What happened to 24 hour racing?

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Bearbonesnorm
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What happened to 24 hour racing?

Post by Bearbonesnorm »

For some reason I woke up this morning and my first thought was 'what happened to 24 hour racing?'. Many here will have taken part in MM, SITS, etc and at one point, 24 hour races were a major draw for many a mountain biker. Yet, it seemingly died a fairly swift death over the course of a few years. Did people simply stop entering or did the organisers move on and leave riders without a ride? ... or something completely different that my little sleep deprived brain hasn't considered?
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ScotRoutes
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Re: What happened to 24 hour racing?

Post by ScotRoutes »

Strathpuffer is still a thing. I know Steve thought about pulling it after the tenth year, that being a sort of milestone, but had a change of heart.

I did a SITS. It was more of a social thing than a race for me.
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Re: What happened to 24 hour racing?

Post by Bearbonesnorm »

I did a SITS. It was more of a social thing than a race for me.
Yeah, there always seemed to be a big social / gathering aspect to them - I could never understand how those in teams of 10 (or was it 12 at MM?) ever got any riding in. :wink:

I suppose Strathpuffer is pretty unique and will always have a following.
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ScotRoutes
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Re: What happened to 24 hour racing?

Post by ScotRoutes »

We did teams of four, but had a couple of teams. With an early arrival and late departure it made for a good weekend.

I seem to recall that both SITS and MM had issues with venues that might have affected numbers of attendees so maybe that just spiralled down. I'd certainly consider another if I could persuade some of the same folk to meet up. Having said that, I wonder if (as it appears to me) the concentration on downhill technology rather than XC just means that fewer folk would be interested nowadays. Are Enduros the modern equivalent?

I might ask the question on the other channel... 😊
Last edited by ScotRoutes on Sun Apr 11, 2021 8:11 am, edited 1 time in total.
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johnnystorm
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Re: What happened to 24 hour racing?

Post by johnnystorm »

I did my last one in 2015. After riding the TD in 2016 and seeing a hundred miles of new trail everyday the prospect of the going over the same 10k of trails 15-20 times in one sitting lost its appeal!

Generally, the (perceived?) increase in people buying more bikes at opposite ends of the burly scale (enduro & gravel bikes) that aren't suited to 24hr racing but are suited to Enduro and Dirty Reiver or bikepacking events instead? 8-|
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jameso
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Re: What happened to 24 hour racing?

Post by jameso »

Unreliable summer weather? Perhaps the MM bog fests made people wary as it didn't take a lot of rain to make a mess of those courses with so many riders + laps on them.

Only ever did a few laps at SITS and MM as part of a very casual team, worked at a few with Madison and enjoyed them as a social thing. 4 laps or so here and there and that was enough - was never interested in riding laps for 24hrs solo.

Perhaps for those who enjoyed the challenge and were good at it, point to point ITTs started to have more appeal or at least became seen as a bigger challenge with the self-supported aspect. WHW, SDW2, etc. Genesis sponsored 2 capable 24hr riders in 2010 who I remember both not being that excited about another MM/SITS one year, wanting to do more solo ITT type rides.
Are Enduros the modern equivalent?
Probably, the whole MTB scene has gone off XC imagery in a fairly major way. XC became Trail which became Enduro.
ton
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Re: What happened to 24 hour racing?

Post by ton »

i did a MM in a team of 4 iirc. the riding was pretty rubbish if i remember. lots of grass with the odd bit of singletrack thrown in. and i could have gone on a months cycle tour for what the weekend cost.
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voodoo_simon
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Re: What happened to 24 hour racing?

Post by voodoo_simon »

Went to one MM once but found it frightfully boring. Unless you’re competitive, I really can’t see the appeal. If it was the social aspect, then a weekend away riding nicer trails, staying in a pub/B+B with food and beers would prove to be cheaper
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Re: What happened to 24 hour racing?

Post by pete68 »

Exposure 24/12 is running again (hopefully)in July. Always a good event with a much better course than MM. Numbers have definitely dropped off over the years though. I think the type of rider who did the teams have mostly moved to dh endure and those soloists (like me)have gone to more "bikepacking" things. I'll still go to 24/12 this year. Its still a fun weekend.
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Re: What happened to 24 hour racing?

Post by jobro »

I would have thought that, largely, the people interested in XC racing would be the ones, again generally, interested in 24 hr racing. I think l XC racing has had some decline as people look elsewhere for fun as off road bikes polarise. Also, hasn't there been a, lessening of interest/bad weather/loss of venue/loss of organiser/COVID issues that have all added up to see the decline in 24 hour racing?
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Re: What happened to 24 hour racing?

Post by Loki »

Twentyfour12 is still going, they are planning this years event now, I have don't it a few times, always a winner as I love the Newnham Park course outside Plymouth, I think insurance and trying to trying to make it entertaining killed most of the events off, that and a swing to more enduro events? These days multiday events seem more in favour.....24 hours of riding 5-10 mile laps no longer flats my boat.
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thenorthwind
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Re: What happened to 24 hour racing?

Post by thenorthwind »

I've occasionally been tempted by one. The Kielder Chiller is near me, and the Strathpuffer seems like one of those things you should experience. But I've always thought "do I want to ride round the same trail dozens of times in a 24 hour period, or spend the same time exploring somewhere interesting" and the answer has been the latter. Have to admit I'm still a bit curious though.
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Re: What happened to 24 hour racing?

Post by ScotRoutes »

thenorthwind wrote: Sun Apr 11, 2021 2:22 pm I've occasionally been tempted by one. The Kielder Chiller is near me, and the Strathpuffer seems like one of those things you should experience. But I've always thought "do I want to ride round the same trail dozens of times in a 24 hour period, or spend the same time exploring somewhere interesting" and the answer has been the latter. Have to admit I'm still a bit curious though.
The Puffer is an interesting one. For a while (and certainly in Scotland) it seemed like it was one of those things you had to do to be truly classified as a mountain biker. A bit like the West Highland Way and/or Ben Nevis as a walker - even folk who aren't into hillwalking will ask if you've done those and almost switch off if you say "no". I then did a stint as a support team at one Puffer. It was OK. Sociable (ish) and I was kept busy between stints washing bikes, changing disk pads etc. At about 1:30 I was on my way back to me van from the pit area and looked up to see a lovely full moon in a clear sky. It then hit me that I'd never want to be riding round a 9 miles course in the dark while I could be in a bivvy bag staring up at the sky instead.
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fatbikephil
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Re: What happened to 24 hour racing?

Post by fatbikephil »

Doing endless repeats of a 9 mile lap for 24 hrs always seemed to me to be a hellish concept. Doing one lap of an ITT in 24 hrs? :-bd
I suspect a lot of the people who did them have migrated to the long distance stuff and Bikepacking ITT's
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GregMay
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Re: What happened to 24 hour racing?

Post by GregMay »

Matt will jump in at some stage, will be interesting to see his view from one of the core racers from a few years ago.

Used to be my thing, to the point that they were often the point of the whole year, and I raced on a team focused on doing nothing but these events with Rob Lee (as did Matt, but different, earlier team). 24/12, WEMBO, SITS, Bristol Bikefest, Relentless, Big Dog....and MM (such a pants racing venue since they moved it) used to be written into the training diary the year before. Everything focused on one, or maybe at a push two in a year. If I wasn't racing, I was crewing.

Roll up - go fast or DNF. There was no point in just doing. I never finished a race I didn't podium in - except Euro champs in Castleton where I got 9th in my first ever 24hour race. A strong memory of that race was passing Josh Ibbet in a total heap after he'd bonked from 1st place. At some point later in the day passing Mike while he was pedalling and puking. He pulled out IIRC.

There are two medals on the wall in my office - one from a national CX championship, the other 3rd place at WEMBO (5 mins stopped time in 23 hours, lapped 4th place almost a perfect race....) They are defining points in my life as much as the birth of my daughter.

Anyway, why is it not a thing - or not a thing for me anyway. Family partially, I can't put the training hours in without feeling guilty. More recent experiences, like the TDR as others have said - I don't get the need that I used to have. But... I miss it. I miss the racing with a core group of excellent people; Mike, Josh, Rob, Jase, Phil, Dave, Aiden, Jenn, Steve, Ant, Tom, Amy, the list goes on. I got to know these people through XC and stage racing (Trans Wales/Scotland). People who liked going fast, carrying little, and stopping not at all. Some are still great mates. Some, not here sadly. Early 2000s into early 2010s were a special time for 24hr racing in the UK. One of the reasons I moved over here.

I personally don't think Enduro and bikepacking have taken it away from us. I think it was an era that has passed. It'll come back, but it'll need something to drive it. The lack of races, or ones that happen without fail don't help. Tastes change. At the moment tastes are for a delivered, humdrum safe sort of adventure. The idea of pushing yourself to your limits for a day appeal to few, but I think that few are fewer than before.
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Cheeky Monkey
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Re: What happened to 24 hour racing?

Post by Cheeky Monkey »

It's all been ruined by those bloody bikes.






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barney
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Re: What happened to 24 hour racing?

Post by barney »

My very hazy memory is of meeting Stu for the first time at SITS/MM many, many moons ago. We were both ambling to our bikes as I seem to recall.

(Of course I may have dreamt that. 🤔)
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Re: What happened to 24 hour racing?

Post by slarge »

I think in many many aspects of life things go through phases - and in biking the phases seem to last 10 years or so.
24 hour racing has had it's 10 year phase and is now in decline. Organisation for these types of events is always going to be problematic - the venue needs sorting 12 months in advance, which means funds need to be committed, but typically entrants won't commit (in any numbers) until a few weeks before, so there is big financial risk that fewer people are willing to accept.

There will be some lower profile events that keep going (like Exposure 24/12 in Plymouth) - but in the main people will move to the next shiney new type of event (enduro or ebike marathon or something). Even the 100k mid Wales events seem to be much lower profile than in their heyday in the mid 00's.

From a personal perspective I always found 24 hours too much for a solo ride (maybe the urge to sleep got the better of me). As a team it was fine but the course was always a compromise. 12 hour races are much better for me, but they are really thin on the ground.

Bikepacking races/rides are going through their peak at the moment and seem to be limited only by the entry limits than rider numbers. I think these will be around for a while, but they will change as organisers move on and things get more commercialised. Some will be long standing events (like the TDR). Who knows where this site will be in 10 years time......
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Re: What happened to 24 hour racing?

Post by Bearbonesnorm »

My very hazy memory is of meeting Stu for the first time at SITS/MM many, many moons ago. We were both ambling to our bikes as I seem to recall.
Your memory is correct fella. I was riding SS so no rush :wink:
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Re: What happened to 24 hour racing?

Post by BordersSteve »

johnnystorm wrote: Sun Apr 11, 2021 8:11 am Generally, the (perceived?) increase in people buying more bikes at opposite ends of the burly scale (enduro & gravel bikes) that aren't suited to 24hr racing but are suited to Enduro and Dirty Reiver or bikepacking events instead? 8-|
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Richard G
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Re: What happened to 24 hour racing?

Post by Richard G »

htrider wrote: Sun Apr 11, 2021 6:09 pm Doing endless repeats of a 9 mile lap for 24 hrs always seemed to me to be a hellish concept. Doing one lap of an ITT in 24 hrs? :-bd
This is where I am.

I don't mind pushing myself hard, but bollocks to doing it in laps.
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Cheeky Monkey
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Re: What happened to 24 hour racing?

Post by Cheeky Monkey »

Hasn't it gone - XC racing (dead?)> 24 hour events (dying?) > enduro-fests (still alive though possibly not kicking?).

Might I suggest a part of it is that *most* people go for the craic (generally), quality of riding and a much smaller group (e.g. Greg) are into the proper *racing* aspect. That smaller group isn't enough to support lots of events and the larger group of attendees have found more *fun* things to do. The "racers" are doing the longer riders people have already mentioned (again, e.g. Greg).

I had one year trying "racing". Not for me. HYOH 😎 However, the "bike festival" element was fun and hence I think you get things like Ard Rock etc.

Let's be honest, most riders are punters along for the good times. No criticism, I reckon my riding mostly puts me in that bracket now (if it hasn't always) 😉
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Re: What happened to 24 hour racing?

Post by GregMay »

I love the lapped aspect of it - but I am an recovering track rider....

The whole joy to riding the same lap for 24 hours is that you can get really, really, really good at riding that lap using as little energy and going faster. Usually through braking less as uggh that means I have to move my fingers. F"it, pedal on. Best appreciated when SSing for 24 hours :)
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Re: What happened to 24 hour racing?

Post by JohnClimber »

The modern mountain bike riders batteries won't last 24 hours as yet.
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Re: What happened to 24 hour racing?

Post by pete68 »

While it doesn't get any publicity, I don't think xc racing is dead. Both Gorrick and Southern xc had races over Easter with a good few hundred riders between them. Pretty good as they had to abide by restrictions.
I'm planning on going to 24/12 this summer, plus some other weekend away trips too. Its not one or the other, you can do both.
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