But I figured that they’d take out the really trashed bits and there was an extra seven or so miles of new going being put in for the Sunday so after a bit of coaxing decided to ride. Though it must be stated for the record that if I’d been in my van on my own I’d have packed up and come home on the Saturday night such was my opinion of the course. We started at Ten on the Sunday and it was the same route as the day before with just a few people pointing lines out near the start. After that we were on our own again! The new milage for the Sunday was some very fast forest roads (which were like riding on marbles) and some very nasty going. With just two laps today surely a finish was on the cards? Managing to get around the first lap with no falls or getting stuck I arrived at the check bang on my minute. One hour forty minutes of riding done and the same again to come. It was clear to me that the course would be in worse shape now and having to refuel ate into my allotted time. Riding as best you could and trying your best not to stop or get stuck is hard when you’re faced with a sea of ruts and sludge. None of the course was changed and the “new for Sunday” section was destroying people. If it wasn’t for the help of riders who’d given up all hope of finishing at two places I wouldn’t have got round. And where were the marshals I hear you ask? Not at these God forsaken pits of mud and roots that’s for sure. In fact, there was a lack of marshals at virtually all the bad bits and that’s probably why they stayed in the course. After all that I got round and was pleased to have only dropped about eleven minutes. It doesn’t sound that hard does it only dropping that much time. Believe me, it was hard. Ok then, lets not be too critical of the organisers. 35 miles is a lot to marshal, the wet summer hasn’t helped and the terrain in the forest is pretty harsh anyway. However, check times being way too tight, leaving the easy route diversion unmanned, no marshals being left at spots you know will cause problems and having to ride flat out on forest roads are all basic mistakes. To be honest I didn’t really enjoy the event that much. There was too much hard going and not enough where you could just enjoy riding your bike. Would I go again? Only if it had been really dry and very little rain in the months leading up to the event. Despite the lovely weather on the weekend it was hard work. Had it been raining I doubt anyone would have finished, seriously! Of the four of us who went up only myself got a finish. We all houred out on the Saturday. On the Sunday Rhett and Graham had bike problems and ended up doing what the marshals shoud have been doing and helping people, me included. Andy did his two laps but houred out again. If the organisers have any sense they’ll forget the third lap from Saturday and use the results from the end of lap two. When good quality riders can’t get round anywhere near the time somethings wrong, but that’s just my opinion. The Sunday was much more realistic and as such ok. It was a strange course as you hardly ever saw anyone. People stuck were a given. But there was very little passing or overtaking going on and with no idea how many retired or how my lap went compared to others and no idea what the results will look like. As ever my thanks go to the organisers and helpers for putting the event on. It’s a hard forest and they put out a course that, if dry, would have been a good one. But it wasn’t dry and as such the real problem areas should have been monitored more closely. The banner as you entered said “The Kielder Experience”, and it certainly was. Geraint.