Just so we can follow the live laps thing and see who are the fast boys and girls, the slackers and the "hard as nails" brigade
It would be nice if forumites let us know what name they are racing under so we can follow them on http://live.sportident.co.uk/home/multistage/stage/results.html?multistageid=620a0953-b550-4ce2-8bc2-af107b6d1a17&multistageclass=off
Richpips and Minipips are there. Tom is solo again but as he's only 11 he needs to be accompanied by Dad for the whole thing.
I was offered a last minute place. I bottled it.
crazylegs - what name are they running under? I'd like to see how minipips does. IIRC kids only have to be accompanied during the dark .
This is the link to follow folk ( I think) if you don't know it
Scotroutes is there, dunno if riding or bitchin tho...
He is always bitchin! 🙂
I'm really not.iainc - Member
Scotroutes is there
First person round in 33 mins - the course is riding fast!
Scotroutes - apologies, thought you were there's in a motorhome ?
crazylegs - what name are they running under? I'd like to see how minipips does. IIRC kids only have to be accompanied during the dark .
Minipips = Tom Seipp.
He's done it before on agreement with the organisers but they are breaking their own "no kids" rule so the understanding was that he would be accompanied at all times. Rich himself is a veteran of numerous solo 24hr races.
Last couple of times I was there there were a good few kids and in daylight they rode on their own. Maybe older than minipips tho.
Ta for the info tho.
Minipips is 68th solo out of 100 at the moment. He does cheat however by weighing nothing so has no weight to get up the hill 😉
IIRC epicyclo is "racing" this year - anyone know his real name?
I think epicyclo is Brian mcleod
Any update on what conditions are like up there?
I'm down the road a bit on the banks of Loch Ness. Cloudless, no wind, around 3C but chilly in the woods with a ground frost that hasn't shifted all day.
I can't imagine it could be any more perfect.
tjagain - Member
IIRC epicyclo is "racing" this year - anyone know his real name?
I'm out after one lap.
I was considering not doing the race because of an unfortunate growth in a tender place which is getting surgery in a couple of weeks, but I figured I'd see how much I could do before it got too sore.
As it turned out it was the least of my problems. I couldn't see a thing.
My glasses kept misting up, so I removed them (as I usually end up doing in the 'Puffer). However I've developed cataracts in the last year or so, and in the hazy/sun conditions it was like looking at a photo of a cheap digital camera taken into the sun.
After a couple of crashes, nothing major, just comedy, I realised I was likely to hurt myself, or worse someone else. The main problem being the huge entry list this year meant that I continually had faster riders coming up on me so I was trying to keep out of the way by riding in the rough edges.
I rode the course the other day with no problem, but different lighting, and no other riders to worry about.
It's a bit of a worry for cycling in poor light, and I'm going to have to do something about it.
I think I may have to make myself an extra long white stick... 🙂
BTW I'm sharing my tent with Markus Stitz who rode round the world last year on a single speed. He's there for the crack more than the race.
He's No 53 if you want to watch out for him.
77 year old Ron Smith is going ok too.
crazy-legs - Member
Any update on what conditions are like up there?
Very foggy, cold mist for most of the course. But absolutely beautiful up top with clear sunshine. (While I was there)
Shame Epicyclo but there is being stupid ( entering the puffer) and being really really stupid - hurting yourself while doing so
It's a bit of a worry for cycling in poor light, and I'm going to have to do something about it.
My auntie has just had one cataract done and says it's hugely better; now champing at the bit for the other side...
Keith Forsyth is a machine. What's the solo record?
Even machines break down sometimes.
Passed him trudging up a climb at Relentless having blown himself up. He described it as a 'bad day at the office' 😀
But yes, don't know how the top guys do it, so fast for so long. Shows exactly how terrible the rest of us really are.
The GF is doing it, I'm looking after the baby at the hotel!
She got taken out pretty badly by some prick overtaking her as she was going down the slab. Has knocked her confidence somewhat 🙁
aroyalnit - Member
..She got taken out pretty badly by some prick overtaking her as she was going down the slab. Has knocked her confidence somewhat
That's a nasty place to have a fall.
The overtaking this year seemed more frantic/ruthless.
Devs posted on FB -
Everything is freezing up. Caravan gas, brakes, rear mechs, freehubs and there are random ice sheets all over the course. 13 laps done and wishing it was tomorrow lunchtime. Think we're lying 4th but realistically, unless the superstars ahead have a disaster, that's the best we can hope for.
I got 11 laps in before calling it a day. I bashed my knee slipping on ice and it's sore to pedal. The course was running well and the new finish section is just brilliant.
How long's a lap? Distance rather than time. since the latter is going to be slower on later laps. The last update as I write this has Keith Forsyth on 28 laps
around 7 miles IIRC
Minipips up to 45th in solo on 14 laps. Fine effort from the lad 🙂
Just looked around on the link posted higher in the thread - here are[url= http://live.sportident.co.uk/home/multistage/stage/search/entry.html?racenumber=&name=forsyth&entrystageid=ad6ba9a2-2158-4553-82bf-4caa8853685f&multistageid=620a0953-b550-4ce2-8bc2-af107b6d1a17&multistageclass=off ] Keith Forsyth's lap times[/url] so he should manage 30 laps which would be just over 200 miles.
15 laps for minipips which I think gets him his 100 mile target 🙂
My mate is currently running 3rd in the pairs cat. Really happy for him, but in no way does it may me want to enter this particular race
What's the weather been like?
Good effort From all, it's a unique piece of suffering...
AlasdairMc - Member
I got 11 laps in before calling it a day. I bashed my knee slipping on ice and it's sore to pedal. The course was running well and the new finish section is just brilliant.
Kudos to you, I did relentless last year but couldn't face the grimness of strathpuffer. Going for twentyfour12 instead
When do you have to stop or are stopped? Is it 24hrs are up then you stop the next time you cross the finish line or do the organisers look at your last lap and say "you aren't going to make another lap inside 24hrs" and pull you?
Keith Forsyth is marked as having done 30 laps in 23:55 but is still shown as being "active" so presumably is still riding the course.
Good work from the shibden lads 🙂
Few snaps from this years puffer...fast one with great weather and very little mud!
Youngest rider
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Oldest at 77
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A mexican
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Round the world singlespeed legend
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Random Rider
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30 Lap Huw
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Inversion
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Warmth
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Supreme views
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Magic Fairy
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Double Vision
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Red light zone
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Excellent pics Kbrembo.
Bonkers but chapeau to all who took part!
No Internet at last night, I was doing it as a quad we managed 38 laps and the fastest lap. Great event I would say a "hard" Puffer the ice section were really tricky in the early morning hours. Good to see lots of people out all night, lots of people stopping holding the mechs over our fire to get them thawed out.
Nice pics Kbrembo 🙂
Super duper pics!
Great pics.
Mini Pips is incredible. Can't get my head round my lad doing that, they are the same age
jordie - Member
...lots of people stopping holding the mechs over our fire to get them thawed out.
The quickest fix is to pee on them. Seriously.
But the best fix is to remove it and go singlespeed. 🙂
Brilliant efforts from everyone. Some day, I'm gonna do this.
epicyclo - Member - Block User - Quote
BTW I'm sharing my tent with Markus Stitz who rode round the world last year on a single speed. He's there for the crack more than the race.
He's a machine. Would you ask him to remind me to his sister, Norma?
codybrennan - Member
...He's a machine. Would you ask him to remind me to his sister, Norma?
Markus is already cycling back to Edinburgh. I'm not sure I'm game to ask after Norma who I can see is about to elevated to a STW legend as well as a FB one. 🙂
Fantastic pics. Thanks for posting
An 11 year old has beaten what I dare to dream of achieving at relentless 2017.
Tomhoward, aged 31 5/6
The 11 year old is a member of one of the local clubs, Clydesdale Colts. Rock hard!
There is no pic I've seen that sums up mountain biking better than this.
[img] 
[/img]
EDIT: Anyone else spot Rooney? ^
I did plan to do an edit but didnt bother filming as much as i had planned...anyhow heres a little bit thrown together including a quick timelapse at the start.
Managed 7 laps myself in a 4 man team. It got very cold and everything froze. We had to thaw the bikes out next to the fire which was a God send.
Fantastic event, fantastic people, fantastic memories.
For the record the 11 year old aka minipips isn't in any club.
Well chuffed with his 16 laps, and 37th place as a soloist though. 😉
Simply awesome - 😯
I rode 11 laps and loved everything about the event (all except the dangerous and aggressive overtaking by a small minority of fast guys)
minipips is bloody awesome and, for me, the single best thing about the Puffer.
What a lad.
Dissapointing to hear 2 stories of agressive overtaking. I've not done a puffer (cos i'm not insane), but have done 6 lapped endurance events over the last 2 years and have always found the manners and respect between racers to be pretty impeccable.
It was a tiny minority, the vast majority of quick guys were patient, polite and encouraging, waiting for a safe spot to pass and thanking you as they go through.
I reckon I am a pretty considerate rider and will happily move to the side as soon as I can but I still got wiped out once and had a couple of near misses from riders choosing to overtake in silly places.
I don't think it is a reflection on the event, more so that if you get 900 riders together you will always get a couple of knobbers.
Double post
We'd done 16 laps by 2330 but Rob was feeling sick and wasn't feeling the love and I was in agony with a thumb injury sustained 8 weeks ago. I was relieved when she suggested canning it. We were 4th in mixed pairs and 3rd were moving away. We decided that beer was more inviting than putting ourselves through it for no glory. I only managed 2 of those. The course this year was excellent. I liked all of it although the ice on everything was challenging. It was supposedly going to be an easy year! It seemed a lot busier than usual especially where parking was concerned. That's me done now. 8 puffers is enough. I think......
There are always nobbers at this type of event.
The people who are podium riders will just nip round you when it's safe, because they can.
The nobbers are the ones who try and force you out of their way as they haven't got the skills to get round neatly.
The highlight this year was some dude bellowing on your Left as he rode up the fireroad, then pulling into his pit where there wasn't even a changeover.
Nobber.
Tbf though, I've never done a friendlier event than the puffer, don't let the tiny minority put you off as it is an ace event.
On the aggressive overtaking one bloke came up behind me, shouted very loudly and tried to squeeze past. He hit my arm and bounced off. If he came past me later it was a lot less aggressively. Being a 17st racer is a disadvantage in nearly all situations but not that one 🙂
fifeandy - Member
Dissapointing to hear 2 stories of agressive overtaking. I've not done a puffer (cos i'm not insane), but have done 6 lapped endurance events over the last 2 years and have always found the manners and respect between racers to be pretty impeccable.
It was much more sane this morning. Poor overtaking is normally rare at the 'Puffer, and I should know - everyone overtakes me at some point. 🙂 I suspect a lot of the problem was first time over eager youngsters.
After my feeling sorry for myself yesterday, I had an epiphany last night. The bits I couldn't see well on could easily be handled by walking.
So up at first light to knock off another lap, and even though it was icy and I walked the troublesome bits, it only cost 3 minutes extra. Been kicking myself ever since. 🙂
We were puffer virgins (men's pair combined age of 46 with team WAG as pit crew) so didn't know what to expect at all. In the end we managed 30 laps with time to spare, but a tearful debate with my wife after 23+ hours resulted in me not attempting another one, I was just too broken (as was my teammate) and thought it would be dangerous with the ice to try and ride another lap. It meant the mixed pair winners beat us, but we were happy with that (they had form and pedigree!) and absolutely extatic to have any kind of result having entered hoping to come mid pack!!
Reading the comments above I have to say it's the friendliest event I've ever done (and easily the hardest as the veteran of 3 ironmans). I do hope we didn't cause any problems overtaking or being overtaken (some people thought we were fast, then the good guys came out in the dark!) and I found everyone so polite on course, even at 3am when I was on the limit climbing, there were grunts of encouragement all round!
For anyone hi has 5 minutes and wants a write up of the weekend this is my teammates blog...
https://jackreed95blog.wordpress.com/2017/01/23/strathpuffer-slipping-and-sliding-to-victory
Few more
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I rode it as a quad (Mangled Dropouts). We were pretty chuffed with our 28 laps for 37th place. Just silly how the winners managed 38 - phenomenal. Then you've got the soloists - 30 laps?!!
I thought it was great this year. Conditions were amazing. Seemed like more people were riding all the way through the night than usual. Usual good banter and sense of comradery. Didn't see much impolite overtaking. Did get a bit tempted to do some myself with one chap who told me he wouldn't let me past on the final descent - I did ask nicely, and there was plenty of opportunity, but he just said "no" - I've never encountered that before at puffer. I ended up following him for ages with my pro2 clicking menacingly while resisting the temptation to do something silly. Anyway he whizzed off up the climb and I'm sure was delighted he held off my challenge to his race position. I always try to get out of the way of the fast folk as hate holding someone up and feel really pressured if someone faster is on my tail - happens quite a bit.
I wonder if he was in the team that beat you to 36th place by three seconds - might have been a sound tactical move on his part. Difference between 36th and 37th could make the difference for the major sponsorship deal! 😕
I had a very similar experience to you - I also rode a quad team that did 28 laps and came 37th.
It was probably the most fun 'Puffer for me. Great atmosphere as usual. Even the darkest bits in the wee small hours didn't feel as dead as I remember from previous years. I think I won the puffer really by being up at the top with a great view as the sun was rising. Something that I'll remember for a long time.
The bacon butty after I finished was another thing I'll remember for a while too.. mmm!
The two bacon butties I ate while you were on your last lap stick in my mind too. Oh, and the hog roast roll for dinner. Well done Red Poppy Catering. Tastiest puffer ever for me!
I did this for the first time and was in a quad. We completed 24 laps which I was pretty happy with as don't think we could have gone much faster to get extra laps in. Worked out well that we all got 6 each as well.
I think I underestimated just how tough it would be. All that climbing, especially on the rocky ground totally drains you and your body gets a beating. Even though I had close to 3 hours break after every lap I didn't ever feel like I recovered. The ice from about 8pm until the finish was mental and I had several comedy moments every lap and one brilliant wipe out (thankfully no injuries) as the entire top of the course was ice. Gears freezing up didn't help either.
Huge respect for anyone doing it in a pair or solo. Mad.
Think once was enough for me but keen to try a different, non 24-hr mtb event now.
Sounds like it was a good event this year with great conditions!
I really fancy it next year.
For a bit of context, what's the course like? Technical bits? Total ascent? Undulating or some larger climbs and descents?
Technical - nothing you'd really call technical on a normal ride out. 20h in, icy and dark they can get a bit challenging. Some big rock slabs/lumps where line choice helps and one where you need a bit of confidence to go down a slab. Some muddy/rough track on the final descent. I'd say it'd be easy side of red at a trail centre.
Ascent - 270m or so per 6.5 mile lap. Large firetrack climb at the start of the lap then bit undulating with a couple of wee climbs that hurt as the event goes on and a nice descent to finish.
The trail varies so much depending on conditions - this year was pretty fast. Other years the firetracks have got chewed up and muddy so not so easy pedalling or there's been deep snow. Ice this year wasn't too bad - it was so dry before the event that there wasn't too much standing water to turn into sheet ice.
then bit undulating with a couple of wee climbs
Not sure I would describe the mid section like this at all! I found the course pretty relentless with very little respite. The mid section was not too technical but was still hard riding. It felt like we were climbing pretty much the whole time except near to the end of the fire road climb and the very final descent.
Cracking course though
alwillis - MemberFor anyone hi has 5 minutes and wants a write up of the weekend this is my teammates blog...
https://jackreed95blog.wordpress.com/2017/01/23/strathpuffer-slipping-and-sliding-to-victory
br />
Awesome! 🙂 Well done guys.
For anyone hi has 5 minutes and wants a write up of the weekend this is my teammates blog...https://jackreed95blog.wordpress.com/2017/01/23/strathpuffer-slipping-and-sliding-to-victory
This is great, I recommend a few minutes reading it. Well done you lot.
I did the Puffer for the first time in a team of four. We managed 26 laps, the last two coming through a heroic effort by one of our team. I'd say the course is tough. Not super super technical but it feels like you are climbing until the very last descent section back to the start. There's never a really flowy section until then. The mid section was really rough and I spent my time picking lines and trying to avoid the black ice. Some guys were flying over these sections, even at 4 in the morning. I wish I could ride like that. Some it has to be fitness but I reckon that learning technique saves a lot on energy!
I want to go back for more next year! What an event!
The End
24 laps, 57th at our first attempt.
Youngest member of the group is a sud for Stevie who had a heart attack a month ago requiring a 70ml dash for an operation to insert stents 😕
Think we will be back, with Stevie...
I'd say the course isn't particularly technical or difficult. As mentioned above there's the slab just after the forestry road climb, and then slabs down to the bridge of thighs. Those are probably the trickiest bits when things get slippery. And obviously when you're knackered at 4 in the morning things seem a bit more challenging. The main thing is that you are working hard for much of the 6ish miles. A lot of the riding in the middle undulating section is over pretty rough ground - think half-brick sized stones and the odd slab all over the shop - so that you don't get much for free. If it was smoother, like typical trail centre surface, it'd be much easier as you'd fly along lots of it instead of grinding along. Once you're up at the viewpoint at the top it's a relief as the trail gets smooth and you've only got a couple of short sharp climbs until the long final descent. I find it a tough 6 miles, but keep going back for another dose, so must enjoy it...mustn't I?
Wrote a few words about our 3rd 'puffer.
[url= http://minipips.blogspot.com/2017/01/strathpuffer-2017.html ]http://minipips.blogspot.com/2017/01/strathpuffer-2017.html[/url]
The GF is doing it, I'm looking after the baby at the hotel!She got taken out pretty badly by some prick overtaking her as she was going down the slab. Has knocked her confidence somewhat
She had a great time overall, and even got interviewed by [url=
and [url= http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-38743445 ]the beeb[/url] about it afterwards!