EL VINCE
It was time to head south again to the Pyrenees, to take part in The Vince!
Dave Newman
Rocky Road
I have written about this event before, but for those that have not come across it, it is a brilliant off-road navigational challenge that was conceived and organised by the ingenious Austin Vince. If you don’t know him do a little search to find out what he has done and what he is about.
The Vince is essentially a treasure hunt. Austin and his band of hardy riders, plot out checkpoints on Pyrenean mountain trails and then teams of two, three or four riders try to find as many as possible over two, or this year three days. Each checkpoint gets you points and of course points mean prizes.
Er ... which way did you say?
Sounds simple but let me tell you, it ain’t. This year the top team got 97 out of a possible 115 whilst the team at the other end got…… well let’s not embarrass anyone.
The competitive teams must spend a HUGE amount of time preparing maps and notes - I spent, what seemed like an eternity, poring over maps on the computer screen, making notes and printing stuff out but despite that we were nowhere near competitive!
Oh, and if you are contenders, no digital assistance is allowed, the teams kept their phones in sealed envelopes, promising to only use them in dire emergencies. Cheating would NOT be in the spirit of the event.
That was about all I was going to write as I planned to supplement words with pictures of spectacular vistas and some bikes. However, we had a few challenges that required overcoming and we met a few interesting people, so I’m afraid you will have to read on...
Torrid First Days
We started out as a team of two but expanded to four. Alan and Mart were travelling down on their Yamaha T7 Tenere’s, Chip and I in his transit van with his KTM 350 EXC and my old KTM LC4. The boys on their Yams had a torrid first days ride through France with heavy rain and a rear puncture on a brand new tyre.
Smiling through adversity
The next two days it was our turn to experience troubles, self-inflicted and otherwise. The first was a navigational mistake, not great considering the event! We were heading to Pau from Tour and so programmed the sat-nav, well who would have guessed that there was more than one Pau? After a couple of hours of following the arrow on the screen I wondered why there was a range of large hills to our right, which should have been in the west, also the sun was in the wrong place. Turns out we were heading for a Pau the other side of Lyon near the Alps. Several hours wasted there, lesson learned, look at a map before the sat-nav.
The next day should have been a relatively short drive over the mountain, into Spain and downhill to the Vince at Liguere de Cinca but sometimes life isn’t that easy. The poor old transit began to struggle under the load, it has done nigh on 200,000 miles. The steeper the hairpins, the more it struggled. Eventually we had to turn back so at least we could be in a town. Recovery was required and that would not be till the morning. We decided that I would get my bike out and go back over the mountain and Chip would see what could be done with the van.
The next challenge was the starter clutch on my KTM. In all honesty I knew it was on the way out and had ordered a new one. However, time got the better of me and I was hoping it would last till I got back. It didn’t.
Base Camp
Any how it did not stop me getting to base camp.
Liguere de cinca
What a base camp! Austin had out done himself. We were staying in a renovated abbey with a bar and large dining room all big enough for the 150 or so people attending the event.
The only disappointing and worrying thing was that the lake that the venue overlooks was missing, completely, the lack of rain had dried it up leaving a trickle running along the lake bed. Therefore, the local people were pleased that the forecast was rain for the next day - rather selfishly, we weren’t! On the strength of that Martin decided to stay at the resort and complete/submit his assignment for university.
My LC4 is equipped with a kickstart which is on the left of the bike, high up and only works if the sidestand is taken off. Not the easiest on a slippery off camber rocky trail.
After talking to some other riders Alan and I thought we would go to a town 90km away to a bike shop. The bike shop there was reported to be very helpful and friendly and indeed, it turned out to be both of those things, but sadly couldn’t help as a KTM puller was required and he didn't have one.
OK, time for a rethink. Let’s go back and have a go at finding a checkpoint or two before the afternoon ends and see how we get on.
By now the rain was intermittent so we headed for the trails and our first potential checkpoint. If only we hadn’t chosen the goat/mountain trail to find it. Nearly two hours later and sweat pouring out of every pore we got our first point. I decided there and then that attempting another two days of starting my bike in such conditions was not gonna happen.
Hanging round the bar
Thus resigned to hanging around the bar chatting to whoever passed by for two days, I went to the evening meal, where I fell into conversation with Sid. He told me his woes. He had been suffering for some time from an infected insect bite on his leg which made riding his bike too difficult. He couldn’t stand on the pegs without pain and he felt he was holding his team back. He then offered me his bike to use the next day, having only met me minutes before! Such generosity is rare but was gratefully received. So, I was back in the game on a nearly new Honda CRF230 Rally. Then more good news, Chip arrived with a repaired Transit and Martin had submitted his uni assignment. The whole team would be out and the weather was going to be good.
The next two days were great. We found checkpoints, got lost, got found again, did some wonderful trails and did some downright knarly trails. The amazing Sid had decided he couldn’t ride the third day so the bike was mine again - he totally saved the whole adventure for me.
People
One of the best things about the event is the people you meet and spend time with. People come from far and wide to take part. There were teams from Germany and Holland.
I am going to highlight three teams as examples of the essence of the event.
First a father and son team, Richard & Matthew who are English but live in Tabres, France. About 100 miles from the event. I first saw them at the side of the road after I rode across from France. Richards 1966 Triumph 3TA had gone BANG and was no more. Not to be deterred he’d phoned his mate who was bringing an old 600 Tenere with bald tyres and a dubious front brake as a replacement. He was less upset about the Triumph than he was about not being able to compete in the twin shock class that they were hoping to win. That is only half the story. Matthew was riding a Yamaha XS 750 shaft drive with knobbly tyres. He had bought it cheap and thought it would be good for the twin shock class. Turns out it would have been as he managed to hustle the monster over the mountains for three days. Bouncing off the floor several times but bike and rider got up and carried on.
Nice
Next were the guys that did come a long way, I mean a LONG way. From Shetland. For Graham & Christopher (Old Zetland Greys) it required: a twelve hour ferry to Aberdeen, drive to Plymouth, second ferry to Roscoff, drive through France and over the mountains, do the event, then turn round and go back! Over 1600 miles each way. They were on old Kawasaki KL 250’s, in fact when they left Shetland they only had one. The green one was bought via ebay in Shrewsbury on the way down. These are people that REALLY WANT to do the VINCE.
The third mention goes out to the pair who did the whole thing on their Monkey Bikes in their Monkey Suits - utterly brilliant!
Good Times
Before I finish I want to mention our team mate Alan. Whilst we were away it was his first anniversary without drinking, we celebrated in the bar of course where he bought us a beer. Well done Alan, your round next time.
And one more BIG thank you to the fantastic and generous Sid.
Have a look at these if you think you might want to join the fun:
Good Times 1
Good Times 2
Any comments on Dave's latest adventure - fancy trying it out yourself or have you done it before yourself? This one sounds as though it was a challenge! Let us know your thoughts at
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