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I'll second that - wouldn't be possible with
out a lot of hard work from many unsung heroes.
Good work. Don't suppose anyone has last years GPX in case I do go? Are the non-Big dog trails good too?
Out of interest what bikes are you guys riding.
I will be on my new (to me) asr5 (alu)which i think will be a big improvement on the yeti 575 used last year - just wasnt the tool for the job.
Paceman will be on his tallboy, also coming off a 575 - what about the rest of you?
Am guessing a mix of hardtails and full suss.
Any tyre preferences?
DC
Riding an epic. Tyres are MudX now with the possibility of being change to captains /fast traks if the weather doesn't deteriorate too much
I'll be hauling round an orange Cotic Soul in gravity enduro (aka max-fun-but-not-at-all-XC-race) spec. Am hoping to at least manage some overtakes downhill, aided by big forks, a dropper post, big sticky tyres and local knowledge! 😉
Will be on a blue Tallboy. Maxxis Beavers for me front and rear unless it stays dry all next week then I may risk something a little more summer orientated. Will be a late decision though!
Taff, the non-Big Dog trails are great fun, at least as good as the ones used for the race loop.
on my new enigma ergo st can't wait!! 7 laps poss if averaging 50 min laps?? but we will see
Rode a lot of the trails in the bit of Stanmer that isn't the Big Dog course last night.
It's all dried out really well and was riding the fastest it has for months.
If it stays reasonably dry for the next week and a bit you'll be wanting summer tyres 🙂
Not liking the weather forecast...
Fingers crossed for it...
Rode both sides of Stanmer this morning, the trails are the best they've been for months, hardpack for the most part with just a few softer sections left where there were larger puddles. If it stays dryish for the next week the BigDog should be fast and fun. Fingers crossed eh 🙂
Thanks for the intel Paceman... if you can ride it on thursday next week too then that would be most appreciated 😉
Taff
Will keep you posted as I only live a mile or so from Stanmer.
Paceman
I rode last years route on Thursday evening. It's pretty dry, just a few boggy sections at the top. The forecast doesn't look too promising, but what the heck it'll just make that finish line beer taste even sweeter.
I've just come back from riding a lap of the course - it's lovely in there now! Hardly any mud at all. The forecast is a bit rubbish for tomorrow and Tuesday, but I'm hopeful that it could dry out in time for Saturday. Quite excited about racing now!
Did a couple of loops of the course this morning. First thing it was drier than I've seen it in months, but after a couple of short heavy downpours some of the trails at the top were sloppy again. Alot will depend on how dry it stays this week, but It's all rideable and great fun, just take care with your tyre choice 😉
Was out with Paceman in the cloud burst and the roots became a bit of a nightmare - bad scenario in Stanmer is dry roots (hard) with rain (slippy).
Actually worse than just plain old wet as the roots soften up a bit and are less slippy and ride ok.
Fingers crossed tha the rain holds off or at least it drys up on Thursday / Friday.
All sections riding well until the rain came.
DC
Hmmm just checked the BBC weather forecast - probalbly wise to bring mud tyres as a precaution. Thinking Mud x up front might be a good idea with intermediate on the back to keep things moving.
Looks like summer tyres not the best choice.
DC
Could my trailraker on the rear be the nuclear option?
Was still some gloopy patches on the course today too.
That's nice, you spend 2 hours cutting me up and generally getting in my way and I don't even get a mention. Looks like I might be weeing in your specially prepared bottles on Saturday whilst you are out on the course....
Tim... LOL 😆 Nearly spat my cuppa out.
Great ride today, looking forward to the race now. Don't worry, Darkcyan will be behind us 😉
All for those that want to know - TimP was there too this morning.
Also Mark who doesn't have a forum name but is a great guy.
No one else I know was there.
I should also mention TimP's crank fell off half way down Jedi!
TimP then followed my secret lines for the rest of the ride - always a bad move.
DC
N.b. High Five energy drink (lemon flavour) tastes like piss anyway so probably wouldn't notice.
I was there yesterday afternoon and the trails were nice and dry, but I am keeping my mud tires on for the race 🙂
Light rain overnight and forecast for this morning, but not enough to make it really bad again. I'd at least put some mud tyres in the boot of the car on Saturday, but I reckon they won't be needed 😆
Hope to get to Stanmer for a quick last minute spin later this week, will report back then.
Thanks Paceman
taking the scenic route home later so will report in on the downwards bits on the park side of the 27.
that is if i dont get tempted with a wild park old faithful strava run...
messed about on the lower sections and main descent and all good except the bit before the jungle that you hit blind which is a massive bog. very sketchy at full chat (nearly OTB) but it will dry out with lots of riders and just be massive holes.
gonna do a full lap later but i recon its all dry.
2nd on my wild park strava run. i need to man up on these clippy pedals.
It was a bit waxy in places last night, especially if riding hard on the singletrack, which is my only strength at the moment!
Forecast is a bit shabby neither one way or other - can't say I'm relishing the thought of it right now.
It's been raining steadily for the last few hours, get the mud tyres on!
Ah great... chuffed to hear that...
It's not been raining that much just the other side of the A27 from Stanmer.
I'm heading over that way later on - I'll try and report back.
Although I'm avoiding the bottom half of the course to avoid further pre-race erosion. Even Cathedral was a bit squidgy at the weekend.
Had a fantastic ride at Stanmer last night.
Couple of bits on the Big Dog course were fairly squidgy but there were dry lines forming through even those.
I thought everyone was in for a real treat.
and then it absolutely peed down when I was about 200 yards from home and carried on for some time 🙁
I think if there's no significant rain for the next couple of days it'll all be ok though.
personally I wouldn't be putting semi-slicks on and expecting to be ok, though.
At the moment it's forecast to rain throughout the race...
Torrential rain last night 😀
*checks dirt worker is working and re attaches mud guards.
For the love of...
think i'll take my single speed as well as the pesky geared bike then! still be a change to the lovely sunshine last year 😉
Looks like leaving the Mud-Xs on was a wise move!
Been keeping tabs on the post here for the last few days as doing my first Big Dog - thanks for the updates!
Question though - are the trails really that bad? I live near Leith Hill and the Mud Xs don't come out for there unless it's really bad. I'm riding the trails round there with Conti Race Kings even after a bit of rain.
they were mostly hard packed mud last night. A few bits of 2" deep slurry to catch you out.
issue will be if it does get wetter there a lot of off camber roots in places that get 'interesting' when wet.
Brief heavy downfall on my way to work. The ground is like a stickier version of the other Surrey Hills, not like Leith Hill because that's sandstone, as opposed to clay on chalk.
if its been raining at all in the days prior to the race, it'll be a sticky slidy slimefest.
So, being as it was raining yesterday, and has been spitting this morning..... it could well be time for the mud tyres.
There's nothing in Stanmer that you would be massively compromised on if you were on mud tyres in the dry anyhow. Its all twisty turny, and very few long flat speedy bits.