Baybutt - "Keen to try (almost) anything once, when the invite to the UK Single Speed champs arrived I jumped at it. Looking round my shed I realised I’m actually well qualified in the single speed game - BMX, dj bike, minibike, hub-brake pub bike, gravity bike, unicycle. The Rocket is actually the only bike with gears! With no time to build a single speed, plus-tyred, FlareMax with a dropper, I resorted to my trusty old BFe 26”. Sidelined from pumptrack duties, I re-shod the front with a Vigilante from WTB, made it one gear easier (32-18 I think) and made sure there was enough seatpost as it’s a small size. Perfect. Ish.

On Friday, after rolling into the idyllic camp spot just past Stavely in the Lakes, Richard Munro the organiser showed me the ride / race route which involved a couple of beer stops and a whiskey stop… Already even more keen for this than I was before.

The Fife clan (including Sally Buckworth - reigning European SS champion) were already set up by the river and Wes was chopming at the bit to go for an explore. We headed up to some local woods and found a rope swing which provided some big fear and the largest tumble I’ve had in ages. A proper crash - grazes, dented lid, the works. I beer-tested the new bum bag and had a great shakedown of the BFe, followed by a pizza, more beers and a freezing night in a tent (I need a better sleeping bag!)

Saturday dawned clear & crisp. When the very leisurely set-off time of 12pm came around we all had a quick briefing and set off en-mass up the hill. This isn’t like any race I’ve ever been to before - there were all sorts of wheel sizes, all sorts of styles, a guy riding with a speaker playing old time jazz, a dominatrix whipping anyone who didn’t drink a beer, tie-dye onesies and heckling anyone with a derailleur. The hillclimb challenge was a techy steep climb where the aim was to get as high as possible rather than any speed attempts. The race itself was a 10 mile route above Kentmere. The worst position you could get was 4th but all that matters is that I made it home before young Wes; even with a bog-snorkling session near the top, views so good I almost stopped and a shot of whiskey before a hectic downhill on a tiny dirt jump bike.