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!

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