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Going to have a go at this xc racing lark this weekend in the final round of the Gorrick Autumn series. With the course being quite long I guess if you have a mechanical then it's a long walk back. So what do you carry in terms of spares?
I was thinking of just a spare tube, c02 and levers. Is it worth taking anything else?
no
Nope.
I always carry a multi-tool with a chain tool and a quick link.
i never race without my headset press.
i never race without my headset press.
That's not a bad idea. I was also thinking of strapping a workstand to my back so if I do need to stop then I can work at a comfortable height. 🙂
Tube, CO2, small tool for me.
Tube , pump , multi tool, power links , mech hanger .
I was going to attend MM, but being a mechanical retard i now cannot.
Was putting in new pads and thought i would clean up the pistons, so pumped the lever to push them out a little, and 1 popped out .
System now has air in , and i dont have a Hayes bleed kit . Might be able to get it sorted on Fri at a LBS . Which Cat are you going to enter ?
Wot Njee said.
Which Cat are you going to enter ?
Not sure yet, being the first race I'm a bit clueless. I qualify for the Vets now so either that or the open class.
What do people do about warming up?
Do Open. Get there a couple of hours before and have an easy lap of the course. Pay attention to the start. Crowthorne generally goes uphill for 20ft or so straight off the line, then down a doubletrack, through a puddle at the bottom and into a gravelly 90 degree LH bend. If you can get a good line on that bend you can make up a lot of places IME!
Doing a lap will get you warm. Sit in the warm car until 10 minutes or so before (it gets busy in Open, so if you're bothered about starting near the front leave 15 minutes or so). Keep warm clothes on as long as you can. If you're going with someone wear a jacket on the start line and throw it at them with a minute or so to go. Don't wear too much, you [i]will[/i] get warmed up very quickly.
Only races I've done I've not bothered with spares. They've only been around an hour long and I know that by the time I change a tube, or attempt to fix something else (I'm not particularly mechanically minded) my race will be over anyway!
That said, that's always been on a course where in that hour you can do around 4 laps so although it'd be a pain it's going to be a particularly long walk back. Touch wood not had any mechanicals yet, and only 1 crash (yes...the hole in the arm one!), and that was thankfully near the start (and therefore the "road"!)
I wouldn't carry any more than tube, levers, co2, a powerlink and a small multitool.
never needed a multitool in a race, but i've definatley cursed by not having 2 co2 canisters!
fwiw last sunday i punctured twice at test valley tour first one fixed with a tubeless plug and 1.5 co2 (it didnt imediatletly seal so needed a top up) 2nd puncture at last waterstop i tried a plug in the sidewall but was futile and used a tube which worked fine but had to use foot pump.
might be at gorrick sunday in open but i'm carrying an injury now..
1x innertube
1x tyre lever
2x co2 canister
1x c2canister head thingy
2x power links
I used to carry a spare tube and pump. Once at Margam I had a puncture (the only time I've had one) and by the time I'd dismounted and got the tube out of my back pocket the entire field had belted past me and disappeared. Fat lot of good changing my tube did me.
Now I just run tubeless and take a lightweight multi-tool just in case. Many courses zig-zag a lot in a small area so your walk home isn't usually very long.
This year i've managed the unbelievable feat of puncturing in every mtb race. It got to a point where at 10 @ Kirroughtree i was actually laughing while fixing it ( half way round first lap) because i knew it would happen.
Kielder 100 was my worst puncture just because when it happened.
Carry tube with 2 CO2 cannisters strapped to it, CO2 cannister, a tyre lever and a packet of patches.
Hopefully next year i get zero punctures but here's hoping.
If my chain snaps then a walk it is