Due to the postponement of the Black Mountains 3 Day there was no ‘official’ event on the weekend – which has been devastating for us, but we will get over it. Fortunately a few of the registered riders contacted us and suggested that they were still coming to Wales, so the Bearded Man crew arranged for a weekend of trail bashing.
Seven riders made it from the Isle of Man and after docking at Liverpool it was a long drive down for them to Afan Lodge. None of the riders had ever been this far South so not only were the trails new but so was everything else!
Richard, from the Afan Lodge, played host and ensured that we were all accommodated, looked after and fed. Even though our planned bbq evening didn’t quite happen on the Saturday evening (due to the weather gods not playing) we were thrown a feast that was indescribable. Whilst we were burning calories all day this meal put it straight back on and added a bit more….none the less it was a treat to be served great food and drinks from an exceptionally well stocked bar.
Anyone for thirds?
Considering none of the riders had been to Afan before I was convinced that between the Afan Forest Park trails and the Brechfa trails all would leave with a smile on their faces – and hopefully they did. Section after section the banter got louder (particularly if there was a fall) and the grins got wider – just what I was looking for. A few of the guys had pretty nasty falls and on a couple of occasions I approached a man down and wondered if the air ambulance was busy
Between the thrills and spills on the bike and the post riding entertainment we were delighted to show an appreciative bunch of guys what South Wales has to offer – and we look forward to doing it again sometime.
Bearded Man needs to thank John Q, Lynton, John C, Gary, Kurt, Jules and Mark for being part of a great weekend. Also thanks to the Bearded Man crew who were willing to do almost anything – you know who you are!! A special thanks to Kurt for the video and Charlotte for the pics
It is with regret that due to our minimum number of riders not being reached we have decided that the best course of action is to postpone the event until 3/4/5 June 2011.
Since we started organising this event we have had nothing but exceptional support from both riders, the cycling industry and in particularly our sponsors – which we are grateful for.
We have taken onboard all comments that have been passed onto us and feel that this event still deserves a place in the mountain bike calendar but do not want to compromise the experience we are trying to offer by running it with a depleted field of riders.
We would now welcome all that can to support this event by entering early, volunteering, buying the event t shirt and spreading the word.
As always we welcome any further comments but the 2011 event will have additional options including 2 and 3 day packages, group discounts and various camping options – all of which will hopefully encourage a wider range of rider interest.
We apologise sincerely if this has caused any inconvenience but trust us when we say that all avenues have been exhausted and we are out of ideas and time!
All riders and companions will be refunded fully into the account supplied to Bearded Man when registering – so please keep your eye on your bank accounts and let us know if there is a problem.
Please keep your eyes on the Beardedman.co.uk website as we intend to get other ventures on the go whilst we drum up support for our first event. And if you have any questions you know how to get hold of us.
Genesis Bikes have seen the potential in this years event and along with other Madison brands have got on board.
The offer of another frame as a prize was too good to be true, when the frame on offer turned out to be an Altitude 30 built using Reynolds 853 tubing we couldn’t have been happier.
Genesis Bikes are renowned for their design and suitability for UK riding, designed from hours spent in the UK hills these bikes never dissapoint.
So now as well as a host of other prizes we also have now 2 frames to give away.. the only issue we are going to have with prizes is devising all the categories needed to give them away!!
Just so you know what to expect when you arrive at the tented village – here are a few pictures of the tents riders, companions and volunteers will be sleeping in. This week the weather has been good so we haven’t experienced any adverse conditions except for a very strong wind…I wish all ‘testing’ was this easy.
Internal dimensions of the tents are 215cm x 215cm (something like that anyway). There is even a little area outside the tent to keep your smelly shoes
As this isn’t a race there is more than an equal chance that you could leave the Black Mountains 3 Day with a pretty nice prize… all you have to do to enter is well enter!!
To increase your prospect of winning all you have to do is bring your best smile, the largest amount of determination and as much good will and cheer as you can fit in your camelbak!!
So what can you win??
Well while David has been hard at work making sure you all have a roof over your heads during the event and a plate full of food every evening, I have taken on the more attractive role of generating a prize list that would envy any event, while this list is by no means comprehensive it gives a little taste of what you can expect…
Singular Cycles, Sam at Singular has been on board from the start of this project and not only will he be putting up a frame as a prize he will also be contributing to its customisation as a limited edition one of a kind Black Mountain Singular Frame :)
Giro Sunglasses, There will be a number of pairs of the latest Giro Riding glasses with Carl Zeiss Lenses being donated by Madison.co.uk. Designed specifically to operate with Giro helmets they offer an amazing level of fit and comfort as well as great visibility in all conditions.
Saddle Skedaddle Holidays, The North East of England based providers of world wide cycling adventures have stepped up again as they often do to support another great race and have offered a weekend’s riding in a ‘to be decided’ location as a prize.
Morvelo, Not only has Oli at Morvelo been burning the midnight oil excitedly designing us a top notch event jersey he has also put up a number of his well designed T shirts.. bike chic!!
Loco Tuning, the wales based suspension tuning experts. Not only will Loco be on hand to provide free technical assesments of all your suspension ailments they will be offering riders a 10% discount on any work needed and also providing one lucky rider with a free suspension service.
The list of prizes is ever increasing as more companies lend some support to what will be a fantastic event and a great challenge for any rider.
At risk of sounding like a supermarket special offer we have decided to answer a number of enquiries with one special offer open to all.
Due to the nature of the event we have had a number of groups of riders looking to come and participate together but just wanting a little discount for their group.
Well here we have it… Buy 4 entries and the 4th entry is FREE!!
This is a massive 25% discount off our entry price for every rider in a group of 4!!
If anyone would like to take us up on this offer then please contact us prior to entry and we will let you know how to proceed.
Not only have Alpkit sponsored the event with a prize they have come straight back at us with another show of faith and offered our riders a great saving on one of their self inflating mats….
With up to 92 km and 3,200 m of ascent in a day, slogging your way through the Black Mountains might make your legs a little weary.
In order to maximise your recuperation you’re going to need a good nights kip, and what better way to do this than on an Alpkit Wedge. At 64 cm wide it’ll give you plenty of room to stretch out those aching limbs.
Alpkit are laying down two offers on the table to all Black Mountains 3 Day competitors.
Offer 1 > get 20% off a Wedge. This will get you some well deserved comfort for £40 instead of £50.
Offer 2 > buy a Wedge and get a Gamma headtorch, worth £12.50, for free.
Offers open to fully paid up entrants of the Black Mountains 3 Day event. These offers do not apply to other products or product combinations. Offers end 1st August 2010.
The offer is limited to one mat per entrant and can be redeemed by applying to us for a special discount code once you have fully paid.
UK Outdoor equipment manufacturers Alpkit have stepped up to sponsor a prize category at the event.
The title ‘Seat of your Pants’ award will be given to the rider we hear of that has had a near off, the biggest bit of good fortune on the trail or is simply just very sketchy.
We promote nothing but safe riding but when people are having fun they sometimes go a little too far.
The winner will take away a voucher for a pair of Alpkits Jeanius Jeans…
Jeanius Jeans are our much talked about water resistant jeans. The denim fabric is treated or ‘encapsulated’ by a technology known as EPIC. This rather wondrous EPIC makes them more like soft shell trousers than regular jeans.
We will require a rider witness for any event and the winner will be decided by an expert panel of judges (myself and David).
Suspenson forks can be fickle things.. one moment they work the next they just give up in a puddle of suspension fluid.. with this in mind we have enlisted suspension servicing and tuning specialist Loco Tuning to be present at the event and will be offering entrants his services at very reasonable rates.
We Invited Loco Tuning owner Simon to add a few words to our blog about his company;
Loco Tuning provides servicing and tuning for forks and rear shocks, from manufacturers such as Rockshox, Fox Racing Shox, Marzocchi and Diverse. Based in the heart of the South Wales valleys we’re surrounded by some of the best riding the UK can offer.
We endeavour to provide reasonably priced servicing of your suspension and are able to custom tune your suspension if required.
We supply Diverse Titanium springs and Dueler rear shocks, along with other suspension related products.
Mike and his team from Elite Tech Neutral Race Services will be providing the mechanical services at the Black Mountains 3 Day. Mike is highly experienced and provides technical support to a number of teams and events already – we just caught up with him at a British XC event in Margam Park as he was working pretty hard to keep the bikes running in terrible weather conditions.
Mike will also be in charge of a tech zone at feedstation two for each of the Black Mountains stages – hopefully you don’t need him but if you do have a problem you have the comfort of having a professional mechanic on the trails!
