Well, Cross bike/tripster ATR....!
Wanting to cover the 'R' of the name, I entered the Wareham HopDog xc race on sunday.
They did had a 'slightly miffed' (cross) category, but the majority of riders were on MTBs..
I'd have had a faster and 'better' race on the SS, but life's not all about winning eh!
I was really looking forward to racing on teh Tripster, and knowing that really it was a MTB course, I stuck the 42mm Conti tyres on it.
The start was fine - I was racing the fireroad with the 'top XC boys', and even keeping up through the singletrack wood section, but then about 400m from the start line the front tyre when down... 😥
EVERYBODY overtook me as I slopped about in the mud changing the tube. At this point I knew it would be tough to have a 'fast race' (It was only a 2 hour race), but changed the tube, and peddaled on again...
I managed to catch up with plenty of riders, and at the pits went to change the flat tube for a fresh one...couldn't find it.....!! I'd left it in the van!
So I went to a store stand and got a new one (yup..shopping mid race..) and carried on....
Midway through the second lap.....pfttttttttt..
Down goes the front again!!
The chaps I'd overtaken come past me once again, giving some jest!
So I swapped the tube again...and this time when going through the pits I detoured by the van, and picked up the third tube!!
The last 2 laps went fine (8 minutes quicker than the first 2..), and I was really enjoying the Tripster round the tight and fast course, but with the issues I'd had I simply bimbled across the line in a slightly 'deflated' fashion (pun intended, then immediately regretted).
However, it was a great fun ride..and that's the main bit eh!!
DrP
I did what used to be the Merida MTB series marathon in Builth one year on the Cx as I'd destroyed the SS back wheel at the Dyfi.
I did the 100km route.....It was 'interesting'.
Have you got the kinesis cx wheelset? You can run them tubeless.. Which may have solved the flats.
Good effort though.. Would have loved to see the faces of the guys getting overtaken. You should have hidden behind trees to change the flats to make them think they were getting lapped as you overtook them... Again
I concur, if you go off road on a CX bike, go tubeless.