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Mountain Mayhem sportive - thanks for coming!

A bit of extra climbing thanks to a nicked sign, but a great ride at a great event

Well it wasn't quite as sunny as last year, and big Dave was a bit peaky after finishing his last lap in the 24hr race at 5:30 in the morning, but the 2011 Mountain Mayhem sportive rolled out from Eastnor Deer Park with 120 riders, the same as last year, eager to try out the new course and spend a bit of time on the lanes around the Malverns.

We'd worked hard on the new course and included a bit more climbing, but quite a few riders had to add some more of their own after a local wag thought it'd be a good idea to nick the sign pointing down Chase road outside Upper Colwall, sending some people down the other side of the hills rather too quickly. We think everyone got back on track in the end though!

We only had to rescue one chap who'd managed to come off by dropping his bottle and instinctively letting go of his bars to try and grab it - hope the frame's okay fella, but it didn't look so good... Apologies to the guy who phoned Dave asking how to get out of Ledbury, thanks to the dodgy phone reception round those parts he didn't get your message until he was scuttling up the M50 some hours later... hopefully you ended up on the Malvern road!

Not that it was a race of course, but there were some good times posted, and plenty of people were looking purposeful in the photos we took near the start and the finish. We'll post them up soon. In the meantime the results sheet is attached below.

Thanks to all the marshals and feed stop chaps too, the registration ladies, Vin for bigging us up on the event PA, Liam for helping put the registration tent up, and ChampionChip for doing the timing. And especially big Pat at Mountain Mayhem for all his work on all aspects of Mountain Mayhem.

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dave atkinson | 12 years ago
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to be fair, MM *is* a race, whereas the sportive isn't. Although you can afford to be a bit more pragmatic about the whole thing if you're battling for 113th place, like we were  4

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v2secure | 12 years ago
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This was my first sportive - 65k loop. I absolutely loved it. Hooked now, looking for next one in early July.
Great course - will crack the 110k next year. Thanks to all who organised this. Respect to Phil P who hadn't ridden a bike in 5 yrs and jump straight in at the deep end with this sportive. Well done mate. Hope your pistons are re-oiled.  1

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solentine | 12 years ago
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Great route, great ride, didn't get lost, and you get mud on county roads. Go to northern France in the springtime! Thanks Roadcc.

PS Roadies are friendlier than Mountain Bikers. We did MM as well and got really fed up with the teams "on a mission". It's call single track for a reasons!

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Gepin replied to solentine | 12 years ago
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solentine wrote:

PS Roadies are friendlier than Mountain Bikers. We did MM as well and got really fed up with the teams "on a mission". It's call single track for a reasons!

Amen to that... always been the same, the Sunday Munch was a blast, no ego's and lots of friendly people.

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slow-cyclo replied to solentine | 12 years ago
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solentine wrote:

PS Roadies are friendlier than Mountain Bikers. We did MM as well and got really fed up with the teams "on a mission". It's call single track for a reasons!

Tell me about it, I ended up helping out on marshalling on the main road in the campsite as my mates team were set up there. Trying to get people to keep to one side of the road to speed crossing the track was a nightmare, I nearly went hoarse trying to get people to keep left. I started teasing them they didn't know about two way traffic!

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Davidgarrett | 12 years ago
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Great route, went wrong a couple of times though, and got completely lost right at the end, ended up following road signs to get back to Ledbury and managed to add another 10 miles.

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stevo1602 | 12 years ago
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Apart from the nicked sign at the top of the hill which was unfortunate, I think there were quite a few others missing out on the course.....or there simply was not enough. And where there was a sign at a main turning, it was buried in a hedge right on the turn....too late, gone past by then. There should be a sign coming up to a turn and on the turn...and where there are major junctions a sign to say stright on would also help.
Other than that a nice route around the lanes

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slow-cyclo | 12 years ago
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It was a good route (though someone should shoot the farmer who'd tracked all that mud on to the road at one point - made me wish I'd kept my cross tyres on). I nailed a PB - well first time at the distance so bound to be really but I definitely went faster than I'd expected with the climbs on the route so a pleasing day.

edit - I agree with some of the signage complaints, a few of us had fun and games traversing Newent too.  20

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Tony Farrelly | 12 years ago
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Glad you enjoyed it Gepin, yes was nice to emerge from the Malverns in to blazing sunshine here too - glad I didn't have to ride in it though

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Gepin | 12 years ago
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Had a great day/weekend. Looking forward to the pictures. Arrived home to blazing sunshine which allowed the bike to be cleansed of Malvern cow crap and a few beers to be consumed. All in all a great fathers day  4

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