Brighton Big Dog 2013 General Chat

good luck all. darkcyan, timp and paceman will be next a t4 vw, silver. bikes niner air nine, tallboy (co-op blue),genesis and a dodgy austrian import.

say hello

see you all tomorrow.

darkcyan – Member

Good luck all. Darkcyan, timp and paceman will be next to a T5 VW, silver. Bikes niner air nine, tallboy (co-op blue), genesis and a dodgy austrian import.
say hello
see you all tomorrow.

You’ll recognise Darkcyan as the distinctly retro looking one amongst us 😉

Have a great day, the sun is shining here in Brighton.

Up the Cocks!

What a fantastic event! Amazing technical trails, great atmosphere and run by amazing people on a not for profit basis. Brilliant.

I got a good start but about 1/2 way round the lap – disaster! My chain snapped. Lucky it didn’t snap at the Margam National as this was the last time the bike was used. Quite surprising as it was a new chain/cassette but there you go. I managed to beg a chain tool from Josh Ibbet (who as I overtook him later in the race perhaps wished he hadn’t lent it to me!!). This put me a good 10mins behind Tim in 2nd, and I set off in pursuit…

A little too hard as it turned out. I rode the 6hr race like it was a 2hr XC race. I closed back to 2mins behind Tim but then hit the wall on the brutally steep Stanmer Park climbs. I dropped back to 10mins behind Tim again but was comfortable in 3rd about 6mins ahead of 4th. I finally recovered on the last couple of laps and tried to close down a little and perhaps make it round before 5.30pm so I had time to go round again. It wasn’t to be and I ended up 3rd, finishing at 5.33 10mins behind Tim but a lap down as he managed to get out again. Ben won about 10mins ahead of Tim. I really paid for my closing down effort early in the race in the later stages, but am really happy to have made it onto the podium.

Yup, that was brilliant – bloody hard work too. I made it not far off 900ft per lap!

Cramped massively a few times, much to Joolze’s amusement at the top of the climb ;o)

Nigel, Rory, Simon, Oli, Paul etc deserve huge recognition for putting on one of the best, if not the best race in the calendar. Was helping out with the prizes at the end – if you were on the podium I suspect you’ll be going home very happy 🙂

Just back too. ‘Only’ four laps today as half of a very average pair, but had a whale of a time. Loved it all, even the chalky climb and the trees that are exactly 3mm narrower than my bars, causing an involuntary dismount through the single track. Thanks to the organisers, also to the marshalls for giving up their afternoon when I’m sure they’d have preferred to be racing. Only sad that I couldn’t hang about for the party!

awesome!

9 laps on the single speed and still smiling, or is it a grimace…. anyway beer is helping

Thanks to the organisers, it was well worth 6 hours in the car

Matthew

Thanks for your kind comments and feedback – you make it all worthwhile.
Glad the new course worked well for you all.

Well, I was on site at 6am and it was empty, lots happened, then I left an empty park again at 22:15.
How did that happen?

Same again next year?

Thank you for coming. Peace.

Same again next year?

I said i enjoyed it, but you could leave the chalky climb out if you want to.

Oh, you mean the cheeky chalky chimney. Nah, wouldn’t be the same without it.

A good day, thanks to the organisers, appreciated. The Dark Star rounded it off nicely.

Tough course, but we’re not into this because it’s easy!

My pairs partner had a catastrophic mechanical on his first lap, leaving me as, effectively, a solo, and I wobbled around 5 times.

Thanks for the supportive yells of “Up the Cocks” from riders and crews.

Top top day out.

Mechanical at 3 hours gave me some problems but was enjoying the course so much I managed to lash things together well enough to finish. Will definitely be back next year.

With spare tyres.

Good event, Thanks to the dawgs who put it on. I think my heart rate has just about returned to double figures now!

You get a different quality of spectator heckle in Brighton, not your usual ‘keep going mate’; my favourite as I toiled up a climb practically bleeding from my eyes with effort was “Suffering is the road to absolution. None of you are blameless”. Classic.

Managed 7 laps solo which I’m pleased with. Also suffered with some cramp 4hrs in but managed to shake it off. Great event as always. Very tired today, 1×10 drivetrain took it out of me climbing up Coldean and the chalky cliff repeatedly. Full respect to those riding singlespeed and the guy on the fatbike 😯

A massive thank you to the organisers and all the volunteers around the course 😀

Paceman

I wish someone had absolved me of my decision to run a single front ring. At least ss would have given an excuse to push, a double or triple would have been a spin up, but gurning up there in a gear unsuited to my ability gave me enough time to reflect on my sins.

My knees crackle when I walk today.

amen, I happily blast around Surrey on my 1×10 or SS, but yesterday I’d have appreciated a granny or that 11 speedy SRAM thing that only costs as much as a spare bike. I only cleaned The Wall twice.

We had an amazing day yesterday at our first Big Dog. I thought the course was extremely well thought out and flowed nicely. The climb at the start was made more rewarding by the two cheerful marshals at the top. We managed 9 laps in the team cat – I think we were first in the non lycra category! A couple of tree clips and a near OTB…other than that unscathed.

That said – I had to delve into my goody bag and liberally smear my arse with the free chamois cream before heading to the after party. I was red raw for some reason and walking like I’d spend a night with Mr Big on D wing at the end.

On the subject of the after party….Was just a normal night in Oh So (Orange ladies,swaggering wide boys and fancy dress stag do’s), with a couple of bikes chained to the railings outside indicating that a couple of people had made it down. And…they wouldn’t honour the beer vouchers. Was rather hoping for a mingling and chat with fellow Dawgs.

liberally smear my arse with the free chamois cream

that was chain lube surely

The chap in the yellow T shirt at the top of the climb who was dishing out the “motivational heckles” definitely deserves a thumbs up, very creative, I can’t remember it fully, but his one about “tasting the suffering” was very apt at about five o clock! Good work.

And again, many thanks to those who go to all the effort to put this on for us 🙂

And if you were one of the “RIDER” shouting muppets, try saying which side you want to go….. The fastest guys are the most considerate and polite overtakers, a few of the wannabes in the pack behind were less so!

I have to say. That was a great event. Thanks to all the organisers, marshals etc

Really enjoyed it 🙂

Massive cramp after 4.5 Hours limited me to 6 laps, unfortunately.

Was good to put faces to a few names from here too.

Thanks to all the organisers and marshals for making it such a great event.

Wearing my Broken Riders t this morning!

[edit] if anyone has any links to pics could they post them up?

Riders – you were all ace :O)

Thanks for the entertainment and education. Some of you were gods up that chalk climb, some of you made me feel better about myself.

Oh, rider 297 on the Singular Swift SS with silly bars – stop making that climb look like it wasn’t there. That was impressive work young man.

Luke – top jaffa cakes mate. Boutique and very “Brighton.”

You deserved them Tim 🙂

Hope you got home at a reasonable hour!

Yeap, I had to duck off before the prizes. Family duties called but still clocked a 12hr session.

[looks outside at the rain]
I hate to think how much the Dawgs paid for the perfect weather window yesterday 😆

The chap in the yellow T shirt at the top of the climb who was dishing out the “motivational heckles” definitely deserves a thumbs up, very creative, I can’t remember it fully, but his one about “tasting the suffering” was very apt at about five o clock!

That was Mitre Rupert – very good!

Mangaged 8 laps, including an extended one when someone moved the tape & we ended up being sent back round again!

Very glad this mornings rain wasn’t yesterday’s!

I heard someone complaining at the top of the chalk climb that they’d done it twice in one lap 🙁

I heard someone complaining at the top of the chalk climb that they’d done it twice in one lap.

Ouch 😯

I certainly won’t be in a hurry to do that climb again.

Very heavy rain here today, we seriously lucked out with the weather yesterday.

Great race again. That guy in yellow was brilliant and just what you needed at the top of the first climb, especially towards the end of the race. On my last lap he said “Consider this a confessional. You have been absolved my son.”

Perhaps next year there should be a prize for best marshal.

We came 8th in the men’s pairs, and that was with me crashing on the first lap and puncture on my second. The final decent from the back of the course to finish line was great. I loved that grassy decent into the arena. Made all the climbing worthwhile.

I’ve never seen so many photographers at a race. Everywhere you turned there was a lens!

I think Jo’s got Summer back on side after a few years in dispute.
She went traveling and forgot about us.

And…they wouldn’t honour the beer vouchers. Was rather hoping for a mingling and chat with fellow Dawgs.

Oh dear , not sure what happened there. My headache testifies that they were certainly accepting the vouchers later on – were you there very early? Sounds like the staff at the bar were not all up to speed earlier in the evening

I can only echo what many of the others have said, a fabulous event with such a great atmosphere, and a lovely (if tiring) course which always kept you interested.

A steady 8 laps for me, chapeau to the really fast boys pushing out 11 and 12 laps, that was very impressive.

Again, many thanks to the organisers for putting on one of the best events of the year with really good and alternative food options, tea, cake and beer, and to all the marshals being so supportive.

Oh dear , not sure what happened there. My headache testifies that they were certainly accepting the vouchers later on – were you there very early? Sounds like the staff at the bar were not all up to speed earlier in the evening

We were there from about 9.30pm – were we too early?!

Anyone know how we can access all the photos that were being taken?

six laps for me. very happy with that. no offsfor me. all good.

not as hard as the old course physically imo.

thanks to all for a cracking day.

I thought this course was physically tougher than previous years, particularly the first half, but technically easier.

Keep an eye on the Big Dog website for links to photos. Both myself & Jon from Right Place, Right Time, were on hand as official togs for the event. We’re both working on the images taken at a rather spiffing event :0)
Joolze
Joolze Dymond

Anyone know how long each lap was? My GPS seems to be a bit unsure (I guess it was getting confused in all the woodland).

I’ve got 2 of my laps at 5.6 miles and 1 at 5.5 miles

It depends how much you had to weave up the climbs :O)