Freezing temperatures, 17 hours of darkness, miles upon miles of grueling terrain. Welcome to the Strathpuffer 24!
The Fort William Foxes took on the legendary Strathpuffer 24 this January. The race is simple, do as many laps as you can in 24hrs. Easy stuff right… WRONG! In 2 teams of 4, the Foxes took on the 12.5km course lap after lap pushing themselves mentally and physically.
“My highlight was being able to attempt such a challenging event with the most supportive people. As well as managing to do a 1.05 which was way faster than I ever thought I would do!”
– Melissa Cardosi
The first few laps took place in golden January light falsely setting the scene for the remaining 22hrs. What followed was sleet, bitter winds and heavy rain coating all the girls in thick puffer mud.
“My highlight overall was actually going to and completing the race. Having no sleep, being unclean and not knowing exactly what time things are happening/not knowing what it is going to be like is something that often makes me very upset and uncomfortable. Knowing that I had the support and encouragement of everyone there was a feeling like no other”.
– Olivia Catherine
Through the night the tunes kept pumping and pedals turning keeping the Foxes spirits high.
“I really enjoyed the challenge of it but also the comradery as you were going up the climb past everyone’s camps with music and cheering and also the random chats with other riders while suffering on the climbs in the middle of the night”.
– Ellie Harper How
“Putting on my wet clothes at 3am was pretty depressing but seeing the stars in clear cold air was almost worth it”.
– Steph McKenna
A Thank From the Foxes
We cannot thank Off Beat Bikes enough for supporting us at the puffer! It meant so much to know they were rooting for us. Having spare parts and a mechanic made such a difference, thank you Sam!
The Support Off Beat Bikes give us year round means so much to the Foxes! We are able to get more ladies out on bikes every year due to Off Beat Bikes support and enthusiasm.
