[Closed] Puffer updates. Who are you watching?

The final descent aka 'The Somme' was grim. I'm not sure I can watch that video yet either - it all seemed so easy to begin with, however when the light snow turned to rain at about 03:00 it really started turning the screw on me.

The night never seemed to end. After each lap, I'd have a quick look at my watch and mutter something unprintable, as I kept on wishing for it to be 06:00, or even 05:00, not 02:30 with another 5 hrs of riding in the dark to go etc.

Loved all the vans and tents lined along the course, with the endless encouragement and banter, and some random dude wandering up the Somme descent about 03:00, playing random tunes and shouting 'pedal, pedal, pedal!' to everyone going past. Ace!

munrobiker - Member

what's the course like

Brutal. You seem to climb for 90% of it on a variety of fireroad and lumpy, rough, rocky singletrack that isn't so much technical as jarring. You used to descent on a lovely fast swoopy descent- you got to the top of the last very steep singletrack climb and thought "right, I've earned this". Then this year they sent you down a shit muddy sloppy partly finished fireroad. Which was awful.

I think it's a good thing there's so much climbing - I'd have been crashing a lot more if there was much fast stuff in it. And apart from the Somme it was pretty OK mud-wise.

qwerty - Member
I am in awe of you stiff upper lip approach to hardship, but, to be frank, f*ck that!

I've been castigating myself for being a softie and getting in the car. The answer is not having one there to get into.

The real hardship was the waking up wet cold etc, because I felt ok beforehand.

So the solution for that is next year I'm planning taking a stool instead of a car.

(My missus may veto that though, she wasn't happy with this year's approach, hence the unexpected delivery of bread pud. She thinks my sports diet of Snickers bars and water is deficient)

some random dude wandering up the Somme descent about 03:00, playing random tunes and shouting 'pedal, pedal, pedal!' to everyone going past. Ace

Yes!! Somebody else did see him then, I wasn't just hallucinating 😀 He was brilliant, just what you needed when you got to that point...

Swavis- when I went by him it was snowing and he was playing the Ski Sunday theme! I think Aly was just behind me and we both said it kept us laughing for about 10 minutes in our delirious states.

Think I went past the lone Ski Sunday dancer about 4 times. Think I asked him what drugs he was on at some point and if I could have some 🙂

Firt of all, well done to all that took part, and to all of those that shouted and cheered encouragement along the way. It makes all the difference!

What a great event. 3rd time of riding (all the past 3 years) and this was definitely the hardest - "the Somme" pretty much covers that last descent. We was robbed of the final cruise down the hill!! There didn't seem to be any let up this year, constant pedalling and concentration (especially in the mud) required.

That said, my first lap, under those blue skies, through that enchanted white forest, was wonderful. The best mountain bike ride ever. It was a privilege to be out there in proper winter conditions (aware that it can get a lot worse) for once. In fact, all laps were enjoyable in their own way. What else would you rather be doing at 3AM on a Sunday morning?

And as for Minipips? Sensation stuff, really put me and alot of older folk to shame. It was inspiring to see the little dude ride round with his dad. Brilliant.

What an event!

Strathpuffer bloggage 🙂

http://minipips.blogspot.co.uk/2015/01/the-wee-man-rides-24-hours-at.html

My views on the matter

http://jasonmilesracing.com/2015/01/20/strathpuffer-2015/

terrahawk - Member

My views on the matter

http://jasonmilesracing.com/2015/01/20/strathpuffer-2015/
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I was hoping for a bit more really 🙁

The write-up, not the performance. 🙂

thanks for putting 'that' photo up munrobiker 😉

I'm still in the 'never again' phase of looking back on the race. Still, good training for the Rovaniemi 150 in a month. *sigh*

I hate racing...

I was hoping for a bit more really

any aspect in particular you wanted me to expand on?

any aspect in particular you wanted me to expand on?

You didn't mention the blood. 😉

terrahawk - Member

I was hoping for a bit more really

any aspect in particular you wanted me to expand on?

All of it really fella, the mindsets that drive you on in the tough times, how the actual conditions influence your changes of tactics, the fuelling/hydration aspects, the pre training, how that benefitted/screwed you etc.

I'm curious for example as to why you didn't take a non-SS bike and run that if it became too painful, obviously you'd lose the SS aspect of the finish but could potentially have got a 1st/2nd if you'd swapped at the 10 hour mark for example onto a lightweight HS/short travel FS...

I guess because of seeing you on TV stuff and having seen/read many of your posts on here I can kinda relate to you a little more than other competitors, so to get a true perspective in detail is just the sort of thing I love to read.

People are never happy on this forum are they? 😀

I can't include all that in every race report I write. Some of what you're after isn't stuff I'm particularly prepared to share anyway...
it's pretty obvious from what I've written that I'd have had a better result with a geared bike, don't you think?

I'm curious for example as to why you didn't take a non-SS bike and run that if it became too painful,

People are never happy on this forum are they

I didn't think my questions were worth getting into a strop about TBH, I thought they were perfectly reasonable.

I wasn't being negative in the slightest, I was curious.

not getting in a strop. You should have seen me at 2am on Sunday morning mate, that was a strop.

I think I may have had a wee chat with you near the top of the big forestry road climb around 7-8am on Sunday, Jason (I was solo SS too, on a green Kinesis FF29). You mentioned you were having back issues, but I rode on thinking 'that can't be Jason/Terrahawk - he's a flippin whippet!'. Sorry to hear you didn't have a great one.

Terrahawk, cheers for your thoughts on the race.

Quick question for you and anyone else that was soloing it, kit wise, do you try have a few changes and just swap every so often to try help keep warm or do you have one real good set up that's comfortable enough to wear right through?

"I'm curious for example as to why you didn't take a non-SS bike and run that if it became too painful, obviously you'd lose the SS aspect of the finish but could potentially have got a 1st/2nd if you'd swapped at the 10 hour mark for example onto a lightweight HS/short travel FS..."

a very unlikely outcome. going onto gears allows you to travel slower. the course traditionally has been very SS friendly -just look at the number of SS winners over the years......

trail_rat - Member

"I'm curious for example as to why you didn't take a non-SS bike and run that if it became too painful, obviously you'd lose the SS aspect of the finish but could potentially have got a 1st/2nd if you'd swapped at the 10 hour mark for example onto a lightweight HS/short travel FS..."

a very unlikely outcome. going onto gears allows you to travel slower. the course traditionally has been very SS friendly -just look at the number of SS winners over the years......

My point was that he seemed to have to slow dramatically due to pain in the back, which could have potentially been at least somewhat helped by the more bounce.

Doesn't matter, he never had one anyway.

but what I really needed was a set of gears.

And Richpips I will use that to encourage my 9 year old who thinks his 25 miler was a long ride!!

Go wee man indeed.

Quick question for you and anyone else that was soloing it, kit wise, do you try have a few changes and just swap every so often to try help keep warm or do you have one real good set up that's comfortable enough to wear right through?

apart from adding a jacket when it got very cold, I always stay in the same kit. it's lurking at home right now...in a bag....

Quick question for you and anyone else that was soloing it, kit wise, do you try have a few changes and just swap every so often to try help keep warm or do you have one real good set up that's comfortable enough to wear right through?

I had every bit of bike-kit I owned with me, but only changed once in the 16 hours I was riding so took most of it home clean. Doing a full change quite often would waste quite a bit of time if you were competing for a podium place I reckon, but you could limit that to things like new socks/tights. You'd do very well to go through the entire race without changing anything though. At least I would. I guess it would depend on how close the margins were. If you're only a minute or two ahead/behind you're not going to stop to change your socks.

which could have potentially been at least somewhat helped by the more bounce.

gears would have helped. Back pain wasn't caused/made worse by bumps, just lack of a lower gear.
The point of the blog was to make clear that my problems were caused by my own flawed decisions ahead of the race, acknowledge the performances of those that finished ahead of me and that just because something works in the past it doesn't always mean that it will in future.

I had full bounce and my back still hurts. The most efficient position inevitably leads to some back pain, as does the pounding the course gives you. Terrahawk clearly knows what works for him (or did!)- it's the opposite of what works for me, which is at least 10 gears, a 32T chainring and a minimum of 100mm travel and as low a front end as I can get away with on a 26" wheel bike. This keeps me in an efficient position, gives me the option to twiddle my legs and keep lactic at bay and keeps me comfy. Terrahawk presumably prefers to push a harder gear, have less to break and benefits from the weight saving of a full rigid bike. Regardless of what bike you are on it will hurt so you may as well stick with what you're conditioned to use.

Kit changes didn't matter so much when you were riding- they were more important for people like me in pairs of quads who were stopped regularly. I changed four times, but while my teammate was on the course and I was never cold whilst riding.

Quick question for you and anyone else that was soloing it, kit wise, do you try have a few changes and just swap every so often to try help keep warm or do you have one real good set up that's comfortable enough to wear right through?

I take loads of spare kit. The only reason for changing would be if what I was wearing got soaked. I stayed dry so wore the same stuff straight through.

Strathpuffer bloggage

http://minipips.blogspot.co.uk/2015/01/the-wee-man-rides-24-hours-at.html

Well played minipips.

I kept going and put in some really slow lap times – by now the pain in my back was preventing me from riding up anything remotely steep and I wasn’t too hot at descending either.

Well it made my entire Puffer career to pass you albeit briefly on the top fire road and then again on the final descent. Now I've read this you've shot me down in flames. Guy passed me on the first corner and I managed to stay close to him till Haribo Hill when I had a mechanical. That was my 2nd best Puffer moment ever. Us old fat knackers are easily pleased y'see 🙂

Great event, well done all again. I had sworn to retire, along with my MorayMinx pair/Quad partner Roberta but when I collected my bikes last night we knuckle pumped to next year. I guess that's that then. And there was me looking forward to giving the Somme Disco Dancer some competition.

You can ride a bike past me any time you like. For money.

^^^^ Nice My like Mmmmm easily pleased I am

You can ride a bike past me any time you like. For money.

Oooh I didn't realise there was a market for 17.5 stone beardy weirdy ride bys. Does I have to dress up nice too? I'll do it for free if you gives me a hug after. 🙂

The Ski Sunday dancer was one of the great highlights of the weekend. Pretty much everyone in our team was talking about him.

That vid on page 6 what camera would that've been? I like on screen bits the map overlay etc

Garmin Virb, I think.

First time puffer-er here have to say it was one of the best MTB events I've done... thank you to all the volunteers.
Just moved to the area so no excuse, always wanted to do it so I had to really.

Did it as a Quad, and crashed a lot, and three punctures, dag namit, my own fault not putting enough lbs in for the skinny tyres..

Passed the wee lad a couple of times, once sounding very unhappy, once really giving it some, so he's clearly got the ability to give himself a mid-race talking to and keep going... I'm in awe..

I'll be back next year, it hurt, but it was just a great event.... now what tyres for.....

My claim to game is a passing Guy Martin two or three times- of course that wouldn't of happened if I solo (I was in a pair though).

I caught Terrahawk at near enough the same place on the fire road twice, sound fella, he even let me go first over the top techie bit 2nd time due to him "mincing"!

Great race with a fantastic atmosphere, wish I'd pushed a bit harder but it's all well saying that afterwards.

Hats off to minipips, definatly one to watch in the future.

some more photos.. good ones

http://www.redbull.com/en/bike/stories/1331700667950/when-hell-freezes-over-strathpuffer-2015