG][/URL]
Rich - nice one, well done to your lad, that is great going. I guess he is going to be kicking all our asses up and down the singletrack in a few years 🙂
Was an honor to ride with you for those few miles in the HTR. Chapeau!
Rich - nice one, well done to your lad, that is great going. I guess he is going to be kicking all our asses up and down the singletrack in a few years
Thanks Nik, was hoping to see you there.
Hopefully catch up before next year.
I would not of been happy dragging a rear mech through that slop of a downhill.
I snapped a mech hanger on one lap and had to push/freewheel round the rest of the lap which wasn't so much fun...
My favourite bit was sitting just before 9 at transition waiting on a team-mate to come round with the rest of the team demanding I get back before 10 so they can put another lap in. I'm on my brother's Fatty (due to my bike having no gears now) I've only ridden a fat bike once before (for 10 minutes on a flat path) and Epicyclo comes past and says something like "Fat bikes are a silly idea" 🙂
God you lot are ace.
I didn't even get my bike out this weekend.
Well done all of ye.
Especially that there young minipips chap.
Legend.
Minipips for the Tour-Divide... 🙂
Team forty forfeits wcc were were 2 team members down right from the off and were in second place until the last kick .
A mixture of mechanicals and sick riders in the final moments seen us slip to 5th.
Still a good result considering.
Damn good battle steven131 the Fatty Owls were quite shocked but pleased and wondered what had happened
we were a team of nine on the day running on homebrew and burgers
was a bit gutted tbh I was giving my fat bike some serious abuse on the decents , the look on my face must have been priceless when I came into transition at 5.30 like a loony to have no one waiting to take over..
Aside from muddy, wet and cold, what's the course like? Lots of climbing, hugely technical etc...?
Before the race I had a brilliant idea.When knackered and hypothermic, I'm prone to the weakness in moral fibre of seeking shelter. So this year's brainwave was to provide none. I took the wife's Fiat Seicento but no tent, no sleeping bag, no cooking and no portable heater. There was supposed to be no support, but I did get a delivery of hot bread pudding at about 6pm, and some welcome cups of tea from next door.
The idea being no shelter would discourage stopping. Couldn't see any flaws with that idea.
So at about 6am when I needed to scoop the mud out my boots I sat in the driver's seat with my legs out the door. Someone objected to my door protruding into the track (I was a bit dopey at this point). I pulled my legs in and shut the door, but with my helmet on I was crunched double in the tiny car, so I leaned the seat back a wee bit to enable me to contort myself sufficiently to retie my laces.
It must have been too comfortable because at some point in the second knot I became aware that it was dawn. Unfortunately the wee Fiat is a condensation magnet and I was soaked, frozen, and shivering stiff. At that point moral fibre was completely deficient, and my body cried quits.
But any of you who wish to adopt my brilliant idea for next year are welcome to it. I don't need it any more.
I am in awe of you stiff upper lip approach to hardship, but, to be frank, f*ck that!
😉
So, in one race, he broke his bike, went home, built a new bike to ride, returned, then fell unconscious/asleep in his car by the side of the course? 🙂
Theres a few videos up, looks gorgeous, sun n snow!
I think it's still too soon to watch that..... 😆
I don't think there's a video that quite captures the grimness of that final muddy descent at 3:30 in the morning..
Still, the human mind's a strange thing - I'm already thinking about next year.
Well done everyone - especially minipips! I vaguely remember going past at some point in the darkness and trying to come out with something encouraging.
what's the course like
Brutal. You seem to climb for 90% of it on a variety of fireroad and lumpy, rough, rocky singletrack that isn't so much technical as jarring. You used to descent on a lovely fast swoopy descent- you got to the top of the last very steep singletrack climb and thought "right, I've earned this". Then this year they sent you down a shit muddy sloppy partly finished fireroad. Which was awful.