Elliot and I packed bikes as well as camping gear Friday evening and headed off to Ledbury in the Malvern Hills. We were signed up as part of a team for the 24hr challenge Mountain Mayhem. We set up tents in the grounds of Eastnor castle with 2,500 other MTB riders who were making up 450 teams. Our task was to complete as many 9mile laps in 24hrs starting 2pm Saturday.

Heavy rain overnight meant our practice lap the next morning was somewhat sticky because the mud was clay. This combined with very very steep descents full of rocks and gullies, very narrow tracks through woods with tree roots everywhere and 1,200ft of climbs left me quaking in my cleats. What had I taken on? Elliiot appeared to sail round on his £2000 demo bike he was trying out.

2pm and the start was like the London marathon but with cycling shoes instead of trainers a 400mtr run to get on their bikes before the first climb up and out onto the course. I was 2^nd rider and waited in fear in transition for what was to come. We exchanged the baton and I took the bike I had borrowed from my son with no disc brakes, poor gear ratios and tyres not really suitable for all the mud off the rack and headed up the hill.

The lap was even more frightening than the practice as I now had hundred’s of other riders to deal with, most of whom were faster than me and wanted to squeeze past all the time on the narrowest of places. They obviously didn’t know what fear was as they tore down the steepest of rutted slippery, muddy slopes as if they didn’t exist. I was in awe of their skill. I was reduced to walking some of these sections. I did however feel a little encouraged when on some of the climbs I could go past people. My aim was to survive in one piece and get round without using up the whole 24hrs on my lap!! Job done I handed over to our 3^rd rider. Well it went on like that for the next 20 hrs. Elliot took the lap at 8pm where lights on your bike became compulsory. He did extremely well and posted a good time.

I didn’t take any of the night laps leaving that torture for my male team mates. It rained again at 2am adding to the difficulty. I lost track of time for the night laps and as a result failed to be in transition at 6am for a hand over, Trevor having to return to the campsite to find me. I survived yet another ordeal but this time with a few good crashes ending up in the bracken and mud. People were good though and always asked if you were ok as they went past. Elliot took another circuit lapping it up and this time having to replace an inner tube on a filthy bike. We continued handovers until 12.30 when Trevor did a last lap at a steady pace to enjoy it on his single speed bike with no suspension. At 2pm a herd of bikers came down the grasssy slope to the finish line to cheers and medals.

We had mananged 20 laps in 24hrs. Was I stupid to attempt this challenge? No of course not that label is left for the riders who each year do it solo and the unicyclist club who field a team (well no comment!!!)

Results in and we finished 66th out of 123 teams. Anyone up for a triclub team next year?

Put into perspective though the winning solo rider did 26laps unbelievable!