MegaSack DRAW - This year's winner is user - rgwb
We will be in touch
Anyone doing this on Sunday?
What's the course like? Hope it's good, never ridden there and making a loooooong journey to get there 🙂
I'm entered,missed last year, but did the two before that.
If the course is the same, you are either climbing or descending, not too technical,but no flat.
Good luck.
Hi I live localy did the WC a few years ago fair bit of climbing.... bring your good legs. Was up there tonite conditions are really good weather has been ace today and forecast is looking good. Have a good one 🙂
I did some of it last year but retired due to being ill. It starts with a long fireroad climb, which finishes with a massive queue for the singletrack sections to begin. Very up and down. Good event, just couldn't finish it. Good job I havn't entered again this year, ill again 🙁
I'll be there.
Not done it before so no idea what to expect. Is it one long lap or lots of little ones? If it's one big one does it have a drink station?
Also, what tyres will you all be using? 😉 Serious point though, I don't know the terrain, choice of Nobby Nics, Mountain Kings, Race Kings or Speed Kings, in order of wet to dry preference.
It'll be dry, so tyres aren't really such a biggy - I'd go MK front, RK rear.
It's one big lap, which [i]might[/i] have a couple of drinks stops.
As above, all up or down - mostly middle ring climbing.
Start fast to avoid the queueing.
I may go up and holler for a while.
Hey Jo,
doing it again this year. A very tough 33 miles, alot of climbs, most very steep and long. Conditions are generally good, think Glentress type of trail conditions with alot of slate. Deffo need a good set of legs though.
Tyre wise, although i've punctured past 2 years, will be running racing ralph front and ritchey wcs shield rear.
Also, if its same course as last 2 years, a good start is neccessary or you'll get stuck by the first singletrack after about 2 miles
Cheers Box.
One more question, do we get gridded with fastest guys at the front or do we do it ourselves on a 'first-come basis'?
This is a really important question as the answer will determine whether I need to drag myself out of bed early, and having lost an hour's sleep too (small price to pay for the clocks going back to sensible time though)
No gridding - just manouvre into the first 10 rows or so if you can. If not - get a spurt on. The first climb is maybe 1-2 kms to the bottleneck. There'll be a b@st@rd climb in the last few km, so gird your loins.
Great event, rode it last year. Not there this year and wishing I was which says it all.
Marshalled a 10km run today in the valley below Whinlatter - some very hot runners - don't overdress or fail to hydrate folks, it'll be warm.
ive just moved up to cumbria from the midlands, and have my name down for this tomorrow, so will be the first long ride ive done up here. looking forward to it!
ive just moved up to cumbria from the midlands
Where abouts?
I'll be SS'ing it for some sadistic reason, heading up tonight and camping locally.
See you in the morning don't forget to alter your clocks or you'll be late
We went and registered this afternoon, got fitted with the wristband, reckon the woman on the till in the coop thinks I'm on an "asbo".
Weathers been great today, more of the same tomorrow according to the metoffice, get in..
WAs hoping for a late entry but its closed not to sure if you can enter on the day looks like I will be parking up there and doing some local rides 🙂 John SS will be very hard I,ve not been right since I did the race last year on the SS
Just bled my front brake and discovered a seal has gone, so if you see someone locking their rear wheel and overshooting the turns on the descents, that'll be me!
It's two laps, a 17 and a 14 and the start has changed this year. The finish might have changed too, where you cross the road and enter the forest for the last climb isn't accessible.
Did the WC last year. It was fun but some of the climbs are a long hard slog. As boxelder says if the sun is beating down, don't forget to hydrate properly.
I've done it twice but not this year. The weather is set to be glorious but it will be cold at the start line. It's a hard ride, but the views will be spectacular...enjoy!
where you cross the road and enter the forest for the last climb isn't accessible.
Good point - hadn't thought of that.
Never done the challenge but go to whinlatter most wkends I'd advise NOT To use hobby nics very sketchy not the best Tyres to go for I'd go continentals or maxxis (black chili or super tacky) to all that's going have fun should be good weather tomorrow! 8) 😉
ive just moved up to cumbria from the midlandsWhere abouts?
boxelder, cockermouth, loving the riding on the door step up here!
though not happy today, a spring went in my rear mech so had to pull out after 6 miles!... not cool.
hope you all had a good ride though, and out of interest what sort of times did people put in?
bangermoose - Member
and out of interest what sort of times did people put in?
2hr 56mins 14secs on a fat front Single Speed.
111th out of about 600
Nice to meet you today postierich - did the big lad in last place finish?
Fast conditions there today, but looked to be some suffering.
2:46:32 on fully rigid single speed. 77th and 3rd singlespeed. Was beaten to 2nd singlespeed by 10 seconds! Bugger 😆
2:38:25 43rd. I'll be keeping my triple chainset, thank you. Great conditions - dry, fast and with sections that rewarded good bike handling skills ie not mine! But the day belonged to the climbers. The first section did a good job of stretching out the field before the single track began. Overall, a great event. Looking forward to seeing the photos.
2:43:58 62nd. Well chuffed:) A big thanks to the organisers to putting on another fantastic event and all the marshalls around the course. Roll on 2013.
Where do I find the results guys?
Great event enjoyed being Tailendcharlie giving encouraging words to the back markers and bringing them home the last guy on the full enduro was a fit lad(rider 29) but bonked really badly and was determined to finish so I coaxed him along he ate all my bloody food to!!!! Thanked me @ the end which was good.
Good to meet up with old and new faces 🙂
Rich
Wow, that was a hard 30 miles! I was really phased by how slippy the rock is there. I thought I'd buckled my back wheel at one point where my back end was all over the shop!
Johnclimber, you passed me on your fun-bike just after some swoopy stuff where we were held up on the jumps and berms. I had a few squeaky, squealy moments 🙂
Was worth the 8 hr drive South as I came 1st Vet lady and 3rd lady overall in 3hrs 5.
My sister was doing her first ever MTB event, chose to complete the full Enduro and completed it in 4hrs 20. Very proud of her 🙂
great weather, great day. Worst part of the course being the singletrack leading to the main road beside the visitor centre. Like riding on ice.
Finished 3rd after blowing with 2 climbs to go. First lap pace was incredible for the 3 of us, pulling out a massive lead. After that some cat and mouse games before my legs gave up. Really enjoyed it though.
down at 2:14:50 but ticket time of 2:13:24 after 2 guys in front of me got sent wrong way. Neal actually done 3 laps whereas Rich turned back down the trail before he went too far. :(. All got sorted in the end though it meant mixing the times up a bit by looks of it
well done again Jo. xx
A few pics!
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[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/nzrich/6869362408/ ]P3250426[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/nzrich/ ]Richard Munro[/url], on Flickr
[url= http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7280/6869367220_be13b883d4.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/nzrich/6869367220/ ]P3250428[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/nzrich/ ]Richard Munro[/url], on Flickr
[url= http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7048/7015482301_922fa0a0e8.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/nzrich/7015482301/ ]P3250429[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/nzrich/ ]Richard Munro[/url], on Flickr
[url= http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7190/7015486563_3df9626870.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/nzrich/7015486563/ ]P3250430[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/nzrich/ ]Richard Munro[/url], on Flickr
[url= http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6094/7015503591_ca224dc552.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/nzrich/7015503591/ ]P3250434[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/nzrich/ ]Richard Munro[/url], on Flickr
[url= http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6057/7015509417_22f5f75c8d.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/nzrich/7015509417/ ]P3250436[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/nzrich/ ]Richard Munro[/url], on Flickr
[url= http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7229/7015513281_dd098818c9.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/nzrich/7015513281/ ]P3250438[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/nzrich/ ]Richard Munro[/url], on Flickr
[url= http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7129/7015525215_dec8f2726b.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/nzrich/7015525215/ ]P3250445[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/nzrich/ ]Richard Munro[/url], on Flickr
[url= http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7221/7015530455_401925302b.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/nzrich/7015530455/ ]P3250446[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/nzrich/ ]Richard Munro[/url], on Flickr
Pleased it wasn't just me struggling on that bit just before the road! I was cursing my tyres for whole race (Conti RaceKings FWIW), maybe should have gone for MountainKings. Snapped a chain too. Still fairly happy with reult though and really enjoyed it, didn't feel like 30 miles though, very fast!
Many thanks to those responsible.
It didn't feel like 31 miles because it was more like 28...I was expecting doing the Spout Force fireroad climb twice, not complaining that we didn't though!
Does anyone have a gpx of the route they could send me please? My Sports Tracker won't sync and it didn't seem to pick up the whole route properly. I was chuffed with my time, although it could have been faster if my back brake didn't keep binding :(. Seemed to be a lot of folks with snapped chains! I'm the bloke behind the fella in the star spangled top in the above pic!
My Garmin 305 measured the distance at 27.77 miles. I was expecting it to last a little longer and was surprised to be directed down to the finish by the marshals. I'm not sure that I had any more climbing left in my legs though.
I measured it at about 27 miles. I was also surprised to be told only 3 miles to go at one point.
From the gpx I have of last years course that was 27.96 miles. So this years course was only a little shorter but it appears to have been a bit faster 10-15 minutes maybe?
Good to see you Rich and I might take you up on your offer of a north lakes ride.
Has anyone seen any of the photos yet as there were at least 6 snappers on the course?
Loads of photos here: http://www.sportsunday.co.uk/whinlatter-mtb-marathon-2012
I'm not saying what my time was 😳
Just found out a young lad I sometimes ride with came 4th in the half enduro. I think he's 14. 😯
how can you be 1st (or 43rd) if it wasn't a race?
big_n_daft - Memberhow can you be 1st (or 43rd) if it wasn't a race?
That'll be why there's prize giving afterwards then? 🙄
That'll be why there's prize giving afterwards then?
so it's a race then
why not call it one?
do they have something to hide?
so it's a race thenwhy not call it one?
do they have something to hide?
There's nothing to hide - it's not on bridleways, so no problem with calling it a race. Most people enter it as a challenge, knowing they're not going to win, so for most it's a challenge, so it's called a challenge.........on a mountain bike.......at Whinlatter.
Put it together and what do you get.......
All together, after three.......
think if they called it the Whinlatter Race then the entries would diminish alot. Its a good concept that works and for most entering takes the mentality of having to race out of it ( though i'm guessing nearly everyone was fighting for every position available).
Its a good concept that works, bit like the no fuss events and similiar types of events. Not so called races but the top guys n gals still compete against one another. For most, podiums are not filled with mega big prizes, more just kudos and self fulfillment
There's nothing to hide - it's not on bridleways, so no problem with calling it a race
so it's only on the south side of the road so as to avoid that really inconvenient bridleway on the north side that looks like it runs past the visitor centre parallel to Comb Beck?