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Just a note to thank all conected with this year event, absolutely brill. Hard as a very hard thing, and that was just the ice :?. The marshalls, First Aiders, Big Neil and the guys on the Exposure stand- epic; once again.
On a personal note I would like to thank the rider who stopped to make sure I was ok after a fall I had over the "Bridge of Thighs". I dont know who you were (or even if you read this forum)but thanks for your concern and help.
There were probably a few slip ups there.
Were you the "school boy error"?
(Not my opinion - the faller's opinion.)
Might have been me. My memory is fuzzy but there seemed to be a few people struggling there over the duration. I had to stop and have a emergency twix and haribo session there on lap ten. I've never bonked but the way I felt then I couldn't have been far away from it.
I echo your thanks though, they made it a tremendous event.
It was definately my own fault- I remember somebody saying to me years ago, " commit to the move"! Well there are times when that does not apply :-). What was the "school boy error"? I do remember telling the nurse the "I'm the ar...ole who can't ride over a bridge" 😀 though.
Bike missed the bridge
No epic, that wasn't me. My bike was on the bridge ... its just that I wasn't :lol:.
It was hard to get the line down to the bridge right with all the mud concealing large rocks.
for the short time i was actually riding i had a rare old time (thanks to you i believe, epicyclo, for reminding me, again, that for solos walking really is just another gear!) and i think my favourite puffer yet. but the biggest thanks to the folk in the ambulance who prodded me about and generally reassured me.
Cheers Ceekay, I was part of the 'Haribo Hill' marshall team. We had a good time and weren't even riding! It was good see so many riders out, a good mixed bunch too. We were surprised to see so many smiling faces after that climb, especially at 4 in the morning. We also collected about £200 for Help for Heroes, so a big big thanks to everyone for that. I may even go up this week when I've got a chance and finally ride the course I helped to set up!
ftr1873 if you were one of the RAF lads with the cow bells then you did an awesome job! Your support and enthusiasm really helped. Thanks.
Couldn't agree more!
The support, cheers and help from the marshals and indeed everyone involved was fantastic!
I only wish I could have matched that effort whilst on my bike 😀
My head wasn't in it tbh although closely followed by my body! Going from a quad to a pair to a solo wasn't a nice experience. I spent more time on a deckchair in front of a chimnia than I did in the saddle.
Great event with a brilliant atmosphere!
Were you the guy with the cut eye?
I offered someone with a cut eye a plaster and medi wipe there....
Ken is it? Hope you're doing ok. Made it to the second checkpoint as quick as I could. Dont know if they sent someone out to look for you at all.
Thats some fall you had. When I got to the bridge I could see a bike with no rider to be seen. Must've been a good 6 foot fall...
Yea Kbrembo, that was me, still have got no idea about I managed to fall off a bike, to the side, drop how ever many feet to the ground landing on my back and side , and manage to cut my eye lid??? Oh and also turn my exposure light through 180 deg on the handlebar mount, and turn the handlebar mount through 180 deg on the bars???
Thanks again though for stopping and making sure I was good to go.
And before I get mor pelters from my teammates- a big thanks to them for carrying me through another Puffer- I just feel so pampered after the event 😆
Results anybody ??
Sorry Pitto, got the other poster confused with you, as I was sorting the bike a couple of guys offered aid, which is also typical of the spirit of the puffer. Thanks for taking the time to stop at the bridge and at the Aid Station, it was very much appreciated.
The fall was a bit of a "life flashing before your eyes" moment 🙂
Results are at
I came 25/50 for the solos. I'm quite pleased considering I'm a fat biffer novice and Puffer virgin.
I came 32nd solo (7th SS).
I had time to do 2 more laps but due to the broken leg* I had been riding on since my first and 3rd lap crashes, I wimped out.
*(I'm sure it's fractured, but the best diagnosis I can get from internet searches suggests I have an advanced case of Acute Hypochondria)
No worries, was happy to help. If it wasnt for your bike being wrapped round the bridge I may not have seen you. You'd somehow managed to end up right below the bridge.
All the best,
Chris
Devs - nice one. thats more than respectable - epicyclo - nice one especially with your broken leg
TandemJeremy - Member
Devs - nice one. thats more than respectable - epicyclo - nice one especially with your [b]"broken leg"[/b]
Just in case anyone took me seriously.
But it still hurts like buggery, just as well I have a spare leg on the other side 🙂
Going to get it checked tomorrow.
epicyclo. All the best with the can mate.
And a big thanks for your co-operation that enabled us to set up an efficient pit site for the Moray/minx ladies team.
At least i'm led to believe it was you.
Only once looking through my pics, did i recognise the bike and youself.
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Devs, yep I was one of the RAF marshals, glad we could help. I was getting a sore throat near the end with all the shouting. I'm glad our enthusiasm was well received by everyone (I think!). There was some serious effort from the riders so we were doing our best to keep you all going. We're planning to ride it next year, better get in training me thinks!
ftr1873, I think you gave me some Haribo when I was struggling. Tony, the paramedic is my Dad and was up there with you. Hope you kept him amused with the bangin' choonz ! 🙂
Epicyclo, I spoke to you at the top. You were looking a bit dazed at one of the iced up water bars saying that you had done an endo on it the lap before. Hope they manage to sew the leg that's hanging on by a thread back on! 🙂
ftr1873, once upon a time I used to be a dab hand at assessment writing so if you need anything to show your boss how much you were appreciated then give me an email. It's in my profile. What do they call them these days anyways? I think they were 6442s when I left.
It certainly was a good one, i very much enjoyed it even if i did slid a good 10-15m on my back down the last hill on my back on my first lap, the ice came from no where 😀 the marshalling was great and you did a good job of letting us all know about the broken bridge at the top of the fire road ftr1873, got across it every time, JUST. Already looking forward to next year, we were 58th in the quads which wasnt too shabby with 2 old men in our team, uncle got across the line 2mins before 11 n the sunday (last man in) which gave us something to smile about at the end of a tiring yet great weekend 😀
Many thanks to all involved!
The bridge of thighs was obviously a key bit this year. Don't remember it being icy but I skidded going across it and went over the side. The bike got wedged on the bridge and my right foot stayed clipped in .... upshot was that i was hanging upside down, too high to reach the ground and too low to be able to grab the sticky-out bits on the bridge to pull myself back up. Fortunately my lower leg was soft-side down on the bridge rail as I was thinking it must have been close to breaking. After what seemed like 3 mins (was probably 20 secs max!) I got enough wiggling twisting moves going to force an unclip. Never been so relieved to fall on my head before! Thanks to all the marshalls for your time, patience & good humour.
Jojo, I remember you, Tony mentioned you were his daughter. We kept him fuelled with coffee and he was ringing that cow bell like a good un!
Devs, cheers and check your email.
Highland28, that bridge was tricky, even with 2 planks! It actually broke as some poor guy cycled across it, luckily he wasn't injured. I was raging, I hadn't long since decorated it with glowsticks! We tried to bodge it with another plank but it wouldn't quite sit right, so had to leave it like that.
Pedro, that sounds nasty but glad you're ok, that would've been a fair hike carrying a stretcher 😉
ftr1873 - defo top marks to you marshalls at the top of the fire road climb, what a welcome sound of cow bells as we slogged our way up the climb and then to be met with cheering, glow stick twirling, sweeties and a blazing fire. Twas ace 😀 I was the other Minx Girl - Jojo's team mate (Tony's daughter). You have no idea how much your encouragement means to us guys as we slog our way around the course. Thanku
And yes - big thanks to epicylce for his help in getting the Moray Minx Girls pit sorted 😉 twas MUCH appreciated.
Fantastic event.
sharki - Member
...And a big thanks for your co-operation that enabled us to set up an efficient pit site for the Moray/minx ladies team...
Aye, that was me. Being the Parking Nazi at the 'Puffer isn't fun, but it's good when you can help, and most people were good natured about what must have seemed totally unreasonable to them after they had driven long distances and had race setup to worry about.
devs - Member
Epicyclo, I spoke to you at the top. You were looking a bit dazed at one of the iced up water bars saying that you had done an endo on it the lap before...
I was trying to work out how it happened. The hole was deep, but when I checked it about 3 laps later it had filled in a bit (or maybe the marshals I told about it had sorted it). The guy who came immediately after me endoed in exactly the same way, and when he passed me later said a rider after him did it too. I wonder how many it caught out?
Yup, great event again this year. Wasn't riding myself due to injury, but went along to help support the three teams we had riding. Barely slept a wink in a day and a half, but great fun.
one of the water bars before coming back into the forest? if so, it was one of them that did for me!
swiss01 - Member
one of the water bars before coming back into the forest?
After the Loch Kinellan marshalling point along the innocuous flat bit with a wee loch/swamp to the right. Water bar with an tyre sized gap inviting you to go that way to avoid the risk of snakebite.
That sound familiar?
Did you endo too?
The water bar got me too. Fully rigid for the first time, first night lap. Used the usual line, but OTB big time. Would have got 500 bucks on [i]You've Been Framed[/i] for sure! Didn't help that my grips/gloves where covered in mud from an off on the descent down from the swivel chair. Now that was muddy!
epicyclo, it was me that endo'd immediately after you on the water bar. And yes the guy behind acknoweldged my warning & then did the exact same. I'm sure I saw a shoulder shaped dent in the track developing after that.
What I want to know is whose were the tyre tracks on the loch?
CeeKay - Hope your feeling better after your mishap. I just arrived as you were getting back up.
You haven't tried hard enough if your dont go home without a scar or two. How's the eye today?
Or as I said - did you think you saw one of the ducks win prizes under the bridge?
We were in the next tent.
Alan
epicyclo, it was that very one. absolutely mystified as to how it happened but race over for me courtesy of my bars in my belly. derek starship, if i ever so much chuckled in your direction you may be assured i have had my comeuppance 🙁
LOL! I never actually noticed the loch until lap 11, I think staying upright had my attention until then.
Cheers Alan, I still can't come to terms with the fact that I managed 5 laps ,including the first one and stayed upright on the ice, ghetto ice 29er tyres were good but not great. I then can't cycle across a level Bridge??? I mean what's that all about.
It never fails to amaze me at how fast some guys are, no matter the conditions, did you see the lap times for the fast guys, staggering, they're going uphill faster than i can come down 🙂
Glad you guys had a good one, You've got to applaud Pairs and Solos., Quads is hard enough. I had thought that this would be my swansong, but now...As one of my mates said "I've got unfinished issues with that Bridge"
Cheers
Kenny
I was there, first puffer, raising money for BHF Scotland - and the marshalls etc. were great. The tunes and cowbells on Haribo Hill kept me going, especially on my last lap at half ten when I really thought I'd miss the 11am cut-off and should just quit and coast back down (made it by 5 mins). The next guys after the muddy gorse-lined sleigh ride also saved my life the lap before with half a twix, a pocket full of sweeties and some water. Hadn't eaten enough and was bonking hard.
We've posted a wee video and write up on our blog here
http://deilsonwheels.org/2011/01/19/the-puffer-is-tougher/
Nice vid kjmonty, ur last lad was the guy that came in about 3mins before ours 😀 and were u the guys which unloading the van down the far end of the caravans, parking etc, pulled out about 8 bikes? we were the caravan right at the end, in one of your shots!