Back in black...

Ah, the BB200. Stu, the man behind BearBones Bikepacking and Forest Freeride is someone for whom a great many cyclists have a love/hate relationship with. They love the BearBones forum, the blog, the nifty little stoves. They love the events, so much so they sell out in hours......but.....and it's a big but, at some point, when you're on the BB200 I'm sure most riders will have cursed his existence.

Charge Cooker Ti 29er ready for action!

My first attempt at the BB200 was in 2013. I'd competed in the Bontrager 24/12 earlier than year and achieved a top 20 finish in the 24hr solo. I felt ready for the BB200, it was only 125 miles compared to the 175 I'd achieved in 24 hrs at Bonty, it'll be a doddle, right? Wrong. Doing 20 odd laps means you know what to expect, you pass your pit every hour and you're carrying little more than spare tube and a C02 cart. On the BB200 once it gets dark any town or village you pass through the shops will have long since shut, you have to carry everything you might need (including an obligatory sleeping bag & shelter) and any groomed/buff singletrack will be pure fluke. I'm pleased to say despite a couple of OTBs, a 3am bonk and a "minutes from home" navigation cock-up I rolled in after 22.5 hours to claim a black badge.

2014 was another story, I'd brought along a Carbon hardtail instead of the Fargo, stripped everything back and.....25hrs. The infamous 2014 route will go down in history, and forever mentioned whenever Sisyphus crops up in conversation. Stu appears to have been called every name under the sun (even contacted mid-ride) for creating a course comprising more bogs, tussocks and labyrinthine navigation than was previously thought possible.

And yet, when the 2015 event opened for entries it was a sell out in mere hours and a waiting list soon developed! So, as I rode off from the start, preparing to ride 200k on a bike, and more importantly a saddle, I'd not done more than 6 hours on. It gores without saying the previous year weighed heavily on my mind. The forecast was good but the sky overcast and to nobodies surprise less than an hour in and the bog trotting began.

Typical Welsh Bridleway

Luckily my fears were unfounded and this was a temporary blip. The route was a real gem, of course there was a section of tussocks, and the boggy track above but I defy anyone to link 125 miles of trails through Wales and avoid them entirely. I'm also pretty sure that it took me down the steepest trail I've ever ridden. This was a  challenge, but it wasn't just a slog.

I stuck to the nutrition (if sweets and pies constitute nutrition!) plan I used last year, forget having a large meal and instead eat a small snack every hour or so. I had a few gels, including some caffeine ones, but only for emergency use. I've given up on gels generally and carting sticky wrappers around for 125 miles didn't appeal. It's interesting to note how on a ride I can make a bag of Haribo last 18 hrs but on a sofa they vanish in minutes! 

So, how'd I get on? Well, after a shaky start where my Garmin didn't do very much I was happy with my pace and the Charge rode like a dream. I avoided making (m)any stupid navigational errors and rolled into Llanrhaeadr-ym-Mochnant, after the chippy shut, but before the Spar closed. I didn't need any supplies, (and in fact I'm eating some as I type) but there's a positive boost from *knowing* you definitely have enough fuel in reserve.

With this year's event having an "open" start time of anywhere between 8 & 10 am there was a lot of leap-frogging between entrants with differing pace, it also meant that if some passed you you weren't sure if they were faster or has stopped for an hour and were still technically behind!

About 20 miles from the end I was starting to flag but I knew that once I'd got to Staylittle, it was essentially downhill all the way. On seeing the "Llanbrynmair 7" sign I knew I could go all out and if I bonked I'd still be able to coast to the finish! I felt a bit bad leaving the chap I'd been riding with for the last hour or so but I was keen to put in a good time. The Charge had a 34t Absolute Black Oval ring paired with an 11(-42 expanded cassette) so the Cadence I could muster was  good for about 35mph. I rolled in at 6.23 a.m. 20hrs and 53 minutes after I set off. It was hard to work out my finishing position as many riders listed as returned were DNF. Thanks to Zippy on the forum for waving his magic Excel wand and establishing that I'd come back in 6th place. 39 riders were listed as finishers with the final one making it back after 36hrs in the saddle. Around 25 riders, or their perhaps their equipment, were unable to finish the route.
One BB200 tradition that is popular with all riders that was again in evidence was the welcoming breakfast courtesy of Dee and the collection of your finisher's badge.

Back in Black!

If the idea of the BB200 appeals, and you want in before next October have a look at http://bearbonesbikepacking.co.uk/index.php and see about the other events that carry the Bear Bones certificate of sufferi......err approval!

Ridin' with the Romans

Riding the Icknield Way, Peddars way double and the Harling Drove 
Saturday30/8/2015

I was all set this weekend to take part in the Tywi Ton event in Wales. Unfortunately it had to be cancelled, the route could still be ridden but I wasn't feeling 100% and fighting streaming snot. Driving 350 miles before a big ride didn't seem such a great plan. I needed to get out for some big miles though so something local made more sense just in case a bail out was required.

Living in Suffolk you have to accept the trails you've got, there are no Alpine-style passes to revel in so you'd better like forests and farmland bridleways! This isn't necessarily a bad thing, you can cover a lot of miles in a day and get to see a lot.

Team mate James was in a similar situation so we hatched a plan. Take in the Icknield way, Peddars Way and Harling drove. This would give us a 100+ mile ride and opportunities to cut short if necessary.

After a week of unending rain the weather on the day was perfect, I was going to be riding my Krampus for the first ever time so I was praying for dry conditions as everyone says Knards are hopeless in the gloop.

James would be on pretty much the polar opposite bike, a Pinnacle Arkose Gravel bike/Adventure Road/Gnarmac/Insert cliche here. It would be interesting to see how the bikes compared along the way.

Our ride started near Newmarket and took us along the Icknield way through the Kings Forest to the start of the Peddars way near Knettishall. 

The Icknield way is said to be one of the oldest established routes in England, pre-dating the arrival of the Romans, it's name is thought to be derived from The Iceni, the dominant East Anglian tribe led by Boadicea. 

Icknield Way signposts

The settling in period for the Krampus was over in a flash. With 13/12psi Rear and Front respectively in the Knard/Hugo combo and 710 bars in 90mm stem everything fell perfectly into place. The Krampus was a leap of faith, would 29+ wheels be a happy medium between full-fat and regular wheels or would it just be too lardy?

Our first stop was at Castle Acre for a cuppa at the Church Gate Cafe, and a chance to discuss how 29x3 had faired compared to 700x38.

Church Gate Tea rooms, Castle Acre

The chat was short-lived as we were plagued by wasps, but the consensus was that there was no surprise who was faster on tarmac but that the Krampus excelled on stuttery trails and sandy tracks. When pulling away you the plus wheels do initially feel reluctant but as long as you can keep momentum its barely noticeable on the move.

Rolling into Holme-next-the-sea after 70 miles of riding is a bit of anti-climax, the Peddars way fizzles out along a residential road, a quick dog leg, through a golf course before you finally see the vast expanse of beach and the sea. No time to take in the view, this was just the half way point and Summer's long evenings were a thing of the past.

70 miles back can feel a bit daunting but the Krampus still had that "new-bike" aurora that gives you more energy than you'd normally have. Having only ever ridden this route once before, it too still had novelty value and I vowed to make sure we stopped to have a look at what we were riding past on the return.

Cluniac Priory, Castle Acre

Despite being called Castle Acre the priory is probably the most obvious of the village's ruins. Both were the work of William de Warenne and his son who were granted the land by William the Conquerer (two weeks ago I was riding in Falaise, his birthplace!). The castle itself was built on the remains of a Roman encampment.

We made good progress to Swaffham were the past meets the present with a bump. Giant wind turbines have taken the place of windmills in taking advantage of the area's natural draughts! It's also home to a conveniently sited McDonalds!

On leaving the golden arches it became necessary to light up so that's it for photos. We planned to deviate from our original route at Shadwell crossing and leave the Peddars way for the Harling drove and return via Santon Downham and Cavenham Heath.

Harling drove, as the name implies was once a major route for cattle being taken to pasture or market. It makes for a easily navigable gravel route. The downside is that it can be popular with fly-tippers and others who wish to carry out their activities away from prying eyes. As it was we only came across one illicit barbecue and there had been no fresh deposits of old plaster, ceiling tiles or half empty paint pots. There was the beginning of some light rain and the Knards started becoming just a bit squirmy...

Crossing Cavenham Heath this squirminess, along with general fatigue got the better of me and I managed to dump myself into a muddy puddle. While I wasn't far off a sense of humour failure the surroundings made up for it. The heath is an oasis of natural habitat in which plantations of commercial forest and arable farming, so common in the Brecks, are absent. Apart from some suitably rustic sheep and the trail we followed you can be hard pressed to find evidence of humans for as far as you can see.

Arriving at the road that passes under the A14 I knew that it was just a quick tarmac burst before reaching the van and heading home. James and I had both planned for an easier option than the events we had planned but had still challenged ourselves and learnt that there is no single "right bike" for the route. I felt a little regret in not going to Wales but similarly I rode relatively close to home and took in plenty of sights, sounds and smells that were new to me. Already plans are afoot to see if the "out and back" nature of the ride can be modified into more of a loop to increase the amount of fresh ground covered.

Aftermath update: The morning after I did feel the fatigue expected from a long day in the saddle but I was pleasantly surprised how few aches and pains I was suffering that I'd normally attribute to the uneven trails.

Go on then, I'll give you one more chance....

“There are no second chances in life, except to feel remorse.” 
― Carlos Ruiz Zafón, The Shadow of the Wind

Scott Mountain Marathon Round 3: Church Stretton ride report

I can't remember how coy I was when summing up my thoughts about the last Scott MTB Marathon I entered, so I'll be clear this time....the route sucked. It consisted of far too many fire road climbs and then squandered that effort with too many arrow straight lumpy and uninspiring descents. It didn't make me want to try another.

So why did I end up at Round 3 then? I had the option of hitting the road (Nah, did a century last weekend), MSG XC at Ickworth (Nah, it'll be over in 90 mins and flat) so let's think about another marathon event. I looked over the OS map to confirm that Church Stretton wasn't suffocated by acres of FC plantations and was relieved to find that was the case. I also hadn't visited the area since doing my Silver D. of E. so the chance to ride the Long Mynd, Minton Batch, etc perhaps wasn't to be missed.

Once again GringoJimi and I dropped in on C6 Bikes on the way, we both needed some drink mix and I needed a new helmet. 

I went for another Skratch Labs bottle taster bundle and Jimi opted for a bucket of Torq. While there we learned some top secret news about team bikes for 2016....more details to follow.

For my new helmet I went for a Giro Foray. I've gone off MTB or trail helmets for riding in, the peak never seems to do much and they seem unnecessarily heavy. The Foray felt comfy straight away. It's only about 50g lighter than the Specialized Tactic II it's replacing (if the labels are to be believed) but once on it doesn't protrude into your peripheral vision so it almost disappears.  

After a quick look over the new Storck range we hit the road and thankfully the M6 was kind to us. The Marathon arena was much the same as round 2, that is, a decent range of food and drink and a sprinkling of trade stands, no bad thing.

The main event...

As with Round 2 the start was a bun fight. 700 riders fed into a single lane road couldn't be anything other than that. I guess it the interests of everyone having the same start time it has to be done that way. Having learned that a quick start was essential to clear the main bunch we planned to quick off the block, alas the sheer volume of riders made that impossible. As it's not a race, and a large percentage of riders aren't out to race trying to force your way through the pack would just make you look an arse and probably lead to a massive crash. Bide your time and the first big climb gives you the opportunity to get past a few.

The route itself was a vast improvement over Round 2. Far fewer fire roads, instead lots of nice trails crossing "proper countryside". I did feel a bit guilty at the volume of riders when it appeared to have been the number one weekend for D. of E. groups to hit the hills too.

Basking in the sunshine...

The weather for the most part didn't disappoint, two bottles of Skratch (One raspberry and one lemon/lime) were enough even though it started off roasting hot. I say for the most part as 20k from the end the heavens opened in a big way. Thankfully I was through the Jurassic trails of Eastridge when the downpour started. It's also interesting how motivating it can be to get the hell out of Dodge in adverse conditions. The return leg repeated one of the more sketchy, technical descents and Strava reveals I completed it faster in the wet than I did in the dry with fresh legs!

I just want to finish now...

I really enjoyed my ride in Shropshire and lamented that I have driven through without stopping en route to Wales many times. Like Arnie said....I'll be back!

Post script.....The conditions for the XC race at Ickworth were atrocious with mnay people abandoning the race after clogging with mud on their practice lap. Bullet dodged!

The Longest Day (The Cambrian 500: Part One)

The Cambrian 500

No matter the circumstances that you may be going through, just push through it.   

    Ray Lewis

There is a long established Welsh coast to coast for mountain bikes but some bright spark felt it missed too many good bits and perhaps didn't offer the same challenge as the Scottish ITT routes ( e.g. Caingorms Loop or Highland Trail). The first attempt at the new WC2C coincided with some awful weather and ended in the group scratching at Llanwrtyd Wells, a solo effort by the now legendary Dave Barter ended a similar way and my own first attempt fizzled out in Machynlleth. Rather than avoid this route like the plague, I bizarrely jumped at an invitation to tackle it again over the Easter hols.

Last time around my fitness (or lack there of), combined with one of those off days was a major contribution to calling it quits in Mach. While I've not been hitting the turbo as I should I have been regularly commuting by bike and getting out for a decent ride at the weekend. I also planned to take far less kit with me, all too easily I can end up with everything AND the kitchen sink.

Kit List (Pared down from my previous attempt)

• On One Lurcher w. XT/SLX 2x10 & Manitou Tower 100mm Forks

• Garmin Dakota w. OS 1:50k maps

• 2x Alpkit Stem Cells (One with Mytimug & Krakau stove, the other containing snacks)

• Ibera small frame bag containing tools and tubes

• Alpkit Kanga w. Airlok Extra 13l drybag (containing all sleep kit)

• Thermarest Haven 20 Sleeping bag

• Thermarest Neoair Xtherm

• Alpkit Hunka XL Bivibag

• Decathlon silk bag liner

• Alpkit Koala Seat pack containing clothing & food

• Leg & Arm warmers

• Musto Gore Tex Jacket

• Altura Waterproof shorts

• Sealskinz socks

• Base layer & long johns

• Uniqlo down gilet

• Adventure freeze dried meals & peanut M&Ms

• 700ml High 5 bottle and Oasis puritabs

Day 0 (Thursday 2nd April 2015) 

 One logistical nightmare for any point-to-point ride is how you get back to where you parked. I wasn't keen on parking in Llandudno/Swansea as if this ride ended like the others then it'd be a long train before a long drive! So train all the way then. This meant a ride along the Cloud trail to Derby station before a few changes and ending up in Prestatyn so I could ride the North Wales Coastal route. 34 miles clocked up getting to the start! The wind was getting up and I was regretting my decision to eat at McDonalds, not because of the food but because I daren't eat inside. A bunch of teenagers forcibly ejected by johnny no-stars was giving the loaded Lurcher worrying amounts of attention.

10 easy miles along the former railway from the Cloud quarry

The Las Vegas of North Wales

We (Myself, Andy & Gabes) were booked into the Llandudno Hostel, it's basic, clean and serves a decent enough breakfast for the £20 or so it cost to stay. The wind had been joined by rain so being able to start the ride dry meant I wasn't too upset to miss out on a bivi up on the Orme. It wasn't too grim however for us to brave the walk to the Queen Vic for a swift pint and chat to the other riders.

Day 1 (Friday 3rd April 2015)

And so D-Day arrived, the weather had decided on mist as our starter for 10 so we spun up the steep and winding Marine Drive trying to find the balance between warming up and blowing up. The Rest and be thankful Cafe wouldn't be opening until after we'd set off so it acted only as handy landmark to start from.

From 10am until about 5pm the conditions got steadily worse. To begin with I was preferring the cooler temps to the sweltering heat of last August and the first proper offroad section after Conwy seemed to pass by far quicker than the last time I rode through, how much was improved fitness versus cooler temps and knowing the route better I don't know. By the time I'd reached Llyn Colwyd the rain was coming in horizontally and I had already had a couple of daft crashes on slippery wet surfaces. In places the very single track could easily put you in the lake so taking it a bit easier was prudent.

Path alongside Llyn Colwyd

Coming out the other side to view the Ogwen Valley, after a spot of hike-a-bike, my spirits were lifted, it was still cold but Capel Curig meant the opportunity to grab a hot drink and a bite to eat without having the faff of unpacking kit in the rain. It was at Capel that I caught up with Gabes and Andy, and having warmed up with a Coffee we resumed riding leaving behind puddles of rainwater. 

The next stage of the ride would take us past Ty Mawr Wybrnant and then through Penmachno trail centre with the potential for a hot meal at the nearby village pub. It wasn't to be as there was a private party being catered for so we pushed on, taking on the impossibly steep climb over towards Ffestininog and Trawsfynydd. The rain had stopped but it was still bitterly cold, the fast tarmac descent into Trawsfynydd required extra layers or there was a serious danger of Hypothermia. 

We hadn't been told that there was no hot food at this point

At around midnight, 15 or so miles later, and having lapped the lake surrounding the nuclear power station, we decided to set up camp in the next wooded area we came across. As I crawled into my bivi bag (having wrung the water out of my socks)  I reflected that the 70 mile total for the day would have to be upped considerably if a Monday finish at the Gower was going to happen.

Scott MTB Marathon Round 2 Rhayader

The wise man does at once what the fool does finally.
Niccolo Machiavelli

Having let work get in the way of doing the Builth round of the Scott Marathon series I was twice as keen to do Round 2, particularly as I've ridden a lot in Mid-Wales but usually while on a laden bike-packing bike, not an XC bike carrying just a couple of gels.


I'd be chauffeured there by Gringo Jimi in his recently pimped-out van, this was another first, Mid-Wales, unladen bike and no Bivi either!

Prep for the event meant a new chain, PF30 BB and Jagwire gear cables for the Spearfish. My last marathon outing in Wales led to a significant walk of shame from Crychan Forest to Llanwrtyd Wells as my well used Nobby Nics were fatally and repeatedly punctured by slate chippings. The Onza Canis fitted to the Spearfish were only a couple of rides old so a quick once over and they were cleared for take-off. Any signs of wear and I'd have binned them, it's not worth the gamble.

Leaving my final  packing to the last minute *again* meant I couldn't lay my hands on a mini-pump or any drink mix. Luckily we were dropping by C6 Bikes to pick up a Park work stand so I was able to get my missing items.

Doing my best to avoid the tempting Santa Cruz display I chose myself a Birzman Mini-Apogee, it looks to be the smallest useful pump I've seen. Weighs nowt, feels sturdy considering the size and best of all fits in my tiny seat pack.....I felt 70km of Welsh off-roading was certain to lead to a lost pump from a jersey back pocket. I can't comment on it's performance just yet as I didn't suffer any punctures!

Birzman Mini-Apogee  14cm tall, 2.5cm diameter and 4cm across at the head. 80g and good for 120psi!

I took a gamble on the drink mix by opting for Skratch Labs . I'd not tried any before but had heard good things and C6 had a handy trial kit that comprised of a bottle and 6 different sachets. 

Skratch Labs Taster pack: Specialized 500ml bottle with 6 different flavour drink sachets

The Lemon sachet, when mixed with 500ml of water had just enough flavour without the artificial excessive sweetness that is often typical of powered mixes. Like the pump I'll reserve judgement until I've tried the rest but it was certainly nicer than the Torq lime mix given out by the Scott Marathon feed station.

It would have been so pointless to kill himself that, even if he had wanted to, the pointlessness would have made him unable.

Franz Kafka

"Reckon we could fit that in the van?"

So on to the event. You might have guessed I like going on long rides, I'll happily do closed course rides but if I can go out for a few hours and not cover the same trail twice that's even better. The marathon series then should be perfect, it's on public trails so it's not a race and it's a (25, 40 or in our case) 70km lap.

The event was based at Rhayader Rugby ground and for £35 the facilities, live band, pasta meal and decent event T-Shirt are good VFM.

Camp site the night before

With 600+ entrants leaving through a small market town it was never going to be a smooth departure but I think some sort of seeding would've been sensible as it was a bit of bun fight.
There was a pace car but everyone seemed perfectly able to keep pace so the bun fight continued for a good few miles.

The evening before I saw the route map and it looked suspiciously like it spent a lot of time in commercial forest plantations, unfortunately this proved to be true. I'd say the route was probably 60% fire roads, 10% fall line arrow straight single track, 10% muddy land rover tracks, and 20% Tarmac. There was some of the gotta catch 'em feeling from regular XC races but a lot of the time was spent thinking oh, another fire road climb. 

Still, look for the positives, it lashed down in Suffolk while Wales had glorious sunshine and racking up some height gain can't be all bad.

Getting back to the van the rider parked next to us was impressed we'd done the 70k ride and had thoroughly enjoyed his day so the organisers are obviously doing something right, for me (and Gringo Jimi) it was 70k of very samey trails.

Gringo Jimi's Santa Cruz Highball CC XTR *swoon* and Britney Spearfish

MOT Time....

Ah yes, that time of year again. When the vehicle you've been otherwise content with for the last twelve months needs the official nod to stay on the road and only then do you wonder if having that funny noise dealt with earlier would've been a good idea....

Anyhow, I chose to take my T5 down to Hangar 111 for it's annual service and MOT. While this means a 40 mile drive it's worth it for the peace of mind. Greg, Marianne and their team maintain a number of successful racing Lotus Elises so the T5 shouldn't pose them any problems. It also means I have a relatively good excuse to get a decent ride in coming home. I decided to take take fatty with me, it's first ride back in the UK after our win at the 66º North Ultra Race, and ride the coast back home.

The strong North Easterly wind made sure that the lack of climbing didn't make it too easy for me. A quick stop part way in at Sizewell allowed me the chance to have a snack stop in the shadow of the Nuclear Power Station! 

Mid-ride coffee, cake and sausage gap stop

A lot is made of Fat Bikes and their ability to "float" on surfaces that would otherwise scupper a normal bike. I was impressed first hand in Finland how a couple of psi extra taken out of the tyres made a world of difference to float and progress on deeper snow. However the shingle between Minsmere and Dunwich has defeated me whenever I have tried riding it. I start off OK and gradually as I click down through the gears you know the inevitable is about to happen and you just hop off and walk. At first I thought it was my original Fatty's 1x10 gearing being too high, then it was too high pressures perhaps...fact is 4.0 tyres don't cut it when the going is as far from firm as it can be. This is irksome as the Fatty doesn't have the clearances for anything larger.

Fatty can just about cope with this size of gravel