Well – do I need either a CX bike or a hard tail 29er? I have used my 27.5 full susser with narrower tyres pumped up fairly hard, but somehow the old N+1 is playing on my mind?

Hard tail 29 gets my vote, definitely more comfy for the HONC, ultimately a well ridden cross bike is quicker – the first two guys home in the 100k were on cross bikes but they would have been quick on anything. I used Thunder Burt’s and never felt disadvantaged to the cross riders, much easier and faster on the downhill bits.

But then again, get both 🙂

I’m doing it on a Scott Spark 29er if that helps.

Dogsby

Cx bike is almost certainly the quickest way round. I purchased a 29er hardtail specifically for these type of events (I love them) after fitting some better tyres and wheels as well as setting up tubeless it feels like the perfect all day mile muncher. Would fancy doing it on a full suspension bike again to
Be honest

Cx bike is almost certainly the quickest way round. I purchased a 29er hardtail specifically for these type of events (I love them) after fitting some better tyres and wheels as well as setting up tubeless it feels like the perfect all day mile muncher. Would fancy doing it on a full suspension bike again to
Be honest

Did it on a rigid 26er last year but will be doing it on a GT Grade this time. Anything rigid I reckon is good fun for the Honc. Can’t wait to see how the Grade handles it.

For me,having ridden it on all manner of bikes,definitely a CX. Basically it’s faster but more importantly it’s much more fun – HONC courses aren’t really technical so the CX is much more fun on the off road bits and much nicer on the road.

I’ve done it on HT, FS & CX. CX would be my choice.

CX for the HONC is the traditional choice .

Next time I do it a Cannondale Slate will be top of the list .

I’m doing HONC on my 26″ wheeled Orange 5 because……..I can 😀

And its my only bike lol

Quickest would be the CX (for HONC specifically – there’s lots more road in that than something like HOTS) but most fun? Not for me, I’d go with a short-travel FS 29er and lock it out when on the road.

Did it two years ago on a CX and last year on a 29er hardtail not sure this year! Will be on my fat bike just to make it a bit harder or possible my CX bike!!

Thanks to all responders-much appreciated! looks like a trip to Merlin this weekend then…… 😀

FWIW, my first and fastest HONC was on the least suitable bike in awful conditions – 1998 on a Marin B17 (6″ travel at the rear…) – so really it’s down to your legs/lungs.

Have rode it on 26 fs and 29 fs and the last two years a hardtail 29.
By far the hardtail was the best.
Nice and light,forks locked out on the road and coped on the rough tracks better than the cx where many were walking.
Max

They were just lame then 😉 I’ve never walked anything on a HONC on my CX 😉

I had to lol at CX being the traditional choice. I remember going with you nemesis. You had your Scott, I had my CX bike, and people kept coming up to me confused about what sort of bike it was. I suppose that was 15 years ago now…

I agree – when I did my first HONC in 1998, Andy mentioned that he’d ridden it on his CX once (actually a road bike with CX tyres…) and that kind of stood out as there were next to no CX bikes there that year and as I’d never been on a CX then, I thought he was mad (though he finished third…)

It’s only really since the mid 2000s that CX bikes have become noticeably popular.

I first rode HONC on a mountain bike – I’m fairly sure Barrie Clarke was also on a mountain bike rather than a crosser. That would have been sometime in the late 90s.

When I last rode a few years ago on a CX bike I didn’t walk anything and after being right at the back of the field because somebody ran into me in the bunch I was overtaking people on sussers on the downhills. Sure it might not be the best on the washboard, but there’s not huge amounts of that, but it works fine on anything else. Though if it’s really dry like it was the previous time I rode I’ll be on the full-sus (lockout both ends for the road bits and lighter than most people’s hardtails, so almost as fast as the CX bike on the smooth bits).

How about steel framed CX with flat bars? Added speed and control at the same time, as handling and braking are both improved over a classic CX layout. Certainly will be quicker on the road than any MTB and will cope with off-road surprisingly well if shod with wise tyres.
Would suggest building up a Genesis Croix de Fer, carbon fork and generally MTB kit.

Just get a Salsa ti Fargo – fast enough, capable enough, and then you can go ride the Tour Divide next year.

I’m riding a singular kite. It will be fast on he road, slow on the few tricky down bits. Good in the mud, bumpy if it’s dry. I might try and go tubeless….

…..Let’s face it it’s not going to be dry this year unless it stops raining now!!

Seems like the worst of both worlds – still lots of aero drag yet just as inappropriate tyres for the really bumpy bits. Have you ridden HONC? Can’t think of much if any where you need particularly good handling. Does make me think that maybe a drop bar monster cross would be good.

But then a lot of this discussion is missing the point – a CX bike is good because it’s actually more fun (with the right attitude) to be riding something slightly inappropriate off-road, provided you are confident about riding the off-road bits on one.

Yep, that’s certainly my take on it – the few bits that actually warrant a mtb are perfectly rideable on a CX and much more fun than on a mtb on which they’re rather tame.

YMMV of course and I have noted that as a bigger rider, I do find riding rough trails on a CX bike less difficult than some smaller riders.

https://up.opencycle.com

That looks cool though for me, if I was riding trails that warranted proper mtb tyres I wouldn’t want to be on drop bars.

Barrie Clarke did do it on an MTB. To give you an idea of how much quicker a CX bike is. I rode around with him on mine 🙂

Yeah but you still got lost, didn’t you? 🙂

I’m not very big, and used to be distinctly on the light side – as I said before it’s about having the right attitude. The trick I reckon being to “ride light” ie don’t sit like a sack of potatoes. Though I’m sure just plowing through it all works too 😉

Test rode a Slate today and will be getting one between now and next years HONC

I remember the days when everyone used to just turn up on the day with whatever bike was working and have a nice ride round the countryside.
Now it seems to be about getting your entry in the 30 seconds it’s on line, aimlessly procrastination about which bike would be ” fastest” then not turning up because your neighbours dog has shit it’s basket.
Sign of the time innit. 😐