I got invited to a friend’s tent for a meal after the 12 hour race last year.
I was a bit wary about leaving my car unattended with two bikes in it while I was gone, so I spoke to the people camped next to me.

“Could you keep an eye on my car while I’m gone for an hour or so please”
“Why, no ones likely to break in to it here are they ?”
“Yes, several bikes got stolen last year”
“Oh, we left ours outside last night” 😯

Oktoberfest was better last year than the previous BBF, the gates were locked and there were security patrolling.

I’m taking a pair of Bombers still.

Yeah its difficult to pass but after the 3 hour and 6 hour mob leave I find its pretty clear.

Would this be the 3 and 6 hour mob who don’t start racing until 10am Sunday? 😉

I’m in a team of three, solo is incompatible with childcare arrangements and also I’ve retired. And can’t be bothered. As for rigid bikes, I embarked on the 12 solo SS a few years back on rigid, managed five and a half hours and had to swap to a bouncy fork. That was pre-surfacing though, and dry, so a proper pothole and rootfest.

Actually I think that was my best race result in any event ever 🙂

Bombers not much use mate they came in the night and tip toed pass all the sleeping riders to get to the best bikes. I think the comment from security was along the lines of ‘a white van drove in late at night and then left very early am’ Was pretty pants when the same had happened at the CRC marathon a few weeks earlier.

Neil_Bolton – Member
They said mine was 26, as if I knew what that was good against.

The doc seemed a bit rushed to be fair, it was first day back after the holidays

For comparison Neil, I’m between 19-20…

Er better bring the halfords £99 bike and the £10 pop up tent then

Doing 12 hours pairs in Old Gits Cat. A bit pissed off because we originally entered into SS Pairs but apparently there aren’t enough entries so Old Gits and SS Pairs have been combined. So the Inbred 29er has been put back in the shed and the Mamasita lubed up and readied.

Loco Tuning/Loco Racing will be there with pairs (Hi Andrew 😀 ) solos in male and female also there are 5 teams from the local club Halfway up MTB who are next to us, trying to keep my distance from them though 😉 😀

Pawsey: as well as the link to Dave Buchanan’s site that Ant posted, here’s my own blog on it http://www.garyrides.co.uk (plug)

12 Hour Solo for me.

AndrewJ: That’s pants about the categories being combined; surely the idea of racing singlespeed is to race against other singlespeeders?

I’d assume it’s to do with prizes, but I for one would prefer a token prize – i.e. the pint glass I got last year just for entering would be enough; rather than a set of tyres I wont use or a jacket that’s too big.

That said, if there’s only one pair in the category it is a bit of a mind game – no one catching you, or you catching to push you that little bit harder I suppose.

Anyway, regardless of that I’ll be there with my encouragement Bombers – if you’re not going fast enough I’ll bonk you with them 😉

Pretty sure AndrewJ and MaD can hold their own in the Old Gits category even if they SS 😉

Proper shame that there aren’t more SS vets but what’s the point of having a category when there’s only one entry? It’s hardly a “race” then in my opinion, and it’s just a challenge against themselves. I’d prefer to be thrown in with another category just so that I can actually race against someone else in that category and to see how I fared against them. It’d be a pretty empty “win” if I won a category if I was the only one racing in that category.

Solo 12 hour for me riding for QWERTY Cycles. First 12 hour race and ‘training’ for SITS solo…

A request for anyone wanting to pass – at the very least, announce your intentions and which side you plan on passing. Preferably wait until a remotely suitable spot – please!

I’m an SS vet and I chose to enter the SS category.
I’d rather see more categories at races. Doing well in a niche class would mean more to me than any material prize, so I’m not bothered if there’s not enough prizes to go round.

GaryLake

read your blog. I think your suffering from over training from what I read and you need to do different HR zone training. Too much of the same type, distance, intensity every day, check quality and avoid junk training/miles? Eating on the move issues you mention sounds like your over compensating for tired body with too much energy drink or food. As you get fitter you need less water and energy. Rest is as (more) important as training.

I must say I thought I remembered there being a ‘team of 3’ category, which is why Gee and I are in a team of 3, then I looked and saw their wasn’t. Not sure if it got scrapped, or if I just imagined it…

GL I would add from further reading the blog that maybe you need to look at diet/power.

Simple approach carbo = fuel Protien = repair. I use salt sandwhiches as my great treat on long distance 🙂 I also have one type of fuel bar which I always eat on all races. I also train with same fuel intake so my body knows what to expect.

On long enduro rides water, fuel intake is difficult so you have manage effort and fuel intake carefully. Take in more plain water. This means backing off the power a bit to allow your body to continue to take in energy. It tends to slow down as you increase effort etc.

I dont see any mention of gym etc some cross training is great at maintaining your endurance on long distance or multi day events. Your arms, back etc dont become so fatigued and eat up valuable energy.

Its all a energy game 🙂

Doing well in a niche class would mean more to me than any material prize

Agreed Graham, you were storming around at Erlestoke, you well deserved that can of SPAM 😉 You scared the poop out of me when your rear tyre exploded next to me!

I ‘won’ the niche category of mixed pairs at Erlestoke – only me and Lady Rickon in the category, didn’t mind that it was an empty win cause it’s just a bit of fun.

Ricks have you still got the csu clanger from last year or do you need some upgrades? 😉

Ha, awesome. I’ve got the CSU clanger yes. I’ll be bringing that along fo sho; I need to have something to whack Mark and Andrew with for encouragement.

Upgrades though….. I don’t think fitting SKF seals or a FiT damper is really going to help re-erect those bad boys 😉

You riding the 3 hour solo on Sunday? We can have d1cking about contests.

Golf clubs packed in case of bike theft.

No not riding, don’t want to have to OWN you 😉 Past the point of nail polish are they 😯
Three full sets of clangers and bashers sorted 😉

Golf clubs packed in case of bike theft.

Playing golf is not a good substitute for riding a bike, you’ll get fat.

Playing golf is not a good substitute for riding a bike, you’ll get fat.

😆

Rickon, I’d been commuting on that Bontrager Jones Dry X on a Stan’s rim at 40psi all week with no problem, then on lap three it popped off.
I think it must have been the heat increasing the pressure.

Cheers Pawsy, plenty to consider there!

I think it must have been the heat increasing the pressure.

Or the sheer amount of power you put through your pedals 😉 I think I touched cloth when that went off, I had visions of the Army reclaiming their land.

You really should be a test monkey for lots of manufacturers, if it can last with you – it can last with anyone 🙂

Just my experience from multi day events etc yours is not an isolated case we have all had to over come those dragons.

I think I was 4 laps down on the winner. 😕
Although, he did look about half my age and half my weight. 😛

I think I was 4 laps down on the winner

But…. did he win a can of SPAM? You can’t put a price on that.

half my age and half my weight

Should have done twice as many laps as you then.

Whether doing it for fun or to be competitive, that’s not what my point was. Point was to say that it was a shame certain categories don’t get filled for it to be a good race against people on the same kind of bike and/or ages, male/female etc.

as a man of a certain age (humpf) there seems no agreed age classifications betwen events? Some seem to say 40+ is vet others vet 50+? I think being the wrong side of 50 and having to compete with 40 somethings is a bit stiff.

A shame that people don’t enter or a shame that the organisers don’t create more categories ?

It wouldn’t be much more work to have any number of niche categories on the entry list, whether it’s Veteran Single Speed or Males aged 45-49.
A simple “No prizes unless there’s at least 5 in the category” rule would cover it, although it wouldn’t bother me if there were no prizes at all.

“Shame that people don’t enter” really. Not sure whether races need more categories as each category would become more diluted. My opinion of course – which comes from a thirty-something rider, riding with gears and suspension, so definitely not “niche” 😉

Totally agree, I suppose it comes down to the personal preference of the riders, which for good reason wont be taken into account by organisers.

I prefer those events with loads of riders in the same category, lots of little battles going on all the time, so if you’re not going for a win, you’re still pushing hard to get that one more place – Bristol’s quite like that.

At the end of the day, Geared, Singlespeed, Rolof, 29er, 26er, 20er, 69er, bmx’er… you’re all going to feel the sting of my encouragement stick.

surely the idea of racing singlespeed is to race against other singlespeeders?

There are as many ideas of racing singlespeed as there are ideas of racing generally.

Logically, if there’s an SS category there should also be 3×10, 3×9, 2×9, 2×10, 1×10, 1×9, 7, 8 and 14 gear categories, plus extra ones for rigid, hardtail, FS at every 10mm increment, a semislick category and age categories in one-year bands. Might as well chuck in “people wearing red jackets”, “riders called Brian” and “riders born in a month with a R in it”.

There are as many ideas of racing singlespeed as there are ideas of racing generally.

Well, no. Singlespeed in any race I’ve attended has been you on a bike with only one gear choice – that choice is up to you, 42×11 may be a bad choice, as is milk.

Would you like a taste of my encouragement stick?

It works with motor racing, there’s a category for just about every type of car or bike, and it works with running, with 5 year age bands.
I just thought that as mountain bike racing is a sort of combination of the two, then the categories could be too.

I’d like to see a Brian race.

as a man of a certain age (humpf) there seems no agreed age classifications betwen events? Some seem to say 40+ is vet others vet 50+? I think being the wrong side of 50 and having to compete with 40 somethings is a bit stiff.

Vets according to the UCI/BCF is over 40. Some events may include an over 50s category, this is generally ‘Grand Vets’ in BC sanctioned events.

It works with motor racing, there’s a category for just about every type of car or bike, and it works with running, with 5 year age bands.
I just thought that as mountain bike racing is a sort of combination of the two, then the categories could be too.

Well no, because as said, you’ll end up with ridiculously small bands.

Why don’t they start doing the cars by driver age as well. Or the runners by foot size.

There is a good mix of categories at bike races, I suspect many would rather have folk to race in a bigger category, even if it means not winning, rather than ‘win’ a category of one or two. Clearly a couple of exceptions here, but I’d rather come 4th out of 50 than 1st out of 1!