So, anyone else been daft enough to sign up again? Saw a post saying they were down to last 50 entries, I’m 270 so guess there must be 30 left.

Would be nice if the bunkhouse was open in time, they did say there was the possibility of a package if it looks likely.

Praying to the trail fairies that they do something with the top of Blue Doon and there are no stupid uphill sprints on the seeding stages this time.

Yep, I stupidly entered a couple of months ago as I was sick of missing out on events this year.

I’m now concerned that a general lack of riding over the last year will mean I’ll have a rough time of it. Especially as it’s reasonably likely I’ll be riding it on a hardtail!

I was sick of missing out on events this year.

I’m now concerned that a general lack of riding over the last year will mean I’ll have a rough time of it. Especially as it’s reasonably likely I’ll be riding it on a hardtail!

Made to Stick

not going to bother this year. overall i enjoyed it but the seeding stages weren’t up to much and don’t think much of blue doon. would be much better if they used top cheif after the snow( not ridden it but it looks much better)

the time i did it at glencoe was better.

In my haste to enter, I may have presumed it was still at Glencoe…😳

Ah well, I’m in.

What happens on the day then, seeding in the morning, race in the afternoon?

Aye I’ll see how next year turns out, hopefully it’ll be an improvement.

@riklegge you’ll be fine on a hardtail, probably rip the seeding stages and once your off the bog it’s an easy run. Unless you’re massively unfit and your legs seize at the top of blue doon as happened to me.

Thankfully this gives me the motivation to keep riding to work over winter.

Good to know thanks!
Although I’ve just seen that it’s the weekend before Dirty Reiver so I’ll need to make up family time before and after…

All looking forward to it then?

I’ve an uplift booked tomorrow to get a feel of the place, ready for Saturday, anyone around on the Friday night?

Not really looking forward to it tbh, did a loop at Kirroughtree last weekend and was cramping up, not looking good for me getting down this year. I’m only doing it as it was too late to cancel.

Still need to rebuild my shock as well as that blew up.

I’m heading up for Friday night, may or may not do some runs depending on whether I get there in time to make a half day pass worth it.

I was there on Saturday last weekend doing some uplifts on top Chief and the DH courses, perfect weather, huge fun.
Looking less perfect for the race this weekend…
.
OT. Anyone able to give my mate a lift back to the Borders after the race? I can take his bike a few days later

I would love to do this but have neither the skill nor fitness required 😂 for those of you taking part – enjoy! I’ll be back watching it on YT 🙂

I absolutely don’t have the fitness for it! Though one blessing (I think?) is that at least the top section looks a lot steeper than all the go pro footage from last year…

Blue Doon is loose AF. Will be shredded by the time I and the other back markers get there, so an extra incentive for those aspiring to more than ‘not last’.

The top section is good, it’s the splashing through the lower bogs just before blue doon that did me in last year. Legs just cramped up and gave up which made for a miserable second half.

Didn’t help that I overtook loads of folk up top and they all whizzed by me on the blue.

I’m not expecting to do any better this time around. If anything I’m less fit, less prepared and in an altogether worse mental state.

That. Was. Chuffing. Brutal.

Stage one seeding, enjoyed that, as it was one of ridden before, nothing too hairy, flowy with a couple of steep of piste bits. Took it easy to preserve energy.

Stage two seeding. Savage. Not ridden much in Scotland so maybe that was just my inexperience, but steep, wet, rooty, rocky, fairly long and pedally. Anywhere in England that would be well beyond a black trail centre run. Had a couple of offs, concentration went, walked some of it. Not my proudest moment. Time was laughable, I was last. (but before you start, it was better than those you stayed on the sofa).

Considered not riding the main event off the back of that run, but realised to go all that way and not give it a go was ridiculous.

A word about getting to the start line. The push/hikeabike to the start line was ridiculous, didn’t need to go that far up, and I’d wager that was the cause of the start being delayed by an hour. The weather was glorious, had it not been it would have been stupid, bordering on dangerous to have the first people up the hill sat there for so long.

Seeding was pointless unless you placed in around the top 50, after that it was a free for all. I’d already positioned myself near the back so as not to get in the way/be wiped out and managed to stay largely upright, if relatively slow.

So slow that by the time I got to the top of blue doon I’d run out of front brake pads (they were a ride old at the start), which made the top berms exciting… Blue Doon was otherwise pretty uneventful, most folk were long ahead of me but I did overtake one person legitimately (😃) and got to the end knackered but glad I’d done it.

Would I do it again? Possibly, but would need to hit the gym and some tougher trails if the seeding is to stay the same.

How’d everyone else get on?

You were being cheered on at one point by eldest_oab and the Heriot Watt gang….

How’d everyone else get on?

Well you know how I got on 😂

For the benefit of everyone else I had a great time, did Stage 2 (Red) first and immediately realised I should have brought my armour then hit Stage 1 (Blue Addder onto the Green) and flew down that with @tomhoward behind me.

Headed up the hill about 1 and didn’t have much of a wait, the start was 50odd minutes behind schedule. Likewise I think they’ve gotten away with good conditions for 2 years now but I’d hate to be up there in shit weather.

As for the run, I got 205/244 and the bastards put me in vets despite my birthday being June 😡
So from the outside looking in, pretty pish.

From my perspective though, I never cramped on Blue Doon, pedalled (just about) all of it (those two flat sections suck big ones) and could easily have made 50 places had I not stopped to check a rider was okay (he looked like he did his shoulder in up in the snow) or got too cocky on Blue Doon and wiped out over the bars on **** all (seriously, that track is pish). Theres a lot I could have done better but am I bothered? Am I ****. I had a great time, the bike held together (just; the shock blew up 2 weeks ago and I rebuilt it on Thursday, I managed to source some brake pads from Off-Beat at the last minute, my Boxxer compression valve is leaking now and in my off I managed to banana my rear mech (I did wonder why it sounded funny, thank christ I never shifted low enough to catch it)) and I came away with a better frame of mind than I went in with. Job Jobbed.

I must say though, the “after party” was, umm, a non-event (think claptraps birthday if you’re a Borderlands fan) and the Pizza queue was so bad I gave up after 25 minutes and went to the Black Isle instead. I don’t get it, they could do so much better but with non preferential hotel or camping rates and beer at £6 a pop it’s no wonder everyone sodded off.

Oh, and hi to the lurkers, you know who you are! Especially you with the Cinelli Jones bar copies!

seriously, that track is pish

Sounds like it’s not benefited from a year or so’s bedding in then. Such a shame. I rode Blue Doon on opening day and was *hugely* underwhelmed.

It was much better bedded in after 300 odd racers went down it, compared to when I rode it on Tuesday. As a trail to ride on your own, it’s not a great trail for better riders looking for a challenge, it’s a blue. But for a mass start race with a lottery (cuz of the snow) at the start, it allows for plenty of overtaking/racing opportunity’s, not just a procession to the bottom.

Anyone interested but not sure they have the skill watch this.

1mph start in snow*, a cacophony of squealy brakes, and wide track for the most part.

Of course the real point is taking part and finishing, and it doesn’t really look that tricky. Certainly no really scary rock gardens or drops.

* Funny to see people fall off at that speed 😆

It’s a lot steeper than it looks in the video, and there was a LOT more snow this year.

There very little grip on the soft grass/mud under the snow too, with no telling where the wheel sized holes are. It’s odd, I reckon if I’d have gone a bit a faster I reckon I would have crashed more, only faster. Needed to go a lot faster really, but that brings other issues, such as avoiding others not going as fast, and my fitness.

Do wish I’d run a spikier tyre like a shorty though, rather than assegai/DHR