Don’t worry – you’ll still manage to extricate your hands in the event you fall off. I’ve tested this on your behalf 😳 – no thanks necessary.

This rule is completely ignored. Wherever you park is really your own “service area”. Just don’t have someone run half-way round the course with spare pads for you. I guess it gives a little bit of an advantage to those further up the hill a bit as they pass their “pits” twice per lap

Any issues with mechanicals you just take the bike to your area and sort it. THere are better places than others to camp to make this easy but nowhere is that far from the course so only a couple of minutes added ontop of any fettling.

Trail rat, make sure and pop in too to say hello.

Easier to look for me i think.

My van has foot high letters on the side 🙂 – deeside motorhomes

Any issues with mechanicals you just take the bike to your area and sort it.

+1

Thanks for the info about the pogies and service area!

More questions… I take it some go and camp up there Friday. Do a lot of folk do that? Am I crazy to consider camping out Friday night then doing the race? Another option is hotel or B+B, or drive up Saturday morning (prob not, have to leave Edinburgh 4am I guess to get up there!)

Also, what works for after the event? I am solo without support, I guess driving home is not a good idea if I have been up (although may be ok if I succumb to sleep during the race). Again, does anyone crash out in their tents / motorhomes / vans after the race, then leave later on? Or does 10am come and everyone bails straight out?

nikk, i went through the same thoughts and have booked a room in Strathpeffer for the Friday night. The last thng I needed was to only get an hours cold sleep before the race so I booked a room. As for after the event, we’ll just be taking it in turns to drive down the road, I’m not sure what others do.

You get access to the site on Friday afternoon. Lot of folk arrive then and get themselves organized.

As scotroutes says. THree of us are solo’ing, mate is heading up Friday to set up, I can’t leave work until 3.40 (at earliest) so will be heading up straight from Hawick. We were booked in a hotel but timings are were going to mean only 8 hours in the hotel so roughing it.
The return is hard, most people seem to bail as soon as it’s over, but if you’ve gone all night you will need to sleep, grab a few hours then head to inverness, Grab some food and a coffee and some more Zzzz’s before the A9. I’ve managed by stopping as soon as I feel tired and grabbing 20minutes sleep. Gives about an hour of driving before fatigue hits again. Yeah it takes an hour or more longer to get home but you get home. Do remember to have food in the house or know which take away you want and have a beer in the fridge for soaking in the bath.

I’ve decided to pull out of the Strathpuffer (for a variety of reasons I’ll not bore you with) so have a solo entry up for grabs if anyone would like it? Just looking for the £52 it cost me.

Email derekshanks AT gmail DOT com if you’re interested.

Good luck to everyone doing it. I hope you get ice and snow rather than rain and mud!

This is my 4th Puffer. I’m in a mixed pair this time. We’re poofing it with a caravan and awning arriving on Friday 2pm! Most points have been covered but can I add my 2p worth on the brake pads. In 3 puffers I have replaced 2 sets of pads in total. BED YOUR SPARES IN IN THE DRY BEFORE YOU GO!!! Or bed them in on the first descent. The time lost will be worth it. If you do not bed them in and they get wet and muddy before you do then that’s another set cheese grated away in teh blink of an eye.
I have had an hour’s kip before leaving on the sunday in the past but it’s so noisy with everyone else packing and leaving it’s hard to sleep. Good luck everyone, say hello if you see me. I’m quite hard to miss, big bearded lump on a green/black lurcher or Tallboy. Or mukluk if it snows 🙂

I’m starting to get excited, my hot pogs have just arrived so at least I should have warm hands….

It must be about time for epicyclo’s conditions reports to start? 😀

Looking pretty dry from now til then, but will still be a mudbath I’d imagine.

He’s put a few hints over on the fat bike forum.

Latest Met forecast has ‘light sleet’ and 1 to 2 degrees for the entire duration of the race

http://www.metcheck.com/UK/dayforecast.asp?zipcode=Strathpeffer&day=2&locationID=62387&lat=57.6&lon=-4.6&findtype=

Someone please tell me that translates to light snow and ice on the route…

Sounds about right. Just cold and damp but if you look at this forecast you might be lucky with the ice. Personally I think it’s all just about gone going by our conditions 50 miles away.

http://www.yr.no/place/United_Kingdom/Scotland/Contin/long.html

less than ideal prep here for anyone…..

monday jeep crashed and now immobile.

wednesday i get a call – need a tow the transit(not mine) has broke down on my mate. – spend wednesday night changing transit waterpump still she doesnt live again – that was transporting all our bikes up :S

we can get all the bikes up in the pug but we have too many bodies.

working on solutions now gah

Pragmatism wins. I’m out, I’ve got a cold sitting on my chest, gentle spin on the rollers last night had me wheezing in the warm up and off after 5 minutes. Not happy as this was probably my last attempt.

I have teh lurgie. Felt crap at work and left early on Tuesday, took day off yesterday and could shite through the eye of a needle today.
I don’t feel as shivery now though and the stomach cramps are passing so I think I’ll be ok.
I’m sure it’s nowt a bacon roll won’t cure 😀

On sunday I biked 50 miles and then later walked my dog . On the way back I somehow contracted birdflu, salmonella, SARS, AIDS and yellow fever. I cured it all by running to tesco and eating pork pies and sausage rolls with brown sauce right there in the foyer and car park. I suggest you try this swavis. Medical science could learn shit loads from me.

Whereas they’ll just get the shits from me atm….

I shall try a sports recovery pork pie 💡

Isn’t Guy Martin in this? He is hoping to win too.

Good luck to him if he is. Top fella.

Forecast weather is dropping in temperature and less sleet

http://www.metcheck.com/UK/today.asp?zipcode=Strathpeffer&day=2&locationID=62387&lat=57.6&lon=-4.6&findtype=

Any reports on the ground?

Sorry some of you have got the cold / flu 🙁 That sucks.

Unlucky enough to be riding there earlier today- amazing weather, but too many ice patches. Not sure what tyres I would use for those trail conditions. You can still go round the course with min use of the brakes- not that you should be using them anyway if there is ice around + the course is not technically difficult (a bit like a nice blue route).

Foggy,freezing,full moon? and very still in the area this eve.

d3o and insulation is your friend.