| Sunny Saturday - Usual pre-race stuff – some semi organised rides on the local trails, pizza party at the Wynnstay Hotel (Italian quality pizza in Wales! - with a proper oven and everything!), crap beer, comedy bike derby with new and improved Softshoretm (planks wedged between Biff’s legs) and non existent sleep on the camp site. Hazy Sunday – Massive town centre gathering of shonky bikes and fit / fetid singlespeeders in various states of repair (the face on one guy was more green than his jersey). Lovely rolling roadblock ride out of town then up and down for 4 miles (7km or so to you Euro peeps) to the start – we began this ride-out at the front, but soon ground our way to the back with Alison dragging / me grinding the pedals and pushing the kids up hill in the trailer (2 fat boys plus trailer is +50kg so hate to admit that Al was on a geared bike – daddy’s turn to race today!). One final drag up into the forest with a funky scrap metal bongo music accompaniment (see the video). 
Due to the massive entry (ok, about 75 people), there was a strange decision to split the start into “serious” people doing the normal hidden bike Le Mans start, to be followed up the climb by the slack / pissed / already tired peloton – hence the start video only shows about 30 of us getting spurted with beer and running to the bikes – there were more “racers” lurking behind the camera – honest! The race began with a big switchback fire road climb, then lovingly crafted new singletrack before the next fire road drag. The first lap went on like this for something like an hour before dropping back to the start on some mighty fine steep and swoopy technical stuff. Then that climb again……… (only this time with the smell of finish line barbeque) 
I then met the unluckiest guy of the race – he was the beardy chap shooting out the front of the start video – poor sap punctured whilst leading on the second lap and looked all helpless and unhappy – I gave him my spare tube and nice Mr Jo Burt (MBUK sheep cartoonist) sorted him with a good strong pump. The “shortened” last “half” lap (they forgot to shorten it in the right place) then just became a thirsty and hungry fug until the welcome sight of the finish line with only a few people overtaking me when crawling up the final climb. There then followed a long mellow sit around chatting, munching burgers (just as you continentals like them – still bleeding in the middle) and drinking free beer. The beer eventually ran out, so prizes had to be given - lots of swag from the nice sponsors (almost more prizes than people) - a Surly Karate Monkey frame for the winner, some Hayes disc brakes for unlucky beardy man (now smiling again) and Surly Jethro Tool beer openers / spanners for me and Jo (not tried it as a spanner but not very good with UK beer caps). Highlight of the prizes was a Solitude custom frame for the crappest bike of the day (ratty Cannondale, fixed gear, broken front brake, no rear brake and super slack chain that jumped off every time he back pedalled – one very nervous and bruised pilot from many many out of control crashes). Finally, a quick rain shower sent everyone spinning back to town clutching new found toys and tired legs. 
I believe there was also some other little race in Holland on the same day – do they have big climbs, gnarly rocky singletrack and 1 hour laps over there??…. Anyway – big big thanks to Joe at Summit, the Machynlleth MTB club and all the sponsors -top event and nice people. www.summitcycles.co.uk www.mbwales.com
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