Strathpuffer 16

Regarding Guy Martin – I think we’re overlooking a little the fact that he *rode* there.

From Lincoln.

And then rode the race.

Steely-eyed missile man, that fella.

Never mind homebrew, it’s some of the best beer I’ve tasted full stop.

i stand happily corrected! 😀

Thanks for the beer compliments fellas Chuffed you liked it
We did manage to get through 80 pints between the teams and guest drinkers

80 pints. So it wasn’t the rain that made a mess of the trails.

God that was awful.

Didn’t help my training was murdered by 3 colds in december and then going over my ankle on the way to the Steall Hut on Hogmanay (thankfully, on the nice safe bit between the gorge and the bridge…)

Was feeling gubbed by 10pm with only 8 laps in the bag so I went to sleep; set an alarm for 3 hours, got up rode another lap decided I didn’t feel like riding the course in the dark on an unintended singlespeed bike (I could pick 22-32 or 22-28), didn’t feel like riding a rigid in the dark (I really really need to ride that bike more and get used to it) and went back to sleep, got up in time to finish my 10th lap just before 10am on the Rigid.

Definitely a Type 3 fun year, in the past I’ve gone from “WTF am I doing” to “Think I’ll do it again next year” during the race.

It wasn’t until we were driving down the road that I decided I might try and find a Quad for 2017…

Link to a photographer here with some good photos

http://www.spaceandsilencephoto.co.uk/about.html

Click on the options for straffpuffa photos

It was a little muddy in places but still rideable even up until the last lap, that last bit was tricky but you just had to pick a line and pedal. Seen loads of people walking carrying bikes over stuff.

trout – Member
Thanks for the beer compliments fellas Chuffed you liked it
We did manage to get through 80 pints between the teams and guest drinkers

‘Twas magnificent stuff.

Genuine sports electrolyte IMO. Improved my last lap no end… 🙂

See you next year Brian. 🙂

Blog.

http://minipips.blogspot.co.uk/2016/01/24-hours-of-strathpuffer-mud.html

richpips – Member
See you next year Brian.

I’m looking forward to seeing what the lad can do next year.

Especially when he gets a proper bike… 🙂

For those that don’t follow ‘Windy Wilsons Weather and Road Reports’ on Fakebook here is a link to the photo’s he took over the weekend…600 odd…

Strathpuffer 2016, by Leroy Wilson

A brilliant wee video of this years Puffer, almost looks enjoyable 😉

Can’t get the player to work 😕

Great video …. tempted now for next years 😀

Well done to all who did it

Is the surprisingly high percentage of commuter gear (dayglo anoraks, helmet peaks etc) a function of the horribleness of the weather/mud or does it attract a different rider?

Last year I was in day-glo as all my other kit got soaked/minging 😀

It’s not just for fun that the advice is “take all the kit you’ve got”

It’s not just for fun that the advice is “take all the kit you’ve got”

It was always entertaining at the really muddy Mountain Mayhems, seeing all the smart, team-attired riders at the start and then with 4hrs to go, every rider would be dressed in a right mish-mash of old kit, jackets more normally used for commuting and occasionally on spare bikes that didn’t really fit properly as they progressively worked through ALL their kit and spare parts!

Any idea what happened to Jo Page (littlegirlbunny)? Only rode 9 hours but got more laps than many solos who did the full 24.

Yeah

I bailed, and no, not because I hit the wall. Mentally the brain wasn’t into it. I am not good at racing, at all. I never have been, this is why you never see me at downhill races now either, or enduro, or, well anything else.

http://littlegirlbunny.blogspot.co.uk/2016/01/i-bailed-from-strathpuffer-and-im-happy.html

Someone has asked me since if I would have another go if the weather was colder, and my answer was:

“Good question but I think not. I’m just not cut out for competition in any format it seems. I just want to push my own limits and experience the world in fine detail whilst doing so. I doubt I’d ever get another chance anyway, I was lucky to have this one shot, but I’d rather test my winter mettle against a long solo off road journey, on a route I plot myself, heading into the unknown. The cost of another puffer including fuel would pay for a spot tracker and year’s subscription which would be much more worthwhile. 24 he racing is v hard, but it is safe. Safely riding round in circles with marshals and competitors to pick up the pieces. Safe to bail at any time. I need to get out of that comfort zone and brave-up. For that’s where I really find my soul, scary though it is doing so.”

Wise words from Jo above there.

To get to the top of the View Rock descent used to be a great moment, for the fast return to the finish.
Now it is a point of dread and misery knowing what was to come…. Morale sapping mud.

Little bunny, check out the barebones site, sort of racing, more just having a laugh

Know what you mean about he change in the feeling at View Rock but Dog Dodgers was much better this year, actually enjoyed it, well except for the bit where you ground to a halt in rim deep mud if you didn’t have enough speed on, and if you had too much on would be heading for the deck.

Oddly the bits I hated this year was the bit’s I’ve loved in the past, the rocky stuff between Haribo and the seat. Dodgy gears, lack of energy and the fact that bit of the course just fell apart seems to have undone it for me; the mud at the bottom was ridiculous as I’ve already ranted but was a short section, if I’d really cared I could have lifted the bike and run.

I’ve been trying to cobble together enough information to get a Wikiwankica article for the puffer (tiddly wee summer 24hrs races seem to have entries so why not the puffer) but can’t find enough!

Anyone got anything to add to this and references?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Draft:Strathpuffer

Had a great puffer this year spannering for the dingwall academy superstars. Young Tam the rocketman was indeed rather quick with the fastest lap in the bag. Never had to fix so many knackered bikes though. Some of them took a proper beating, and I even had some random chap turn up and ask could we pop his brake pads in for him. Course looked up to usual puffer standards and having rode it the week before it didn’t seem any different from normal ( which explains my rush to offer to twirl spanners).
Great atmosphere, undoubtably helped by the really mild weather and lots of tea.
see you next year!