ABCD - it's a 24 hour event, sleep deprivation is part of the fun :-/
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Mountain Mayhem - Strategy and advice for race virgins
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Posted 2 years ago #
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The three lessons that have stuck with me since my first attempt at a 24 hour race are:
- No matter how tired you are after you finish a night lap, drink water before crawling into your sleeping bag.
- No matter how bored you are while waiting to do a night lap, eating a slice of bread shortly before riding is not a good idea.
- In the morning you may feel crap but you'll feel better once you're on your first daytime lap of the day. Unless you've seriously dehydrated yourself by ignoring (1) and spend the lap puking and dry retching...
Except for the traumas implied above, the tactics of changing riders after each lap in the order 1, 2, 3, 4 but splitting into two pairs for the night and riding 1, 2, 1, 2, 3, 4, 3, 4 seemed to work for us.
Posted 2 years ago # -
I'm about to pop my cherry on this years MM, so quite keen to read and digest some of this advice
Posted 2 years ago # -
Don't enter, pay then ask for a refund as this will really **** off the organisers
Not doing MM this year as I've done 12 or 13 24hr events and now retiring!
Posted 2 years ago # -
Dave are you doing MM?! Good man! whats your team name?
Posted 2 years ago # -
I've been on the winning team twice and 2nd at 5 other attempts.
What works best for me is ABCD,ABCD etc. all the way through including the night, I grab 1/2 hr kip inbetween laps even in the day during the 1st laps, eat a little in between each and get in fresh kit for every lap so you don't get cold and sweaty.
We've tried 1 on 1 off all night, was really hard and lap time suffer in morning. tried double laps at night, also really bad, tried double laps two on two off, Oh my god, what a stupid idea that was!
Have a lap board up at camp with time in and time out on it, also a couple of helpers to get riders to the start on time and take warm jackets etc saves the riders having to think too much, a bonus in my case! also if you can have a mate come along to wash bikes or whatever, this saves a load of time and gives you more opportunity to rest.
Every year I say never again then 2 day later am thinking of ways to go faster.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Hello fellow mm riders i too will be doing it again this june !
MUD MUD MUD .............
last year i came through the finish dressed as a woman just for the crack !!(in pink)
my question to all is or does anyone know where or who filmed the end of the race still can't find it (online)!!!!!and please can i ask all who are up for a crack to enter the DRAG RACE its a good laugh (you get to wear the mrs old clothes or new lol) and prizes for the winner plus you can have a beer whilst waiting to race
Posted 2 years ago # -
Get a helper. In fact, get a team of helpers. One of our team was ill and so ended up pit bitching for us instead in 2008. He said it was harder than riding - constantly washing bikes, lubing bikes, replacing components, cooking for 24hrs.
I'd agree on the A B A B A B C D C D C D at night. We usually start this at 10pm, run pair one until 2am, then pair two 2am - 6am. Being in pair two really sucks as you have to get up at 2am and then can't sleep at 6am when you finish...
Out team takes this:
All my kit, a big water container on wheels (essential), big cooking tent, 1.5" Schwalbe Mud Sharks for when it rains, recovery drink, energy drink, bananas, ham, bread, rice pudding, jam, Haribo, salad, cereal, milk, personal tent, sleeping bag, roll mat, Dirtworker (although with Mayhem mud you may as well piss on the bike with one of these), Petrol powered jetwash (copes with Mayhem mud rather well), spare tyres/pads/wheels/helmet/shoes/bars, gels, energy bars, lighting for the main tent, generator (although we've been hooked up to the arena supply recently), huge flag for marking where you've left your bike after the run, LIGHTS, charger, paddling pool (works great as an ice bath recovery dip), lap timing board.
I've now done something like 20-25 12&24hr races, 15 with the same team, and still love it. Last year we managed to podium at Mayhem and SITS - this year I want to win a King of the Night... We've got it pretty polished after 6 years of racing together. You can bet one someone having a crash and wrecking the bike at some point. Last year, our team got through a set of wheels and a pair of bars. The unpredictability makes these events what they are.
One thing you will definitely need is a sense of humour for when it rains. Yes, it's crap. Yes, you're going 5mph. Yes, you've had to run with your bike more than ride, but so is everyone else and it's just brilliant.
GB
Posted 2 years ago # -
team 'Rivygrit' Neil
Posted 2 years ago # -
For the night laps, don't to forget to fit the biggest
brightest rear light you can find...
Posted 2 years ago # -
Year go on they love it when you use a rear light
Posted 2 years ago #
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