It's not called the Brecon Beacons Beast for nothing. As the website says, you've got to either be fit enough, mean enough, mad enough or brave enough to tackle this Mountain Bike Enduro. Sounded like a wager to me.
Growing up in a small Shropshire market town surrounded by hills and forests, I spent my life on my bike, but I stopped riding about 3 years ago (around the time design took over). Recently though, I got the steed serviced, and despite being told that finding parts for it would be like looking for Dinosaur bones (I've had the same bike since I started riding - almost) she's now rolling again, and I'm remembering what I've been missing. Mud in my eye, gashes in my shins and leg burn.
Back to the point, the Beast was exactly as described - one of the hardest and highest Mountain Bike Enduros in Southern Britain, its damn hard going, and the look on some people's faces as they cross the line is classic. I just wanted to post about this as a reminder of the most physical challenge I've ever had. I'll be back there next year though - a little more trained. I've got a time of 5 hours and 1 minute to beat.
630 mountain bikers in the starting line-up. I was there somewhere.
Here's my '96 DBR, she got me round, but only after reducing me to 8 gears and 1 brake.
