I’ve never entered a bike race or attempted any feat of endurance, but as this is the big local event where I am I have a kind of half hearted feeling that I might like to give it a go next year..

I’m not really very fit at present, have been driving more than riding the last couple of years, I smoke and drink, don’t ride road..
There are a lot of reasons why I should fail catastrophically

I’ve gotten in about three hours on the singlespeed so far this week, and am planning to increase this a fair bit over the next month or so..
I could probably build up to one 6 – 8 hour ride per week by spring, with a couple of regular, shorter faster rides too

Can I be ready for a 12 hour solo by July?

Yes.
You ride a bit. Have a rest. Ride a bit.
Repeat for 12 hours.

I’ve entered the 24hr solo.
Not entirely sure why.
I think I need a plan…

Id really like to do 12h pairs but cant find a partner… anyone?

Yep I would say so.

Build up the miles on the bike as much as you can and see how you do. Main thing is go and do your best. Its a great event to do.

Yes, plenty of time to get ready for a 12.
Just gradually build up your hours and your weekend long ride. 8 hours is plenty as a longest training ride.

Don’t forget its not all about pedalling, need to make sure your nutrition and kit are dialled in too. You should learn this along the way though.

Might be interested myself, although its a long way to travel. Can anyone give an idea what the course is like?

Fifeandy. Its very good. A coup,e of tough double track climbs, 3/4 variable and fast single track, a coup,e of nice descents with ebedded rocks, dips and rises, a river to cross and a big start/fish area.

In my mind its the best 24.

Looks like ill be doing 12 solo anyway.

Yes. I managed 11th in open men’s 12hr solo this year based on one Tuesday night ride a week and the occasional weekend ride in between childcare. It’s 9 months away!

You’ll be fine, it’s a brilliant event.

Yes – you’ve easily got enough time to be ready.
It’s the best 12/24hr race around imo. It’s got the lot – atmosphere, support, a really fun course, beer, cheese, live music and that proper start-of-summer-get-stuck-in feel. In my mind it feels like a mini holiday with a bike race in the middle.

Yes, the course isn’t hard at all, you’ll be fine & there’s free beer

Enter
Take a picture of the entry and pin it to something prominent
Start a training diary
Buy a turbo
Do base training
Do some long rides
Get comfortable on your bike for a long time
Arrive at start line
Go slower than you want to
Stay slower than you want to
Keep riding
Eat and drink often
Don’t stop other than to change bottles
Break open emergency treats
Start walking up climbs
Don’t stop
Be aware of all the excuses your mind will invent to make you stop
Write something motivational on your top tube
Think about how annoyed you will be if you stop
Place much higher than people in lycra who passed you like you were standing still in the first few hours but gave up.

12hr racing is a feat of mental endurance – both in the discipline to train and the discipline to keep going when you want to stop.

Enter
Take a picture of the entry and pin it to something prominent
Start a training diary
Buy a turbo
Do base training
Do some long rides
Get comfortable on your bike for a long time
Arrive at start line
Go slower than you want to
Stay slower than you want to
Keep riding
Eat and drink often
Don’t stop other than to change bottles
Break open emergency treats
Start walking up climbs
Don’t stop
Be aware of all the excuses your mind will invent to make you stop
Write something motivational on your top tube
Think about how annoyed you will be if you stop
Place much higher than people in lycra who passed you like you were standing still in the first few hours but gave up.

12hr racing is a feat of mental endurance – both in the discipline to train and the discipline to keep going when you want to stop.

This pretty much hits the nail on the head.

It’s a great event, well worth entering.

To add to ADSH’s post, also find some good things to focus on, you can break the 24hrs down.. For example I do this:

a) Start: Annnnd relax…
b) 6pm : I’ve just done a slow “weekend ride” simples
c) 7pm : Dinner (Tea for northerns), plus lights on to maximise time saving
d) 11pm : Enjoy the revellers and beer swillers as you go through camp
e) 12-4pm – the toughest time for me, just look forward to…
f) 5am : a cracking sunrise – its a brilliant time to be out on the bike
g) 8am : mmmmm Bacon, fill your boots…
f) 10am : Only 2 laps to the finish, just do it
h) 11:59:58 – Yes you can do one more lap, don’t rush you just gained lots of places by just getting around.

Go slower than you want to

Would certainly be quite refreshing for me to do a course where this is actually an option.

I’ve signed up for my first 24 solo (done lots of 12 solos and 24 teams). On a fatbike dressed in a sumo suit.

Usual plan is to:
Go out on my bike and have fun whenever I can all year
Turn up
Ride slower than I want and stop for a pint of cider each lap

What can go rong?

I have entered this as my first 12hr solo! I will be like yak, treating it as a bit of a holiday with a race in the middle!

My training plan is currently focused on: riding my bike! I might have to get that nailed down a bit more soon!

I was thinking of trying out a bit of singlespeeding over the winter to build up some strength, but a potential 29er SS sale seems to have fallen through…..and my eye has been taken by a 26″ HT! I am currently persuading myself that going 26″HT will hit the retro niche….and ermmmmm……well I want it! Not sure if I would do 12hrs on it, but I am tempted!

I will try to post here to keep you updated, no matter how badly you think your training is going, it will still be better than mine!

What can go rong?

It could be detrimental to your spellin?

i don’t even get the holiday bit, i only live 10 miles up the road.

Waaaah … so it looks like I’m gonna give it a go then 😯

See you in the beer tent then, I’ll be serving probably 🙂

Fella with the Beard giving out beer at the end?

I set it as my target event this year, I’m 16 stone and not particularly fit or have the latest kit. Rode 2 or 3 times a week into work and if I did it only 2x I went for a spin at the weekend. Did 1 epic 65km spin about 6 weeks before the event to see how i’d manage.

I managed 8th on Torchbearer mainly by not stopping, which would have also gotten me 8th in the day too.

I did a long winded writeup which you might like here: Chunky lad forgets to stop

And this was me incredibly hungover on “practice” lap.

It was so good I’ve entered again, despite knowing with my new job and 1 hour car commute I’ll be no-where near as good.

It’s a great event.

Ride it how you want. If you wanna smash it, You can. If you wanna potter around you’ll have just as good a time.

The biggest fly in the ointment is normally the weather.
Team Piecep has been rained on a lot over the years (we’ve done it since yr 3). Our current tactic for rain is to stop and have a beer….

Fella with the Beard giving out beer at the end?

*waves* and at midnight too

Some inspiring stuff! Thanks
I got out and did 34 miles yesterday.. By far the longest MTB ride that I have managed in the last 3 years..
I was bonking like hell with 5 tough miles left to go and felt like crap til bedtime..
This morning feels ace though, with that old familiar feeling of waking up a bit stronger than I was yesterday..

Maybe I can actually do this 🙂

Fella with the Beard giving out beer at the end?

*waves* and at midnight too

Nice one. Riding past the 12hr finishers in the rain knowing that I had the same to go again was not a high point!

Ok, it seems I’m unpopular enough to be forced to ride solo so i’ve just entered the 12h Vets.

My shoulder’s getting better, physio says I should be good if I stay off >6h rides before then, so lets give it go.

Looking forward to saying hello to Rocketdog and a few others again, and for the first time, having a post ride beer at midnight.

starting to think 12hr vets would have been the smarter choice. I’ll wave at midnight as I plod on…

24hr solo next year, I have unfinished business but hopefully not an afternoon on the bog again.

I’ve entered 12 hour solo. I’m hideously unfit. Decided this was the best choice, do what I can with no pressure and no team to let down if I don’t have the fitness/energy to crack out a lot of laps.

Team 24 for us again. Entered yesterday; it’ll be our 10th yr!

Can’t believe all the 12 hour males solos are sold already! Means I’ve had to enter the 24. Even that’s over 75% full. Still, gives me longer to train I suppose.

^^^^ They’ve been pushing it hard on social media – I’ve liked their FB page & there were regular ‘reminders’ to enter before the earlybird pricing finished….

It was a £50 saving for the team entry so definitely worth doing(not sure how much it was for the solo events) & looking back over the previous entries on XCracer.com that it will let me see it’s been the cheapest entry price of all of them….