BB200 2014 - congratulations and thank you

[slarge]

Yes, a few SSers. Ian B (3rd home) and a few others I didn't know. Nutters/respect.

Is Clint the new name for Stu?

Thanks Stu and Dee (and helpers) for the event. It really does bring out the best in people, even though people were past knackered at the end there was still enough energy to eat baco n sarnies and drink tea. And make light of the ride!

[Dave42w]

... 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. ...

Just wondering if a BB100 route might be a possible addition next year. A bit like the WRT-lite Event. One that might be a suitable challenge for those of us without much mountain bike experience. I've done a couple of 200km road rides (the Dunwich Dynamo this year) but am far, far short of fitness etc to tackle the BB200.

Thanks

[Ben98]

Was there anyone ss?

I was
Really bloody hard work
But I had no mechanicals and it weighed less, so I can't complain really

[Rich&ShonaKP]

Yep Rich and I were SS as was Ben on his Monkey. Good thing about SS- you don't feel guilty about getting off and pushing and at 3am it's like MTB'ing for dummies- you don't have to think about gear changes etc, works for me

[Giacomo]

Yeah SS here too.

(well 3 gears really... Sitting, Standing and Walking)

Hard work for sure and definitely lost time on the flatter road sections because of it...

Giacomo

[ianfitz]

... 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. ...

Just wondering if a BB100 route might be a possible addition next year. A bit like the WRT-lite Event. One that might be a suitable challenge for those of us without much mountain bike experience. I've done a couple of 200km road rides (the Dunwich Dynamo this year) but am far, far short of fitness etc to tackle the BB200.

Thanks

At the risk of sounding elitist I really would not want to see a 'BB lite' run at thr same time as the 200. it is whst it is! a shorter event would detract from the huge challenge that the event provides. And provide stu and dee with more hassle... In a number of ways

There's plenty of scope for c.100 km routes and i'd agree there should be more of them done as group starts. Why not draw up a route and get some other interested. I'm sure there'd be plenty of folk on here that would be up for it

[mountainbaker]

I just took the dog for a walk around the fields, one of which is an old clay pit, very tussocky and wet. It was really f**king nice to be wearing thermally insulated wellies! I was having flashbacks to the section after Parc with reeds taller than me.

[Mart]

Just wondering if a BB100 route might be a possible addition next year. One that might be a suitable challenge for those of us without much mountain bike experience.

Thanks

I would be interested and would be a good introduction to the longer trips. Dont think it would detract anything from the longer BB200 at all

[mountainbaker]

Don't want to sound elitist either, but WRT, There n' Back, etc, are all good introductions, maybe enter them first? It's going to be a lot of work for Stu to do a new 200km (ish) route each year, to make that a route that can have a 100km connector too will be even trickier.

[Mandicky]

I just took the dog for a walk around the fields

Now that is just showing off! I'm still clutching the bannister to get up and down stairs, let alone go outside....walking...

[mountainbaker]

^ hah! I didn't say it wasn't painful. going down the stairs is worst, going up is ok, can crawl!

[mountainbaker]

posted elsewhere, but quite fun to look at:

I just had a little geek out. I took gpxs from strava...

http://bb200.pixelbreaker.com/

If you want me to add your route, email me the gpx pixelbreaker *****at***** gmail dawt com

you can see where my garmin crashed on the map view before the first hike-a-bike bit, and i went a mile or so down the fireroad. duh.

[mountainbaker]

Have updated it, you can rollover the track to see who it is as the colours aren't always so easy to make out. And added the official route.

[Dave42w]

At the risk of sounding elitist I really would not want to see a 'BB lite' run at thr same time as the 200. it is whst it is! a shorter event would detract from the huge challenge that the event provides. And provide stu and dee with more hassle... In a number of ways

I don't understand how it would detract but then I am not qualified to understand having not completed the ride myself. I'm not in a position to know how much work it would involve.

There's plenty of scope for c.100 km routes and i'd agree there should be more of them done as group starts. Why not draw up a route and get some other interested. I'm sure there'd be plenty of folk on here that would be up for it

I am afraid I have neither the skills nor the local knowledge to do so.

Don't want to sound elitist either, but WRT, There n' Back, etc, are all good introductions, maybe enter them first? It's going to be a lot of work for Stu to do a new 200km (ish) route each year, to make that a route that can have a 100km connector too will be even trickier.

I am planning to join the WRT next year as it fits in my sabbatical.

By "There n' Back" do you mean what is on the Bearbones site as "the Winter Event"? Not sure if I can manage that (I only get 5 weekends off a year and that one is our youngest sons birthday).

From the little I know about these 2 they sound attractive. However, they also seem to be a quite different style of event to the ITT of the BB200. Are there other ITT events that are shorter than 200km?

[atk]

From the little I know about these 2 they sound attractive. However, they also seem to be a quite different style of event to the ITT of the BB200. Are there other ITT events that are shorter than 200km?

The Trans Cambrian ITT is slightly shorter (100 miles). There's a list/links here: http://www.selfsupporteduk.net/

Where in the country are you based? I'm sure there'll be someone nearby with enough local knowledge to point you in the right direction for some long, tough days in the saddle as a starting point for stringing together your own route/event...!

[Bearbonesnorm]

From the little I know about these 2 they sound attractive. However, they also seem to be a quite different style of event to the ITT of the BB200. Are there other ITT events that are shorter than 200km?

They are very different events but you can still 'hurt yourself' on the WRT if you decide to In the world of ITT, 200km is pretty much a short one, anything less and it starts to look more like a single days ride.

[Dave42w]

The Trans Cambrian ITT is slightly shorter (100 miles). There's a list/links here: http://www.selfsupporteduk.net/

Thanks. A fixed course I could ride when I have time off might be a good way to get started.

Where in the country are you based? I'm sure there'll be someone nearby with enough local knowledge to point you in the right direction for some long, tough days in the saddle as a starting point for stringing together your own route/event...!

I'm just outside Leicester on the North East side.

I got interested here as I'm just getting into the idea of wildcamping with a bivvy bag when on tour (expecting that to be on-road touring). Then I found out that the WRT will fit nicely within the long ride I am planning for my sabbatical next year. That is how I got interested in these events which sound much more attractive to me than mountain biking has in the past.

It would be a very big jump from where I am at to start putting together my own event! Time being one critical factor.

[Dave42w]

They are very different events but you can still 'hurt yourself' on the WRT if you decide to In the world of ITT, 200km is pretty much a short one, anything less and it starts to look more like a single days ride.

Every picture I have seen so far of the WRT looks like pain for a rather overweight 50 year old who generally sticks to cycling on tarmac using Strava for route planning (with the min elevation box ticked)

As just over 200km is my longest road bike ride it seems a lot to me for a single days ride on a much slower bike in big hills and with off road in the mix! Even without the hiking!

[Ian]

From the little I know about these 2 they sound attractive. However, they also seem to be a quite different style of event to the ITT of the BB200. Are there other ITT events that are shorter than 200km?

You could have a look at the Ridgeway ITT. It's primarily intended as a double, but at 140km for the single on easy off road trails and a modest amount of climbing, you might find it's good intro.
http://ridgewaydouble.net

[slarge]

Yes, the Ridgeway route is a good starter. The riding is fairly easy and the climbing is about 1700m each way, so not a massive amount. Depending on which end you start there are plenty of stopover options also (B&B, bivvy etc). Each way should take around 8-10 hours so it is a full days ride if you want it to be.

[Blackhound]

Dave42w - I am up in Derby and older and probably slower than you.

The gravel race routes from earlier this year are nice routes of 100 or 200 miles and can be short cut if required and more importantly are circular.

I am putting together a long but easy route taking in various sustrans routes and bridleways in the East Midlands. Hicks Lodge to Sherwood Pines perhaps via Bakewell.

[adjustablewench]

If you want something akin to the bb200 but shorter . . . .

http://www.green-events.co.uk/events.html?id=58

[Dave42w]

Thanks for all the suggestions of the Ridgeway. I was planning to ride part of that years ago when I bought my first recumbent trike from Westcountry Recumbents and thought I would ride it home to Crawley but we had foot and mouth that summer which put paid to it.

As for the Green Events, I have "friends" I could suggest them too ;-)

[Dave42w]

Dave42w - I am up in Derby and older and probably slower than you.

at the moment we have no idea how slow I am off road

The gravel race routes from earlier this year are nice routes of 100 or 200 miles and can be short cut if required and more importantly are circular.

Interesting. Gravel routes without much hike a bike sounds nicer than tussock battles! Any links?

I am putting together a long but easy route taking in various sustrans routes and bridleways in the East Midlands. Hicks Lodge to Sherwood Pines perhaps via Bakewell.

Not exactly the direct route Sounds interesting!

[Blackhound]

Dave if you email me at kevin DOT cunniffe AT gmail DOT com I can send you gpx files for 100 and 200 mile routes. Some hike a bike and big puddles but fairly remote and you can stay in bothies etc and do not need a tent unless you want to.

A few pics from last week:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/12617230@ ... 203471310/

The EM route is just adding stuff together I do in bits. My only problem is getting from Chatsworth area to East of Chesterfield to pick up NCN6 in Clumber area. Would be fairly easy if I went through Sheffield, but longer.