I’m racing tomorrow at Frith Hill. We’ve had a lot of rain and it promises to be very wet tomorrow.

The bike is currently wearing Rocket Rons, I’m wondering if I ought to change at least the front to a Nobby Nic?

Don’t worry about it, it really doesn’t make much of a difference.
You’ll be surprised how dry the course is tomorrow; the chaps at Gorrick know what they’re doing.

😆

Cheers.

I have just been up there and ridden some of the course. Currently very dry, even dusty in places, there are a couple of puddles, but you can ride around them all. I was on Small Block 8 tyres and they were fine.

The forecast for tomorrow looks to be a bit wet. I don’t think there has ever been a proper wet race a Frith Hill before, so not really sure how it will hold up to lots of rain and riders. Generally it is a fairly hard surface that drains well, and no clay, so I think it will be okay. I would imagine a few more roots will appear and a few sections will get cut up. Personally I would stick with the Rocket Rons, as there will be lots of sections where speed is more important than grip.

You’ll be surprised how dry the course is tomorrow

Dry as in like the Somme? God that was a mudfest and a half today

Yeah speed really helped today! Anyway my bike handling crashing skills got a good workout. Running was faster in some sections whatever tyre you had.

I popped down today to watch some of the racing, and I can honestly say I’ve never seen it that muddy there.

It was a bit of a mud-fest wasn’t it.
Personally I rather enjoy these conditions as they provide a decent bike skills challenge and am proud that I didn’t crash once despite many slithers.
Handily I had a 2.4 xr4 on the front at 15psi (riding rigid SS so needed the cushoining). Turned out to be a good tyre to have on in those conditions.
More fun than staying at home anyway.

Yep that was hard work! Actually got worse when the rain stopped and the mud started to clag up, I was on RR front and mudx rear, wouldn’t have fancied a dry conditions tyre for 85% of that. The mass soaking on the start straight was probably the worst bit though!

Crumbs! That was tricky. Rocket Rons here and didn’t crash although I had to unclip up all those little dips. Managed all the long climbs at least once.
Note to self- don’t bother with a sighting lap next time it’s so mucky 😀
Balls and balance seemed more important than skill today although some of the women were fantastic through that last section!

The start straight was mental. Like bombs going off in the puddles as the field charged through it.

Some of those swoops were pretty heart in mouth.

I finished 02 in Fun Male which means I have to stick to my word and move up to Open at Crowthorn 😉

Rollindoughnut, think I had a chat with you as you finished! Last 3rd of the course was an absolute slitherfest, but really enjoyed it once we settled in. Deeply regretting not pushing harder and wearing my glasses for two laps. Could not see a thing through them!
Had a Nic in front and a Racing Ralph in the back. Don’t think any tyre choice would have helped with grip in those conditions.

I was on RR front and mudx rear, wouldn’t have fancied a dry conditions tyre for 85% of that.

Eh, isn’t that the wrong way around?

Depends I guess, seemed to work for me! Part of the decision may have been based on minimising tubeless faff though….

The mud on that final 1/3 was different wasn’t it. Every lap, as soon as I got there, the massive slides appeared. At one point, I thought I was going to do a 180 lol

I must admit, I had as much wheelspin as I did front end slides. If I’d only had one mud tyre I reckon I too might have put it on the rear.

I had RR front and rear, so most of my cornering was sideways, followed by comedy wheelspinning.

In retrospect, deciding to do the race while nursing a cold probably wasn’t the wisest idea, so after half of the first lap, i just focussed on trying to keep riding smoothly and consistently. Bit frustrating not feeling i could push harder…

Roll on November, might be drier then!

Which cat were you in? Interested in knowing how the course held up over the day.