Exposure Success @ Strathpuffer 2009

The Strathpuffer is a 24 hour race in the North of Scotland. It is billed as the The UK's hardest mountain bike race, and for good reason: there are around 17 hours of darkness (more that 4 times that at Mountain Mayhem), the location and January time-slot have always guaranteed atrocious weather and the mud has a reputation of causing disk pad genocide. Indeed Bike mag voted it one of "The 10 toughest races in the world"- the only race in Europe that made the list.

Shaggy www.dazeoftundra.com, of The 69er Collective, raced this years event solo on his new Trek single speed: This years race was brutal, it was very cold and wet and there was heavy snow high on the course. I had a few problems but dealt with them quickly and calmly. I stuck to my plan and kept moving for the whole time, which worked nicely. I won the solo event by a full lap and, in the process, set a new record for the most laps of the course.

Good, reliable lights are especially important in this race. I chose to use an Exposure Enduro Maxx on the handle bars and a Joystick Maxx on my helmet. I attached a triple cell piggy-back under the stem which allowed me to use the the Enduro on the Ride setting for the whole race without the need to change batteries. The Joystick was on the MaXx setting from early dusk until the finish. To allow this I carried a triple cell piggy-back in my camelbac, and swapped it out for a second triple cell after 11 hours. This set-up worked a treat and certainly gave me an edge over the other soloists who spent time fiddling to swap lights or batteries. It's a great race, with a fantastic atmosphere, but certainly not one for the faint hearted!

It's not all about the winning though! Click here to read Team "Just Another Excuse To Drink Malt Whisky" story of Strathpuffer 2009.