[Closed] So, HONC..

having only done it once on a "light weight" Full Suss I would definitely go for a CX bike if I had one, to do it on next time. It's not an MTB ride IME and the faster wheels/tyres of a crosser will make it much easier to do.

If I was doing the official route a cx bike is what I'd ride. My route however will require an mtb;-)

I have only ever done it on a roadrat, with 38mm tires to stop the pinch punctures I seem to pick up otherwise.

I was fairly beat up after my ride last year but that was my first ever ride off road on a cx bike. I will be doing it again on cx this year, im more confident on loose rocky downhill sections now

I recommend the Hardtail..
Things may get a little lumpy 😈

I've always used a hardtail with fast rolling tyres, conti racekings last time. Being the wrong side of 14st I'd be worried about pinch flatting a skinny cross tyre, and it's fun re-passing the cross boys on the downhill sections.

I rode it on a hardtail last year, didn't need a full sus IMHO. Fancied doing it on a CX but I'd have to buy one first 🙂

HONC first timer, so what's it actually like? had a quick look on youtube and it seems to be all bridleway, road and fields,

choices are Stumpy FSR or single speed retro Giant

Mainly roads and farm tracks, although there are some open field crossings and singletrack bits as well.

If it's dry, any sections that have been churned up by horses and dried solid can be really bone jarring. If its wet then it gets pretty muddy.

The route changes each year, and although there are a few sections that appear regularly, things like having to ride over a plowed field do feature from time to time.

I was keeping up with a couple of CX riders on the road sections on my mountain bike last year.
Feeling rather smug about it, I started chatting to them.
They told me their mate had had a puncture and they were taking it easy to give him a chance to catch up.

choices are Stumpy FSR or single speed retro Giant

how string a climber are you, Honc can be lumpy and depending on route the last few climbs can hurt alot. On this basis gears can be a helpful addition.

As for what it is like, Effort has been made to take it away from its roots a little, so a little less road, but this is the Cotswolds and there is only so much you can do when faced with miles of minor roads and farm tracks.

Mind you the last time i did it according to the rules i was using Conti XC1.5s

I was fairly beat up after my ride last year but that was my first ever ride off road on a cx bike.

Did it last year on my Kona Full Sus and will be doing it again on the same bike. It was dry last year so had a semi slick on the rear and was fine

i was using Conti XC1.5s

my initial thoughts on tyre choice, have they stopped making them? can't find them anywhere,

thanks for the advice

my initial thoughts on tyre choice, have they stopped making them? can't find them anywhere,

Yep.. i tried getting some for a couple cx races but ended up getting some schwalbe cx pro's

The HONC is cross-bike reliability ride that's been taken over by MTBers. It's 60% tarmac. So take a fast, light hardtail.

Tried cross bike but the descents were just too bumpy at speed for me so I'll be riding a rigid carbon hardtail with some narrower tyres. More comfortable IMO.

It's 60% tarmac

The HONC is cross-bike reliability ride that's been taken over by MTBers. It's 60% tarmac. So take a fast, light hardtail.

nope, the HONC is a touring bike reliability trial. Graham may know, but i seem to remember it was in part a birthday ride for some Winchcombe cc riders and was based on experiences of the Paris Roubaix cyclosportive. The whole point was to have something that could be done on a tourer.

In the beginning it was designed around 60/40 road/off-road by distance which means about 50/50 split by time. over the years as MTBs have come to the fore the balance has shifted a little. I don't remember the cleeve sections as is 15 years ago, but waterhatch, hailes, stanway, these all got used.

I prefered how it was, wake up at 8 look out the window and if the weather looked good ride to Winchcombe, enter on the line, do the 100k then ride home. trying to get back to watch the last bit of Paris Roubaix on TV. I am not one for pre-entering, i know how much fun the cotswold dust can be on a bad day.

Road bike or CX for me.

I'll be doing it ss as I don't own gears anymore

When I rode it in 94 there were a couple of old boys on club bikes with mudguards and carradice saddle bags.

Hmmm CX is looking favourite, may have to stick a 50-34 on the front then, as opose to the usual 46-36?

I'll be running 36/46 Nick...

simondbarnes - Member
I'll be running 36/46 Nick...

Ah, ok...

I'll take that as a good call then.. 😉

Not that I have the slightest idea what I'll be letting myself in for 🙂

As stated above I rode it in 2005 on a FS and I do feel that it was "Too" much bike for it, in that year at least. In that year I would say that 60% road is about right or possibly a little conservative. There were from memory a lot of white lane/field roads but as it was dry these were no worse than a lot of minor roads especially since winter 09. There were some hefty-ish climbs which nobbled me in combination with a fairly hefty head wind. I rode the final 4 or 5 miles with a fella in his 70's on said tourer with carradice saddle bag. I don't think he considered it anything other than a typical for him cycle ride. I definitely think us MTBers have made riding off road a bit precious.

I still say go for the CX bike. If you go for the HT get a set of the narrowest tyres that you can put on. But as you have a CX bike this seems totally pointless. Just get some proper off road riding in on the CX bike to practise descending rough tracks on a narrow tyred rigid bike.

Oh burger - has it sold out quicker than normal this year? Why did nobody remind me to enter?

Not that I have the slightest idea what I'll be letting myself in for

aP it was a very different thing back then, did it actually stop running for a while?
The only year I've done the current version it rained, hailed and snowed. The race hardtail seemed about a good a choice as anything.

I've done it a couple of times on 140mm FS (in preference over a hardtail, I don't have a CX), mostly because I'm a wuss but as long as you put some fast tyres on (e.g. SB8's) and lock it out for the road sections I think it works well enough. For sure you don't need it but I flew past a lot of people on the downhills as they were mincing about on CX bikes. So IMO if you want a fast time then CX bike but if you're just doing it for fun and want to enjoy the downhills (not just survive them) then a FS works well.

Last year i got chatting to a guy on a cx bike half way down a descent. I wondered why he's stopped and asked him if he was alright.

he said " i just needed to stop cus i thought i was going to black out riding this thing down here - . i'm not doing this on a cx bike again"

I also did some chasing down on the last road section 🙂

aP it was a very different thing back then, did it actually stop running for a while?
The only year I've done the current version it rained, hailed and snowed. The race hardtail seemed about a good a choice as anything.

It hasn't stopped running since it was started, BUT two years there have been issues, Foot and Mouth, and i can't remember the other? The route has evolved a little to suit MTBs more than tourers, but most of the tracks are the same.

If anyone hasnt entered and would like to they are welcome to my entry if it rains.

definitely think us MTBers have made riding off road a bit precious.

Oh indeedy.

I shall be doing it on a SS CX bike. Never ridden it before, but I'm assuming that, being a reliability ride, I can treat it like one, rather than some MTBer "we chased down roadies" nonsense.

So, for SS CX, suggestions on gearing?

[url= http://blog.thecorrective.com/search/label/Route ]a selection of honc routes[/url]

So, for SS CX, suggestions on gearing?

38/19 was good a couple of years ago, maybe a bit taller if you're feeling strong.[

38/19 was good a couple of years ago, maybe a bit taller if you're feeling strong.[

I was strong last year, but not now..!

Currently have 40x18, but only riding v flat stuff. Might try 39x20 as an option.

Cheers

As for bike choice, I've done it on hardtail, cx and susser. If conditions are like the last couple of times I've ridden (dry and hard) I'd take the susser every time - it has fast tyres and full lockout, hence almost as fast on the tarmac anyway, and overall faster than a cx. Only is it's fairly damp would I ride a cx bike - just too bumpy and uncomfortable otherwise.

Is it possible to ride the course (based on 2010 bikely gps) prior to the event, or is some of it on private land?

i have just had a quick look at the 2010, as far as i can see there are two sections of footpath, on neither have i ever had an issue riding them in the last 20 years. The first is the first climb, labeled waterhatch, this has a hard core and tarmac surface now. the other is towards the end as you approach cleeve hill, I tend to ride this section less as can get muddy and i prefer others routes around here.

Is it possible to ride the course (based on 2010 bikely gps) prior to the event, or is some of it on private land?

Different route this year, and some of it is on "permissive" tracks, over which you are not allowed to ride a bike.

It's 60% tarmac

No it isn't.

Well if it changed to be closer to 50/50, that's a good thing.