The first round of the Scottish Mountain Bike Orienteering took place in the Pentland Hills south of Edinburgh.
There had been various negative comments on the singletrackworld forum, and the general consensus was that this event shouldn't be taking place in such a fragile landscape.
Nevertheless, the event went ahead.
This has been my favourite rounds of the SMBO series for the last two years. I had decided to enter the solo category this year as I probably won't be able to compete in every round due to various commitments.
Unfortunately, due to the large amount of out-of-bounds areas on the map, and the fact that most of the points were in the same area, I feel the course was fragmented, and didn't reward those who cycled the furthest or climbed the biggest hills.
Anyway, the sun was shining and it was a great day out in the Pentlands. An ambitious route choice, and a front tyre popping of the rim didn't help my lowly score of 269 points and a 21st place finish.
Route can be found here
Hopefully we didn't damage the landscape too much, and the event can get back to normal for next year.
Sunday 18 March 2012
Monday 5 March 2012
Dave Harris Memorial 200k Audax
It's been a few months since i last took part in an event.
I was signed up for the SMBO Lane-quest event in February, but it was cancelled due to lack of entries.
My level of fitness has stayed high over the winter, mostly due to the mild weather we've had, so I was in good shape for the Dave Harris Memorial 200k Audax.
That all changed when I woke up this morning to a couple of inches of snow! The roads were clear so I headed up the A7 towards Rosewell. The further north I got, the worse the conditions got, and as I reached the start, I could see people packing up and heading home.
Anyway, I decided to start, and as we headed off towards Tweedsmuir, the snow was still falling. We were riding 2-abreast in the tracks the cars had left in the snow.
After a quick stop for a coffee and bacon roll in Tweedsmuir, we were advised that the route over Talla was not passable due to heavy snow, so plan B via Moffat was put into action.
There were great views of the Devils Beef Tub in the snow, and fortunately by the time we passed through Moffat, the snow had gone.
The next control was at the Grey Mare's Tail for a much needed coffee and cake stop.
The Paddock Slacks climb brought more winter weather - hail which stung when it hit your face, but it was short lived and soon we were at the petrol station in Peebles for a receipt.
The next control was a short dash East along the A72 to the Clovenfords Hotel. With the wind at our backs, this was an enjoyable section - almost as enjoyable as the pint I had in the hotel.
After the steep climb out of Clovenfords, we headed North on the A7. By this point my legs were past their best, and I struggled. Working with Gavin, Martin and Neil , we made it back to the finish.
This turned out to be an enjoyable day in the end, but it could have been a nightmare.
Thanks to Sonya and her crew for all their hard work
Route can be found here
I was signed up for the SMBO Lane-quest event in February, but it was cancelled due to lack of entries.
My level of fitness has stayed high over the winter, mostly due to the mild weather we've had, so I was in good shape for the Dave Harris Memorial 200k Audax.
That all changed when I woke up this morning to a couple of inches of snow! The roads were clear so I headed up the A7 towards Rosewell. The further north I got, the worse the conditions got, and as I reached the start, I could see people packing up and heading home.
Anyway, I decided to start, and as we headed off towards Tweedsmuir, the snow was still falling. We were riding 2-abreast in the tracks the cars had left in the snow.
After a quick stop for a coffee and bacon roll in Tweedsmuir, we were advised that the route over Talla was not passable due to heavy snow, so plan B via Moffat was put into action.
There were great views of the Devils Beef Tub in the snow, and fortunately by the time we passed through Moffat, the snow had gone.
The next control was at the Grey Mare's Tail for a much needed coffee and cake stop.
The next control was a short dash East along the A72 to the Clovenfords Hotel. With the wind at our backs, this was an enjoyable section - almost as enjoyable as the pint I had in the hotel.
After the steep climb out of Clovenfords, we headed North on the A7. By this point my legs were past their best, and I struggled. Working with Gavin, Martin and Neil , we made it back to the finish.
This turned out to be an enjoyable day in the end, but it could have been a nightmare.
Thanks to Sonya and her crew for all their hard work
Route can be found here
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)