- 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
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