[Closed] Strathpuffer 24 - 2014 - who is in?

[url= http://bikemagic.com/mountain-bike-events/event-features/mike-halls-top-tips-for-surviving-the-strathpuffer-24-hour-race.html ]its all about the brakes....[/url]

I can't get my head round the stories of people going through pads every 2 laps.

Does this happen to EVERYONE? or it is a case of poor brake setup / wrong pad compound / low quality pads falling off their backing?

Training not going well for a solo.

Brake pads bought, working on the principle that when I run out of pad thats time up.

Didn't have an issue two years ago in a pair, 9 laps one set of pads, didn't need replaced for a few months after.

Mind you the second year was a set a lap near enough, got some quick laps when I decided that braking was not the best option as I only had two sets of pads left.

Well...

2 weeks to go, and I am seriously thinking of pulling out 🙁

22-25th nov, work away from home, no training
26th-3rd dec, bad cold, no training
4th-19th, working away from home, base level exercise only
20th-24th, jet lag, base level exercise
25th-today (5th jan), return of the cold, feel tired and unwell, no training.

Nikk, stick with it, me n yokaiser haven't had the best of training either, but plan to just get it done and endure it. I have no illusions of going at any great rate of knots!.

Thanks Nobeer! I just know that if I haven't got a good run up in the pocket, what is gonna happen is my arse is gonna hurt after 1 hr, and I am gonna bonk at 3 hrs, shoulders will ache at 4 hours, and it is downhill from there.

I guess just trying it may be good if I want to do it again, just to know the course and layout and stuff. But I may feel a bit shit if I don't manage a reasonable showing / only cycle for 8 hours!

No one's had good training.

Ok, I'll STFU and MTFU then X-)

I'm doing it solo. I've been having a fair bash at training but between work, Christmas and new year I've actually got slower and feel like crap. Just hope I miraculously come good in a weeks time!

Bloody phone. No-one that I've spoken to has managed to get nearly the miles they wanted. I know that for my solo I'm woefully short. Think a few are bailing because they feel not up to it. But puffer is more than good miles. It's attitude too so yep STFU, MTFU and go it'll be fun.

im in that other event - the strathpoofer

our mighty bus - the rusty LWB HR transit diesel pump has shit its self.

faced with the prospect of running a quad and a womans pair out of my little peugeot i was outvoted 6 - 1 on a camper so we have a 7 berth camper on hire for the weekend. works out at 42 quid each + fuel for 2 nights accomodation.

Pairs Team entry up for grabs - anyone interested?? Open to offers at this late stage, not really expecting the full amount returned...

6 days to go, how is everyone feeling?

Long term weather has bright sunshine, 4 degrees, and a 9mph wind in Lossiemouth http://magicseaweed.com/Lossiemouth-Surf-Report/45/ . Sunday morning isn't looking as good though, brief showers 16mph wind with 30mph gusts :-/

It does look to be mostly dry all week leading up to it though...

Last ride today, not done as much as I wanted, but as said above, it's a lot about attitude and mental strength too. The weather doesn't look good at all, it'll be a mud bath, I was really hoping for a frost.

Metcheck has it quite cold for the Saturday evening nobeer http://www.metcheck.com/UK/dayforecast.asp?day=6&zipcode=Dingwall with a bit of light snow on Sunday http://www.metcheck.com/UK/dayforecast.asp?day=6&zipcode=Dingwall /p>

Touch wood, not especially extreme in any direction?

Fair play to anybody doing this, I genuinely don't think I could. Well, not solo at any rate.

Really not happy about the weather tbh, but wtf did i expect :s

Banks, why are you so unhappy with it? Genuine question, I've never done the puffer - to me it looks ok, am I missing something? For what it's worth I was most concerned about persistent heavy rain.

Good luck to all this year, done it twice solo in 2007 and 2008. I would agree that persistent rain would be the most miserable weather to expect. 2007 was like this with the camping area flooding, 2008 was windy but a much better affair with plenty of ice and nice and cold.

Tbh I'd only ever do it solo, think hanging around in the cold waiting for your laps would be harder than being out there doing a bit.

I can't get my head round the stories of people going through pads every 2 laps.

Does this happen to EVERYONE? or it is a case of poor brake setup

Some brakes will cope better than others. Some calipers won't accept a new set of pads as easy as others as the pistons can't be set back into the bores with ease to enable the thickness of the rotor and new pads to clear and be drag free.

Shimano are usually excellent when it comes to how easy it is to get the pistons flush into the caliper without any drama.. even a brand new set of Formula or Avid having just gone through their first set of pads could be problematic. The clearances from new are nothing like most Shimano's.

Some folk see sense and run the likes of an Avid BB7 and set the pad clearance as far away from the disc as possible.. without losing the brake power/lever travel needed. With fresh cables and a bit of lube in the outer casings they should stand up to all conditions and temperatures at the puffer (a drop of oil in the outer casings if hosing the bike down in sub zero temperatures has got to be a good thing,even if cable companies recommend no lube in their cables)
They might not be hydro but they are more likely to enable you to race the puffer with less pad changes over hydro disc brakes.

For anyone racing it, I would recommend fitting full width (new) pads in their brakes and lube the pistons well before the race. Turning up with half worn pads and a brake that's never been cleaned or bled is asking for problems as once you've worn the pads out,you will be trying to fit new pads and trying to reset pistons into their bores mid-race.

Edit: Wearing pads right down to the backing plate wears the rotor. This is why some folk can't believe how much they have to change the pads due to puffer grit. It'll be the pad clearances due to the amount of servicing they've had and the worn rotor that causes some folk to 'have' to replace pads 15 times in the Puffer, while others using the same brakes only change 3 times.

I was spannering for someone a couple of years back. She went through 2 sets of pads in around 4 laps - and managed to complete the race with no more changes ❓

Just got my rear wheel built, ran out of tubeless tape! I'll chuck a tube in to get my pads bedded, hopefully SS are as on the ball with getting stuff out as usual.

Looking forward to the weekend (mostly!), we'll see what the weather brings!

The forecast for me says pretty cold with rain/slight chance of snow which means getting piss wet through covered in shite. Colder the better.. but this is me first time

I stole the bleed nipples without you noticing. :OD

Yesterdays weather wasn't great around the puffer. Someone said that there's a light dusting of snow and ice in places this morning.

(Prays for ice)

[img] [/img]

Mud and water on the brakes does seem to disappear the pads double quick.
I guess it wears through the long lasting surface you get on the pads.

I'm going to buy thermal socks and brake pads tomorrow. I think I need to hire a van to take all my stuff.

Did a prep ride today, 8hrs. Kinda tired when I got back, but a few things working well:

* Rapha Embrocation Cream - toasty!
* Shimano MW81 shoes, new sealskin socks, and fleece leggings over top - dry and warm all day, despite feet going into endless semi-frozen puddles and mud
* Start slow, then back off from there (no heroics)- feel good most of the day
* Eat something every 30 mins - no bonking
* Drink a lot (non-alcoholic) the night before - hydrated
* Storm Buff - no brain freeze
* Remove gloves / buff if too hot - less sweat 🙂

I am gonna do my best at the Strathpuffer. Not done nearly enough to do justice to a solo effort, but am just gonna enjoy it and try to keep me and the bike feeling and running good.

Good news that it may be freezing. Firm ground is so much faster and more fun to ride.

[quote=martinxyz]Wearing pads right down to the backing plate wears the rotor. This is why some folk can't believe how much they have to change the pads due to puffer grit. It'll be the pad clearances due to the amount of servicing they've had and the worn rotor that causes some folk to 'have' to replace pads 15 times in the Puffer, while others using the same brakes only change 3 times.

Wow, that is such a good point! Wearing down to the backing totally messes up the rotor, roughens it up and it will totally eat pads in that state. I mean, look at the photo I posted on page 2, one of the pads backing is half worn away, almost down to the piston!

Note to self - carry spare pads and allen key, check pads every lap, at first sign they are anywhere near the backing, replace...

Sounds good nikk, give us a shout when you're there, we'll be in the big blue dales cycles gazebo, four of us, all solo. I've just taken delivery of a pair of hot pogs pogies, they look amazing. If I keep my feet and hands okay, I'll be fine.

don't forget one of these for a rinse off every lap.

[img] [/img]

Nobeerinthefridge - yeh willdo! hot pogs pogies look good, I have some other ones, can't remember brand, haven't used them yet. Kinda worried hands will be trapped in a crash.

onehundredthidiot - yeh, B+Q will be getting a visit!

Can anyone advise me on the service area / rules?

Riders cannot accept outside mechanical assistance or parts on the course except from other competitors
Riders may accept outside assistance and change parts at the designated service area.

Does that mean I am gonna have to leave boxes of parts / wheels / tools in the 'service area'? I just imagine chaos if I do that, how does it work? Would rather leave all that stuff in my car...

You can do any spannering in your gazebo/car where ever you set up your pits.

[quote=nikk ]Nobeerinthefridge - yeh willdo! hot pogs pogies look good, I have some other ones, can't remember brand, haven't used them yet. Kinda worried hands will be trapped in a crash.
Don't worry - you'll still manage to extricate your hands in the event you fall off. I've tested this on your behalf 😳 - no thanks necessary.

[quote=nikk ]
Riders cannot accept outside mechanical assistance or parts on the course except from other competitors
Riders may accept outside assistance and change parts at the designated service area.
This rule is completely ignored. Wherever you park is really your own "service area". Just don't have someone run half-way round the course with spare pads for you. I guess it gives a [i]little[/i] bit of an advantage to those further up the hill a bit as they pass their "pits" twice per lap

Any issues with mechanicals you just take the bike to your area and sort it. THere are better places than others to camp to make this easy but nowhere is that far from the course so only a couple of minutes added ontop of any fettling.

Trail rat, make sure and pop in too to say hello.

Easier to look for me i think.

My van has foot high letters on the side 🙂 - deeside motorhomes

Any issues with mechanicals you just take the bike to your area and sort it.

+1

Thanks for the info about the pogies and service area!

More questions... I take it some go and camp up there Friday. Do a lot of folk do that? Am I crazy to consider camping out Friday night then doing the race? Another option is hotel or B+B, or drive up Saturday morning (prob not, have to leave Edinburgh 4am I guess to get up there!)

Also, what works for after the event? I am solo without support, I guess driving home is not a good idea if I have been up (although may be ok if I succumb to sleep during the race). Again, does anyone crash out in their tents / motorhomes / vans after the race, then leave later on? Or does 10am come and everyone bails straight out?

nikk, i went through the same thoughts and have booked a room in Strathpeffer for the Friday night. The last thng I needed was to only get an hours cold sleep before the race so I booked a room. As for after the event, we'll just be taking it in turns to drive down the road, I'm not sure what others do.

You get access to the site on Friday afternoon. Lot of folk arrive then and get themselves organized.

As scotroutes says. THree of us are solo'ing, mate is heading up Friday to set up, I can't leave work until 3.40 (at earliest) so will be heading up straight from Hawick. We were booked in a hotel but timings are were going to mean only 8 hours in the hotel so roughing it.
The return is hard, most people seem to bail as soon as it's over, but if you've gone all night you will need to sleep, grab a few hours then head to inverness, Grab some food and a coffee and some more Zzzz's before the A9. I've managed by stopping as soon as I feel tired and grabbing 20minutes sleep. Gives about an hour of driving before fatigue hits again. Yeah it takes an hour or more longer to get home but you get home. Do remember to have food in the house or know which take away you want and have a beer in the fridge for soaking in the bath.