Ok just on the very vague chance the organisers come in here…?

I would like to see in no particular order:

* More bike washes. Last year was taking the pee abit, and caused friction at water taps in the camping areas, and turned the stream in to a bike washing area which isnt really on.

* More showers. There were less than previous years…and they didnt work till late Saturday. (ok I know that bit was out of their control)

* Independant shops allowed to sell stuff.

* Quiet camping areas ie no generators allowed

* A downhill finish. An uphill finish doesnt enspire you to want to go out again..

Dont get me wrong, in many ways its a superbly organised event, but there is always room for improvement 🙂

A Party/event on the friday night would be cool, music/band etc…

The night before the Etape they have a Pasta Party, very good idea!

What amazes me every year at MM is the lack of sellers who want to sell to the captive audience. I know recently that Wiggle have the exclusive “right” to sell. But even they don’t bring stock to sell.

The attitude of the distributors too. Not remotely interested. There is one particular brand who were so rude last year I shall not grace their website or offer them money for their product again. They can do one.

More bike washes. Last year was taking the pee

😯 That can’t have been good for paintwork!

More sun.

Chicken lines that are slower than the gnarr line.

More gorillas in the woods at night.

Bring back the neked rider on the final lap.

Covered transition area like there used to be. I could cope with everything else last year but standing in the cold and peeing rain at 2am waiting for my teammate was no fun at all.

Covered transition essential. Lots of available water is very important.

Aside for that all the stuff mentioned above.

Bicycle powered sound system
[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KVRywQRM2H4[/video]
these guys are based in the next valley from the site.

I agree with a downhill finish – the last 2 years have been depressing on that front where previous years before that you would swoop down into the arena forgetting the pain and end on a high.
I got the impression that the course is sorted, so fingers crossed.

Bike washing will always be impossible when there are so many people needing/wanting to clean their bikes.

Given the likelihood of rain, the handover area should be covered. In the middle of the night in wind/rain it’s not great to have no cover.
Equally if it’s hot you need shade.

The arena layout should make sure that riders have to go past all the stands to get to the handover area – last year did this but previous years must have been maddening for those stands where no-one rode past.

busty ladies announcing your lap number with large bits of card?

The arena is at the highest point of the course at Gatcombe – Not so much a deliberate ply to make things hard but because it’s the only place it could be. That said the run in to the arena is pretty flat. There’s certainly not a climb to the finish.

Some mountains and some mayhem would be good.

Some mountains and some mayhem would be good.

The course would certainly be quiet. Empty even.

oooh where to start!

-as already said, when only 4 bike washes are brought and only 2 work its a major pain in the ass.

-more showers. or even better have showers specifically for riders who have just powered through the shittiest weather ever, spent an hour queuing to wash their bike then an hour queuing to use the showers cause some bell-end chav family/families who are camping for free think its appropriate to shower their 21 kids at the same time

-stop people taping off massive ‘premium areas’ for their two 2-man tents

– have a generator specific area right on the outskirts of the camping zone

– stop more idiot groups who think its ok to attach their hosepipe the the water outlet thats meant to service more than the 10 of them.

– maybe the organisers could tell the truth a bit. ie. not blatantly lie about weather proofing the course a bit last year

– covered area from the crappy weather handover.

– keep the toilets stocked of handwash/bog roll etc.

just a few points vented out

A 2 minute timer on the jet wash station would be good to reduce the queue. Too many people have to get every last bit of dirt off their tyres before riding away on the muddy fire road.

More bike stuff on the Friday evening. Less running and dog events, I don’t think they ever really added to the event. The massive Dirt Demo event was great a few years ago.

Music in the woods is always good at night.

Accurate and up to date results during the event.

The course would certainly be quiet. Empty even.

How so?

How so?

There are no suitable mountain venues in the UK within reach of possible entrants.

More bike washes. Last year was taking the pee abit, and caused friction at water taps in the camping areas, and turned the stream in to a bike washing area which isnt really on.

I’ve never raced or crewed where we didn’t have a mobi-style washer.

More showers. There were less than previous years…and they didnt work till late Saturday. (ok I know that bit was out of their control)

It’s a bike race in a field. I generally rely on wetwipes/embracing the grot/use the bike washer (brrrr).

Considering the size of the event, regardless of the entry fee, providing these kinds of facilities at all for that many people really is something. As above, I assume they’ll go wrong or have silly queues and so go prepared.

Better / more bike washes

Better / more retail stands

Covered change over area

More jumps of doom & certain doom

There are no suitable mountain venues in the UK within reach of possible entrants.

There’s plenty in the northern half of the UK.

There’s plenty in the northern half of the UK.

And the overwhelming majority of the UK population lives in the South.

And the overwhelming majority of the UK population lives in the South.

Their loss 😉

A covered heated area would be very nice. Patio heater style, although I suspect I wouldn’t want to leave it.

Bar / Disco on both nights. A friday night beer festival would be good.

Most people drink the night before, why not make it a bit more interactive?

Mud, it needs more mud.

Bar / Disco on both nights. A friday night beer festival would be good.

Most people drink the night before, why not make it a bit more interactive?

Bring your own.
They stopped having bars at MTB events back in the days of the Malverns when it basically evolved from a bike festival into a drinking festival with bikes and then got gatecrashed by the local yoof who got hammered and then stabbed a guy to death.

You want to drink that’s fine – take your own. Offer to share your beer/BBQ with neighbours. That’s interacting.

Covered transition: This is really important….If it IS wet, there’s a strong likelihood that your mate is going to take another 20 minutes to get round in the mud and you really don’t want to be stood there in your racing togs in the rain waiting.

Hmmm…I’m hearing rumours that there’s no trackside camping?!?

– I would have thought continued support (whether from non-riders or other members of the teams) is pretty dependent on spectators being comfortable, ie: they will mostly be in the camping area under their gazebos in front of a nice warm brazier on a lounger, not perched at the side of the track on a shooting stick in the dark…

Hmmm…I’m hearing rumours that there’s no trackside camping?!?

Entirely possible. The parking fields are the other side of the road from the arena for the horse events. Some of the camping won’t be trackside for sure.

I’m 24 solo with no support crew so am pretty reliant on having my kit trackside. Any ideas what might be on offer?

Riding through the campsite is part of the fun, shame if we don’t.

As Paulio I too rely on the trackside camping as I have no support. This should be interesting!

There is a couple of massive flat fields at the top(straight off the road) which surely should be camping? Cant all be ‘arena’?

Covered transition, weatherproof course (Bristol, Swinley etc…). No damn pushing. No more blatant lying about the state of the arena/course/making alterations to weatherproof it in order to get entries.

GB

There is a couple of massive flat fields at the top(straight off the road) which surely should be camping? Cant all be ‘arena’?

The mayhem campsite is huge. You won’t get it all on the Avening side of the road I’d have thought. Solo camping will obviously be in the arena though.

I liked it best when everyone got a free can of red bull!

I might be soloing and if I do I wont have any dedicated support, just relying on my pals in between their laps!I contacted the organisers as I had a question about solo trackside camping and have been told that there are no trackside camping areas and just the solo tent for soloists. This is just a bit annoying, as I wanted to be based/have my supplies with my friends trackside rather than have to use the solo tent and never seeing my mates till the end. If I do this, I would spend lots of time going to and from the campsite, so its not really an option leaving me with no alternative but to use the solo tent, which i guess is going to be quite crowded if there isnt any solo camping trackside!

Shame if they split the camping from the course/arena with a busy(ish) road.

Looks like that’s what’s happening… Not good. Still, at least they’re being honest. Hopefully they’ll extend this to course condition reports, as opposed to the blatant lies about of last year.

I,ve yet to find anyone doing the event!

The more i read these posts the more beer i think i`ll be drinking instead of riding and pushing ! 😀