Do I take my SS fully rigid as it is light and doesn’t clog or my full suss XC geared bike as it has gears and is more comfortable?

Riding as part of a team with no pretence of racing.

I was originally going with gears but horror stories about mud and maintenance are making me have second thoughts.

Also – any kit recommendations other than spare clothes, towels and tents

Both.
FS for when (if) it’s warm, dry and sunny.
SS for when (not if!) it’s horrible and muddy and claggy.

As I can’t find a singlespeed to buy, I’d recommend geared.

But if I could have found a singlespeed in time, that’s what I’d have taken.

Kit recommendations: mud spikes – 1.5″ if you can find them.

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/inov-8-bare-grip-200-shoes/

that should do the trick, and then get hold of a small childs bike you can run round with to ensure your not breaking the rules and you’ll be going faster than nearly everyone!

spare clothes, towels and tents

spare tent is possibly a bit OTT.

I’d take both but SS if you’re restricted to one bike and are comfortable riding that for as many laps as you’ll be doing.

Its pretty hilly if its ridable I would prefer to ride than walk with a SS.

Both. But if you only have room for one bring the FS.

I ride a FS with lots of those new fangled gear things. I’ve only missed one MM at Eastnor so I’ve done 7(?). The only time it was a problem was the first one when our team of 5 was down to one bike. Since then the mud hasn’t been an issue at all.

both or the singlespeed.

I’d much rather be on a ss thinking ‘i wish i had gears’ in the sun than on a geared bike clogged up with mud thinking i wish the wheels would turn.

5thElefant – Member

I’ve only missed one MM at Eastnor so I’ve done 7(?). The only time it was a problem was the first one when our team of 5 was down to one bike. Since then the mud hasn’t been an issue at all.

Was that 07 by any chance?

Hell of a lot of walking with a SS, I reckon.
Haven’t you got a normal hardtail?

Heavy rain predicted for Saturday 🙁

SS with 32:18 is THE tool for the job

I think I might bring both!

Was that 07 by any chance?

😆 probably.

That looks exactly like the first year.

So that’s about a 1 in 4 of somme conditions then 😀

HaHa ^^^that me^^^ and it was ’07.

ooh, ’07 picking the grass out of hubs, pivots, cranks… what fun

pyekid – Member

HaHa ^^^that me^^^ and it was ’07.
Here you go mate

TBH 5thElefant I only took pictures round the finish area and the mudbombhole as I couldn’t be arsed to walk anywhere else and the horror of my night lap was still vivid

All this talk of mud I tell thee tis nowt but rumour, will be bright sunshine & dry conditions all weekend ………… pretty pleeeeese 🙁

Looking at the pic of the mudbombhole I’d take flippers and a snorkel!

A mate when up to the course the other day to take a quick peek, it’s already pretty muddy! 🙁

Just take the SS with an 18t sprocket. Take a 20t too just so you know its there in case, but don’t use it.

The New Forest guys and gals will be there in force, we are the ones wearing the sumo suits. Could be absorbent in the rain 🙁 can you book some sun for the Big Bike Bash to make up ,please

I’m only 30 miles away, yesterday everywhere was a swamp. Today it’s all dried out again.

I wouldn’t pack the snorkel just yet.

I’m only 30 miles away, yesterday everywhere was a swamp. Today it’s all dried out again.

You’ve seen the forecast for Thursday, Friday and Saturday, I suppose? Looks like it’ll be the worst one in a good few years.

You’ve seen the forecast for Thursday, Friday and Saturday, I suppose? Looks like it’ll be the worst one in a good few years

I’ve been watching the forecast for a couple of days and it’s changed from monsoon to showers. Which is exactly what happened last year.

This was Friday last year:

I’m quietly optimistic. My snorkel is packed already though.

Lovely here today. I’ll wave at the course from our night ride later. I did one lap last year as a “guest” of a team and reckon that’d be hard work on a SS. I’m nowhere near as hardcore as Dave360 tho 😉

I’ll be there on Saturday. No bike tho. But with wellies 🙂

What FS is it? This is significant. Neither my Heihei or my 5 have any issues there in the mud.

My Endorfin just clogged and stopped moving. As did my Nicolai.

The On-One was fine though, provided you stopped every 400m to scrape the worst of the mud off.

Scott Strike Team Issue from 2000. Old but reliable. Carbon frames don’t fail!

What FS is it? This is significant. Neither my Heihei or my 5 have any issues there in the mud

Which years? It was only muddy in 2004 and 2007.

Scott Strike Team Issue from 2000. Old but reliable. Carbon frames don’t fail!

That’s what I had last year. Then I broke the frame in a crash 😆 – ironically the only aluminium component – the E-type mount. I punched it off the frame with my ankle.

I don’t remember, I am probably thinking of SITS anyway since I’ve done more of those.

Nicolais don’t have much mud clearance, do they? At least, my mate’s Helius CC didn’t.

Yep, the Nicolai’s got minimal mud clearance. One of the reasons I’m likely to sell it (though I keep putting it off).

I don’t remember, I am probably thinking of SITS anyway since I’ve done more of those.

I’ve done every SITS at Catton. The muddiest (I only remember one bad one) was nothing compared to a muddy Eastnor. That was our best result – sneaked into the top 1/4 🙂

5th – I had the base carbon model I bought in 1998 and do you know what – I broke the alu mech hanger off. Scott replaced it without question but could ‘only’ give me a second hand unbuilt Team Issue frame as the model was no longer available.

Nice warranty

My bro broke the swing-arm on his. Again, replaced without question (and not a carbon part again). Scott are very good.

Which is why I replaced it with a Spark.

My lad has a strike and my old swinging arm is on standby just in case 🙂

FS with skinny mud tyres IMO. I rode through several of the deluges and claggy mud years at MM with no problem other than some minor chain suck. I wouldn’t have swapped for a SS if you paid me – at least half and probably more of the guys I saw with SS were pushing them up the climbs because they either had no traction or they were geared too high to grind through the sludge. At least the SSs were relatively light to push/carry I suppose 🙂

Did MM’s for 4 years (2004-2007) all geared & apart from the first one which was really bad I can’t remember walking any of it.As above the SS’s were mainly being pushed or carried when I’d seen them….As above(again)mud tyres & watch out for numpties that can’t ride in mud.I’m no riding god but some people are terrible & will fall off at the first sign of mud or a anything that even looks like a descent….

That reminds me. I broke the aluminium swing arm and that was replaced without question too.

I broke my Scott G-Zero swingarm at MM (2003) and the Scott racing team gave me a free replacement (that luckily they had with them) there and even fitted it… Shame the rest of the frame broke a couple of years later but definitely good service.

I was just walking through the sunshine thinking rigid, hardtail or full suspension, all with gears, if we get the promised rain. Spent last week building up the FS (pretty unsuccessfully) but it does go now, but had to nick bits off the HT and don’t know whether to spend tonight remaking the HT or just take the FS and be done with it.

Soma_Rich Wrote:
Its pretty hilly if its ridable I would prefer to ride than walk with a SS.

Not really that bad – I’ve riden it solo a few times now and often do a big chunk of the laps on a singlespeed (especially in the night when you’re not going that fast anyway and you can get away with being half asleep if there are no gears to monitor). All the hills are rideable on the SS with a bit of umpf, especially if you’re in a team and can have a rest after each lap.

Having said that, what used to be called the Kenda climb is a bit of a long haul on an SS and I was happier last time after I changed from 32:16 to 32:18 and once it really started to rain heavily then the climb wasn’t do-able on any bike gears or not so at least the SS was lighter to carry up!

Not going this year – might do a fast blast round some local woods in a break in the weather and think of you all.

Badger