[Closed] Mountain Mayhem 2012

depends what you want to get out of mayhem, a good position, then no,

if you want to pootle up the climbs and blast down the hills (which can either be very rough in the dry or require lots of skill in the slimy wet) then a bike like yours can be ideal,

a mate of mine did solo on a remedy last year and posted some good laps times,

As above - yes, you'll get round but you won't be fast - it is an extremely hilly lap. If it's really wet you will be walking the uphills and flat bits as your bike will clog up completely with the mud.

GB

My top tip would be have some decent narrow mud tyres in your toolkit eg Mud Sharks 1.5", as if it rains it can be a very muddy course!

If it's dry I use Furious Freds - very fast and smooth course.

Haha - yeah it's a bit crazy, like SITS it's either a Furious Fred or Mud Sharks course, very little in between...

GB

There's not that many people who take it too seriously. Yeah, you're not going to be winning an XC race on a 160mm bike but hopefully you knew that...

The course doesn't require much (if any) suspension, but most there's a massive variation in what people ride.

If you're in a fairly fit team of four, you could be doing 6 laps each = 60 miles. As you are only riding for an hour at a time, its easy to think of each lap as a 'flying' lap, and by the 4th (in the middle of the night) you'll be very happy for some suspension and anything else which makes your life easier.

I've done it on a rigid singlespeed a number of times, and it hurts.

Oh, if it rains, throw all that out the window. Rigid singlespeed with mud tyres and you'll be able to ride some.

Like any Sportive style event there's a huge spread of ability, from factory race teams (Scott etc) to alcoholics on Uni-cycles walking their stead around the course whilst drinking lager.

.. ok I'm not sure they were alcoholics, but they certainly didn't ride much...

I am going to be on a 5" bike riding solo 😀 It's my first ever 24hr event and I am going for the experience not to break records.

Good effort Monkeychild. I've been toying with the idea of solo... One day. I reckon a 4" bike is what you'd choose for 24h solo, and a 5" bike with the right tyres/ setup isn't that far off.

Good luck! Try not to spend the night in bed. You'll be amazed how well you'll do just by riding for 24hrs with no 3hr sleeps...

This remains the only race I still get excited about every year. Not sure why, but it's just brilliant.

GB

My advice would be: hope it's going to be dry, pump up your shock, forks and tyres a little firmer than normal and fit some narrow-ish fast rolling tyres. Worked okay for me as a solo in 2010, although I didn't exactly hit the podium, but I was very lucky that it was dry that year. Mayhem is all about being able to hack the climbing imo, so gear yourself up for that and you'll be fine. Also +1 for not bothering with sleep. I tried and just lay there for a few hours pointlessly when I could have fit another couple of laps in.

edit: just re-read your post and now feel like a tit for posting my crumby advice.

It's ok - there's a chap above who's doing solo even if the OP isn't...

GB

lol

double laps in the night gives you all more time to sleep. at an hour a lap you get a six hour window. you can't sleep the first hour cos you're still buzzing, and being woken up an hour before you're due back out is a killer. It's better than just three hours to calm down, sleep, wake up though.

do not fall out over missed changes in the handover area, unless you're top three.

I'd echo what has been said about it being a course full of climbs. I think its over 2000ft per lap from what has been said before. If its dry a short travel full susser. If its wet, leave the bike and run, its quicker!

The fastest person on our team is very fit but zero bike skills, and he admitted to just blasting up the climbs and going very slowly on the downs and more technical bits.

Last year I was only spectating, and spent a bit of time on the last decent which was basically bumpy grass. A few people were f'in and blinding their way down saying it was way too bumpy, which ironically tended to be the people on the big full sussers. 😆

We came 2nd in 2007 with two roadies in the team, one of whom first rode his MTB two weeks before when I gave him his bike for the event. He's quite fit mind, was riding along chatting to Nick Craig on the climbs! We lost out on 1st place due to lack of mud tyres (only two of us had them) and doing double laps in the night (2nd lap is too slow).

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[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/brf/622137315/ ]The course was 'soft' in places[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/brf/ ]brf[/url], on Flickr

double laps in the night gives you all more time to sleep. at an hour a lap you get a six hour window. you can't sleep the first hour cos you're still buzzing, and being woken up an hour before you're due back out is a killer. It's better than just three hours to calm down, sleep, wake up though.

Nah, pairing off works better than doubles. So in a team of 4 doing A/B/A/B/C/D/C/D, saves a double lap, which means time to clean bikes and eat and what not, but still gives 4-6 hours rest.

It's a great event. The course isn't brilliant, but it's one of the largest cycling events in the world, just enjoy being there with thousands of other like minded people!

Have tried A/B/C/D/A/B/C/D, then A/B/C/D/A/A/B/B/C/C/D/D/A/B/C/D, then A/B/C/D/A/B/A/B/C/D/C/D/A/B/C/D and found that A/B/C/D/A/B/C/D gives the best lap times. It's only 24 hours, why sleep?

I just use AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA but the bloke was asking about teams. 😉

Just managed to get a team of 5 ( started out 10, lightweights)for our first ever crack at Mayhem. I will be riding my orange 5 so not looking for to break records, just have a laugh and enjoy the whole event. Is there any tips mayhem veterans can offer please such things to take that a newb to this malarky would never otherwise think to take?

Cheers in advance

found that A/B/C/D/A/B/C/D gives the best lap times. It's only 24 hours, why sleep?

To be fair it depends on the course, and the riders. At SiTS last year we just did double laps all the way through, with our girl doing singles once per rotation.

At Mayhem we paired off in the night, I'd not have wanted to do double laps, you'd have been out there for a long time, and you need someone to pass up a second bottle or whatever.

So.... What 29er mud tyres that will fit on stans rims (not bonty mud x)?

Er,why not bonty mud x?