What does your perfect event look like?

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Bearbonesnorm
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What does your perfect event look like?

Post by Bearbonesnorm »

Following on from a few different threads ... although it would likely be impossible to put on*, I'm interested in what peoples perfect event would look like. I'm sure free beer and dancing unicorns would be great but I'm more interested in the practical aspects. Things like, duration, fixed route, pre / after knees up, pre-determined overnight spot, etc, etc.

*Who knows. If there's some concensus then it might even come to pass.

Ta.
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Asposium
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Re: What does your perfect event look like?

Post by Asposium »

Hmm

Suppose depends whether a “race” or a “social”

Maybe something akin to WRT with more of an emphasis on the pre- and post-event social.

Maybe the option to return to a central camp, or camp out.

There could be waypoints as per WRT for those that want to do their own thing, and a few suggested routes (of varying length and difficulty) for those unable to plan a route - going to assume this hypothetical rider could follow a line on their GPS
Along with a few ride “leader” volunteers to take a few; bit like LHC now.

For me, focussed on the social aspect; can do nutter rides on my own.

Bear stock sounded like fun
Shame I missed that

Could be something that happened every 5th year of WRT, so as to make it too frequent

To be fair stu, whatever you organise you’re pretty guaranteed the “regulars” will turn up. :-bd :grin:
Last edited by Asposium on Tue Jul 09, 2019 6:31 pm, edited 1 time in total.
jameso
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Re: What does your perfect event look like?

Post by jameso »

I liked the idea of just riding to a camp out spot with a band or beers and food, maybe ride locally unloaded the next day, make your own way back. We can all then plan something around it either to, from or both. The central spot is the draw, like the ideal bivi spot with added social and volume. Didn't Stu set up something similar a while back?
Asposium
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Re: What does your perfect event look like?

Post by Asposium »

jameso wrote: Tue Jul 09, 2019 6:17 pm I liked the idea of just riding to a camp out spot with a band or beers and food, maybe ride locally unloaded the next day, make your own way back. We can all then plan something around it either to, from or both. The central spot is the draw, like the ideal bivi spot with added social and volume. Didn't Stu set up something similar a while back?
That sounds similar to the moors 100
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Bearbonesnorm
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Re: What does your perfect event look like?

Post by Bearbonesnorm »

Bearstock was along those lines James.
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whitestone
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Re: What does your perfect event look like?

Post by whitestone »

Hmm, many points covered by the previous responses

Social ride, races or challenges are already well served.
Central bivy/camp location
Multiple routes to and from camp that are somewhat randomly assigned, people can ask for shorter or longer routes. easy/difficult etc.
Not sure there are enough BH weekends to justify a three day event so possibly a two day event like the WRT lite.

Bearstock was fun, maybe like that but not necessarily imposing on BB towers.
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lune ranger
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Re: What does your perfect event look like?

Post by lune ranger »

Maybe introduce co-operating ‘pairs’ categories in existing events. Like KIMM, OMM
Polaris of old.
Equipment sharing between pairs allowed and pairs have to finish together.
Actually I’d like to see a return of Polaris events, maybe without the fixed camp and the timer runs for the whole weekend so you are free to ride as long/little as you see fit.
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Asposium
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Re: What does your perfect event look like?

Post by Asposium »

lune ranger wrote: Tue Jul 09, 2019 6:45 pm Maybe introduce co-operating ‘pairs’ categories in existing events. Like KIMM, OMM
Polaris of old.
Equipment sharing between pairs allowed and pairs have to finish together.
Actually I’d like to see a return of Polaris events, maybe without the fixed camp and the timer runs for the whole weekend so you are free to ride as long/little as you see fit.
i remember Polaris
Bikepacking before it was called bikepacking
And no GPS because it hadn't been invented

OMM was still running several year ago, and had a bike section abit like the polaris of old

https://theomm.com/omm-festival-lite-bike/
still is running

still no GPS though, imagine that, no GPS :shock:
Anyone found using their mobile phone or other electronic device for navigation purposes will be disqualified from the event.
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voodoo_simon
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Re: What does your perfect event look like?

Post by voodoo_simon »

Something mid week, none of this weekend nonsense :lol:
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benp1
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Re: What does your perfect event look like?

Post by benp1 »

Bearstock was excellent!

Or maybe WRT-like event with a few routes that cross over each other. The popularity of the LHC is testimony to how much people like someone to lead/set things up

I too like the social aspect. I like riding with others at a slower pace and bumping into folks along the way
ton
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Re: What does your perfect event look like?

Post by ton »

moors 100 is a super event.
jennride is a good event and atmosphere.
south lakes mtb festival is vaguely exciting. i rode 100 miles there, camped 2 nights and rode 50 miles home. it had good beer, good food, ace music and a friendly atmosphere.

i think less GNARR events are great, as i get older.
did lots of polaris events which were good, but a bit too serious, especially a lot of the people taking part.
ssnowman
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Re: What does your perfect event look like?

Post by ssnowman »

Moors one hundred. 50 miles day one, semi wild camp, pizza and beer, then 50 miles back next day by a different route. Loved it!
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middleagedmadness
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Re: What does your perfect event look like?

Post by middleagedmadness »

Agree with Ben ,like bumping into people on route or in pubs ,don't think I'd like a set camp spot ,part of the fun is riding till you find a nice spot and if not waking up in bushes or in some cases a beer garden being served tea by the landlady at 9 o'clock of the morning eh Ben :wink: ,that's what I find makes for good story telling and memories,be nice to have it for more than a couple of nights but I understood most people work a Monday to Friday week
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RIP
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Re: What does your perfect event look like?

Post by RIP »

Yeah all the above mixed together :wink: .

How one of those 'treasure hunt' things with cryptic clues/questions about features at a number of waypoints. First letter of each feature makes a word (rude in our case probably), first one back gets prize. Maybe with some handicaps to slow down the speed kings.

WRT is my perfect event for all usual reasons. Liked the addition of lunch food stall 2 years ago (except someone stole my veg burger before I reached it yah boogers).

Maybe an outdoor Bearstock-type social the night before WRT instead of Star occasionally? Great opportunity for everyone to meet, but then as MaM says following nights are still as spontaneous as usual.

(Free beer taken as read obviously)
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Richpips
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Re: What does your perfect event look like?

Post by Richpips »

This weekend's Jennride was pretty close to my ideal.

A plotted route (with options) loads of mates, cafes and the odd beer.
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dlovett
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Re: What does your perfect event look like?

Post by dlovett »

Cabin Fever was a great example of a perfect event. Very social, a central base for leaving gear, sleeping etc. You could race ro socially ride it. Basically loops from a central point work very nicely and everybody can do it their own way.
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Re: What does your perfect event look like?

Post by redefined_cycles »

100ish miles with as much off road as possible. But no bogs nor scary river crossings. Plus tracks that are actually still tracks and not overgrown tussocks (I only learnt from there that overgrown mtb/OS lines were acceptablr and back in the day I'd be gutted at finding tracks that were no more due to lack of use :o )*.

If there was food then a vegetarian option where I was confident there was no cross mixing etc and eveything eas properly seperate in cooking as well as utensils etc (which I assume you've already got ticked off perfectly :-bd ).

Erm (and I know this one might not be too popular) and decent cafes scattered around near enough the route (as opposed to pubs where one can fill up with the old red diesel but also get a few chips at same time :lol: ).

Erm... minimal risks of fords that might be likely be river crossings with the bridge down (I know this kinda mighy make the route making a little more complex)...

Lots of smily faces and humble riders (which we've already obviously got ticked off...

* As I was doint the Welsh Elan Velo 100 miler (road) this weekend I did spot a bridleway sign. Had a picture of a horse and when I looked up at the track all I could see was grass (medium to high overgrown mind so not too bad. All I could think was... Oh My these lot dont even describe it as bridleway but just a pic of a horse (I know)
postierich
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Re: What does your perfect event look like?

Post by postierich »

You have just described this years Jennride I reckon :-) starting and finishing at a brewery
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Re: What does your perfect event look like?

Post by Taylor »

How about a ride with no route posted, just the first checkpoint. Route is riders responsibility
At this checkpoint you get a grid ref for the next checkpoint.
Repeat.
Repeat again until the final checkpoint for the day to find a band, food and beer.
Reverse process to get home on the following day.

Didn't Paul E do something gravel orientated like this but with gin?
darbeze
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Re: What does your perfect event look like?

Post by darbeze »

A lot of great ideas already. I love the WRT and I like the idea of the get together the night before camp, music and refreshments sort of thing. I don't really get to chat to too many people on the Saturday as we are all focused on faffing, sweepstakes and weigh-ins... Don't get me wrong, those are part of what makes WRT excellent! An evening the night before would afford us the opportunity to relax and mingle a bit more...

Anything organised by Stuart and Dee seems to be great fun (BB200 not so much 😊), so I am confident whatever is conconcted will be well worth going to.

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Re: What does your perfect event look like?

Post by Asposium »

redefined_cycles wrote: Tue Jul 09, 2019 11:01 pm 100ish miles with as much off road as possible. But no bogs nor scary river crossings. Plus tracks that are actually still tracks and not overgrown tussocks
That already exists
And it’s free to ride (though one may have to pay to park)
.....it’s called a trail centre
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Re: What does your perfect event look like?

Post by Bearbonesnorm »

this weekend I did spot a bridleway sign. Had a picture of a horse and when I looked up at the track all I could see was grass
You've entered the BB200 haven't you :lol:
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Re: What does your perfect event look like?

Post by Asposium »

Taking the modified WRT / bear stock idea and spinning it a little
How about the same sat morning start as now, many of us work on the Friday
Same pre-start events as now

Same ride format as now
Nothing changes there
It ain’t broke, so why fiddle?

However, Sunday night’s camp is in a random field close’ish to BB towers
((Close’ish such that people have the option of an easy ride back to the car Monday))

At this random field is food, entertainment, silly bear stock games, just basically a bunch of boners having a laugh.

One arrives at the Sunday camp when one wishes, might even then decide to move on and camp elsewhere.

On the Monday head back to BB towers to collect car.
Can go direct, or bag some more check points.
Might not be the post-WRT tea and cake as stu might be at the Sunday night field .....unless we can clone stu (imagine that two stu’s)

We all pay an extra towards the Sunday night events

Again, an infrequent event such that it remains special.
Stu, didn’t you mention something special for your forthcoming milestone birthday?

—-
On last year’s LHC ride we camped behind a pub on the Saturday night
At in the pub as several small groups, talked poor show, drank bear, ate cake.
It was fun, and for me what makes the WRT special and unique.

The idea above is just expanding on that concept slightly whilst maintaining the integrity of the WRT event.

Heck, the random field idea above could be a field next to a pub.
The pub might welcome the extra business, saves stu having to organise catering, we play silly bear stock games in the field

BTW, never ask me to let my imagination run wild, my mind is a dangerous place to visit
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Bearbonesnorm
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Re: What does your perfect event look like?

Post by Bearbonesnorm »

Some interesting stuff. Appears that riding mixed with a social gathering feature quite highly ... actually, the riding seems to take second place :wink:
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Re: What does your perfect event look like?

Post by redefined_cycles »

Bearbonesnorm wrote: Wed Jul 10, 2019 7:50 am
this weekend I did spot a bridleway sign. Had a picture of a horse and when I looked up at the track all I could see was grass
You've entered the BB200 haven't you :lol:
Lol... have indeed. :shock: Just been reading Barringtons 2014 blog post to prep me proper :-bd
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