Merry Christmas

Sundayriders festive training camp

Ramon y Juanita leave for the annual festive training camp this week.
12 days of sunny riding.

Ronde Vlaanderen

Does anyone fancy the tour of Flanders ciclosportif ?

Ronde vlaanderen:here

There are three routes: 256km, 140km and 75km. I suppose we have to do the long one!

The only reason I can think of for not doing it would be the exclusion of the Koppenberg this year.

Hill repeats in Flanders fieldshttp

The land of the Bergs

skidmarks are in!

text message recieved today at 11.25 am from team manager Paulo Facerini ....

Skid Marks are in. An envelope from Deutschland with a beautiful stamp
arrived today.

Lil cute one is in!

LCO is in the Trans Schwarzwald as a pit babe.

She is taking on the duties of looking after the team.

These duties include:

Cheering us on.
Massage before and after each stage.
Cleaning the bikes daily.
Washing race clothes(includes chamois scrubbing).
making breakfast
making tea.
Making drinks bottles/energy drinks up.

and anything else that crops up.
..
Whilst at the same time looking for a schoener mann

We're in !!!

Me and juanita are in the Trans Schwarzwald, confirmed by email today!

register here:pulsa aqui

Trans Schwarzwald

I have registered the Sunday Riders, we now have to wait for confirmation by post...huh?

The online entry wouldn't accept our English style post code, so I put 345 in that box and sent an email to the organisers with my address on it.

series one photos

I will add them as I find them:











Fotos pulsa aqui

Thetford Series One

Skidmarks/Sundayriders take a podium in the first round!

results: Ramon 3rd vets, Facer 6th vets, Mighty D 8th ladies. pulsa aqui

distance: as many laps as possible around a 10k circuit in 4 hours.

weather: dry and warm, though it had rained all week.

terrain: a very slippery and muddy first lap, but it quickly dried out.


riders:

Ramon: smoothly and confidently almost pulled out after a very bad first lap.

Facer: now officially aged and is allowed to ride with the veterans.

The Mighty Dinsdale: had a leak, and so was thwarted in her plans to dominate Norfolk.

mechanicals: none

punctures: the mighty D had a slow puncture.

crashes: none.

no shows: juanita: was made a gift of ramon's cold. marky mark: has a mystery northern virus.

Trans Schwarzwald - website update!

The route is up on the website, no distances or registration yet though.

pulsa aqui

Trans Schwarzwald registration

Registration starts on the 27th November: pulsa aqui

Spotted by LCO - pitbabe for this race.

Shackleford trailbreak

The next Evans trailbreak trail ride is on the 25th of november. This weekend they are putting on two events, the trail ride on the Saturday and the Navigator on the Sunday. pulsa aqui

Unfortunately the navigator clashes with the 1st round of the Thetford winter series. pulsa aqui

ramon y juanita are thinking of maybe doing the Saturday trail ride and then the Thetford on Sunday.

The swrc invitation ride

An invitation ride is a sort of 'suck it and see' ride organised by the club. A bit like a recruitment drive or open day :-)

Geof -El Presidente organised five different rides all starting at Cobham.

A ride: 90 miles led by Patrick.

B ride: 60 miles led by the newly slim Mr Smith.

C ride: 30 miles led by El Presidente.

D ride: 15 miles led by Roger.

MTB ride: led by the dashing Ramon.

The Mtb ride:

distance: 40k in 2.30 (74km in 4.15 for R and J)

weather: cold but dry 10'

Terrain: slightly greasy chalk, surprisingly little mud. Lots of orange leaves!

riders:
ramon: smooth and confident.
juanita: saw a lovely toadstool.
alan parky: climbed the fence.
paul gadd: sore legs.
marek: cross.
will: rigid and pink.
geraldine: enjoyed it.

mechanicals: none

punctures none.

teastop: bocketts farm.

crashes: none, though ramon had a moment.

Mighty Dinsdale Day

For millenia it has been thought that the Mighty Dinsdale was an eternal and not subject to the ravages of time as are ordinary mortals. It was often said 'The Mighty Dinsdale is, was and always will be.
Time, the great weakener of men is afeared of the Mighty Dinsdale and so does not make it's mark.

Happy birthday the Mighty Dinsdale

The Big Seven

With the big five under our belts, we are now being offered the big seven!

The Big 7

A new mountain bike stage race in Canada, from the capital of BC Victoria to Whistler.


British Columbia

Bramley Trailbreak Results

Saturday's results are here

gold all around yay!!

ramon y juanita equal 2nd fastest in the long event, el parky was next.

Trans Schwarzwald

registration is 'probably' in November according to the website: here

Probably seems very un-German, their races are usually organised down to the nanosecond:-)

pics and video from Poland

Yesterday we got the promised dvd's from Gzregorz. One has 47 mins of film footage and the other 2000 photos of the race.

The video is fantastic and divided up into each stage of the race. The Sunday Riders and Skidmarks feature a few times. In fact that's the great thing about it. It features everyone in the race, not just the first three of each category as you get from other races. eg the Cape Epic.


There are some great shots of the steep dusty downhills, with some people actually riding the whole thing, and lots crashing:)

Bramley Trailbreak

Distance: 92 km in 5.10 including 21km each way and 50km 3.09 for the event.

Weather: Cold and Sunny

Terrain: Very dry and very fast.

riders:

ramon: smooth and confident.
juanita: demon descender.
cliff: inhuman.
alan parky: went to church.
paul gadd: struggled after crashing last night, so he did it again.
neil: climber.

How it panned out: the swrc group set off as one, parky set the pace and cliff responded. Then it was eyeballs out until the first hill and the selection of the above five occured. Then the whittling started first to go was paul on the climb to reynards, next neil's front mech slipped in the woods at Holmbury.(alan said. 'go on, he'll catch us up') this group stayed together to the water stop, where ramon and parky filled their bottles. juanita and cliff rode on. cliff turned off at the bifurcation of the standard route and the longer route. ramon, juanita and parky took the long route. After a slight orientation hitch alan set off for the church and ramon and juanita went the right way. ramon thought 'he'll catch us up'. He did, but only after we'd finished our coffee at the finish:-)

mechanicals:none.

meeting of the day: the brothers grim, kay, phil.

slackers/soft tarts/no shows: marky has a cold, facer went to a party, the mighty dinsdale had to work.

the perfect ride.

BikeChallenge Poland

I found this vid of the race today on the Bch forum:

http://www.mtbchallenge.com/bch2006.divx

It gives a pretty good idea of what the race was like, also there is an interview with the Sunday Riders at the end. It's a big file and takes about ten mins on a fast connection:-0

I posted to say how good it was and Gzregorz phoned me to say that we are soon to receive a dvd of the race and photos. Also the new website goes live on the 5th. He was very pleased with Jane's little speech and said he may use it for next year's logo!

The Ibiza Trip

The trip to Ibiza was a success, lots of nice weather for riding.


Juanita is now beginning to invent her own rutas. We have burnt tree climb and mercedes bends.

Unfortunately Ramon twisted his ankle which curtailed the amount of running, but could still manage lots of lumpy off-road km's on the mtb.

The next ride is Bramley trailbreak on the 4th of Nov.Juanita, Marco and Ramon have signed up so far.

Above: A picture of Ramon looking more spanish than ever, soon to be seen riding flat bars and v brakes for the complete transmogrification into....eurobicihombre!!!

Trailbreak results

Gold all 'round for the SR/SM

results:here

Gatwick Trailbreak

Sundayriders/Skidmarks combine forces to ride the Gatwick round.

weather:misty then sunny, meaning that most people were overdressed and over heated after the first hour.

terrain:a mixture of lanes and connecting bridleways.some mud, but all rideable.

the ride:fast, but marred by a missing checkpoint. the SR/SM went back to find it,but apparently a farmer had moved it. we took photos to prove we'd been there:)

distance:

riders:

facer:strong.
ramon:smooth and confident.
juanita:strong.

chance meeting of the day:most of the othg and swrc!

mechanicals:none.

punctures:none.

crashes:one-juanita hit the deck in some slippery mud.

Trailbreak Rides

Here are the dates for the Trailbreak rides.

Trailbreak: here

Me and Juanita will do the Gatwick one on the 14th, the day before we set off to Ibiza for our winter traing week. So the riding will be steady.

Ramon

The Marin Winter Series at Thetford

The dates for the winter series are now confirmed.

Who's up for it this year?

I am building up a superlight race bike for this one....with flat bars and V brakes

website: here

3 peaks on the telly!

Country file were filming at the race last week and will show some of the race on Sunday the 8th October at 11.00am on BBC1.

Three peaks cyclo cross - the race.

This was a very close race for the Sunday Riders. Kb took two minutes out of me and the Mighty Dinsdale was six minutes later.

The mighty Dinsdale - 6th in the ladies.

KB - 10th in the 50-59 men.


Photos:here

This is a tough race my heart rate monitor showed an average of 160 bpm for the whole race - my maximum is 178 ie most of the the race at 85 - 90% including the descents!!

The race started very quickly with a 'neutralised' 6k at 35-40kph. I tried to stay with the front group for as long as possible, hoping to keep an eye on kb. This meant that I was absolutley stuffed when the race turned off-road to ascend the Ingleborough climb. I couldn't see kb anywhere, so I assumed him to be way up the climb with the front runners. After a short farm track and some grassy riding the hill suddenly steepens so much that you have to pull yourself up using the wire fencing with the bike shouldered and stamping your feet into the ground for grip.

A few moments later I noticed kb, two people in front of me. I thought it was strange that I'd caught up with him(it turned out that I'd passed him on the road section when he was being sick)and now half a pound of porage lighter had passed me just before I'd spotted him. I heard voices behind me,it was the mighty Dinsdale Here my gps says that I was at 96% of my maximum heart rate and my speed was just under 1km/hour. I could barely breathe, and the Mighty Dinsdale was cracking jokes with the marshall!

Once we reached the top Kb disappeared over the edge into the mist of the descent. Initially rocky the descent then became very steep and grassy, punctuated with deep boggy front wheel snatching dips. I was going well on the descent overtaking lots of people who were walking. About 200 metres from the crowds at the bottom I heard 'left, left' and Rob Jebb shot past doing at least 50kph. Here I saw Jane but didn't need to stop. the next section was a pretty uneventful road transfer to the next big climb,Whernside. I made sure to eat and drink and shared the effort into the wind with a big northern guy who didn't say much.

I could ride a bit of the beginning of the Whernside climb, but soon once again there was a long snake of riders shouldering their bikes. As we climbed the clouds rolled in and it started to rain, which was nice and cooling. At the top I could barely see two metres ahead and was beginning to feel pretty cold and miserable. Then my surroundings started to look strangely familiar and I realised that we had hiked this section the day before. Hurrah! I know this bit. I jumped back on the bike, ignoring the vow I'd made the day before not to ride the narrow strip of trail on the edge of the drop to the valley below:-o This descent consisted of huge slabs laid with 15 cm gaps between them. Again lots were running or walking this section. This is where mtb skills come in handy, I rode this section hopping the gaps taking loads of places back from the super fit fell runners.(note to self:go fell running next year) I even rode the set of stone steps by the Ribble viaduct. At the bottom Keith was just leaving leaving the pits, he'd fallen on the easy bit and smashed his front wheel. Jane the pit-babe had just performed an F1 style wheel change. I refuelled, got my face wiped, and set off in pursuit.

Up the road, I caught big northern guy again, he was surprisingly chatty and we worked to gether again while I swallowed some gels. I spotted kb about 200m up the road who looked like he was suffering a bit. At that moment a bunch of youngsters came past so offered a free ride I took it;) Northern guy missed the jump. As we passed kb, I opened a slight gap and shouted for him to get in. He shouted that he'd bashed his knee in the fall and was taking it steady to assess it. I got back on the group for a short while, but wanted to keep some powder dry for Pen y Ghent.(in hindsight I should have opened the biggest gap I could on kb, as he doesn't stay down for long:)

This is the cruellest part of the event. The finish line is 3.5 k's down the road, but at this point the riders are turned off the road to go 5.5km to the top of Pen y Ghent and back down the same way! I turned up the track which was surprisingly rideable,now I was pleased that I'd put very low mtb gears on and could use the 22/34 to pass riders who were tired and walking. I put my head down and started to push hard on the pedals, when I heard a yell up ahead. It was one of the riders coming back down sliding all over the place on the rocks. I wasn't sure what to do, so I did a track stand and he managed to avoid me. I caught another rider and asked what the protocol was for right of way. He said that the descending riders go where they like and we have to avoid them! I looked up to see another rider bouncing down track with bloodstreaming from both knees. I steadily passed people on the way up(and some passed me) avoiding the incoming guys, until the last couple of km which steepened and became looser. So, once again I shouldered the bike and started the plod to the summit.By now the sun had come out and was baking every one on the hill.

At the top I checked in and decided to have a pee. at that moment I heard a noise behind me I turned to see kb running to the checkpoint,leap onto his bike and set off down. Damn, I was mid- flow! I chased but knew that I didn't stand much chance of catching him - he's an excellent descender. I could only hope that he was so reckless that he'd puncture on one of the many stone water bars we had to hop over on the way down.

Now, I was one of those riders dropping down the descent sliding and hopping rocks with people jumping out of my way...fabulous!!! a few hundred metres farther down I heard ' Go Raymond' It was the Mighty Dinsdale on her way up and only a few minutes from the summit. Panic stations.... did I want to catch Kb more than I wanted to avoid being caught by the Mighty Dinsdale?....Hmmm.


Ramon

Three Peaks Cyclo Cross

website:here

this weekend is the 45th edition of this race.

A few details:

Organised by Bradford Racing Cycling Club and held annually on the last weekend of September the Three Peaks bills itself as the hardest cyclo cross race in the world. While other races may have comparable or even greater distances and height gain - Whernside, the tallest of the Peaks only reaches 736 metres - it is the fearsome combination of gradient, terrain and weather that give the Three Peaks it's reputation.

The race began in 1961. There were no female competitors until 1979.

There was no race in 2001 due to foot & mouth disease.


Course Changes
The original course length was 40 kilometres. In 1980 there was a new course and the race distance increased to 47 km. In 1982 and 1983 the course changed again and the race distance increased to 50 km and then 57 km respectively. The most recent course change was in 1994, and the race distance increased again, to 61 km.

The current course starts at Helwith Bridge 3km south of Horton-in-Ribblesdale and the riders tackle the peaks in the order Ingleborough then Whernside and finally Penyghent.


Rules
Despite a brief period during the 1980s and early 1990 when mountain bikes were allowed currently only cyclo cross bicycles are allowed.

Because the race takes place on footpaths and private land cycling the course at any other time of year is not allowed. This makes practice impossible.

Me, Julie and KB are the Sunday Riders entered and will be lining up at 9.30 Sunday morning. The weather forecast looks a little bit wet on the BBC website.

I have decided to go for a finish rather than race for a time,so anything under five hours will do me.

Ramon

A message from our sponsors

We interrupt this blogspot to announce the opening of our newest workshop en Ibiza. Hola, MooseCycles International!

How green is our valley? TransWales 3

Paul has won a prize!!

TMD and Andy get a podium!!

More text updates:

Facer: 16/08/06 17:10

Today somebody poured water on
me for half an hour then stopped
to watch as I rode through cement
for the next half an hour.They did
this all day,then the sun came out
as soon as I'd finished - untilI
started putting the tents up.Heavy
rain again.But now it is pleasant.
We are all fine. I am doing well but
only on the untimed bits of the
event. one puncture so far. the
night time time trial was nuts.
What a ridiculous laugh.

The mighty Dinsdale 16/08/06 17:45

had singletrack masterclass from
Andy yesterday'boulders without
brakes' went straightover the bars
and damaged knee - balls growing well!
Night time trial insane rode it all
as i could barely see it then crashed
on the last berm in the finish lights.
Hoping for goiod result - find out
later,Facer finishing first so gets
to put tents up.graham, andy and I
loitering tee hee!

facer 16/08/08 21:29

I won a USE light. £165 each!

The mighty Dinsdale 17/08/06 10:43

Andy and I 3rd in night time trial
podium +£10.Stage 3wet tough long.
Time trial this morning I caught
the woman in front!

The is now some info on the website but no pictures: here

Time Trials

MarkyMark is trying his hand at tt's and was mentioned in the comic last week for being the best improver, at the same time accepting a cash reward! Does this mean he has now lost his amateur status? Will we have to pay for his guesting?

Well done Marky.

The TransWales

So far some good but intermittent reports from both riders and the official website.

As of yesterday Paul was lying 13th in the timed sections, 13 seconds off 12th place.

Andy and The mighty D lying seventh in the mixed.

Here are there reports via mobile text:

The mighty Dinsdale:

Weather good. 7th in the mixed gutted
we'd have got 3rd in all male vets!
I've got my patch on - growing one
now. Julian

LOL.... Julie with a penis - disturbing, but strangely erotic...

Paul Facer:

13th in the first time trial.How
unlucky can you get?we have
another tonight.It is throwing it
down at the moment.I've been
back two hours today and no Andy
or Julie yet.Hope they're ok,I've
put there tents up.Food very
limited.Are there any pictures up?

I've seen them using 3G.The guy
was clambering on and around his
van to get reception.He did settle
into a position finally.JD and A got
backthen went straight for tea and
soup in cafe.We're at Coed-y-Brenin.
I had cold stew straight from a tin
- disgusting.Pasta is now ready.

website:here

TransWales

The inaugural Transwales starts this weekend.

Skidmarks and Sundayriders Paul, The Mighty Dinsdale and Andy are taking part.

Paul is racing solo and Andy and the Mighty D are racing mixed together.

Good luck

I will try to post daily with updates and possibly live on the bike phone interviews.....mmm I may have to start a podcast;-)

24twelve

The Mighty Dinsdale takes 3rd place in the solo 12 hour category.

Looking at the results, it seems she was closing in on the others and may have been leading at one point.

The race was a great success for KB.

the prolgue

some of my posts didn't reach the blog from Poland. They got as far as the host and stayed there!
Here is the prologue write up:

Prologue

Last night at fast asleep o'clock we found out that the fire station is next door to our hotel! The alarm, an air raid siren that has to be loud enough wake the part time fire fighters from the whole town, was sounded four times to make sure! Within a minute most of the male population of the town, wearing only their boxer shorts, are running past our window to the station.
Before sign on we have to go to the next town to buy new tyres for Jane. We set off with a non English speaking taxi driver to find a bike shop. He parked up and led us around the town to each bike shop where we shouted Hutchinson and they said nie! We bought some Panaracers because Jane has used them before. Today's stage: this was novel and Gregorsz is quite proud that his race is the only mtb stage race that has one. Effectively a 3.5km two person uphill team time trial. The teams start at 1 min intervals, with the results used to grid the start of stage 1. Skidmarks had the psychological advantage of starting 2 minutes after the Sunday Riders. The idea being that it's easier to catch someone if you have the chance to see them ahead Tactics for those being chased include: increasing the pace when out of line of sight of the pursuers ie rounding a bend. This is very demoralising because at the next sighting the gap has increased. Another tactic is to pedal like fook! :)
Our time was about 12.30ish and Skidmarks 12.00ish. They pedalled more like fook than we did:)Well done Facer and Jim. Tomorrow is the longest stage.

Ramonek

stage 4 the hot stage

Karpacz-Teplice 74km
Skidmarks - 5.15 est.
Sunday Riders - 5.24

Jane attacked again on the first climb. My heart rate monitor showed 165 - 173 for most of it. We passed a lot of the other mixed teams again.
We had our first puncture today, Jane hit a stone water bar and pinched the rear. Paul and Jim were there too, Paul had done exactly the same!
Gregorz put in the first five exclaimation mark descent today. This descent had a rope to hold on to - absolutely bonkers, but great fun :-)
Today was hot 36 plus!

Stage 3 It's sofa king Jane!

Stage 3 It's sofa king Jane!
Originally uploaded by elaire.

Gluszyca-Karpacz 73km

Skidmarks - 4.38

Sunday Riders - 4.50



Today Jane was feeling better and ripped my legs off for the first hour and a half. At the bottom of the first climb a girl from another mixed team gave Jane the 'Lance glance' and the pain began.

Then she saw a sofa in the middle of nowhere, which intruiged her. So we stopped for a look and four mixed teams passed us including the girl who started it :-) Jane can be fickle:)

Later in Karpacz we met a very excited Nicky who insisted we all ride the kolorowa, a bob sleigh in a metal run on the side of the mountain! The sleigh is towed up the mountain by a chair lift, which then lets you go down a twisted, bermed metal half tube. Fantastic:-)

Stage 2 the tunnel!

Stage 2 the tunnel!
Originally uploaded by elaire.

Police-Gluszca 75.5km

Skidmarks - 4.53

Sunday Riders - 5.30



Today was a three ! ! ! day! The descents and scary bits are preceded by a warning sign depicting from one to three exclaimation marks. Today was mostly 3's hurrah! Gregorz tries to avoid asphalt as much as possible and prefers to take us through a field than on a road. The past two days have been like the good bits of the Trans Alps squashed together with the asphalt removed.

The most exciting section today though was THE TUNNEL.

The Osowka tunnels were cut deep into the mountains during WW2 by locals enslaved by the German invading forces, to build rockets to bomb the UK.

On the approach we were waved into what looked like a wild west goldmine! The temperature suddenly dropped from the high 20's to a chilly seven degrees. It's very dark and lit by small lights on the ceiling every ten metres. It climbs gently until we reach a set of treacherous slippery wooden steps, then we ride some more and round a corner to come face to face with a twenty strong hard hat wearing tour party, who graciously stepped to one side and pointed us in the right direction:) Then we burst into sunlight and realise we're still wearing our sunglasses- doh!

Earlier in the day we passed through a forest where loggers were sitting and waving us through. Later Gregorz told us that they had demanded a litre of vodka to stop work and let the race through. He sent it ahead on one of the moto outriders.

Because I'm writing this on my mobile using predictive text some words are wrong. I meant Jane saw a slow worm not was.

Stage 1

Stage 1
Originally uploaded by elaire.

Duszniki - Police. 82.6km

Skidmarks 6.05

Sunday riders 6.13



Today we crossed the border to the Czech Republic twice. To allow us to do this we had our passports checked before the start of the race. The riding was good today. The course was a mix of steep climbs and swoopy, sometimes rocky, descents. Jane was storming the downs, but has yet to find her fast climbing legs. She did climb almost every hill, only getting off on the first one because the people in front walked. Paul managed to take a wrong turn on the best marked course ever! I managed to twist my knee just before the race, it's a bit sore.

Jane saw a slowworm and we went thru a water tunnel.

Welcome to Poland

Welcome to Poland
Originally uploaded by elaire.

We were met by the organiser himself, Gregorsz. Who informs us that he has ordered three pigs for the last stage feast! He then laughs and says 'but of course one is a pig of soja just for you':) we also find out that he rode four years as a pro in Belgium for Palmans Collstrop! The same team as Roger Hammond. Two hours later we arrive in the beautiful spa town of Duszniki,the area is very much like Austria with lots of chalet type hotels, but all a little threadbare and scuffed at the edges.

After reassembling the bikes Jane discovers a neat little slash on each tyre! Oh dear! Tomorrow we go to the bike shop.

July/August

It seems that everything is happening at the moment:

AK Marky is in the Pyrenees riding the Grand Raid Pyrenee with someone.

Ramon,Juanita,Paulo and Jim are off to Poland next weekend to race the Bikechallenge

The Mighty D is riding 12 hours solo at the twentyfour12. Kiki-B is pit biaatch.

And LCO is going to Ibiza for six weeks!

Do You Remember the First Time? – Jarvis Cocker

I arrive at Eastnor Park, Herefordshire on the Saturday morning for the 2006 Saab Salomon Mountain Mayhem ready to have my 24 hour cherry popped. I have been chosen as this year’s guest rider for the Skidmarks Team. Raymond and pit babe extraordinaire Rachel are already there to great me having arrived the previous evening to set up camp at a prime spot beside the course. We spend a couple of hours exploring the event village, blagging as many freebies as we can, and drinking tea. Eventually, the rest of the team materialise, Julie, Dominic and El Capitan Paul, together with our other two pit babes, Jane (who has selflessly given up her place in the to allow me to ride) and Laney. Paul informs me that it is ‘tradition’ that the guest rider does the run at the start of the event and the first couple of laps and, as I once foolishly admitted to running a marathon many moons ago in the days when both my knees worked properly, I have been ‘volunteered’ for the task.

The start time is looming and I assemble my bike, eat some pre-race pasta and sneeze a lot (the newly mown grass on the course is giving me hay fever: perfect) before heading down to catch the race briefing. We arrive at the briefing after it has started and have to stand at the back like naughty children. Consequently I can’t hear a thing so decide that the next hour would be better spent getting ready to meet whatever fate has in store for me.

At about a quarter to two Paul and I head for the start area. I rack my bike and Paul takes up a position opposite it so that he can remind me where I left it after I have done the run. I take my place amongst the heaving mass of bodies at the start line. I remember Paul’s advice and worm my way towards the front of the pack. Two o’clock arrives and we’re off! The first few metres are spent trying to find some space and avoid tripping over someone else’s flailing limbs. I realise that, having gone AWOL from the briefing, I have no idea how far I have to run and, therefore, no idea how to pace myself. In the end I decide that it can’t be that far, as the main purpose is just to stagger the number of bikes setting off at any one time, and run at a brisk(ish) tempo, or at least as brisk as I can manage wearing cycling shoes. I get to the transition area and, thanks to the fact that Paul has erected a huge flashing neon arrow over it (or do I mean that Paul was flashing a huge neon erection? My memory is little confused here), locate my bike quite easily (actually, I made up the bit about the flashing arrow; Paul didn’t have time to rig up the neon sign as he had changed into a Gorilla outfit and was now jumping up and down making very authentic ape noises and pointing to my bike with a giant inflatable banana).

I grab my bike, wheel it out of the start area before mounting it postman stylee. The course heads out over a flat grassy section before climbing gradually up a few switchback sections. After a while the climbing ends and we enter the first wooded singletrack section. I recall from the course map that I saw earlier that this section is sponsored by Evans and is called the ‘Evans Spooky Forest’. I keep expecting Gary Smith to leap out from behind a tree waving his arms above his head in a Scooby Doo scary fake ghost kind of way going ‘Whoooooooo!’ Sadly, this doesn’t happen. After the singletrack comes a steep, loose gravely descent with a sharp left hand bend at the end. I see a rider in front of me over cook it but he manages to stay on his bike. I think that this section is going to be responsible for inflicting a few cases of gravel rash before the 24 hours are out. We are then onto a fast, flat ‘fire road’ type section. I adopt my usual strategy going flat out on this kind of terrain to make up for my relative ineptitude on the more technical sections. The course then drops down, via a stream crossing, back down to the campsite. After exiting the camping area we begin to climb. The climbing goes on and on. It’s not particularly steep but it is on grass and is long and draggy. I suddenly feel as if I’m going to blow up and it’s only the first lap! I drop down to my granny ring and twiddle. Eventually, the course joins a section of single track and drops down through the trees. I am very relieved. There are a few more minor climbs but the route is now mainly on fast, dry singletrack and broad grassy downhill sections down to the finish line. I am relieved to reach the finish line and get my first lap under my belt but, do the team strategy of doing two laps at a time, I have to go straight back out and do it all over again. The second lap is not quite so bad. At least I know what is coming this time and I cope a lot better with my nemesis, the long draggy climb, this time around. After completing my second lap I hand the batton to Raymond and head back to our race HQ (Skidmark Towers). It has taken me around 90 minutes to complete two laps of 7 or 8 miles.

At least the two laps strategy means that it will be around 6 hours before I have to ride again, plenty of time to relax, eat and sneeze. I seem to be doing an awful lot of the latter. A couple of women and a guy, who are camped opposite us on the other side of the course, seem to have an obsession with calling out the number of almost every rider who passes. This habit is vaguely annoying to begin with but soon attains the status of f*****g annoying.

At around 9:30 I take the baton from Julie and I’m off again. At least it is cooler now. It is just about light enough to do most of the first lap without lights but night begins to fall during the second lap and I finish with my lights on. I hand over to Raymond, grab a bite to eat, set my alarm for 4am and head to my tent for some sleep.

Despite the sounds of the race going on around me I manage to fall asleep. However, my sleep is fitful and I wake up with severe cramp in my legs and an urgent need to pass water. After answering the call of nature beside the course, I sleep a little more before rising at around three thirty. It is still dark and I can see a myriad of light trails snaking along the ridge above us and down towards the campsite.

At around 4:30 I am back at the start compound to take over from Julie. Dawn is rapidly approaching and I only need my lights for the Evans Spooky Wood. Despite the fact that my body still craves sleep, it is actually a great time to be riding; cool but not cold and the birth of a new day full of the promise of unlimited possibilities…..of pain…and suffering. I notice, particularly on the long climb, that there are some very tired people on the course and not all of them are sporting the yellow tag that denotes a solo rider. At one point on the course there is someone handing out freebies. I grab on thinking it is an energy bar only to discover it is an open can of Red Bull which I spill all over the poor woman as I make a grab for it. Once I get going I actually feel a lot better than I expected to. I finish my two laps at about six, grab some breakfast and retreat to my tent to try to catch up on my sleep. This objective is soon rendered impossible thanks to the moronic dawn chorus from the other side of the tracks; ‘C’mon number ten million and fifty eight…..Lookin’ good!!!’. ‘Arrrrrggghhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!’


I get up and have a second breakfast and we fantasise about various methods of silencing the irritants over the way who are still greeting every ride with the refrain of ‘Come on number whatever’. Paul says he is going to write ‘My face’ on his number board. It takes a while to sink, in due to fatigue, but eventually Julie and I get the joke simultaneously and burst out laughing. Raymond asks me if I want to do the last lap (we have now reverted to a single lap strategy) so that I can shake hands with the fat man. My last lap comes round a little sooner than expected. Due to a bit of miscalculation (or cunning) everyone else has done a lap but I am left with over an hour to fill with my last lap. The rest of the team tell me that it doesn’t matter if I lurk. I start my lap at my usual pace, it actually feels as if it would be harder to go slower. I get to within spitting distance of the finish line and realise that I am going to have to lurk for over half an hour. I decide that I will be bored to tears and it also feels a little immoral. I am also a bit disappointed with my general lap times and feel that squeezing in an extra lap and hopefully pushing Skidmarks a few more places up the rankings is the least I can do to try and redeem myself. I make towards the finish and commit to another lap. I begin to get that ‘one more kilometre and we’re in the showers, feeling and I find I am actually enjoying myself. I get to the finish and I am greeted by the remaining team members and pit babes. They hang garlands around my neck and scatter me with rose petals….

I then go and shake the fat man’s hand; now it really is all over!

As far as first times go, the experience was, on the whole, a good one. My partners made me feel at ease and guided me and the whole business wasn’t as squelchy and messy as I’ve heard it can be.

I’ve now signed up for Sleepless in the Saddle. No longer a 24 hour virgin, I am now in danger of becoming a 24 hour tart.

Marky Marco

The Three Peaks Cyclo Cross

We're in! Well, Ramon,The Mighty D and KB so far.

Facer hasn't shown up on the radar yet.

site link:here

entries link:here

Suffering is the origin of consciousness - Dostoyevsky

It was a long week before the Builth Wells Merida 100 for me then I rode at the track in the heat the day before. I never hydrated enough all week. This meant I had cramps before the event even started.
Also I filled up my Camelbak from a tap in Newport. I'd forgotten that this has the most chlorinated and disgusting tasting tap water I know. Not good if I wanted to try to rehydrate whilst riding.

Anyway, the race set off in hot but completely overcast weather. I was nearer the end rather than my usual start near the front. I rode past a lot of people on the initial road section despite leg cramps and felt quite good considering.
The course was all brand new with little resemblance to previous year's routes. This was good but unfortunately I got caught in a couple of bottlenecks as I wasn't near the front. Also I was behind riders who got off and walked in technical woods or steep descents. But the singletrack through the woods was still excellent and disturbingly dark. I could hardly see anything with my sunglasses on so rode along with them on the end of my nose looking like some fusty old librarian until I had a chance to put them in the back pocket.
We rode around trees, raced along ditches and with tyres at 43psi I bounced off tree roots frequently. Sometimes sliding off one root to bounce off another.
At the first feed station I changed water in my Camelbak which greatly improved the quality of my ride.
At the second feed station I was quite surprised to find I'd drunk most of it as well as four bottles of Hi5. Maybe that was why I wasn't feeling too good now. But it was a great ride and I was enjoying the route. But I really wasn't feeling good.
Then four and a quarter hours from the start I went off pop. And I don't mean I stopped liking lemonade. I'm sure there was an audible pop as I blew and hit a wall.
I actually stopped, got off and sat down to eat a bar. Even then I only managed half of it as I was feeling nauseous. With a sigh and a heavy exhale of breath I carried on.

It was now hot and we were on open moorland. I put my sunglasses on and wished there was suntan cream in my bag. The sun was starting to burn. On the steeper parts of climbs I had to get off and walk. I was feeling exhausted.
Then I met a guy who'd just gone the wrong way down a valley road, just as I was about to go down it. He'd ridden back up and was now out of water. He'd saved me riding down the valley so I gave him the contents of my bottle. In return he told me his watch thermometer read 45°C. In Wales. Repeat that again. Yes, 45°C in Wales. Centigrade.
That's Wales spelt G - r - e - e - c - e. Later on someone else would spontaneously tell me their watch too had read 45°C.
How hot in the shade? I don't know there wasn't any shade now. Well not if you were taller than 20cm and couldn't fit under a fern bush. The sun was just relentless.
Somehow I felt better that 45°C was a major reason for my discomfort.

Finally I arrived at the last feed station. Just about to run out of water, many people had. The briefing had put the finish where the feed station was and put the feed station much earlier. I sat down and drank two bottles of Hi5 and managed to eat a banana.
Then the last grind home. Here I rode down a great bit of steep singletrack to the bottom of a valley. It took me 25 minutes to walk back up it when I realised I'd missed an arrow and gone the wrong way. I timed that walk.
It is possible to swear continuously for 25 minutes. Admittedly repeating myself.

But finally I reached the end in a grand total of eight and a quarter hours after I'd started. A record for me. Unfortunately it was the slowest I've ever ridden an endurance event. But now I could lie on the grass and eat three mouthfuls of pasta. That was all my stomach could 'stomach'.

But a great course and I look forward to seeing what time I can do it in if it's the same route next year.

45°C in Wales. Well done to those who finished before me.
The Builth Wells Merida 100 in 2006 is one to say you did. I can also say it did me. In.

Builth Merida

Oh! the pain, the pain.

Facer suffers in the hottest Merida ever!

report to follow.

photos: here

SSMM Results

The results are up on Singletrackworld here: mixed


Marky's last extra lap took Skidmarks up to 23rd! Well done Marky!!!

Glorious Sunshine!

Back to the days of yore at the SSMM this year.The long hot days of the SSMM in Birmingham returned for the weekend in Ledbury. Lots of fast and furious racing on a shorter course,rideable by all.

Riders:

Demonico:Put in a blistering fastest lap,but paid for it later.ooHe also suffered two punctures and mugged a fellow rider in the woods for a spare tube!

The Mighty Dinsdale: Now charging an appearance fee since taking 5th overall in the Trans Portugal,rode strongly throughout.And provided excellent chocolate cake.

Paulo Facero:Forked about on his last two laps as his forked gradually disintegrated.

Marky marco:Decided not to lurk and shook the Fatman's hand,and will hopefully write something from a rooky's point of view for here.Pictured above after a hard last lap..

Ramon:Best outfit of the weekend.

Pit babes,videography,photography......etc
Lil'cute one,Janey and Laney

Some pics here: ssmm

SSMM

It's that time again.

The weather forecast looks a little bit drier this year.

Ramon y the lil'cute one are going on Friday night to bag a place to set up Skidmark Towers.

Skidmarks team 06 is looking strong this year:

Dom : absolutely flying in the national contre le montre this year.

Julie: aka the Mighty Dinsdale recently taken 5th overall in the Trans Portugal.

Marky: aka AKM just back from bagging le geant de Provence,Mont Ventoux,from every direction.

Ramon: on a roll from 7th vets and 52nd overall in the last Merida.

Paul: just back from a friend's wedding.

Juanita and LCO will be pit babing this year.

Trans Portugal stage 8

The Mighty Dinsdale takes 5th overall! Hurrah!

We await her write up of the race.

photos

Trans Portugal stage 7

The Mighty Dinsdale rides on water. As the rider in fronts sinks, the Mighty Dinsdale glides over the surface



The weather improves.



Julie enters into correspondence with the other riders!! She gets a mention for leaving a little note on a gate that she was unable to close.....aaahhh..bless her little cotton socks :-) The Mighty Dinsdale is fair to all and noble in life

newsletter

Trans Portugal stage 6

The flat day: Once again the easy day bites,with thunder storms and mud, the Mighty Dinsdale pushes on.

Even the scary giant sunflowers are no match for the Mighty Dinsdale


newsletter

Trans Portugal stage 5

The long day:

KB crashes out of the stage! Apparently he forgot to open a gate and went through it closed! There is no mention of injury.

Way to go dude...esta el hombre muy duro.(y posible poco miope tambien,no? ;-))

newsletter

Trans Portugal stage 4

The 'easy' day before the big day. As so often happens, the easy on paper day becomes the hard day before the very hard day. It rained.....hard.

Julie takes this in her stride:-)


When we last spoke, Julie was very motivated for this race,today SM/SR managed a quick interview with the Mighty Dinsdale live via a satellite hook-up.

SM - Hi Julie,how's it going.

JD - Good, I am crushing the opposition.

SM - er..right, good. How is the course?

JD - I am smashing the mountains to dust beneath my mighty northern thighs.

SM - mm...ok. So, how are you feeling?

JD - My northern blood boils with the desire to win!

SM - very well..What will you do after the race?

JD - Make chocolate cake for everyone!!!

:-)

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