Aled and Gwylim Hopkin from Llanharry, will begin their 5-day, 254 mile journey through Wales next week on Monday 3rd August.
Starting in Holyhead, the Lôn Las Cymru trail follows Route 8 of the National Cycle Network and takes in some of Wales’ most breathtaking scenery, riding across three mountain ranges and finally ending in Cardiff Bay.
So far, they have raised over £1,100 for the Gareth Thomas Memorial Fund, and will be raising awareness of Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY), a charity that works towards raising awareness of Sudden Death Syndrome (SDS) and campaigns for proactive screening of young people. It offers help and support to those who have suffered a loss, provides medical information, carries out Mobile Cardiac Screening and ECG Testing Programmes within local communities and contributes to medical research.
If you would like to donate to this very worthy cause, please visit their Just Giving site.
Good luck to you both, and I hope you have great time doing it for such a worthy cause. Pob lwc!
Friday, 31 July 2009
Tuesday, 28 July 2009
PODIUMS AT PLYMPTON
The Bike Mechanic Team are back from the Bontrager Twentyfour12 with a couple more well-earned podium places!
Mark and I came 2nd in the Men's 24-hour Pairs category, completing 29 laps (a total of 406km!), Anne came 2nd in the Veteran Women's 12-hour Solo category and Jon completed his very first 24-hour solo event and came 22nd. Full results are on the TimeLaps website.
Both Mark and I have worked hard this year to improve on our fitness, speed and endurance, after a few years of "just riding", entering events, and doing fairly well. Mark had already realised that his efforts were paying off by his victory with Andrew in the 12-hour singlespeed category at the Bristol Bike Fest, but up until the weekend, I was still waiting to see whether my efforts were worth it.
The course for the Twentyfour12 at Newnham Park was new to us and after a practice lap on Friday I knew we were in for a good event, even if it was a pretty hard 14km route, with about 340m climbing, including a steep tarmac climb at the start and the brutally steep, loose "Clif Bar" Climb around 9km in to the course. There was plenty to look forward to though with some fast singletrack descents and some nice rooty technical sections through the woodland.
I had the pleasure of lining up at the start line this time, and managed to get a good position up near the front. The pace for the first lap was fast, for a 24-hour event anyway, and I knew I couldn't keep it up, but it was hard not to get caught up in it. As it happens it gained us a very high position right from the start, and with Mark also putting in some very fast laps, we saw ourselves anywhere between 2nd and 4th for the first few hours of the race. After Mark punctured on Lap 10, we fell a couple of places to 6th but it was early days and we didn't panic.
By keeping our pace up we managed to climb back up to 3rd and from then on a very exciting battle started between us and the BikeShed/Bath University Team for 2nd place. We were as much as 16 minutes behind them after 8 hours, but we clawed our way back and with 6 hours to go we were just 22 seconds behind them. We knew after a while that a podium position for us was relatively safe as we were a couple of laps ahead of 4th position, so as long as we kept riding, we'd be ok. First place was pretty much decided as the Back on Track team were 2 laps ahead.
The time came to decide whether to settle down and see what happened and settle for 3rd, but hope for a 2nd, or to push it and fight for a 2nd place. I've hoped for a podium position for a long time, and during one lap I decided, why settle for 3rd when 2nd was within our capabilities? Our lap times weren't slowing down, my legs felt fine and Mark seemed to be in high spirits, so we went for it.
The tail end of the event was a bit of a blur for me, but all I was aware of was that we were eating away at the time difference for 2nd place after each lap. We finally passed the Bikeshed\Bath University team with less than 1.5 hours to go. Determined to not let that lead go, we gained 15 minutes on the team in 3 laps! I wasn't aware of this at the time, and when my time came to go out and complete the final "glory lap", I pushed as hard as I could. Normally, the final lap is a time to enjoy, take in the atmosphere, thank the marshals on your way around, and roll over the line.
It was the hardest I've ever ridden and I'm thrilled at what we achieved. The 24-hour pairs event is arguably the most difficult and demanding of the categories, due to the fast pace of the top teams and very little rest between laps. The event and our position will be something I will never forget.
A massive thanks goes to Mark for being an awesome team mate and for the encouraging notes he left me at team HQ! I hardly saw him during the event, which made it a pretty lonely event in terms of being with your team mate. However the few words shared at the change-over after each lap were enough to know how each of us felt and make each other push hard and keep going.
A huge thanks also goes to our support once again. We couldn't do it without Lou and Charlotte, and this weekend we also had Karen, who was looking after Kieran (who also completed his first 24-hour solo event, and crossed the line with Jon with an equal number of laps).
Mark and I came 2nd in the Men's 24-hour Pairs category, completing 29 laps (a total of 406km!), Anne came 2nd in the Veteran Women's 12-hour Solo category and Jon completed his very first 24-hour solo event and came 22nd. Full results are on the TimeLaps website.
Both Mark and I have worked hard this year to improve on our fitness, speed and endurance, after a few years of "just riding", entering events, and doing fairly well. Mark had already realised that his efforts were paying off by his victory with Andrew in the 12-hour singlespeed category at the Bristol Bike Fest, but up until the weekend, I was still waiting to see whether my efforts were worth it.
The course for the Twentyfour12 at Newnham Park was new to us and after a practice lap on Friday I knew we were in for a good event, even if it was a pretty hard 14km route, with about 340m climbing, including a steep tarmac climb at the start and the brutally steep, loose "Clif Bar" Climb around 9km in to the course. There was plenty to look forward to though with some fast singletrack descents and some nice rooty technical sections through the woodland.
I had the pleasure of lining up at the start line this time, and managed to get a good position up near the front. The pace for the first lap was fast, for a 24-hour event anyway, and I knew I couldn't keep it up, but it was hard not to get caught up in it. As it happens it gained us a very high position right from the start, and with Mark also putting in some very fast laps, we saw ourselves anywhere between 2nd and 4th for the first few hours of the race. After Mark punctured on Lap 10, we fell a couple of places to 6th but it was early days and we didn't panic.
By keeping our pace up we managed to climb back up to 3rd and from then on a very exciting battle started between us and the BikeShed/Bath University Team for 2nd place. We were as much as 16 minutes behind them after 8 hours, but we clawed our way back and with 6 hours to go we were just 22 seconds behind them. We knew after a while that a podium position for us was relatively safe as we were a couple of laps ahead of 4th position, so as long as we kept riding, we'd be ok. First place was pretty much decided as the Back on Track team were 2 laps ahead.
The time came to decide whether to settle down and see what happened and settle for 3rd, but hope for a 2nd, or to push it and fight for a 2nd place. I've hoped for a podium position for a long time, and during one lap I decided, why settle for 3rd when 2nd was within our capabilities? Our lap times weren't slowing down, my legs felt fine and Mark seemed to be in high spirits, so we went for it.
The tail end of the event was a bit of a blur for me, but all I was aware of was that we were eating away at the time difference for 2nd place after each lap. We finally passed the Bikeshed\Bath University team with less than 1.5 hours to go. Determined to not let that lead go, we gained 15 minutes on the team in 3 laps! I wasn't aware of this at the time, and when my time came to go out and complete the final "glory lap", I pushed as hard as I could. Normally, the final lap is a time to enjoy, take in the atmosphere, thank the marshals on your way around, and roll over the line.
It was the hardest I've ever ridden and I'm thrilled at what we achieved. The 24-hour pairs event is arguably the most difficult and demanding of the categories, due to the fast pace of the top teams and very little rest between laps. The event and our position will be something I will never forget.
A massive thanks goes to Mark for being an awesome team mate and for the encouraging notes he left me at team HQ! I hardly saw him during the event, which made it a pretty lonely event in terms of being with your team mate. However the few words shared at the change-over after each lap were enough to know how each of us felt and make each other push hard and keep going.
A huge thanks also goes to our support once again. We couldn't do it without Lou and Charlotte, and this weekend we also had Karen, who was looking after Kieran (who also completed his first 24-hour solo event, and crossed the line with Jon with an equal number of laps).
Tuesday, 21 July 2009
PLAYING THE WAITING GAME
It feels like I'm playing the waiting game at the moment and it has been like that for a few weeks. The Bontrager Twentyfour12 seems to have been "just around the corner" for months, and there's still 4 days to go before the start. Add trying to keep up with the riding and training during this changeable, ok, wet, weather, I must admit that my motivation and enthusiasm has dwindled at times. However I returned to an old favourite this evening and rode the trail where it all began for me a few years ago, and where I got my first taste of mountain biking.
That trail of course, is Penhydd at Afan Argoed, and I've come to realise that every time my motivation to get out and ride fades, that's the place I go to to get me going again. After the Mountain Mayhem in June and the seemingly endless periods of rain we've had, and having to ride day in day out in the wet conditions, I have found it hard to motivate myself to get out and train. However, today, even though the weather was grim, I decided to go back and ride around Penhydd, and for some reason it made me remember why I do what I do once more.
It's not the longest, hardest, gnarliest, fastest of trails. It's not a "natural" ride, and you don't need a map to find your way around. It hasn't got the newest jumps and bumps or tabletops or berms either. It's just fun. For me, it's a classic trail. And tonight I even managed to make it longer and include some hill intervals as part of this week's training plan.
It also reminds me to take a step back, away from the hype, the magazines, the forums and racing and remember why I ride a bike. It's to get exercise, to enjoy the scenery, the fresh air, to be with your mates (was alone today, apart from Hamish the dog, but he doesn't say much), but above all else, to have fun.
So while I am sat here, I find myself looking forward to the weekend's racing and my enthusiasm has returned. Thanks to riding Penhydd.
That trail of course, is Penhydd at Afan Argoed, and I've come to realise that every time my motivation to get out and ride fades, that's the place I go to to get me going again. After the Mountain Mayhem in June and the seemingly endless periods of rain we've had, and having to ride day in day out in the wet conditions, I have found it hard to motivate myself to get out and train. However, today, even though the weather was grim, I decided to go back and ride around Penhydd, and for some reason it made me remember why I do what I do once more.
It's not the longest, hardest, gnarliest, fastest of trails. It's not a "natural" ride, and you don't need a map to find your way around. It hasn't got the newest jumps and bumps or tabletops or berms either. It's just fun. For me, it's a classic trail. And tonight I even managed to make it longer and include some hill intervals as part of this week's training plan.
It also reminds me to take a step back, away from the hype, the magazines, the forums and racing and remember why I ride a bike. It's to get exercise, to enjoy the scenery, the fresh air, to be with your mates (was alone today, apart from Hamish the dog, but he doesn't say much), but above all else, to have fun.
So while I am sat here, I find myself looking forward to the weekend's racing and my enthusiasm has returned. Thanks to riding Penhydd.
Wednesday, 15 July 2009
A MEMORABLE MAYHEM
The results are in and The Bike Mechanic Team came in a very respectable 30th place in the Sport Men's Category, out of a total of 229 teams, completing 25 laps in 24 hours and 7 seconds!
This year the course was 14km long with 350m of climbing, making it a pretty tough course. The Kenda Climb was once again in attendance - a brutal 150m climb over a distance of 1.8km, which consisted of a rutted grassy climb to start, then a steep gravel road climb and then onto some singletrack - plenty to keep the legs and mind occupied. There were a few interesting descents to make it worth the climbs, although some would disagree!
The weather forecast looked good for the weekend with just a few showers, so everything was crossed in Team HQ that we didn't get a repeat of Mountain Mayhem 2008. After a steady practice lap on Friday, the traditional pre-race preparations got underway - BBQ, some light refreshment and socialising with friends who had gathered in our little tent village for the weekend.
Saturday morning came with the seemingly endless wait for the 2pm start, giving plenty of time for the pre-race nerves to kick in. With some light showers during the night came the inevitable mud and after seeing some riders come back from their practice laps covered in sticky mud, panic set in. Did I have the right tyres? Did I have enough clothes? Would it be a repeat of last year's nightmare? So many questions, and so much time to think about all the answers.
Finally it was time for the starting line-up. We decided between us that Mark should do the Le Mans style run and start this year. Mark being the stronger runner would get a headstart from the main pack of riders and give us a strong, fast, first lap. And with a storming 56 minute first lap, the plan worked, and it was time for me to take the second lap in 51 minutes. We were on to a strong start and with Andrew and Jon following on with 56 and 55 minute laps, I had a feeling that things were looking good for the Team.
We continued lapping in sub-hour times until the early hours of the morning when we had some rain, which created some sticky and others slippery sections around the course. Nevertheless, the course remained rideable, and mostly enjoyable.
Once mid morning came, we were on the home straight and we knew we were in for a strong finish. With 3 hours to go, we calculated that if we were quick we would be able to squeeze an extra lap in at the end, but it would be tight. What we didn't appreciate was how tight it was going to be. After Jon's fast last lap the time on the official clock said 23h:07m:08s, meaning Mark would need to complete a sub 53 minute lap. His fastest lap was 50 minutes 42 seconds, so we knew he could do it, but could he do it after already completing 6 fast laps? Our race was on and he set off at blistering pace out of the arena. I was already dressed and ready to ride, and when we saw Mark pass the halfway point on the Kenda climb in 25 minutes, it was time to go and wait in the arena.
It was probably the longest 5 minutes of my life, watching the clock count down to 24 hours. Each tick got steadily louder and all I could focus on was the final corner and straight of the course, looking out for any sign of Mark. Then all of a sudden he appeared and was sprinting towards the change-over point, but it was too late, the hooter went, just as Mark came within 10 metres of the line. The look of disappointment on his face was devastating to see, but he had given it everything, and had finished in style!
The Mayhem this year will not be forgotten in a hurry, and for me, it was one of the best. The Team were excellent, and thanks for all their hard work, not only completing the laps in quick times, but also for being great team mates and friends. Huge thanks go to our support, Louisa and Charlotte, and Anne who joined us for the weekend!
As well as a good performance from The Bike Mechanic Team, there were even better results from good friends of ours. Matt Page, riding for Focus/Wiggle finally realised his dream of winning the 24-hour Solo Men's Category, and even proposed to his fiancé Nia at the finish line! And also, congratulations to Jo Evans, who came 2nd in the 24-hour Solo Women's Category.
Full results can be found on the Original Source Mountain Mayhem website.
This year the course was 14km long with 350m of climbing, making it a pretty tough course. The Kenda Climb was once again in attendance - a brutal 150m climb over a distance of 1.8km, which consisted of a rutted grassy climb to start, then a steep gravel road climb and then onto some singletrack - plenty to keep the legs and mind occupied. There were a few interesting descents to make it worth the climbs, although some would disagree!
The weather forecast looked good for the weekend with just a few showers, so everything was crossed in Team HQ that we didn't get a repeat of Mountain Mayhem 2008. After a steady practice lap on Friday, the traditional pre-race preparations got underway - BBQ, some light refreshment and socialising with friends who had gathered in our little tent village for the weekend.
Saturday morning came with the seemingly endless wait for the 2pm start, giving plenty of time for the pre-race nerves to kick in. With some light showers during the night came the inevitable mud and after seeing some riders come back from their practice laps covered in sticky mud, panic set in. Did I have the right tyres? Did I have enough clothes? Would it be a repeat of last year's nightmare? So many questions, and so much time to think about all the answers.
Finally it was time for the starting line-up. We decided between us that Mark should do the Le Mans style run and start this year. Mark being the stronger runner would get a headstart from the main pack of riders and give us a strong, fast, first lap. And with a storming 56 minute first lap, the plan worked, and it was time for me to take the second lap in 51 minutes. We were on to a strong start and with Andrew and Jon following on with 56 and 55 minute laps, I had a feeling that things were looking good for the Team.
We continued lapping in sub-hour times until the early hours of the morning when we had some rain, which created some sticky and others slippery sections around the course. Nevertheless, the course remained rideable, and mostly enjoyable.
Once mid morning came, we were on the home straight and we knew we were in for a strong finish. With 3 hours to go, we calculated that if we were quick we would be able to squeeze an extra lap in at the end, but it would be tight. What we didn't appreciate was how tight it was going to be. After Jon's fast last lap the time on the official clock said 23h:07m:08s, meaning Mark would need to complete a sub 53 minute lap. His fastest lap was 50 minutes 42 seconds, so we knew he could do it, but could he do it after already completing 6 fast laps? Our race was on and he set off at blistering pace out of the arena. I was already dressed and ready to ride, and when we saw Mark pass the halfway point on the Kenda climb in 25 minutes, it was time to go and wait in the arena.
It was probably the longest 5 minutes of my life, watching the clock count down to 24 hours. Each tick got steadily louder and all I could focus on was the final corner and straight of the course, looking out for any sign of Mark. Then all of a sudden he appeared and was sprinting towards the change-over point, but it was too late, the hooter went, just as Mark came within 10 metres of the line. The look of disappointment on his face was devastating to see, but he had given it everything, and had finished in style!
The Mayhem this year will not be forgotten in a hurry, and for me, it was one of the best. The Team were excellent, and thanks for all their hard work, not only completing the laps in quick times, but also for being great team mates and friends. Huge thanks go to our support, Louisa and Charlotte, and Anne who joined us for the weekend!
As well as a good performance from The Bike Mechanic Team, there were even better results from good friends of ours. Matt Page, riding for Focus/Wiggle finally realised his dream of winning the 24-hour Solo Men's Category, and even proposed to his fiancé Nia at the finish line! And also, congratulations to Jo Evans, who came 2nd in the 24-hour Solo Women's Category.
Full results can be found on the Original Source Mountain Mayhem website.
MEDIA TARTS
Getting recognition on The Bike Mechanic Blog and Bike Radar wasn't enough for our winning singlespeed pairs, Mark and Andrew. They've just made it onto today's edition of The Merthyr Express (Page 47!). They'll be wanting an agent next.
VICTORY AT THE 2009 KONA BRISTOL BIKE FEST
Mark and Andrew, riding for The Bike Mechanic stormed to victory over the weekend at the 2009 Kona Bristol Bikefest, to claim the Men's 12-hour Singlespeed Competition title, completing 17 laps, and winning by a 2 lap margin.
Huw and Jon, also completing 17 laps, finished in a very impressive 8th place in the Men's 12-hour Pairs Competition.
Also, Anne earned another podium position, coming 3rd, riding in the 12-hour Solo Veteran Womens Category.
Full results can be found on www.timelaps.co.uk
So fantastic results for us all! Mark and myself have raced in the Pairs Category for a number of years, but this was Andrew and Jon's first taste of pairs racing.
It was The Bike Mechanic Team's first visit to the Bristol Bikefest so the 10km course was all new to us. It didn't fail to impress however, with long sections of fast twisting singletrack, slippery roots and rocky descents as well as a couple of tough climbs. The race started very wet but as the day wore on, it got steadily drier. We all avoided any major incidents, although I suffered a very annoying 15 minute delay during my 3rd lap with a puncture, 4 broken spokes and a bent rear mech.
I have uploaded the data from my Garmin Edge 705 onto my Motion Based pages for those who love stats and figures.
Congratulations to everyone, and as the 2 pairs from this weekend join to become a team of 4 for the 2009 Original Source Mountain Mayhem in under a fortnight, we should make a very strong team for the Men's 24-hour Competition.
Huw and Jon, also completing 17 laps, finished in a very impressive 8th place in the Men's 12-hour Pairs Competition.
Also, Anne earned another podium position, coming 3rd, riding in the 12-hour Solo Veteran Womens Category.
Full results can be found on www.timelaps.co.uk
So fantastic results for us all! Mark and myself have raced in the Pairs Category for a number of years, but this was Andrew and Jon's first taste of pairs racing.
It was The Bike Mechanic Team's first visit to the Bristol Bikefest so the 10km course was all new to us. It didn't fail to impress however, with long sections of fast twisting singletrack, slippery roots and rocky descents as well as a couple of tough climbs. The race started very wet but as the day wore on, it got steadily drier. We all avoided any major incidents, although I suffered a very annoying 15 minute delay during my 3rd lap with a puncture, 4 broken spokes and a bent rear mech.
I have uploaded the data from my Garmin Edge 705 onto my Motion Based pages for those who love stats and figures.
Congratulations to everyone, and as the 2 pairs from this weekend join to become a team of 4 for the 2009 Original Source Mountain Mayhem in under a fortnight, we should make a very strong team for the Men's 24-hour Competition.
THE BIKE MECHANIC SUPPORTS LÔN LAS CYMRU CHALLENGE
The Bike Mechanic will be supporting brothers Aled and Gwylim Hopkin from Llanharry, South Wales, in August 2009 on their 5-day, 254 mile journey through Wales. Starting in Holyhead, the Lôn Las Cymru trail follows Route 8 of the National Cycle Network and takes in some of Wales’ most breathtaking scenery, riding across three mountain ranges and finally ending in Cardiff Bay.
They will be raising money for the Gareth Thomas Memorial Fund, and will be raising awareness of Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY), a charity that works towards raising awareness of Sudden Death Syndrome (SDS) and campaigns for proactive screening of young people. It offers help and support to those who have suffered a loss, provides medical information, carries out Mobile Cardiac Screening and ECG Testing Programmes within local communities and contributes to medical research.
Gareth Thomas, who Aled and Gwylim knew from a very young age, died in his sleep from an undiagnosed heart problem aged 21 years, on February 25 2007. This was a huge shock to them, especially as he was fit and healthy. Gareth’s parents, Anne and Trevor, set up a memorial fund in Gareth’s name to raise funds for the wonderful work that CRY do.
The Bike Mechanic will be supporting Aled and Gwylim to ensure that their bikes are fit and in working order for the challenge and provide them with some essential spares, and this year's riding tops to wear on the way.
If you would like to donate to this very worthy cause, please visit their Just Giving site.
They will be raising money for the Gareth Thomas Memorial Fund, and will be raising awareness of Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY), a charity that works towards raising awareness of Sudden Death Syndrome (SDS) and campaigns for proactive screening of young people. It offers help and support to those who have suffered a loss, provides medical information, carries out Mobile Cardiac Screening and ECG Testing Programmes within local communities and contributes to medical research.
Gareth Thomas, who Aled and Gwylim knew from a very young age, died in his sleep from an undiagnosed heart problem aged 21 years, on February 25 2007. This was a huge shock to them, especially as he was fit and healthy. Gareth’s parents, Anne and Trevor, set up a memorial fund in Gareth’s name to raise funds for the wonderful work that CRY do.
The Bike Mechanic will be supporting Aled and Gwylim to ensure that their bikes are fit and in working order for the challenge and provide them with some essential spares, and this year's riding tops to wear on the way.
If you would like to donate to this very worthy cause, please visit their Just Giving site.
NEW SEASON, NEW LOOK
The Bike Mechanic website has had a spring clean and a fresh new look to match this year's team colours by Jim at Powerspike, designer and host of this site. Hope you like it!
ANOTHER HOWIES DYFI ENDURO MUG
I've earned another Howies Dyfi Enduro mug to add to the collection! Jon and I had a very enjoyable day out at the Dyfi. We both did very well. Out of 665 riders this year, I completed the course in 3 hours 28 minutes which earned me a 46th place overall, which I'm very pleased about, and Jon came in 242nd completing the course in 4 hours 24 minutes.
After a week of April showers and sunshine before Sunday we expected the course to be very wet, but it was in surprisingly good condition apart from one particularly muddy, slippery descent and a few shin-deep puddles that I found myself in at times.
The course was longer and seemed tougher this year but it may have been down to me being further up the field battling to keep my forty-something position that I found myself in early on during the event. Being higher up the field was a new experience to me and I found it tough having to constantly watch over my shoulder for riders gaining on me. One thing it did do was to give me the incentive to keep pushing hard up the climbs.
The course was 53km long (plus an additional 10km road ride to get back to Machynlleth at the end), with approximately 1,900m climbing. For those who enjoy stats and figures or would just like to know the route, I have uploaded the data from my Garmin Edge 705 onto Motion Based.
The route took us up seemingly endless climbs, only for us to lose the height which we gained within minutes, down steep, shaley descents which if you messed up, had the potential to slice open any exposed skin.
It got difficult towards the end and with 10km to go I ran out of water, which wasn't ideal as I had the dreaded "bonus climb" that the first 200 riders have the pleasure of completing before the last descent. I was however met at the bottom of the climb with a gorilla offering a banana, which helped my mood and hunger! After what seemed like hours, I finally reached the top and cramp started settling in, but fortunately it was downhill from here to the end.
So, another great Howies Dyfi Enduro, and a great start to the season, which hopefully, will only improve from here.
After a week of April showers and sunshine before Sunday we expected the course to be very wet, but it was in surprisingly good condition apart from one particularly muddy, slippery descent and a few shin-deep puddles that I found myself in at times.
The course was longer and seemed tougher this year but it may have been down to me being further up the field battling to keep my forty-something position that I found myself in early on during the event. Being higher up the field was a new experience to me and I found it tough having to constantly watch over my shoulder for riders gaining on me. One thing it did do was to give me the incentive to keep pushing hard up the climbs.
The course was 53km long (plus an additional 10km road ride to get back to Machynlleth at the end), with approximately 1,900m climbing. For those who enjoy stats and figures or would just like to know the route, I have uploaded the data from my Garmin Edge 705 onto Motion Based.
The route took us up seemingly endless climbs, only for us to lose the height which we gained within minutes, down steep, shaley descents which if you messed up, had the potential to slice open any exposed skin.
It got difficult towards the end and with 10km to go I ran out of water, which wasn't ideal as I had the dreaded "bonus climb" that the first 200 riders have the pleasure of completing before the last descent. I was however met at the bottom of the climb with a gorilla offering a banana, which helped my mood and hunger! After what seemed like hours, I finally reached the top and cramp started settling in, but fortunately it was downhill from here to the end.
So, another great Howies Dyfi Enduro, and a great start to the season, which hopefully, will only improve from here.
2009 HOWIES DYFI ENDURO
Only 3 days to go before the "official" start of The Bike Mechanic Team's racing season. Jon and Huw are due to ride at the Howies Dyfi Enduro starting in Machynlleth at 10am. Look out for us in our new tops. Report to follow next week! Good luck all.
2009 TEAM RIDING TOPS
Our 2009 riding tops are ready for this season's events, modelled by me below.
RACE ENTRIES 2009
It's that time of year again when the entries for the main 2009 events are released, and The Bike Mechanic Team are already entered into various events, including:
3rd May - Howies Dyfi Enduro
Huw Thomas
Jon Whittaker
6th June - Kona Bristol Bikefest
12-hour Mens Pairs
Huw Thomas & Jon Whittaker
12-hour Mens Pairs Singlespeed
Andrew James & Mark Deacon
19th June - Original Source Mountain Mayhem
24-hour Mens Team
Andrew James, Jon Whittaker, Huw Thomas & Mark Deacon
25th July - Bontrager TwentyFour12
24-hour Mens Pairs
Huw Thomas & Mark Deacon
24-hour Mens Solo
Jon Whittaker
12th September - Kona Cheddar Bikefest
10-hour Mens Solo
Huw Thomas
10-hour Mens Solo Singlespeed
Mark Deacon
10-hour Womens Solo
Anne Pitman
So, all in all Summer 2009 is set to be busy for us all! More news to follow.
3rd May - Howies Dyfi Enduro
Huw Thomas
Jon Whittaker
6th June - Kona Bristol Bikefest
12-hour Mens Pairs
Huw Thomas & Jon Whittaker
12-hour Mens Pairs Singlespeed
Andrew James & Mark Deacon
19th June - Original Source Mountain Mayhem
24-hour Mens Team
Andrew James, Jon Whittaker, Huw Thomas & Mark Deacon
25th July - Bontrager TwentyFour12
24-hour Mens Pairs
Huw Thomas & Mark Deacon
24-hour Mens Solo
Jon Whittaker
12th September - Kona Cheddar Bikefest
10-hour Mens Solo
Huw Thomas
10-hour Mens Solo Singlespeed
Mark Deacon
10-hour Womens Solo
Anne Pitman
So, all in all Summer 2009 is set to be busy for us all! More news to follow.
SNOW RIDES
A remarkable spell of winter weather left us with about 4 inches of snow yesterday, not the ideal conditions for a training ride, but the thought of staying indoors over my lunch hour, watching TV whilst spinning on a turbo trainer to get some quality training done instead of venturing out and having some fun riding was enough for me to put on the thermals, dust down the singlespeed and head out into the local hills for a blast in the snow.
It was a wonderful ride. I was the only one to have ventured out into the snow, apart from a few animals that had left their tracks overnight. The dry powdery snow made it very hard going in some places, but sliding, slipping and skidding (gracefully, and in a controlled manner of course....) brought about a huge smile and some very loud laughs from myself.... probably a good thing that I was the only one there.
Even though it hampered my riding "plan" for the day, the change in conditions and the idyllic scenery made it a fun ride and stopped my current 6-day-a-week training plan from getting stale.
It was a wonderful ride. I was the only one to have ventured out into the snow, apart from a few animals that had left their tracks overnight. The dry powdery snow made it very hard going in some places, but sliding, slipping and skidding (gracefully, and in a controlled manner of course....) brought about a huge smile and some very loud laughs from myself.... probably a good thing that I was the only one there.
Even though it hampered my riding "plan" for the day, the change in conditions and the idyllic scenery made it a fun ride and stopped my current 6-day-a-week training plan from getting stale.
RETURN FROM THE FREEZER
The Bike Mechanic Team are back from the Strathpuffer 24 after a weekend of gruelling riding in some of the most varied conditions I, for one, have ever ridden in.
The event started off with some bad news for the team. Mike had to pull out after suffering from a chest infection for a few weeks leading up to the event, and without an immediate replacement we were suddenly faced with competing with a man down.
Despite the near freezing temperatures, the weather was surprisingly good on the Friday while we set up camp, and indeed Saturday morning brought dry and sunny skies, a most welcome surprise from the wet summer events we'd had in 2008!
The Strathpuffer 24 course offers, in my opinion, one of the most enjoyable, possibly most challenging courses of all the 24-hour mountain biking events in the UK at least. This year, the course was approximately 10km in length with nearly 300m of ascent per lap. The course provides a mix of technical, rocky, and fast, flowing descents, with long climbs, sometimes very steep, but very little opportunity of recovery between the descents and ascents, making it a tough course when combined with the weather and course conditions.
The event started at 10am, with David riding the first lap for the team. He put in a blistering lap time of 35 minutes, which was followed by 2 very fast laps by myself and Jon (37 minutes and 42 minutes respectively). We then moved onto riding double laps in order for us to have some rest between laps.
The fast course times continued and we found ourselves well within the top 10 teams for the opening hours of the event. We continued the pace for several hours but once darkness fell, being a rider down in the team took its toll and we began to tire from trying to keep the pace up against the full teams of 4. The lap times increased and the weather finally began to deteriorate during the night, bringing colder temperatures, stronger winds, and snow.
I found myself riding 3 laps in almost blizzard conditions around 2am. David took over in the early hours for another 3 laps and Jon did his final lap during daybreak. With just over an hour to go, I went out for the team's final lap. I was dreading the conditions but to my surprise the course and surrounding area was covered with a thick layer of snow, making my final lap one of the most enjoyable and scenic laps I've ridden at an event.
I crossed the line for the team just after the 10am finish time, completing the event with 25 laps, finishing in 32nd place. Considering we were only a team of 3, we are pleased, however looking back at the results, if we'd had Mike with us, we would have finished well within the top 15, possibly top 10 teams. With that in mind, a return in 2010 will be in order to prove a point!
A big thanks to Jon and David for being great team mates and for putting in such a big effort. And get well soon Mike, and a huge thanks for supporting us at the event despite not being well.
Full results can be found on the Sportident Website
The event started off with some bad news for the team. Mike had to pull out after suffering from a chest infection for a few weeks leading up to the event, and without an immediate replacement we were suddenly faced with competing with a man down.
Despite the near freezing temperatures, the weather was surprisingly good on the Friday while we set up camp, and indeed Saturday morning brought dry and sunny skies, a most welcome surprise from the wet summer events we'd had in 2008!
The Strathpuffer 24 course offers, in my opinion, one of the most enjoyable, possibly most challenging courses of all the 24-hour mountain biking events in the UK at least. This year, the course was approximately 10km in length with nearly 300m of ascent per lap. The course provides a mix of technical, rocky, and fast, flowing descents, with long climbs, sometimes very steep, but very little opportunity of recovery between the descents and ascents, making it a tough course when combined with the weather and course conditions.
The event started at 10am, with David riding the first lap for the team. He put in a blistering lap time of 35 minutes, which was followed by 2 very fast laps by myself and Jon (37 minutes and 42 minutes respectively). We then moved onto riding double laps in order for us to have some rest between laps.
The fast course times continued and we found ourselves well within the top 10 teams for the opening hours of the event. We continued the pace for several hours but once darkness fell, being a rider down in the team took its toll and we began to tire from trying to keep the pace up against the full teams of 4. The lap times increased and the weather finally began to deteriorate during the night, bringing colder temperatures, stronger winds, and snow.
I found myself riding 3 laps in almost blizzard conditions around 2am. David took over in the early hours for another 3 laps and Jon did his final lap during daybreak. With just over an hour to go, I went out for the team's final lap. I was dreading the conditions but to my surprise the course and surrounding area was covered with a thick layer of snow, making my final lap one of the most enjoyable and scenic laps I've ridden at an event.
I crossed the line for the team just after the 10am finish time, completing the event with 25 laps, finishing in 32nd place. Considering we were only a team of 3, we are pleased, however looking back at the results, if we'd had Mike with us, we would have finished well within the top 15, possibly top 10 teams. With that in mind, a return in 2010 will be in order to prove a point!
A big thanks to Jon and David for being great team mates and for putting in such a big effort. And get well soon Mike, and a huge thanks for supporting us at the event despite not being well.
Full results can be found on the Sportident Website
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
A very happy new year from The Bike Mechanic! Since the last post we've had a very cold spell of weather and some excellent dry conditions to ride in preparation for next week's Strathpuffer 24.
We're all set for our trip up to Scotland, and local reports from there suggest that the course will be very enjoyable. All there is to say for now is good luck to The Bike Mechanic Team and all who are taking part. Race report to follow....
We're all set for our trip up to Scotland, and local reports from there suggest that the course will be very enjoyable. All there is to say for now is good luck to The Bike Mechanic Team and all who are taking part. Race report to follow....
STRATHPUFFER 24 2009
News just in.... The Bike Mechanic Team will be making an early start to the 2009 season, returning to race in the depths of the Scottish winter at the Strathpuffer 24, which claims to be the toughest of all 24-hour endurance races.
After coming a respectable 24th place at the 2008 event with Dan Taylor and Mark, Huw and Jon will be returning to better their performance, but this time teaming up with Scottish locals, Mike Wann and David Wilby, who raced against (and beat) The Bike Mechanic Team in 2008.
Time to dig out those woolly socks and thermals....
After coming a respectable 24th place at the 2008 event with Dan Taylor and Mark, Huw and Jon will be returning to better their performance, but this time teaming up with Scottish locals, Mike Wann and David Wilby, who raced against (and beat) The Bike Mechanic Team in 2008.
Time to dig out those woolly socks and thermals....
NEW TEAM MEMBER
After riding for us a couple of times this year at the Strathpuffer and the Kona Cheddar Bike Fest, Jon Whittaker has agreed to ride for The Bike Mechanic Team at various events for 2009.
Being the keen rider he is, he has already entered the Bontrager Twentyfour12 on the 25/26 July 2009, attempting his first solo 24-hour race.
The rest of us will be there in some shape or form, but we'll decide at a later date....
Being the keen rider he is, he has already entered the Bontrager Twentyfour12 on the 25/26 July 2009, attempting his first solo 24-hour race.
The rest of us will be there in some shape or form, but we'll decide at a later date....
KONA CHEDDAR BIKEFEST RESULTS
The team have just returned from this year's Kona Cheddar Bike Fest with some excellent results in their respective solo categories. Full results can be found here.
Huw's write up....
The Cheddar Bikefest was one of the events I was most looking forward to this year and it was my final event for 2008. After great results from this year's other events, the pressure was on to produce an equally good individual performance to finish off the season for us.
After a practice lap late Friday afternoon, I knew the event would be tough and I wasn't disappointed. I started off with a good short Le Mans style run and was in the front pack starting the race, perhaps starting off a bit too quickly. Nevertheless I got into a steady rhythm, lapping between 18 and 22 minutes for the first few hours. After a few laps I was told I was in 4th position which really put the pressure on.
However, the faster-than-normal pace started to take its toll around the halfway mark and my lap times started to increase and I soon dropped back to about 6th place, which was a huge disappointment and it was a mental challenge to keep going. I decided I had to stop for a breather and something to eat. After a lot of encouragement from the team and others in the soloist's area I was back out and managed to pick my spirits, and the pace, up.
I lost count of the number of laps I had done and I spent the next couple of hours riding steadily and was constantly on the look out for the 2 soloists that had overtaken me. With this goal in mind, the riding became easier and with less than 2 hours to go to the end I had managed to pick my way back up to 4th place (I still don't know where or when I overtook the others!). I started counting down the laps and darkness soon fell, and I knew I was nearing the end of the race.
The last lap was a blur although I was pleased and happy that Mark caught up with me on his final lap and we rode in over the finishing line together. The sense of achievement of finishing my first 10-hour solo race and finishing as high as I did will be with me for a long time, and will certainly be an incentive to do well next year.
A singlespeeder's perspective, from Mark....
I was ready for the Cheddar bike fest this year. Last year I entered it fairly blind and naive not least because I was new to single speeding but also because I didn’t pre-ride the course. However this year I felt much better prepared. I had inadvertently ridden all my laps at SITS on my SS 29er, then purposely ridden the Brecon Beast…..all 109Km of it again on my 29er so I was really up for it.
My practice lap on Friday afternoon in the beautiful autumn sunshine was well worth it. I now knew where to go for it and when to accept defeat, push the bike and conserve energy. Roll on Saturday 10am.
I got off to a good start; I knew there were 6 of us altogether riding single speed solo so I kept my eye out for them. I didn’t see another SS rider for the first lap, but on my second lap I had a puncture, as I was replacing my tube, all the other 5 riders went by! I couldn’t believe it, I was gutted. But that’s the way it goes.
I carried on, lap after lap, I lost count after a while but was having a great time, the course was so much fun and all the riders were friendly and encouraging when they realised I was a solo rider (heaven knows where the other SS riders were though!) The laps and hours went by (and so did another 3 punctures) I was sure I was in last place. Then on the climb that over-looked the lake where the switchbacks were, two SS riders were sat down taking in the view! One of them was a pairs rider, and the other was a chap I’d met whilst riding the Beast two weeks before who I knew was riding solo. We got chatting (just the usual inane stuff strangers on the course talk about) but when he dropped in “I think this is my 12th lap”, I knew I’d done more than that……I couldn’t be in last place after all!! That was all I was interested in – beating my place of the previous year.
Once my watch passed the 7pm mark I seemed to get a new lease of life knowing there was only an hour left. With encouragement and persuasion from Lou and Charlotte it was possible for me to get 2 more laps in before the 8pm cut off so I went for it. I shouted for ‘malt loaf’ as I passed our support team and headed out on what was to be my final lap with a mouth full of Soreen. Half way up the first climb I spotted the all too familiar blue stripe on a fellow solo riders number board and went through the usual “how’re you doin’ mate?”……and of all the riders on the course it turned out to be Huw, what a stroke of luck! I was so pleased to see him. We chatted (or grunted at each other!) as we grinded our way through our last lap and crossed the finish line together just as we’d crossed the start line together 10 hours previously.
I’d heard of Huw’s progress from Lou & Charlotte during my rest stops so I knew where he was in the rankings, but I had no idea where I had finished. I genuinely believed I’d finished last but one. I went to have a look at the results board mainly out of morbid curiosity…..and I still can’t believe I discovered I’d finished in 3rd place having completed 23 laps. I was completely and utterly blown away. Had I read the screen wrong? Was I hallucinating through an overdose of energy gels and sausage rolls? A podium place…..me?! I’d like to say I was speechless, the reality however was the total opposite…..gift of the gab!
I finished on a total high and the euphoria will stay with me for a long long time. For me, Cheddar is my singlespeed event for the year. I think for next year I will try a different gear ratio maybe try something a little more forgiving for the climbs at the sacrifice of having to peddle like a demon on the small amount of flat course at the venue.
All in all, a great race, a great venue and a fantastic atmosphere – roll on 2009
- Huw : 4th in the 10 hour Solo Men's Competitive Category with 26 laps
- Mark : 3rd in the 10 hour Singelspeed Men's Competitive Category with 23 laps
- Jon : 6th in the 10 hour Solo Men's Fun Category with 20 laps
- Anne Pitman : 2nd in the 10 hour Solo Women's Competitive Category with 22 laps
Huw's write up....
The Cheddar Bikefest was one of the events I was most looking forward to this year and it was my final event for 2008. After great results from this year's other events, the pressure was on to produce an equally good individual performance to finish off the season for us.
After a practice lap late Friday afternoon, I knew the event would be tough and I wasn't disappointed. I started off with a good short Le Mans style run and was in the front pack starting the race, perhaps starting off a bit too quickly. Nevertheless I got into a steady rhythm, lapping between 18 and 22 minutes for the first few hours. After a few laps I was told I was in 4th position which really put the pressure on.
However, the faster-than-normal pace started to take its toll around the halfway mark and my lap times started to increase and I soon dropped back to about 6th place, which was a huge disappointment and it was a mental challenge to keep going. I decided I had to stop for a breather and something to eat. After a lot of encouragement from the team and others in the soloist's area I was back out and managed to pick my spirits, and the pace, up.
I lost count of the number of laps I had done and I spent the next couple of hours riding steadily and was constantly on the look out for the 2 soloists that had overtaken me. With this goal in mind, the riding became easier and with less than 2 hours to go to the end I had managed to pick my way back up to 4th place (I still don't know where or when I overtook the others!). I started counting down the laps and darkness soon fell, and I knew I was nearing the end of the race.
The last lap was a blur although I was pleased and happy that Mark caught up with me on his final lap and we rode in over the finishing line together. The sense of achievement of finishing my first 10-hour solo race and finishing as high as I did will be with me for a long time, and will certainly be an incentive to do well next year.
A singlespeeder's perspective, from Mark....
I was ready for the Cheddar bike fest this year. Last year I entered it fairly blind and naive not least because I was new to single speeding but also because I didn’t pre-ride the course. However this year I felt much better prepared. I had inadvertently ridden all my laps at SITS on my SS 29er, then purposely ridden the Brecon Beast…..all 109Km of it again on my 29er so I was really up for it.
My practice lap on Friday afternoon in the beautiful autumn sunshine was well worth it. I now knew where to go for it and when to accept defeat, push the bike and conserve energy. Roll on Saturday 10am.
I got off to a good start; I knew there were 6 of us altogether riding single speed solo so I kept my eye out for them. I didn’t see another SS rider for the first lap, but on my second lap I had a puncture, as I was replacing my tube, all the other 5 riders went by! I couldn’t believe it, I was gutted. But that’s the way it goes.
I carried on, lap after lap, I lost count after a while but was having a great time, the course was so much fun and all the riders were friendly and encouraging when they realised I was a solo rider (heaven knows where the other SS riders were though!) The laps and hours went by (and so did another 3 punctures) I was sure I was in last place. Then on the climb that over-looked the lake where the switchbacks were, two SS riders were sat down taking in the view! One of them was a pairs rider, and the other was a chap I’d met whilst riding the Beast two weeks before who I knew was riding solo. We got chatting (just the usual inane stuff strangers on the course talk about) but when he dropped in “I think this is my 12th lap”, I knew I’d done more than that……I couldn’t be in last place after all!! That was all I was interested in – beating my place of the previous year.
Once my watch passed the 7pm mark I seemed to get a new lease of life knowing there was only an hour left. With encouragement and persuasion from Lou and Charlotte it was possible for me to get 2 more laps in before the 8pm cut off so I went for it. I shouted for ‘malt loaf’ as I passed our support team and headed out on what was to be my final lap with a mouth full of Soreen. Half way up the first climb I spotted the all too familiar blue stripe on a fellow solo riders number board and went through the usual “how’re you doin’ mate?”……and of all the riders on the course it turned out to be Huw, what a stroke of luck! I was so pleased to see him. We chatted (or grunted at each other!) as we grinded our way through our last lap and crossed the finish line together just as we’d crossed the start line together 10 hours previously.
I’d heard of Huw’s progress from Lou & Charlotte during my rest stops so I knew where he was in the rankings, but I had no idea where I had finished. I genuinely believed I’d finished last but one. I went to have a look at the results board mainly out of morbid curiosity…..and I still can’t believe I discovered I’d finished in 3rd place having completed 23 laps. I was completely and utterly blown away. Had I read the screen wrong? Was I hallucinating through an overdose of energy gels and sausage rolls? A podium place…..me?! I’d like to say I was speechless, the reality however was the total opposite…..gift of the gab!
I finished on a total high and the euphoria will stay with me for a long long time. For me, Cheddar is my singlespeed event for the year. I think for next year I will try a different gear ratio maybe try something a little more forgiving for the climbs at the sacrifice of having to peddle like a demon on the small amount of flat course at the venue.
All in all, a great race, a great venue and a fantastic atmosphere – roll on 2009
BRECON BEAST 2008 RESULTS
Well done to Mark and Andrew who completed the full 100km last weekend. Mark finished in 6 hours 11 minutes on his 29er Singlespeed, while Andrew followed, finishing in 6 hours 59 minutes.
BRECON BEACONS BEAST 2008
Good luck to Mark and Andrew who will be riding at this weekend's (Sunday 14th September) Brecon Beast Enduro, riding the full 100km! Lets hope they won't need wetsuits and a snorkel after the recent wet weather.
KONA CHEDDAR BIKE FEST
The team will be going solo at this year's Kona Cheddar Bike Fest on the 27th September, with Huw entered in the Competition Men's Solo 10-hour category and Mark in the Men's Singlespeed Solo 10-hour category. Jon Whittaker will also be making a return to the team entered in the Fun Men's Solo 10-hour category.
SLEEPLESS IN THE SADDLE : MUDFEST PART 2
What can I say?! It started off muddy, and it ended muddy. One front of heavy rained followed the other throughout the weekend making the race both physically and mentally draining. It was a shame because this year saw some welcome extra sections of singletrack on the course to keep it interesting.
We kept our nerve during the first 12 hours, but our morale and enthusiasm deteriorated during the night, which showed in our placings, dropping us to about 25th during the night. Fortunately for us, it was difficult for everyone and some determined laps during the early hours of Sunday and a final push towards the end of the race brought us back into the Top 10.
I'd like to say it was fun in the mud, but not this time, but we are over the moon with our 9th place.
We kept our nerve during the first 12 hours, but our morale and enthusiasm deteriorated during the night, which showed in our placings, dropping us to about 25th during the night. Fortunately for us, it was difficult for everyone and some determined laps during the early hours of Sunday and a final push towards the end of the race brought us back into the Top 10.
I'd like to say it was fun in the mud, but not this time, but we are over the moon with our 9th place.
MOUNTAIN MAYHEM : MUDFEST PART 1
The Bike Mechanic Race Team were in attendance at the 11th Giant Mountain Mayhem, competing in the Men's Sport Team Category. This year's Mountain Mayhem team were Huw Thomas, Mark Deacon, Andrew James and Michael Wann, who came 56th out of 248 teams in the Sport Men's category.
Full results can be found on the 2008 Giant Mountain Mayhem website .
The weekend started with the traditional camp setup, barbeque and socialising and as ever, we all came prepared for all eventualities.
Well prepared! Mark, Huw and Andrew
The Friday afternoon sunshine and dry conditions put us in the mood for a leisurely pre-race ride around the course. This year's course was, for me, one of the best and included some nice sections of singletrack, some fun steps and even a pretty tight and steep switchback! The climbs were of a reasonable length but none of the usual "leg-burners" that brought tears to your eyes in the middle of the night on previous years.
Unfortunately, Saturday morning brought about the promise of rain with very heavy looking clouds above the site, and there was a flurry of activity around the campsite with people busy changing to mud-tyres. After a leisurely morning of eating breakfast, enjoying the atmosphere and browsing the stalls, it was time to get ready for the main event. Starting off for us was Huw, who had to run the half mile Le Mans style start, and having to battle his way through the usual middle-of-the-pack congestion throughout the first lap. Even so, he did it with a smile.
Huw at the top of the first climb (Photograph by Matt Cope)
Mike, Andrew and Mark followed with quick laps to bring us up into the top 100 teams. The next set of laps saw us climb up the positions and into the night stage. The weather and conditions deteriorated from there, with people having to drag, push and carry their bikes through ankle deep, sticky mud for the best part of 8 hours throughout the night. The low point must have been Mike's seemingly never-ending double laps during a downpour, however one thing was certain, we weren't the only team suffering! We soldiered on and kept up the encouragement and dawn brought about a change in the weather and the course soon started drying out to make the final hours of the race more enjoyable. Andrew completed our race with the final lap, bring our lap tally to a respectable 20 laps (5 laps each) in just under 24 hours and 5 minutes.
There were many times during the race when we all vowed never to enter the event again, but after some sleep, and now that our bikes and clothes are washed, we are all looking forward to entering again in 2009!
Andrew, Mike, Mark and Huw after completing the 24-hour event
Full results can be found on the 2008 Giant Mountain Mayhem website .
The weekend started with the traditional camp setup, barbeque and socialising and as ever, we all came prepared for all eventualities.
Well prepared! Mark, Huw and Andrew
The Friday afternoon sunshine and dry conditions put us in the mood for a leisurely pre-race ride around the course. This year's course was, for me, one of the best and included some nice sections of singletrack, some fun steps and even a pretty tight and steep switchback! The climbs were of a reasonable length but none of the usual "leg-burners" that brought tears to your eyes in the middle of the night on previous years.
Unfortunately, Saturday morning brought about the promise of rain with very heavy looking clouds above the site, and there was a flurry of activity around the campsite with people busy changing to mud-tyres. After a leisurely morning of eating breakfast, enjoying the atmosphere and browsing the stalls, it was time to get ready for the main event. Starting off for us was Huw, who had to run the half mile Le Mans style start, and having to battle his way through the usual middle-of-the-pack congestion throughout the first lap. Even so, he did it with a smile.
Huw at the top of the first climb (Photograph by Matt Cope)
Mike, Andrew and Mark followed with quick laps to bring us up into the top 100 teams. The next set of laps saw us climb up the positions and into the night stage. The weather and conditions deteriorated from there, with people having to drag, push and carry their bikes through ankle deep, sticky mud for the best part of 8 hours throughout the night. The low point must have been Mike's seemingly never-ending double laps during a downpour, however one thing was certain, we weren't the only team suffering! We soldiered on and kept up the encouragement and dawn brought about a change in the weather and the course soon started drying out to make the final hours of the race more enjoyable. Andrew completed our race with the final lap, bring our lap tally to a respectable 20 laps (5 laps each) in just under 24 hours and 5 minutes.
There were many times during the race when we all vowed never to enter the event again, but after some sleep, and now that our bikes and clothes are washed, we are all looking forward to entering again in 2009!
Andrew, Mike, Mark and Huw after completing the 24-hour event
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