Tuesday 20 April 2010

Blackmountains 3 day

After my previous post about new and interesting challenges i got a response from David at Beardedman.co.uk about the Blackmountain 3 day mountain bike challenge.

I've checked out the site and the event looks right up my street, so much so i have decided to give something back and do some volunteering.

I asked David to give me a press release as i feel that this kind of event is the direction in which i would like to see the endurance scene in the UK going, this is what David gave me;

Black Mountains 3 Day Mountain Bike Stage Event

How does three days of testing yourself in the saddle with rocky descents, huge climbs and Welsh forest riding sound? Well it’s going to exceed all expectations, so clear some space in your summer diary for the Black Mountains 3 Day.

Black Mountains 3 Day is a 3 day mountain bike stage endurance event running from 30 July – 1 August 2010. Set in the stunning Brecon Beacons National Park of South Wales, it will be a tough but rewarding ride through unforgiving terrains and tough technical trails.

To reward all your hard work during the day everything else is going to be as comfortable as possible. The Black Mountains 3 Day is a fully serviced event providing hot showers, massages, tailored nutrition and lovely tented villages to rest your exhausted body. There’ll also be mechanics and bike wash facilities on hand so your bike's as well cared for as you.

Brecon Beacons National Park is renowned for its incredible scenery and amazing sense of remoteness and it's popular with walkers and riders. Over the 3 days you'll be experiencing all the best aspects of riding in the National Park, and will be passing through a number of friendly local communities.

So get involved with this incredible experience, whether you are riding alone or with a buddy and whether you are a seasoned stage racer or a first timer. We've also got packages for family and friends to come along and support the riders, so you don't have to suffer alone.

Official registration is now open on a first come first served basis and you can register at http://booking.blackmountains3day.co.uk/registration/ .

Be part of a mountain biking event that is bound to become legendary. Visit www.blackmountains3day.co.uk for more information. Or check out http://blog.beardedman.co.uk for updated news about routes, suppliers and the website.

General information about the event

• Day 1 - 101kms, day 2 - 91kms and day 3 - 88kms

• More than 8,000 metres climbing over the three days!

• Very challenging terrain in the dry – if its wet then quadruple the challenge

• Expect to carry your bike up very steep ascents and unbelievably on a descent or two

• Expect a mix of single track, jeep track, fire road, natural tracks and a tiny bit of farm road (this is needed to link sections together)

• All routes will be marked and signed. There will also be .GPX files available a week before the event.

• All routes will be marshalled and there will be full medical support pre, during and post each day's ride

• Feed stations stocking Torq products will be available on each stage
General information about the tented village

• Tents will be supplied and erected by Bearded Man on a shared basis (3 man tents for 2 people) – there is a single supplement available

• Food (breakfasts and dinners) will be supplied by the legendary Drop Off CafĂ©. Lunches will be available to buy at the tented village after the day's riding. Lunch will be supplied by the local communities and will include food such as BBQ, sandwiches, cakes etc.

• Optional extras will be available including massages and there will be a bike maintenance team that charge standard rates to fix bikes.

• To get the most out of the day 2 route, the tented village will remain in the same place for the second and third evening.


I'm hoping this event is gonna be a great success and look forward to getting involved.

Thursday 15 April 2010

Looking for a fresh challenge

The dust has now settled.. Two of the Three challenges i have set for this year have already been completed and we are only in April..

The year so far has been pretty full on.. i have spent half this year away from home but now with a break until later in the year when i tackle the hottest race in the world i have time to sit and look for another challenge to bridge the gap.

I have found a few events but all are towards the end of the year.. that said this year may see my debut on the ultra endurance road scene... we will see how i feel.

So what next?? Any ideas??