Having entered the 12 Hour Bull Raid MTB race only 20 hours before it started, Julie and Andrea were as prepared as ever for a major event! So at lunchtime on Friday we started a list:
- Entry. Tick.
- Bikedock van. Tick.
- Mentality (or mental!) Tick.
- Willing. Tick.
- Excitement. Tick.
- Haven't a clue what we've got ourselves into. Tick.
- Mountain bike. T……oopppppsss! Must get one of those!
After 18 months of abuse, none of which was actually to do with hardcore mountain bike (MTB) riding but rather to do with carrying her bike up mountains/over rocks/across rivers and cycling on bumpy tracks with a 3-stone child on the back, Andrea's MTB was confined to the scrap heap last week. So in loving sisterly fashion, Belle Cathy lent her brand new MTB to Andrea for the Bull Raid, neither of them knowing just how brutal the course was going to be!!
You know that tip? – never use a new piece of kit in a race – well a bike is a fairly fundamental piece of kit that you should be used to, particularly for such an extreme race as it turned out to be! Anyone know a good bike shop?!
Anyway, bike. Tick.
And after a quick read through the description of the race and related information we decided we didn't really need that much with us. We had to be at the course at 7am. The start time was 8am. We had a 2.5m x 2.5m pit that we would do our changeovers from one rider to another in and we had to put all our kit in for the duration of the event – bike spares (we couldn't be bothered with spares, or rather have no mechanical ability!, so brought 2 extra bikes!), water, food …… lip gloss, Hello magazine, hair straighteners….!!
The pre-race information recommended bringing a gazebo or tent to put up, for resting in and also in case of inclement weather, but needless to say we didn't have either of these. However it did give us some new ideas for Belles kit….bright pink gazebo with Ding Dong written on it, and bright pink sun loungers!
The Belles, representing Dromara CC, and Molly (camera-woman / support crew / Monthly cyclist) met at 6am Saturday to drive down to Bellurgan, Co. Louth, for the race. On arriving at the estate they drove under a massive makeshift bridge, all concluding that there was no way that it could be part of the course. Never jump to conclusions!
At event HQ the girls picked up their number and timing chip, before sorting out their bikes, kit and food for the day and taking it across to their pit. Oh how minimalist we girls are, other pits had bike stands, turbo trainers for warming up, gazebos, waterproof flooring to lay on the thick grass, tables and chairs. What did the Belles have? A bit of cardboard from the back of the van and 3 executive chairs, one of which broke when it was first sat on! Oh, but we were the only ones with a camera crew!
There was lots of chat about the course from guys around us, yes they had ridden it in practice! You could say us Belles are just bad at preparation, but we prefer to claim we like the thrill of the unexpected!
There was a slightly late start, with the race briefing at 8am and the event kicking off at 820am. The briefing reiterated the pre-race info that the course was 10km long and the fastest guys would do a lap in 40 minutes, whereas mere mortals would take 90 minutes. It also informed us that if a rider came into the pit area between 11 hours gone and 11 hours 55 minutes gone, then you could head out for a final lap. But if you exceed 13 hours 30 minutes then the lap did not count. Results were to be determined on how many laps you completed on the day.
The briefing also made clear that the makeshift bridge was indeed in the early part of the course and that riders should just get off and push bikes up the steep incline, then flat, then 90 degree tight bend to a steep decline. It was called the "Bridge of Death"!! At this point Andrea decided she wouldn't attempt to ride it (ahem) for fear of injury ahead of her big race in less than 3 weeks time, the Terrex, and given her track record on technical mountain bike obstacles! Julie on the other hand thought if she was going to die, what better way to go!
At 820am there was a le mans type start, with riders having to run across a field to their bikes before cycling around the pit area and across the start/finish line. With much more experience of mountain biking that Andrea, Julie went first. Our strategy was to alternate after every lap, doing 1 lap each before handing over the timing chip in the pit area. As Julie headed off, Andrea looked at the clock, 11 hours 59 minutes to go....
Our strategy was also to make sure we finished the first 2 laps as the leading female team, then hold onto that position. Not that we're competitive or anything! Even in events that we haven’t a clue about!
Julie came in from her lap after just over an hour, just ahead of another female rider and in leading female position. Andrea came in off the second lap (and yes, when it got into a race situation she did ride the Bridge of Death – which turned out to be the easiest part of the whole course!) having put another 25 minutes on that female team, so then it was time to take it easy! No chance. What an eye opener of a debut lap, apart from compounding the tip that you shouldn't use a new piece of kit for an event!
This was an extremely technical course with, aside from the specific risky features, lots of tricky roots and rocks.
It is difficult to describe the course to the extreme, but to give you an idea, having passed the start/finish line riders pedaled around the side of a field on a bumpy narrow single track and up a short, sharp hill onto a MotoX track. It could be ridden fast, with lots of berms and jumps before a steep climb up at the end to a bumpy farm lane that lead across a leg sapping field to the Bridge of Death.
The descent from the bridge lead into a small natural wood, which riders entered across wooden pallets covered in sacks. The wood was fairly flat, with a couple of bridges to cross and tight twists and turns. At the far end of the wood, a lane took the course up the far side of the HQ field and into the forest.
The Belles were taking about 20 minutes to do this first section, then about 40 minutes for the rest of the course. The forest was incredibly technical and hairy at times, with even the most innocuous of places throwing up the chance of accidents.
At the start of the forest section there was some steep climbing with switchbacks, made more difficult by the loose ground and slippery roots. There were step ups, drop offs, rocky sections, bridges, muddy sections, tight and slippery descents and exits, steep climbs up walls and onto wooden ramps. There wasn't one part of the course through the forest that was easy.
Julie and Andrea both came off at numerous stages. In fact at the end of her first lap Andrea came into the pit area, and as Julie switched the timing chip onto her ankle Andrea told her that she had fallen badly, head butted a rock and bruised the side of her face. Julie later said that the image of Andrea head butting a rock kept her giggling for the first part of her second lap! Belle friends eh?!
While the one Belle was riding, the other was eating/changing sweaty gear/checking ?! bikes/resting/chatting to Molly (and later to Paddy (husband – of andrea!) who came down for an hour, and then Joanne (Maracyclist and Monthly) who came down for a couple of hours). Joanne's support had started much earlier however, when she hosted Julie and Molly for the night and then got up at 530am Saturday morning to make them bacon and egg rolls for the event. Bless!
Oh, and given that the Belles were consistently riding one hour laps, there was the warm-up to do before the incoming Belle arrived! Now, two gazebos up from our cardboard, guys were warming up for their turn at the lap on turbo trainers. The Belles warm up? Getting as cosy as possible in a sleeping bag, slouched on an executive chair!
We give one impression, but we deliver another! Julie and Andrea rode solidly and consistently all day and Julie came in off her 6th lap at 11 hours and 22 minutes, meaning Andrea could head out for her 6th lap and record an impressive 12 laps total for the event.
This placed the Belles as first females and also ranked them above male teams in both the 2-man and 4-man categories. At this inaugural 12 hour MTB race, there were 19 solo riders, 8 two-man teams and 8 four-man teams.
Looking at the teams that were faster than the Belles, 2 male pairs recorded 13 laps, 1 male pair did 16 laps and the winning male pair rode a massive 17 laps. The winning solo rider did 12 laps.
While these guys were obviously experienced MTB'ers, their comments post race highlight just how difficult this event was:
"an absolutely savage race. . . fantastic performances all around and great craic with a great bunch of people".
"the course was savage, much more technical than I was expecting. There were a couple of sections that after 12 hours of riding it, fecked if I could find a rideable line. Still it was great to clear some of those wall gaps and the bridge positioning in the forest was challenging to say the least!"
"To use a well worn out phrase, its about taking part and finishing it and you do get a great sense of achievement when you cross the line (well, providing the pains all over your body don't distract you too much)!"
"A great event, great course - nearly 100% singletrack (toughest endurance course I have done this year), loads of food and great craic around the bonfire afterwards".
After the early start, the intense riding, and the cool summer's evening – it wasn't a case of being around the bonfire for the Belles, but rather practically being in it! Food was provided after the event, before the prize giving, which took place on a rostrum to one side of the bonfire.
As the Belles stood up on the podium in first place, they relished winning the title of the Bull Raid (although many no doubt think they're the queens of bull anyway!). One spectator commented afterwards that they must not have tried hard enough though, as they jumped down from the podium in a sprightly fashion! Let us tell you, the drop from the podium was nothing compared to what we'd faced during the day!
On the drive home at 11pm, the Belles examined their numerous bruises, cuts and badges of honour, fearing the aches and pains they would feel in the following number of hours. Andrea also feared Cathy's reaction to the various bashes, scrapes and dents on her new MTB! But hey, what a christening!
How do you sum up such an event? Blood, sweat and tears!
Ding Dong!
Andrea
