Why shouldn't you do a race if it's on your local trails? You might know Ashton Court like the back of your hand but when you're racing against other people it's totally different to a normal ride. Also, there's going to be a big dig day the Saturday before the race, so if the course is in bad shape you've only got yourselves to blame!

Hang on a minute before you jump on my back!

Where did I say you shouldn't race on your local trails? After all, I am doing the team day on the Saturday.

I do think that riding a relatively short course on your local trails for 12 hours (esp if the trails are cut up from the Saturday) would be boring. That is my opinion and I am entitled to it. I take it you are doing the 12 hour solo event then Anthony?!

As for the 'only got yourselves to blame'. Let's not go into the long drawn out saga about the state of the trails. If they are in bad shape (esp the Hawthorns section on BBL) I think I can be well within my right to blame;

- The weather
- The poor surface that particular trail was built with
- The lack of funding/maintenance by the trail builders
- The rare plants that are on the old BBL trails that prevent us from being able to use that trail

I appreciate as much as most the hard work that is done by those volunteers to keep the trails in a reasonably rideable state throughout the year. I even helped out once!

As for the dig the Saturday before. I think that you will need more than one day of digging to sort out the BBL trails. Paul Newman said that there will be 3 weeks work to get the trails in top shape and, knowing Paul, he'll do everything he can to get things right on the day.

Do you know any more about this trail work Anthony? I cant get into the BTG forum from work...

I hope this happens for eveyones benefit. If the trails dont dry out in time, it is going to be like riding in the Somme. Not my idea of fun or a wise use of £27. Heaven help the solo riders the day after (and all the locals who have to use the trails week in, week out in the aftermath).

If it dries out, it will be great fun & I am looking forward to it either way.

Let's wait and see. It's mainly weather dependant anyway. Fingers crossed.

Look forward to seeing you there for a spot of bike mud wrestling

I was toying with the idea of doing it solo but I think I'd rather drink beer and muck about! I know quite a few people who've done it solo and none of them reckoned it was boring - there are lots of races that don't even have any singletrack on the course, and some XC races are like riding round and round a billiard table, but the 12 definitely doesn't fall into this category.

Re the state of the trails, about 2/3 of the Hawthorns section is going to be fixed by contractors, and the dig the weekend before should take care of the rest.