And today I did......

[Jamiedyer]

For 24 hours in powder snow on singlespeeds with the temperature range of -1 to -16. There's some sketchy ice patches at 5.30am in the dark screaming down off the mountain.
Life could be worse, but then again if you asked me at 4am I would tell you it could be a damn sight better as well

Jamie

 

[RobMac]

Re:

Elaborate please :shock:

 

[Mr Panda]

Re:

Good stuff boyos!

Went for a bimble this afternoon and on the return loop approx 300 yards from home ventured on some ice in the half light. Ice dutfully did it's thing an I was sent sliding on my side for a good few yards. Right knee, hip and elbow took the hit an am on the anti-inflammatories the noo, for all the good they'll do. Doesn't seem to be any major damage though - just hobbling about a bit

 

[RobMac]

Re:

How's the bike?

 

[Jamiedyer]

Doesn't sound good Mr P! Hopefully it will just be a bit of a knock and be settled down tomorrow.
I had one my self on some icey trail this morning about 7.30 when I put a bit more effort in on the flat and the back end came right round on me and lowsided me onto my right side. Just polished ice under a sort of sugar snow. Woke me up that's for sure No damage though, so all good.
Rob Mac, it was of course the Strathpuffer 24h race, Sat 10am to Sunday 10am, 18 hours of darkness or some such. I had some motivational issues so sat out a few hours in the midnight zone but got back out for 5.30.
Raced with the Fatty Owl team which, while a Fatbike based team does include a couple of retrobikers, Brian, Jason Liddell, GilM and myself along with a couple of Yorkshire lads. It was a good time as usual though bloody hard with everyone having their own stories and tribulations. Brian, Jason and I were solo while the others were quads. Brian and I were singlespeeds as usual but I think there were 13 singlespeeders all up.
The aim is to race round Ben Wyvis for 24 hours on fire road and singletrack with a lot longer track this year, I think it was around 12 kilometres or something with quite a bit of technical stuff. And if it wasn't technical before, it certainly was once frozen or covered in a foot of fine dry powder snow. The weather was very cold but crystal clear skies, very beautiful. Brakes freezing, beards freezing, water bottles freezing, derailleurs freezing, feet and people freezing. We were good though as we all had good gear with us. hard going but all good fun.

1 by Jamie Dyer, on Flickr

2 by Jamie Dyer, on Flickr

5 by Jamie Dyer, on Flickr

3 by Jamie Dyer, on Flickr

6 by Jamie Dyer, on Flickr

7 by Jamie Dyer, on Flickr

8 by Jamie Dyer, on Flickr

11 by Jamie Dyer, on Flickr

10 by Jamie Dyer, on Flickr

 

[RobMac]

Jamie and I went for a wee ride in the woods at Contin...

A wee ride aye for 24 hours
Jamie I thought it might be the Strathpuffer just couldn't remember the dates.
Amazing pics BTW

 

[RobMac]

Re:

And another thing you have got to hang that race number up

 

[jimo746]

Re:

Well done Jamie and Brian, at least the bikes shouldn't need cleaning after this year's Puffer?
Something I've thought about doing sometime. How many hours of riding did you do?

 

[Jamiedyer]

My bike had some mud build up on the bottom bracket and I went to get it off before I put it in the car but it was frozen solid, Brians was the same.
Not as much hours as usual for me. I sat out a good few hours in the middle of the night, but back into around 5.30. That's the beauty of solo I suppose, well at least at our end of the field, in that you stop when you want, for as long as you want.
Laps started taking longer and longer and it gets pretty slippery in the early hours when your tired. Very hard to climb long steep climbs with 6 inch of dry powder on them The weather while beautiful made it a real epic this year.
Next year Jimo, grab Rob and a couple of the lads. Entries open July

Jamie

 

[jimo746]

Re:

Sounds good, I'd be stopping after every lap for a hot brew and a dram of something to warm me up