72 riders left and 72 riders returned ... not without some mishap but generally safe and well.
22 riders received black badges
6 riders received blue badges
23 riders received green badges
21 riders recorded a DNF

The first rider back was Steve Large with an elapsed time of 17h 52m. The last riders back did so at 8.28pm Sunday, completely spent but rightly proud of their achievement. Congratulations to all.

Now, some of you may have noticed that I was a little grumpy earlier on last week. At the time, I made a decision to put the fate of the BB200 directly into the hands of those taking part. For the record, I'd like to say a big thank you to all those who rode because the attitude, humour and spirit displayed over the weekend has secured the furure of the BB200. It was in your hands and you came good.

It's OK Stu, we've always known that deep down you're a sensitive soul.

Thanks as always to everyone involved in putting on the event (and to all the riders for making the experience what it is out on the trails). That said, I think I might give it a miss next year as I'd like to get into the winter as injury free as possible!

THANK YOU STU and to quote Arnold Schwarzenegger
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Where's my steroids?

Well done to all that made the event happen and to everyone who took part.

As a newcomer to all that is bearbones what do the three badge colours represent? I was only aware of one type of badge for sub24 completion.

Stu,

I think putting on the BB200 is a massively bold, very difficult and thoroughly daft thing to do!

You're attempting to offer up a challenge for those already experienced in challenging themselves, for those already comfortable with discomfort and you have to create routes for people who are already happy to head off into the unknown and so you need that touch of sadism and black humour in order to keep people on their toes and to stop the BB200 from becoming just another tame endurance event.

I'll never repeat some of names I and others called you in 2014 but even then, by the time I got back to the start from my failed attempt, I was grinning (through the pain) and determined to come back the following year.

I think with the increased volume of 'bikepackers' in existence there will likely be more who don't get what it is that the BB200 is all about but they'll move on to other things and those who keep coming back year after year are exactly the right flavour of lunatics to keep this glorious celebration of stupidity of an event going.

Don't change a thing* and keep up the good work!!!

*disclaimer: I reserve the right to retract this opinion at any point during a death march through neck high tussock peat bog hell at next years event!

Good going Stu - glad it all turned out well and again, well done for being prepared to herd cats

One day I fear meeting you and having to deliver on "a great big cuddle" if you choose to cash it in

Bearbonesnorm wrote:
Now, some of you may have noticed that I was a little grumpy earlier on last week. At the time, I made a decision to put the fate of the BB200 directly into the hands of those taking part. For the record, I'd like to say a big thank you to all those who rode because the attitude, humour and spirit displayed over the weekend has secured the furure of the BB200. It was in your hands and you came good.

Phew!! The 200 lives on!!

For which I am very thankful.

Si

As a newcomer to all that is bearbones what do the three badge colours represent?

Black - sub 24 hours
Blue - sub 28 hours
Green - completion

I'm starting to wonder if you need a black with gold thread option for the lunatics that can manage sub 18 (or 20 for a slightly wider range).

Nice one, Stu

And thank you for organising the event — I have done some difficult two-wheeled events before, mostly on-road, but nothing has come close to this BB200 for me in terms of pain-per-mile! I think I quite enjoyed it ... ask me in a week. I expect to give it another crack; I've ordered more brake pads just in case ...

darbeze wrote:Phew!! The 200 lives on!!

Is there an agreed term for that thing where you finish the BB200 vowing never to do it again and then 24 hours later you're starting to think about next year and whether you can improve on your time?

ctznsmith wrote: Is there an agreed term for that thing where you finish the BB200 vowing never to do it again and then 24 hours later you're starting to think about next year and whether you can improve on your time?

That's like most mothers going through labour. Hate it hate it, then once the job's jobbed, oh yes, I could do that again

Yes but it involves moving abroad, I did (well started) the infamous 2014 and by the time the next one came round I'd moved to Cataluña. This doesn't work for everyone as Gairy will testify.

Bearbonesnorm wrote:
Now, some of you may have noticed that I was a little grumpy earlier on last week. At the time, I made a decision to put the fate of the BB200 directly into the hands of those taking part. For the record, I'd like to say a big thank you to all those who rode because the attitude, humour and spirit displayed over the weekend has secured the furure of the BB200. It was in your hands and you came good.

I think you were well within your rights to feel "grumpy".
What you are doing is effectively putting on an ITT with a difference in that it is a different route each year. That's not easy. You have to plan it in your mind, work out a route that is the correct distance and that follows legal rights of ways and highways, plot it on the ground and recce parts to ensure they are not actually (totally) impossible! That doesn't happen overnight. Indeed, I imagine next year's route has already begun being formulated in your head, a full 12 months or more ahead of the event.
A lot of people these days can't even plan a ride for themselves unless it is handed to them as a gpx file or sign-posted on the ground. After the time and effort you put into the BB200, when you read or hear comments, whether intended or just ill-thought-out, that can be perceived to criticise those efforts then it's not surprising that you might end up thinking 'why the fu#~ do I bother?' !
You take on a lot of responsibility whether real or perceived organising the event. A lot of worry too; will it cause problems?, injury?, is it challenging enough?, is it too easy?, can the route sustain the number of riders?, will it cause problems with land-owners?
I imagine it gives you a lot of pleasure too, not just the satisfaction of planning and laying on the event but in seeing the challenge and pleasure it brings to other people.
Although it's not an event I've taken part in, it is an event that I give you a lot of respect for organising (along with all the other things you do for the great-unwashed division of the cycling world).

gairym wrote:
Stu,

I think putting on the BB200 is a massively bold, very difficult and thoroughly daft thing to do!

You're attempting to offer up a challenge for those already experienced in challenging themselves, for those already comfortable with discomfort and you have to create routes for people who are already happy to head off into the unknown and so you need that touch of sadism and black humour in order to keep people on their toes and to stop the BB200 from becoming just another tame endurance event.

This sums up my thoughts. Well said.

Long may it continue

Stu, Dee, thankyou very much for the event. I think this years route captured what the Bearbones 200 is all about with all the right elements staged at about the right place in the event. I was riding round thinking "how did Stu find this" in places. As you know, I'll be back

A big thanks from me too... As a BB200 newbie I'd heard/read how tough this was and unfortunately it was all true! A big thanks to all those I had the pleasure of riding along with at various points, certainly helped me take my mind off the pain... Will be back

gairym wrote:
I'll never repeat some of names I and others called you

There was a point when I was feeling a slight discomfort from lack of saddle time this year that the niggle was described as

"I think I've got a bit of Gairy'ing of the arse"

Matt wrote:"I think I've got a bit of Gairy'ing of the arse"

Now globally recognised as a serious, painful and often terminal (to the event in progress) medical condition.

Not had a single incident since changing to Brookes saddles for anything over 4 hours

My thanks to Stu and Dee too, I echo the sentiments from others.

I also thank all the riders I rode with at times and who passed me along the way. Everyone was cheerful and enquiring if I was stopped, it goes a long way to helping you through the tough bits

For me the BB200 is more of a mental test as I think I'm borderline capable of doing it, so this year I tried to do it with no rest stop and so apart from an hour laid out on a picnic table, it was a steady plod through it all. I only lost my sense of humour once after sinking up to the nads for the third time on Carnau, even then the absurdity of the situation was enough to raise a wry, brief smile.

I have to say completing the route is up there with the most rewarding things I do every year and I wouldn't want there to be any less challenge. I do wish that one year I can manage the excellent bacon butty at the end without the heartburn I seem to get from eating the rubbish I do on route. I'll pack some Gaviscon in future.

Here's to more punishment next year.

macinblack wrote:I only lost my sense of humour once after sinking up to the nads for the third time on Carnau.

Top tip: follow someone else across Carnau and then they fall in the bogs alerting you of where they are.

Sorry Richard, it wasn't a deliberate tactic at the time.

Funnily enough, this Richard went crotch deep in a few of those too. Maybe it's something about us Dicks...

macinblack wrote:I'll pack some Gaviscon in future.

I was thinking much the same myself at one point. It's definitely easier when you get some proper food in you rather than just gels and random flapjack / cakes.

top job by BB towers employees yet again

Dave Barter wrote:THANK YOU STU and to quote Arnold Schwarzenegger
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Where's my steroids?

I dunno, Dave; when you breezed past me I thought you must be on the gear!

top job again stu and dee, can't understand why some people seem melodramatic bunged gpx on garmin and took what it threw at me, great route and has been previously said LMAO wading through the bog watching people sinking thigh deep myself included, scandal will be rebuilt for next years attempt at the coverted black badge, keep up the good work