We managed to complete the full 24 hours as a team of 4. I must admit that, apart from the first lap each, we really didn’t enjoy any of it.
When it all turned to clag, it was soul destroying.

The main grumbles are;

– Rubbish timing system caused lots of confusion and in some cases arguments. Timelaps are the best
– Boring course that got even more boring when the rain came
– Stupidly cutting the grass before the event meant that the mud stuck to the bikes was like wattle and daub. It just stuck to everything and the bikes weighed about 50lbs.
– No beer tent
– Lack of trade stalls for decent spare parts
– There weren’t prizes for all the sub categories (we were 3rd in the Vets category and not even the winners got a prize). Surely we should be recognized – isnt it supposed to be harder as you get older?!

None of us will be doing it again, which I guess speaks volumes for what we think…

Kryton57 – Member

Does anyone know a sports shrink? I let a few people down this weekend… … not helped by a 2hr walk around Derbyshire at 2am in the morning :-/

No you bloody well didn’t! Stop beating yourself up, man.

I quite enjoyed my walk, in the early hours, tbh. Removing the grass reinforced mud afterwards, however………… 😐

I quite enjoyed my walk, in the early hours, tbh. Removing the grass reinforced mud afterwards, however…………

On my second lap, there were two people running their lap, without their bikes.

I saw those, assumed you couldn’t do that, but guess they were just seeing how quick it would be to run. Whilst some sections were un-rideable that probably only accounted for 1/1.5 miles at most!

Rock based race courses rather than wonderfully fertile farmers fields, please!

I remember walking onto the podium of the solo class there back in 2008 when, surprisingly for England, it rained. The course became unrideable in parts very quickly and, with a lack of speed, the singletrack in the trees became dull shortly afterwards, but I carried on walking just so I could say I’d done it.

This year I turned up, raced in a pair with Terrahawk while it was fun, then it rained – as it does in England – the course became unrideable in parts very quickly and, with a lack of speed, the singletrack in the trees became dull shortly afterwards.

We packed up, went home and got a decent ride in on the Sunday. Riding time is precious and I’m not spending it truding round feeling like I’m wasting an opportunity any more.

Sorry. I love the laid back atmosphere, the organisation is, as we’re all well aware after many years, brilliant, but I’m not going back there.

The thing is – like it or not, mud is highly likely to feature in a UK 24 hour race. Those who didn’t fit some skinny mud tyres shouldn’t be complaining – learn for next time. We all know what tthe weather has been like!

I had a spare single speed, but the full sus was fine so long as the jockey wheels were cleared each lap.

The support to the solo riders was fantastic. Child hecklers – you did your families proud. And as for the two girls at the top of the climb – thanks for all the encouragement. Great organization, great to see the course change for the really bad section, great atmosphere.

It really was a case of hare-and-tortoise. I rode all night, stopping regularly to fuel up and de-clag the gears and managed 8th – well pleased. Suppose I should clean the bike now.

Anyway – are there any photos around yet?

Pit bikes, portable jet washers and 35mm tyres… It’s sounding a bit like a 24 hour CX race. Ironic considering that CX bikes are firmly banned.

I managed to get to drink two bottles of beer after my first lap and then was handed a bottle of corona (with lime!) at the end of my last, followed by an amazing cupcake at the singletrack lurker’s bar.

On these points alone the event was a resounding success.

The thing is – like it or not, mud is highly likely to feature in a UK 24 hour race.

RAIN is likely to feature in a UK24 hour race. Therefore a course that is going to become unrideable for large sections if/when it does rain isn’t an appropriate venue. There’s plenty of other 24 hour races in this country that aren’t badly affected by the weather (Relentless 24, Strathpuffer, UK24…).

We’re pretty experienced, nothing we need to ‘learn for next time’ and we had a full compliment of mud tyres and even cyclocross tyres. We’re just not willing to use them for 18 hours of (mostly) walking any more.

It’s sounding a bit like a 24 hour CX race. Ironic considering that CX bikes are firmly banned.

😆

Any idea when the results will be out?

will – Member
Any idea when the results will be out?

you will have to be a premier member to see them 😉

Just had a quick flick through this thread and I’m incredibly thankful I didn’t shell out a considerable chunk of cash for this. Sounds utterly horrible.
I’ll stick to Relentless 24…

The only criticism I have is the cut grass, I’m still pulling it out of the gears.
Our 2 teams did well, in fact had the A team entered in the Expert Mens they would have claimed 2nd place on the podium.
Everyone had personal achievements from the race, which is what its all about.
Me at coming up 58 I’m not going to win but passing Expert Males up hill is for me an achievment 🙂

A 50lb Hardtail.

Coming up midday, not many left, the grass was faster 🙂

I managed to get to drink two bottles of beer after my first lap and then was handed a bottle of corona (with lime!) at the end of my last, followed by an amazing cupcake at the singletrack lurker’s bar.

On these points alone the event was a resounding success.

Given the proximity of the trail to the Chase Trails camp, I’m surprised there wasn’t more beer and cake during the lap…

At the end of the event Pat was congratulated by countless racers who took the time to come up to him and thank him for an excellent event. Of course all the people who left and failed to endure the endurance event that it was wouldn’t have seen that.

The Vets category didn’t receive prizes. That was made clear at the start of the presentation by Pat who explained that they weren’t an official category but he wanted them to be recognised on the podium and be applauded. Had a VET team won in the category they were in they would have obviously been awarded prizes for winning the category they were in – as happened with the other un-prized category, the Armed Forces. Their team won in their Sport category for which they received prizes and then they were asked to step up to the top spot so the crowd could applaud them for being the top Forces category too.

If it’s all a bit too much of a hassle to be invited to stand on the podium I’m sure Pat can be persuaded to drop that next year and just stick the main categories for prizes and ignore the Vets and Forces riders. If the point is that if you are asked to stand on the podium and be recognised then that’s of no value unless it’s accompanied with a bag of freebies then point taken. I’ll pass that on to Pat.

It was 24hr Endurance event held at a long standing 24hr endurance venue that in many previous years has been lauded as a great venue but has always had a reputation for getting tough in the wet. This weekend it was wet and it was tough and it was a real test of endurance.

Congratulations to all those many hundreds of riders and their teams who succeeded in enduring the whole event. Judging by the smiles on Sunday there were lots of you and you enjoyed the event 🙂

Strangely I seem to have come back more crippled and injured than any of the riders in the three teams we had racing and I wasn’t racing. I’m sat here with a hot wheat bag on my neck 🙂

Results will be available as soon as we have them from the timing guys as will our gallery of pics from the event.

There’s plenty of other 24 hour races in this country that aren’t badly affected by the weather (Relentless 24, Strathpuffer, UK24…).

True but all in Scotland or close to.

A 24 hour race some where in the peaks(preferably southwards)/wales/or Bristol area would be great.

Even the Malverns would be good if they could do it at the northern end rather than the Southern end.

I would even prefer if it if they could do a 24 hour race on heathland ie Surrey/Berkshire/Swinely/Cannock. Although this poses its own problems as although the sandstone grit is always ridable it can really destroy drivechains in the wet.

Didnt they do a 24 at Trentham near Stoke one year ? Surely the ground must at least drain a bit better there. Would be perfect it you ask me right near the motorway too.

yeah the first Mountain Mayhem was at trentham what is wrong with this venue?

Didnt they do a 24 at Trentham near Stoke one year ? Surely the ground must at least drain a bit better there. Would be perfect it you ask me right near the motorway too.

There were 24h events there for many years. Sadly it’s overrun with monkeys now.

Trentham Gardens isn’t available as a venue any more – it was redeveloped and monkeys moved in. As anyone that was at the first Mountain Mayhem (or the last Sleepless there) will tell you, it was pretty brutal when wet too.

There aren’t that many venues around that are weather-proof, accessible and have camping for the numbers that these events bring in.

yeah the first Mountain Mayhem was at trentham what is wrong with this venue?

As simondbarnes says, the Trentham Gardens venue is now a monkey park. 😉

As for the complaints about no beer tent – way back in the dim and distant past, they had beer tents at the Malverns Classic and gradually the event turned from being a riding weekend with mates and a couple of beers to attracting the local riff raff who’d get hammered, start arguments and it culminated with a guy being stabbed to death.

What’s wrong with bringing your own beer?

Cannock Chase has this area that they use for gigs?

I assume numbers would be more limited and its FC Owned , but at least there are decent trails and bike shop on site . .

Big thanks to Pat, Singletrack and all the event team and marshals for putting the event on again. I’ve done loads of endurance and 24hour mtb races and the conditions people are complaining about at SITS this year really weren’t that bad at all.

Another great event and everyone complaining about the mud just needs to man up!! We live in Britain, deal with it.

there’s tons of space at Cannock, not just around the birches valley centre. If you’ve ever done the blue route it takes all over the other side and it crosses tons of unused land.

Jekkly, most of the unused land is very much used.

I was acting as pit bitch for my brother (7th in solo!) but also got a fair few photos.
I’ll be sticking a few more on here later tonight: (http://www.facebook.com/JamesHardsPhotography). But if you were racing, e-mail me your race numbers and I’ll see if I got you 🙂

IMG_0961 by J_Hphotos, on Flickr

IMG_1303 by J_Hphotos, on Flickr

IMG_1790 by J_Hphotos, on Flickr

The section in the Bluebell woods was armoured years ago, shame the rest of the lap was never done but it must be massively expensive and wouldn’t help with the miles off grassy slog round the fields.

I’m not saying all the course needs to be armoured, I build and maintain trails myself and I’m well aware of the time and expense that would entail. I’m not averse to pushing my bike occasionally either. Just that a couple more surfaced, weatherproof singletrack sections would massively increase the enjoyment and give people something to get up in the middle of the night for.

There were lots of ace things about this event – the atmosphere, the generous prizes, the views from the top of the ridge, the meatballs in the cafe, the ice cream van, the lurker’s bar – but it seems that for a lot of people, an hour’s heavy rain was enough to mess it up.

It’s really quite simple… LOVE 24hr racing, HATE pushing.

GB

Glad you enjoyed the cold Coronas with(Lime) 😀

Anyback back on topic, how good was the camping areas loads of trackside camping the extra campsite had great spots.

The bit with the wheelie challenge and ‘Jump of doom’ was ace and everyone with the cowbells cheering you on was awesome. It made the event to be honest.

Camping was really good too, facilities were clean and kept clean (what a horrid job that must be) and the ‘no generators’ after 11pm seemed to be adhered to, which was nice.

I really really enjoyed it, as did the rest of my teammates.
Yes the mud was a slog, but surely that adds to the challenge – perhaps some of the mech breakers could use a little more mechanical sympathy 😛
I did complain to Pat that he took the new off camber section out too early after the thunder storm, as it wasn’t inflicted on 3 of my team, which I thought was most unfair!

Yeah,

Great weekend we rode without taking a break in the night, did the ‘jump of doom’ on each lap and went out with the cow bell when not riding to cheer on the riders.
As above we killed our gen around 9pm although the team next to us kept running their petrol engine pressure wash every hour or so. We asked on a couple of times for then not to but they just carried on and at 01:30 the guy using it was just abusive so we asked security to speak to him and he has a face to face with them too.

In Pat’s speech at the prizegiving he did cryptically refer to a dispute between two riders that they “sorted out like gentlemen”. I wonder, was it pistols at ten paces?

Those who are complaining about the venue, perhaps a good idea might be getting off your moany @rses and finding a venue and putting on your own, better 24 hour race then?

I love SITS, it’s a whole lot of fun in the dry, and a whole different special kind of fun in the wet.

That’s when the well prepared people broke out the super skinny tyres on the single-speeds

Please remember single-speeds are ace in the dry too 😀

I would just like to say thanks for all involved in hosting the event! Lets face it sh!t happens – thats life.

What happened to the planned 24 / 12 hour event at Bramham Park Nr Leeds that was scheduled last year. I’m sure that would be an excellent venue, mind it may be like Catton Park and lacking any real difficulties.
The Dirty Dozen held at Gisburn last year was more like an MTB course TBH.

Put my Anthem away when it got wet and jumped on single speed with Trailrakers and course was 80% rideable. Geat event but more trade stands would be nice with some bargains.

TBH it was exactly what I expected for Catton Park after a bit of rain. A fairly tame course that could be very fast in the dry, then falling apart very quickly when the rain started. At least the rain stopped quickly. While it was a challenge to endure for 24hrs, not sure I will rush back next year.

Great to see the off camber section being taken out when it became unrideable, I think the course for these events should be a bit flexible so that they can be changed as the conditions changed. Also the fairly short course meant nobody was out for hours on end which did happen at Mayhem. The slowest lap on our team was about 1:20, and that was a fairly inexperienced rider.

Nice to see some security over night.

Calling Brant of On-One fame – Please would you get something like this in to production for 24hr British summer events in 29″ x 1.5 flavour

The good old Conti Mud 🙄

Oh, James H, that’s me in the HcTB jersey crossing the line, with beer bottle in my mouth 🙂

R.e. the course, yeah the mud was pretty rubbish. It broke me (along with not eating enough after one lap). I was pedalling in granny downhill, barely able to turn my wheels… despite magic Bonty Mud Xs.

But…
-the atmosphere was lovely
-everything was very well organised
-the course made the best of the area. I’d like to have done it in the bone dry (my first lap was a little tentative, thanks to a rapidly deflating tubeless tyre)

Will I be back? I don’t know. As has been said up there ^^^ there are lots of other 24hr races on better courses, that hold up better in bad weather. But, fundamentally, riding bikes, with lots of other people there, all enjoying/enduring the same conditions is great. Regardless of where it is…

Big thanks to Pat, and Singletrack.