Mountain Mayhem 24h, Malverns 24/25 June

[Dr Frigo]

The largest event in Europe, around 2,000 riders altogether.

This year the team of four I was in was entered in the Pro/Elite category, mixing it with top athletes such as Nick Craig and Oli Beckinsale riding for Scott, Giant, Kona etc.

We were standing at 11th place until about half-way, but a few slower night laps cost us time and we finished 15th.

Not sure how Simon's mixed team fared, but he was riding a singlespeed hardtail (with forks borrowed from Grahame).

Full results and laptimes when they are posted ...

[Toks]

cool! what was the course like? and how long did it take you guys?

[Dr Frigo]

Course length is the matter of great debate, for some it was 7.1 miles, others 7.5, 7.9 ... my computer registered it at 7.83 miles. This included approx. 300m of climbing, which doesn't sound like that much, but considering most of that was done in one single ascent, it made for a gruelling climb - most of it in grassy, boring bumpy fields which added to the pain. But there were a couple of brilliant twisty forest singletrack sections, and the final 5 minutes were just brilliant - all twisty downhill at great speed.

We first rode one lap each then did two at night and then back to one on the following day. We did 38 laps. I did 10 which took me just under 6h altogether, best one 33"33 and worst 37"10. Didn't get any punctures or mechanicals, except a disc brake rotor that came loose and a front mech that got banged out of line.

Saw some London Phoenix, Darenth and Stuart from Dynamo who was riding with another team as well. The Torq guys did well in Elite I think they came 6th. Brixton Cycles had a stand there - brilliant, they'd driven in an old Land Rover, were handing out beer and tortillas, and were demo-ing the Surly snow-bike with tires about 5-inch wide.

The women solo winner did 25 laps on a singlespeed

[Dr Frigo]

Elite Men
Position Name Total Laps Total Time
1 Giant 46 24/09/23
2 Scott 45 24/02/21
3 Team Magura 44 24/22/26
4 Felt Racing 43 24/04/07
5 Torq Kona 43 24/24/53
6 Torq/Freeborn/Freeride Spain 42 24/28/50
7 Mojo Suspension 41 24/05/17
8 Kinesis UK 41 24/21/00
9 Whyte Racing UK 40 24/05/49
10 Sagem Norwwood Paragon 40 24/12/26
11 Torq Energy 39 24/18/04
12 Woo HaRammit 39 24/29/37
13 VC Lincoln Impsport 39 24/33/43
14 Bath University O 38 24/19/20
15 Yeti Cycles Goldtec Sportsage 38 24/20/22
16 Mountain Trax Development 37 24/06/54
17 Team Guarana 36 24/17/57
18 XC Racer.com . Gary Fisher 36 24/24/53
19 Bath University A 35 24/33/34
20 Hill & Valley Origin Espresso 25 20/40/49


Yeti Cycles Goldtec Sportsage
Rider Laps Best Average Worst
Martyn Brookes - 10 - 00/33/29 - 00/40/58 - 01/16/48
James Notley - 9 - 00/34/55 - 00/39/32 - 00/46/50
Sylvain Garde - 10 - 00/33/52 - 00/36/16 - 00/43/54*
Matt Dennis - 9 - 00/34/07 - 00/36/53 - 00/40/38

* lost 5 min at changeover!


-----------------------

Mixed

Position Name Total Laps Total Time
1 Impsport Factory Team 40 24/20/13
2 Climb on Bikes 1992 39 24/10/16
3 Keswick Bikes KMB 39 24/11/01
4 Lava 38 24/30/48
5 Saab Salomon Orange 37 24/09/15
6 Port Sunlight Wheelers 37 24/28/05
7 After Hours 37 24/29/36
8 Beyond Enduro 2006 36 24/03/17
9 Cyclewise 36 24/14/57
10 Torq Bar 36 24/24/18
11 Dior XT 35 24/11/37
12 Loughborough Old Skool 35 24/14/35
13 Climb on Baby 35 24/44/52
14 The Munchkins 34 24/18/35
15 Ride Cycleworks 1 34 24/18/43
16 Team Teacake 34 24/36/04
17 Bath Uni B 33 24/00/48
18 Norwood Paragon 33 24/01/48
19 MidLife Crashers 33 24/03/10
20 St Ives CC 33 24/05/54
21 Worcester Cycle Centre 33 24/07/05
22 Muddy Stubble 33 24/07/22
23 Skid Marks 33 24/10/05
24 Will Ride For Food 33 24/11/21
..............
102 Coming Through 13 24/02/11


Will Ride For Food
Rider Laps Best Average Worst
Sophie Trimming - 7 - 00/43/28 - 00/46/21 - 00/49/06
Simon Day (singlespeed! well done!) - 7 - 00/38/26 - 00/41/43 - 00/45/27
Jonathan Kelly - 6 - 00/43/17 - 00/48/23 - 00/54/08
Matthew Merrill - 7 - 00/38/15 - 00/43/34 - 00/49/46
Gary Shipp - 6 - 00/35/54 - 00/39/53 - 00/51/17


--------------------------------

Sport Men
Position Name Total Laps Total Time
1 Titus Fat Tread 41 24/07/11
2 MTB Wales.com Sub Rosa 40 24/12/23
3 Mebalsa Ritchey 40 24/26/52
4 Numplumz Fenboy 4 39 24/13/23
5 Pedalon.co.uk B 39 24/33/19
6 Numplumz Oldboys 39 24/33/53
7 De Laune CC 38 24/08/01
8 MTB Wales.co.uk 38 24/10/08
9 Loughborough Uni 38 24/32/05
10 Mojo Suspension B team 37 24/05/17
.....................
245 Fat Face 4 18/50/29


----------------------------------
Solo Men
Position Name Total Laps Total Time
1 Murrin Paul 33 24/38/41
2 White Anthony 32 24/00/28
3 Budd George 31 24/00/11
4 Moseley Luke 30 24/18/26
5 Leavesley James 30 24/56/10
6 Wrigley Andrew 29 24/00/27
7 Forbes Graem 29 24/12/59
8 Howard Paul 29 24/46/19
9 Hutchings Carl 29 24/50/08
10 Christopher Garry 28 24/38/04
......................
110 Munro Wayne 5 21/46/54


----------------------------
Solo Women
Position Name Total Laps Total Time
1 Hopkins Jenn 25 24/20/20
2 Miles Tracey 22 24/43/14
3 Spearing Nadine 19 24/00/14
4 Staley Lorraine 19 24/02/06
5 McCoy Kate 18 24/00/15
6 Bloor Hilary 15 23/45/18
7 Lee Sally 11 24/00/18
8 Allan Christine 6 24/00/36

[Dr Frigo]

Some pics I took

The start
[url=http://imageshack.us][img]http://img423.imageshack.us/img423/4034/ssmm022ey.jpg[/img][/url]

Martyn
[url=http://imageshack.us][img]http://img423.imageshack.us/img423/3414/ssmm086yf.jpg[/img][/url]

James
[url=http://imageshack.us][img]http://img423.imageshack.us/img423/3496/ssmm111et.jpg[/img][/url]

Simon
[url=http://imageshack.us][img]http://img423.imageshack.us/img423/4030/ssmm137ar.jpg[/img][/url]

[Dr Frigo]

Ironing man upgraded his bike
[url=http://imageshack.us][img]http://img423.imageshack.us/img423/9139/ssmm057bi.jpg[/img][/url]

Leaders on lap 1
[url=http://imageshack.us][img]http://img423.imageshack.us/img423/9866/ssmm063zu.jpg[/img][/url]

Marcus Brueton (Norwood Paragon)
[url=http://imageshack.us][img]http://img423.imageshack.us/img423/3936/ssmm095yv.jpg[/img][/url]

Ben Spurrier solo
[url=http://imageshack.us][img]http://img423.imageshack.us/img423/2724/ssmm047xj.jpg[/img][/url]

[Dr Frigo]

Jody Crawforth
[url=http://imageshack.us][img]http://img423.imageshack.us/img423/8633/ssmm101wp.jpg[/img][/url]

Brixton stand
[url=http://imageshack.us][img]http://img423.imageshack.us/img423/1953/ssmm140dk.jpg[/img][/url]

Yeti stand
[url=http://imageshack.us][img]http://img423.imageshack.us/img423/925/ssmm158ot.jpg[/img][/url]

Old trusty
[url=http://imageshack.us][img]http://img423.imageshack.us/img423/5931/ssmm129gm.jpg[/img][/url]

[Dr Frigo]

[url=http://imageshack.us][img]http://img366.imageshack.us/img366/3102/ssmm06sgcrop0rdsmall4ro.jpg[/img][/url]

[Dr Frigo]

Looks like there is a problem with laptimes, we might have finished 12th ...

They should have been using Marco's software!

[Toks]

Well done, Sylv love the photos!

[Dr Frigo]

Want more ?

Report by Joolze Dymond @ British Cycling

Saab Salomon Mountain Mayhem 2006

Whilst many eyes were on the football World Cup, a merry band of nearly 2,000 mountain bikers crept away from their TVs and headed for the hills, for the UK's premier mountain bike enduro race, the Saab Salomon Mountain Mayhem. Now in it's 9th year, the event just goes from strength to strength with all categories of riders welcome; singlespeeders, unicyclists, novices etc and with the expo village growing, there were plenty of attractions for those just wishing to spectate and even a Mini Mayhem for the kids to ride whilst Mum and Dad were getting on with the big one. This year, after listening to the feed back from riders from the previous year, the course was tweaked to provide 24hrs of fun, amusement and blistering hot riding, over 7.8 miles of dry dusty trails.

This weekend is the highlight of the year for many riders, a chance to catch up with distant friends, a chance to heckle and/or encourage fellow riders, the atmosphere is always fantastic; Now if only we could have the same sort of camaraderie at the football eh?

During the run-up to the event, many web forums were alight with various topics, discussing everything from which tyres, which tent, to how the weather was panning out. By the Thursday, the masses started to arrive and the once quiet fields where soon awash with a transient tent-village that sprung from nowhere and just grew and grew. By Friday evening all eyes were averted to the skies as rain had been forecast. Previous races at this venue had proved tough when wet, so fingers where tightly crossed. And rain it did. Though fortunately only in the night and by the time most competitors had stirred there was no sign of the heavy downpours that had occurred.

With Shimano promising to give away a new XTR group set to a random person spotted in their give away t-shirt, the action was frenzied as riders duly signed up, before ambling around the expo village to test ride bikes, view some new products or snap up a bargain or two, before the race got underway.

By 1.45pm, those riders who had drawn the short straw, started to line up alongside the soloists to complete the opening run. With hundreds of bikes lined up waiting for their owners to find and mount them ready to start the race proper, the opening lap is always a mad scramble, remembering where you left it whilst vying for position to give your team the best possible start. On the stroke of 2pm they were off, a mad gallop with a few people taking a tumble before even getting to their bikes. For one unlucky competitor, as soon as he had reached his bike and started to ride, his rear tyre exploded, leaving him to repair his flat whilst all around him charged on.

This year, the course exited the arena a slightly different way, instead of a huge climb more or less straight away, riders were faced with a longer but less severe climb, culminating in a tight bend before encountering the first section of fast singletrack. Riders then regained the view of the campsite, weaving down the hill, before criss-crossing their way around the campsite, then heading for the long and dreaded Kenda climb - a good 2 miles of slog, with fantastic scenery, if you had the inclination, with Eastnor castle snuggled below looking on.

A sharp, steep descent to the right pushed riders around the monument before flinging them into another quick singletrack, before eventually hitting the campsite once more to start the lap again.

Talking about hitting the campsite, one enthusiastic rider did this quite literally, on the end of his first lap he over-cooked his final decent and ended up slap bang in the middle of some poor unsuspecting spectator's picnic table. Fortunately no damage was done to both rider and table and the race continued with them both in serviceable condition.

The changes to the course made it incredibly fast with elite riders knocking out consistent 30min laps. All of it rideable with no nasty surprises, first thoughts were that it was a bit tame, but as the race dragged on, praise was soon heaped on the new layout by most.

The popularity of the solo event was evident with 125 riders signed up to do battle, with 8 of those women, some of whom were riding their first 24hr solo. As well as the honours of SSMM 24 hr title, there was also another competition running alongside, for members of the newly formed 24-hour club. This event, with the blessing of SSMM organiser Pat Adams, was also the club championship, so competition was fierce.


Men's Solo

In the men's event the lead changed hands constantly. George Budd and James Lister went out fast leading the race for a first part. Their exuberant pace soon began to tell, with Lister suffering by lap 24, ending his race with a creditable 26 laps. Meanwhile seasoned rider Anthony White had taken the mantle from George Budd and was now leading with Paul Murrin in hot pursuit. Near the closing stages there was merely 15 mins separating the top 5 riders in this tough event. Despite all his efforts, White conceded to Murrin, who with seconds to spare, went out on his final lap to ensure victory, over a disappointed White, who consoled himself with the knowledge that he had won the 24hour club championship. Budd, happy to have finished his first ever 24hr race took a well earned 3rd. Special mention to Carl Hutchings, who not only managed a creditable 9t spot in the solo race but also did so on a singlespeed.


Womens Solo

The women's solo race was dominated by Jenn Hopkins, a class act who also rode the event on her customary singlespeed, clocking up an incredible 25 laps, whilst smiling and encourage other riders on her way round to winning the event and bagging the 24 hour Club Championship too. Tracey Miles, on her first attempt of the 24hr, took second with 22 laps, whilst Nadine Spearing, also a new comer to 24 hr racing and sporting a few bruises from the previous weeks racing, took 3rd. Lorraine Staley also gets a mention for finishing 4th in her first 24hr event just minutes behind Nadine and also had the added complication of keeping her blood sugar levels steady as she's diabetic. Well done all the girls!


Elite Team

Defending Elite champions Scott UK had their work cut out as Giant fielded a team comprising of 3 world cup riders, Oli Beckinsale, Stefan Sahm & Al Thijs, with Ben Dale being the lucky rider chosen to complete the team line up. The lap times were fierce as the Giant boys, Beckinsale & Sahm managed to knock out a couple of impressive sub 29 min laps. Despite this, the Scott boys were giving it their best and kept the marauding Giants in their sights. However a disastrous double puncture for team mate Stuart Bowers on one of the night laps combined with a change of race tactics by the Giant boys, saw Giant extend their lead, looking at one point to be on the verge of lapping the Scott team. Undeterred, the Scott boys kicked again and started to close the gap. However, by the end of the race the damage had been done; Giant were victorious with a staggering 46 laps, with Scott just 1 lap down in second. Magura took a hard 3rd, after a disastrous first lap for Carl Sturgeon, whose handlebars came loose and was stranded for a while begging assistance from passing riders. In the end a kindly unicyclist had the right tool for the job and Sturgeon was off and the race for Magura was well and truly on. Despite this setback they managed an impressive 43 laps, just ahead of newly formed Felt Racing.

The youngest Elite team in the race, Kinesis UK, with 3 riders straight from Juniors to Elite, managed a creditable 41 laps to place them 8th under the leadership of their team manager and fellow team mate Chris Truett.

Kona UK, comprising, Zak Toogood, Will Bergfelt, John Veness & Abi Greenaway defended their title as champions in the Expert mixed class by taking their second consecutive win in this category, amassing 43 laps, 2 laps clear of 2nd placed Maverick, with Pedal On A taking 3rd a further 1 lap behind.


Mixed

In the Mixed category hardly anything separated the top 3, with the Impsport Factory team just nudged ahead of Climb on Bikes to take first spot, whilst Keswick Bikes KMB took 3rd a mere 45secs adrift of Climb on Bikes.


Sports Men

Sports men was won once more by Fat tread bikes, this year however masquerading under the Titus label. MTB Wales put up a good fight but in the end succumbed to the might of the Scots. Mebalsa Ritchey took 3rd, just snatching it from singlespeed team Numplumz Fenboy 4, whose race might have altogether different if a double-puncture plus an exploding tool bag had not been experienced. Numplumz Oldboys just lost out to Pedalon.co.uk B by just 34 secs, despite an awesome battle involving punctures, broken saddles, disintegrating chainrings and losing a man to sickness. Not a bad day's work then.


Sports Women

MTB Wales Fancier Ride took the win in the Sport Women's class with a good 2 lap advantage over Torq Bar, with Pedal On Ladies making it a third podium position for the team, coming in at 3rd place.


University, Forces and blokes with Ironing Boards

The fastest University team, taking a break out of their hard drinking and partying to attend the event, went once more to Loughborough Uni, whilst the Army put all their discipline and training to good use to wipe up in the Services section.


Paul Roberts, once more decided to air his dirty laundry in public, by completing 16 laps in the solo event with an ironing board & iron strapped to his back, which he duly unloaded at the finish line and completed his laundry run for the second year.


An massive 'well done' to all those who took part in arguably one of the most enjoyable events of the year. The teamsmanship and camaraderie of all that ride is a pleasure to see.

To those that were injured, not that there were many, a speedy recovery to you all, especially to BC commissaire Graham Faulkner who took a nasty tumble in the night. Despite a couple of injuries, the race went without incident. With over 8,000 people in attendance, a mixture of racers and spectators, this has to the best supported cycling event in the UK. It was good to see so many people coming along just to see what it was about and hopefully thinking about having a go. It was even better to see Mini mayhem in action as loads of kids queued up ready to have a go under the expert guidance of the coaches at Cycle Active. Who knows, in a couple of years many of these youngsters might be riding the real thing. A special shout to the youngster who rode it on a unicycle. Good effort. Oh and also many thanks to the guys at Hill & Valley coffee who very kindly supplied the photographer with a copious amount of coffee all weekend, to keep her going. Cheers guys.


With every Mayhem eagerly anticipated, the race selling out in a matter of days when the entry forms are made available at the end of February, the success of this event is phenomenal, which is due mainly to Pat Adams, his precision team of guys and girls that don't sleep for days, ensuring the event runs smoothly. To the fantastic marshals who willingly give up a warm bed to make sure the ride goes well and finally, all the fantastic sponsors and supporters of the event, without whom it wouldn't be half as much fun.

If want to pop your 24hour cherry, then Saab Salomon Mountain Mayhem is THE prestigious place to do it. See you next year for the 10th anniversary, you know it's just gonna get bigger!

Hill & Valley Sports men

"It's been hard, but enjoyable. It's been nice taking part everyone getting on well except our other team who stopped taking part and bailed it in the night, we're not speaking to them, but.. It's always good, great atmosphere, accept for some of the climbs, a great performance by all our team members (even the other team) well done guys!"

Felt racing Elite

"Good course, hard, about all you can say really. Fast laps, lots of hard work, but fun."

Specialized Starlets Expert mixed

"It's a really good course. When we did the practise lap, we didn't really think that much of it, but when you start racing it, it's quite good fun and there's nothing too horrible. The last descent is such fun, it's just brilliant and riding through the campsite is just brilliant, all the encouragement, it just spurs you on. Team really worked well together, Matt Skinner, our token bloke has worked really hard, he's enjoyed it. I think the girls have enjoyed doing it as part of a team for a change it's been great."

De Laune CC Sports men.

"Very, very fast. A real racer's course. Tough but good fun."

Cling Ons Sport men

"It's the first year we've done it, it's hard. One of our riders clocked a tree at about 2 in the morning, another wrecked his wheel and one more has had gear problems, but other than that it's been good really enjoyable. It's been a real achievement."

Kona UK Expert Mixed

"Feeling ever so slightly tired now, but it's par and parcel of doing a 24hr race. We're feeling quite elated that we've run up a very good lead. The whole team has worked so hard to get this; we've ridden absolutely balls out all through the race. Very very happy the way the whole team has performed not just the riders but also the behind the scene guys, mechanic, masseur etc. The new course is really good really fast. The fast laps coupled with that long climb out of the campsite is decimating people it's incredible. It's a really good course it's what Mountain mayhem is all about a fantastic weekend, we would recommend it to everyone."

Torq Energy Elite

"Preferred last year's course with this year's weather! No it's really good, that long climb is pretty nasty, but over all it's great. Just need more sleep!"

George Budd, Solo men

"I went a bit fast from the start I think. I was leading for the first 17 hours. It was awesome, great atmosphere, great event; I just want to go to bed now."

Anthony White, Solo Men

"It was a gritty race, it was very very close. It was very fast at the beginning, so that was interesting. Then I had a major mechanical in the night my cable came out of my gear, so I was stuck in a really massive gear, so I really wasted my legs. I was in the lead for a long time towards the end and I thought Paul Murrin was lap down, he went past looking pretty strong, but I still thought he was a lap down so I didn't chase him down. Then I came through the pits and found out he was 4 mins ahead. I could see him at the top of every single climb but I couldn't get back to him. Full marks to the guy he's very very strong and he came from behind.

It's too hard, I think I might retire and concentrate on drinking and women now."

Paul Roberts, Solo Men

"I rode this last year, the first ever extreme ironing solo mountain bike attempt. Well this year I just felt pressure, I didn't decide till 1.45 to use the board, then I thought yeah go on. I've got a racing board this year it's a bit smaller than last year's. But this is the last time. Next year I'm gonna do a tandem on my own."


Scott UK, Elite Team

"It was alright, we tried to race Giant, we were doing single laps when they were doing doubles. Our strategy was to go as hard as we could and keep up with the level they were racing at. Their weak link, Ben, did a good job, but they cut his laps down and that culled our attempt to keep up with them. Some tired bodies, we enjoyed it. We escaped getting lapped which I suppose is some consolation. Good course, good weather, never scene it so dry in the night. A good balance. Going up through the camping fields was great the smell of barbeques and people cheering you on, yeah it was great."


Giant, Elite Team

"It was a good race. Very tough. It's not as hilly as last year, but it's so dry it gives your body a bit of a hammering. We knew that the Scott team was gonna be the main competition and up to the night we were hammering each other and then we tired them down a bit and they had a couple of mechanicals, so we managed to open a gap then.


Much harder that world cup races, Stephan's never done this before he's a 24 hour virgin, but he's ridden really well the whole team has, especially Ben."


Jenn Hopkins, Solo Women

"Fantastic. Lovely. And I like the mud. I'm not washing the mud off for days. I'm absolutely knackered and totally overawed, fab really really good and loads of support from everyone. I had a wobbly teatime and a wobbly breakfast but everything else was okay. I'm really pleased to win but I'm not doing it again. No I'm really not!"


XCRacer/Garyfisher, Elite

"It was much better than the last 2 years ice and dry, the course has improved loads. Luke blew up had a nice kip, but recovered to put in some good laps. Nice event, very relaxed."


Tracey Miles, Solo Women

"Well, I enjoyed it; I'm pleased I survived it. The only thing I didn't get right was my food and I kept barffing up everything I ate. Finally found I could keep rice pudding down.


A wonderful experience, so different from anything I've done before and just goes to prove you're never too old to have a go!"


Paul Murrin, Solo Men

"It was tough, it was pushing non-stop from the beginning. I got second to Tinker last year. So I'm very chuffed to win it. It was so close at the end, between me and Anthony, I came in with 8 mins to spare but I had to go out and push on for that last lap, I got half way round when I was told he hadn't got through so I could take it easy, I nearly stopped at the Singletrack lurking spot at the top of the climb. "

[Dr Frigo]

photos by phil winterbourne

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[Dr Frigo]

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