Cheddar Bikefest 4 hour Enduro (30 Sept) / Marin Dusk til Dawn (6-7 Oct)

Report by Cathy Atkinson

Anyone for a spot of off-roading?

After a lazy triathlon season and a distinct lack of base fitness, many would have considered back to back mountain bike enduros in successive weekends a little ill-advised. In my defence, I was anticipating the Cheddar Enduro course to be within the limits of my bike handling ability and I was entered in the Dusk til Dawn as a mixed pair.

The Cheddar Bikefest was 'sold' to me by my brother, who had competed in its sister event, the Bristol Bikefest. Enduro riding involves completing as many laps of a predefined course as possible within a given time (in this case 4 hours). Pleasant, low key and undulating were amongst the adjectives being bandied about. If you had seen the colour of my legs the week after they would have been testament to the truth.

Despite the short laps, the course was technical and testing. One particular section involving a steep, loose, muddy, rooty descent featuring an adverse camber seemed to be the most popular spectator attraction (for the ghoulish anyway!). Steve was unfortunately to be one of its first victims when, having negotiated the most tricky section, he failed to notice an overhanging branch. A broken helmet, a very sore neck and an early retirement the fruits of his labours.

I ploughed on, falling off spectacularly at least once a lap. After 8 laps, I realised I wouldn't be able to squeeze in another before the 4 hour cut off (completed laps only counted here) unless I rode faster and as I doubted my ability to do this and stay alive I decided to call it a day. Still, that was good enough for 1st place in the female fun category and 3rd woman overall, so I was well chuffed with my efforts.

So on to Thetford Forest for the all night, 12 hour Dusk til Dawn. Alarmingly, Steve's neck was not recovering well and a trip to A & E ruled him out of action. Despite my desperate pleas on the race forum for a man (!) none were forthcoming and as the day approached, I was on my own.

Now, I had thought of doing a 12 hourer sometime in the future but (a) during the day and (b) when I was fit. Riding around technical twisting singletrack in the dark (the race runs from 8am - 8pm) was not in the gameplan. Still what did I have to lose??!!*?

Valiantly I set off into the darkness with the 300 other solo and team riders (you can also do the event as a pair or as a team of 3 or 4) on the 11.7 mile course. I decided to start steadily, but rapidly found myself right at the back. The first lap took me an hour and a half, but I was happy as I had found a couple of slow pals to chat to. "Well at least we haven't been lapped already," I quipped as we entered the last of five bombholes near the end of the first lap (very scary at night when your distance judgement is impaired). That second, yes you've guessed it... the headlights rushed towards us at alarming speed and we hopped out of the way.

That was the pattern of things for the next few hours, with very regular shouts of 'on your left' and 'on your right' and riders speeding past. After being wiped out by a very treacherous root (which was to claim many more victims) my confidence was ebbing and although I was stopping every lap to be fed and cheered up by Steve, after 6 and a bit hours and 4 laps, I was all for quitting.

It was at that point I discovered the combined effects of Red Bull and Cubrofen and against all the odds I was still in the saddle when the sun came up and lit the beautiful forest setting at 6.30am. Unlike Cheddar, you have the added bonus of being able to complete the lap you are doing after the 12 hour mark passes - what a treat! This eventually amounted to 8 laps, in 12 hours 45 minutes (nearly and hour and a half longer than I spent doing my last ironman!) and 96 miles of off road riding in the dark.

I was delighted. My performance was good enough for 7 out of 9 in the solo women's category - although I should point out that the two behind me (sensibly) had had enough after 2 and 5 laps respectively. More impressively the first two women completed 12 laps each, holding an unbelievable pace throughout.

Definitely an experience to be repeated. Perhaps we can get some MTC teams out for some of the big MTB enduro races next year. Just make sure you buy a year's supply of arnica before you sign up!!

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