Have you done it before, any experiances about the event you want to share ?

Times etc ?

Won in 3.17 IIRC last year. I was a good 20 mins + behind. Slowest time was 5.30 +.
Route is different this year – easier apparently.
There's nothing flat there and lots of steep hills.
Climbing on fire roads, singletrack descents.
Expect cramp if you're prone to it.

Good event. As per boxelder, cramp was claiming plenty of victims!
480 odd entries again although didnt really feel like that last year. Hurt at the time, but well worth the effort.

Yep, I started cramping on the first lap, got round in 5 hours.

Cheers Chaps.

I got rid of the granny ring about 6 months a go, if its fire road climbs should be OK, my theory is if your in the granny ring its faster to get off and run with the bike. 😉

there will porb be anice longinsh climb near the end of teh first loop i willbe very grateful for still having my granny ring on for. Each to there own. it may intheory be quicker to get off and run but i run up the hill with the dog sometimes, i'd rather sacrifice a few seconds by riding than running with the bike up it.

Anybody got an opinion on tyre choice? I've never ridden there so have no idea what to expect – got a choice between two extremes: Bonty Mud X or Racing Ralphs? Leaning towards the Ralphs considering at the mo.

any entries on the day, or is it pre-book only?

Not that much wet mud last year – the whole place is prettty stoney. Ill be running with speed king up front and a smaller volume Mountain King on the back. Probably.

will be using a Kenda Nevegal on the rear and a Blue Groove up front, they're not that fast but neither am I!

first time for me this year, dont know what to expect but hoping to enjoy it.

I'll be there with my now 15 yr old son.
He was round in 4hrs 10 last year after suffering with cramp quite badly
I was 10 mins behind after my chain snapped 6 miles from home and I ended up having to push the bike for a few miles
We've both done a fair bit of training since then so hoping to do better
Should be a good fun day
Course last year was fairly firm with a few climbs-assume it will be similar

First timer her also, how much of it if any is on the Altura Trail?

Can I enter on the day?

jacked at 30 miles last year, was pretty tough.
i will complete it this year.
say hello if you see me.
8)

My first time for this event also 8).

Any ideas how to spot another "fellow singletracker", red carnation?

I'll be there going slowly. Finished in over 5 hours last year. Some superfast guys and gals last year and over 25% of the field DNF'd. Last year there were 2 x 3 big long climbs and 2 x 3 shorter climbs. Here's someone else's GPS profile profile.
The views are a bit special if you care to look… 8)
Some of the climbs were a bit gloopy. Conti speed kings this year.

4 More sleeps til Race day!

Its my first ever race and ooh the nerves are setting in now. Positive mental attitude… i WILL complete this i WILL 😯

I'll be there.

And I usually suffer from cramp too, looks like i'll be in some pain sunday then.
Hopefully i'll finish, if not i'll of give it my best shot. This'll be my first proper challenge after 6 months off riding (and most other things) due to injury, so i'll be happy just to be out there 😉

If you see someone on the floor, screaming with pain from cramp, with a black/red cannondale prophet mx next to them, then say hi 😆

Never been to whinlatter before, it should be pretty dry then with the weather we've had lately?

Good luck everyone.

😀

Due to been hit by a car 2 weeks ago i will not be racing, however, mrs fiola will and i'll be taking some pics of the event. I'll be in a wheelbase jersey and handing out bottles as a standing domestic. Give us a sm9ile and i'll post the pics up.

I did it SS last year… 🙄 Was 3rd in class and we still got 3rd team as well. I was 97th and lost roughly 15-20mins with cramp. Got it in both legs twice 😥 😥 😥 😥 😥

$hit a brick, thats some hills 😯 😆

Oh well, now if you had the choice between a 130mm travel FS and a 115mm travel HT what would you ride?

first timer for me as well.

Climbing doesn't look that bad, hope my racing ralphs last

Hoping for a good ride 🙂

Oh well, now if you had the choice between a 130mm travel FS and a 115mm travel HT what would you ride?

Ht anyday 😛

stoney, rode my fs ventana last year.
5 minutes up the 1st climb i thought'what the **** did i bring this bike for'.
i will be short travel htail this time.

Nice 1 Ton……Ht are all i have. I borrowed a demo FS the other week and although it was quite nice it just didnt do it for me

I`ll keep an eye out for you mate.

it should be pretty dry then with the weather we've had lately

Due to pish down here on Thursday and saturday!
It'll be OK though. Some really soft, sticky sections caused by recent frosts – I reckon the going will be harder than last year, but it's set to be shorter.
If stoney's riding gears, it must be quite hard. 😐

5 hours 26mins, 2nd last for me last year.
Very hard, but thats my fault as I didn't expect it to take so long & took no food. It was the last return round the back after the visitors centre that really finished me. I though that was it at around 30 miles but to be sent round the back again by the marshall finished me mentally too.
About 150 dropped out.
Glad its shorter.

Ton – you stopping same place in Pontenscale this year??

Was up there last night some parts are very dry and others are very muddy from the frost raising the surface. The rain that due over the next few days is gonna be well sh*tty and quite slippy in places. Was 18th last year but giving it a miss this year(chicken!!) so have fun and good luck to you all. 🙂

I've just had a look at the weather forecast for sunday….. 😯

Gonna have to go into massichist mode for the weekend I think!!

gruffalo soldier – it's not too bad on the national park website. Says sunny spells interspersed with heavy showers, as opposed to the BBC's predictions of constant rain! I'm going with the National Park one…….
Will still be an excellent day!!

I did a Grizedale Mountain Bike Challenge a few years back in what can only be described as miserable conditions and had a brilliant day.

Beaten, bloody, bruised and grinning like an idiot at the end!! The last couple of miles were some of the worst I've ever spent on a bike…..if I hadn't laughed at the insanity of paying good money and spending precious free time to beast myself in the rain and cold I'd have cried.

So bring it on I say!!!

Metcheck says sunny spells …no rain at all on sunday…. 😮

If we keep checking different sites we may have blue skies and mid-twenties temps by Sunday 🙂

First time for me too! looking forward to it. Riding my only bike, which is a medium travel HT and will be using Conti Verts as that's all I have.. Anyway I never get cramp so should go ok.. good luck everyone.

Anyone going from the Staffs area (Lichfield)petrol money available!

Still can't make my mind up on the bike 😆

I reckon the Helius CC might win out in the end, just for that little bit of extra comfort 😉 Brand new shoes though so hopefully they won't kill me.

I saw the BBC weather and thought aww $hoite, but now we're all checking other websites it'll be great, honest

I was going to enter when there was only 200-odd entries. 400-odd sounded a joke so I didn't bother. Good look to you all though, should be interesting with the traffic on any singletrack sections. Hats off to the few doing it singlespeed 🙂

Ht are all i have. I borrowed a demo FS the other week and although it was quite nice it just didnt do it for me

Not enough masochistic pain involved for you Matey :p

Greetings Lowey 😛 Are you coming to play on Sunday ❓