CYCLISTS will power their way through freezing conditions in one of the toughest cycling endurance challenges in the country.
The challenge is set to start at 10am on Saturday.
Strathpuffer 2025 is set to take place at Contin Forest on Saturday and Sunday as over 700 cyclists will attempt to conquer the 24-hour cycling challenge.
As with last year, Strathpuffer 2025 will also host the British 24-hour endurance cycling championships with a top field from across the UK set to take part.
Cyclists will start the challenge at 10am on Saturday and attempt to cycle as many laps of the 12.5km course as possible within 24 hours.
Marc Peart, one of the organisers at Strathpuffer, says hosting the British Championship adds to the prestige of the competition which has already gained a reputation for being one of the toughest cycling challenges on the planet.
He says with such a competitive field taking part, it promises to be an outstanding weekend of endurance cycling.
He said: ” The solo competitions are part of the national championships, the winning male and female this weekend will be British champions.
“It is a really competitive field in both male solo and female solo competition. It is really good from the participation point of view.
“Competitively it will be really good this year.”
Strathpuffer 2024 24-hour endurance event. Picture: Callum Mackay..
Last year, Dingwall cyclist Martin Ross from Strathpuffer was crowned men’s champion.
Sofia Christansen from Newton Stewart was crowned the women’s champion.
This year for the first time, the women’s champion will receive the Gillian Stewart Memorial Award.
As well as solo competitions, there are also pairs, quads and schools competitions taking place.
Temperatures have reached as low as -6 this week, with it not expected to go above freezing this weekend when the competition takes place.
Peart says that will not be a problem for the cyclists saying the weather will make it excellent conditions for riding this weekend.
“The conditions are looking great this year, it will be cold all the way through.
The last forecast I looked at suggests it gets warmer on Sunday morning. But the course will be well frozen. The forecast I have seen overnight on Friday into Saturday will be -6. On Saturday, it will get to freezing level and maybe +1
“But the ground temperature will stay below freezing.
“There are a couple of variations but we know it will get warmer on Sunday.
“But by the time we are finished, it won’t have gone above freezing for the whole of the event.”
Strathpuffer is once again also hosting the 24-hour British Championships. Pictures: Callum Mackay
The event is being organised with cooperation from Forestry Land Scotland and landowners. Despite some alterations to the course, Peart says it will make for a exciting race.
He said: “All of the partners we worked with are super helpful. We have been working with these guys for a long time now. The course is looking exciting, we had a bridge which was referred to as the Bridge of Thighs, which was a landmark. That had been in place since the start but it has been removed and we had a culvert built to replace it.
“The course is riding really well and as it gets more frozen it will ride better and better. Preparations are looking good and it is a good turnout.”
Strathpuffer 2025 is set to take place at Contin Forest on Saturday and Sunday.
Strathpuffer was first established in 2005 and was meant to be a one off event, but with the exception of years affected by Covid, has run every year since.
Peart says it has a reputation worldwide and welcomes cyclists from across the planet looking to conquer the 24-hour challenge.
He said: “We have always been in a fortunate position that the Puffer has been regarded as one of the bucket list events that people know they need to do.
“There was an article written a few years ago that it is potentially the hardest mountain bike race in the world. But it attracts a certain type of mountain bike masochists that want to come and do it.
“The event has a really good feel to it and much of that is created by participant. But we have an amazing group of marshals, they created an atmosphere that is unique and the feedback we get from the riders confirms that. It gives an ejection into the economy and hopefully everyone benefits from the event when it is and where it is.”
Cyclists will look to complete as many laps as possible.