Lonely Puffer,

We've had one of our team members pussy out on us so I'm waiting on hearing back from a few folk at work but I doubt any of them will say yes. Having asked them I'd better give them a chance to say no! 😀
We are not (I repeat NOT) going to be competitive in any way, shape or form. For one reason or another it's been 2 months since any of us have been out on our bikes so we're going purely to enjoy the whole thing.
Either way I'll drop you an email tomorrow.

Cheers

Paul.

Boys back from another digging shift.Day in the shop for me,they cleared from the bridge of thighs to the exit of all snow.The fire road to the next bit of single track has been ploughed.Things on the up.A couple of local riders going out tonight for a full lap.Some of us going out tomorrow night.

All this trail clearing effort is much appreciated, guys. We'd like to help out, but we only really fancy doing the trek up from Cardiff the once. 🙂

Appologies for the no show. Took hours to clear the drive, it wasn't even possible to walk across it. Broke a pick-axe and a shovel but it's done now.

Any more clearing required tomorrow?

Barney_McGrew,

Thanks for the reply – hear from you tomorrow

Lonely

If the race is half as good as the effort you guys have put into clearing the track then it's gonna be an epic. Well done !

There in spirt with you (Highland Park)

No worries doug,think you`ve paid your dues mate :wink:The lads are going back out tomorrow.Meet at the shop 10.15am.

Hats of to the lads for todays trail clearing 😀

Fire trail soft in places from being scraped but all do-able. Some ice. Trail from the bridge of thighs to the three gullies mostly do-able and great fun! Excellent job.

From the gullies up to view rock, down and back to the start not great (walking mostly) on soft snow but after a number of riders using it will cut a line no problem.

And a Classic is born bring it on.

alek whats yer opinion on SS gearing for it atm ?

im gonna fit up my bike with the 18 wide base i have i think

alek.. spikes or medusa's??

Not up on the SS ratio's myself mate. (Wide base?)

I'd go for a ratio down from your normal whatever that may be.

Reckon the first few laps will be tough, then a line will form for the remainder (I'm hoping anyway)

Course conditions will still change considerably over the next few days for sure though. Thaw is full-on meantime but still a little frosty at night.

Si…..I'm still not sure. Lots of dirt showing through on the fire trail already.

the firetrack only has a small amount of ice on it, and it probably wont have any by tomorrow night, its melting amazingly quickly! anyway, i'm taking mud tyres as well as my ice spikers because after a few laps they might grip better.

the firetrack only has a small amount of ice on it, and it probably wont have any by tomorrow night

don't say that – only just got my ice tyres!!

im gutted too, i've had mine for years and thought it was all going to come good this weekend! TBH i think there will still be enough ice!!!!!

This is like Formula 1! Tyre choice is everything!

<takes life in hands>

Right, I'm going to stop on the DIY tubeless (only done one) and fit the Medusas tubeless instead. That gives me 2.5 sets of wheels: Snow Studs, Medusas, half-finished DIY spiker. It's the front DIY spiker, so I can see rear Snow Stud + front DIY spiker being start-line option.

SS ratios: I've dropped from my normal 32×16 to 32×20 which has been great locally on snow.

BTW, Drumochter "Live Eye" road cam still looks scary.
http://www.trafficscotland.org/lev/index.aspx

Cheers, al.

Doh, I mean "stop on the DIY spikers".
al.

Decided to bring mud, ice and my old faithful NN tyres, will see which one looks best to start with on Friday although doubt it will be the NNs 😆

You guys have done an incredible job over the last week or so, been watching this thread and really appreciate all the work you have done.

Big thanks to all the trail crew, doing a great job to get the event into shape….

Looking forward to the weekends festivities… Looking for an indication as to whether or not ice tyres are required. perhaps one of the guys helping out clear the trail could advise.

(The view from Edinburgh): There's a lot of forest roads in the loop and my bet is the upper ones will be ice even if the lower ones are clear. I'm re-considering getting the drill out tonight…
al.

Crombiecraig,hard to call at the moment.The thaw is quick but its freezing at night.Forcast for the weekend temp5-7 plus rain,so you might start on ice tyres,doubt you will finish on them

Sounds like it could turn out to be the usual mud fest… Trailrakers packed!

brake pads and muds – check

At worst i might run one spike- they are way too much like hard work to run them "just in case it gets icy" – also my bike has a fag paper like clearance with em in …..

I was clearing today. Low down mainly. We've cleared a foot wide strip on the climbs which is mostly down to the dirt but in places is down to ice. I don't expect the ice to last until the weekend to be honest. The descents are largely not cleared and I don't think they will be (unless everyone takes a shovel) so they're on deep-ish, soft snow which has an ice base in places. There was also sections of ice which will probably have melted / been broken up by the time you lot get there. The fireroads were well cleared and churned up a bit so there'll be plenty of grip there.

If I was racing (I'm not :-)) then I'd be turning up with studded tyres for the first lap but have a good mud tyre ready to go on.

Word to the wise: On the descent from the view rock the guys were pointing out the sharp water bars that are hidden by the snow; they'll be lethal. I hope that I'm not taking away any local advantages by telling you to be careful there. Maybe they'll be marked / cleared by the weekend.

Can I just say that this thread has been ace for those of us who aren't local (but are travelling up for the race)

I feel slightly better prepared just after reading it 🙂

(and if I don't do well, I'll be blaming the advice from here 😛 )

doug, you weren't meant to tell them about the puncture-bars, were going to come last now! 😆

Ha! Cullen-bay, somehow I doubt that 🙂

i suppose you had to make it fair though eh? and we know where all of the waterbars are, we know where to hop!

Drumochter* still dodgy. Damn.

My Dad has called off childcare with a serious cold/flu. Damn.

2 punctures on the way home tonight. Damn.

I'll just be happy to be there!

Is there a beer money bucket for the diggers? You deserve it lads!

Cheers, al.

* (but it's open. Try to get there in daylight.)
http://www.trafficscotland.org/lev/index.aspx

thats reversed, the typical view is the snowy one, and the sunny one shows the current weather. 😯

I think cycling up that footpath might be OK, don't you?
al.

Hey up cullen did that wee light arrive safely .

Road will be fine tomorrow – just keep positive and singing this –

Rollin' Rollin' Rollin'

Keep movin', movin', movin',
Though they're disapprovin',
Keep them doggies movin' Rawhide!
Don't try to understand 'em,
Just rope and throw and grab 'em,
Soon we'll be living high and wide.
Boy my heart's calculatin'
My true love will be waitin', be waiting at the end of my ride.

Move 'em on, head 'em up,
Head 'em up, move 'em out,
Move 'em on, head 'em out Rawhide!
Set 'em out, ride 'em in
Ride 'em in, let 'em out,
Cut 'em out, ride 'em in Rawhide.

Rollin', rollin', rollin'
Though the streams are swollen
Keep them dogies rollin'
Rawhide!
Rain and wind and weather
Hell-bent for leather
Wishin' my gal was by my side.
All the things I'm missin',
Good vittles, love, and kissin',
Are waiting at the end of my ride

sorted it's the power of positive mental attitude!

trout- just picked it up from the post office this morning, they tried to deliver while we were out… YGM anyway!

And have a safe journey up today folks, see you tonight or saturday morning! 😀

Good luck all on the road.

still reasonably gutted i'm not going to be there but sure it won't last when i'm tucked up in my bed tomorrow. but i'll still miss it. best of luck to everyone. enjoy.

Hi folks big shout out for a rider needed for a quad team.Free entry call andy at squarewheels on 01997421000 go on you know it makes sense Swiss

Any news on trail conditions? We're just leaving….

ta, al.

Judging by the thaw in Inverness and all the great work by the trail pixies I've fitted the Medusas. Can anybody say if this is totally the wrong choice (given I have ice spikers in the shed)? Are they any big patches of hard ice? Thanks.