Beaver front. 2.1 Ron rear is what I’d do.

Currently at the site. Keeps raining on and off.

Course looks sketchy as fuark, lots of fireroad followed by steep loose rooty descents. The only xc course I’ve seen catch netting!

Having watched that video glad we went to the Lakes and rode the Sam Houghton instead.

I did the race this morning on the video, it was horrific – that was my team mate in the national champions jersey, if it can put him on his arse then something is not right!

The organisers did a good job on keeping it running but I do wonder if an alternative ‘poor weather’ course might be a good idea.

Out of the four of us riding I think we all crashed at least three times each, one dislocated a shoulder, I destroyed a front wheel when I put my foot through it as a guy rode into me, and another ripped his suspension lockout off.

I was really, really pleased to see the finish line!

Does anyone know if anyone got round without crashing?

Hi Ferrals, yeh, it was a great venue – just let down by the weather! I rode the B line on that first descent as it was jammed with bodies first time round but it was also unrideable – I thought it was just my poor skill level but everyone I spoke to at the finish said the same, it was just a longer walk!

I also rode on Saturday and while it was all okay to ride it was definitely not straight forward by any means. If you’ve got a gap in racing have a look at the next Midlands XC round as its close and a good venue.

The other one to look at if its not too far is the FNSS MTB series on a Friday night, it’s short racing (less than an hour), pretty intensive but good fun and very relaxed, they are on most Friday nights but more East Midlands based. Iain.

I used my Superfly HT with Mud x’s last weekend at Builth Wells rather than the FS Top Fuel with Ron’s on. Did the first lap on the Saturday on the HT and I just felt I had a bit more control (or less out of control!) in the slippy conditions.
Although nothing really worked last weekend I was pleased with my choice of HT over FS but don’t think I would have done the same if the HT was on 26” wheels. In my simple world I think 29” wheels are worth about a mile an hour over 26” wheels so that is a lot to recover.
If the course is smooth and not technical however you might have a slight advantage on the small size HT bike.
Not sure if that’s any help or not!

Well, I crashed – if that’s what you mean 🙂

Was in 2nd place in vets & lost it on the quarry section, 3hrs into the 6hr & landed on my back. Trip to A&E & suspected cracked rib & vertebrae, which I think has just turned out to be heavy bruising. Sketchy as hell with all that rain. Fun in places though & great atmosphere, as usual.

So I finally committed to a race type thingy: http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/mobile/vitus-bikes-rapide-29-hardtail-bike-2016/rp-prod135379

Have you test ridden one of those?

I don’t know whether its the frame alone or a combination of frame plus stock wheels, but there is a lot of lateral flex in it for a race machine. I would imagine most – if not all of it is from the stock wheelset though given my experience of off the shelf XC 29er bikes.

It looks awesome in the flesh mind.

The autist in me cannot be stopped from asking about your AC races which I thought were 1459g and would therefore save 341g?

Anyhoo enjoy your new HT! Looks a great spec for the money.

Adsh – you are correct in my head I had 1250g. Even better value as I used the BC discount to get it to £1377. I was a bit impulsive but the more I think about it I’m buying into a better geo also, it should give me more confidence. I’m going to keep the Anthem for 24’s / social but save up for a 120mm Reba and appropriate headset to slacken it into a better all rounder (it currently 71 ha), with the Vitus being FRO. I’ll also be moving a Mt zoom carbon bar and kcnc stem from my 26er, quaxar rotors are on the AC’s already, probably will get a kcnc seat post, oval ring and I need the AC hub conversion as well. The list never ends!

Ferrals, what Adsh said. If you remember I went through 3 phases of chest infection from December ’14 to March ’15 becuase i didnt rest, you don’t want that.

FFS. I started well claiming second on the sprint start up Hog Hill (12%) onto the first grassy trail – then caught sight of riders on my inside, drift wide in case of contact when I should have held my line and slid part way down a grass bank. I then had a torrid next 2 laps with loud gasping breathing and chest hammering being passed by more riders, before I calmed on the third (slower) lap following a rider, which I then took and put 1:20 on in two laps to finish 11th. Weirdly, my last lap was only 3 secs slower than the first, but the middle two 20 seconds slower. But again I’m +1 laps and going backwards in performance.

Sigh.

I did manage to identify and said hello to ADSH, good to meet him at last.

Vets here. I was the bloke in red charging up the hill left hand side on the start. 8)