The Results for the Dyfi Enduro are out….
You should receive them in your inbox sometime today if you did the event.
I hope you did well. I came 222nd but as there were 35 people who finished before me but did the shorter route, I could say I was 187th. Not bad considering the fact that I’m not as fit as I could be, was in hospital a few weeks before and I’m a wimp on the downhills! I’m pleased with the result anyway.
Here’s a copy of the results.
What position were you?
Been searching for photos from the Dyfi Enduro 2009 on line so here’s a selection of what I’ve found so far:
Photos on Flickr from Peak Cycle Hire
Mark Walter’s photos (Facebook)
Right Place Right time (Coming later today)
I’ll add more as I find them, and if you have any then post a comment and a link here.
I’ve had a few people ask for the actual route that we took on the Dyfi Enduro at the weekend.
So here is a Google Earth file of the Dyfi Enduro route.
Just download it and open with Google Earth. It includes the punishment loop that the top 200 riders had to do.
Dyfi Enduro 2009
May 3rd 2009. Dyfi Enduro Day. I’d never done the ‘race’ before but knew most of the course and as it is my local event would know lots of people there so was looking forward to it.
I headed off and arrived in Machynlleth with plenty of time to register and get ready. I parked next to a car that turned out to be Andy’s (Who I didn’t know was doing the event) so I had a chat and caught up with him before wandering across the field to register. I then met everyone else, Dave (Who was marshalling this year) provided me with one of his Ystwyth-MTB tops to wear for the day. Bernd and Martyn had theirs on too. Myles had his rigid singlespeed bike with a dodgy Bottom Bracket. Jon Baker was there (selling some Oakleys in the car park) and I had a chat with John D and Mark. Although I didn’t see much of Mark as he kept popping off to the toilet and could really have done with some Immodium!
Andy at the finish
I had planned to meet Shem, but couldn’t find him anywhere so headed over to the start with John and Mark. After a quick briefing we were off at 11am. 800 riders snaking their way along the Welsh roads. It was quite a sight to see so many riders all together, especially as they all bunched up on the first little climb. I was somewhere in the middle so could see hundreds of riders filling the road in front of me. I saw Faye and Dawn supporting from the bridge of the Dyfi as we headed off for the forest.
I had loads of people commenting on the colour of my bike. In fact after about the twentieth comment along the lines of ‘You need contrast control for that’ it did get a little tiresome! We were soon on the first big climb and the field of riders started stretching out. Some younger, fitter, faster people passed me and I passed lots of people too. I got chatting to a few people mon the climb as well. Myles flew past me as I was chatting to a girl on her 3rd Dyfi Enduro and headed off into the distance. There was a band playing on the switchback and cheerleaders at the top of the climb, by which time I was nicely warmed up and the field was nicely thinned out into little groups of similarly paced people.
I overtook a few people on the first descent and then headed off towards the open field. I was caught back up by the girl I’d been chatting to on the climb. She had come off on the descent but was OK. I then saw her and several other people at various stages all day so we seemed to be circulating at a similar pace.
I quite like the climb up over the field and overtook a few people here and then it was onto the first proper descent of the day. The first section (where James came off last week) was all about avoiding fallen riders as there must have been at least 10 people off their bikes and in various stages of recovery on this little section alone. I weaved through them and then got stuck behind someone on the faster singletrack bit beyond, but got past them once the trail widened a little, with lots of shouts of ‘Coming through on your right!’. The final bit of descent down to Baileys Bridge again involved weaving through some fallen riders but everyone had big grins on their faces.
Martyn Chilling after the event
The climb back up to the top was fine and once again I saw Faye and Dawn supporting from the side of the road at the top. Faye asked how far behind Shem was, but obviously I didn’t know – at least that meant he was behind me and not in front of me though!
The next nice descent was a bit of a procession but I felt good on the climb to the feed station and heard some shout of ‘go Ystwyth’ towards the top. At the feed station I stopped for a flapjack and a drink, saw Mike Christie and then headed off. I probably should have stopped for a little longer and ate a bit more.
I caught Mike up a gain a little further on, had a little chat and then headed off, but then hit a bit of a bad patch as my energy levels dropped. Mike overtook me at this stage and carried on his merry way. Jon Baker caught me up, had a little chat for a while and then headed off too. In hindsight I should have stopped and eaten something at this stage. It was now close to 3pm, I’d had some porridge 8 hours before at 7am and a single flapjack at the feed station, but other than that just water all day which simply wasn’t enough.
We then had a horrible, very muddy, very slippery descent that I didn’t enjoy much, before starting the climb back to the top. When I got to the stage where Dave was marshalling, he delighted in telling me that I was in the top 200 so had to do the punishment loop. At that stage I didn’t really want to do more but was also pleased that I was in the top 200. Jon stopped to chat to Dave, I didn’t as I didn’t think I’d be able to get going again if I did, and Jon soon overtook me again on the punishment climb.
Bernd - All Smiles
The girl I’d been chatting to earlier in the day caught me at the bottom of the final climb too, but I had a 2nd wind towards the top (far too late in the day) so overtook her again over the top, then it was just another cheer from Faye at the top of the final descent before heading downhill all the when to the end – Phew!
We then had a 6 mile ride back to Machynlleth, but after an energy bar at the forest finish I soon felt OK and quite enjoyed the easy ride back. Back at the event HQ I got my mug and a spot prize (Continental Speed King Tyre) and stood around watching people come across the finish line. When Martyn came in I heard that Shem had experienced a mechanical issue near the end and had to pull out but until then had been riding around at a similar pace to Martyn all day. Bernd had mechanical issues too so came in quite late as a result. Sylvia;s carrot cake and Joan’s chocolate cake kept us going while we waited though. Jimmy and Simon did really well finishing in the 20’s and Myles was quite a way up too. I also saw a few other locals who I hadn’t realised were doing the event, including Chris and Billy.
All in all it was a great day, well organised, a good challenge and good fun. Thanks to all the hard work done by the organisers, sponsors, marshalls and other volunteers who helped make it so. Everyone I cam across on the trail were good too. Most people had a chat if possible, others moved out of the way if they could to let me pass and I of course did likewise, and no one seemed to intimidate or mind if people held them up at times. Everyone was sensible and courteous which made the day all the better.
Personally I was pleased with my time and pleased to be in the top 200. I should have eaten more which may have made the last 8 miles or so a little easier and maybe faster, but I did the best I could and was pleased with my performance.
Roll on Dyfi Enduro 2010!
My GPS showed that the course (excluding the ride back) was 33.4 miles with a total climb of 6187 feet. My unofficial time was 4:13 and my average heart rate was 155 bpm with a max of 174… Not a bad workout.
Dyfi Enduro aftermath
Billy after the event
Bernd crosses the line
So here we go, small Welsh town, 700 mountain bikers and probably around £1 million worth of bikes.
Mass start in the town and then off to the Dyfi forest where we’ll encounter a band, cheerleaders, flapjacks and lots of hills. It could only be the Dyfi Enduro.
Bike has been checked, bags are packed and I’ll soon be off to register. I could be fitter, I could be better prepared, the weather could be better. My legs and back ache before I even start, I didn’t sleep much last night and who knows if I’ll make it all the way around, but I’ll have fun and I’m already looking forward to my flapjack at the feed station.
If you’re doing it then have a good day out there. If you see someone going slowly on a bright green Commencal Meta 5.5 then its probably me so say hello as you whizz past!
Dyfi Enduro Descent
Only two days to go.
Bike: Commencal Meta 5.5.1. Cleaned lubed and ready to go. I put new rear brake pads in yesterday which could probably do with bedding in a little before Sunday and the rear tyre is looking a little worse for wear. It looks as though the slatey descents on last weeks test ride around the Dyfi Enduro course have taken their toll as it has lost of slashes and cuts in it and a couple of knobbles missing. It’s too late to get a new one and change it now though so it will have to do.
Camelbak: Complete with 1.5 litres of squash.
Spare tubes: x2
Toolkit: Tyre levers, Multitool, Chain tool, puncture repair kit, pump, shock pump.
Clothes: Should be warmish and dry. Padded shorts, overshorts, Endura Baa Baa long sleeved base layer, Sealskinz Socks, and a waterproof jacket in my bag.
Helmet.
Gloves.
Boots.
Heart Rate Monitor and GPS.
E-mail with my race number (324).
Legs, heart and lungs… All present and accounted for, but are they up to it?
Anything I’ve forgotten?
Dyfi Enduro Course
With one week to go until the Dyfi Enduro, we had planned a pre-event ride around the course as part of our training schedule. We didn’t quite do the whole distance as we missed out the bits on the road, instead starting and ending at the ClimachX car park. The course does change a little each year as well, so we weren’t sure what would be the exact course but it was pretty close.
Our party was 12 strong, Me, Dave, Myles, John, Mark, James, Jon, Matt, Stu, Paul, Pete and David who was about to go off on his own but I spotted him in the car park and invited him to join us. We started with the long climb up to the top of the final descent of the ClimachX. I soon ended up towards the back of the pack, but was pacing myself for a long day in the saddle.
At the top of the climb, we headed off down the first descent, through the forest and then out onto and across the open field. Thankfully it was all pretty dry and therefore easy going, but if it has been wet then this bit up to and across the fields could be quite tough, especially for those of towards the back!
We then dropped down over the very rocky descent from the field where we had the first incident of the day. James took an unplanned excursion over the bars, landed on his face on the rock, broke his glasses and cut his nose and face. He also had a swelling to one eye and was pretty shaken by the ordeal. After some first aid, the rest of us continued down the descent whilst James walked for a while. He did get back on his bike for the final couple of sections of the Baileys Descent, which also claimed a few victims further down with punctures, 3 or 4 on this descent alone!
Mark, John and David headed off to get James’s car and help him home. Mark and John ended up driving with him as far as Llangurig, and David headed back into the woods and caught us up later. The rest of us continued on the route, up the climb from Baileys Bridge, down a nice descent and then back up to the feed station where we stopped for lunch and were re-joined by David.
After lunch we headed off again, down one descent and up another climb, then down another descent and up another climb, and then down another descent and (do you notice a pattern yet?) up another climb. This one was pretty tough, steep, rocky and seemed to go on forever, but it was worth it for the three downhill sections after. Another stop for puncture repairs and then up a long climb back towards the ClimachX Trail.
We stopped again to discuss where to go next and ended up heading along the ClimachX Trail for a bit and then down the Elephant descent, before cycling across to the Builth Descent for the final bit of excitement for the day. From here it was back along the road and up the short but steep climb to the cars.
A good day out and its going to be tough next weekend with 700 hundred people on the course! Lets hope for nice weather.
Click here for a Google Earth file of the Dyfi Enduro Route. Download it and open it with Google Earth.
Distance: 27.38 miles. Total Time: 6hrs 5 mins. Moving Time: 3hrs 20 mins. Total Climb: 5395 feet.
Please comment if you found this helpful.
Don’t want to scare anyone, but there is just one week to go until the Dyfi Enduro! Am I the only one feeling completely unprepared for it?
I know my training schedule has had some set backs due to unexpected hospital visits and Morgan’s first week at school. I’m still not 100%, but I’ve done a couple of slightly longer rides lately and should be doing the whole thing as a pre-event warm up tomorrow. I will just take it easy on the day and try to enjoy it.
How’s everyone else feeling?
Well, after signing up to the Dyfi Enduro a few weeks ago I had intended to do some training for it, get a little fitter on the bike and maybe loose some weight in the process.
The plan was to do at least 3 rides a week, a couple of swims, maybe some ‘core-exercises’ such as sit-ups and press-up at home and to make one of the rides a longer ride to prepare me for the event. The Dyfi Enduro is 45km (ish) off road plus quite a few more on the road so doing some longer distance rides beforehand would be useful.
All was going well, the swimming was good, I was getting quite a few rides in as well, including some longer rides and I had plenty of other rides planned. But then I came down with a ‘heart problem‘ which had me in hospital for a couple of days and then suffering with chest pains so I’ve been taking it easy since. All of which means I haven’t had a decent training session for almost two weeks. It’s driving me mad, I just want to get out there and do some training, as I feel as though I’m just sat here getting fatter, losing fitness and getting slower.
I did go for a little swim yesterday, but that hurt a bit despite taking it relatively easily. I was going to go for a ride today as well as I feel as though I need to ’stress-test’ it to see how well I cope. But my chest is a little sore so maybe I should give it a rest for a few more days to allow it to heal properly.
I only have 5 weeks left until the Dyfi Enduro though. Just enough time to make some difference I suppose, but its going to be tough, especially if this doesn’t clear up soon.
Hope everyone elses training schedules are going better than mine.
As you may know, I’ve already posted a blog entry here asking what I was letting myself in for with the Mawddach Goldrush mountain bike ‘race’. That post has received a few comments and has been making me look forward to the event in a couple of weeks time, even if it is with a little trepidation.
The big local mountain-biking event around here is the Dyfi Enduro, a ‘non-competitive long distance mountain bike challenge’ around the Dyfi Forest. Most of the people I cycle with enter it and it is almost compulsory for locals, but I hadn’t quite decided if I was up to it or not. My plan was to see how I enjoyed the Mawddach Goldrush and then make a decision based on that.
However. entries have now opened for the Dyfi Enduro and rather than miss out, I’ve already booked my entry! The number of rides is limited to 650 and they tend to sell out fast so if you’re a glutton for punishment and fancy joining me then you’d better sign up soon.
Guess I’d better start getting in some training with some longer rides just to make sure I can go the distance.
