what's this baby like in the wet? long range forecast is not promising, similar to this week,
can't afford and don't want to do another Mayhem, video look good, but still around grassy fields,
can't afford and don't want to do another Mayhem
Buy a £250 rigid singlespeed off ebay...
Race it
Sell it back on here or ebay for what you paid for it...
Simples!
Totally different to Mayhem - far more technical.
Don't listen to him above though; he's never raced in his life! 😉
Much more interesting - more hardpacked trails, more river crossings to clean the bike mid lap. Much more slippery roots...
I've done proper wet MM (Not as wet as this years admittedly!) & I've done wet 24/12, I don't recall any 24/12 peeps having to stop to clear out their bikes every 500yds.
There was a couple of wet years, particularly the second half of 2010 IIRC, and frankly it wasn't that much better than Mayhem!
So leave the mud tyres on then? 🙁
I did 2010 solo, and while it was mighty muddy, I rode an E-120 and didn't clean it or ever have to stop and pull mud out of it.
Very fun natural course in the dry, holds up surprisingly well in the wet I thought.
And rained in the second half?? It started raining around 6pm if IRC!!!
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So yeah, looks pretty bad but that was soloing, no washing, and the bike cleaned up pretty nicely afterwards!
Oh and I tried to hang on with 2.1 High Rollers, eventually bought some MUDx and went 15mins a lap quicker!
The mud in the area is nice mud. It will grind your brakes down but its predictable in the slides if that makes sense. Course should be good. Will be an element of grassy field going through the main arena but otherwsie it will be technical singletrack and fire roads.
Don't suppose anyone wants my solo entry?
Repeat after me, it won't rain, it won't rain, it won't rain!
Anyone riding around Cann woods etc at the moment? How is the mud holding up?
Metcheck suggests that it will rain from noon Saturday to noon Sunday.
Rather inconvenient timing really!
Metcheck suggests that it will rain from noon Saturday to noon Sunday.
Rather inconvenient timing really!
That means wall to wall sunshine great news!!!
Rode Dartmoor and Cann last night, after a weekend of heavy ran, its muddy but not a bog fest. If its dry for a day or two before the 2412 it'll be bone dry at Newnham.
as well as living 6 miles from Newnham I've 12hr Soloed the last three years. and I seem to recall it raining on at least two of those. As has already been said Newnham holds up 100% better in the wet than Eastnor. I've never had to run anything more aggressive that Spez Fast track.
I know they will be using the concrete climb this year and wil be scarificing several small furry animals to the weather gods!
2010 was pretty muddy. All 3 of my team lost their rear mechs, although if i recall the course dried out reasonably well (or rather the mud got pushed to the side of the trail) the Sunday morning for the last few hours?
Is it a singlespeed-friendly course?
its a tough singlespeed course, but do-able, i was 3rd in 12hr solo last year singlespeed, the course profile looks to have 2 biggish climbs but hopefully not silly steep like one was last year!
It's a very similar course to 2009 by the looks of it - long tarmac climb fairly early in the lap, and then a bit of a monster gravelly climb about 2/3 round - not sure if they used it last lap (sort of cinder surface, sharp left into the bottom?). I can imagine that'd be quite unpleasant on SS!
I have a plan!
I'll have my (one and only) bike setup 1x9 with Racing Ralphs, then have my spare wheels SS with MudXs on. Swap chains with quicklinks in, remove rear mech and I'm ready to attack the mud!
Fingers crossed for bone dry.
Right, so [i]my[/i] plan is one bike with Racing Ralph ('cos we can hope for good weather), the singlespeed with a 20T sprocket and Trailrakers, and a spare set of wheels with Conti 1.5" spikes.
Course might go the same way as the 09 course but the trail monkey's are already on site finding new ways to link the two climbs together.
The "Clif" cinder climb (clif sponsored it a few years ago and the name stuck locally) has bedded in over the past few years. I reckon it would be a bit "emoitional" on a SS after 23hrs. the concrete climb is long and "shallow."
Think you lot are being a bit pesimistic on tyre choice I'll have a spare rear wheel with a Captain on it.
Sorry for the slight high jack but if any of you guys would like or know anybody who'd like an entry into the 12hr Male Pairs race please can you drop me a mail at adam(dot)buckland(at)hotmail(dot)co(dot)uk Unfortunately my team mate and I are unable to make it.
Thanks
Adam
Oh and the course will have additional sections that will only be open after midnight.
additional sections that will only be open after midnight.
Easier or more technical?!
@Dyffers I know what Jay and Maddie are like so my thinking is more of the same i.e a high technical standard! 🙂