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Fat bloke going solo again. Hope to do another lap or two to last year; depending on course.
Really looking forwrd to it. Forecast looking okay. Rain in afternoon but clear through night. Fingers crossed.
Anyone else going and targets?
Yes I will be there. Also solo. I missed it last year due to a broken finger, so just getting to the start line will be a better result than that. Hopefully the rain will just dampen the dust down a bit.
Dust bowl or Mud bath take your pick.
Nope, not doing it...and a bit gutted.
Going to a wedding on the Saturday, so given my orders by the Wife that I couldn't enter.
Now she's ill and talking of not going to the wedding! 🙄
Wasn't going to be doing it until today, when my trip to the North Downs fell through and a space in the pairs came up simultaneously. No training, little sleep and out on the lash tonight doesn't bode all that well for a podium (not that I'd be anything other than a makeweight if perfectly prepared). Should be a good laugh though. Trail conditions are apparently very dusty at the moment, so a few hours' rain should mean perfect conditions.
Yah, my brother and I, both as solos. I'm recovering from a back injury so I can't think of a better event to do than 12 hours at thetford.
Currently looking very overcast near Ipswich, spikes are in the car...
Another solo here.
The course could do with a little rain as it was very dusty yesterday.
Entries are well down this year (probably a result of nearly zero PR) so I'm hoping for a quiet course 😀
There just seem to be so many events to choose from this weekend. Good ole xc racing doesn't seem to appeal as much as enduro, given the option. D2D is a bit of a tradition round these parts though.
Wondering whether they should or have considered adding a 6hr category? Start at 8pm and get some kip at 2am.
The entries seem to have been dwindling over the last few yrs, so perhaps a less 'hardcore' category would get more interest?
I'd definitely be up for a 6hr solo.
A 6hr would be tempting for me also.
Rumour has it that there might just be such a thing on the horizon over at Shouldham Warren organised by Kings Lynn MTB. Fingers crossed...
As for D2D numbers, a lot of folks I've spoken with are just a bit bored of Thetford now. There's been a lot of forestry work and even more planned, which has seriously cut down on trails available.
It still has a good atmosphere IMHO. Will be very sad if it ever slipped off the calendar.
Yes riding solo, currently watching the huge downpour outside, I don't think it will be dusty!
Yes... I would find a 6 hour tempting ...
How was it, then? Did it stay dry?
The sky cleared my way (nr Peterborough) and it was turning pretty cold.
Course quickly dried and made for some good racing, as expected though it did get very cold!!
Cold. Darn cold. Lovely fast flowing course (in the main). One or two rutty bits that became a bit irritating after a few laps. Really enjoyed it having said I wouldn't bother again. Personal best placing too, which was a bonus. I was in a pair so got no sleep at all and am not getting a lot of sympathy from the family - or my legs - today.
It's amazing how much smaller it is as an event these days compared to only a couple of years ago - and how half the field are now soloists.
Cold as in frozen. Never been that cold before!!
GB
Didn't seem to slow you down George.
I really enjoyed it, especially winning. As per the comments from others, it was bloody cold. It took me about half an hour to stop shivering and return to a colour other than grey.
As much as I enjoyed it, I'm of the opinion the event is now a shadow of previous years, which is a shame. It seemed quite quiet out in the trees in the small hours, you could travel a fair distance before you saw another rider.
The lap was ok, flowed reasonably well but spoilt by the new section of horrendous bumps near the finish, pointless really as it just became a slog towards the end.
My only gripe was the insistence of the use of high powered flash guns straight into your eyes in Singletrack, just what I don't need when I'm tired and trying to pick my line.
First time riding this, loved it, rode as a one third of a team of three.
Parts of the course flowed so well, the last piece was very bumpy, but I was riding a fully rigid singlespeed so not the best choice of kit for that section.
The frost on the baby christmas trees at the far end of the circuit where it had been harvested was stunning, especially with the big moon.
Flash guns were a bit of a surprise on my first lap, and the funny lit section with classical music made me chuckle.
I think I enjoyed it. Now feeling slightly battered after 12hrs of that course. I enjoyed almost all the course although really started to hate the 'Nutcraker' section after a few laps... Glad I dressed for cold weather, over night my Garmin was showing temperatures of about minus 3 in some parts of the forest.
I thought I had managed to make a good start, only to end up near the back of the field after the mix up after the start loop. All part of the fun of racing.
The marshals where great. It wasn't an easy night to be stationary in the forest and all the encouragement was welcome.
One of the highlights for me was on one lap the heavy mist had penetrated into some singletrack, I don't think I have ever ridden through that before. It was only there for one lap and had gone the next. Also agree about the frost on the Christmas trees.
A shame the numbers were down. I think the event peaked in size a few years ago and then had a couple of back to back years with terrible weather which must have had some impact on numbers.
Couldn't get into it this year. The start loop mix-up left me right amongst some stressed out 3/4 man squads who were keen to make up on lost time. I then stopped to help a couple of fallen newbies who'd got flattened by the mob before trying to get myself into some form of solo rhythm. Didn't happen.
I slipped over the road and played on the red route instead 😀
http://www.xcracer.com/dusk-dawn-and-a-lot-in-between.html
My ramblings from the race.
Have a read, share it around. You know you want to...
Nice ramblings padkinson.
I was a bit diappointed on the night as didn't feel terrible but called it a day 3:30 on lap 6. Oddly my actually position was roughly the same as last year - in the 50s' - when I rode till dawn.
Decide I didn't want to be right at the back (cost me half an hour at brecon beast) so turn up at quarter to but ended up not too far from the front. Went out harder than planned on the first to not hold everyone up.
Not sure if just not quite feeling right, that first lap, the cold or the course got to me.
Anyone else think it was harder course than last year?
Last year more hazards but lots of fire road. This year nearly all single track and nearly the whole second half could have been called the nut cracker.
Anyway was good to have done it. Please to hear that littel christmas tree survived the night. Dispaoointed to miss it frosted up, and the single track foggy.
My highlight would be coming out on to a deforrested bit and seeing two riders further up past the right hand turn going up a climb with their light shining through the fog (single big oak tree on their right).
Next year...
Yes it was a harder lap than last year - the bumps on the second half really got to me on one lap!!
First half was great though.
GB