‘Heavy Rain’

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NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

*positive thinking* – it is only tuesday though, so that forecast could soon change come the weekend. 💡

I’ve just bought some bonty mud-x’s on offer (‘just in case’)- guaranteed sunshine for all now! 😀

Yes I was shouting 😥

I’ve got a couple of sets of swampthings, to you very cheap, very reasonable. £50 an end…

Definite sunshine at the Big Bike Bash though!!

I’ve got a couple of sets of swampthings, to you very cheap, very reasonable. £50 an end…

I’ve been trying to come up with a metaphor to describe the effect Swampdonkeys have on a bike’s rolling resistance, and the best I’ve come up with so far is “like a centipede with velcro on its legs trying to crawl through Slash’s hair”. Can anyone else do better?

so – the kenda small block 8’s that i am due to pick up from the bike shop later may not be needed!

Mr A – how well will the trail hold up to rain? Will I get muddy?

Shortcut, some bits will be bad. There are a couple of sections (a few hundred yards in total) that are basically along the edge of a field and will turn into slop very quickly if the anticpated downpour materialises.

However quite a bit of the course is now hard surfaced and the singletrack is also very rooty and rocky, so if you go for the sort of ultra-skinny 1.5″ mud tyres that are so good for Mountain Mayhem you may find yourself suffering on the techier stuff.

Mr A – OK that sounds fine. Just gonna stick with what is on there then. 2.1 nevs unless it is dry and run the Superlight unless conditions really poor inwhich case silly speed.

Cheers.

SC – hoping, no, praying for nice weather.

The forecast has changed to light rain now.

I’m not in the event, but had a pootle around the course with 2 work colleagues last night. It was 100% dry and grippy and very pleasant. Hope it stays that way for you guys.

Shortcut – nevs will be a good bet – the wet roots will be more of an issue than the mud IMO.

Psyclewerx in Bristol were trying to convince me that Maxxis Medusas would be the way to go…

Gary – thanks. If the forecasters say its gonna be dry then will run with the SB8’s!

Any word on if the course will still take us down the bottom? That section will be carnage if it is wet 🙁

As far as I’m aware, it’s still going right down to the bottom and yes, it’ll be carnage if wet 🙂

Hehehe, I binned on my first lap there last year, and it was dry!

For the record, there isn’t a particularly great line down the centre and it’s definitely not a clever overtaking spot.

So, not to jinx us, but what meat is everyone taking for their BBQ then? 🙂

Mmmmm mid race burgers… 🙂

I’m thinking gammon. For the electrolytes. 🙂

“down the bottom?”

The fastish downhill, rooty, rutted bit? – yes I quite enjoyed bombing into that last night, possibly the best bit. Bunny hopping the pot hole near the end nearly got me 🙂 I imagine if it gets slick it’s even more interesting.

Dam hopefully it will change to sunny weather!

Yes Buzz

It’s a great section in the dry without loads of people around. Lot of incidents there last year in the dry. Will be an ‘interesting’ section if wet. My GPS clocked me at > 60kph on 3 occasions through there last year 8O. May take it a bit steadier this year

Last year I gave myself food poisioning from the friday night bbq which mega sucked. This yeah I think I’ll stick to just burgers!

OK – BBQ on friday will mostly be steak, possibly some kebab and lots of pasta salad and probably a lettuce leaf to look good!

Another dumb course question. Which way does the course run, there seems to be no indication on the web site, I assume it goes across the top left to right but I am not entirely sure about, I kind of know the area but have never done the course.

From the event village you go up and right toward the top right hand corner of the map

Thanks.