[Closed] Tomorrow's GT7 course

[i]'Brokeback'?[/i]

Goes off to Strava to find it.

It'd make sense, the trailfairies have been doing some work on uphill gardener to fix the holes between the roots, and they link together.

Nope, can't find it - where is it?

it's next to shatner's bassoon

does this mean they're sending people down Barrymore's passage on little xc bikes? 😯

b r, I think it's listed as an enduraloo stage on strava

None the wiser, not coming up on my Strava rides nor in 'Explore' - will find out tomorrow 🙂

Can't find Brokeback, Shatner's Bassoon, Barrymore's Passage, Uphill Gardener anywhwere in GT. Might know them, but I don't know the names! there's loads of Enduraloo stages listed but none with these names.

Wondering now if I should stick with flats or change to SPDs as I was planning to do later tonight....

Can't find Brokeback, Shatner's Bassoon, Barrymore's Passage, Uphill Gardener anywhwere in GT. Might know them, but I don't know the names! there's loads of Enduraloo stages listed but none with these names.

Well the bike is ready, I was mulling this over and decided on a 4.0 jumbo jim on the back for speed up fictional climbs, and a 4.8 on the front for better traction over imaginary roots.

Christ i hope I'm fitter than i actually am...

Shatner's bassoon is awesomes, like a steeper Prospacker!

joshvegas - Member

Christ i hope I'm fitter than i actually am...

Dude, get a fatbike, the key to success in modern day life is setting low expectations... if I manage 5 laps I'm calling it a win

Singlespeed 😉

Good luck everyone. I did it a few years ago and managed 5 laps. Put me near the bottom, but was pleased to get the fifth lap in.

So bounced my fork a couple of times and pumped the tyres and found one glove.

I think thats me ready.

#mjreadynotready

Woken up with a head cold, perfect prep.

*sets tenecious_doug on radar*

Nerf snipers going deep into Barrymore's passage to put Northwind out of his misery on lap 4.

For sale.

Singlespeed only crashed three times.

Do believe I am third in the fatbike cat that doesn't exist 😆 What a great day.

joshvegas, was that you on the shiny silver (ti?) rigid with the carbon forks?

Na i was on a skinny charge duster with rebas.

Mincing like you woukdn't believe.

You probably passed me.

Which fatty was yours?

The yellow as **** one

(I chased the icycles fatbike chap all the way down the final descent, blissfully unaware that he was on a full suss salsa 😆 Quite a lot of near death experiences rattling through the roots going "well if he can do it then I can do it" :mrgreen:)

Yeah that thing was a monster.

I decled it trying to take my dibber of my left wrist while cycling. Right infront of everyone.

I've decided i'm bloody aweful at mountainbiking

I'm wrecked now.

Bloody good fun and bloody good weather.

But burger van, sort yourself out - organic apparently, but they brought no cheese nor onions so it was a fiver for a dry bun and an odd looking/tasting burger.

joshvegas - Member

I decled it trying to take my dibber of my left wrist while cycling. Right infront of everyone.

I've decided i'm bloody aweful at mountainbiking

If it's any consolation, you know how the transition area splits into two, a solo lane and a team lane? I rode right into the fence in the middle

Good job!

I imagine a fat bike was actually really good down walkers path, probably gobbled up all the little roots and kept momentum going really well.

So glad the weather treated us nicely, that course would be utter carnage in the wet.

Suspect moving anything from the shoulders down is going to be beyond my abilities tomorrow.

It was a cracking day, unbroken sunshine from about midday onwards.

My fav event each year

Just need to get fitter.

4th lap nearly killed me

I always say the same, I did 10UTB a long time ago and hated it, just called it a total waste of a weekend, swore off this sort of thing. But we got free entry for hte first Seven because we build parts of the course, so I thought why not... Done every one since. It's totally not the sort of thing I normally enjoy but it is so very good.

fifeandy - Member

I imagine a fat bike was actually really good down walkers path, probably gobbled up all the little roots and kept momentum going really well.

Not so much 😆 It does soak up blows but it also gets really out of shape and bouncy quickly when things get fast. It was pretty good on the traverse but once it turned to the descent it was hard work, after the first couple of laps I just couldn't keep that up, I was getting my arse kicked...

I did it on a 29er scandal last year, a ragley ti the year before, and they were both better at absolutely everything bar the Love Tunnel. (*) OTOH neither was as much fun or got as much chat, so it's still a win.

(* I felt a right **** passing people down that when they were struggling, but tbh it was easier for me to motor it. But it's wide enough for two even when one of the bikes is going down it at right angles)

Also, £10 sports massage = the winningest of wins. I'm still ****ed mind.

I bottled the love tunnel everytime

Last year when my dropper post broke on the scandal, it gave me the absolute shits. The combo of skinny tyres and arse in the air just isn't for me, I'm too #enduro. It's a pretty nasty feature considering the rest of the course tbh, especially with the wee corner at the bottom.

There were people flying down that love tunnel bit and it just amazes me. I have phasers set to full mince because it just seems so sketchy.

Still, great event as ever.

Yeah, i can mince my way down as far as the corner, but then have to walk the last bit. Properly hairy on narrow XC tyres with saddle thumping you in the ribs as you hang off the back.

Saw a couple of guys rip down it on their enduro sleds, got to admit i was impressed. Screw pedalling one up there in the first place lap after lap though!

Unexpected fact- the left hand line at the corner is way easier than the wider line that looks like the simple one. It's steeper but it's basically a simple radius, in and out, no rock in the middle or change of turning speed or anything.

Cracking day and course as ever. Perfect mix of trails, we managed to mix it up in the top 5 of pairs for the first 3 laps as could do enough on the downs to compensate for our relative lack of climbing ability, but faded to 11th by the end. There was 10 seconds to be made on love tunnel alone by hanging off the brakes.

Following was a great choice, stuck some faster tyres on, dropped the bars a touch, it was very very quick and still a blast on the downs.

I looks harder to walk down the tunnel than to ride it, I thought it was the best its been for ages not to slippy. Even the grass up and down was not to bad yesterday thanks to the sheep for mowing the grass.

I ran tunnel of love. I actually passed someone trying to ride down 😀

Cardiac Hill lived up to its name yesterday.

[url= https://m.facebook.com/TVMRT/photos/a.333214116805594.1073741836.330175067109499/936022219858111/?type=3 ]shocking stuff [/url]

Unexpected fact- the left hand line at the corner is way easier than the wider line

*Now* you tell us? 😉

[quote=franksinatra ]Cardiac Hill lived up to its name yesterday.
shocking stuff

Non facebook mobile link [url=

BBC link [url= http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-south-scotland-36408076 ]http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-south-scotland-36408076[/url]

If there was ever a good place to drop down with a heart attack, yesterday's rider found it!

The following riders happened to be well trained to deal with such an incident, and mountain rescue were there within minutes equipped with a defibrillator.

Really an amazing response that, riding around it was great to see how well it all worked, not to mention seeing the helicopter arrive (they don't send a helicopter for dead people so it was a big noisy announcement of good news) Top marks to everyone. Inc our own Hels, Empress of Marshalldonia, and I know the nearest marshall is on here too- awesome stuff.

Meanwhile, at the more stressful end of organising...

[URL= http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i264/Northwindlowlander/IMG_0410_zpsaabicqei.jp g" target="_blank">http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i264/Northwindlowlander/IMG_0410_zpsaabicqei.jp g"/> [/IMG][/URL]

"What are all these things?"
"Numbers, Neil."
"Ah I've heard of those. But what do they mean?"

mr_stru - Member

*Now* you tell us?

I only found out because there were about 10 people having a lie down in the right hand line on my first lap 😆

Had a cold all week so it was six and a half hours of agony to keep pushing against complaining lungs. Held onto
my podium spot though. Saw the helicopter as a reminder not to do anything stupid. Well done to everyone concerned. Bike races seem to be reassuringly well populated with people with life saving skills.

BTW: Carbon hard tail 100 mm travel and a dropper. Nobby Nick on the front and a slithery Slant six on the back. Dabbed a bit on the tunnel of love - but otherwise spot on. Something a bit bouncier might have been faster on the descents but lugging it back up to the top seven times didn't appeal.

Fab race, great course and cheery marshals. Back next year to get that extra lap in.

Top marks for the podium! Seemed to be a lot of people going for it this year... I don't see Raddogair post here much any more but I think he took the overall top step?

Not on the ladies of a certain age podium!

Yes I was marshalling at the incident, it was a relief to get there to find I had a couple of medical professionals there.
Big phew on my part.
It allowed me to coordinate the first responders on the radio so bike patrol was on scene in about two minutes and the awesome team from Tweed Valley Mountain Rescue was there in under 4 minutes.
The last news of the rider last night was that he was stable and recovering in hospital.
Thanks to all the riders for following instructions and taking the diversion.
The Bike Valley folk did good 😀 .

For anyone who struggled with the 'tunnel', go have a day with either Ridelines or Dirt School.

Then you'll see it as an opportunity to make up time.

tunnel of love wasnt that bad, just lay of the front brake and your fine. Course was good, grippy and fast. Northwind - your right, top step for the 3rd time, 11 laps and only 21 minutes behind overall trio winners. Apart from lap 5 felt pretty steady all day

11 laps is immense!

I could do 11 laps no bother. As long as I'm allowed to include 2 years' worth of race.

Any photos of the race up yet?

Hi grey - I never know peoples stw logons vs their real names ! (except Northwind)

For the record and stw-ers, you did a fantastic job - all the marshals did, and bike patrol and the TVMRT, Tweedlove event staff, and everybody else involved.

The Bike Valley folk did good indeed !

If it is any help Hels, I only made the connection between STW you and real you today, despite meeting you many times at events!

And yet I still don't know who you are.... this is worse than tindr...

Some photos up here - no search by number though 🙁
[url] https://peterjsmith.smugmug.com/Biking/2016/Glentress-7/ [/url]

Hels you robably had to put up with me complaining more than once! Which one were you?

Anyone got any strava maps of the route knocking about?

Was meant to be there this year but the brothers dodgy back stopped us entering, might go solo next year!

[url= https://www.strava.com/segments/7280124 ]GT7 Full Lap[/url]

First time for me. Great event, with some proper challenging descents compared to most endurance races. Things were going quite well about 3.5 hours in on lap 5 when I turned the corner and saw the poor bloke on the ground having CPR done on him. Horrible sight. Just couldn't really be bothered after that and pootled round second half. Glad he's ok. Amazing that you can have a heart attack halfway up a mountain miles from a hospital and still survive.

joshvegas - head marshal in marshal control, briefing marshals, drinking coffee, phoning for helicopters etc so didn't really get to see people so much. I had a wander about when I could !

Whos seen the photo of my team mate going down the bombhole sans bike?

Hels doesn't sound much fun thanks!

On that subject, don't suppose anyone got any shots of me? I've trawled Peterjsmith's photos, just going through Ann Halls... I'm that rare oddball that actually buys photos 😆 Rider 29, glowing yellow bike, can't have been that hard to spot...

"Ann Halls photos".... Link?

Thanks.

https://annhallphotos.smugmug.com/Tweedlove-Glentress-7-28052016/

It's smugmug and atm you can only order prints, from the USA but I think she's working on it.

BRAAAAAAPPPP
[img] [/img]

(ps, don't hate me photographers, I'm just waiting for the order process to be fixed so I can buy it, I'm not just scamming the watermarked one...)

Northwind: If it was the, er, highly visible yellow fat bike then yes, it is not hard to spot. I was mostly impressed that the rim tape was even vaguely colour matched to the frame.

20p worth of yellow electric tape 😆

Any photos or videos of the Love Tunnel? It's fun hearing everyone talk about it, but I want to see what it looks like!

Northwind - seeing that photo I've just realised that I spoke to you after the race!

I only really met Northwind at the International, I know who to avoid now :lol:.
I knew who you were Hels

"Northwind - Member

On that subject, don't suppose anyone got any shots of me? I've trawled Peterjsmith's photos, just going through Ann Halls... I'm that rare oddball that actually buys photos Rider 29, glowing yellow bike, can't have been that hard to spot..."

Check out article on front page!

Ah cheers mate. I look like a fanny 😆

[url= https://peterjsmith.smugmug.com/Biking/2016/Glentress-7/i-pFtvcCv ]Sigh[/url]

Restin'

Ah I saw that pic when I was going through them, I'd kill for a shot like that!

[url=@joshvegas shared @trevworseyphoto's post with you. See it at

View this post on Instagram

team mate[/url]

I've had something of a running joke with Ian Linton that despite him being at every race I've done for the last decade he never gets a decent photo of me, so pretty chuffed with [url= ]this one[/url] from Saturday.

The only one I've found looks like I'm about to collapse! I only hope it was taken near the end!!

[img] http://peterjsmith.smugmug.com/Biking/2016/Glentress-7/i-DBDZMRt/A [/img]