The Exmoor Beast
Discussion
anyone here done it?
i'm considering giving it a go. i really struggle for motivation to train (infact, i struggle for motivation to leave the house sometimes!) and i think this could be the goal i need to get motivated enough. i entered a half marathon last year in order to get some motivation to do some exercise, but i haven't run since without a goal to aim for
is it as brutal as it sounds? due to working shifts i have a lot of free time to get some training in. in the past i've ridden a century, but that was a few years back now!
i'm considering giving it a go. i really struggle for motivation to train (infact, i struggle for motivation to leave the house sometimes!) and i think this could be the goal i need to get motivated enough. i entered a half marathon last year in order to get some motivation to do some exercise, but i haven't run since without a goal to aim for
is it as brutal as it sounds? due to working shifts i have a lot of free time to get some training in. in the past i've ridden a century, but that was a few years back now!
100k is not too brutal, I managed it 2 months after getting my first road bike, but 160k would have been a different story.
Be ready for a long, wet, cold, and windy ride so bring the right gear. Sealskin socks were a godsend, as was a wafer thin waterproof and good gloves. The hills never end though so try not to cry.
Also I found it very hard to follow a group, as it was forever being split by sharp climbs, which generally means a slower time and more energy spent. When you do find someone you probably wont want to follow them anyway because you'll get a face full of muddy spray
Be ready for a long, wet, cold, and windy ride so bring the right gear. Sealskin socks were a godsend, as was a wafer thin waterproof and good gloves. The hills never end though so try not to cry.
Also I found it very hard to follow a group, as it was forever being split by sharp climbs, which generally means a slower time and more energy spent. When you do find someone you probably wont want to follow them anyway because you'll get a face full of muddy spray
Did it for the first time last year. Got a gold standard on the 100k, and that was on a double.
Physically it was not too bad, except the first climb up dunkery beacon with the cattle grid. I didn't walk any of it, but I have resolved to not return to it without a compact. My back was giving me grief for a week afterwards from it.
Mentally its a bit of a different game. Personally I found the flats a bit ... frustrating / depressing because a couple of times I found huge chaingangs wheelsucking me as a faster rider on the flat, apparently unwilling to tackle their weak areas on their own, but as soon as they hit the climbs they were off without even a thank you. In my opinion its about pushing yourself, and I had to work hard all the way round, I felt these people were cheating themselves.
That said, who cares what anyone else is up to.
One of the biggest divide in the riders in my view, which you couldnt make up for with your physique, was the descending and technical confidence. I have a couple of big hills I regularly commute on in mixed weather and am relatively comfortable bombing away down a hill, this gained me a huge amount of time where you'd see riders teeth gritted, on the (wet) brakes as hard as they dare, losing time all the way. If I do it this year i'll take my disc equipped cx bike with road tyres on.
The ford and the cattle grid.. pick your line early and ride on through. Not difficult but a lot of people walked them unnecessarily.
Physically it was not too bad, except the first climb up dunkery beacon with the cattle grid. I didn't walk any of it, but I have resolved to not return to it without a compact. My back was giving me grief for a week afterwards from it.
Mentally its a bit of a different game. Personally I found the flats a bit ... frustrating / depressing because a couple of times I found huge chaingangs wheelsucking me as a faster rider on the flat, apparently unwilling to tackle their weak areas on their own, but as soon as they hit the climbs they were off without even a thank you. In my opinion its about pushing yourself, and I had to work hard all the way round, I felt these people were cheating themselves.
That said, who cares what anyone else is up to.
One of the biggest divide in the riders in my view, which you couldnt make up for with your physique, was the descending and technical confidence. I have a couple of big hills I regularly commute on in mixed weather and am relatively comfortable bombing away down a hill, this gained me a huge amount of time where you'd see riders teeth gritted, on the (wet) brakes as hard as they dare, losing time all the way. If I do it this year i'll take my disc equipped cx bike with road tyres on.
The ford and the cattle grid.. pick your line early and ride on through. Not difficult but a lot of people walked them unnecessarily.
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