Polaris challenge
- Thread starter Riceman
- Start date
YES!!!! I did one in the early 90s in Kielder - 6 inches of snow on the ground, -15 at night. We hopelessly overestimated our ability to cover distance and ended up with a comically large negative score for late arrival. The lovely organisers were very understanding.
Derek Purdy (author of the original MTB guides for the Northeast) was father of one of my best friends. His quote on riding it was epic: 'Why it was magic, my head froze to the side of the tent!' (All delivered in his inimitable Northumbrian accent).
Derek Purdy (author of the original MTB guides for the Northeast) was father of one of my best friends. His quote on riding it was epic: 'Why it was magic, my head froze to the side of the tent!' (All delivered in his inimitable Northumbrian accent).
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Yes your right it was freezing, we had to press our hands on the tents zip because it had frozen solid 
when we eventually got out of the tent it was into a foot of snow. I remember having to use warm bodily fluids to free off our rear mechs
I can’t remember which one of the events it was but the best result we had was 3 place in veterans class which we were well chuffed with
really tough but enjoyable events though
when we eventually got out of the tent it was into a foot of snow. I remember having to use warm bodily fluids to free off our rear mechs
I can’t remember which one of the events it was but the best result we had was 3 place in veterans class which we were well chuffed with
really tough but enjoyable events though
Yup, did every one from October '97 until about 2000 and loved 'em all. As a Southerner it was a long drive to and from the event but always worth it.
Memories include riding in places with some stunning scenery which I would never have otherwise visited. Others include seeing 'fleets' of Orange bikes for the first time with their riders in full team strip. Wilfs bean feast was a welcome meal at the end too. For our first Polaris we borrowed a tent which leaked on my side soaking my sleeping bag so I spent Saturday night in a blue porter loo.
I've still got some of the car window stickers and a couple of 'give out' sheets stuck on my cave wall.
I do have some pictures but it will take some time to dig them out.
Memories include riding in places with some stunning scenery which I would never have otherwise visited. Others include seeing 'fleets' of Orange bikes for the first time with their riders in full team strip. Wilfs bean feast was a welcome meal at the end too. For our first Polaris we borrowed a tent which leaked on my side soaking my sleeping bag so I spent Saturday night in a blue porter loo.
I've still got some of the car window stickers and a couple of 'give out' sheets stuck on my cave wall.
I do have some pictures but it will take some time to dig them out.
10mins after you had it you could have snapped the cranks off boristhebold
Dirt Disciple
Late to this thread but as I was packing some. boxes to move house, I found a few old marked up maps from the 1990s including the Lake District one from Autumn 1993. i did my first one in Spring 1992 (I believe the first one was in Autumn 1991) then did both Spring and Autumn for the next 7 or 8 years. I struggle remembering the order but..
Mid Wales Spring 1992
Keilder Autumn 1992
Yorkshire Dales Spring 1993
Galloway Autumn 1993
Lake District Spring 1994
Elan Valley 1995?
Derbyshire Peak
Lakes. (Tandem)
Snowdonia (Tandem)
Can anyone add dates?
Here's some photos
First two are Lakes 1994 (1994 Team Marin)
Second batch are Lakes in perhaps 1998 (1996 Dawes Tandem) Walna Scar
We needed sustenance as we approached the Saturday camp....after 20 minutes lots of others seemed to have twigged, the event doesn't need to be hell on earth....
We'd brought the luxury of ground coffee and a cafetiere for the campsite
Mid Wales Spring 1992
Keilder Autumn 1992
Yorkshire Dales Spring 1993
Galloway Autumn 1993
Lake District Spring 1994
Elan Valley 1995?
Derbyshire Peak
Lakes. (Tandem)
Snowdonia (Tandem)
Can anyone add dates?
Here's some photos
First two are Lakes 1994 (1994 Team Marin)
Second batch are Lakes in perhaps 1998 (1996 Dawes Tandem) Walna Scar
We needed sustenance as we approached the Saturday camp....after 20 minutes lots of others seemed to have twigged, the event doesn't need to be hell on earth....
We'd brought the luxury of ground coffee and a cafetiere for the campsite
boristhebold
Dirt Disciple
I believe that this map tallies with the first two pics. The campsite can be seen on the map at the bottom end of Ullswater (Marked with a circle and CS) March 1994
The following two are maps from Trailquests. These were run on the same principle as the Polaris but without the overnight wild camp. 5 hours and they ran most weekends thru the year. Proper grass roots stuff with many of the competitors running their own events to keep the whole thing going. Pretty much started by a chap called Colin Palmer ( I believe he was an 'access officer' for a local council somewhere in the Welsh border area and a thoroughly good chap)
First one may have been one of Colins events, Church Stretton, no idea of date, early 90s.
2nd is Aberfoyle and The Trossachs. (Probably 1994, I remember crawling up and over the Dukes Pass and a brand new Ducati 916 overtook us...and it came out that year)
The following two are maps from Trailquests. These were run on the same principle as the Polaris but without the overnight wild camp. 5 hours and they ran most weekends thru the year. Proper grass roots stuff with many of the competitors running their own events to keep the whole thing going. Pretty much started by a chap called Colin Palmer ( I believe he was an 'access officer' for a local council somewhere in the Welsh border area and a thoroughly good chap)
First one may have been one of Colins events, Church Stretton, no idea of date, early 90s.
2nd is Aberfoyle and The Trossachs. (Probably 1994, I remember crawling up and over the Dukes Pass and a brand new Ducati 916 overtook us...and it came out that year)
wallace and gromit
Retro Newbie
Having just dusted off my old Polaris maps for a nostalgic reminisce, I did a little googling and came across your post - thank you Riceman and Boristhebold!
Wallace and I thoroughly enjoyed Polaris: fantastic biking, scenery and wonderful like-minded people. Overly competitive but rubbish campers, we always vowed never again but then a few weeks later we would be planning the next one!
Yes, we did the Trailquests too.
Here's a list of the events we did - and I will follow with photos of the maps:
29oct94 Radnor
14oct95 Elan Valley
23mar96 Kielder
15jun96 N Yorks Moors
19oct96 Eden Valley
22mar97 Exmoor
14jun97 N Yorks Moors
11oct97 Snowdonia
28mar98 Cheviots
Wallace and I thoroughly enjoyed Polaris: fantastic biking, scenery and wonderful like-minded people. Overly competitive but rubbish campers, we always vowed never again but then a few weeks later we would be planning the next one!
Yes, we did the Trailquests too.Here's a list of the events we did - and I will follow with photos of the maps:
29oct94 Radnor
14oct95 Elan Valley
23mar96 Kielder
15jun96 N Yorks Moors
19oct96 Eden Valley
22mar97 Exmoor
14jun97 N Yorks Moors
11oct97 Snowdonia
28mar98 Cheviots
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