Respect to MTBers

[Brahan]

Just home from Thetford 12 hour, Dusk till Dawn ride. We had a team of three. Each doing a lap before handing the timing chip to the next rider. I've been hauling Time Trials for the last 3 years but they serve as little preparation to be honest. It rained ALL night and having to put wet clothes back on to take a turn at the 10.6 mile course tested the most focused of attitudes. Thanks to the rain and 1000 odd cyclists, the route was a complete mudbath.

The conditions didn't seem to register with some of the riders though. Some of the top guys were awesome, passing me like I'm standing still and threading the needle through the tight, tree littered downhill sections. Opened my eyes big time to what is a hugely fulfilling way to spend your time.

 

[mr Mag00]

welcome to the great world of off road!

 

[derrick]

I love them both, don't do any comps just riding through the forest, single track bit of downhill, just enjoy being on a bike, loking for a new mtb at the mo, the one i have now is a good ten years old, need to update.

 

[Kirstie]

Ha ha we were there too! It was CARNAGE and MASSIVE fun. We've been a few times now. I used to race pairs category but last night I was pit crew for a team of 4.
The course was absolutely fantastic, one of the best they've put together. As time ticked by you could practically see your bank balance shrinking with all of the damage being done to the bike by the delightful thetford grit. We were thinking how idyllic a race it would have been if it had been last weekend - apparently that was the original plan. Oh well... front and rear crudcatchers, decent mud tyres, spare pads and several changes of clothes saw us right.

 

[User482]

Now you've done a 12, you can try your first 24-hour. When you've done that, you can do it solo. Then do it solo on a singlespeed.

BTW - I've done just one (muddy and wet) 24-hour race, as a team of four, and I was on my knees afterwards.

 

[lukesdad]

Well done. By the way all these team events, is there something you re not telling us ? maybe a big sponsorship deal in the offing perhaps ?

 

[Brahan]

Well done. By the way all these team events, is there something you re not telling us ? maybe a big sponsorship deal in the offing perhaps ?

Hah, no chance of that. But I do have another team event next March. Another 8 up TTT in Italy with the lads.

But the fact is, I ride with a team to help hide how slow I am. We finished 11 out of 57 teams. My quickest lap of 4 was 58 minutes, we did a reccy of the course as a team before the event started and finished it in 55. The quick guys did it in 40 minutes. MENTAL.

I rode a 13 year old steel frame Kona Fire Mountain and the crank kept coming loose. The first time it loosened, I didn't have any tools, so I kept having to tighten it with my fingers and pedal with 1 leg mostly. Also, because I only had flat pedals on the bike, I decided to swap them for my road pedals and shoes, this made for a hell of a lot of tricky, foot down moments. The other laps I took the tool but because there was mud in the allen bolt, I couldn't get enough purchase to tighten it up fully, so I had to stop loads again. It was a nightmare and is what ultimately cost us from doing another lap which would have boosted us up the rankings a bit. Meh.

There was a huge amount of fun and comradeship throughout the whole event, both on and off the course.

The deep bruises are just beginning to show in my legs and my wrists, ankles, elbows, shoulders, neck, arms and legs are still sore.

 

[pshore]

I was there and in the same category. We came 31st and as race virgins we were quite pleased. Loads more room for improvement and tempted by: one more lap and we would gave got into the top 16.

On my lap 3, our teams 7th I was going only marginally faster than a solo rider so had a brief chat thinking it might help his morale. Turns out he was on his 8th lap. Totally amazing effort, especially because of the mudbath.

Great atmosphere and great to be able to ride side by side with some very fit people! Definitely will be back next year.