[Closed] Bontrager 24/12 2012

Have done a little report on my/our race if anyone's interested [url] http://plasticaviators.co.uk/wp/2012/07/08/twentyfour12-brendan-murphy-b2b-stephen-hodge [/url]. Welldone to everyone who finished/even turned up!

Cleaned the car after last nights antics of getting out of the field. Kit washed and bike cleaned. I don't know how my chain and cassette managed to rust during a ride!?

Nice write up Steve, will get on with mine soon. Thanks for the offer of a sofa, was drifing asleep while eating the pizza and the dog tried to half inch a slice!

I feel a takeaway coming on...

edit: Steve where were the aviators?!?!?

Well I loved it. Even after bending the mech hanger on my Swift, never has a bike had such an inappropriate name as that one under me on the course. Practise lap on Thursday well under an hour and great fun. First lap on Sat under an hour then two laps at about 1hour 10, then damaged the bike beyond anything I could fix there. Mate had already given up after doing one lap.

Camped trackside near the river. Was up at 3am on Saturday morning checking the river level and glad we stayed put. No problems at all getting out.

Great atmosphere, great organisation keeping the whole thing going. Will go back next year better prepared.

Next time I'll not use a big 2.2" in a Reba 29, just an expensive way to collect mud samples on some parts of the course but despite the pushing I really enjoyed the course.

I can't believe how some people were riding some bits that I thought were unrideable. There were sections from the fire road after the shooting ground up to the field at the top and they were able to ride it all. I was having trouble pushing. Just a totally different level.

Just got home a broken man .
Rode with Team Bullheart who entered 2 teams of 4 in the 'Just for Fun' 5 man cat.
Horrendous drive down on Sat am with A303 shut and most of the A35 resembling a white water rafting course. Got into Newnham at 11.45, yes it was wet and raining but OK.
Rode abit , had some dramas , rode abit more, got muddy , got wet , got clean and dry ,rode abit, got muddy... repeat till 0400 sun,then crawled into bed for 3 hrs . Put in 2 laps back to back early doors for no reason other than I like riding my bike in testing conditions.
MudX worked a treat , with only occaisional chainsuck being a problem . No clogging, but did manage to ride into a tree at one point. Did 6 laps in about 7 hrs in the end .
Good work all Team Bullheart riders , a pleasure as always .
Now to start unpacking the car ..

I have to say I really enjoyed it.
We were camped right in the gloop after the second river crossing so spent the whole time, whether riding or not, in six inches of mud but despite that I had a great weekend.

The course was, for the most part rideable and I think it faired better than any other endurance course would of in those conditions so I'd say hats off to Martyn and the other organisers. Cottage descent was, if possible, even more fun than normal!

If you packed up early and headed home i can totally understand why but you missed a good event.

'I can't believe how some people were riding some bits that I thought were unrideable. There were sections from the fire road after the shooting ground up to the field at the top and they were able to ride it all. I was having trouble pushing. Just a totally different level.'

I managed to ride most of that each time. Trailraker on the back 😉

The mud outside richie's encapmment was about 6" deep slurry by midday today! 😯 It would be a shame for that to have been your only experience of Newnham, as it rides so much differently under frost/sun/'normal' levels of rain. I agree, the 2-wheel drift version of the cottage descent was really rather fun if a little less like it's usual state. I really enjoyed the wet (as opposed to plasticene) muddy bits by about 10am, just one of those races where I was able to stay nice and loose and not get all rigid and nervy.

There was a much larger 'jump of doom' than Mayhem's too. 8)

The mud outside richie's encapmment was about 6" deep

You don't need to tell me Julian, I lost 5 porcelain meerkats in that muck 🙂

vdubber - was it you who just before the field said to me and another that trailrakers were the way forward?

Anyone got any photos up yet?

I thought it was great, hard work but great!

Managed 5 laps before my knee exploded, but i did all 5 laps on my 15 year old rigid, single speed Bontrager with v-brakes and 'Jones Dry' tyres and still managed to ride 95% of the course, I don't think it was as bad as it could have been, treacle mud was the only really annoying bit...

thanks to all for organizing, think you needed as much commitment as the riders this weekend, well done!

Taff - yes, probably me. Trailraker on the back, mud X on the front, rigid forked hardtail. It actually felt like cheating at some points 😉

yes, it was you then! I was a little jealous

Just a mention for the Torq team riders, how polite and nice are they as they whiz past you(well me) at Mach 2. Just because they are so nice I hope they win every race they attend.

http://www.timelaps.co.uk/assets/uploads/EVENTREPORT.aspx?eventid=214NewnhamShootingGround07/07/2012#24h Team Open Male

At about 2.30 am Saturday morning we were awoken by a gazebo landing on top of our van!
Then both our gazebos crumpled.

After that it was all ace.
And to cap it all, one team of our little group managed to pull of 3rd in Male 24hr pair.

I STILL do not know where "shred splitter" is....

julioflow, the 'splitter' is/was the last bit iof woodland before the last grassy descent. One year the course came off the 'pipeline return; by the big tree and into the far end of those woods (just before this year's course doubled back on itself) and had a choice of routes back to a forest road (running under this year's 'ridgy' bit) and then the grassy descent. The 'Shred splitter' as it was that year (2008?) had a choice of two equally fabulous dusty, rooty singletrack descents through the trees, roughly where the 'out' and 'back' lines were this weekend. It still is/was still up there as one of my favourite ever bits of bike race. Obvoiusly not dusty rooty and swoopy like that this time though! 😆

Our lot were camped across from your swamp Richie. Must has seen you guys out there at some point. Managed 9 laps in the 12 solo, which was as much as my bike + sanity allowed. Nice atmosphere out on the course, agree about the Torq riders. Would have been a great course in the dry...

Just a mention for the Torq team riders, how polite and nice are they as they whiz past you(well me) at Mach 2

I wish I could say the same...riding solo, same laps as Malec, some berk on the Cottage Return descent decides to undertake me on a totally unsuitable point and clipped my bars, nearly sending me flying, just what you want after 8+ hours in the saddle. His excuse......'well it is a race'. I know his number.

Otherwise a good weekend because of and despite the weather. Everyone else completely chilled. Good course, spoilt and made by the weather Good to see the organisers reacting to changing conditions. Will be back because I know how good it can be. Bit disappointed though to be refused my post race free beer because I didn't claim it immediately after finishing my last lap, a bit of a sour taste there.

Managed 5 laps before my knee exploded, but i did all 5 laps on my 15 year old rigid, single speed Bontrager with v-brakes and 'Jones Dry' tyres

A big hello again!

T'was I, fixing/feeding/coaxing the solo guys next to you.

Glad I got on my bike for 2 laps at the end too to coax my mate Jon round. You saw how broken he was, but he's mega happy he did it and got 5th, not quit and came 7th. He was dead last over the finish line at 25 1/2 hours, he definitely win the "no sense no feeling" award anyway!

Just to assess the damage done to the bikes now! Fortunately he didn't smash anything up, just think there's a few new bearings will be needed and possibly a cassette and chain on each bike!

As been said above, epic rain Friday night, mud of all sorts, but still great fun. Much respect to the solo boys and girls, you looked completely out of it when you passed our tent Sunday morning.
Thanks to the organisers, still put on a great event despite the weather.
It will be dry next year.

mboy, give that man a massive pat on the back from us, determination like I have never seen and a proper example of commitment 🙂

Well done for supporting too, team mates and support make all the difference!

They guys said it was a bit damp 😯 amazing result for Mark Deacon with 2nd in solo 24 on his singlespeed and Andrew James 17th as well, Gareth called it a day after 5 hours.
Huw Thomas was hit by a stomach bug and DNS as was too ill.

Great results in horrible conditons.

I wasn't able to ride this year so was out and about taking random snaps, lots of mr Blury cam moments but the odd reasonable shot in there.

[url= http://uremind.me.uk/2412/ ]TwentyFour12 Randoms[/url]

Good stuff mtbant. Put a smile back on my face! Good times.

Well done all! I dropped in on Saturday afternoon to see Les (crispybacon) and the rest of Team Bullheart. Very wet indeed (half the camping field seemed to be ankle deep in water) and apparently some of the course was already near impossible to ride, but they seemed in good spirits. Nice to warm up by their washing-machine fire and meet a few more of them before the ride home. Oh, and thanks for the cake Mrs Les 🙂

Just had a look at the results - very respectable position guys, well done.

For some reason I've never done the 24/12 even though it's so close to me - I always seem to end up doing Mayhem and Sleepless. Must give it a go one year...

Shame about the conditions. I think we were the only thing holding our tent to the ground on friday night, jesus.

Riding, mud and fry ups were the main elements of the weekend

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Next time?

Jetski-Tractor hybrid.

and I think I will take something vaguely waterproof to sleep in and under.

I had an ace time, was supporting MaD - finished 2nd in 24 solo, doing 19 laps on his singlespeed!

Also supported, AndrewJ (who did 10 laps in 12 hours before having had enough, again nearly all of those on singlespeed), in his 40s, with two teenagers and a full time job - he's my hero 🙂

Helped out a few others too with mechanicals, tyre changes, and bike washes. I think I did around 30 - 40 bike washes in the 24 hours, I'll be glad to never wash a bike again - although I have a brilliant technique for washing mud off tyres.

Everyone I met was so courteous, we had a little community going solo trackside - everyone helped out everyone else, which was just lovely.

Spent the 24 hours staying awake with mboy, who caught me napping - took the p1ss, only for me to catch him napping later on 😉

24 hours supporting was a lot harder than the 12 hour solo racing I've done, bonkers tired today.

Should also say, we had an excellent spot for crashes - saw 8 over the bars incidents at the jump - most were people not realising that the was a jump, not a ramp. Luckily no one injured badly, as far as I could see.

I'd have preferred two jumps, one smaller than the other, so that more people would have a go, and were less likely to fall off.

Also supported, AndrewJ (who did 10 laps in 12 hours before having had enough, again nearly all of those on singlespeed), in his 40s, with two teenagers and a full time job - he's my hero

Haha you are too kind buddy! 🙂 It was a real shame to quit at midnight but there was no way I could push/carry/trudge through the mud any longer. My riding legs were feeling fine but my walking running and bike carrying limbs were shot. It was great to get back out later for a lap though and ride with my great friend Mark Deacon on his last lap and see him get second place. His ride was truly awesome and I have nothing but admiration for him keeping going in those conditions as I do for everyone who completed the full 24h.

AndrewJ - I know the feeling. Legs felt fine but my shoulders were nailed and hurt my wrist too.

Great photos, mtbant.

I did 12 (long!) Hours Mixed Pairs. We managed 5 laps each before midnight. It was a world of pain and suffering... until the next morning, when I forgot all about the bad parts and went back to having the craic in the camp site, cheering for those lunatics still out on the course. At the finish line, I swore I'd never do it again, but I'm already looking forward to next year. I might actually do some training for it this time around. 🙂

AndrewJ - I know the feeling. Legs felt fine but my shoulders were nailed and hurt my wrist too.

Oh yeah forgot about the wrists, I hadn't ridden the rigid SS properly for 4 or 5 months and only brought it as a spare bike "just in case".

[url= http://www.mbswindon.co.uk/bontrager-twentyfour12-photos-2012/ ]MB Swindon[/url] Have written a report and have a few pics up.

I've been mildly too gutted to post anything until now, but I wanted to say thanks to various nice people, mostly who I don't know who they were, but also particularly to Mark, aka mboy, for swapping tubeless tyres for me and to my pit person, who was unfailingly lovely and supportive all the way through quite a brutally muddy event. I have actually told her to her face, just in case anyone was concerned that I'm entirely digital...

Anyway, I was soloing the 24 and going quite steadily, feeling strong and sat, I'm told, in about 11th place, until I went from feeling fine to throwing up repeatedly at about 1am. I suspect I ingested something nasty and I still felt pretty nauseous next morning. I was quite enjoying myself till then, but just couldn't keep anything down.

Big thumbs up to the various people around me who had impressively gritty rides with well deserved results to match and a final thanks to the fella wearing the Singletrack whisky jersey for the pep talk at the bottom of that steepish climb. I was literally running on empty though, having thrown up pretty much everything in my stomach.

Anyway, I still quite enjoyed the whole thing, but I could have done without the puking... 😉

Bit of a sh***er that BWD. Do you think it was the mud? I was throwing up all last night ad can only think it was mud or a gel overdose! Still a damn good effort in a lot of peoples eyes getting to 1am. I've got a massive respect for anyone attempting a 24hour event.

Photos are up on the Dave Hayward Photos site. Don't know if they are all up yet or not. Some pretty horrendous ones of me and Jombosussex has also got a very moody looking one of me and that was on the start line!

but also particularly to Mark, aka mboy, for swapping tubeless tyres for me

I was there to help out anyone in need my good man. If I'm not racing myself, I can't stand being sat idle at a bike race, so would rather get involved and keep myself occupied. Jon, he guy I was supporting, was doing a pretty remarkable job of keeping himself and his bike together (until the last couple of hours when he needed a bit of help), so I was more than happy to help out anyone else around.

Had a bloody good laugh actually, made some new friends, took the piss mercilessly out of Rickon when I caught him sleeping on the job, and overall really enjoyed myself and was glad to have assisted in any way shape or form you nutcase solo riders riding around in those conditions! All I'll say is if ever I decided to do something so stupid myself, I'd hope there was at least one or two hard working souls like Rickon (fair play, that lad washed a not inconsiderable amount of bikes for everyone!) and myself around with tools and some know-how to help out when I was exhausted and unable to concentrate.

I'll echo Rickon's comments about being bonkers tired. So much so, I only made it home very late last night, not Sunday night. Spent most of Monday sleeping on Jon's sofa (whilst he, having ridden the 24hrs solo, was up and doing things! MAD!) before finally summoning the energy to drive home, then spent most of Tuesday in bed too. I'm finally a bit more awake now, just when I should actually be sleeping!

thanks to the fella wearing the Singletrack whisky jersey for the pep talk at the bottom of that steepish climb.

Was a pleasure mate, you were looking [i]quite[/i] weary. Had nothing but respect for the 24hr soloist out there.

Bit of a sh***er that BWD. Do you think it was the mud? I was throwing up all last night ad can only think it was mud or a gel overdose!

In my case I went from being fine to vomiting in the space of about five minutes so I do kind of suspect that I ate something nasty - it's so difficult in those conditions where you've got mud on your mitts and bottles and bars plus all that standing water. Plus I was still feeling sick next morning, which I wouldn't expect from simple fueling issues. But anyway. Mostly it was just good to meet so many great people. Hats off to anyone who kept going out there, it was hard going. Not quite as unpleasant as Mayhem, but no easy miles I thought. 🙂

Shergie's blog...

[url] http://teamcycleaid.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/2412-story-of-broken-man.html [/url]

The reason he was still feeling so sprightly up until about 20 hours in was not so much to do with his own tactics (he wanted to do 4hr stints, then stop for a bite to eat), but more to do with his excellent pit crew (me and Heather) that knew the best way was for him to stop for even just 60 seconds every lap, get some food and a big swig of drink in him, swap bikes if required, and keep doing this. Little and often on the food front. Seemed to work cos he's traditionally terrible at remembering to eat and drink on his bike!

Fair play though, he kept turning his pedals. Not going to say I had the harder job (even with endless bike cleaning, fixing, and generally keeping him going), I was bloody knackered too, but he kept turning the bloody pedals and came 5th!

Has anybody else ordered a tshirt from Whackjob? Ordered a medium which is part of a reprint if enough people sign up... Just hoping

2013 date announced as July 27/28... exciting!