I think a mate and I are planning on doing it on his tandem...
In. 😀
In
In and I've only entered once this year. I think considering when they open up the ticket sales they could have made the system and finding where to buy tickets simpler......
In with Munqechick.
Just entered, first time i've every entered any kind of event so should be fun.
In with Mrs kilo, I'd kind of decided to pack up racing this year so may regrets this!
Just told the mrs I've entered it and she went to write it on the calendar and realised it is mothers day, oh well 😆
I'm in.
it is mothers day,
Crap.. not sure what mrs cloudnine will say. Maybe i'll do some training for it first and drop the bombshell much closer to the event 😈
In. Will try and not go on a weeks all inclusive holiday the week prior, turn up have a flying first lap and then cry for the next two. 😀
I'm in. Third year I will have done it, full sus mtb first year, cx bike last year and fatbike being used this year.
I will be using 27.5+ hardtail which i'm hoping should be decent compromise for the overall course.
I,m in with fatbike.
I'm in. Went SS fat last year, might go geared monstercross this year.
I think a mate and I are planning on doing it on his tandem...
I'm the other half of this tandem, and yep, just entered.
I'm in. Not ridden it before.
Any thoughts on which bike to use? Options are 27.5 plus hardtail or steel CX bike. I imagine that both are equally (un)suitable...
27.5 i think i the perfect bike I've been told! I don't have one so I'll be using a suitably inappropriate bike!
Entered it last year. 27.5+ will be better than cx bike. Rode cx bike last year. Ok on hard flat sand, not so great on the twisty gradient single track.
I was very annoyed with the bottleneck on lap one that caused us to come to a standstill.
I was very annoyed with the bottleneck on lap one that caused us to come to a standstill.
I was just remembering the chap a few places behind me last year who was very annoyed about the bottleneck that slowed us to a near standstill. Might have been you, or someone else, I'm sure you weren't the only one who was cross - probably 170th ish, going on the 1st lap placings?
But if you're racing for the top 10, or even the top 50, you won't be in a bottleneck. If you're outside that, you're racing for "fun", so what's the bother?
It's part and parcel of a mass start race with singletrack sections. It's going to happen if you're midfield. The top ten's gone, you're not gaining or losing places, so just take the opportunity to calm your heart rate down and take a breather! 😀
Either that or the organsisers add in another few miles of beach up to make sure everyone's strung out by the time they get to the singletrack. I know what I'd prefer.
If it's anything like the Tide2Tide race held in Pembrey (same organisers) then I found my CX (gravel) to be perfect.
It would be a bit technical if you are just used to CX races on drop bars, but if you ride any local singletrack routes on your cross bike you'll be sorted.
The only downside to the CX was that it was a bit harsh after 3 hours of bumpy stuff which wouldn't be such a problem with this one!
Interesting to see different folks going wider and narrower on tyres. Almost as if there's no right answer! "It was rubbish last year on x, I'm going for y this year"
I wouldn't want anything less than 2" I past a lot of people on the fatty who couldn't pedal in the soft sand sections in the last third of the course.
And I'm remembering SS fat being hell on the beach, but I think it's hell on any bike?! I htink my biggest issue was not having the patience to sit in peletons. I kept thinking I could go faster, killing myself to get up to the next group, short rest, same again... cue blowing up after the second go up the beach, a lie down and 100 places dropped.
I might just put drops on the fatty...
Edit: after reading Kamikaze's post - maybe stick with the monstercross idea!
Interested to hear what tandem you guys are on.
I'll be nowhere near the front on my trusty Prince Albert.
I'm in. done it every year and both tide 2 tides. cracking venue and always a laugh. Have done it ss fat ss29+ ss29 narrow rubber, all have pluses and minuses ride what you have and just pedal like a loon.
The only downside to the CX was that it was a bit harsh after 3 hours of bumpy stuff which wouldn't be such a problem with this one!
I can easily see myself being out there for 3 hours. 27.5 plus (armchair) it is then.
Carbon 29HT MTB for me, on 2.1 Rons snakeskin. Hands near the stem and chin on it on the beach 😀
I'm in, for the 3rd time. Love this event. Going ss 29+ again, unless I get fat bike by march 😉
I've done it once on a rigid 29 and once on a fatbike.
29 was faster but the fatbike was more fun.
Fatbike again this year
Did it last year. Cramped up by the start of lap 2, lapped several times, thought I might spew a lung... apart from that it was ace but I think I'll give it a miss this year!
I'm going to try and beat last year's 420th, overall, 38th, Grand Vetran......and 38th GV in 2015, 23nd GV in 2014 and 197 overall, damn, I getting worse......
I can't make this now, so my entry is for sale. I've checked with the organisers and it is ok to transfer up until 25th February.
Email in profile.
^Sold.
Yessss just booked some Air BnB accommodation so we don't have to camp in wales in March winner winner ...
I am riding it again this year, last year was my first race so was more worried about trying not to get in the way of the speed merchants (may have failed once or twice on the singletrack 🙄 sorry)
So giving it a bit more thought this year but have 2 questions that still elude me.
1. What tyres?? Last year just plumped for my standard summer choice of Maxxis Ardents on my 29 hardtail MTB.
2. What Chain Lube do people run?? With water splashes wet seems to be 1st choice, then you have to factor in sand, then it seems to be dry.
Thanks.
wet, but apply to the links and rollers sparingly and wipe off any excess to minimise crap attraction. The bits that need to be lubed are lubed, everything else is clean.
Like you do normally! 😉
Or go with the waxy dry stuff. And check and reapply before the race if you've done a few laps the day before. What's the race distance? 25 miles?
Wax I would have thought. My normal riding is a bit sandy and wax lubes like squirt work best, even if it's been very wet.
@ nedrapier that's basically what I did last year.
I've not tried a wax, I may have to do some testing in the next few weeks 😀
Once you ride through the muddy section it probably wont matter what lube you have as the sand sticks to the mud. Just ignore the grating crunchy noises coming from the drivetrain... Its only 25 ish miles
Will have to give a good clean and get some wax lube before
My training is going well...
Havent ridden more than 20 miles in one go this year so far 😆
Hoping to keep getting in the commuting miles and get a few longer mtb rides in the next few weeks. My aim is to finish rather than anything else.
Not sure whether to change tyres for the day as have nobby nic and rocket ron combo on 3", thinking about getting another ron or something similar for the front
@ cloudnine I hit the beach on the night race last year and the soft sand and dropped my bike and me, chain side down in the sand, it crunched the rest of the way round 😳
I don't think there is a one solution fits all, just wondering what other peoples experiences are 😀
Dry chain lube, Single Speed Fatbike....sorted
Weekend pass entry available - £40
email
dan1hurst at hotmail dot com
Whos ready for next weekend then?
Not me that is for sure, havent ridden more than once a week for a while and done 25miles as my longest ride.
Ill be the fat one on a red specialized looking like im about to die 😆
Although I have bought some dry wax lube, so will degrease my drivetrain and get it prepped and ready so im sure i will be fine...
I'll be the red one on a fat specialized. I've got some waxy lube to put down my sumo suit too
