Who’s all going to 10 Under The Ben this weekend?

Phew! What a scorcher!! 🙂 Thanks to Jayne and Charlotte for letting me join their pair. I was sorry not to be able to ride with my usual partner in crime, but Roberta needs to get her leg fixed, so thanks to her for supporting even though she would have preferred to be riding. To be honest, I would have been ruined in a pair or solo in that heat. I’m a bit burned from yesterday’s lap of the WC circuit too. Ouchy! The bit where we rode the wrong way up all the berms was wrecked for riding down the way. All the downslopes were churned up and loose and sandy 🙁

I really enjoyed it though. Everyone was very sociable, though I couldn’t chat much for panting. Always nice to take home some metalware too, now where am I going to put that trophy?

Jojoa1 Do you have a chain type silver bracelet? I was admiring it whilst waiting for the start. I think i started off next to you. I was on a grey pipedream.

17th in Vet Pairs for Dunracin’ – 9 laps in 10:41 which, amusingly, would have won the quads category outright!

A hotly contested category this year (I’ve managed 4th in the past and I’m a lot fitter than I was then…)

Brilliant event as ever, some interesting sections and lots of friendly folk – good to speak to others from here (Gordymac, Jojo, Trailrat). That first lap was a bit of a bugger 😯

sorry for knocking you off stu! hope no damage was done

No damage Terry – I managed to stay on (though I had a tumble at the watersplash just down from the tunnel when the guy in front of me bottled it suddenly and I had to take evasive action off to the left… :?)

saw a woman in toe straps (why people still use em is beyond me ) hit that watersplash , front wheel sucked in she nearly went over the bars …saved it …..then fell over sideways onto the rocks …id have prefered going over the bars ….she musta been fine cause i was still heading to the pipe and she was gone by the time i got down to that point.

Im still dehydrated …i drank loads yesterday too …on orange juice with salt mixed in just now ….

I had a pretty poor show with 4 laps on my singlespeed, I was hoping for 6 but the legs didn’t agree with me on that one, I should have knocked out another lap but just couldn’t bring myself to get back on my bike after a dip in the stream. Had some cracking chat round the laps, everyone was super friendly and seemed to be loving it.

Awesome day all round, and the girlfriend who was bricking it before, made the podium in her first race! 3rd place in the trio ladies. Big congrats also to the girl that stayed in the same b&b that won the womens solo category, 8 laps was a pretty awesome showing in that heat.

I’ll be back next year for sure.

Littlest Hobo, I think that was me. I was on a Silver HeiHei. Unless someone else has got one of the bike chain bracelets, but I’ve never seen anyone else with one, though lots of people have asked where to get them.

The mass downhill road/track start was a bit hairy wasn’t it? People going hell for leather then everyone bunching and locking up on the grit. I don’t road ride in a bunch for a reason!!

Terry, maybe that girl just wanted to cool off a little. I have to say I was tempted by the stream at times.

Stream crossing after the tunnel was a bit sketchy, I improved my fertility no end when the dude in front of me (on a Scalpel iirc) stopped dead and I ran into the back of him catching my crotch on the saddle. Had to stand at the side of the track for a minute or so to breath through my teeth.

Good day though, got the 1st, 4th and 5th fastest recorded times, although rumour has it that Mr Barlow was pulling 48 minute laps in-between touting Dirt School.

48.45 and 48.28 for Andy B. Wondered why he had 2 x 4 hour laps and 2 x 48 minuters!

I discovered what may be the breakfast of champions though. Double helping of porridge, washed down with couple of mugs of full on coffee and a couple of butteries, with more butteries through the day. Worked for me !!

jo

i may have been spotted lying in a ditch having a cool off having suffered mega cramp on the puggy line

I’m still ill. 🙁

Top event yet again, have to agree with jo on the uphill that should’ve been a down though but still a great course and really good fun. Only a few knobs about who seem to take themselves far too seriously but they were the exception.
I’ve never seen so many mechanicals/punctures on the first lap. Bad luck 😕

Oh here’s jo post race 🙄

Sorry jo 😉

I had a lovely time- a good race, an ok course (I seem to remember last years was better), belting weather and a great atmosphere.

Got 4th in men’s pairs which is a bit disappointing but the glencroft rabble are mental.

Only had one issue, which I will air elsewhere…

Just noticed that if I had entered male quads (on my own) I would have got about 2nd!!

Excellent day out and really enjoyed the course this year.

Well done to all the solo’s who made it to the end 🙂

Tough day at the office in the heat but that quickly sorted out the chaff 😉

Lost my bottle and cage on the first descent of lap 4! Every marshall I asked had plenty of water to dish out and I met two no-fuss guys on the course who gave me electrolyte sweets and more water.

Everyone on the course was spot on, and the chap on the trails bike asking me how I was on lap 6 as he passed everyone on the course typified the whole race for me……job well done no-fuss.

Hope to see you all again soon. (cheers Jo for the mistaken identity at the end 😀 )

Top event again. Managed 10th in vet solo male which given the heat + lack of training I’m pleased with 😀 didn’t see that many people cramping as last year but suppose this is a bit of a random observation. Arse is well sore :(, pinched some of the kids Sudocream this morning before going to work- seems to work 😛 everyone was very friendly again and I has some good banter with folk- roll on the next one; I have 5 weeks for the ringpiece to heal…..

I raided the little uns sudocream too! Good to meet you Ant, and thanks for the shower water!
Bruised and blistered hands here, but bring on K’tree.

More than I wanted to know about the state of your Flag of Japan, Ant! Good effort there.

100 🙂

Bastid…. 👿

The MTBcut video and the photos are up on the site now, the video is worth a look.

some good photos on xpressphoto too ..but 15 quid for a high res … ill pass thanks.

already bought a better looking photo for a 5er …and waiting on olivercoates photos , usually good and dont recall them being so expensive

oliver coats is loading up his photos tonight, hope they are better than the xpressphoto ones. The locations they use aren’t that good IMHO.

trail_rat – Where did you get your £5 photo from?

Oh, thanks Swavis, such a flattering shot of my post race nomming and bloatage. 😉

dougal , sent you pm on facebook but from phone so incase you didnt get it , it was darran williamson , allan linked me. But you can follow back from my facebook profile pic and it will show you the rest of the album !