pistonbroke wrote:there's plenty of time to get it done.

Yep - so another year will be just fine

@restlesshawn

I wouldn't worry too much about fitness for TNR now, enter and you have 9 months to get up to scratch and it gives you something to aim for. It is a great event and you can do it at your pace, i was certainly one of those at the back of the pack, we did something like 17000m of climbing and i'm 16 1/2 stone and live in Norfolk, where training for me consisted of finding the few hills we do have and riding up them repeatedly with progressively larger front chainrings on my singlespeed.

It is amazing what you will climb when the view as you climb is so outstanding!

voodoo_simon wrote:^^^
Why is every bike event now called Pan, Trans or Divide?!

If a race doesn’t have those words in the title, does it even exist?!

"ultra distance" ?

Why is every bike event now called Pan, Trans or Divide?!

Twas ever thus, how long have events like the Megavalanche, Ironman, Cheddar Challenge, Mountain Mayhem, Extreme this and Killer that been going?
20+ years ago I was part of the governing body of Trailquest, I lost count of how many committee meetings were dominated by attempts to get more participants in the face of competition from the growing popularity of mountainbike marathon events. My argument was that it boiled down to bragging rights on a Monday morning at work when someone asked what you'd been up to at the weekend "Did a Trailquest" made it sound as though you dressed up as Elves and ponced around in the park whereas "Did an Extreme Mountainbike Challenge" was much more impressive. Same applied if you wanted to attract the attention of a potential sponsor. No surprise that Trailquests eventually rebranded as Mountainbike Orienteering.

^ that there is about the sum of so much stuff in cycling marketing

TBF, when you say "mountainbike orienteering" I can immediately understand what it's about. Trailquest means nothing to me. If I was trying to attract new blood into the sport then I know which I'd choose.

Totally agree Colin but the guy who came up with the concept of orienteering on mountainbikes was a staunch supporter of the name, it took him taking a back seat due to ill health to make the change. On the other hand, many sports have names that don't describe the activity eg cricket, rugby, chess, tennis, golf, tiddlywinks, even orienteering to some extent.