It's a few years since I did it so the course may have changed somewhat but I'd say it would be a good option.

Rachel

I rode it 2 (3?) years ago. I can't remember anything that would be too technical for a cx bike, it would certainly help with the road sections. However the year I rode was mudtastic, i'm not sure how the skinny tyres would cope with the long muddy drags across farm fields (they seem to do ok in cx races..)

I think you will struggle on a CX machine, unless you like cycling down dried rutted mud paths on your cx. If you have a 29" hardtail, that would be probably be ideal.

It was done by a couple of local lads on cx bikes last year without too much trouble. Rumour has it that the one nasty technical climb left from years past (Sleau Whallian) has been taken out this year as its too much of a bottleneck. Replaced by a wide (but hellish steep in places) motorway track ending up in the same place called Barnell.

You'll lose time through the plantations but probably all in all it will be as quick if not quicker than anything else.

Me? I'm doing it on my 1x10 equipped trail bike with 2.4in 29er tyres and a dropper post....cos that's all I've got!

I rode on the Isle of Man last March (the weekend before the snow came!) with a local. We did some bits of the End-to-end route (but in reverse) so he could show me what it was all about.

I'm trying to decide between my 140mm FS trail bike or my 140mm hard tail trail bike. Probably going with the hardtail tbh.