I’m assuming it’s a well drained course, so I might get away with light summer tyres?

I know the course will be in part new, but just going on previous experiences…

I’m planning on taking ardent front and ardent race rear, with a shorty and beaver as backup.

*bump*

And will I be cursing a 30/32 bottom gear? (26″)

*bump*

And will I be cursing a 30/32 bottom gear? (26″)

I’m taking a 29er with 30×50 and a 27.5er with 32×42. Bothering the podium, I shan’t be…

I rode it singlespeed 33/21 and apart from one climb near the pit area it was all rideable every lap, not a tough lap at all.

Tire wise Bontrager XR2 front and rear never missed a beat.

Wow:

I’d heard there was lots of steepness on another thread.

I may start another…

When I was fit and podiuming at Relentless I used 32×36 as my lowest. That was fine, the steep bits are short. There are big climbs in it that just go on forever, which I think is why you got the impression from the other thread that harder gears would be bad.

The corse is mostly trail centre and fire road but there will be some newly cut slop in it somewhere. Summer-ish tyres would be fine, I used either two Rocket Rons or a Racing Ralph with a Nobby Nic front.

Was that solo Luke?

No flipping way. Pairs with a longest stint of 6 hours.

For solo I’d at least consider a lower gear, but if you haven’t got one you will live.

But if it’s singlespeed-able…

If you do singlespeed it, you’re guaranteed a top 10 finish, at the moment…

Sorry, bit late to the thread, as not spotted it until now.
As per @munrobiker, expect mostly trail centre hardpack with the odd bit of off piste slipperiness.
I’ve used Conti XKings both times with no regrets, and last year my partner went with Ralphs front and rear. Imo anything more than an XC race tyre (in a protected sidewall variant) is overkill and just wasting lap time.

cynic-al – Member
But if it’s singlespeed-able…

By special people who think gears are for whimps and everything can be ridden singlespeed

My plan is 2.25 Ardents on the quick bike, 2.0 Spesh Mud tyres on the backup bike. Never done relentless before so have no idea if this is best. Considering my current fitness levels I’m confident it’ll make next to no difference 🙂

I can only remember two sections last year that had any mud. You could walk one in a couple of minutes and the other in a couple of seconds if you had to. I used a Conti XKing on the front and a RaceKing on the back. I’ll start with XKing front and back this year but take my Thunderburts just in case.

So, how’d y’all do?

Bailed after 3 laps, just wasn’t feeling good at all even on lap 1.

Maybe next year…

just wasn’t feeling good at all even on lap 1

Is that otherwise known as “tried to single-speed it and was hiking from lap 1”? 😛

If not, well, you must be a bit gutted. Takes a fair bit of preparation to do an event like that, so to have to bail early is a real downer.

Next year it’s the worlds Al 😉

You did better than me, I tried a sighting lap on Friday afternoon, quickly became apparent that my injury from a couple of weeks ago (tore a 10 stitch sized hole in my knee) wasn’t healed enough, so had to bail (the results sheet will show I did two laps, that wasn’t me, I lent a mate a bike and my dibber.

Gutted, but gonna do a 24 hour race next year, if not WEMBO…

Heh Andy, nope, geared, rode it all and loved the laps, just dehydration headache.

I hadn’t prepared much at all bar food/packing so I wasn’t too gutted to bail.