Ideas needed for an epic(ish) race to replace the 2012 Trans Wales.

Can anyone help with ideas for a long distance/multi day race my girlfriend and I could compete in next summer? We had our hearts set on the Trans Wales and have just found that it’s been cancelled!

Welsh ride thing.

Trans Alps Trans Provence

Bearded man three day is great mate?

Welsh Ride Thing.

Bear Bones 200.

Sorry, Where did you here trans wales has ben canciled for next year?

It has been cancelled as Gore have ended sponsorship after many generous years. It is being replaced probably by a 4 day event based out of one site

It never really appealed to me…..ride from one trail centre to the next,slowly.To do a short time trial,then repeat 5 times.Or is it not like that?

Transrockies – you can book for 2012 now – I have a place reserved – I was thinking about the Transwales instead but guess it will be the Transrockies now !

Rorschach – to be honest it’s not like that, i can say it is prob one of the best week i have had in a very long time, awesome riding and great atmosphere. I couldn’t do it this year, but i did it last year and i was going to do it next year. I am a bit gutted really.

I guess it may be the trans alps for me then…

I did it this year and it was awesome. Three special stages on trail centre trails (max distance 8km each) everything else was the most awe inspiring natural riding making the best of what Wales has to offer.

Welsh Ride Thing, without doubt, if you want something in Wales. Definitely can be an epic if you want to make it that – certainly isn’t a race though.

Black Mountains 3 day if it runs again!

The only down side to most of the trans somethings is you need a partner.

Yours Billy No Mates

Trans Rockies sounds/looks amazing, will have to look at prices though! Couldn’t find any info on Trans alps 2012 though, anyone have a URL? My girlfriend is my partner for these events, so I don’t have to worry about that!

Trans Germany is a 4 day race, on the German – Austrian border, bit of a mini trans alp, that can be ridden solo.
I think there is also a 7 day race in Norway that can be ridden solo, got told about it a couple of years ago, and have it in mind to do next year, but not sure about the details, a quick google doesn’t reveal anything.
The BC bike race looks fantastic, but its an expensive trip and race but I hope to do it 2013.

Tour d’afrique???

BC Bike Race!
Suddenly realiued the other day that I MUST do this before I die

A friend of mine did http://www.trans-portugal.com this year.
1795 Euros including food and hotels for a 9 day race.

Transpyr

8 day scoot through the Spanish Pyrenees – starting at the Med side finishing at the Atlantic.
820km, 20,300m of climbing, epic….

Plus if you sign up now you get a great deal on the entry price;0)

Transpyr looks lovely, potentially a lot sunnier than Wales too! Thanks for all these suggestions! The BC bike race is one I’d heard of before and is definitely on the list for future years, would probably work out too expensive for this coming summer though.

potentially a lot sunnier than Wales too!

I’m a bit sunburnt from TransWales 2011!

Well from where im sitting in Swansea I’m certainly not getting sunburnt at the moment! Maybe Gore withdrew their sponsorship because it didn’t rain enough to test their gear?

I really enjoyed TransWales this year, much more enjoyable than I expected. Very friendly atmosphere and good riding along the way.

Trans Alp is one for the out and out racers, if you are there to get some good riding I doubt it is for you.
From what I have heard of Trans Germany it is similar with even less singletrack, almost none.

Trans Portugal and Trans Pyr are two events I am looking into for next year, they might appeal. If you want a serious challenge then look at Iron Bike.

Is the trans pyr deliberately named to sound like ‘sweat’ in French?

Dave

Maybe Gore withdrew their sponsorship because it didn’t rain enough to test their gear?

To be fair, day 3 and 7 were a pretty good test 😀

Transpyr looks tremendous…..anyone done it?

Transpyr is another on my list, but I am struggling to find people with the same objectives as me to ride with.

Transwales was a cracking event this year.
Sadly our three year of sponsorship was up and rather than renewing it we want to spread ourselves a little thinner and get involved in as many epic events around the country as possible next year.
But don’t worry. The Transwales/Mtb-marathon team have new and exciting plans already which will pack a similar punch.

Anyone tried transcarpathia http://www.mtbventure.com There are three events that I can see here.
Slightly less effort than the Transpyr or Transportugal I would guess.

Trans provence looks good too.

I seem to be short of like minded pairs riders too. :-(. I’m sure some of my mates must be equally unhinged.

That Pyrenean one looks good. Otherwise try the Sudety MTB Challenge. (www.mtbchallenge.com). Well run, quality racing, good value. Mel Alexander did it with Mark Spratt this year in mixed pairs. They won overall and took a few stages. She has posted some blogs on xcracer.com, so that could be a good mixed racing insight.

The ‘bigger’ stage races like TransAlp, BC Bike Race, Trans Rockies are all good choices too. It just depends what you’re after.

Smiker
MarathonMTB.com

MSP – 3 (maybe 4) of us signed up for Transpyr…..if you cant find a riding partner, sign up anyway, come join.

Gonna be epic.

That’s tempting, gotto talk to a mate this weekend about the trans Provence for next year.

Trouble is with the transpyre and the trans alps is finding riders that are going to be as slow as me, but still capable of finishing. I would expect it to be a bit of a slow slog for myself.

It never really appealed to me…..ride from one trail centre to the next,slowly.To do a short time trial,then repeat 5 times.Or is it not like that?

Going into it this year I had a similar opinion, on more than one occassion on the run up to the Trans Wales I wondered how the heck I’d been roped into it, as you say the thought of trundling around uncompetetively for 7 days just for a 10 minute blast somewhere seemed a little pointless. However the reality for me was so much different. It was a brilliant week, probably one of the best cycling experiences. And the initial thought that it would be mostly uncompetetive was so wide of the mark. Because the opportunities were limited to where and how much time you could gain or lose, everyone was really fired up for the specials. And whilst the best riders did rise to the top, the gaps were so much tighter and more critical than if someone had pulled out 30 mins everyday on a full timed stage. It added to the competetive tension and fun everyday. So everyone almost had to be more on their game.

there is also the three day cambrian bike fest held in Llanwrtyd wells in mid wales which uses many of the trans wales routes with a much more casual fun event atmosphere ( third weekend of may i think ) website for the event should be up in the new year or check out last years event at http://www.redkite-events.com

Howabout this >>

EWE

The Transpyr looks a bit non-technical.

The mtbmarathon events on the other hand look great.

the Norwegian one is Offroad Finnmark, based out of Alta in the north of Norway

there’s a week long stage race, or a 700km one stage race or a 300 km version.

Gotta do it with a partner and you need to navigate as well. Its held in the summer so 24 hour daylight

Gutted about transwales. Had penciled that in for 2013.