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DISCLAIMER. MOUNTAIN BIKING CAN BE DANGEROUS. YOU JOIN US AT YOUR OWN RISK.

SAFETY BRIEFING.

  • Wear a helmet. Despite recent advances in medical science, brains still cannot be mended nor replaced.
  • Wear gloves or mitts. Hands often hit the ground first. Cuts and grazes invite infection and a hospital visit.
  • Wear eye protection, it only takes a twig or thorn to lose an eye. Crud catchers are a good idea in mucky weather.
  • When downhilling, for your own protection, allow plenty of space behind the rider in front.
  • Bring a bare minimum emergency tool kit and a spare inner tube.
  • Breakdowns are a bore. Plan not to have any by ensuring your bike is in perfect working order.
  • Punctures are also tedious. You can minimise them by fitting latex tubes, slime tubes or running tubeless tyres.

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Pasty Tom's FECUND Frolic - Thursday Evening. Rules and Checkpoints

Hi All,

For those competing on Thursday evening, here are the rules and checkpoints - I've kept them the same as before, but the "photographic challenges", the points available and the final pub will all be different from before. Expect the unexpected!

If you're not yet paired up with anyone yet, reply to this post. Pub will be revealed on Thursday morning.

Here's how it all works....

1. You have a list of checkpoints to visit - they vary with difficulty and distance and you won't be able to visit them all in one night without a helicopter (which is not allowed!).
2. Each checkpoint has a score depending upon how difficult they are to get to / far they are from the finish.
3. Riders split into pairs (if there’s an odd-one-out a group of 3 is allowed – no solos for safety) and go off and try and amass as high a score as possible in the time available by visiting either the high value checkpoints or a larger number of checkpoints or both.
4. Each checkpoint can only be ‘bagged’ once.
5. Riders/Pairs prove they've been to a checkpoint by taking a digital photo (camera or phone) when they get there. They should take a picture of the checkpoint with them and their free give-out map in the same picture. This gets shown to me at the end so I know they’ve not cheated!
6. A higher score can be gathered, however, by spotting and photographing random and ridiculous items of my choosing along the way, so it's not just speed and navigation skills that get points.
7. So you will need:-
a. As usual; bike, lights helmet, drink, cycling equipment;
b. Map – Landranger 154 is good
c. Pen for writing on your map
d. Digital camera / camera phone capable of taking pictures at night or in low-light
8. When you’re fed up/ tired / need beer, we all meet up at a pub and those who are late (past 10 p.m.) get points deducted! I then tot up all of the scores and work out who’s won.
9. There will be a lactose-free bottle of wine for each of the pair of riders with the most points.

AND here are the usual checkpoints.

Checkpoint No. + Description + OS Grid Reference
1 Crossing TL 413 674
2 Track junction TL 509 533
3 Track junction TL 584 488
4 Water Tower (bend by) TL 568 479
5 Footbridge TL 547 541
6 Fingerpost TL 549 493
7 Junction / Gate TL 528 443
8 Junction TL 595 531
9 Crossing TL 592 577
10 Obelisk TL 442 507
11 Bridge TL 495 514
12 Bridge TL 530 626
13 Pinch Stile TL 379 625
14 Fingerpost TL 388 582
15 Trig point / Reservoir TL 352 525
16 Edge of wood TL 380 515
17 Gate TL 421 541
18 Crossing TL 458 550
19 Bridge TL 452 498
20 Senotaph TL 457 574
21 Track junction TL 388 552

Start, and the map give-out, is the usual spot at Brookside. Newbies will be delighted to learn that all of these instructions plus colour maps with the checkpoints clearly marked are given out at the start.

FINALLY - extra points will be awarded to the team wearing the most inappropriate footwear and to any teams wearing a comedy wig or moustache for the event.

See you all on Thursday and GOOD LUCK!

PT

Re: Pasty Tom's FECUND Frolic - Thursday Evening. Rules and Checkpoints

My team mate has dropped out! Anyone else in search of a partner?

Paul

pd1 @ mole.bio.cam.ac.uk (without the gaps, obviously)

Re: Pasty Tom's FECUND Frolic - Thursday Evening. Rules and Checkpoints

Paul and I will be taking the vows together tomorrow night.

- Do you solemnly declare that if this man gets you lost, you will not shout at him or throw his bike in a river?

- I do

Dom

Re: Pasty Tom's FECUND Frolic - Thursday Evening. Rules and Checkpoints

I'm planning to ride for the first time in a while, so I'm looking for a partner who is not inclined to rip my legs off for the fun of it On the plus side, I still have all the checkpoints programmed into my GPS from last time

Richard

Re: Pasty Tom's FECUND Frolic - Thursday Evening. Rules and Checkpoints

Hi Everyone,

I have been asked to point out that the event starts at 7:30 pm at Brookside. I will be there a little earlier to give out maps and instructions. Brief will be at 7:30 though. I will hang about until 7:40 in case anyone is a little late.

I feel that I should also point out that partners do not need to become formally joined through marriage or civil partnership as a prerequisite.

PT

Re: Pasty Tom's FECUND Frolic - Thursday Evening. Rules and Checkpoints

Pale Rider
Hi Everyone,

I have been asked to point out that the event starts at 7:30 pm at Brookside. I will be there a little earlier to give out maps and instructions. Brief will be at 7:30 though. I will hang about until 7:40 in case anyone is a little late.

I feel that I should also point out that partners do not need to become formally joined through marriage or civil partnership as a prerequisite.

PT


So, you're saying there's no need for formality? What if one team mate gets lost, or gets a flat tyre, or goes too fast - think of the potential consequences?

Re: Pasty Tom's FECUND Frolic - Thursday Evening. Rules and Checkpoints

Hi Richard, My partner has dropped out due to the need to leave the country.....but i don't think it was me!!!
if you are up for it again i will be your team mate.

Re: Pasty Tom's FECUND Frolic - Thursday Evening. Rules and Checkpoints

Getting lost? Having a flat tyre? People going too fast?

Surely these things are unheard of at CAMMTB!

However, for the avoidance of doubt, photos to prove that you have been at the checkpoint must be of your team-mate at that specific location.

Re: Pasty Tom's FECUND Frolic - Thursday Evening. Rules and Checkpoints

Hi Pasty,

Just to let you know that Tony and I are teamed up, or at least we were last thurs at the Peartree.... Have not had confirmation yet, so will play it by ear. See you at the start

Pete

PS Thanks for organising this

Re: Pasty Tom's FECUND Frolic - Thursday Evening. Rules and Checkpoints

I'm up for it Pete. Van will be parked around the corner. Let's see if we can't get all of the checkpoints. Tony

Re: Pasty Tom's FECUND Frolic - Thursday Evening. Rules and Checkpoints

Great Tony, the van seems an excellent way of getting all the checkpoints in....and I'm sure its not against the rules

Re: Pasty Tom's FECUND Frolic - Thursday Evening. Rules and Checkpoints

Hi
having survived thetford on Tuesday i am encouraged to give this a try!

Given my MTB skills involve getting lost, being right at the back of the field, and based on my form on Tuesday falling off for no good reason, will need someone with a good sense of humour!

Fergus

Re: Pasty Tom's FECUND Frolic - Thursday Evening. Rules and Checkpoints

Pete T
Great Tony, the van seems an excellent way of getting all the checkpoints in....and I'm sure its not against the rules


Allow me to disabuse you two gents of any notion that getting checkpoints using motor vehicle transport is allowed.

Pedal power and Shanks' Pony only. Or I'll let your tyres down. Again.

PT

Re: Pasty Tom's FECUND Frolic - Thursday Evening. Rules and Checkpoints

Hi Fergus,

If you get no takers before this evening, come along anyway because if we have an odd number of riders you should be able to tag along.

(In fact, I have a Trek tag-along for sale on Ebay at the moment...ahem!)

On the first of these events, Big Cam arrived on his own and teamed up with a newbie who turned up with no notion of what was going on. They won points for the least appropriate tyres, I seem to recall.

Tom

Re: Pasty Tom's FECUND Frolic - Thursday Evening. Rules and Checkpoints

Great, thanks Pat, fine with me. I'll be riding in tonight, not risking the train being late again like last time.

Richard

Re: Pasty Tom's FECUND Frolic - Thursday Evening. Rules and Checkpoints

Hi Richard,
got an idea, why don't we start at the pub, as we are on that side of town, and get the points for first to the pub then do all of the checkpoints on the way home in our own time?
surely that can't be against the rules!

OT: Pasty Tom's FECUND Frolic - Thursday Evening. Rules and Checkpoints

Hey Pasty!
Can I have 3 points for not being able to compete due to me going to the 'Old Farm' Derby tonight?
I will then donate these points to the Mighty I.T.F.C in the hope that they will help screw up Narridge's chances of promotion this season.

COME ON YOU BLUES!!!

Re: OT: Pasty Tom's FECUND Frolic - Thursday Evening. Rules and Checkpoints

Given your pronunciation of Naaaaaaarrridge, you can have three pints - but we'll drink 'em before we next see you!

So no saddle tonight, then?! Some day soon...

Have a good long weekend

Dom

Re: OT: Pasty Tom's FECUND Frolic - Thursday Evening. Rules and Checkpoints

Yes Mark, those 3 points are surely yours!

Re: OT: Pasty Tom's FECUND Frolic - Thursday Evening. Rules and Checkpoints

phew! record length of ride for me 56 miles. Thanks to pat for the navigation back to mitchams corner, to tony for excellent partndrship and tow round. Last but not least pasty and uncle tom for adjudication etc. after all that i got locked out! Pete

Re: OT: Pasty Tom's FECUND Frolic - Thursday Evening. Rules and Checkpoints

Well, that was a shedload of fun! Probably the longest CAM MTB ride I've done, and I can tell it's going to be painful walking tomorrow!!
Thanks to PT for organising and Uncle Tom for scoring - can't wait for the next one!!
Happy Easter eveyone - see you in May

Re: OT: Pasty Tom's FECUND Frolic - Thursday Evening. Rules and Checkpoints

Awesome evening and ride. Nice one Pasty and Tom. Thanks again Paul for dragging me round. Like Rich, my legs are a bit tender this morning, even though I'm clearly a lightweight as I only did 43 miles.

Just as well I've got the Easter weekend to recover - wait, I've just remembered I've got three days having my legs ripped off by Pete F in the Peaks...

Dom

Re: OT: Pasty Tom's FECUND Frolic - Thursday Evening. Rules and Checkpoints

Thanks Pasty, that was a another great night. I did feel slightly guilty about Pete having to ride back to Kingston after that whilst I only toddled to Chesterton. But only slightly. Tony

Re: OT: Pasty Tom's FECUND Frolic - Thursday Evening. Rules and Checkpoints

Yep, thanks a lot to the Toms! Grand fun.

Paul

Re: OT: Pasty Tom's FECUND Frolic - Thursday Evening. Rules and Checkpoints

Thanks for all your thanks!

It was a pleasure to organise, as always, and to see the photo's and the tales come back. One of the high points for me was Tony and Pete's picture of a lamb - two green dots amongst an ocean of blackness!

But the mileage was awesome, also. Well done to Rich and Paul for your magnificent winning run but also to all that made it down to the highest scoring checkpoint at Crave Hall Farm. Fergus and Jon too with their run out west to get those 80 pointers.

Thanks again to Uncle Tom for helping out with the scoring and refereeing. Next one is on July 7th - I may just have to change some of the checkpoints....

PT

Re: OT: Pasty Tom's FECUND Frolic - Thursday Evening. Rules and Checkpoints

Baptism of fire or what. Measured the route on os map last night and just hit 56 miles by end of day. That does include the 10 miles to work though. Hope to be able to sit on the saddle by Tuesday for the Blue Lion. ( not looking forward to the 10 mile ride home over Cracknow Hill ).

Red Bull is a wonderful thing!