Author Topic: Exmoor Explorer - anyone?  (Read 2655 times)

richie

  • Just sleeping...
Exmoor Explorer - anyone?
« on: 16 July, 2008, 10:12:43 am »
This is by far the saddest board on YACF. A mere 10 threads in 4 months!   In the interests of turning it from the runt of the litter to something worthwhile please reply if you're doing the Exmoor Explorer.  It's a wonderful event that covers 35 miles or so around Exmoor (obviously!) and takes place on Sun 3rd august this year.  As numbers are limited it doesn't suffer from being massively over-subscribed which turned me off the bigger MTB endurance events.

Well worth an entry if you like MTBing and live in the SW.....   
Sheep we're off again.

tonycollinet

  • No Longer a western province of Númenor
Re: Exmoor Explorer - anyone?
« Reply #1 on: 16 July, 2008, 12:47:31 pm »
Can I reply if I am not going?

Oops - too late  ;D

Sorry - exmoor is a bit far for me.

andygates

  • Peroxide Viking
Re: Exmoor Explorer - anyone?
« Reply #2 on: 16 July, 2008, 01:07:53 pm »
I'm local but utterly noobish; tell me more about this thing called Exmoor.
It takes blood and guts to be this cool but I'm still just a cliché.
OpenStreetMap UK & IRL Streetmap & Topo: ravenfamily.org/andyg/maps updates weekly.

richie

  • Just sleeping...
Re: Exmoor Explorer - anyone?
« Reply #3 on: 16 July, 2008, 01:51:58 pm »
Quote
I'm local but utterly noobish; tell me more about this thing called Exmoor.

tis a strange yet compelling place (a bit like this forum).  I occasionally stumble across it whilst propelling my velo between chez itchy and the abode of the dreaded dragon-in-law who abideth in Exeter (for Exmoor 'tis near there, but not as near as Dartmorrrr).

Anyway £19, which is a bit more than i'm used to paying for the average audax, gets you a BBQ on the preceding Saturday night, a 'free' T-shirt (which obviously hasn't been factored in to the entry fee) and unlimited jelly-babies/flapjacks etc. at the control points.

See this link  http://www.exmoorexplorer.co.uk/ - It's normally a good event which is predominantly off-road with good singletrack, especially if you pick the 'hard' route..  I think it's not overly publicised as it's limited to 400 places and  it's normally full each year. 

Of course there's nothing to stop you downloading the route and riding it anyway without paying......which sometimes i do outside of the actual event date.

Anyway you're fairly local so surely you've an MTB for the bits the penny-farthing can't hack???  Exmoor/Quantocks are regularly lauded in the MTB rags as being the place for off-roading.
Sheep we're off again.

andygates

  • Peroxide Viking
Re: Exmoor Explorer - anyone?
« Reply #4 on: 16 July, 2008, 02:04:17 pm »
The Cannondale sprouts fat tyres on occasion. 

I did Mallet's Bash short route (over Woodbury common) on the fixie with 'cross tyres, but that was, er, horrid and scary.   :thumbsup:

Any idea how technical it's likely to be?  I don't do technical. 
It takes blood and guts to be this cool but I'm still just a cliché.
OpenStreetMap UK & IRL Streetmap & Topo: ravenfamily.org/andyg/maps updates weekly.

richie

  • Just sleeping...
Re: Exmoor Explorer - anyone?
« Reply #5 on: 16 July, 2008, 02:27:01 pm »
It normally consists of couple of legs which are not overly technical with the option of a 'hard' loop if you want, which normally consists of some good technical singletrack and some pretty steep up/downy bits. As i see it if you've paid for it you have to ride all of it!   Saying that I've also had to carry the damn thing up some gert big hills in boiling August weather.

Any technical bits normally tend to be downhill with fireroads used for the ups. Which is good in my book.  I would however be rather scared to do it on a 'crosser......

I did fall off on a technical section a few years ago.  That was more to do with the suicidal wasp that had flown down the front of my jersey than the actual terrain though.
Sheep we're off again.

andygates

  • Peroxide Viking
Re: Exmoor Explorer - anyone?
« Reply #6 on: 16 July, 2008, 02:38:17 pm »
Hmmmmmm...

I'll take a look once the route is published!   ;)
It takes blood and guts to be this cool but I'm still just a cliché.
OpenStreetMap UK & IRL Streetmap & Topo: ravenfamily.org/andyg/maps updates weekly.

vorsprung

  • Opposites Attract
    • Audaxing
Re: Exmoor Explorer - anyone?
« Reply #7 on: 20 September, 2008, 09:50:52 am »
I just like the roads on Exmoor.  There's enough of 'em.  Also they are often so rough that how would you tell the difference between them and off road?

Unfortunately I don't have a MTB