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This years SpamBiking's Set2Rise event was it's second year. I didn't ride it last year, but I was there as pit-bitch. Everyone seemed to have a good time and somehow, somewhere (I think beer was involved) I said yes to riding this year. The event is a 12 hour enduro. You can ride it by yourself, in pairs or in a team. I teamed up with Rob, Mark and Marjory, who I know through SDH and my local club . So, on a sunny and dry Saturday afternoon (yes, sunny and dry, woohoo!) we all rolled up into a field nr. Erlstoke (anyone old enough may remember racing SAMS DH there many moons ago) and got together with a heap of mates (5 teams worth and a solo) to make camp. 
The course was a cracker. Lots of nice flowing singletrack, interspersed with wider paths (where the fast boys can pass you). It started out nice and easy and brought you into the woods with a fair lick of speed. Some gentle rises and gradients brought you to the first proper climb up a road, before doubling back into singletrack for a good while. Out along the back of the campsite on a grassy double track before the main climb. It was steep, but not too loose, with a kicker just when you thought you were up the worst of it, and then a nice (did I just describe it as nice ???) road climb up onto Salisbury Plain. A flat out grass downhill, some more fun singletrack and then a fair old bit of grassy doubletrack brought you into the woods where someone had spray painted "Go!" on the ground. Sadly it wasn't downhill all the way, as the track wound its way down and around the woods, with tree gaps about as wide as my bars, all the way back down to the arena. 8.7 miles on my computer.  Rob was a little premature in his victory celebrations. Sighting lap out of the way, everyone made sure to eat proper race food. You know, sweets, cake, ginger beer... Others around were prepping energy drink bottles, we mainly prepped the bottle opener :-) The race started at 6pm, with a shortish uphill "sprint" onto the track and into the woods. Rob took it all very seriously (see photo above). After a while Rob returned and I ventured out. Despite there being 270 entrants I saw 5 folk out on track riding bikes. There were plenty of marshals out though, who were always cheery and happy to tell me I was doing well (liars ;-)). Lap done and Mark out on his lap I sparked up the BBQ. With laptimes of 50-60 minutes for our team, and us doing doubles during the night, there was plenty of time for a couple of burgers and a pack of sausages (for snackage later). Mark returned and Marjory ventured out, people came and went for the teams we were pitted with (they seemed to come and go more often than us!) and generally we all chilled and chatted as the sun dropped behind the hill. 
Lights attached, Rob (on his very XC bike) headed out for his double night lap. Those who had been out in the dark already said things were fun in the dark. Somewhere about 23:45 Rob finished his second lap and I headed out. Burgers and beer, let me tell you dear reader, are not ideal fuel. That said, who cares :) I dragged my sorry arse around and set off on lap two (who's idea was double night laps? Oh, mine!). Half way up the second climb I was on foot when a chap rode up alongside me and jumped off to walk too "you riding solo too mate?" he asked. "No, team" I replied, "4th lap" (I'm counting the sighting lap). He smiled "this is my 8th, its fun isn't it" he quipped. There is no shame in being over taken by a 29" singlespeeder at 1am.  Martim Palmer (co-owner TFTuned) seemed to enjoy his first proper event.
Laps done I handed off to a keen Mark at nearly 2am and collapsed into the pits. Everyone was having a good time and we chatted and whiled away the wee hours round the firepit as folk came and went for their laps. At 5.40am Marjory returned from her double, but Rob was not wanting to go out again, so we called it a day 20 mins early. 12 laps between the 4 of us. Yes, some solo riders had done 16 laps by themselves but that's not what its about (when you don't care about winning anyway).
 The Mexican invasions. They wern't slow either.  Picture - www.blackcanoncollective.co.uk. Click for more.
Full results are up here . Major respect to Sam Humphries for winning the solo men's for the second year, and indeed to everyone who rode. It was a brilliant event, to which despite protestations at 4am, I'll be back for next year. That's if I survive Mayhem in a few weeks... [Al] |
