BB200 2023

[Hyppy]

Here's a little video from the BB200 for your entertainment.

Nice one Valerio!

[Leerowe76]

Here's a little video from the BB200 for your entertainment.

I'm hardly a Youtuber but while riding I remembered another gravel rider/youtuber left in tears by the event.
The only difference is that I didn't record myself crying hahah

Enjoy: https://youtu.be/AyRsoCUMIyo?si=GN6V_r-8nIljmOy9

Great vid fella, sure was nice to remember some of what seemed like a blur at the time

[slarge]

I have no idea where the barbed wire fence was that you climbed over - I definitely didn't do that!

I think the land rovers on strategy florida were the same ones we had on the 2nd weekend. The water in strata florida was higher /faster the 2nd weekend- definitely a true taste of Wales though!!

Great video, luckily the memories will soon fade!

[whitestone]

I have no idea where the barbed wire fence was that you climbed over - I definitely didn't do that!

I think it's related to his "I was on the wrong side of a hedge" post Going a bit slower, that was in the daylight and obvious

[Hyppy]

I have no idea where the barbed wire fence was that you climbed over - I definitely didn't do that!

I think it's related to his "I was on the wrong side of a hedge" post Going a bit slower, that was in the daylight and obvious

I'm pretty sure it's the same barbed wire that I climbed over, perhaps 20 mins later, on the GPX track I posted up there somewhere

[Boab]

I have no idea where the barbed wire fence was that you climbed over - I definitely didn't do that!

I was wondering the exact same thing! Also, at cow sub standard corner just after Hafren, that gate wasn't locked, at least it wasn't locked on the second weekend...

[Valerio]

There were a couple of instances where I found myself (together with others) on the wrong side of a fence but bang on where the GPS wanted me/us.
One time i/we turned back and found where we missed the nice gravel path. Another time there wasn't any option other than going over the fence and joining the trail.

It was most likely due to the fact that it was dark and with tiredness and limited visibility it was easy to carry on a grassy field when the path was going in the exact same direction hidden behind a hedge.

In our defence most of the route ignored sensible choices in favour of unrideable trails so one can be forgiven for following the GPS blindly into some fields

[Richard G]

I know the bit they went over. They'd cycled past the gate, as had I. I went back though, not entirely sure which option was easier!

[Richard G]

I'll have a count up Richard. I can say that I'm pretty sure the attrition rate was somewhat higher on the second weekend.

Did you end up having a look at the numbers?

I need validation!

[redefined_cycles]

so one for following the GPS blindly into some fields

I thought that's what we're meant to do

[Bearbonesnorm]

Did you end up having a look at the numbers?

This years scores on the (community centre) doors are:

Black - 25 total
Blue - 2 total
Green - 6 total
Orange - 3 total
DNF - 42 total

Generally speaking, you'd expect that number of black badges per weekend not for both combined.

[whitestone]

Since there were, supposedly, 80 for each weekend that means there were also...

DNS: 82

But out of those who did start having a DNF of over 50% does seem rather high.

[Bearbonesnorm]

Yes, quite a high number of DNS Bob. I forget the actual figure but something like a third.

[slarge]

Makes you realise how things have changed - the badge count is the inverse of when it all started 13 years ago....

[ssnowman]

So, only 36 finishers over both weekends?

[fatbikephil]

Being one of only three 300 finishers makes me feel a lot better about all the moaning and swearing I did

[psling]

Even though it's not an event for me I find it disappointing that there are so many DNS. If the event is oversubscribed, and I assume it sometimes is hence the opening up of a second weekend, it would be a shame if people able and willing miss out?

I appreciate that some people are genuinely not able to start even if they want to but it seems to be an issue of on-line entry or booking for many events, the mad-rush-to-get-in-before-it-sells-out with a high likelihood of not actually having any real intention to make the event.

Sorry, a more general point of view really rather than specifically the BB200

[Bearbonesnorm]

So, only 36 finishers over both weekends?

Yes.

Makes you realise how things have changed - the badge count is the inverse of when it all started 13 years ago....

I suppose a lot's changed in 13 years Steve.

[RIP]

Even though it's not an event for me I find it disappointing that there are so many DNS.

Higher fee and refundable part for starters? But I've probably not thought this through properly as usual... and none of my business anyway so shutup Reg...

[Bearbonesnorm]

With regard to DNS, the majority of those unable to attend do generally let us know before the day. Obviously, there's always a few who just don't show but that's simply the way for events and such. It's perhaps fair to say that those who simply don't appear are likely to have entered thinking that the BB200 is some kind of box ticking, bucket list filling exercise and are unlikely to know much if anything about the rest of BB.

[Dyffers]

I was a DNS and have been in other years past. I was working (and riding in-between) on the Isle of Skye at short notice, and I emailed Stu a week in advance once I was there and certain the job was going ahead.

My work is so fluid I have no idea whether I'll be deployed away on the event dates when I have to enter months in advance, so I have to speculate and cross my fingers.

I see it as paying Stu to hold a place for me, but appreciate as an organiser of other bike events, it's not gratifying if everyone did that then didn't turn up, no matter how much profit I've made (organisers never get rich!).

Perhaps I'm part of a problem, or perhaps Stu has got used to pocketing my yearly £30.

[Bearbonesnorm]

perhaps Stu has got used to pocketing my yearly £30.

I have Paul and it's forty quid

[whitestone]

DNSs are a tricky one - as evidenced by Shaf and Paul there are genuine reasons why some people don't turn up. Pre-entry, especially when it's on-line, do seem to encourage a "let's just enter" mentality and I'm not sure that will ever change.

A local organiser of fell races simply adds 10% to the permitted numbers (the limit is set by Natural England) knowing that at least that percentage won't turn up and therefore he's likely to be back at full capacity on the day. If there aren't as many "no shows" as predicted then he's only going to be a handful over the limit and no-one is there actually counting the runners anyway.

It's been a "problem" in fell running for as long as I can remember, predating on-line entry systems, and there have been many solutions suggested but none really work - if someone is earning £40k a year then a tenner to enter a race that you don't actually do is neither here nor there.

Slightly off-topic...

Fell races are classified in a couple of ways: length, i.e. Short, Medium and Long; and seriousness: A, B & C with A being the most serious. Some of the harder A category races require that you submit a CV of similar difficulty/commitment. Away from those you could find yourself on the start line between a national champion and someone who's never done a fell race before. Alan G does the same sort of vetting for the HT550 but apart from that the only bike events that I can think of that do so are the winter fat bike races like the ITI where the level of seriousness is on another scale. When I've looked for an entry to the HT group start I sent Alan a list of Strava activities of the bigger stuff I'd done in the last couple of years - easy for him to check. Of course after a few years he knows who's capable and who isn't.

In old fashioned terms: you need to serve an apprenticeship.

More work for Stu but it might be an option for future BB200/300 events.

[psling]

A local organiser of fell races simply adds 10% to the permitted numbers (the limit is set by Natural England) knowing that at least that percentage won't turn up and therefore he's likely to be back at full capacity on the day. If there aren't as many "no shows" as predicted then he's only going to be a handful over the limit and no-one is there actually counting the runners.

This actually happens in all sorts of things, eg flights, holiday resorts, sports events, etc., sometimes with annoying consequences!

In old fashioned terms: you need to serve an apprenticeship.

More work for Stu but it might be an option for future BB200/300 events.

Already happens with the BB300 but then we're back to the whole inclusivity debate with the 200 I guess. Who'd be an event organiser in the world of the www eh!?!

[Bearbonesnorm]

More work for Stu but it might be an option for future BB200/300 events.

We're hoping that making next year 'invitational' should provide a degree of control over who rides. Nothing really to do with DNS but more about trying to prevent people getting in above their heads ... obviously, this will do nothing for the debate about inclusiveness