Hello. Me n couple of friends are doing the ardrock this year for first time.
Any tips on spares and equipment that maybe useful please.

Really looking forward to the weekend.

Beer and pizza money…. 😉

Everyone I’ve spoken to who’s done it have had a lot of punctures, so spare tubes/ tough tyres is a good idea.

Ok, something a little more useful. For the ride take spares as you would for a big day of riding: tube (even if tubeless, as there be rocks!), water (there is an opportunity to refill about half way round, but I tend to take enough for the whole day, typically 2+ litres), spare mech hanger, waterproof, (used mine last year to keep warm from the wind!), and take enough food to keep yourself sensibly fuelled, and the usual assortment of CO2 canisters, pump, tyre levers, spare quicklinks, multitool etc. It would be a long and hilly walk back if you’re not prepared!

Ooh, spare brake pads (I actually lent my spares to a rider half way round a couple of years ago – got them back in the evening)

Oh, and a first aid kit, and hope you don’t have to use it.

Might be overkill, but maybe a whistle.

And, yes, all the above (and more…) is what’s normally in my Camelbak for *any* ride… (now a running joke in the club that people don’t take stuff as I have spares of everything…)

And take a smile – its a great event and you’ll love it!

Cash for a pint in the pub between stage 2 and 3 🙂
P 20 it was scorching last year.

Don’t camp near the toilets. Expect lots of rocks on the trails. Food and beer is expensive. Go for a meal at a local pub.

Don’t camp near the selfish prick with the huskies chained up outside his motor home.

did the Sunday last year. Sat this year. If your behind me shout and ill move aside!!!

Its a great doo. I dont race and are just going for the fun of it. Beer is on tap and the pubs up at reeth are a lot quieter. ques for food were long last year and we got in before the guys got back from the sat racing!

There were loads of people with flats that i saw. Running both tubes and tubeless. Take spare tubes (2) a pump some brake pads and quick links.

Take a jacket. Some of it is very open and if you end up stopping and its bad weather youll regret it.

Money for the pub, get in straight away as it gets busy.

Youll need a gel for that transition between stage 3 and 4.

Either pump your rear tyre up hard or get a dh casing rear tyre.

Only took a bottle, tube and multi tool. They had feed stations.

agree, there were lots of people running 18 psi or other low pressures and these were the folks struggling. Stick 30 in there!

Did they have proper feed stations last year? When I did it in 2015 they just had someone handing out bottles of water after stage 3.

same on the sunday, and a scoop of haribo. At that point i was trying to rub the sweets in my eyes to get the sugar in faster. i was struggling. Actually should have probably started training for this thinking about it.

whats the crack with bike storage?

stick it in a mates van really

OP, Same here first time at the event but doing it with a few mates who’ve been before. Can’t wait!

Use the pubs as much as possible after your own stash goes down as the onsite bar was very expensive Pizzas were good though.
Good lock for bikes as the thieves will target this event now its so popular 🙁

The only feed station last year was after stage 3, cliff bar, some water and haribo from memory

There is one other point you can get water – theres a tap near the pub after stage 2

I ran thicker casings (super gravity – that sort of thing) and upped my pressure

Phone signal was awful for me (Vodafone) on the campsite

Assuming you’re camping then decent bedding – the Friday night was pretty chilly last year (I did have a decent sleeping bag)

Some coins for the showers (think it was a quid last time)

No official bike storage