BB200 2024

[ootini]

Is there anything official about this year's BB200? I'm considering entering (my first one), but wasn't sure of typical dates etc.

Can't find anything on here, or the events page.

Thanks

[fatbikephil]

Invite only this year - mebbes drop stuart a line

[riderdown]

Does a figure of eight so you can do Strata Florida in both directions

[fatbikephil]

Does a figure of eight so you can do Strata Florida in both directions

[whitestone]

Does a figure of eight so you can do Strata Florida in both directions

Alpkit are reportedly sold out of wetsuits

[josh]

Invite only this year - mebbes drop stuart a line

Hmm, good to know. I was hoping to enter this year. I decided I wasn’t ready for last year’s one.

[ootini]

Invite only this year - mebbes drop stuart a line

Hmm, good to know. I was hoping to enter this year. I decided I wasn’t ready for last year’s one.

Same here.

[riderdown]

. I decided I wasn’t ready for last year’s one

Anyone who hit Strata Florida in the dark found out they weren't the hard way

It's not a critique of Stu, more a reset of expectations of the scale of the challenge he sets "Success is a little like wrestling a gorilla. You don't quit when you're tired. You quit when the gorilla is tired."

[PaulE]

. I decided I wasn’t ready for last year’s one

Anyone who hit Strata Florida in the dark found out they weren't the hard way

It's not a critique of Stu, more a reset of expectations of the scale of the challenge he sets "Success is a little like wrestling a gorilla. You don't quit when you're tired. You quit when the gorilla is tired."

To be fair, I just got off it in the daylight and it was still almost enough to make me give up!

[josh]

. I decided I wasn’t ready for last year’s one

Anyone who hit Strata Florida in the dark found out they weren't the hard way

It's not a critique of Stu, more a reset of expectations of the scale of the challenge he sets "Success is a little like wrestling a gorilla. You don't quit when you're tired. You quit when the gorilla is tired."

Strata Florida did indeed look like a challenging and demoralising section to get to in the dark!

In the biking, hiking & running I’ve done since deciding I wasn’t ready, I’ve found that I mostly prefer conditions to be a little questionable and the ‘fun type’ to hover between 1.5–2.

I did the Brother Cycles Big ‘Un event last year, and they said that less than half of the people that started actually finished. The conditions were biblical, but I was having a great time.

[redefined_cycles]

Anyone able to share some more info on Strata Florida pls. I didn't manage to get there last year (not complaining at all) as my last shakedown ride caused me to go into long terms cramps for a good while.

Anywhere that we can read about how and why 'substandard it was'. Ta

[whitestone]

Anyone able to share some more info on Strata Florida pls. I didn't manage to get there last year (not complaining at all) as my last shakedown ride caused me to go into long terms cramps for a good while.

Anywhere that we can read about how and why 'substandard it was'. Ta

It was basically "taking your bike for a swim"

I got through most of it before dark. Let's just say trying to illuminate a peat filled river of uncertain depth is "interesting"! The deepest bits were around Moel Prysgau bothy and were about waist deep.

It gets used by the 4x4 crowd a lot so have a search for videos by them.

[Boab]

Someone posted some video of the 4x4's the were coming the other way on the second weekend.

[riderdown]

Imagine a land rover track and river that flow in the same general direction but cross each other every 50 to 100m. Then add in considerable rainfall in the preceding week so deep and fast flowing water and in the puddles muddy water so you were playing russian roulette with the depth (pedal, bb, hub, knee, thigh, deeper) for that little bit extra add the dark so on some crossings you can't see the other side even with the lights on full power

Finally add in the GPS track "quirks" as you desperately try and follow the route seeing 20m at a time

[redefined_cycles]

Lol... I don't think I like this 'are you able to endure' comment made by Stu years ago. That sounds exponentially worse than walking through muddy puddles and navigating the trees through the forest in 2019 )or was it 2020). Just before the world Cup DH track.

Oh dear what a s*** show

[riderdown]

I disagree, it was a challenge, I could have got back in time for one of the badges but was broken psychologically as it was so different to 2022 and it was also an immense physical strain as doing it in the dark meant so much more wasted effort

Some people completed in 15 hours iirc,

Expectations have been reset therefore even if it's the same this year it will be easier as the mental preparation and hardening has been done the previous year

[redefined_cycles]

Thanks for that comment Riderdown. After I read about it (strata) the rest of my ride today had me wondering if I'm mentally strong enough for that kinda stuff.

Walking waste deep through bogs sounds more like WW1 or something. But if you think it was less 'endure' than the previous years then maybe I'll continue and raise my expectations of myself.

Surely it couldn't have been worse than the legendary 2014 route.

[whitestone]

I think Stu has commented that 2014 was a shock as it was a radical departure from the previous three which had been basically the same route.

I didn't find Strata Florida as bad as the moorland section before it. SF was just keep moving and don't bother about getting wet because you are as wet as you are going to get anyway. I just couldn't get any rhythm on the moorland section which kind of frustrated me as much as anything. Quite possibly I ended up with a subtly incorrect line.

[riderdown]

I didn't find Strata Florida as bad as the moorland section before it.

The moorland just had me wishing for a fat bike, I followed the gpx quite tightly which meant some interesting pushes, had a brief stop to sort myself out and put warm clothes on before the descent to SF but then it went dark on the way down

I assume you rode it in daylight

[redefined_cycles]

Once again, very encouraging. I wish I was as fast as others who manage to get to places in the light!

[Polisherman]

Strada Florida was ok, a tad moist.
The real crux was having Rhayader at the half way point with it's lovely road straight back to Llanbrynmair.
I nearly bailed, but a hot air dryer in a public loo raised the spirits. Oh, and the knowledge that Mrs Polisherman (who was not far behind), would be very dissapointed with me. So onwards, forever onwards. The ice at the end was good....

[whitestone]

I didn't find Strata Florida as bad as the moorland section before it.

The moorland just had me wishing for a fat bike, I followed the gpx quite tightly which meant some interesting pushes, had a brief stop to sort myself out and put warm clothes on before the descent to SF but then it went dark on the way down

I assume you rode it in daylight

Got most of it in the light, probably the last quarter was in the dark, maybe a little less.

[riderdown]

Once again, very encouraging. I wish I was as fast as others who manage to get to places in the light!

You are probably younger, fitter and stronger than me with a far superior w/kg. BB200 is about the head and looking after yourself and the bike. Stop worrying about what you can't control and get your entry in and just go for it

[redefined_cycles]

Once again, very encouraging. I wish I was as fast as others who manage to get to places in the light!

You are probably younger, fitter and stronger than me with a far superior w/kg. BB200 is about the head and looking after yourself and the bike. Stop worrying about what you can't control and get your entry in and just go for it

Yes, thanks RD. Entries in and it's staying that way. Training started yesterday and the bike was finished being built after entering the NYM300. Probably the best £25 I ever spent for having a bike built. Not that I rode the NYM but at least the investment pushed me to have it completed (the bike, not the ride).

Just 3 years to go to reach 50 so not hit half a century yet. Also have a 100 miler Peaks training loop prepared with a 5 miler enforced walk so that should be good at getting my head trained to endure

[Bearbonesnorm]

Shortly after last year, we made the decision to (a) only have one rather than two events and (b) give priority to entrants with a history of competing (but not always completing). The reasons are that, last year we got a considerable number of inquiries from people who by their own admission had very little bikepacking experience but perhaps saw the BB200 as some kind of bucket-list event. From our point of view perhaps even selfishly but I make no apologies, having people with limited experience (some had never ridden at night) out there was a worry and a liability ... neither of which is good for us or bikepacking at large.

I know there will be some who've never ridden a BB200 but are more than capable of doing so, it's those folk who will sadly lose out. However, there may be a number of spots available as time moves on. If so, I will let folk know here.