Hopefully some of you remember the overwhelmingly generous response the STW forum members gave ten years ago after my friend and racing partner (and STW forum user) Chris Bell was killed in an avalanche in Glencoe along with three others. Thanks in part to the forum we raised over £20,000 for Glencoe MRT within a week of the incident, which was only a few days before the Strathpuffer.
Well, a decade down the line and Chris is still in his friends' hearts and minds and his entirely inappropriate motto "give it death" runs through my head every time I race my bike. Some of his university friends will be back at the Puffer this weekend and we'd like to raise a little extra for the mountain rescue team if we can. I know it's just after Christmas so I'm not expecting anything, but if you feel like helping please do.
And for anyone who's suffered doing the 100 Day Challenge the last few years, that was all Chris' idea!
https://singletrackmag.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/chris-bell-racing-at-strathpuffer/
https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/luke-bradley6
Cheers!
How much do we have to give to specify an outfit or a forfeit?
I think a pink tutu would suit you sir a tenner enough?
Or do the race with old skool ever ready lights?
🙂
A pleasure to donate.
I lost a good friend in an avalanche in Kitzbuhel and can confidently say that he would have been very keen on the 100 day challenge. I’ve been doing the challenge since the very beginning and find it a great way to remember my mate.
Thanks Luke for bringing this into my life.
I got whacked by an avalanche in the Alps once but I’m fortunately still here. I wouldn’t do Puffer in a million years, hundred days is ludicrous but you / Glencoe MRT can have some cash. Big up the memory of Chris!! Give it Death!
Bloody hell. Has it really been a decade? I rode in Verbier with Tom Chesters who was also killed that day. Feels like it was only yesterday.
Sanny
Sometimes it feels like it's been forever, sometimes it feels like it's been five minutes. He still comes up in conversation, and in my mind when I'm riding.
I'm glad his challenge has made a difference to people. Thanks for the donations - it's exceeded my expectations already!
So how much to get you in a pink tutu?
I've worn daft stuff before. I'd need a tutu though.
Riding my first Puffer this weekend and will be channelling all of Chris' enthusiasm for super-tough challenges. Still remember seeing Chris styling it up on his new XC bike, riding log skinnies before rolling a tyre off his rim on some jumps and writing off a new XTR mech - sure he was the forerunner of all the Pidcocks and Shurters now making XC cool!
Any late donations would be gratefully received! It'd be nice to get it over a grand before the race is over.
If anyone wants to track us live on the SportIdent website our team is number 442, the Frosty Ferrets.
Late donation and also a wee bump. Hope the 'puffer went good
apols that january is tight, but happy to buy you a coffee!
i think the winner was clear after 37mins 🙂
Puffer was Muddy!!! Munrobiker and the Ferrets got 3rd.
I was chaperoning my boy on his first Puffer, his team were 2nd and he had the added bonus of winning the youngest rider! Super proud!! It does mean that in his first race he's had twice as many visits to the podium than I've ever had 🤣
My pal Gemma absolutely smashed the female solo's with 16 laps, singlespeed too 😁
My pal Gemma absolutely smashed the female solo’s with 16 laps, singlespeed too
@swavis Didn't she win the fastest lap for a female too? Or maybe I misheard. Brilliant effort!
Congrats to your boy.
Thanks for the support everyone! Don't worry if you can't donate, January is a poor month.
@epicyclo - I'm fairly sure she got the prize for fastest female solo climb, despite singlespeeding!
We came third, I got the second fastest lap of the whole thing so there must have been some fast boys missing. My teammate was first rider home on lap one too so I had the privilege of being first rider up the first climb on lap two which was absolutely nuts.
I'd like to dedicate the result to a friend of ours who died in surgery on Friday in her early thirties. I got the call just as I was going to bed before the race. She had a good go at mountain biking and hated it but was kind and magnanimous enough that I think she'd have been pleased for us.
Yes you are quite right Brian, she won that too!
It still amazes me the herculean efforts the top guys and girls put in, just different class!
The boy is chuffed to bits, absolutely bouncing 😁
More kudos to you Luke 👏🏻
*respawns after who knows how long * Was great to see munrobiker and the gang this weekend. My puffer racing days are over but I'll happily cheer everyone on until the wee small hours with a beer or two. Well done everyone who raced and Chris' pals. 10 years? Really?