I noticed the usual 1630 cut off for last lap but you then have to be back by 1715. Last year it was 1730 I’m sure as I just made it in. Means you would have to do last lap in 45mins if you just made cutoff. It does say course largely unchanged, I assume it’s the same as last year and not shorter. Anyone else notice this or remember this about last year?

It’s been an hour for the last 3 years (no idea about the notes/briefing, never bothered to read them 🙂 ), but don’t they usually extend the cut-off time once they’ve worked out the lap times – ie it’ll be slower if wet.

You are correct, last year you could go to 7.5hrs if you made the cut off.
Praying for dry weather – walkers path could be ‘interesting’ if wet.

It’s been an hour for the last 3 years (no idea about the notes/briefing, never bothered to read them ), but don’t they usually extend the cut-off time once they’ve worked out the lap times – ie it’ll be slower if wet.

The notes from previous years stated an hour, and were an hour on the day. So safe to assume they have tightened things up this year.

Does feel slightly stingy. Except then I remembered it’s still over 7 hours 😆 I’m sure they’ll have their reasons, it should make the “one more lap” decision a lot more clearcut for most, far more of the field can put in an hour-ish lap than a 45-minute lap…

I feel totally prepared- I just finished building wheels for the bike I’m using 😆 Last year, i was on the milling machine at 11pm the night before making the brakes fit so this is a big improvement!

Quarter past does feel reasonable, last time I made cut off by a few minutes, the Glentress 7.5 doesn’t have quite the same ring to it.

I feel totally prepared- I just finished building wheels for the bike I’m using

Me too, thought I’d better oil the chain etc on my HT and discovered that the non-drive-side BB was seized – now got a Saint DS and Hope NDS 🙂

Hmmm, I was basing my target of 8 laps on last year’s cut offs. The maths is harder for seven and a quarter hours…

Emailed tweedlove and the response was this:

“Looking at last years lap times we’ve found that 45 minutes should be adequate to get around the course. That said, we will be monitoring timings on the day, and we will have the possibility to adjust this if we find the set time to be too short for the average rider.”

Which is strange as I took a quick glance down last year’s results and if you take lap 6 times there are about 25 under 45mins (out of about 350 entrants though some didn’t do 6 laps but only 1 of those had a sub 45min 5th lap)

Will see what happens on the day. If you all go slower it might move the cutoff time out a bit which would be a big help thanks 😉

Will see what happens on the day. If you all go slower it might move the cutoff time out a bit which would be a big help thanks

I’ll do my best to help you out with this one 😉

EDIT

What tyres for…

I run an HRII / Ardent Combo pretty much all year. But if its dry I could stick the Ardent on the front and run something a bit mad on the rear like an Ikon.

Tyre choice is hardly likely to change my chances of troubling the podium but my legs might thank me for some easier rolling tyres by my fourth lap.

Switched out my normal DHF 2.5/2.3 combo for Butcher up front and Ground Control at the back. If it stays dry all week might put an Ardent on the front if I can be bothered.

Which is strange as I took a quick glance down last year’s results and if you take lap 6 times there are about 25 under 45mins (out of about 350 entrants though some didn’t do 6 laps but only 1 of those had a sub 45min 5th lap)

Yep. A couple of years ago we made a decision that if I got back with an hour to spare I’d do another lap, if not we wouldn’t. I did and got back with minutes to spare.

FWIW not mega-fit but fit enough to be in the top 20 for the pairs.

I feel totally prepared- I just finished building wheels for the bike I’m using

My shake down ride for one bike was the first lap of strathpuffer.

richmtb – Member

What tyres for…

Jumbo Jims all round. 4.8 in the front, 4.0 in the back for racy lightweightness.

Northwind – so no chance of squeezing past you on any narrow single track then!

Call me a purist, but I think a Seven hour race should be just that. If you are not back by 1700, that lap doesn’t count. None of this mollycoddling folk with cut-off times. Would make watching the last few riders coming down the hill at 1650 much more interesting too.

@tyres – if the course is the same as last year.

If its dry, semi-slick front and rear is viable, although if your a terrible descender like me something like an xking will give a bit more confidence. Really is no need for anything more aggressive.
If its wet, probably still a semi slick in the rear, but more of an intermediate up front.

The course is predominantly hardpack, there are very few sections loose or soft enough for an aggressive knobby tyre to bite into.

The difficulty of the main decent largely comes from it being narrow, bumpy and littered with small roots.

Call me a purist, but I think a Seven hour race should be just that. If you are not back by 1700, that lap doesn’t count. None of this mollycoddling folk with cut-off times. Would make watching the last few riders coming down the hill at 1650 much more interesting too.

Last years King&Queen had a cut off, but it was forgotten about as it would’ve penalised half the field…

For GT7 just ‘ring the bell’ at 4pm, sorted.

hels – Member

Would make watching the last few riders coming down the hill at 1650 much more interesting too.

Yeah but you get the exact same thing at the final cutoff anyway. (I was pretty much last over the line in 2014, one of my favourite racing moments tbh, made no difference if it was 7 hours or 7.30 or whatever.

I don’t think they’ll be using the top steep bit through the trees. Just been up tonight and as far as I can tell/remember where the top is, that chute’s covered with branches,logs etc. Unless they’re planning on clearing it before Saturday or maybe using the bit jusy before it that comes out directly opposite zoom or bust (think it’s called ho-bust). Also I’ve forgotten how much I hate (how bad I am) on the downhill bits,especially the last one along the wall. Riding along the hill on the roots, catching pedals on the hill and the wider bars on the trees. Pray you don’t get caught behind me!

Is it not normal practice to block off all the race sections with logs and branches to stop people riding it outside of race day? It may well be cleared over the coming days.

I don’t think they’ll be using the top steep bit through the trees.

That bit caught me out on the first lap last year, mainly because its very dark and I still had my sunglasses on, it was pretty tricky doing it almost blind!