In respect of the event timing and the weather. In 11 years there have only been 3 wet races, so with a dry success rate of 73% it doesn’t seem too sensible to change the date to me.

Blimey. It must be my fault then??

I’ve done 4 now (2008 – 2011) and only one of them has been dry (2009), so that mean that the 3 wet races you mention above have all been since I decided to start doing the D2D.

You’ll be pleased to hear I don’t think I am gonna bother next year, so it will undoubtedly be dry in the run up to the event with some rain a few days before to dampen the dust down.

we were told quite gruffly that we should have been there earlier and may not be able to race.

So they bent the very obvious and clearly stated rules to accomodate you and you are moaning about it?

There is quite a lot of admin to do before the race starts. You can’t keep it open indefinately.

Obviously some people have never heard of the 5P’s BB!

This was my first ever D2D and in fact my first ever race. I was part of a slow 4 man team which managed a result!

It rained. All night. A lot. In fact it didn’t stop until 5 minutes after we’d packed up to go home! The rain was the sort that could soak the inside of a sealed glass jar!

There were many frogs. There was mud and I don’t think my bike will ever trust me again!

I was overtaken a lot and didn’t think anyone was dangerous. If I stopped to clear my drive train, or pretend to fix something so I could have a rest, every rider that passed asked if I was okay.

The funniest part of the race was at the transition area. My god, there were a lot of adrenalin fueled people shouting for team mates as they arrived at the pen. Your team mate probably has eyes and can see you coming! However, I felt really sorry for the guy shouting for his absent team mate. It put me in mind of a duckling that had lost his mother! 🙂

However the prize goes to the chap who took the wrist band from his incoming team mate, turned to face the way out and screamed something like “RIDER COMING THOUGH” at the top of his voice and charged like a fully psyched up berserker though the other waiting riders. I had to laugh when the bloke next to me said “but he’s not even on his bike yet”.

I had fun and will give it a go next year. However, it it rains again like it did this time I may have to reconsider!! 😀

Oh, and I forgot to pass on this piece of mathematical wisdom from one of my team mates:

As Einstein correctly observed during a similar event in 1912:

E = M x C-squared

Effort = Mud x Claggymud-squared

However the prize goes to the chap who took the wrist band from his incoming team mate, turned to face the way out and screamed something like “RIDER COMING THOUGH” at the top of his voice and charged like a fully psyched up berserker though the other waiting riders. I had to laugh when the bloke next to me said “but he’s not even on his bike yet”

I saw something very similar at D2D 2009, screaming and swearing for people to get out of his way, only to jump on his bike and epic fall arse over tit to the amusement of everyone in the transition area

Berm Bandit – are you involved in the organisation of the event or have connections to those who do ?

Just wondering….

Obviously some people have never heard of the 5P’s BB!

Perhaps we should add a sixth P, punctuality.
I was late, someone was grumpy. Everything else about the event was great so in the interests of forum harmony shall we call it evens?

Seb,

I have to say it cheered me up immensly at that dark stage of the night! 😀

are you involved in the organisation of the event or have connections to those who do?

errrr might be 😳

I fully understand that individually some of these things seem like huge issues, but standing where I do you do get a unique insight into the huge amount of effort that all the people involved in putting these things on invest into what they are doing. It’s a common phenomenon that the Monday morning inbox is devastating for organisers. The complaints often overwhelm the compliments and it really does you in.

Personally I like to try to counter that by pointing out the alternative view, which is usually that the folk concerned are trying really hard to deliver a great event, have been working non stop for hours on hours and generally are completely exhausted by the time the event starts. Without them we have no events, so respect is very definitely due especially when they do help you out IMHO.

The LocoBM team had a great time, thanks Berm 😀 , it’ll be Tuesday before people feel a little more ‘normal’ and cheerful having given themselves such a beating I guess so any issues that they’re mailing about probably seem alot worse than they would when reflected on towards the end of this week.

Having done a fair bit of supporting at various races and challenges I’ve seen this happen a fair few times and been subject to the odd loss of sence of humour myself! the guy that hit my wing mirror while really hard while parkled in north wales on the ‘Hobbits tail challenge’ sticks out in my mind 😯 😳 😀

The rain was the sort that could soak the inside of a sealed glass jar!

I noticed that – I was walking in the lake district and the wet got past all my goretex layers, even though the rain seemed less intense than previous times I have been up there.

I’d like to know how I was too close to you – I have passed loads of people to the right and left at the bottom of that descent over the past 10 years or so. You clearly have a skewed opinion as to what is ‘close’. Those that know me will know I always say thank you when passing and try as much as is possible to keep out of the way. The fact I crashed had nothing to do with the fact i tried to pass there and everything to do with the fact that there was a stump hidden in the grass. On that note….

I’d also line to know how you knew I was about to crash unless you have magic stump seeing eyes that can spot stumps hidden in the grass. If you do, please report immediately to your nearest university as I’m sure they’d love to study such a freakish mutation. Your total lack of any drop of compassion is disgusting.

Gee. Total lack of compassion? Presume you skipped the start of my post where I said “sorry to hear about your cracked shoulder”

So I think you were too close to me, you think you were not. you crashed, I then nearly ran over you, guess we are not going to agree on that are we nor on which one of us has the ‘skewed opinion’?

The reason I thought you were going to crash was you were running out of space. Calling me a freakish mutation is a little bit childish really.

As I said before I was passed by many people that night but you were by far and away the most impatient.

Well I for one thoroughly enjoyed that,

Not to cold and hard as hell just like a UK endurance race should be… not to everyone’s taste apparently jugging by the almost empty Solo pit area by 3am..and the fact I managed to placed 11th even though I had to bail at 6:30am due to not packing enough disk pads..

Berm,

We had a great time. The only thing that could have been better was the weather and that’s clearly beyond your control! 😉 However, there’s no such thing as bad weather just inappropriate clothing. 😀

If you and the other people involved in organising the event would like to do the same again for 2012 I for one would be very happy.

See you next year.

As has been said, what someone considers a safe pass someone else will think isn’t – sadly other than using my judgement I am unable to tell someone else’s opinion prior to overtaking them. Fact is, had there not been a hidden stump along that trail I doubt you would even have remembered the pass.

The joke about the mutation was as you said you knew I was going to crash. Next time you get that feeling please do let me know as it is a most useful ability to have.

GB

Best quote I heard at the transition area: “watch out for the toads”

(Enough about the passing).

Crashing and hurting yourself shows it was not safe.

Did you bother to read gees post or just wade in. The circumstances of the crash show nothing of the sort. It wasn’t caused by the passing manoeuvre but by a hidden stump.

If we took that attitude to it’s illogical conclusion racing would be an orderly queue based on who lined up at the start first.

leader coming through

so you should get priority over other riders who will try and overtake later?

That’s quite common, certainly for the first few riders in with a chance of a podium place. As someone who is usually lapped I like to know that the riders I’m potentially holding up are the ones for whom my staying out of the way might make a difference. So, yes, they do get priority.

As has been said, what someone considers a safe pass someone else will think isn’t

If you’re not comfortable being passed fast and close then, really, honestly, are you ready to be racing? Some of the team riders out there by 10pm when it was just starting to get sloppy were already way out of their depth to be even riding round that course, never mind trying to race. At least one person I waited patiently behind was sneery when we finally got to a section of wide enough track that I could get past his wobbling all over the place without risk of a collision.

“On your right”

“If you’re fast enough” – in a right tone of voice.

That was a terrific event, We (Loco BM team) really enjoyed it, the course was terrific fun, great bomb holes, no climbing but good descents! The mud made it very interesting but it was all still rideable. Did I notice giant spiders stuck to glow sticks in some of the trees or was I hallucinating? brilliant weekend, brilliant event, thanks to everyone involved.

Can’t someone have a moan about the deer? Blimmin wrecked my wheel it did. Wrecklessly crossing and getting so close it hit me – if it had the patience to wait we would both have been fine, but no, it had to just run out. Who can I sue?

Saw a small herd of deer in the early hours as well – tried to reason with them that one of them owed me for a new wheel but they just ran away – it’s not right when animals don’t face up to their actions.

With around 2-300 people on the course at any one time, a few are going to get upset, but the vast, vast majority are OK and may even enjoy it (at least until 3am when it got a bit miserable). If you’re an organiser or a competitor, please don’t get disheartened by any moaning, as these complaints are very few and far between considering the number of competitors and laps completed.

To those small number of people who do complain, you will be encouraging the organisers to use double width fire roads instead of twisty singletrack, as this removes risk from their event (and hence their liability). Suck it up, things happen.

This is always a tricky one.

Thetford’s a good example of a hard place to pass – there are long sections where you have to work together to ensure the faster rider fets through safely. There are some areas, however, where it’s really not on – there’s simply not the space.

A few years back a ‘racing-for-46th-place’ guy tried to overtake. He’d taken some time to catch up, so I knew he was quicker than me, but not that much. We got to a bit where he simply couldn’t get past, but 300m or so ahead there was a fire road. The familiar shout of ‘RIIIDER’ came, so I shouted back that I couldn’t see where he was planning on going – there wasn’t space.

I was told that I should pull over and let him through, and that if I didn’t he was coming through anyway “and if I put you off, I put you off”.

Unsurprisingly, I suddenly acquired the slowest and widest bike in the world. It took aaaaages to get to the fireroad. It may seem childish, but the best memory I have of that sodden D2D was hearing the dickhead behind me completely lose all self-control. All sorts of threats were shouted, and at least two attempts to ride me off the path, which I repeat, was single bike width only.

On a serious note, I’ve never had a problem with the properly fast boys and girls, who in my experience are polite and respectful to a fault. So long as you realise that they’re very unlikely to crash you out, just let them squeeze through where they think they can and hold your own line.

Can I just flag up that I did not actually organise or have anything to do with organising the eventas such. I do have connections in that direction, but it would not be right for me to take any credit for the work that Paul and his team did.

Some photos here:
http://davefranciosy.zenfolio.com/p193143329

Oh man alive, Our MBRo35 teams reported hell at D2D. We did good, a first in womens solo and a second in womens team. 😀

From our site:
Si
Quotes of the day:
BBC weather: “It will be a mainly clear night with the chance of some patchy rain”

Most pointless thing taken:
My Tent: Put it up, took it down, didn’t set foot in it.

Possibly the most miserable I’ve ever been on a bike…

Finishing each lap soaked to the skin and fighting a desperate race to change clothes before the cold started to grip.

James
The horrid grinding, scraping sound coming from every pivot on every bike – and I thought Epping was bad for bikes.

Sarah
I was probably a bit hyper afterwards and didn’t ask anyone how they were or congratulate anyone else, but I was still high on red bull and Monster energy, sorry. I was just so happy to win as it was so flipping hard. If that’s what you have to do to win, well, is it worth it? Well, actually, it is a bit as that light I won is amazing Exposure Diablo, 990 lumens!

More here including a great summary report of the whoe event.
http://www.mbro35.co.uk/index.php?option=com_kunena&func=view&catid=2&id=6038&Itemid=183

Some photos here: http://davefranciosy.zenfolio.com/p193143329

Have you tried looking for a rider dressed in black on a black bike in the dark?

That was a lot more fun than I thought it would be and am planning a solo effort next year.
As for overtaking I passed loads of people and everyone was really good about it, in fact I did feel a bit bad for some as they would completely pull over and stop which I thought was a bit unnecessary as I wasn’t in that much of a hurry 🙂
Thanks to everyone who rode and made it a really pleasant atmosphere

Monday morn, Norfolk,sunny,breezy,and 21dg so far……

BB

The rain notwithstanding (I like the alternate name ‘Wetford’) we enjoyed this year and thanks to everyone who put this on. I certainly preferred this (easier) less techy course to what we did in 09.

Two thoughts do spring to mind for next time.

1) Any scope for showers?
2) The Forest Centre could do with improving their road signage. We followed a couple of other cars trying to find the way out before discovering you come right round on yourself before leaving via a different exit.

Where are Joolze Dymonds photos done a search but to no avail, her pics give you a good insight on an event thought she went to this one every year!!!

Anyone

I think she was there, although I didn’t see her.

There was a post on the Thetfordmtbracing forum from her, saying she’d be there.

I imagine she had the ridiculously bright flash set-up in the woods, unless that was Dave Franciosy….?

She can sometimes take a few days to get pics up…..

I saw a couple of tweets from Joolze saying the organisers had asked her not to go, no explanation as to why though…

Tweet 1
Tweet 2

That is strange!

Joozle photos are always great as Postierich said!

Maybe Rob Clayton then?

Whoever it was with the bright flash in the woods, I was looking forward to seeing those photos!

I assume they’d got a financial arrangement with whoever was takign and selling pics this year and didn’t want Joolze doing the same without handing the organisers some money?

I wondered why her site has images from the CX rather than D2D.

Its a shame. Her photos always seem a cut above those who just seem to take a snap of every rider.

Oh bugger their loss just looked @ the other chaps photos and mmmmmmmmmmm.

Think the official photographer was Sussex Sports Photography as he was the one with the auto kit about half way round.

No photos up yet 😐

shame joolze’s photos are way better than the hack they had this year shame it all boils down to back handers bar stewards

Wow I think i am finally awake enough to type, first off get well soon Gee hope you heal fast, and I cant believe they treated Joolze like that, sucks big time.
I managed one lap this year before it aggravated my already damaged shoulder and lower back, that I could have suffered through i think but the rain all over my glasses was too much as I could hardly see the course, I gave anyone passing plenty of room and cheered them on as they went past.
On the upside I shaved 15mins off my lap time from the last time i did one and that was in the dry.

I can honestly say I doubt I will race there next year or again in favor of other events pity as it is a fun course.

Just got back to sunny South Wales from D2D, great little event – every lap felt completely different to the last as the course bedded into a drifty muddy mess.

It was the most competitive event I’ve been to, started in the top 15 off the line, and wasn’t overtaken until my last lap at about 6am – but we still finished 7th in the mixed teams!

I must say though, I felt overbiked at the start line – 120mm Spark, with a 11-34t cassette – when looking to my left and right there were 80mm hardtails with road cassettes as far as the eye could see!

The course held up very well until that final lap, the twisty corners were superb in the wet, the long fireroad sections were great tempo sessions, and the short power climb out of the second bomb-hole was tip-top, glad to have managed it every time.

The rain and mud really makes it an endurance ride, it’s all about how much pain and suffering you can endure 😉

My only minor (sour grapes) gripe, would be the bundling of mixed teams of 3 and 4 into the same category – we were quick, but were always at a disadvantage – which we knew when entering, and am fine with 🙂 It’d be nice next year to have a separate category – the male and female teams have separate trios and quads; and with the mixed teams being so competitive I think it makes sense (7th out of 17 mixed, but would have been 8th out of 51 male trios).

Great weekend, well organised, friendly people about, and by far the quickest riders I’ve seen at an endurance race – we’ll be back next year, and I’ll be knocking out the tempos on the road bike in the weeks leading up as training.

Ricks

Much as I like Joolzes pics, I think it is a bit harsh to condemn the organisers for having a financial arrangement with a photographer. I don’t suppose they’re going to get rich putting on events like this, so why shouldn’t they take a slice?