MegaSack DRAW - This year's winner is user - rgwb
We will be in touch
Not much mention of this year's Big Dog on here - who is on-board? Signed up for 6hr solo again 😥
Me. Single speed pairs. Just did SAW to put some steel in the legs.can't wait. Any course gossip?
I'm in, doing male pair (18+) 🙂
I'm sure it's normally pretty much fully booked up by now. Weird!
I'm on for the 6 hour solo, looking nice forward to it
Fat Pairs with Paceman, assuming that my rotator cuff sorts itself out in time.
After last years 3rd place on the podium I'm expecting crushing disappointment this time due to there being 5 teams entered in our ctaegory it will be alleviated only by getting in more laps than darkcyan's SS pair...
^^ As Wwaswas said 😀 ^^
Always a great event if you've not been before.
I'm taking part again, team of 3 (Pinsons Wheelmilk). Really looking forward to it as I missed last year. Plus it's the first time doing it on my 29er HT.
I'll be the one getting passed by everybody on the climbs. Feel free to say hello as you speed past.
Team of 3 again. Very much looking forward to it. Thought last years course was good too. As much as I missed the final descent of previous years courses, it was more than made up for as there was no Badgers and Coldean climbs, so I'm hoping for something similar this year.
Car park beatch again this year I think. Meet and greet with subtle abuse for too much travel, too Phat tyres and Euro team kit.
Luke - Jaffa cakes on arrival or you're out of there!
😈
Mixed pairs. Hopefully I won't have spent 3 days at Moorfields the week before having an emergency operation for a detached retina, like I did last year.
I'll do my best Tim - but they may be Waitrose, not M&S this year.
6hr vet solo - supposedly at the end of a 2 week training camp. Could be interesting!
Pairs, for a change.
Is the big dog full of whippets or is there a mix of abilities ?
Is the big dog full of whippets or is there a mix of abilities ?
Usually a pretty good mix. I am certainly not in the "whippet" class that's for sure!! More of an event for people to enjoy than a competition for elite racers.
i'm in a team with some mates i haven't seen for too long. say hello; orange inbred 29er, and probably a orange top.
Dead excited. never ridden it before either.
6hr solo vet, bouncing around on the fatty as usual.
Usually a pretty good mix. I am certainly not in the "whippet" class that's for sure!! More of an event for people to enjoy than a competition for elite racers.
thanks! just what I was hoping.
There is a lot of fairly fierce competition at the front (because racers wanna race) and the there's a number of sponsored teams and riders who have a duty to try hard.
Further down it's a bit more people taking a personal challenge to ride it solo or mates racing each other for pride and laughs.
Fantastic atmosphere though.
mates racing each other for pride and laughs.
And getting a 3rd place finish out of it too!
It's great fun, especially for those that don't usually race. It's great fun riding at your max and you'll find there are others on course of a similar level than you that you'll be racing against.
I'll be there for the Solo Male. I must remember not to fall off on the second lap this year!
I'm in. With painey (above).
And I ain't no whippet!
Last year there were some guys in suits and monkey outfits racing. And some guy in an army helmet the year before. Great mix of entrant. And free tea!
What gear ratio should i go for if I were to ride SS? If you ride solo unsupported do you pile up spare drinks etc in the pits? Tempted to enter although not at all fit.
There's about 900ft of climbing per lap, so a gear that will get you round that for 6hrs.
Solo riders tend to leave bottles etc at the side of the course coming in to the finish - it's no problem.
Took a spin over to Stanmer today. Trails are in great condition so really looking forward to it now. I will keep the Maxxis Beavers to hand just in case though! 🙂
Yup, rode it yesterday - really nice conditions.
I'm in for my first ever event! Entered as mixed pairs. Also went over for a look see yesterday and it's running really nicely but I guess that will change very quickly if it rains! Might have to loose the wide bars for this one though!!
What are the trails like as I've never ridden there.
Rooty and natural or smooth and manmade hardpack or a combination etc?
I dont know the course this year but in previous years the course have been more "rooty and natural" sections with fire road piecing it all together.
Natural woodland singletrack on chalky loam geology, rolls really well when it's dry, slippery when wet but drains very quickly this time of year with all the foliage. Lots of rooty sections to keep you on your toes, perfect conditions right now so looking good for the "Dog". I'm in fat bike pairs with Wwaswas 😀
What are the Little Dog courses like? My daughter (U10) likes the idea of entering a bike race but as her riding is mostly along Downslink and similar, I don't know if the course may be a bit more challenging than she'd be happy with.
Is the "minilap" route available anywhere so that we could have a practice?
used to do this religiously now i`ve not been for a few years. will try and pop over for a lap, some tea and chat and maybe some matesrace afters if my legs still work. i also need some replacement mugs....
I love this race, often the only time in a year that I'll put a number on my MTB. Great course and great atmosphere.
I'll be entering SS Pairs this year and trying to win again...
ab1970 - Member
What are the Little Dog courses like? My daughter (U10) likes the idea of entering a bike race but as her riding is mostly along Downslink and similar, I don't know if the course may be a bit more challenging than she'd be happy with.Is the "minilap" route available anywhere so that we could have a practice?
the mini-lap is around the grass arena, it'll go up the hill a bit and maybe into the trees but the paths will all be easy dirt with nothing you could describe as challenging
the Little Dogs are the best races of the day 😉
JoB - those downhillers from Battle Royale won't be there will they?
Fat Pair here
Is Onederdog on this year ? Not done enough speed work on the mtb to do 6hrs , but a couple of hot laps should be ok
According to the XC Racer website there is a oneder dog again this year.
I did wonder if I could do a Onederdog with the toddler on the Weeride (we ride quite a lot of the singletrack together) but I fear it may be frowned upon by any BC commissaires...
My second for a retro pair just dropped out - can I twist anyone's arm into joining me?
Any clues on the course this year? Was certainly nice and dry when I rode there on Wednesday so hoping it'll stay that way.
'scuse the long link but:
[url= http://www.lezyne.com/gpsroot/gps_datapage-sharetw-test.php?Zj0xNS0wOC0wNi0xOS0yMi00NC5maXQuY3N2JnA9am9idXJ0c2hlZXBAYW9sLmNvbQ ]http://www.lezyne.com/gpsroot/gps_datapage-sharetw-test.php?Zj0xNS0wOC0wNi0xOS0yMi00NC5maXQuY3N2JnA9am9idXJ0c2hlZXBAYW9sLmNvbQ[/url]
was posted on the Big Dog face book page over the weekend as being the likely one bar BC approval etc.
Good luck following any GPS trace in those woods though!
[edit] darn, too much explanation and I was beaten to it...
Twice in a matter of days wwaswas 😀
I'd have to get up pretty early in the morning to beat you to the post muggomagic 🙂
I think this shoulder injury has slowed me right down, tbh.
I'm always up early on a Sunday as every Sunday is like Christmas for me.
You out Tuesday evening? Hoping to do at least one lap as long as technology and memories don't let us down. If they do we'll just go ride.
I've got a call to NZ in the evening - either going out tomorrow am or wednesday am and then probably try to get out on the BMTB ride on Thursday too. Need all the time on the bike I can at the moment - I need the practice... and to get over 'the fear' of falling off to the right that happened a couple of times yesterday and slowed me down.
[edit] and fair play for the early Sundays - I drag myself out of bed at the last possible moment.
Ok. I might get along Thursday. I try and be sensible and rest that close to a big ride, but the lure of Stanmer's singletrack is like a siren song.
now you're rocket powered you've no need to rest!
Looking at those track maps. It's a lot flatter than I remember from the last 2 years.
It's pretty much the same course so it may be the low res track that's not catching all the elevation changes.
Think it's about 900ft/lap from talking to one of the organisers yesterday.
Just had a look at my Strava data from last year and it's approx. 1000ft per lap.
disappointed to be missing it this year, first time in 4 years, multiple broken ribs kinda take my competitive edge away 🙄
question is can Ian Leitch beat Ben Thomas & Tim Dunford
Course is v similar to last year, which I made around 940ft of climbing. In fact, I don't think any of the climbs have changed.
Looks like there may be a few showers on Saturday after heavy rain Friday. Hopefully not enough to warrant mud tyres but some slippery chalk can add to the fun 😈
Now that we've discovered that there's a Rugby World Cup test event on Saturday evening it may make it impossible for us to get home after 🙁
I live a mile or so from Stanmer Park, there's been heavy rain overnight and still going steady this morning with frequent thunder overhead. Even though it dries out pretty quickly in the summer, I'd suggest preparing for mud on Saturday, at least chucking some mud tyres in the boot if nothing else 😐
This is just crossing the channel.
It'll get worse before it gets better 🙁
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Not sure riding the course tonight's going to be a good idea...
aP - is the test event at the Amex stadium? What sort of attendance are they expecting?
wwaswas - test event is at Twickers. But they're closing the A316 for 8 hours starting at about 5pm. Its going to be Carmageddon.
ah, not good for you.
If this rain keeps up it'll be the least of your worries on the day, tbh 🙁
Haha. I'll be riding my Fargo. It's designed to be pushed for long distances...
Biblical now
It's going to be fun!!
I'll try and get hold of some waterproof Jaffa Cakes Tim!
Doesn't it do this every year?
Slippery root fest on Saturday then...
Yep, think I'm looking forward to some slippery fun in Stanmer.
When/where should I start making my excuses for a p poor performance 😆
It won't be too bad after everyone's done a lap or two if it's dry tomorrow and Saturday. Probably.
I might pack the 4.8" Bud for the front just in case though...
Brighton's now so full of water it's overflowing into the sea;
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the new course looks short! i hope they have included some fun stuff 😕
will try and make it out tonight guys. first thursday ever! love a bit of mud.
Great photo. I'm hybernating with tea and cookies. The grass can wait till Sunday.
Course is the same as last year.
Tim I'll be swiming over to BD on Saturday. I'll bring you a soggy cinnamon bun!
Course is the same as last year
dissapointing - described by most of my riding buddies as 'a bit shit'
VH - just go faster with 650b tyres - it'll "come alive."
Matt - see you there. I'll be near the coffee/food/Luke (as he'll have Jaffa Cakes)
Sorry to ask but having never been anywhere near are we talking fast draining stick with rons/ralphs or muddegeddon with something chunkier?
probably somewhere in between.
there's a lot of bare roots, some exposed chalk, short steep climbs and a few off camber descents so you need something with a bit of grip if it's damp.
There's a few people riding it tonight - I'll try and post an update tomorrow.
Cheers - it's part of my training week, I'm wrecked and number one priority is racing miles without injury so I suspect it's a mountain king front and x king rear sort of thing?
course "a bit shit" or course "a bit hard"? Dunno, I thought it was really good for a XC race.
Did most of a lap last night
1) It was pretty much fine - sticky rather than muddy and (despite a bit more rain overnight) I think it'll be fairly dry come Saturday.
2) There's a lot of detritus and loose stuff on fire road climbs where it's washed down so traction can be iffy (I was on 4" fat bike tyres and spun once or twice).
3) the rooty bits will need a lot of respect if they stay as slick as they were. There's a steep slightly off camber rooty descent about half way round that will be chaos on the first lap I'd imagine - it caught people out last night.
4) I'm not a racer but if I was on a non-fat bike I'd be sticking something with a bit of bite on the front at least and probably the back too.
There's a steep slightly off camber rooty descent about half way round that will be chaos on the first lap I'd imagine
If it is the same or broadly the same as last year, i suspect I know the bit you mean.
And you sir are a master of understatement. Chaos? It'll make the disruption caused by Eyjafjallajökull look like a Thursday in a small welsh post office.
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