Lessons from the BB200

[gairym]

This years BB200 was my first ever (+)24 hour event.

I've done bloody long rides, some big night rides and a smattering of big multi-day bikepacking trips but never before have I attempted to just keep on going without stopping for so long.

Needless to say I learned a thing or two during this (painful) process and I thought maybe we could all share what we've learned so that we and others might benefit from this collective wisdom.

Here's what I got:

1. Pack light. Then pack lighter.

I brought and nearly took (thanks greenmug ) a lot of kit and almost convinced myself that I was still packing fairly minimally.

After a chat with Ian (greenmug) I ditched my tarp, poles, pegs, mat and ground sheet.

I also left a load of other bits and pieces behind which I didn't need (but had planned to take).

In the end I could have gone lighter (and arguably should have) and so there's one thing learned for next year.

2. Take some ass cream!

I've only ever once before suffered from excessive chafing and that was a long time ago but the pain I endured during those last few hours of my BB200 was a bit special!

3. Never, ever, EVER trust a single word Stuart says.

For anyone who rode the BB200 this year the above is self-explanatory.

4. Get better lights.

The start of my downfall was getting so thoroughly soaked and thus began the chafing but....had my lights not failed I wouldn't have had to walk so much which took my chafing from level 1 or 2 up to 11 and effectively ended my attempt.

So, I'm currently looking into improved lighting possibilities.

5. Don't arrive at the start line more knackered and physically exhausted than you were hoping to finish.

Sure it sounds simple but due to factors beyond my control (work, family and time) and some within my control (living so bloody far away) I was buggered before I'd even taken a single pedal stroke.

Not smart.

That should do it for now.

Plenty of lessons learned and I'm already becoming obsessed with completing the BB200 next year - see you on the start line (I'll be the one who's knackered, carrying too much and asking if anyone's got any bum cream).

[Ray Young]

Was wondering what led you to not finish. A wet, chafed bum must be very sore, ouch. Better luck (and planning ) next year.

[gairym]

Thanks Ray.

Sore I can deal with. It's chafed to the point of bleeding that got to me.

I realised this whilst attending to said parts (washing my bits in a stream) and got red hands.

Some further photographic investigation (don't worry, I deleted the photo) confirmed my worst fears.

All seems fine now (though not yet risked sitting on the bike).

Fun, fun, fun!

[Ray Young]

I apply sudacrem each morning on long rides which I carry in a small pot. Bit messy on the hands but rubbing them on grass gets most of it off.

[Wotsits]

Re the chaffing, could be worth changing your saddle Gairy. Used to get it on anything over 7hrs. Greasing up my undercarriage would help a bit, but if it was a multi-day trip it was just putting off the inevitable feeling of being attacked by a cheese grater.

Changing my saddle (from Bonty to wtb laser) has been a revelation, can't believe the difference. Hardly had any kind of soreness since, even after the BB200..

[greenmug]

If it makes you feel better I carried over 1kg of food I didn't use.

RE the saddle I looked at Make Halls winning Td setup and went with that. It is lovely. You know when you have a great saddle when you don't even think about it until someone mentions it. It's a WTB laser.

[Charliecres]

Things I learned:

Take less. I took far too much stuff - tarp and food, mostly.

Don't skimp on clothes. I was much colder than I was expecting to be. I wore four layers at night and was still shivering uncontrollably at the end of those long descents. I was very glad of the dry socks and thermal long johns I changed into to sleep. I rode in them the next day. I was also very glad of a warm bag (Lamina 20). The combination of these things meant I slept really well, despite being seriously chilled beforehand.

Flapjack rules. That's pretty much all I ate.

Don't experiment with new foods on long rides. I've had success eating peanut butter and jam wraps on long rides before but I took a new brand of wrap for BB200, which proved inedible, so I carried them all the way round and binned them when I got home.

Just keep going. Don't stop.

Fight off negative thoughts. Make a deliberate effort to look for something positive when it all starts getting to you. During one of those 'this is ridiculous' moments in the second to last bog slog, I decided to lift my head up and look around and I realised the place I was in was just beautiful.

Don't obsess about the finish. Focus on the next section and eventually the finish will be arrive as a nice surprise.

[Dave Barter]

I'll add a few things to a lot of the excellent advise above:-

1) when things go wrong, stop take a deep breath and control the urge to rush any repair of remedy. I broke my light mount and subsequently fecked up a cable tie repair losing 10 minutes to a solution that ultimately didn't work at all.

2) sit down whenever you can. I used to have a bad habit of standing on the pedals every descent, this can waste leg energy when you can be resting

3) keep food/batteries to hand. I spent far too much time rummaging in my rucksack for something that I was craving. Next time I'm taking my stem cell

4) change the way your mind works (this is hard) I've reprogrammed mine from "feck me I hated that last 10 metres of tussock" to "I'm now 10 metres further forward than I was"

5) completely ignore the performance of other riders, focus on your ride, your pace, your comfort zone. I was passed by a lot of riders in the first 30 miles many of whom did not finish. It was tempting to take up the chase.

6) Feet and hands and arse most important. You can cope with other regions having some discomfort, but look after those three first.

7) When you have an inkling something might be about to go wrong, STOP and SORT IT. Don't ride on hoping it will go away, it most likely won't. That rattling chain will take your rear mech into the wheel, the nagging hunger will become a full on bonk, the overheating will soak you and freeze you on the next downhill, the dimming light will cut out completely in a forest descent.

8) Love your bike. I stupidly dropped mine whilst faffing breaking the light mount. I should have looked after it more at gates etc and not let it fall over so many times

9) Remember this. You are out there in the wild doing something. 99.99999999999999% of the rest of the world are not. You may be cold, wet, tired, hungry, thirsty, bald, ugly and have bad breath but you're a damn sight more special than those on the couch. You're writing a story, they're reading a script.

[Ian]

I learnt that if a route has more than 4,000 metres of ascent, take bike with gears on it!

I would have enjoyed more, walked less and probably have come home in less time if I'd run 1x10 or something similar to what I had for the HTR.

I think my philosophy for future challenges will be train SS, race geared.

[slowupslowdown-under]

Love the 'you're writing a story' mantra

Will use that one!

[ianfitz]

Love the 'you're writing a story' mantra

Will use that one!

Totally agree - number nine should be on a t shirt!

[slarge]

Gairy - the sore arse bit - I had this on a Pennine Bridleway ride a few years ago. Wet weather, sandy mud and lycra don't mix (well, they do mix rather well, which is bad news for backsides).

I bought some waterproof overshorts (Endura waterproof jobbies), and use Sudacrem before every long ride (especially if going to be wet), and also a seatpack or rear crudguard, and have not had any cheeky soreness since. As you found, it can ruin a ride!!

And whenever I think about giving up, I have a good think about how I will explain that to family and friends, and it is normally that stigma of "he gave up" that keeps me going. I like the bit Dave said about "writing a story - they're reading a script". It's true - my long ride weekends are always more interesting (to me) than the Strictly Come Effing Dancing results. And what would you rather be doing? Up to your (sore) arse in bogs and tussocks or sitting in front of crap telly? I know it's a tough choice, but you can see the sky when you're outside - and that's a good place to be.

[jameso]

You may be cold, wet, tired, hungry, thirsty, bald, ugly and have bad breath but you're a damn sight more special than those on the couch. You're writing a story, they're reading a script.

Dave, that's one of the best things I've read on here : ) Well said.

[fatbikephil]

You may be cold, wet, tired, hungry, thirsty, bald, ugly and have bad breath but you're a damn sight more special than those on the couch. You're writing a story, they're reading a script.

Dave, that's one of the best things I've read on here : ) Well said.

+1. I was in a right old huff after scratching the highland Trail this year but many friends pointed out that what I did was many orders of magnitude above what most folk could tackle. Someone else on hear said that just turning up to the start line is bloody hard!

Re rear end comfort - WTB laser gel seats, chamois cream, gell chamois in shorts and a rear mudguard.