When The Chiller Really Was Chilly

With the imminent return of the Chiller I found it hard not to think of the original event.  A few people have been in touch and we do find ourselves drifting back to that crazy overnight racing in 2017 and can’t decide if it was a life affirming experience or if we were grateful to survive!  The event came about mainly because I’d done the Puffer a couple of times and really loved the idea of winter 24 hour mountain bike races.  So I badgered the local Forestry and talked them into it even though they also thought it was madness.

The first thing I’d figure out after the event is that the climate at 300m (base level) in Kielder is far worse than sea level at the top of Scotland.  Had to learn that the hard way.  As weather systems blow in from the north or west there is nothing to break their fury except the very hills where we were situated.  As a result the area is prone to high winds, cold temperatures and bouts of exceptionally heavy rain, sleet and snow in winter.  Oh well, it did make it pretty exciting!  There was a lot of snow and sleet in 2017 but I don’t think it ever reached ice spiker levels with sheet ice or anything.  The trails at Kielder are exceptionally hard wearing and the sandy forest tracks almost self gritted as riders go through.

The course was the Deadwater red that people have become familiar with but also a loop on the north eastern edge which created the distance.  There was the option of the black trail to cut that short but back in that day I thought the black might be too much for some riders to cope with.  This loop, to a place called Archer Cleugh, became a gritty mud fest and annihilated brake pads with two long descents.  The return along the bottom track saw back wheels spinning through mud like paddle steamers going through water on the Mississippi.  People’s core temperatures dropped massively on this big descent which wasn’t helped by the endless precipitation of one form or another.

Back then the whole event was held in the Kielder castle car park with the toilets and bike shop next door.  A short walk away was the castle and this was a time when Yvonne still had her little cafe open there.  She stayed open all night and when I popped in there were definitely a few riders in there with 1000 yard stares.  I remember seeing Nic Gilbert tucking into a corned beef pie and chips at midnight with the express intention of powering himself up for the night shift.  He then promptly went back to his caravan and slept the rest of the night.  Classic.

Looking at the results brings back a flood of memories (results found HERE) that I’d forgotten about.  A spritely Richard Rothwell banged out 23 laps to take the solo male win.  Tommy Hodgkinson was second and he was an absolute monster on a mountain bike and has subsequently put his physical attributes towards motocross riding and seems to be doing very well.  Richie Smith or Team Cycles fame grabbed third but pushed himself so hard he had to take a year out from cycling and get an operation.  It’s ironic that the bike shop at Kielder has now been taken over by… Team Cycles.

In the female solo category Naomi Freireich took the top spot but stomping all over the race in dominant style.  She smashed out 14 hours of racing and then calculated that she could take the rest of the race off and still win.  Impressive.  Gemma Towell took second and a very determined Andrea Pogson stood third on the podium whilst Cat Hirst was fourth and Lisa Scott took the single speed top spot.

In the pairs the male category was impressively won by Jason Miles and Phil Simcock – two extremely fast riders.  Ben Griffiths and James Harden grabbed second and the very likeable Spaldos (Colin and Simon Spalding) took third.  Looking down the riders list I see the name of Mark Stephenson, a friend of mine and this was probably his last competitive race on a mountain bike before being plagued by injuries.  He still has that carbon fat bike from then.  The mixed pairs title was grabbed by Kevin and Lizzie Mitchell.

The quads category would introduce me to a bunch of people I had never met before but subsequently have become long standing friends.  i-cycles, a regular name in the endurance racing world, took top spot and Jamie Birks featured in this original team alongside Keith Forsyth, Steven Deas and Mike Hancock.  I remember being in a 24 hour race against Keith and Mike once when partnered with David Gobby – we were quite quick but got trounced by these two speed demons.  Kieth Fawcett blagged his way into a group of fast riders and ended up in the second place quads (Kieth is a very good friend by the way!) and the Pothole Dodgers grabbed third.  In mixed pairs NIER romped to first with two members later going on to solo glory in subsequent years in Nigel Smith and Donna Waring.  These were followed by another top outfit in Team JMC.  This friendly but competitive outfit led by Andrew Burgess are quick with a smile and receptive to anyone looking for help.  Third was grabbed by the Cunning Stunts.

The weather was the stand out feature with it being fairly terrible throughout the entire event.  You have to respect everyone’s determination and willingness to keep going in such adversity.  Bikes were being battered, legs were being emptied and peoples willingness to avoid sleep being severely strained.  When the winds got up during the night it did give me some serious concerns but the creaking and groaning trees got quieter as the night creeped towards the sunrise once again.  When the race finished it was a massive emotional release just to get to the other side.  Adrenalin left the system and tiredness kicked in but I did feel a sense of pride in getting the event that I’d always wanted to put on done and dusted.

I look forward to The Chiller 24 coming back in November and will try everything to try and grow it into the future.  Yes it depends on external partners not changing the “rules” but if the environment stays the same then we hope this event loved by so many can become a regular fixture.