A pal & I raced men's pairs last year and had a great time – possibly the best event & course (& weather) that I attended in 2009. However we were not on the ball and we came 10th.
This year, barring injury, we're looking for a top 5 (5th actually!) placing.

Anyone else?

Missed the last few due to being on holiday and stuff but this year I'm part of a four man team and I've recently learn't that we're doing it on single-speeds. Hmmm, 😕 I don't remember it being referred to as a one gear endeavour when I signed up to the team. Oh well, should be fun.

I'm doing it as a team of 4.
2 are considering SS. I'm not.

Signed up for it this year – what's the course like?

I'm used to SSMM mudfests and have a choice of a alfined hardtail or a FS, which would be the better bet?

Saccades – I've always used my full sus, because up until this year it's all I've had!
Plenty use a HT though.

The course last yr was changed quite drastically at the last minute becuase of the rain, but it was still a great course.
Couple of steep hills (one road climb), nothing too technical, couple of tricky rooty sections that caught me out.

I'm doing it…

We're doing pairs 12hr.. both SS

Also doing Mayhem 🙁

did it solo last year. that was a bit to hard.

so i'm on a fun team this year; 8)

Signed up for it this year – what's the course like?

I'm used to SSMM mudfests and have a choice of a alfined hardtail or a FS, which would be the better bet?

solo or team?

i rode it solo on a hardtail and although it was fine i can imagine the rooty bit being just that bit easier with a bit of extra traction at the back; when it comes to those witching hours.

Did the 'Torchbearer' 12 hour solo last year and it was great, despite being relatively wet.

Just doing a 12 hour pair this year with scottishbadger, should be good, probably do alright!

However we were not on the ball and we came 10th.
This year, barring injury, we're looking for a top 5 (5th actually!) placing.

I'm not in the same sort of class as you guys, but I'll be trundling round gently looking at the flowers and stuff and having a friendly chat with anyone who'll put up with me.

On the susser/hardtail front, it all depends doesn't it. An Anthem is a full suspension bike, so is a Patriot… There's nowt tech on the course, or there wasn't last year, so I'd simply ride whatever you're happiest, fastest and most comfortable with. Or that would be my rank amateur take on it anyway.

However we were not on the ball and we came 10th.
This year, barring injury, we're looking for a top 5 (5th actually!) placing.

An extra 5 laps over last year? 25% further? Unless you were really not 'on the ball' last year that's a massive ask!

I'd say light FS for Newnham every time, there's some flat rooty bits you can just sit and churn through on an FS where you'd be out of the saddle on the HT.

This will be my first (and probably last) 24hr solo, am in no way going to be racing. Hoping I can ride for most of it though.

Bike wise – I will be on the full suss, but may take the hardtail for a change of position to fool body and mind.

Doing it as a solo 12hr (not Torchbearer) this year, having been part of a 4 team for the last 2 years. It's just a really fun event. I don't so much 'race' as 'participate' 😛

I will be using as much technology as I can in the form of gears and suspension 😉 – SC Superlight seems to be ideal for most things. Even wet last year it was nowhere near the clagfest that Mayhem (nearly) always turns into.

Doing it as a solo 12hr (not Torchbearer) this year

Aah you see, Torchbearer was a smaller field, so it was easier to do well, cunning!

It held up well last year, I rode the whole thing on Rons.

it was hardly wet last year – I rode for 12hrs with a racing ralph on the back an I'm ususally a wimp when it comes to tyre choice.

that being said the "full" course from the year before was a bit better so I hope it stays dry this year

doing 12hr solo again – hoping to "smash" into the top 10 after coming 11th last time (and 16th the time before that)

If the training continues unaffected by injury then I see 5th being feasable.

An extra 5 laps over last year? 25% further? Unless you were really not 'on the ball' last year that's a massive ask!

What you fail to see is last year's pdf – one of us fell asleep for 4hrs after puking for Britain at 3am when laps should have been ridden.

It'll damn near kill me / us, but we're both of the same mind set & I think we can improve a little over last year, not get sick & so I think clinching 5th would, with a combined age of over 100, be a real achievement.

29HT for me, although I'll have the 4 inch Turner Flux with me if I feel the body is getting a little tired / battered.

So you did, didn't notice the 5 hour lap time.

Good for you, nice to have something to aim for.

Not helped by not having a pit crew but having instead in tow my 14yr old Lab and a 12yr old other dog (TriColourCardiganCorgie X Collie) who both needed looking after, so I never managed more than 15-20 mins rest per 2 laps. That w/end's racing & experience prompted me to try the 24hr solo championships in May, which again, I was very pleased with, all things considered.

Humm, sounds like the FS is the way to go then, it's a Merida LRS which is pretty suited to this kinda endurance stuff (well until it met the clag at SSMM).

Yeah I'd take that.

I've entered as a pair in the torchbearer with a mate, this will be my first mtb event of any kind. I did go as a support to my mate at the 24hr champs in May but didn't compete, should be interesting 🙂

I'll be there again, 3rd time soloing the 24 on a SS at Newnham, will be trying not to crash and knacker my ribs on lap 1 like last year. Can't wait however I just need to get Megavalanche over and done with first!

I'm doing my first ever 24 solo.

All was going well, hoping for a 10 top finish but I've been off the bike for 6 weeks with heart problems and only just getting back on the bike next week – I don't know for sure how this is going to go. Now I think I'll be happy to be fit enough to turn up and simply finish.

I'm just aiming to finish, if I can get somewhere in the top 66.6% of the field that will be a huge bonus. I did the 12-hour solo last year and really enjoyed it, though I can't say that I was rapid, but that's not really what it's about, is it?

Nope, just having fun. And getting some miles in for the Kielder 100… 😐

Team of 4 for me.

Aim is to not be quite so obviously slower than the rest of my team.

I'd like the course to revert back to how it was the year before – much more enjoyable – last year they did some crazy magic trick and seemed to devise a course that had more ups than downs!

As for bike, I'm going for FS this year – just a little more comfortable over such a long race. Though if you're serious about racing I think hardtail makes sense as the main hill is quite long and you'll appreciate the drop in weight.

The problem last year was that the biggest descent was that dead straight fireroad, such a waste of all the climbing!

Team of 4/5 for me on the 24 hour. Its my fave race weekend of the year (not that i do more than 4 or 5 a year). Did 12 hour solo last year and pairs the year before that. To say I'm looking forward to it is a massive understatement.

Oh and if you have a light fs then take that but as i don't I'll be using the 29er ht.

njee20 your forgetting the fantastic cottage decent with the bombhole at the start of it, my fave part of the course by far 😛

im in for the 12hour solo (day start) really looking forword to it

Racing my first 12hr solo in the Torchbearer. Would have rather have been racing in daylight but left it too late to enter. It'll give me some experience of night racing I guess, which is needed as I want to do Relentless24 solo later in the year.

Will be riding my steel hardtail (geared) as it's the only thing I got!

Did it last year for the first time (mens pairs) and entering this year in the same category. Different partner as the mate from last year can't do it. Wasn't too far off a top ten last time, so the challenge is there!

njee20 your forgetting the fantastic cottage decent with the bombhole at the start of it, my fave part of the course by far

Not forgetting it, after 13 laps last year I can remember pretty much of all it! I just said that the most height was lost in the dead straight descent before the sharp RH bend, which was a bit of a shame.

Am soloing again this year Tim – really looking forward to it!!!!!