I miss Trailbreak’s excellent events, and have just seen that even their Isle of Wight event is now just a follow-the-track enduro rather than a Navigator. Is there any alternative these days?

Gorrick are running a series of 5 Trailtrax events this year. Pretty similar to the old Trailbreak format, but with a wider range of points values for the various checkpoints, and low-tech clippers rather than SI chips.

Friendly events with a decent turnout, there’s a 2 hour category as well as 3 hour, and a family category too. Even so, you’ll need to be pretty good to clear all the checkpoints!

Details here.

Fantastic, just the ticket, thanks.

(and I probably wouldn’t clear all the checkpoints if I rode the event three times). I’m still very proud of finishing something like 11th out of 52 in a Trailbreak event.

In which case you’ll probably be pleased to know that 4 of the 5 venues are pubs! The Flowerpots even puts on a post-race BBQ 🙂

http://www.peaslakemtbo.com/

Oh yes, I forgot about the Peaslake MTBO – great event 🙂

http://www.bmbo.org.uk/

There’s a Trailbreak event this Saturday at Dorking. I’ll be there testing out how my badly interupted winter Training plan hasn’t improved me :-/

There’s a Trailbreak event this Saturday at Dorking.

I don’t think there is. They are at Shalford (just south of Guildford) on Saturday.

And its a trail ride, rather than competitive orienteering.

offthebrakes – Member

There’s a Trailbreak event this Saturday at Dorking.

I don’t think there is. They are at Shalford (just south of Guildford) on Saturday.

And its a trail ride, rather than competitive orienteering.

Sorry, a post lunch dip in brain function. I got confused by the word “Trailbreak” in the OP, and I really don’t know why I typed Dorking….

What happens on these – is it just a free-for-all (apart from entry fee) ride around a pre-determined route? Is it timed? Are they good?

🙂

I’ll be at Shalford, see you there if you’re going!

teamhurtmore – which event are you asking about?

The Shalford one.

Its a waymarked route (25/40/50k options) which is basically on bridleways, byways and a few bits of minor road. Think of it as the MTB equivalent of a sportive.

They tell you your ride time at the finish, and publish riders’ times on the website a couple of days later so you can compare. No prizes though, as you’re not allowed to race on bridleways!

You start when you’re ready, so its not a mass start. There’s a drinks station (possibly unmanned) somewhere on the route, and there’s catering at the end (lovely chilli!).

Are they good? If the format appeals to you, then yes, sociable and well-run. If you’re looking for a full-on gnar-fest, then its probably not for you!

Thanks and sorry, I should have read the website better!! But always good to have a personal perspective. I might have a crack at this depending on family commitments. I guess its basically Shalford, Blackheath, Winterfold, Peaslake etc in a round loop. I hope its not just the well-known trails though.

Was looking at a new XC bike this morning – it would have been perfect for this I guess!!

Again thanks for the reply. I might see you there!!

I hope its not just the well-known trails though.

Depends how well you know the public rights of way network in the area really!

Thanks offthebrakes, I meant trails like BKB or Parklife etc. Guess they can’t mark that kind of thing or can they? Interesting to guess the route. Up St Martha’s and then across to Blackheath, W’fold perhaps?

Do you need one of those map thingies to put on your handle bars?

Just done a quick 20m and pushed it much harder than normal just to see if I am in anywhere near decent shape!!

Do people tend to ride in groups?

Not sure what the route will be, they used to start towards Winterfold and do St Martha’s near the end, but that was when they used Bramley as the venue rather than Shalford.

You’ll get given a map at the start, and its a good idea to keep an eye on it now and again so you know roughly where you are if you happen to miss a turn. Up to you if you want to stick it on the bars, makes it easy to read if you’re going fast. If you aren’t in a hurry, just put it in a pocket and check it now and again. The signage is intended to be frequent enough that you don’t have to look at the map at all, provided you are reasonably observant!

And yes, people tend to ride in groups, either with friends, or just with random others met on the ride. It’s fairly sociable. They tend to send out a group of riders every 5 mins or so, so if you want you can just stick with the people you start with.

Cheers thanks again. Sounds fun. But would rather do St M first and have the nice easy blast down off B’heath last!!! Here’s hoping!!

They may not do St M at all! Hope they do though 🙂

http://www.bmbo.org.uk/calendar/

http://www.pedalmad.co.uk/mountain-bike-orienteering.html

+1 for the Peaslake MTBO. Very friendly event.

The next one is on the 29th April 2012.

http://www.peaslakemtbo.com/

Anyone know the approx ave speed cut offs for gold/silver/bronze?

Anyone know the approx ave speed cut offs for gold/silver/bronze?

Have a look on the website.
They have results going back to when Adam was a lad.
I did one south of Guilford a couple of years ago – they stick to Bways
and don’t (or didn’t) do the greatest hits.
It was good for a recce’ of areas I hadn’t done before.

There a 4h enduro near portsmouth:
http://www.britishcycling.org.uk/events/details/78220/MBUK-4-hour-Enduro

Looks like silver is generally 8mph plus and Gold 9mph plus?

Thanks.

Just had a quick 14 mile spin up and around St Martha’s. With the weather the sand thru the Chantries and top of St M was surprisingly thick!! Strange that this was mixed with the odd wet patch. Legs feel a bit tired so probably a carp idea 24 hours before an event. But this is just for fun, right? Interesting to pace this…..no room for doodling or sightseeing if you want the higher ra nkings I guess!!

Surprised by that – what a fun and well organised ride. Setting of down the old railway, my heart sank, but then first climbs (muddy and W’fold) soon sorted that out and in the end a really good mix of stuff, conditions, terrain. Very well signed and organised. Definitely do more of their events, really, really good day out. Thanks Trail Break!!

But that hill out of Shere – what a 8888888888888!!! I have never been or even seen it before. I had to do a little walk on some of that!!

First time I have done that kind of event – note to self, release lock-out before the descent through W’fold woods not after. Numpty error – no wonder it felt so rough – HT with locked out front suspension. Doh!

Glad you enjoyed it THM. Did you do the 50k in the end?

The climb from Shere broke a lot of people!

The Trailbreak rider times have been posted here.

Thanks OTB, no I did the standard (40k) as the website said 3-4.5 hours and I needed to finish in time to get to son’s matches. In the end, was well inside this time and could have done the 50k. It seemed strange when the guys I was around turned off for the 50. The rest of the ride was pretty much on my own (apart from overtaking and being overtaken, but only 2x!!).

Even though there were no techie bits, it was still fun taking the trails (eg the descent through W’fold, the little switchy section just after turning off the railway) at speed. Slightly annoying as I caught a couple of guys going through W’fold but couldn’t get passed them.

Do you have anything to do with TB – if so many congrats, that was much more fun that I imagined before hand. I will definitely do another and some orienteering/AR races. So much better value than triathlons these days, which are frankly taking the proverbial.

Well inside Gold mark, so feel chuffed with that despite my old bike. Couldn’t help a lot of bike envy at the start though, I was walking round the car park with my mouth open and have been looking at websites ever since!!!

I’m not part of Trailbreak, but I did help them out as a volunteer at Shalford (and Shackleford last month) by pre-riding the course ahead of everyone else to check that all the marking was still in place. Good endurance training for me as I have to make sure I stay in front of the pack 🙂

Glad you enjoyed it even though you got round quicker than expected. The predicted times on the website have to take into account the possible conditions, obviously it was unseasonably good going nearly everywhere on Saturday so ride times were fast. Could easily have been a mudbath in February!

Well you did a great job. Marking was excellent. Thanks.

A year or two ago I came across your Shackleford event and actually was really pi$$ed off with all the orange markers all over the NDW/Puttenham Common etc and whinged about it on another forum – basically on the lines of visual pollution, what’s wrong with maps, never fully get taken away etc… I’m a bit of a purist like that!!

But riding on Sat, I found them a God-send!! Hypocritical or what!! Indeed on the odd sections where there weren’t any for a while I started to get irritated!! So basically, I am a hypocrite and not a purist after all!! (just hope the clean up was 100%!)

I was not upset about the times – quite the opposite. Funny how the conditions varied – perfect, the odd bit of claggy mud, wet mud, sand, dry chalky ascent (!!!!) etc.

I am going to ride it again this week – could be a great training route!!!

Nice to be appreciated! 🙂 But the Trailbreak team did all the marking the day before, so I only replaced what had been sabotaged in the meantime (which happens at many events unfortunately, even on closed XC courses).

Yes a good mix of terrain types, there’s quite a complex mix across the N Downs escarpment and the Weald basin. Not much point asking what tyres for…

Enjoy the training! I had a proper day out, set off shortly before 8 with a friend, we parted at the first split point. He did the full 40k route, while I did the 50k extension, rejoined, and then took the 25k short cut. That way we got everything covered well before the first riders were back (at Shackleford it was just me and I only just got back in front!).

Then I went back out backwards along the 25k to the Blackheath split point, met my girlfriend who was riding the 50k route, and rode the rest of the course with her. That meant I got to do the Shere and St Martha’s section I’d missed first time round. The post-ride chilli and cake didn’t touch the sides! Add on 5 miles each way riding to the venue, and it came out at 50+ miles done by 2pm.

Did the Gorrick race at Swinley the next day too, was a bit jaded for that 🙂