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That's good to hear Dunc!
I actually hope they shorten it too. I know in previous years lap times have gone up 20-30 mins per person, making a lap too long to IMO
Yeah totally. It's got longer and longer in terms of lap time (if not length) as its gone on. Would be better if it was 20 minutes shorter, I'd rather do 6 shorter laps than 4 longer ones. Wouldn't be an issue for the faster boys anyway as they'd just double up if they were doing 30 minute laps.
Gonna be horrible whatever happens this weekend though, taking a veritable bike shops worth of tyres with me that I've managed to beg/steal/borrow for this weekend just in case!
Course gets busier the shorter you make it. The number of riders just wouldn't make a 30 minute course viable.
Be interesting to see what they do with the course, forecast doesn't look quite as grim as it did!
Are you coming again Ashley?
Yes, I'm coming again. We've got two teams and I'm on a mixed 5. Looking forward to it.
Bit of rain...pah.
Course gets busier the shorter you make it. The number of riders just wouldn't make a 30 minute course viable.
Absolutely. It's tricky enough in the first few hours with lap times for the leaders in the 45-55 minute range. Make it shorter and you'd need to lose a lot of the singletrack sections.
Are the pro's really going to get that disadvantaged against other teams of pro's if they have to do more overtaking? Yes it makes it more awkward for them, but they are pro's so can handle it 😆
I was actually meaning only shortening the course in adverse weather.
I was actually meaning only shortening the course in adverse weather.
Fairly irrelevant why you do it, I can't imagine the drop out rate is high, so the course would be stupidly busy, and as said, you'd have the lose what's left of the singletrack!
There's more overtaking and there's having to find a way past a constant stream of slower riders, often in places where there's nowhere to overtake. It's no fun for those being lapped as much as it's a hassle for the fast boys.
Yay lots of overtaking...tyres wise Im going for michelin Mud2's tubeless on the 29er.....
njee - Fair point was having a thick moment, I guess its the volume of riders on the course at one time, not the time it takes to do a lap.
Personally I always find it a pain in the erse when these pesky pro's dont move out of the way on twisty single track 8) especially when I give them plenty of room to come by on the climbs or easier sections.
Personally much prefer the longer laps, as others have said a shorter lap would just be a pain for overtaking.
Also, I like the idea of not repeating sections over and over, more than needed, like you would do on a shorter course.
Anyway, when are most people going down?
These pros which you talk about - how many of this weekend's riders do you think are professionals? 🙂
About half the field 😆
"These pros which you talk about - how many of this weekend's riders do you think are professionals?"
Well everyone on here thinks they are a pro for starters don't they 😆
and then there are those who shave their legs...
or turn up with a very clean looking bike when its going to get muddy in 2 seconds flat.
or wear lycra (to be fair not a bad idea to stop mud chaffing injuries)
I'm not a pro but I do shave my legs makes getting the mud off oh so easy and I was top 10 solo last year, this is my bike after a recent muddyish race. Ralphs were fine, imo if it's that muddy which it looks as it may be this year tyre pattern really won't make much difference, clearance will! At SITS during the deluge last year one of the top guys got round unscathed on Furious Fred front and rear! Having a Mayhem break this year, think I've picked a good one to miss!
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FunkyDunc - Member
Well everyone on here thinks they are a pro for starters don't theyand then there are those who shave their legs...
or turn up with a very clean looking bike when its going to get muddy in 2 seconds flat.
or wear lycra (to be fair not a bad idea to stop mud chaffing injuries)
Hmm, well I score 3 of those 4 and I can assure you that I'm nowhere near being a pro 😀
Personally I always find it a pain in the erse when these pesky pro's dont move out of the way on twisty single track especially when I give them plenty of room to come by on the climbs or easier sections.
Those ain't pro's you're describing. Those are the "off-roadies", weekend warriors with lots of fitness but little skill.
The pro's like Liam Kileen et al will mince you on the way down as well as the way up!
Re shorter course. Would just be my personal preference. I do understand the limitations it would cause the faster riders, and with so many people racing it would be busier, but it would affect me less and I'd prefer it myself. Also I think things like 24hr races should be far more about the average joe than pandering to the XC pro's IMO. Make it shorter and more technical if possible, the pro's will deal with it, they're getting paid... Its like back in the day when riders moaned about XC world cups being too technical!!!
Just my opinion anyway, feel free to disagree, but I think the 2450 riders that have to pay their own entry fee should be appealed to more than perhaps the 50 who have theirs paid for them.
Did riders ever moan about WCs being too technical? Don't think they did. They're as technical now as ever, and I've only ever heard riders saying good things about the courses.
I don't think a longer boring course is about "pandering to the pros", it's a by-product of the popularity of the event. You have a huge range of abilities, yes the pros will overtake more than most, but 2449 people are quicker than [i]someone[/i] out there, and as has been said it's not just the overtakers who find it frustrating, plenty of people don't like the pressure of faster (and sometimes aggressive) folk on their back wheel shouting (unnecessarily).
Did riders ever moan about WCs being too technical? Don't think they did. They're as technical now as ever, and I've only ever heard riders saying good things about the courses.
I'm talking a looooong while ago njee. Was a small pocket of ex roadies trying to make the leap, back when they were a lot less technical courses than they even are now, but still a few moaned. They're definitely more technical now than they ever were, which is only a good thing IMO.
I don't think a longer boring course is about "pandering to the pros", it's a by-product of the popularity of the event.
Probably a bit of both to be honest. That said, if it really appealed, then far more pro's would ride it rather than just the select few who usually turn up.
You have a huge range of abilities, yes the pros will overtake more than most, but 2449 people are quicker than someone out there, and as has been said it's not just the overtakers who find it frustrating, plenty of people don't like the pressure of faster (and sometimes aggressive) folk on their back wheel shouting (unnecessarily).
There's no excuse for being a dickhead and being aggressive or shouting though is there, we both know that. The real pro's are usually the politest out there on the course, it's the weekend warriors trying to better their last lap time by 30 seconds that are the rude ones in general!
"The pro's like Liam Kileen et al will mince you on the way down as well as the way up!"
You have just ruined my view of my own awesomeness and pro ability.
In fairness though I have been sat on the back wheel of Giant/USE etc team riders at previous 24hr events wishing they would get out of my way on more technical singletrack/DH sections.
I'm talking a looooong while ago njee. Was a small pocket of ex roadies trying to make the leap, back when they were a lot less technical courses than they even are now, but still a few moaned.
I remember Mike Kluge moaning about having to run through the river at the Aviemore Carlsberg race thing. That's a while ago though 🙂
That said, if it really appealed, then far more pro's would ride it rather than just the select few who usually turn up.
I dunno, considering how it kills your legs for a while and it tends to fall smack in the middle of the world cup season I'm not that surprised that not many big pros show up. The prize money isn't bad, but isn't sensational. Why would they do it? Plenty of good British elite guys do it.
The majority of the riders are the 'weekend warrior' types (edited to use a less ambiguous term, not aiming to offend!), evidenced by the fact I'm a rather mediocre racer and can be in the top 5% at an event like Mayhem, but I definitely think the course could be far more interesting if the entry was reduced by 75%, but then it wouldn't be Mayhem...
Not to bothered about what the weather does. It's always a great weekend. Can't wait
I pitched my tent about an hour ago in the glorious sunshine. Very soft ground in the deer park, the coffee vending truck (nr the arena) was getting a tow off a tractor 🙁
bit OT but anybody know how strict the over18 rule is, we have a club rider who is 17yrs 11months and wants to ride
Just finished a ride over the Malverns, and what lovely weather... Until about 11:45pm!
It's bloody wet now...
Obviously the tops have drained well as always, but some trails along the sides of the hills (much more of an indicator for Eastnor) are very very cut up and quite slithery... And that's after 2 days of sunshine! Rain here on in now until Sunday... It's gonna be messy guys!
Loads of rain in Worcestershire over night 🙁
As dependable as Murray flunking Wimbledon, England going out on penalties and Gordon Brown stealing kiddies' sweets: I give you Malvern weather the 3rd weekend in June 😉
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Thanks Stoner, no really thanks.
I'll pack boil-in-the-bag kit too.
Weather update: We’ve just been told Patrick Adams and team have been hard at work weatherproofing the course, re-routing some the the traditionally muddiest parts, so should the worst happen (it won’t! it won’t!) then the course will still be fun to ride. Yes, we know some of you will be disappointed by that, but come 3am you may change your mind
I like the sound of this 😉
Looking at the mud potential, I'm sorry I'm missing it this year!!
I'm glad I bought some mud sharks now!!!!
Worcestershire about 1930 yesterday
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[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/rocketdog/7412519602/ ]buttercups[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/rocketdog/ ]rOcKeTdOgUk[/url], on Flickr
You don't want to know what it's like today
Weather will be what it will be.
Regarding course re-hash. I hope they keep the "options" as options. Let's see how it is riding. If there is a need to swap a section out during the event, then so be it.
My most vivid memories of MM are all about "those" bits of the course.... Somme Woods, the Cornfield, etc etc.
I really don't have any good memories from riding on the plain grassy bits
I deliberately hadn't fitted my mudguards ahead of the weekend 🙄
rkk01 - Completely agree with you, even if they change it part way through the 24hrs I think it would be good.
I loved the corn field after slogging round some sections it was great to have a laugh trying to stay up right.
Alot of the forecast appear to be slowly improving anyhow. It looks like keeping tents on the ground might be more of an issue now!
"I deliberately hadn't fitted my mudguards ahead of the weekend"
I dont think they are beneficial anyhow when its gets to full mud situations they are just additional surface area for mud to cling to.
Anyone have any live from the venue weather/mud updates?
hi dot been down at race site today setting up the stage area for podium presentations etc and ground conditions were muddy, muddy,muddy!!! around start finish,trade areas... but the site can dry preety well if we get a sustained dry and windy spell so fingers crossed.. will be back on site early to set the sound systems up so hope it is dry.... see you all there enjoy the mayhem!!!!!!!!
I live in Malvern, it has continued to drizzle and rain most of the evening, on and off. The latest local news suggests a 'mostly dry on Saturday' now. The forecasts have changed significantly from one day to the next... 🙄
We could have an issue (like last year iirc) where hopefully most of the 'new' rain travels around Eastnor rather than dumps on it. Come what may the woods are still going to be pretty messy!
@keyses
cheeky ride round some of MM course has revealed much wetness, carnage highly likely on some sections !
Weather update: We’ve just been told Patrick Adams and team have been hard at work weatherproofing the course, re-routing some the the traditionally muddiest parts.That's what he said about Enduro 6 this year and we ended up going round a field through hub deep mud and smelly sloop. It was disgusting.
yes i remember that too. possibly the hardest 6 hours ive had on a bike that race!
Forcast is looking much much better now, no doubt it will be wet and muddy, but maybe not quite as bad as was first thought!
My mud tyres are set to arrive 20 mins after Ive left today.....could be annoying
I'm gonna fit Dirty Dans rather than Black Sharks. That's as optimistic as I get.