As the title says folks.? Who is entering.?

And any one able to shed some light on what the event consists of from previous years.? This will be my first event and all the details I have is that it is 10 miles per lap and up to 7 laps…

Many thanks

Me 🙂

You go round and round anywhere between 1 and 7 times. The utter trudge of pedalling around there is murderous (it’s not got any big hills so there aren’t many places to rest legs).

Thaz about it really.

Lots of singletrack (which will be axle deep mud baths), lots of fire roads, lots of short sharp climbs.

What he said. I avoided coming DFL by just doing more than 1 lap as the mud got to a lot of people the year I did it, IIRC only 3 people managed 6 laps then had a gentlemans agreement to not go out for a 7th!

I plan to enter. Will be on my rigid Kona 29er SS. Say Hi as you pass.

That was 2010, and it was utter hell, I’m gonna say it won’t be that bad again this year…

It’s good fun, as you’ve said, it’s 10 miles, you choose how many laps you want to do, you ride around for that number of laps, then you go home again. Not much to it.

It’ll probably be pretty muddy, but Swinley holds up fairly well, I’d fit fresh pads though, I utterly ruined mine (and the backing plate and piston) in the wet one in 4 laps.

I’m probably just gonna do 3 laps this year.

Edit: this was the wet one. Having flashbacks just looking at the photos!

I’m going, entered the 7 lap but if it is all cut up I’m going to drop that to 4-5.

Mud tyres or can I get away with Rocket Ron? And can I enter a shorter category on the day?

They’ll let you change, but there’s a charge. Rons were fine 2 years ago, it was so wet it wasn’t muddy as such (ie not claggy), just gritty.

Entered the five lap race. 54637 pedal revolutions to go…

2010 was a nightmare. 2011 was excellent. 2012?

And with a bit of luck the lap won’t be 30% longer than advertised like it was the year I did it. I’d done 3 of my 5 laps (39 miles) and couldn’t face riding another 26 miles. will they also be setting the fun 1 lap riders half way through?

Yes, all categories go off in reverse order, you just have to hope you don’t come round just after they’ve started. Not really avoidable frankly!

I remember the long one! 2005 I think it was, don’t think they’ve ever lived that down!

Rode Swinley yesterday and some of the newer trials were holding up very well….drained and still fast….but others were a ploughing contest.

I recall some folk did a set of 4 brake pads per lap in 2010, so work that out!

Rons would have been fine yesterday, but with more rain due and hundreds of riders over the trail, I would go for something with more meat.

PaulD

Anyone know how I go about downgrading to the 3 lap race? Dont feel like playing in the mud for more than that

Think I’m going to save the gucci race bike, ride 3 laps on the hardtail, 1×9 and mud tyres.

Not sure I can be bothered to change tyres, it’s only Swinley, Ralphs will probably be fine!

Anyone know how I go about downgrading to the 3 lap race?

Email them, but you may have to just wait until the day. I’m not going to pre-enter, but assuming it’s not too horrific will see you on the line!

This will be my first event of this type and I have signed up for 5 laps 😯

Those that have done it before, what did you take with you.? gels, bottles or camelbak, etc, etc….??? I know I will bring spare pads…

Don’t remember the year but i do remember the legendary long one. From what I’ve been told of it, Jon and Clive marked out half the course each and on meeting in the middle the conversation went along the lines of

‘I think my half’s a bit over’
‘Mine too’
‘Will anyone notice?’
‘Nah. Unless it’s the hottest bank holiday on record’
‘Ooops’

IIRC it was closer to 13 miles a lap meaning the 7 lappers notched up 20 odd miles further than published.

It was nearer 14. Gee of this parish was one of the 4 to finish 7 laps, which was 96 miles!

Alzore: personally I can’t imagine stopping in a race to change pads, but you’ll do less damage than if you carry on, so your call! I’d always use bottles, a gel per lap if necessary, a tube, CO2 pump and a small multitool. Nowt else needed. You can leave stuff trackside and pick it up each lap as required.

CONDITIONS REPORT:

all the ‘hardpack’ trails (stickler, tanktraps etc) are holding up fantastically despite the recent rain… there’s some standing water at the bottom of the berms dug into stickler as an example, but the trails are still running fast 🙂

any singletrack that is not ‘hardpack’ is a big of a mud fest but having tried riding straight through and wiggling around the mud, straight through is definitely the quickest. rode straight through as many puddles and stuff as i could and didnt’ come across any surprise submerged logs etc 🙂

the fire roads are all good, yeah there’s some puddles but again you can ride straight through them i found on the weekend and last night.

hope that helps!

I’m off the bike with a ruptured tendon in my hand, but am thinking of going to watch and maybe set up a “brake pad and bike wash” stall, F1 style, you ride in, pads in asap, bike sprayed to get rid of majority of crud and brow mopped/ glasses wiped in under 30 seconds.

Always one to see an oppurtunity.

Guess thats another night of deluge at Swinley right?

Not quite a deluge last night, not by recent standards anyway. I nipped out yesterday PM & phil’s report is spot on – there was even a family of ducks in a puddle on one bit of singletrack. I’d expect that the boggier sections are only going to get worse with the normal volume of riders there on Sat.

Looks dry between now and Sunday at least. Maybe even a spot of sunshine on the day……

Well its still raining 3 miles uop the road

any update on the conditions.? Without turning this into a tyre thread, I was wondering mud tyres or trail.? Might stick a mud on back and just a 2.25 on front… I can’t see it being that bad and there is no forecast for rain between now and Sunday, just a drop in temperature…

yeh going to be chilly but dry and windy now……presume some of the dips will stay wet and get cut up but Swinley dries pretty well no?

So – mud tyres or not?

I’m pondering the dilemma of indecision whilst sitting on the fence…..

Yes I also can’t decide. I’m not sure I can be arsed to change from Racing Ralphs, but as I tend to go fairly well in the wet I’m tempted to fit something with a little more grip to maximise chances. Been 4th, 3rd and 2nd in that race, gonna win it one day dammit! Rons or Dans though…

IIRC it was closer to 13 miles a lap meaning the 7 lappers notched up 20 odd miles further than published.

Yep, we did 4 laps – and had only started MTBing the previous year…

Well I’m putting on my MUDx on. Better than a rocket Ron and Aspen. Just did a local hour in Wiltshire and couldnt
Don’t ride the thing.

I think I’m gonna put the Dans on, they’re actually lighter than Ralphs anyway, and not much of a hindrance in the dry!

Sorry for the iPhone predictive txt. Was driving (passenger)

Forecast is dry with possible sunny spells. Cold though. Will stock up on jelly babies and chocolate bourbon and fig rolls. Food of champions.

Oh and I’ve only ridden Ignitor and only had a problem in the snow. It won’t snow before Sundays.

It’ll be fine as long as they pick a sensible lap. Some trials are ruined, others really firm, others firm but covered in enormous puddles.

Fingers crossed for a sensible lap!!!!

GB

I’m going to pass, I’m not trashing my bike. Besides I have a belated birthday to go to…MINE!

WOOHOO!!!

Aah it’ll be fine! Can’t see it being worse than 2010. They marked that lap out in the dry, at least this time it’ll be a more ‘all weather’ lap. I hope.

good luck everyone by the way!!

i’d go with mud tyres personally, been taking the HT that still set up for winter out and i’ve not felt hindered by the conditions, in fact its been pretty fun having the bike slide about underneath you, good core work out! 😀

‘m going to pass, I’m not trashing my bike.

Nooooo please don’t say it’s a bike trasher, I have a shiny new bike, 😥

Rode swinley Thursday night ,it was a shit fest

Hopefully they’ll avoid the crappest bits! There’s often quite a bit of fireroad anyway.

But yes AMT if they use the ‘wrong’ trails it’ll annihilate your bike! 2 years ago was awful.