Bairrada Ultra marathon 150km sounds scary, but in reality it is a fun day out on your bike, simple as that!
MTBcamps crew was on the start line also this year, that took place on May 13th. It is just so awesome event to be part of!
First of all the organization is great and each member makes his/her best to see the smiles on riders´ faces, and they enjoy it and this is so contagious, even if the body is tired and legs scream stop, the emotion is playful and fun, so you just want to continue riding.
The course every year is different, so you kind of know what awaits for you, but also do not. And so each year turns out to be a new adventure out on the mountains, getting to know new places, passing small mountain villages, riding several roman roads, enjoying views that just take your breath away, if you still have it after all the pedaling!
There are feed zones from the organization at the start and finish and each about 25km out on the race course. There is live music, plenty to eat and helpful staff encouraging you to go on! Also you are totally allowed to stop at small village cafes and fountains to get yourself going until the end. At some feed zone stations also mechanics are available, to lubricate the chain or help with any other bike problem you may encounter.
Mostly it is a party on wheels, you celebrate bike riding, being in the nature, finding new friends along the way. In the end of the day you do not want the day to end. So you already book your next year´s weekend of B150!
Days after the race you have tons of beautiful photos on social media. At times it may be a flux of so many photos that it takes time to find all of yours. Photo memories that will remind you of a wonderful day out with so many others celebrating mountain biking!
The most intimidating for a first timer is for sure the length of the race, it is more or less 150 kilometers. But I can ensure you, it is just a number, really! You will just need some couple of hours riding a week to be able to make it, just remember to go at your pace and drink and eat and just enjoy riding your bike! There can be difficult moments, but people all are very encouraging and with this positive vibe the hard parts will be past and what remain is the friendly family of bike riders and photos of the epic day. And many people do it in group of friends, so grab your friend along and go for the adventure, it is an individual ranking in the end, but it is a great way to explore and challenge yourself with a friend, so you get to motivate each other and also be the support for each other. Of course you may opt for 2 or 3 rider teams as well. The race has a category for doubles, each member makes half the course, and for triples, each member makes third. Going for the double or triple ranking means you only get to know half or third of the magnificent course and you do not share the same memories of the course with your team mate(s).
One thing you need to remember is, that it is a GPS guided event, so get familiar with following a track on your device before the event. There are signs and guiding in the difficult turns, but mostly you need to rely on your device or a friend if you have decided to tackle the course together and make some good riding memories!
Many of the participants leave with the notion that "yes, I want to make it again", the joy from the day is much bigger than the pain in the legs!
If now you decided you want to be part of this epic race in Portugal, we have a package specially made for this event and of course a custom riding package is also possible. Just contact us via contact form or directly at e-mail mtbcamps@gmail.com.
Cannot wait for the next edition!!
