Whos doing this! I’m signed up, and after reading the reports from last year, i hope the weather will be better.

How rough is it? Deciding on which bike to take as i can’t envisage just what the trails will be like. Its either a 456 with 140mm travel or a retro cannondale m2000 set up as XC with 80mm travel.

Any tips gladly received!

I think you mean the year before. Last year was sunny.

They’ve changed the route this year to make it “more cycle friendly”. Presumably this means they’ve taken out that god-awful climb after the first feed.

It’s moorland tracks and hilly. There was only one small section on the old route that you might call “technical”. Some people ride fully rigid with panniers. Although if the ground’s baked hard a little bit of rear suspension might make it more comfortable.

Be sure to watch the wheelbarrow race if its on this year.

The lightest fastest rolling bike you have is the best bike for this…
The roughness is more to do with the distance & amount of climbing on it, rather than the terrain…On a good day it’s great but when the weather’s bad it’s horrendous !

Spoke with ‘Jerry the clog’ at the HONC, there will be more climbs on tarmac this year rather than ‘off road’ Most of the off road climbs in previous years have turned into a long line of pushers! Agree about that climb after the first food stop. 😯

Could be tempted, it’s been a few years since I did the event.
the last one I did was quite tough, the climbs just seem to go on forever.

Always a good craic in the pubs the night before, especially if the Rough Ride coincides with the Kington wheelbarrow race!

It’s a marmite event, you’ll either love it or hate it!
As others have said, it’s not a technical ride over rough terrain, it’s a big ride in big country. There’s nowhere to hide either from the weather or the hills. If you get the tyres wrong it can be like riding 70-odd kms on velcro! First finishers are usually on CX bikes, it’s SSable, lightweight full sus probably most comfortable. If you enjoy being ‘out there’ and big views along with a really chilled atmosphere, you’ll like it.

I like marmite 8)

short travel fs or hardtail,
very good mud or fastest rolling tyres you have depending on weather

im signed up its a great ride ime

2012!

Week before Mayhem, should be a good end to training ride

Nice photo there 🙂

2011 really was horrendous. Managed to complete the short route before they closed it down. Couldn’t believe riders setting out in shorts and shortsleeve tops with no extra kit in the conditions. I think there were over 60 people treated for hypothermia; the villagers at the route split were taking riders in, giving them shelter and feeding them hot tea. Character building stuff! 8)

psling – I agree about 2011. I was in the last bunch of riders through before the route was closed. It was certainly character building!! I couldn’t believe how ill prepared many were for riding across mountains!!

Planned to do it last year but broke a collar bone two weeks before, having just grinded my way through the honc in 100km of thick mud I reckon the rough ride can’t be as bad, can it?

Probably on a HT as that seems to be the popular opinion.

trails drain quickly on the rough ride, and the climbs are considerably more challenging than the honc

Thanks oldmanonabike, I’d heard that, how long to get round the full route at a reasonable but not ‘whippet’ pace?

Sorry Iain65 Never done the long route! out of my league

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQ04NWGbxDU[/video]

Wow, no mud! Entry on its way!

Thanks for the video.

I was due to last years and broke my arm about a month before hand.
Signed up for the long route again this year. Should be a good bench mark for the Manx End-to-End. 🙂

Would people say that the sort of terrain in the video there is typical of the whole route?

Entered for this year & looking forward to it. Not ridden it in the last couple of years but always enjoyed it before. Less riders and more relaxed than some of the other events and some great trails. Nothing techy but just a great day out.

iain65 – Member
Thanks oldmanonabike, I’d heard that, how long to get round the full route at a reasonable but not ‘whippet’ pace?

Long route? First riders back 3 hours or so, riders still finishing after 7 or 8 hours. That video is fairly typical of the terrain on the hill tops but doesn’t show the gruelling climbs! There’s some quiet tarmac lanes, pedal grabbing heather, 4×4 tracks, and a lot of sheep-grazed grass. Woodsy singletrack isn’t really a feature; bacon rolls on the long route are though (carry a bit of change with you) 😀