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Anyone on here ever done the nokia thing? How was it?? have I just made the biggest mistake say 'yeah Im in, how hard can it be'.....
I did it this year with my girlfriend who had done next to no training. So if you're reasonably fit, then finishing (in the 2 day challenger category) isn't too hard.
Certainly, the biking won't be a problem for you! Just make sure you do some running/walking before the event so your knees are used to it.
Just make sure you have a plan for the finish. They failed to provide hot food or let the locals know that the event was happening. There was no camping provided so we all had to find taxis to hotels or walk a way down the road to pay for a campsite.
I did the easier one-day (racer?) category this year. Brilliant event. Hard enough to feel like a good achievement, and great surroundings to be moving through. Nothing very technical on the bike (a skinny-tyred road bike would be bad, my CX was fine) but it needs determination and bloodymindedness whether you're doing one day or two, especially the last run/walk section. Not a lot of time to hang around if doing it in a day.
The organisation seemed fine - some peculiarities which I'm sure they'll sort out next year, and I'm sure some of the jollity was dampened by the organisers and stewards being out in two days of fairly relentless rain. We booked early and stayed at the hotel where it finished - room overlooking the finish line, bar full of whisky, all very groovy. I think they're staggering the finish over two days this time, which might ease congestion at the end.
I'll be doing it again next year if I can manage the dates.
All booked up with the Bunk house for the saturday night, I felt like a bed was the better choice and finsh hotel for the Sunday night. Im pretty lucky that work are picking up the tab for the whole event 😀
We've entered 2 pairs in the challenger group with a aim to just finish this year but wasnt sure to CX it or take the mountain bike, slicks for sat and offroad tyres for sunday??
Do anyone have a GPX file of the route??
2 days, in a pair, and aiming to finish? That's what I'll be doing if I can persuade my Mrs to join me. I'd go for mountain bikes and semi slicks pumped up hard. You don't want either of you to have punctures or mechanicals, and you'll be able to enjoy the ride and the scenery.
Having said that, my CX with 35mm semi-slicks was good: cut through the (rare) muddy bits and rolled fine of the tarmac. Felt like I had to be careful of pinch flats on the faster off-road sections in the forest, I didn't want to have to stop and get cold.
The route kind of looks like "just go straight down the Great Glen", but if you look carefully it's quite a bit hillier and a lot prettier.
I did the racer cat this year, as id not got the paddling cert allowing me to race in expert.
Having to choose a bike for 38miles of hilly road riding followed by 36mile of off and on road mix was prop the winning factor.
I thought about switching tires half way through, using a hybrid all sorts of things..
In the end i rode a carbon road bike with touring tires that just cleared the frame. The single track was abit rocky and all the 2 day guys had tour it up, so i was lucky to not snake bite, (id say i lost 5-10min to my hard tail off road but made up way more on the road)
That race/event is prob more about bike choice and the last run section than people think...
Will be there again next year amd will run tubs on a road bike and adjust pressures in and out of rocky sections
macca