BB200 2014 - congratulations and thank you

[Bearbonesnorm]

The first thing I'd like to do is congratulate everyone who turned up to ride, whether you completed or not, you should feel very proud. It was a much tougher route than anyone anticipated, so the fact that so many people completed is remarkable.

A big thank you to Taylor, Matt and Chew for all their help ... it's much appreciated by everyone.

I knew that this year's route needed to be tougher than previously to maintain a decent level of challenge. However, after listening to feedback it's reasonably obvious that the bar was raised a notch or two higher than maybe it should have been, so I apologise for that.
You'll probably be glad to know that the intention from 2013 onwards was to have a new route each year ... which means you'll never have to ride, push or carry your bike over this particular 200km ever again. I promise next year's route will be a little more pleasurable.

I'm sure many of you found some sections heavy going and at times highly frustrating. Often it's good to vent these feelings rather than dwell on them and allow them to consume you. Shona was able to find a creative outlet for her emotional frustration and contructed a piece of artwork to express her feelings toward me on one particular section ... I thought I'd share it with you.

[Zippy]

the intention from 2013 onwards was to have a new route each year ...

So no more gold badges?

Congratulations to anyone who was out on the route for any length of time, sounds like it was proper tough

[Ray Young]

Well done all, sounds like a real epic and you must have had heaps of motivation to keep on going. Again, well done.

[TraversBikes]

It was a great event Stuart and the most extreme thing I have ever done. I am sure if you venture out into the woods today you will still hear the echos of the many expletives you were called yesterday!

[adjustablewench]

yes i'm sure his ears were burning - in fact i was surprised to see they hadn't actually melted off the sides of his head by the time we got back

[Chicken Legs]

yes i'm sure his ears were burning - in fact i was surprised to see they hadn't actually melted off the sides of his head by the time we got back

Water off a ducks back the mans a legend

[slowupslowdown-under]

brilliant!

glad we don't have to do that route again in reverse!!!

it was daft hard - I can hardly walk, swollen Achilles, have bruised feet, lost a big toe nail, lumps on shins, bruises everywhere, cut arms but STILL cant get this stupid grin off my face. It was brilliant - but, perhaps, more in retrospect than what we went through between midnight and 10am!!

However, if it was too easy no one would want to do it anyway! You cant win, Stu!

[Mart]

A Glint?

[mountainbaker]

First, thanks Stu, great event, and glad that route is over now! Thanks Dee for the bacon sarnies and 5 cups of coffee that kept me awake driving home.

It's funny how a bit of time and reflection changes things. After falling in a waist deep puddle on the track between Isbyty Ifan and the impending 4 mile tussock wrestle, I was pretty angry, mainly with the puddle for being there, but also you for putting me in that puddle. Now sitting here in the warm, with a sense of achievement and very sore ankles, wrists, shoulders and brain, I am really glad I did the route. I wouldn't do it again, but now I know more of Wales, and some new bits to ride (and several not to ride). So it's all good.

I look forward to next years surprise route.

Oh, and hallucinations! I swear I saw one of these guys in the forest, he looked all pixelated and badly animated too.

[gairym]

Cool, i saw three partially decomposed ewoks!

Stu, I can't believe I'm saying this but I'm now even more gutted not to have finished as there won't be a next time.

Still.....I can't say I'm sorry that I'll never EVER have to enter those tussocks again.

What a weekend of 'type 7' fun!

[Karl]

During the ride/walk I repeatly said to myself how stupid all the hike-a-bike and bog trotting. Some of the GPS mapping was a little difficult to follow in places. I struggled with riding up the hills late into the night so decided to literally just push on.

But at the end on the road down to the finish I couldn't contain my emotions. I had one of the biggest sense of achievements ever and all I can say is a BIG THANK YOU TO STU & DEE.

PS The black badge is on my bed side table as a great reminder that we can do anything if we put our mind to it!

[Dyffers]

More thanks from me Stu. How else would I learn which trails in Wales are least suited to riding a bike?

Looking at the weather here today I feel very lucky to have been able to experience Wales' finest knee deep bog in such lovely benign conditions.

[Charliecres]

Any chance of a pic of the route with some 'here there be tussocks' warnings? It was properly beautiful out there and I'd like to ride it again someday at a leisurely pace but missing out the worst horrors. Even now I can't remember which bit was which.

[Dyffers]

Any chance of a pic of the route with some 'here there be tussocks' warnings? It was properly beautiful out there and I'd like to ride it again someday at a leisurely pace but missing out the worst horrors. Even now I can't remember which bit was which.

Ride the route to Barmouth, and finish there.

[Charliecres]

Come to think of it, you're right

[Adam_H]

Thanks Stuart and Dee for organising the event. I'm very pleased with my time for this year's route, and for riding, (walking and pushing) straight through.

[Mike]

I like many others today are finding it very hard to function at work. Had a good time the weekend even though we got a dnf. Im happy in the thought that I managed to find AW and ben a fine place to sleep for a couple of hours after what was the worst bridlepath I think ive ever yomped across! It was warm and dry.....it was also a public toilet! On the plus side it was en suite

[The Boss]

Im happy in the thought that I managed to find AW and ben a fine place to sleep for a couple of hours

Oh I didn't know they were a couple, isn't Ben a bit young for Ione?

[Mike]

Ben had his own room next dr,
I was in with ione but I never slept that night as there were some strange noises occurring. And it wasnt coming from outside Dee

[darbeze]

Still coming to terms with it all to be honest...

Certainly the hardest thing I have ever done. Still can't walk properly...

That photo is brilliant. It would the one word I would choose to describe BB200 2014.

When I have had more time to reflect, I may add my thoughts here...

Si (officially broken)

[Mattie_H]

Another big vote of thanks to Stuart and Dee for organising this. It's safe to say I'm in no hurry to ride that particular route again, but once the aches and pains calm down enough for me to work out where exactly they're coming from I'll starting looking forward to next year. Getting up the stairs to an office on the third floor was not at all pleasant this morning.

I must be weirdly boring / suggestible in my hallucinations: at a few different points what I thought was a bikepacking mountain biker way in the distance turned out to be a sheep.

[welshwhit]

Thanks to Stuart and Dee, it was a proper challenge! Very pleased to have finished!

There was some great views, even more great people, and a sense of adventure or doom, depending on if I had had a caffeine gel or not...

Thanks to all the people I met along the ride, really great to meet and chat with folk as you find your way through, that really helped me push forward!

Drew

[jay91]

Was there anyone ss?

[johnnystorm]

Was there anyone ss?

Stu in a former life was it seems.

[ZeroDarkBivi]

More thanks for Stu & Dee - these events don't organise themselves and regardless of the hate I vented enroute, it's amazing how much can be forgiven over a mega bacon buttie! I expect a few short cuts where taken, as others have mentioned, but who can blame them - I may have done the same if I had any idea they existed; anything to get off that evil yomp, but I wasn't brave enough to leave the blue line. I believe we all wanted a big challenge, which is what we got, but a bit more distance riding and less 'pointless' death march would have had a similar effect without mentally torturing me.

Thanks also to all those I met on the way round and where great company, and to the weather gods for giving us such an amazing dusk to dawn; it would have been unimaginably miserable on a bad night. To all those Gladiators who completed this madness, I salute you, especially those whose efforts extended into a second night; True Grit!