Has anyone managed to do the current blue/red/blue course in under an hour? I feel like I could probably manage it if I ignore the pain and get just the right pressure in my fatty tyres 🙂
23km/h
Maybe..... I'm about 36mins shy of that, so if you were an XC whippet then it's probably in range.
Not on a weekend, or when it's just rained I imagine
Labyrinth seems to take about an hour, that could just be me though
Im sure someone has. There is always someone faster. I remember doing Cwn Carn once pretty fast, or so I thought till I looked up the record. Its 38 mins FFS.
I cant even do the flat bit along the valley that fast, never mind the whole thing.
Trouble is when the weather improves they shut some trails for those bloody ground nesting birds. Without tank traps as they close that, it's been done at least on strava. With it all open it's not far off. Don't try on a weekend though it's a tad busy...
Hi. I'm 51, 102kg. Not that fit I just done it in 1hour 35mins in fairly muddy conditions, and I stopped a few times.But I do it for the buzz,time comes second So you might wanna get a bit fitter , and thinner tyres are a bit quicker, plus humidity can make a big difference. I suspect someone would of done it in an hour, but as u said , would have to be in week early or late in day. Best of luck doing it in an hour. I'll keep out of your way as you fly by me.
That'd be a stonking quick lap
It'll not be me that does it
@mb51 thinner tyres aren't quicker I've done a 1:24 on the Jumbo Jim's at 4.8" and a 1:27 on the Rocket Ron's 2.2". You're all right that Saturday is not the day to try, need a big horn to get the people out of the way in time! Hope they don't close any more bits soon, I need to get this done!
1:13 at 9am and 1:17 with some traffic on the second lap today. On Ron 2.1s.
sträva has 2 segments; 18.1 & 22.2 km, listed for red+blue - no idea which is current?
KOM on 18.1 km is 1:07 and 22.2 1:26.
1:00 possibly.
My riding buddy at Swinley has done it in 1.05, not when I'm slowing him down though!
He rides with another guy sometimes on a 22lb rigid niner who's even quicker than him though, so yes I'd say it can be done in under an hour.
Easily (pretty sure it had been done comfortably on Strava?).
I got as low as 1.10 years ago when the new trails were fairly new (so pre the new seagull bits), and was still being occasionally overtanken by propper XC whippets. That was on a rigid steel SS so there was more equipment derived speed to be had too.
I wonder if it would be quicker on a cross bike? It must save significant ammounts on the fire roads and stickler, but would probably struggle to maintain speed on deerstalker?
Should think I could do it. Blue warmup, blue red blue at decent pace with stops and chats is a chunk under 2hrs for me and my buddy. I seem to always go wrong somewhere on red though and never get a proper loop time.
akira - MemberLabyrinth seems to take about an hour, that could just be me though
Not just you
.... but it could just be us.
Not just you.... but it could just be us.
that section is just not enjoyable at all
I think current Swinley in under an hour is a big ask!
On Strava KOM for a full loop (this year) is 1:08
Current one with Tank Traps at end of Red
https://www.strava.com/segments/13358122
Fastest STW'er appears to be Darren T @ 1:22
KOM on 18.1 km is 1:07 and 22.2 1:26.1:00 possibly.
The 1:07 is a team mate of mine, surprised how slow that is for the KOM actually. Feels that 11mph average would be incredibly doable round there. I'm really surprised it's not faster. I wonder if there's something odd in the segments that means people don't usually pick up the "official" ones. I'd expect George Budd or Isaac Pucci to have done it.
I doubt that many people actually go there chasing the full loop KOM really...
I would be interested to see what the "perfect" swinley loop bike turns out to be, my head says lighter, rigid 29er with a bit of tyre girth, but I could well be wrong...
Budd and Pucci? Recognise those names, think hold most of the KOM's down the road on Chobham Common. Or at least did until a new local rider came in.
I did it last year when they opened tank traps again in 110.59 wasn't pushing it, on a s/s rigid. You gain some & loose some it's all fitness based over there, you can only push so far at 52 though...
Doesn't sound fun
On Strava KOM for a full loop (this year) is 1:08
It's March... give it a few months until it's warmer and faster. Definitely doable I say. Not by me, mind!
My best time for both combined is 1:07, so maybe 1:12 allowing for extra tiredness if I did do both at once (I come in a different route so theres no strava lap for where I start and finish). I would not be surprised if someone like Isaac would take that apart and go under 1 hour, but that would be a small group.
Feels that 11mph average would be incredibly doable round there
There's a lot of segements where it massively underestimates the distance and are hard to maintain speed on. Even what feels like a quick lap of Stickler or Labrynth is unlikely to appear in double digits.
I doubt that many people actually go there chasing the full loop KOM really...I would be interested to see what the "perfect" swinley loop bike turns out to be, my head says lighter, rigid 29er with a bit of tyre girth, but I could well be wrong...
I spent a summer chasing a 1 hour lap fruitlessly on a rigid SS 29er. I think like most things a FS 29er would be quickest simply because the lack of suspension lost a few bike lengths every corner in the labrynth and there aren't the long steep climbs where a hardtail would pull ahead. Something like an Anthem, Spark, Epic, Scalpel etc.
I could do a lap of the car park in under an hour!
There's a lot of segements where it massively underestimates the distance.
Nope, think it's pretty spot on.
Segment numbers - Full Loop 2016 Autumn = 22.9km
My Garmin recorded 21.4km for a full loop..
cookeaaI would be interested to see what the "perfect" swinley loop bike turns out to be, my head says lighter, rigid 29er with a bit of tyre girth, but I could well be wrong...
I think it'd be a 100mm FS 29er, because the rear suspension lets you stay sat down and pedal hard through the chop that tends to define a lot of swinley lap. No, it's not mega rough, but there are plenty of bits where you need to unweight the saddle a bit on a HT, where you could stay sat down on a FS, and hence keep pedalling.
I'd reckon super light 29er hardtail or FS, which will depend on the rider, but for a sub hour lap you'll not be sitting down all that much!
Reckon a Spesh Epic 29er was made for Swinley fast laps* 😀
(if it's Sunny tomorrow and stays dry between now and tomorrow I might go over and see if I can set a time)
*i don't have an Epic
Yep, or a Top Fuel/Spark/Anthem etc. Although as it is smooth I suspect a hardtail would probably be as quick.
There seems to be quite a few Swinley loop segments on Strava so it'll depend on which one you're talking about.
There was one where I managed a 1.04 or 1.06 for a full lap, possibly last year, but I don't know what the segment name was. That segment had a KOM time of something like 56 minutes.
Sub 1:10 last year without Tank Traps and the new red bits was quite do-able for a STW chubber 😆
I think you're all confirming what I thought, I need another bike! I don't have a full sus in the stable hence my appalling lap time
Although as it is smooth
While there's no real rough stuff, I reckon being able to sit down and push a gear on the 'cobbles' on a FS would be more efficient than being on a HT that'll skip and skitter over them.
Based on my experience on sections like the flat bits from USP to the boundary with Crowthorne and on to the green gate, where on a HT / SS I always end up feeling like I've had a jackhammer shoved up my arse.
(OK, what I *imagine* that'd feel like)
[edit - and 1:18 when I was younger, fitter and lighter, so my experience is probably irrelevant compared to a race whippet on a carbon HT who'd ride it all standing up]
side issue - who do we think is THE fastest Swinley rider. Budd and Pucci are definitely up there, what about Steve James?
That 1.22 involved a bit of waiting around for my mate and a couple of chats on the boring stretches.
I'm on a scale and he is on a spark. I'd say a 100m FS is the way to go, my lower back starts to hurt as even though it is not proper rough it isn't smooth either. Some of the times through labyrinth are insane, the other day I didn't make a single mistake, no poor lines and put down power whenever I could and still miles off the fastest time. Co e to the conclusion that I personally can't go much quicker through there, it's not my legs that are holding me back, and I'm pretty decent at handling a bike to. Must be digital epo...
Yesterday my laps were in my 100mm carbon HT. although I didnt feel it at the time, I feel battered today.
I ran Rons at 24psi and on the Blue trail - I thinks it's Laberynth - I had a few drifting moments on those cobbles. I don't like that section, there's no "flow" at pace as the turns are too tight / close together for me.
side issue - who do we think is THE fastest Swinley rider. Budd and Pucci are definitely up there, what about Steve James?
Obvs me, having held the KOM on Red 15/The Big Dipper for coming up 4 years 8)
Total pro.
Hob Nob - Member
Obvs me, having held the KOM on Red 15/The Big Dipper for coming up 4 yearsTotal pro.
I'm not sure it's as fast as it used to be, but if your KOM time is the 51 seconds then chapeau! A good 15 seconds faster then me...
Some parts eg deerstalker labyrinth red 15 were all quicker when they were fresh, so a time from 2014 isn't really comparable with a time set this year. That's my excuse for being miles off my PR, let alone the KOM.
The trick with the Labyrinth is having the ability to carry speed round all those corners! Good technique here trumps pedalling power any day imo! Make sure you are looking up, planning your lines at least 2 corners early, use the berms, pump every berm and lump, and your average speed climbs markedly.
Alternatively, use the Strava cheat line that lops off about 1/3 of the turns...... 😆
I think bike geomeis a factor in labyrinth. You need to be able to change the bike's direction a lot and quickly whilst still on the power. I did it three times a week as part of a commute two years ago on rigid and I got to know exactly how to skirt the rough bits.
FS might not be perfect, as I think there are probably bits where you might have to avoid pedal strikes. I was on the power all the time on the rigid bike, but standing up.
I reckon a plus bike would be fastest.
Plus bike fastest ?
Really, wouldn't the undamped tyres ping you off each root/bump. Or the bigger tyre be draggy.
I would have thought normal tyres plus good FS, set up properly would win every time. Better traction, less fatigue, better power to trail transfer.
Agree with maxtorque its technique that gets through the labrynth quickly, that and "shut up legs". The corners are tight, and modern bikes are rubbish on that trail, what you want is something like a 45650b with a taller bb, longer chainstays and 68-69 head angle that you can really flick round the corners, power up the climbs but with 130mm of suspension to keep controll down the braking bumps into corners.
Plus/fat is fun. But I think traditional XC race paper thin 2.0 tyres will win every time round swinley.
It's all very well being fast down the labyrinth but if you have to push it up jobber hill your time on the loop won't matter. As I said, it's fitness= average speed.
