12 Hour Bull Raid 2011 (Race Report)

Bull Raid 12 Hour Mountain Bike Enduro
Race Organisers: Cuchulainn Cycling Club
Team 27Extreme: Mickey Regan and Paul McArthur

Last year I battled the 12 hours solo. This year I would represent 26extreme as there second team of two. Rowan and Ian 26extreme directors would make up the other team. Myself and fellow adventure racer Paul McArthur teamed up for the first time. We know each other through racing back grounds but in a race like this we dont get to chat. Pass the batton and pedal so to speak.
Thankfully I didnt have much to do in the way of preparation. I was told to bring my bike and kit to the pit area the rest was taken care of. Rowan and Ian had everything set up the night before the race. Two Gazebos side by side with tables, chairs and enough food to feed an army. I took the usual kit: Tool kit, track pump, chain links, tubes, lube, water, gels, sandwiches and warm clothes for the sit out laps.

The race briefing was short and Tony wished everyone a good race. The course was slightly different from last year. There was a new start/finish pit area and a new field crossing, with some additional sections like jumps and berms on the older parts of the course.

This was the first time I raced with tubeless tyres and half way around one of the laps I was so glad I was on them. High Roller 2.1 front with a Larrsen TT 2.0 on the back.

The le mans style start give us all a good chance to spread out. The air horn blasted and we were of. I was starting as Paul thought it a good idea since I knew the course. First lap is always a bit hectic with some bottle necks on the more technical stuff and people stopping etc.
When we exited the pit field we were straight onto a muddy lane that led to another field. This was an up hill on energy sapping grass. The pace really slowed on this section as the day went on. Thankfully though it didnt last to long and had a nice descent and flat section to recover. Probably the only climb with a chance to recover after.

(Thanks to Aidan Stewart for the photo above)
After the field there was a great descent through the forest. This was a very fast section and a nice break after the first climb. There was a left turn onto a lane which took us in a u shape back to the forest. The fun really started here. This was a long climb with very little let up. Switch back after switch back on single track. Some of the switch backs had rocks and roots with really only one line to get it right. With a tight pack and riders not getting that line there was a bit of a hold up at times. Reaching the next switch backs I tried to hold back a bit so I had a good run but the stoppers in front held us up again. The next straight I got past a couple but it was a very hard section to pass and with everyone out on there first lap people didnt want to loose time moving to the side or stopping. With a bit of a gap between me a the riders in front I got pedaling.

After the climb there was a wall crossing with I think three options. Wooden section with a berm, Rocky section or a flat section. The wood seemed like the fastest line and was definitely my type of line anyway so I stuck with that all day. The forest single track went on and on. There was a new jump and berm added from last year. This was brilliant and was a much faster line than the old way which was still in place for riders who didnt fancy the jump. The course flattened out a bit after this but it was very technical with rocks and roots all over it so you didnt get a minutes rest. After the rocks came another climb with rocks and roots dotted all over the trail. I remember struggling on this last year with dodgy gears but this year I took it fairly quickly staying in the saddle for better traction. The climb continued but got a bit smoother. The next wall really got me on a couple of last laps last year. I would have the last laugh flying over it this year. Either it got easier or I was pedalling better or a mixture of both. It was a steep incline over a wall with a wooden descent on the other side. The next section was great very fast flowing trail with bridge crossings fast corners and a few sections that could be ridden like a pump track. I think as last year that was one of my favorite sections and hopefully one I made time on. The fun continued still all on single track with fast descents and climbs. Hamburger hill again brought a smile to my face. Technical drops over roots, rocks and tight tree's. As some found out them rocks are hard to land on. There was a new table top and berms before we entered another lane. The lane took us around the same field we started on last year.

This is where the difference in the track came in. We would now be finishing on the first section from last year but cutting out the mx track. We entered a gate and on turning the corner I thought to myself is this the right way as it was a barley field. The markers showed we went through the field in a zigzag patern before climbing up through a few trees. Last year we went right and into the mx track, this year it was straight and down a very steep descent similar to a bomb hole in the forest trails. After a tight climb up the other side it was back into another barley field. This was I think the highlight of this years race. Instead of riding the perimeter of the field the markers went straight through the barley. The barley was waist high and the passage through very narrow. The trail through was on a very fast descent leveling off at the bottom before leaving the field onto another lane. (Thanks to Aidan Stewart for the photo above)
I think for me the reason it was so good was the barley so close to you and pedaling flat out through a field like this you would never get the oppertunity. Unless you rode it you might not get what I mean but it was a great addition to the course. Just a good job there was barley in the field or it would have been a bit pointless ;-)

We crossed another field and had a road crossing instead of the bridge crossing from last year. After this we were back into the tree's. More very tight single track with bridge crossings and a few rocky sections that with a bit of pace werent a problem. After this came a last tight wee slope up outta the trees and back into the start/finish field. With the spectators watching I think everyone stuck the shoe down here and blasted across the finish line. 00:54:33 for my first lap it was a good lap with a few slow bits on the climbs where the bottle necks happened. I quickly passed the chip to Paul and with a good luck he was of.

Time for warm clothes, a seat, a sandwich and relax.

Paul came in after his first lap and told me it was a nightmare on his tyres. Not having time to work out lap times I thought he had a bad lap. Looking now at the times he shouldnt have worried he put in a great 00:52:58 I got the pedal down and went out again. After hamburger hill I came across Debbie Irvine who had went down hard on one of the rocks. She had a very deep cut on her knee but the blood flow didnt look that bad. I had no medical kit so the best I could do was tell her I will shout for the medical crew as I remembered they were parked just after this section. I didnt realise they had already been alerted to this and were looking for Debbie. I jumped off the bike and gave them a shout telling them she was just a few hundred yards back on the trail. I got back on the bike and finished the lap. 00:55:36 with a stop I was happy enough with that one too.

The talk in the pit area was about Debbie and the cut she had on her knee. It was a fairly bad one and I assumed she was out for the day. Little did I know she was bandaged up and back on the bike. Coming into the pit area to finish her lap I think she should have got an award for the bravest lap of the day. It turned out to be the end of the day for Debbie with a trip to A&E but she came back to cheer on her warrior team mate Molly Stack who blasted out the remainder of the day. Another great effort from two very strong Ladies. Well done to both.

Turns out Debbie has a hairline fracture on her knee. Cant praise that effort enough for finishing the lap. Heal fast Debbie.

Paul had changed the tyres for his second lap hoping to find a bit more grip. It was another good lap finishing 00:56:51

(Thanks to Aidan Stewart for the photo above)
My next lap was another decent one with no real dramas. The only worrying time was when I heard a hiss from my tyre. Thinking I was going to have to run back having no tubes the hissing stopped. The stans no tubes done its job well sealing the hole and on I went.

The time ticked down and lap times dropped a little. Paul was getting slower but still finishing strong every lap. I could feel I was slowing also and with one very near miss on Hamburger hill (Which I think should be re-named Debbie the warrior hill) I got a bit sideways on a landing but thankfully saved it and rode on hard. I decided to take the last lap a little steadier a mixture of tiredness and a sore bum made it more of a cruise than a racing lap. Paul went out on his last lap and when I realised he wasnt going to finish inside the time I got my self cleaned up and changed. We managed 12 laps in the end. Tough slog at times but always very different and enjoyable laps.

12 Hours done now time for the food.
The finish area had the legendary BBQ and fire already roaring. Stories of laps both fast and slow and how great the course was could be heard by all.
Big thanks firstly to 26extreme for the oppertunity to race under their colours. Secondly to Paul McArthur for sharing the pain. Last but not least to Tony Kelly and all the others from Cuchulainn Cycling Club for putting on another great race and post race BBQ, without your efforts we wouldnt have been there.

A mention also to all the other riders for the craic along the way. Good to see everyone enjoying the racing.

Scotland MTB the Road Trip

Here is a short video with some of the highlights of the Scotland road trip. A weeks ridding bikes at different locations throughout Scotland. The places we visited in this video are Glentress, Innerleithen, Laggan Wolftrax, Nevis Red and the Fort William World Cup Downhill. I was ridding my trusty Trek Remedy 8 (Even for the Downhill)

Fort William DH Scotland

Myself and some friends took a trip to scotland for some trail ridding. The hightlight of the trip was the visit to Fortwilliam DH trail on the Nevis Mountain range. This is a GO Pro helmet cam run of the World Cup DH trail. I took it slow and steady for this run. The video really doesnt show how rough and steep it was. 2 Days later my arms are still sore from the constant movement of the bike. I would love to try it again on a full DH Bike and really go for it. If I was going to do it again I would start at Fortwilliam rather than have been biking for 6 days before. Tired arms and legs on the most demanding trail of the world cup circuit showed in the mistakes I made on this run.

BICI OCI On Tour!!!

Catalunya Niner Sir9 Single Speed.

Mountain Biking in Catalunya. First experiance on the 29er single speed was tough but enjoyable.

Catalunya MTB 2011

Some of the trails from my MTB Trip to Catalunya.

Blessingbourne MTB Trails Go Pro

Some Go Pro Footage of the Blessingbourne trails.




Another version with better editing

Blessingbourne MTB Trail Centre

Blessingbourne MTB trail centre has just opened in Fivemiletown Co. Tyrone Ireland. I was invited to come to the open day to have a go and give some feed back on the trail development.

The trail is designed to be an all weather sustainable trail. It is all gravel-stones so weather shouldnt be an issue. Some natural trails we have here get very mucky and slippy in the winter. This has been designed with that in mind.

At the trail head there is a pump track with an outside loop and two central cross over sections for figure 8's. My bike wasnt ideal for the pump track having 150mm travel front and rear but with the fork and shock locked out after a few goes I got the hang of it. The pump track and trails are ideal for a Hardtail bike. There isnt any features that really require a full sus bike other than the comfort factor.

Chain Reaction Cycles had a fleet of Vitus Mountain bikes for the local school children to have a go on the track. Even some of the people on the business and investor side of things had a go. Which was great to see and I think we may even have found them a new hobby.

The http://www.trailbadger.com/ boys had their own tandem to take people around some of the track. The tandem was in full demand with many people wanting to have a go. With Davey piloting the big bike they had no worries at all.

We took a lap of the trail taking it fairly easy at the start to get a look around see how the trail was constructed and what features lay ahead. The trail starts fairly flat but with the smooth surface you can pick up speed in no time. Twisting through the trees traveling around the Blessingbourne estate in an anti clockwise direction.

The terrain is fairly flat so the majority of the work is done by the rider. With no major climbs it means you can keep a good pace around the trails. I think like any trail you ride the key to this one is keeping that pace all the way around. There is a lane crossing were care is advised as this is a busy estate. It is less than 200 yards on the road before you are back into the forest and a nice open section down through the trees.

Photo Above: Michelle Brady Photograpy

The first red section has some fairly wide log crossings. These get narrower as you progress but even the last one is about a foot wide so for the beginner this should be enough to test your skills without being to daunting. For the more advanced crossing these at speed wont be an issue. These are linked with a series of berms then another log section in steps. There is a small rock jump before a tight bermed corner. The next section has three rock drops with a smaller alternative to the side of each of these. Again these get bigger as you progress but all can be rolled or dropped. The end of this section has a couple of table tops and then another berm to finish.

Photo above: Michelle Brady Photography

The trail then winds through the trees again and at this point you have two options. To the left there is another red section. This is a really fast series of flowing berms that you can really carry speed through. There are a few small bumps to double and then this brings you back to the start of the log crossings and rock drops. This small loop really adds to the trail and doing it a few times to get a good line will obviously add to the trail distance but also give you a chance to get faster each time you ride it. When you get a good line through this section you can really carry a lot of speed due to the bermed corners. After completing the loop you can do the rock section again or cut this out and pick the trail up again at the end of this red section. This time we took the right turn passing the red loop and continuing along the main trail.

Photo above: Michelle Brady Photography

The next section is another series of flowing corners that lead into small rock gardens and a series of table tops. The track is through the trees but the trees are very open along this section giving you a good chance to spot the jumps and get a bit of speed up. After this there is an open section of bermed corners and small kicker jumps. Another really good part that has been designed so you can keep the speed through the corners. The final section is a winding single track through the forest and back to the start. There is a short section on the lane so care should be taken. With a few km in the legs the pump track felt a lot better the second time around. If you havent been on a pump track before just give it ago. With the momentum you soon get a feel for when you need to push. The idea is not to pedal rather use your momentum and weight to Pump you around the track. The clue is in the name!

As I said above it is a fairly flat trail but the designers have made great use of the little elevation they had. It is up to the rider to make the most of this type of trail. If you put the work in you really can get an enjoyable spin round this short track. I think the design has been cleverly worked so that anyone can ride these trails. It still gives the opportunity for the more experienced riders to pick up speed and enjoy the trail. It really is how you choose to ride that will determine the fun factor. There is nothing overly technical about this type of trail but for a good days craic and a fast blast it ticks all the boxes. But dont just take my word for it, when Glyn O'brian and Colin Ross (Former Downhill Champions and MTB Instructors) are praising the set up and riding with smiles on there faces you know the trails are good. The trails are short but I think through time they have the option of adding more trails and increasing the overall length. If you are used to riding the likes of the 7stanes you could compare this to the more advanced blue grades. Personally I wouldnt say the red sections merit the red grade more like an advanced blue. Great fun and I think if you ride them to the full potential then they might just scrape the red grade.

The trail can be enjoyed by all the family regardless of skill or time on a Mountain bike. It can be used as a safe way to get into the sport, yet have the added family appeal so that the parents can have a go and see how their kids are progressing. We had a good day trying the trail and the pump track. Hopefully this is just the start of things to come with sustainable trail centres in the North of Ireland.