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I did tell myself I'd not do another 24 solo until I was in my sixties, but.
I have the start of a very small urge to have another go, but I don't want to line up again and suffer the same problems.
Firstly I get acid that floors me, that I can deal with.
The big problem has been wet muddy unridable courses. I think my last SITS was a joke. Now I've heard rumor that the course has been built up to take some weather and riders, is this true?
The dates good, one month before my London-Paris-London.
basically....no!
if its properly wet, it'll be properly horrible.
Some work has been done but it is what it is at catton.
One thunderstorm last year caused chaos in pars for a few hours, had it rained more, it would have been carnage.
If its dry, its properly crackin' for the average solo. Granted it may be a bit "boring" for the few top end solos, but for the majority of solos the lack of technical complexity or seriously stiff climbing is a benefit.
I'd be inclined to sign up, but if it was properly horribly wet i just wouldn't turn up. For a solo it wouldn't be much in the way of fun.
If its dry, its properly crackin' for the average solo. Granted it may be a bit "boring" for the few top end solos, but for the majority of solos the lack of technical complexity or seriously stiff climbing is a benefit.
I'd be inclined to sign up, but if it was properly horribly wet i just wouldn't turn up. For a solo it wouldn't be much in the way of fun
That's the way I see it. Enthusiasm went many years ago for doing it in the rain and having to walk dragging the bike and half a ton of clay behind me.
Last time I did it, it started to rain as I was sat in my tent awaiting the start....my heart sunk.
did SITS last year as a solo, 2 hours ruined by 1 downpour, other than that it was fantastic
i concur, the rain last year turned the course into a clagpile. my crossmarks were about 3.7", but, if you do do it, pop in our camp for some mid ride booze.
It got pretty bad in the woods for a couple of hours overnight, but it soon dried up and the rest of the course was OK even when wet.
Hey Carl, comes and do 24/12 instead. Much nicer course. Further sarf, so tends to be drier as well (touch wood) and not as vile if it does rain.
There was a thread on STW at least a year ago started on behalf of Pat and asking riders for suggestions on how to improve SITS.
It's disappointing to learn that it sounds like calls for repairing the course seem to have been ignored. It's not too late to improve it before August or even May for Enduro 6.
It's not really about improving it, it's about the local geology. The course is good fun, it's very fast, flat and not taxing. Short of putting down hardpack on the entire course you're not gonna solve what happens when it gets wet!
Repairing the course would cost a lot of money and probably couldn't be justified for two events per year.
Wasn't there a lot of support for the idea of bringing the start and finish forward from 2pm to 12 midday though ? That one got ignored.
did SITS last year as a solo, 2 hours ruined by 1 downpour, other than that it was fantastic
Yar, last year was great fun for me - it started to rain during my first lap, but had pretty much dried out during the day for my second lap at 1am (my first ever night ride...)
Couple of our team mates really struggled post-downpour though, the two chaps that went after me had lap times 30-40 minutes slower than their normal lap times. One of them was t'husband, it was the only time I got a faster lap time than him! 😛 He also nearly rubbed a hole in his Scandal from the mud accumulating between the back tyre and the frame, just from one lap. :/
Found it a lot easier when it was a bit damp than Mountain Mayhem at Eastnor.
Personally i love the SITs course because it is so fast!
if it rains then there are sections where it will be a pain, first section after the initial climb out the arena for example, and the twisty bit through the trees about half way.
Apart from that there are quite a lot sections on the edge of fields on grassy sections, whcih although they'd get chewed up, wouldn't be "that" bad! having said that for the past 3 years it's been dry 😆
Did 24/12 three years ago when they modified the course cos of wet weather. Not a bad course, but I prefer SITS. That bl00dy Clif Climb might have something to do with that though!
24/12 is a more impressive set up though, but SITS is more frindly. The numberboard mounted timing chips at 24/12 are good.
Couple of our team mates really struggled post-downpour though, the two chaps that went after me had lap times 30-40 minutes slower than their normal lap times
Our guy who went out (on a double lap, so had all the wet bit) had Furious Freds on, and lost about 5 minutes, which was bloody impressive indeed!
Apart from that there are quite a lot sections on the edge of fields on grassy sections, whcih although they'd get chewed up, wouldn't be "that" bad!
They really are! It's utterly soul destroying in the wet!
As it rained one of our riders was half way through his first of 2 laps on Furious Fred slicks. He kept going for another lap in the mud as we all got changing tyres... He reckoned slicks or not there was no grip!
I remember a couple of years back our lap times were over 2 hours because of the mud - way way way beyond anything remotely fun. There were riders ditching wheels in the transition and running round quicker just carrying a frame. At least those guys were putting the effort in - a lot of teams 'took the night off'.
I'd do the Wiggle 6 hour event again (the course was great in the dry) but never a 24 there again.
njee20 - MemberThey really are! It's utterly soul destroying in the wet!
Like I said, last 3 years have been dry for me 😆 or dry ish!
Anyway. SITS opened today 😀
Thanks for that, Will.
I'm in now.
I've done Enduro6 for the last 9 years and it has never rained. Ever. Crazy. Bet that event woul be hideous in the wet... Parc ferme, no ability to wash bikes...
It's not soul destroying, it's character building...
GB