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  • 10 Under the Ben 2024 – Anyone going?
  • elray89
    Free Member

    Hi everyone – first post here despite spending a long time lurking when I should be working.

    As part of a (actually motivated this time!) drive to return to my previous levels of fitness, after a few years gaining too much weight and only riding sporadically I have entered 10Utb as a bit of a goal to work towards.

    My previous (tenuously competitive) roadie fitness is starting to come back steadily and I am confident that I can manage 10 hours riding and manage that side of things relatively well.

    I am a reasonable “big bike” rider – I have a mid-travel trail bike that I use for easier mountains, Tweed Valley style stuff and can punter my way down most of the inners stuff but I am a roadie/gravel guy historically and only started MTB in earnest during covid.

    I also have built a nice XC hardtail that I have been using for mostly easy stuff – gravel and long less techy rides. Hardest thing I’ve taken it on is gypsy glen which was fine, and Ho Chi Minh at GT. It is bloody fast and great at climbing but compared to my “big bike”, especially clipped in, it is a little unnerving to me as someone naturally a bit timid / less fearless than my mates. I will be practising and getting used to riding clipped in over the next few months – I do much prefer it for lots of climbing and longer rides.

    Watching videos on YouTube it seems like the recent iterations of the course are not super tech or steep, would I be right in thinking it’s similar to Glentress reds with a decent amount of fireroad slogging too? Never ridden at Ft Bill before.

    Basically in a long-winded way I am asking if anyone can give me a rough comparison for what the trails are like in terms of steep/tech? I am confident I can get much better by the summer on the smaller bike, but if the videos are lying and there are sections of huge rock gardens or massive steep XCO features then I’m gonna have to really step it up!

    Posted 10 months ago
    1
    hels
    Free Member

    With the caveat that I last road this race in er 2005 or 2006 – there are LOTS of forest roads.  If your result/time matters, you will lose significantly more time dragging the heavier bike on those than you will mincing down the descents.

    Or you could learn to ride a bike you still have six months?

    Posted 10 months ago
    elray89
    Free Member

    Result doesn’t matter too much but want to be able to put in a good shift for the duration. Top half of results would be nice and as you say I don’t want to be suffering up every climb.

    I think my style on the hardtail is slightly more competent than mince…possibly stewing beef at best, though I can indeed already ride a bike thanks. I’m just looking for any info anyone has really as it is thin on the ground.

    Posted 10 months ago
    clubby
    Full Member

    Not been for about 10 years but I can’t imagine it’s changed hugely. Always felt like a lot of climbing and short fast descents rather than anything too techy. Some steeper, rocky sections but nothing more difficult than GT red. I did it pre-dropper post and never struggled. Descents were really about maintaining position rather than gaining any. I’d lose lots of times on the climbs but struggle to find anywhere to pass on the descents as they were all quite narrow. 

    Posted 10 months ago
    DickBarton
    Full Member

    Last time I rode it with the intention of finishing it happy with my effort (I’ve never been a racer, but I’ve always hoped I wouldn’t be last!) was 2016 and I was on my hardtail – it was fine…bit bumpy and rumbling but didn’t feel it was stopping me. I’ve ridden it since (was meant to be last year but I was ill) on my full bounce and that was also fine…as much as I don’t mind climbs the 10 under course climb just ruins me…the course is pretty much up, down, up, down then along a bit to repeat – it is good for the race and not massively technical but during the event I seem to go backwards on the climbs!
    Hardtail would be absolutely suitable for the course but a bit of travel both ends would take the sting out of 5+ hours riding if you hadn’t toughened up the body for that duration.
    Enjoy it…

    Posted 10 months ago
    imnotamused
    Free Member

    I’m considering entering this but can’t find any useful info on it. Is it 10 hrs overnight or during the day? Is there camping and/or food available?

    Is there a source of info/faqs anywhere? I’ve looked at sientries and https://www.nevisrange.co.uk/event/10-under-the-ben-2024/ but they’re super vague unless I’m missing something?

    Posted 6 months ago
    munrobiker
    Free Member

    It’s ten hours during the day (well, ten hours plus the lap you’re on at the ten hour mark). Officially there’s no camping but I’ve pitched a tent in the car park with rocks for pegs and will be doing the same this year. There is also food available but bring some dinner just in case – they finally sorted it last year but historically they’ve shut the cafe before the race even finished.

    Posted 6 months ago
    1
    swavis
    Full Member

    I’ll be there again, I think this is the 8th or 9th time I’ve done it. Doing it in a trio again with work colleagues.

    I always love catching up with folks that I generally don’t see other than at the Puffer or 10 UTB and it’s always a great atmosphere.

    Posted 6 months ago
    imnotamused
    Free Member

    Thanks for the info. Does it work like a relay if you enter a team? Or is the team supposed to ride at the same time?

    Posted 6 months ago
    stevenmenmuir
    Free Member

    Unless they’ve changed it then it’s a relay. You can do one lap or more than one before you hand over your chip, it’s up to you. Years since I’ve done TUTB, all I remember now is the midgies. Back in the day I think you climbed on fire roads and descended on parts of the witches xc trail.

    Posted 6 months ago
    imnotamused
    Free Member

    Ok thanks

    Posted 6 months ago
    kcal
    Full Member

    bikes bikes climbs downs, oh and the fire eating uni cyclist juggler 🙂

    Posted 6 months ago
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