Online entries have now closed and we have got 121  pre-entered riders for this Saturday so there will be 19 spare maps for late entries and entry on the day.
This is the first NYMBO League event of the year and the National ranking list will replace the old National League for 2012. All events on the BMBO calendar, of 3 hours or more, that use SI or Emit will be included in the ranking list. Only riders who provide a current BMBO membership number will be included in the rankings.
So please make sure that you have renewed your membership for 2012.
See you on Saturday

I wanted a gentler ride today so I checked the final 10 controls for the event in May which starts at the George & Dragon in Hudswell. Hazy sunshine and the usual spectacular views especially on the new bridleway below Willance’s Leap.

Sorry for my mistake. This is a 3 hour event not 4 hours as I wrote last night. We are up to 30 pre-entries now but hopefully everyone else is going to get online this weekend.

Our first league event of 2012 will be held at Duncombe Park in Ryedale on Saturday 10th March. Tim Clarke has planned an excellent course and Duncombe Estate have allowed us to use even more of their private tracks this year because it is between the shooting and nesting seasons. This is a 3 hour event but don’t forget that there is a 2 hour league option if you don’t want to ride as far.
Online entries cost £11 but postal, email or on the day entries will cost you £12 – less deductions for BOF membership or your own SI card.
We have only got 20 pre-entries so please enter by March 6th to guarantee a map – then Jens knows how many to print. We will have 20 spare maps but if you decide to send an email after this date or just turn up and enter on the day you run the risk of only having a black and white map. Hope to see you there.

Terrington Moor

Dr Danny Chan and I have taken on the task of planning the second event in this years NYMBO League.  Although we planned the summer event in Hovingham last year, neither of us have planned a “proper” bikeo before – despite having ridden quite a few. It’s interesting for us, as I could be fairly described a “not the quickest rider” and Dr Chan has been described as “navigationally challenged.”

So our aspiration is to plan a good ride for both 2hr and 4hr competitors, and with controls in fairly straightforward places. This means no controls hidden knee deep in brambles; attached to live cows; or needing snorkel gear to find them in water-filled trenches.  I know those last two have never happened but having been to Driffield there’s always a first time. Although this will help riders on the day, it’s mainly to help Danny and I get the controls in the right places the day before.

Dr Chan was otherwise engaged in a secret mission this weekend, but he let me spend the time deciding on the locations of about half the controls. Saturday was marred by a flat tyre and an inept repair, but when the sun was out on Sunday it was a great February day for biking. The view in the photo is of one of the controls not far from the start at Terrington. The other bonus was seeing various deer, rabbits, and due to my frequent breaks, a Great-spotted Woodpecker.

I was quite pleased to get a farmers permission to use a mark track permissive rather than cycle across a field, and I’ve learned that it takes time to check good control locations so the next six weeks will go quickly. I’m hoping for a dry, sunny Easter!

Dave

I always enjoy planning an event on my doorstep, it is amazing what one finds even after living here for so long!
It is also gratifying to see that the riders have enjoyed the challenge, either mine or from the weather. Reading the post ride route choice I can see that some of the bridleways were tough going and that everyone who went south east enjoyed the view along Landmoth – one of my favourite rides.

I apologise for some errors, the position of control 16 is on the north wall of the building, south west of the track junctions. I also understand that I may not have got the phone number on the back of the chevron road sign correct at number 24. HeyHo. The garage door at number 1 used to have 5 windows but has been changed to an up and over with 7. Except it was up when some riders got there so difficult to tell how many there were. Still, as long as you did the navigation I’m not too bothered about the answer!
John D

All of the fliers for the 2012 League events are now posted on the events page. You can also download and print the 2012 Poster for your local bike shop, just click the image .

2012 NYMBO League Poster

It was great to see 45 riders having a go at Andrew Windrum’s second attempt at planning courses in Gilling Woods. Everyone was relieved that he got it right this time so that the winning times reflected the Medium course distances. Congratulations to all of the category winners – particularly Killian Lomas (A course), Graham Fielding (B) and Nathan Parker (C). It was great to see Dave & Sue Relton on the other side of the SI desk and out on their bikes. However, it was disappointing to see a few riders lose their time through mispunching. Unfortunately, in this discipline of MBO, you have to get all of the controls to qualify and there are always extra controls to confuse you in the forest. It was great of Ebor to allow us to use the woods after their important orienteering fixture – but it also meant that there were over 60 extra controls in the forest!!
Thanks to Dennis Hooton for drawing up the courses and having them printed on waterproof paper. Thanks also to the volunteers who helped by collecting in most of the controls. Unfortunately I then locked two of them in the forest when I left so they had an anxious 20 minute wait until I got back and let them out!!
Our MBO Score league starts on March10th with a 3 hour event at Helmsley in Ryedale – and our next MTBO event will be at Pickering Forest on May 12th – in the morning before the Score event.
Final apologies to riders who paid too much online. Please claim your refund for BOF membership or your own SI card at the next event. I have amended the online entry form this evening.
PS I still prefer riding in Score events and from an organisers point of view they are far simpler and safer as you know that everyone will plan a route to match their ability and will take no more than 30 minutes longer than the time limit.

The full results for Gilling can be found here (including full splits for course D)

You can read Steph Fountain’s own race report here

Max & Martin Vesty – Generation Team and 2nd overall
We set off looking to pick up 14 & 7 on the way to Brompton and we immediately ditched the first one (14) having looked at the muddy field. 15 points missed but we felt we’d do better using the time elsewhere later. After 7 we quickly picked up 2 and rode out to 30. We then headed further north to 29, 27 and 28 via 16, to avoid the direct bridleway to 28, which again we felt would be heavy going.

We then picked off 1, 24 and 17 and had decided that the better route for the remaining time would be to go further down the east side riding the short main road and lane to 20. The muddy lane to 18 was the muddiest we had it for the whole ride but then onward to 21 and 26 (the last 30 pointer) gave cracking views over to the Cleveland hills with the wind behind us. The bridge for 25 was just down the hill and at the road junction after 25 we had 9 mins left which ruled out grabbing 10 and 4. From here we headed as direct as we could back to base via 12 and with Max on my wheel it was team Moonglu time trial style back, with just two mins over the 2 hours needed to finish with 353 points.

Edwin Oliver Evans – Youth and First overall
Managed not to muck it up like the previous one. Here is my route for today’s race: 14, 7, 2, 6, 30, 11, 29, 27, 28, 16, 24, 17, 20, 18, 21, 26, 25, 4, 23, 12, 22, 5, finish.