Don't get a lot of xc racing these days and 24hour races have disappeared so just wanted to highlight what a great event this was. Did the 6 hour as a pair with my son aged 14. Had a great time and he really enjoyed it. Tough course competitive racing but all done with the right spirit. He wants to try the 12 hour next year!
I was also lent a Spesh Epic by my local shop Banjo Cycles/Newbury Concept Store.....was very nice and much faster than me!!
Nice! I used to enjoy the 24:12, but the 6 hour drive & years of wet weather took it's toll.
Our team did 10 years straight, but I think the last one we did was around 2016.
Good to see that it's been revived/rebranded and that you both had a good time! I guess the course is similar to the old 24:12 route?
I was also lent a Spesh Epic by my local shop Banjo Cycles/Newbury Concept Store.....was very nice and much faster than me!!
Aha, I think we had a brief chat on the start line. My son and I were just behind you and commenting on the yellow/gold accents on the green frame.
We both did the 12 hr pairs. Wife and son were the faster team and a mate and I were the much slower vet team. But we lasted the 12hrs so happy with that. Fun course, great descents. I wish I had some firepower to smash the climbs, but will have to do some more riding before next year for that. But it was a great social and fun weekend. Really good to see the event growing again with more riders, a bigger arena and more catering. The pizzas were really good, especially at midnight when we had finished.
I was there supporting a friend in the six hour, who managed to puncture early on the first lap and end up dead last, then got overly excited overtaking people for two laps, then cramped and abandoned after 4 laps.
Nice to bump into AA in person, it's been a few years! Also chatted to a few others I'd not seen for 10-15 years.
Pizzas were great, even if I did no riding to earn one.
Good to see that it's been revived/rebranded and that you both had a good time! I guess the course is similar to the old 24:12 route?
Yes, very close to one of the old longer 24:12 courses. It was 8.5 miles and had the road climb, bluebell woods, then some newer sections including an A/B line. A was a couple of loamy bombholes, and gave good exit speed onto the straight that followed. Plenty of short punchy climbs, a bit more bluebell wood, then the rocky bombholes, cottage return, river run, campsite, then cross back over to a bit more river run and then the shooting cabins area before re-crossing the river and a climb back up to the manor house and fast decent to the bridge and back to the arena. (I think I have all that right).
Good course!
Was an excellent course. Did the 12hr solo and planning on the same next year. Only managed 9 laps due to needing to keep stopping most laps to refill a bottle. With a bit more organisation I'd have got another 1 or 2 laps in.
Things I need for next year:
Comfortable camping chair to save my back.
Loads more bike bottles and a bigger table to save time and get more laps in.
Some kind of wash station to wash my hands/face
Anyone have a link to the Photographers? Don't know how many there were but the one by the little rock jump looked like a good spot.
I was in a 12 hour pair. Illness and a lighting problem kept us down to 10 laps between midday and 9, and half a lap after that!
It was good being back in Newnham. I did plenty of the 24/12*s, and some Newnham 90 things as well, so the course was very familiar. I was forcing myself to slow it down on Cottage Return as I got more tired because crashing at that speed wouldn't have been pleasant! I was too fast and ragged on occasions though - just luck that I stayed on track. I thoroughly enjoyed and am already looking forward to next year.
Sadly though, we had a flat tyre in the car on the way home. £300 to sort out and a 5 hour journey home instead of 3 and a half! I was so tired when I got home that I watched the same TdF highlights twice without realising.
* I should have taken a selection of 24/12 t-shirts.
Well that was great to be back at Newnham Park for 3six12 the course was ace I have to say had it all climbs, ace singletrack, the sweeping bends in the field. Pizza's ace, coffee, and the bacon roll hit the spot in the morning and a beer at the end..
Was also great to see under 16 riders out to. Big well done to the 3six12 team.
Well we be back next year yep I think so with more mates along to.
