@speedstar, you are my new hero. I expect you to have my pint ready when I (hopefully) collapse over the finish line (next two rounds on me, if you go to the bar for them)

@d4ddydo666 50:50 on whether i’ll be in the medical tent or the beer tent but look out for me

ill be the one in the medical tent with a beer, or in the bar on a drip! Hip on the mend, Man flu now hit, its like a conspiracy.  Just got a call from the campsite to confirm camper pitch, bloke sounded spot on, should be a laugh

I’ve got the proper fear now.

In preparation for my last big ride last Sunday I double wrapped my bar-tape as advised.  I then instantly undid it because it looked uncool and I’d never suffered sore hands before.  I then did my last big ride and got sore hands.

It’s looking good for you boys weather wise for Saturday ..only a 5% chance of rain with sun & clouds and a high of 17c….so far 😉

It’s a glorious morning here this morning ..good luck to you all on the day ..I will be heading in the opposite direction to Staveley Wheelbase for 9.00am on the day …

Also getting the fear big time!

Been fighting the man flu that’s wiped out half my team at work, completely naff timing. At least the legs have been well rested 😉

Not sure I’m believing the forecast, just seems ‘too’ good…wondering if another bottle cage would be a good idea!

@hodgynd – I reckon I’ll be taking two 750ml water bottles and a small Camelbak with about a litre in it. It’s a couple of hours minimum between feed/watering stations. It was warm enough riding in to work this morning at 0730.

Stem cells fitted, just need to move the Oregon mount over from the hardtail.

for all those who have the fear, and who maybe haven’t trained enough… just do it!

The cut off time is fairly generous, and if you are struggling you always have the option of taking the 130 route instead. It’s a great day and out and this year looks like it will be cracking weather. plus there will be loads of manufacturers at the gravel exp.

You may be tired and broken inside at the end, but the endorphin high and sense of achievement when you get over the line will be worth it.

The missus is doing the 200 (first gravel event – nutter!), so I’m marshalling. Will heckle/cheer etc as appropriate!

I’ve loaded the hipflask with a special “concoction” its very boozy and loaded with sugar so it’s an 80% energy gel. If folks are suffering look for a tattooed thing riding a silly titanium bike with tubes all over place and I’ll sort you out 🙂

Do the feed stations have a good stock of water to stock up on? Only done one event before and assumed that was a given 0.0

Urgent advice required!!

Having not had chance to have a pre reiver amble with bike fully prepped i cant get a second water bottle on with the framebag. Do i go camelback or fit a bottle elsewhere?

I’d go for a second cage, do what you can to keep from wearing a pack.  SKS do the “anywhere cage” which might be worth looking at.

I’d have thought carrying water was more important than anything in the framebag? Can you not stuff everything you need in a saddle bag and/or back pockets?  Or if you dont have a saddle bag could you buy one of those triathlon saddle mounted water bottle holders?

Think you may be right about ditching the framebag, wasnt sure if it was a good idea wearing a camelback for that distance.  last minute dash to bike shop before heading up there me thinks

To be honest, last couple of years I’ve ended up lugging around a spare (full) water bottle for pretty much the entire route… One 750ml bottle, stopping at all the feed stations will give you 3 litres for the day.

Granted, the 1st year it snowed… Weather looks a bit different this year. I’ll be taking 2 bottles but probably start with one empty.

A bit of thinking and repacking and I’ve been able to avoid the Camelbak. I’ll be using two 750ml water bottles.

Two Revelate Feed bags at the front will hold all my trail food plus buff, whistle, Joystick, spare GPS batteries, suncream, spare disk pads

Emergency blanket and waterproof strapped to back of seatpost. Small saddle bag with innertube, multi-tool and tyre levers. Rear light mounted on this.

Just got to pedal round now!

Well how did everybody go?

The forest trails were much smoother and faster than I had expected (with a couple of obvious exceptions).

The warnings about Maxxis Ramblers were well founded. Badly torn sidewall on a totally innocuous bit of trail. A park tyre boot and a tube held out to the end, but I rode cautiously after that. Didn’t want to ask too much of it.

I lent my track pump to a chap who punctured 5 mins before the start! If that was you please can you contact me so I can try to retrieve it? Ta!

All in all, a thoroughly tremendous day in the sun!

Cracking day. Did the 130 and I’ll be back next year for the 200. great course and well organised event.  6.34 with one puncture (on tubeless nanos!) for the 130 and the goal was under 7 so happy with that.

Chuffed. Not only could the weather not have been better and my 28 year old Kona being faultless but I got inside 10 hours by 2 mins 30. Everyone friendly too and the atmosphere watching riders coming at the end was ace. Cracking day.

Great experience! Weather was incredible. My lack of any training whatsoever started to tell about mile 65 and I had a few dark moments on the Borders climb but the last 10 miles seemed pretty serene. Actually really enjoyed the teeth chatterer although they were about to fall out by the bottom! All in an epic day. Might try for the 200k next year.

I ‘discovered’ this ride earlier in the test but it’s a big old drive so went with the Dorset Gravel Dash instead. Definitely on my list for next year so nice to follow a thread about it 🙂

Brilliant event. Decided fairly early on that I’d do the 130 instead of the 200 due to being mid flare with colitis. What a stunning place to ride a bike. Thought the whole course was brilliant but the bit between feed one and two seemed to flow so well.

Brilliant day – cracking weather to be out in the hills, great atmosphere and banter with riders, somewhat broken now though 🙂

Had signed up for the 200 but lack of time on the bike (longest training ride was 90k…) had me pretty much resigned to doing the 130. Got to the split, felt ok so did the 200…that last 20k around the lake was a complete killer! 11.5 hours, very happy with that given the circumstances, something to aim for next year!

Ok so chalk up a blowout apiece for Ramblers and Nanos. What tyres to replace them with?

@manmurray I’m sure the exhortations of Bananaman at the 130/200 fork was what swayed you!

Ha yes – may have been 🙂

Resolutes here at about 38psi, topped up with the freebie Orange sealant the night before 😉

Loved it, stuck to a conservative, spinny gameplan and got round the 130 in 8:21. Hasn’t drunk enough and was a bit light-headed at feed station 2 so sat and had a bottle of electrolyte and a quiet word with myself. Considering I’d told friends I’d probably be out for 10hrs, I was chuffed.

For reference: Nanos on Hunt wheels, tubeless, 40psi, no issues whatsoever despite my 14 stone riding like an elephant on ’em.

Did the 200, was way up on last years time but came round a corner on the lakeside trail as a chap was sliding along the floor using his face as a brake.

Stopped to help, share 1st aid kit, slow traffic etc etc so ended up losing a bit of time.  It obviously wasn’t funny funny but it was a bit amusing when people were riding past wondering why we we just stood around on the track, asking if everything was ok before doing a horrified double take when they saw the guy’s face pouring with blood.

He seemed determined to make it to the end though so left him with one of his teammates once he was all cleaned up.  I eventually finished half an hour faster than last year so still a decent result.

Other than that another great event with fantastic weather – what more could you ask for?! (A descent to the car park would have been nice actually!)

Just got home.

200Km on a single speed is quite simply bonkers! It wasn’t too bad until the Forest Drive over to the last food stop and had to walk one steep ramp then walked about half the long ramp away from that food stop. By the time I got to the Lakeside trail even the short climbs were beginning to take their toll. Got round  in 11:35 or something like that.

Had a rear tyre incident about 5km after the first food stop. Tubeless tyre went down and refused to inflate – I might have dinged the rim. Put in my inner tube which promptly blew, it had a patch and that came off! My pump then decided to stop working! A kindly soul gave me another inner and used some CO2 to inflate it. I fully inflated it with a track pump at the van after the long rough descent out of the forest. Cost me about half an hour in stopped time.

Bivvied out last night at Kielder again and there was an almighty thunderstorm through the night, very spectacular but very isolated as you could see stars shining at the same time.

Brilliant event again and a massive well done to Paul and the team for putting on such a stonking weekend. Happily pootled round on the single speed, chatted to loads of folks and generally had a lovely time. Could have done without my saddle clamp munching itself as 27 km stood up was a bit of a **** until I managed to bodge it enough to stay in place, but ace fun and a happy with my time. Aiming for a sub 10hr 200 single speed next year I think

Indidnt enjoy it. Should probably have ridden more than 80miles total since january…

Think i mucked up my tyre prseeures as i feel way mire beaten up than last year.

@joshvegas – 130 or 200? Whichever, well done for toughing it out.

@tazzymtb – I saw two other single speeds at the finish while I was queuing for my meal.

@IvanDobski – judging from the tyre tracks it looked like a fair number over-cooked corners on the Lakeside trail especially the first bit before the dam.

Kielder isn’t contiguous forest and the fire roads tend to run along the edges between wooded and open so you get some great views, those after the ford and before the long rough descent over to the Lakes were ace.

I was surprised at the number of mechanicals/punctures on the first climb! Last year the talk was of all the punctures on the first descent, seems like folk didn’t want to wait that long this year. I was nursing the brakes towards the end, having just checked there’s some uneven wear so one pad’s virtually down to the metal 🙁

The taties at the last food stop were ace and a welcome change from the sweet stuff on offer at the first two stops

@whitestone, yeh I think there about 6 of us including a mentalist on a fixed wheel, which is committed, as the descents would be a ball ache rather than going fully ball out.

I think the fixie was one of those I saw at the finish, someone was commenting on it.

That was a good / long day out.

200km in 8:50ish hours including 10(!) litres of drink during the ride.

I rode a steel CX frame with 650 (27.5) gravel king SK in 48mm (1.9in) flavor at 30psi, probably could go a bit lower as the undercarriage is a bit battered but no punctures, 38t chainring and 10-40t cassette. I used all the gears and was glad of the low end on the annoying drag after the second aid station, and the annoying drag after the third aid station, and some of the ‘climbs’ by the lake. So essentially a lot of spinning was appreciated by my legs. 6 hours in the van today wasn’t terrible but everything is pretty locked solid this evening.

Those who hammer round in 7:30 and lower are impressive!

Great event, worth the drive / effort. I assume I’ll be back next year to chase an improved time.

The number of punctures on the first climb, the number of ejected bottles on the more technical descents, and the amount of dropped food were all quite impressive. There was one point on the course where I thought Pepperami were growing wild…

Tazzy – good chatting with you, and cheers for the wee nip at FS2 – helped with the pain of the climb out!

@joshvegas – 130 or 200? Whichever, well done for toughing it out.

200 i had a proper low point at the top of newcastleton and was 50/50 about the cut off but by the time i got the the cutoff there was no question.

Jettisoned a bottle before the first station. Got it back but the lid was crashed refilled it and cycling along tried to use it. I ended up with the lid in my mouth and half the contents in my face.

Its a great event i’ll be back for a third with some fitness and possibly some slightly flaired bars. I love going fast downgravel tracks.

That was tough. My socks looked great though so it was totally worth it.

I wasn’t even there stevious..but they are talking about your socks as far away as Bellingham today …😁

130 in 8hrs10, enjoyed every moment which was my biggest hope 🙂

Think I stopped too long at the 2nd station (so lush to lounge in the sun tho) and the last 30km was tough, felt much rougher and steeper than I’m sure it was, happy I cleaned that savage steep section, never stood up so far back on the bike. Every climb after that felt ten times as steep as it really was tho.

Great course, not as steep or rough as I’d expected, next year’s training will be mostly massive road epics and fewer stupid rides like Mary Towneley Loop and moortop BWs as dark falls!

Rambler rear and Riddler front, about 50psi, comfy enough and had no fears on the descents B-)