Mountain Mayhem 2014

Thoroughly enjoyed the weekend. Sad about the thefts 🙁
The security guards were like lightning telling us to turn our generator off at 10pm. So how did a load thieving scrotes in a white transit van(allegedly) not attract their eagle eyes i wonder???

Did you see who it was though? Olympic athletes are often relatively handy

I’m going to guess he was the guy who shot past me at a million miles an hour wearing a British Cycling skinsuit 🙂

One of the interesting things about soloing I found is you get to see most of the fast guys multiple times. It’s quite a sight watching them weave their way through the crowds at high speed.

The security guards were like lightning telling us to turn our generator off at 10pm. So how did a load thieving scrotes in a white transit van(allegedly) not attract their eagle eyes i wonder???

Maybe because they were having to chase after thoughtless gimps running generators into the night after ten.

Did you see who it was though? Olympic athletes are often relatively handy

Pah – the soft lad only done five laps. 🙂

Mind you, four of them were the fastest four of the whole race…

Pah – the soft lad only done five laps.

Mind you, four of them were the fastest four of the whole race…

Those two facts may not be entirely unrelated…!

Respect to Kevin Smith, with a Red Bull section time of 3hrs 42.

Funny thing is that Kevin Smith was racing for Leisure Lakes Bury, winning team overall. Timing chip missed there methinks… 😀

Respect to Kevin Smith, with a Red Bull section time of 3hrs 42.

I heard stories of someone with a fractured hip/pelvis and someone else with a broken leg?

I had a severe case of broken spirit at 2:30 am. Thankfully recovered to squeeze in 3 more laps in the morning for team salty dogs.

Thoroughly enjoyed this years after the washout of 2012, need to lose some kg’s so I can make it up the climbs better though.

Top weekend, top course, always need more harassment from the crowd tho:)
I was lucky enough to ride with Liam and co and its great to see them flying around and even gives a 33 year old fat bloke inspiration ……to ride more 🙂

My time down the redbull section was faster than my mates, one on a cove hardtail and one on a 150mm santa cruz bouncer,….

goes to show that minimal travel hardtail 29ers are betterererererer, gay or not gay!

^ Gay.

I was lucky enough to win the red bull section on a 29er Epic. I don’t think it was long enough or gnarrrrr enough for the big bikes to have an advantage. All in all a great weekend and I loved the course.

^ Agreed, Red Bull section was about having a clear run and some brave pills for the final left hander where the timing finish was.

Well done Plumz!

goes to show that minimal travel hardtail 29ers are betterererererer, gay or not gay!

For that course absolutely. They were definitely out in force, pedalled mostly by 68Kg race whippets putting them to good use.

As the Red Bull section was a slightly rough doubletrack, followed by a long pedally smooth track, followed by an uphill corner (that might have had a bump!) in to a slightly more interesting bit with a small drop and then a slightly steeper, slightly rocky double track, anything over 100mm was overkill.

It’s XC after all.

^ Gay.

There was even an official event sign in the campsite to prove it ! 🙂

On the red bull section, did anyone else slip over immediately after the “muddy corner” that had a bit of muddy berm develop, and then slippery off camber stones immediately after?

I, and one of my team mates did – as we didn’t take into account how slippery it had become on the night laps. I was asleep when he did his so he didn’t warn me 🙂

oh yeah – any more photos around anywhere?

My poor tent-neighbour stacked it on the Red Bull section; dislocated shoulder and game over.

I was feeling chuffed; 24:00 hours of no slips, offs or wobbles whatsoever. 24:12 I slam into the back of a rider who stopped dead on the finish line!! Cue some blood!!

Hope the riders get reunited with their bikes. I had a bike taken by a Bristolian gang never to be seen again. Made me approach the whole thing differently-if it was out of my sight it was locked (not often as I was on it for most of the race!).

Feeling less sore and plotting how I can crack a few more laps next year…..

There was a mention of the security being elsewhere investigating reports of a drunk on site/on course causing trouble.

May have been unrelated or may have been a distraction.

GB

I saw the drunk twice once on the course & second time being removed. Not quite sure how to put this but he was a bit ‘dandy’ looking so not sure what establishment he had staggered out of but he certainly wasn’t the type I see round the sunny streets here in east LDN

Just finished off my blog, great to reminisce on a great weekend. Available here[/url].

Was the “drunk” the guy who I saw rolling around in the grass on the climb after the red bull descent?
He was shouting various lines of encouragement.

Yeah that was him, I saw him again later as I started another lap in the wooded area as you head out. He looked like he’d had some sort of ‘episode’ in the bush 😯

I saw him too, he had shorts on and a muddy face, he was whistling and waving his arms as if he was conducting an orchestra.

I had to catch up to the guy in front to ask if he saw him too. I was getting pretty tired at this point and thought I could have imagined him.

Equally astounding was how quick Isla can climb, I had to double take.

Some snaps in a storyboard fashion of our winning story http://www.themanfromicon.com/mayhem/mayhem.html

Pivot Boompods

Managed to get the majority of my photos up on flickr now – check them out here[/url] and drop me a message if you spot yourself and want the original 8)

Mountain Mayhem 2014 by J_Hphotos[/url], on Flickr

JamesH – Managed to get the majority of my photos up on flickr now

Some good ones there. 😀

On the red bull section, did anyone else slip over immediately after the “muddy corner” that had a bit of muddy berm develop, and then slippery off camber stones immediately after?

I had moments there overnight, seeing the berm and aiming for it – wasn’t till next day when the sun rose that I could see the big exposed slab of damp rock just before it…

I remember in 2005 there was the London Philarmonic performing, and we’ve had fireworks and all sorts

It was the ESO that played Eastnor – the English Symphony Orchestra (from Malvern / Worcester). If Pat asked them nicely I am sure that they would make themselves available again. They were mint when they played in ’05 – fully kitted out in their tails!

Great photos JamesH – you’ve a great one of a mate of mine, just sent it to him…

Likewise Salsaboy earlier, cracking shots! (If anyone missed the link, there’s even more more pics now, worth a look https://www.flickr.com/photos/salsaboy/sets/72157645348074923/)

Some pics here, not sure of the source: http://www.ipernity.com/doc/dylbic/album/680009

Also the retrobike lot have some up here: http://www.retrobike.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=299643&start=40

James H that’s Gareth Hayes from the Loco racing team ace shot!!!

Hi a call for help!
I am the bloke who came third in the services category (there was only four of us!)
However my wife missed my huge climb onto the third step and as the two chaps who came second and first didn’t turn up it seems that the photographer didn’t take a picture.
Would anybody by chance, I know it’s along shot, have a photo of that moment as it prob will never happen again.
Well done to all the riders who took part, most faster than me, and thanks for the glance and nod/ word of encouragement to a slow solo rider trying not to hinder you.
Cheers Steve.

Just finished my blog post here http://ridingcircle.blogspot.co.uk/2014/06/race-report-mounatain-mayhem.html

nice write-up will – and well done.
I think I passed you towards the end… I went past a London Phoenix rider on the grassy bank bit and got a “hello Islington” shout from behind, to which I replied “alright Phoenix”.

If anyone failed to collect a medal for any reason, I have one spare, mail in profile.

brakes – Member
nice write-up will – and well done.
I think I passed you towards the end… I went past a London Phoenix rider on the grassy bank bit and got a “hello Islington” shout from behind, to which I replied “alright Phoenix”.

Ah yes that was me. Were you solo or in a team?

Sport team – not representing Islington, just wearing the jersey.

I also gave you a little shout Will – overtook you as we rode back into the arena, late in the day, you seemed slightly addled, to say the least!

Brakes – I see.

Njee20 – Ah yes! I was struggling to understand what you said when you went past, but not makes sense. Very much a solo trance. Thanks for the shout though, appreciated.

awesome event, much better course than last year i thought and some amazing weather. really enjoyed the fast finish thru the campsite and some of the encouragement. particularly enjoyed the ramp for “29ers only” and hit it everytime round and only noticed at 9:30am sunday it actually said “29ers are gay”! lol, well i thought during last years MM it seemed the better bike to be on and vowed to buy one, and i was right,gay or no
😉
shame the toilets were locked at 12:01 when some of the team had’nt even finished yet,small oversight perhaps? Big thanks to the kids with the megaphone for the encouragemnt at 6am felt sorry for the people in the house across the field tho! morning!
hello to the lady with the Hula hoop,you were nice on the eye
cant wait for next year