United Kingdom · 15 June 2024
Bobby's BEYOND BOUNDS Challenge
An epic test of your physical and mental bounds
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Overview
Rapha Manchester manager Bobby is laying down a challenge to anyone who wants to test their wares on some of his favourite local trails. Here's the gist... Bobby has created his ultimate off-road route starting and finishing in Manchester. There'll be a mass start at midnight, and a finishers party at Track Taproom afterwards. Your job is to try to make it to the finishers party - simple! Let us be clear, this is not a race. This is an individual challenge, and just finishing this route will be an achievement, but Bobby loves a competition and couldn't help adding some jeopardy to this one. Ahead of the event, he'll set a 'time to beat'. Anyone who beats Bobby's time will receive a gift from Rapha Manchester, and the fastest finisher will receive a Beyond Bounds Prize Bundle.
Highlights
THE ROUTE
You won't get the route until the week of the event, but be prepared for a very tough day out. Starting at Rapha Manchester, you'll do a loop of roughly 230km and over 5000m elevation, passing through five different counties.
FINISHERS PARTY
Track Taproom will be hosting our finishers party from 5:00pm until 9:30pm, and there'll be a complimentary drink for all finishers. Slice Culture will also be there serving pizza, and replenishing your calorie deficits.
BAG DROP
If you want to leave a bag with a change of clothes at the start line, we can transit it to the finish for you. However, anything that's not collected will be left at Track and it'll be up to you to collect it, so have a contingency plan in place.
Hosts
Schwalbe
Our choice when it comes to staying smooth and comfortable on any terrain. One of the best in the business, they've got something for every situation.
Restrap
Technical bikepacking gear made right here in the North of England. They're manufacturing the best functional, durable, sustainable bags and equipment for travelling by bike.
Styrkr
Committed to innovation and improving performance with supplements that are specifically designed to give athletes more energy and combat fatigue, whatever their diet.
Komoot
From intrepid explorers and experienced off-roaders, to those who just bought their first road bike, Komoot is the key to the great outdoors.
Track Brewing C0
The brainchild of a cyclist who dreamt up the idea of starting a brewery during a coast to coast tour of the US, Track is now one of Manchester's leading craft breweries.
Gallery
What's Included
What's Included
GPX Route
Bag drop
Pre-ride fuel
Post-ride beer
Event mementos
A memorable experience
FAQ
What bike should I ride?
The route will be at least 50% off road, including everything from fast fire roads to rocky bridleway. Whether you ride a gravel bike or a mountain bike, comfort will be key and you'll want some chunky tyres to manoeuvre your way through some of the rough stuff. There'll never be a 'right bike' for this route, so don't overthink it.
What should I wear?
Something to bear in mind is the North's unpredictable weather conditions. The tops are very exposed and if bad weather rolls in you'll be thankful for some warm clothes and a good rain jacket. Oh, and wear some comfy shoes because there'll be a few hike-a-bike sections.
What about resupply?
Being an early start, and probably a late finish, you'll need to have a nutrition/hydration plan because a you'll miss a lot of shops' opening hours. We'll highlight a few obvious spots on the route for you, but make sure you can carry plenty of food and water with you because there may be some lengthy stretches without resupply.
What else will I need?
This is an unsupported event, so once you start, you're on your own. Lights will be key, as you'll be riding through darkness for quite some time. You might also want to carry a power bank with you in case you need to recharge anything. And finally, make sure you've got all the necessary spares to keep your wheels turning.
Can we ride in groups?
Ultradistance events strongly forbid drafting and riding in groups. While we don't plan on penalising riders for forming groups, we do want the spirit of ultra events to shine through and therefore discourage using other riders to gain an advantage on the field.
What if I don't make it to the finishers party?
While the challenge is to finish this route in an allotted time, we appreciate how difficult that will be for some people. This is such a beautiful route, and we want all participants to enjoy it at whatever pace suits them. If you need longer than a day, that's fine! You'll miss the celebrations, but if you get in touch with us and show us your activity, we'll make sure you don't miss out on the memento we'll be giving out to finishers.