Are we confusing Labyrinth with Stickler?
Stickler is Blue10 very flat with berms and ends with the bridge over the log
Labyrinth is the twisty tight rooty up & down Red after Deerstalker (down bit) Red20
I love labyrinth plus red 15 and agree the older bikes are better for labyrinth. I very rarely do the exact loop as I tend to cut off the sloppy sections and loop the fun bits. I did pick up a Kom on 15 depending. on which segment you look at but it's probably long gone.
Ok challenge apart, why would you to want to do this? It requirees riding some of the very dull/gloppy bits and missing some of the best bits. Seems like a poor choice of spending the CP fee IMO.
I actually enjoy a lap of Swinley, it sort of lets me know where my fitness is
I also enjoy missing out fire-road and going off piste and making my own way round
Depends on mood
teamhurtmore - Member
Ok challenge apart, why would you to want to do this?
Suppose it's like trying to smash out a fast lap of the Black, Red or Blue at Llandegla. It's harder now than it was 3 years ago as the big first climb isn't as smooth and the Blue is a lot rougher. Also a load of the trees have goes to shelter you from the perpetual head wind.
side issue - who do we think is THE fastest Swinley rider. Budd and Pucci are definitely up there, what about Steve James
They're all equally quick on their day. Steve doesn't live locally any more, Isaac took a break from riding for a couple of years, although he's now back, George isn't riding as much. Ben Thomas is in there too, just doesn't use Strava. I'd say there is no definitive quickest rider. Unless Nino Schurter is about!
Ok challenge apart, why would you to want to do this? It requirees riding some of the very dull/gloppy bits and missing some of the best bits. Seems like a poor choice of spending the CP fee IMO.
Because even the off piste diversions get reppettative so its nice to just smash out laps with something to focus on beyond the trail itself.
And being local I don't pay for the car park anyway.
Why couldn't you do a flat out lap and then bimble a bit? What if you only had an hour? Perfectly valid use of time to me!
So here's my suggested 'alt' lap of Swinley
Car Park
Green
Spit out of green early onto FR
Blue 2 then 3 then 4
Right out of 4 onto Watsons wander
Down to Mordor (excursion into CW option)
Seagull to LSP
Backup to Stickler for Men
Manhole
Down to Gully
Up from Gully
Red15
Camel climb
Baby stalker
Back on red / blue to Car park
Last year bought a 9yr old Epic frame and built it up nice and light specifically for bashing around Swinley. Those undulating tarmac cobble bits are hard going on a 30lb slackline.
Can I just clarify what we're talking about when we say 'cobbles'?
Are they the man made trails prevalent on the early Blue sections (large pebbles packed in sand?)
If so, I [i]hate[/i] those sections. Not because they're difficult - any fool can ride them. I just feel I should be 'flying' on them but just can't. My Anthem feels like Bambi on ice on them, just a slight line error and off-camber slide results.
The loamy sections are just much better
Or my fatbike, grip a plenty but it rarely 'flies'
I follow the route because I don't know the area, I only get there maybe twice a year and there is always something a bit different. I have a morning and it takes an hour to drive there, so have about 2hrs of riding time. Don't want to faff about getting lost.
I reckon you are right about labyrinth I reckon my old charge duster with narrow bars would probably be quicker through there than my wide barred 29er.
My fastest time is 8mins on the longer segment and the kom is 6 mins. Normally I'm well within the top 5-10% of the leaderboard. Miles off this one. Maybe it's that short cut...?
Can I just clarify what we're talking about when we say 'cobbles'?(large pebbles packed in sand?)
Yes
My Anthem feels like Bambi on ice on them, just a slight line error and off-camber slide results.
Thats the ones
Tiger6791 - MemberCan I just clarify what we're talking about when we say 'cobbles'?
(large pebbles packed in sand?)
Yes
My Anthem feels like Bambi on ice on them, just a slight line error and off-camber slide results.
Thats the ones
So I'm not the only one then?
Same. That first bit of the blue is awful, I always feel like I'm riding like a complete muppet (I often am), only to find it all gets markedly better once off that stuff!
Those of you thinking an old bike with skinny tyres and narrow bars is better in Labrynth I can confirm it's not the case. I have a Big Ed with 4.8" JJs and 740 bars and set my PR in there. Tried with my Kilauea on 2.0" mountain King and a traditional straight narrow bar and was minutes slower. Both similar spec with the Kilauea being a few KG lighter. Both have front suspension, if you still consider Judy SL to be suspension. I get more travel from my fat tyres! The Kilauea was something like 10-15 minutes slower for the lap despite having barends!
Sunny here today, day off tomorrow
If it stays sunny and dry then I may see how long it takes me to do a lap flat out
Good luck!
Rode it this afternoon and it felt sticky and slow although I was on a 34lb bike from the nineties.
Just enjoyed the sunshine and ran 26km so doubt I'll even look at bike tomorrow now
Here it is, my July 2013 lap, 1:10:52. I had to unhide the segments to get this "Full loop". It wasn't the fastest back then but crucial to me was it being 1 minute quicker than my mate. Pain is long gone but glory continues, gleefully reignited by this thread. I'm no xc whippet, the smoothness of the fresh trails back then probs saved at least 5 mins off what i could manage today.
My mate Dave is KOM for that segment now, he might be a contender for fastest swinley rider as gets there fairly often as its near his work.
https://www.strava.com/activities/69508812/segments/3383281406
Dave's time is 58~. This segment is 21km so if its 22 now 1 hour is going to be really tough. GFI.
Right, I managed a 1:19:31 today which means there are 12 people I now have deep respect for on Strava (although most did their laps before the pool was installed at Red2...)
I really don't think I'll improve a whole lot on that, perhaps a minute or two in the dry and when the roots get covered a bit. My lungs nearly fell out so I don't think I could have done much better.
4th this year though, not doing terribly 🙂
That said, with a new bike...
If digger95 segment is correct then my PB is 1.12.45 from about 3 years ago, that's assuming I've read it right....!
I'm curious if I could go faster..
Right, I managed a 1:19:31 today
Good work! Takes some doing to break 1:20 😀
Followed the link, apparently i've done a 1.19 at some point in 2013. Never actually tried to do a full loop at pace so judging by when it was, it would have been a quick lunchtime blat.
Curious to see how much faster I could go. Maybe i'll give it a whizz over spring one day 🙂
I fall asleep after half an hour on the cobbles. Would never make it to an hour.
Barely done the full loop since it opened. Still take in the nice sections though, but rarely over there these days. Checked out the drop of doom though few weeks back... and the table 😆
Deadkenny have you tried riding faster? A lot of the people I overtake look bored too but I've never had that problem 🙂
Just gonna leave this here...;)
[img] 
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Looks like you get to keep that
Ground nesters must be back as Tank Traps has been closed.
I believe second place is our own DT78.
On one hand I'm in the top 10 of that table (now that I've joined the group but not in that screenshot) so that feels ok. On the other hand, I'd have to work pretty damn hard to get near lustyd's time!
Also I've just spotted that the group is only 15 people large, so my sense of accomplishment is diminishing rapidly.
To Ben fair that's filtered to only show forum members in the group, only 15 have chosen to "enter" this "race". Everyone can come first with the right filter...
I don't think I ever managed the whole loop in one go as I've always got the kid with me and this always seems to entail doing 1-2 runs at least twice.
We were making good time yesterday right up to the drop offs and table top... then we ended up spending a good 30 minutes doing the drop offs.. then after Labyrinth we went back up and had to do axle run ...
As to the best bike ??? Hard one as I know a few places my 27.5 with wider bars is slower than the 7yr olds 24... but then the fireroad parts would be eaten up by a fast 29er...
All that said it's way more fun for me on my heavier and slower trail bike than my carbon HT....
Right, I pushed on a bit today and came home a few seconds above the hour:
[url= https://www.strava.com/segments/14543361 ]Swinley full loop minus tank traps[/url]
Following the signs, this is the full Swinley loop minus the tanks traps (bird nesting season so its closed). Sub hour is easy enough as I missed a few course markers. May try it again during the week.
Bike: 2017 Top Fuel. Tyres: XR3 rr, 29-1 frt.
Fourth place is yours truly. Don't think I was trying overly hard so might need to go back and give it some welly!
That's a fair lead over second Si, top ride!
Thanks nick. Its quite interesting riding the full loop hard, certainly a different flow to the trails. Quite hard work as well!
Yep that's me there in second, though that wasn't an attempt at a flat out lap. Some segments would have been our hard when racing my buddy but there would have also been a few waiting around bits and fire road chats....I reckon under an hour is doable
Strava is just depressing, I mainly just ride babymaker, deerstalker and axle, then looking at Strava and seeing some of the blistering times set by people makes me feel inadequate. I compare it to the feeling you get when you stand at a urinal and then a large black man (or could be white, I'm not racist) stands next to you and you catch a glimpse by accidentally on purpose.
then looking at Strava and seeing some of the blistering times set by people makes me feel inadequate.
Imagine what the leaderboard looks like when the really fast guys hit town...
That's not the official loop in that new seg, probably the reason so few have done it. I'm wondering if there is a segment for the actual current route. Certainly at 1 1/2 miles shorter it'll be easier to hit an hour. The lack of mud will help too I'd have thought.
I'm sure I'll think of other excuses shortly but that's all I have for now 🙂 to be fair I've not done the loop since as I've been detouring down the 'black' run
[url= https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4189/34492895575_01c409ffe9_k.jp g" target="_blank">https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4189/34492895575_01c409ffe9_k.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/Uy2798 ]Strava Swinley May 17[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/cjk007/ ]CJK007[/url], on Flickr
Had a go this morning - was fairly busy so reckon I was held up by a minute or two at least although that obviously did give me a breather! Happy with 4th and reckon 2nd is in reach, but no way on earth am I getting down to an hour or even anywhere near Paul Turner whoever he is on here. According to Strava the overall KOM for this loop is 56.47 which is just mind boggling!
If you manage to beat 1:12 you 'may' be invited join "Team Magnetodog"
The sponsorship package is extensive and includes the following:
You're allowed to add the Team name to your Strava name.
You're allowed to say you ride for a team (this allows you to shout "Elite Rider Coming Past!" will help with traffic on the course.
You're allowed to post dog treats to Team HQ
Good luck!
[b]Magnetodog
Team Director [/b]
PS the team member that set the 1:12 has a BMI of over 30 (I'm a Labrador and even I reckon he eats far too much) and he's currently on the STW chub club fat camp so beating 1:12 should not only be possible it should be mandatory!
Most of the red is now shut. Managed 2nd forumite on the two long segments of blue and red.
Pushing hard up the hill before Labyrinth wrecks my performance in the segment thereafter.
@adsh well done on the long segs, 2nd is very good going among this lot!
Re the climb though, that's sort of the point of this thread. Getting KOM on a segment is nice but it's the racing equivalent of being first to the first corner - no prize! Doing the whole course including hard pushes up hills puts us all on a more level playing field precisely because there's no rest before each segment.
I think this adds to the fun and tactics come into play. Is it better to go hard on the fireroads and recover on the trail bits where you'd be slower anyway, or vice versa? push on the uphills and let gravity recover the legs later, or relax on the hills so you're fresh for the lab and others like it.
I started this partly to rebel against that instant gratification of thousands of segments. Every ride I get a PB on something so it's easy to fool myself that I'm always awesome. With long course segments that doesn't happen and some days I suck 😆
