Anyone else planing on a 200km pootle next April? Was a right old laugh this year, although the campfire at 100km was a bugger to leave. 😀

I’m in

Me, too. Almost 400 entries already so be quick!

Yup this year i aim not to be the last over the start.

In, did the shorter distance last year, so stepping up this year!

I am in, as is my wife. Both in the 60+ category. Third time for us.

I was all set to enter, then I saw the price 😯 😯 😯

Ooh thought entries wouldn’t open until next week.

Going to be my first time doing it so “just” the 130 for me. Will be hankering for tips (training and kit) if anyone wants to share some hard won wisdom!

In for the 130km. Aiming to actually make it to the event this year, unlike last year where entered and then crocked my back a couple of months before.

sboardman – Member
Ooh thought entries wouldn’t open until next week.

Going to be my first time doing it so “just” the 130 for me. Will be hankering for tips (training and kit) if anyone wants to share some hard won wisdom!

Change tonthe 200. The 130 is an escape route anyway so you can see how you feel.

😯

I had considered, but I think mentally I’d cope better with aiming to “complete” the 130 as opposed to having the big target of 200 and feeling like I’d “failed” by stopping out at the 130.

Will be hankering for tips (training and kit) if anyone wants to share some hard won wisdom!

ride up every hill you can find for the next four months, also buy a wider range cassette

Fit bigger tyres
go tubeless
enjoy the feedstations, they are amazing.
go tubeless
go tubeless
go tubeless

Cheers jonnyboi!

Tubeless is definitely on my list. I’ve got WTB Nano 40cs which I believe should be fine with some tape and sealant (etc).

Based in Yorkshire. Love a hill or two.

Wider range cassette has been on my “to buy” list for a while. A perfect excuse.

I shall commence training on enjoying the feed stations immediately. 😉

Ta for the heads up. Informed Mrs Yak and she’s in the 200 again to set a better time after a few mistakes with her feeds last time.

Fwiw – she used a 29er hardtail with 2.25/2.35 racing ralphs.

Its not “difficult” none of the climbs are “hard” its totally achievable with a modicum of fitness its just how quickly you want to push it.

If it rains though… Well i’m not going to think about that.

Yes rain doesn’t bare thinking about…

I think I’d be aiming for between 7-8 hours for the 130. I’ve not ridden that far off road before so it’ll be a bit of an unknown unless I manage to practice it specifically.

While strictly speaking it isn’t on tarmac ..its not really off road ..its forest roads and marketed towards gravel bikes ..the majority of the roads you will be riding on are wide and reasonably well surfaced .

ride up every hill you can find for the next four months, also buy a wider range cassette

or go singlespeed and just mash up stuff and have less to worry about if the weather craps out (couple of spare links and some brake pads was my emergency kit)

definitely tubeless, I’ve never seen so many punctures in the first 20km or so and if you use a bottle cage make sure it can actually hold a bottle. It was like a CX fragmentation mine on some early downhills with exploding wheels and bottles in all directions. 😀

wide and reasonably well surfaced

apart from the grey cobbly brick stuff that eats narrow cx rubber

Take it from me, last year was a doddle compared to the first year. weather (and wind) can make a huge difference

Take it from me, last year was a doddle compared to the first year. weather (and wind) can make a huge difference

I’m hoping for snow/ice/drizzle next year

Ive started growing me beard* in already for it

* to be used a woolly storage device for energy gels, mini pork pies and saves the weight of needing a buff

year one we got snow, hail, rain, wind, and sunshine.

To top that you’d need frogs or something to rain down, or a few excitingly close lightning strikes

I am tempted, I need a challenge to motivate me. But it’s a long way from London…

If there is a large group of you looking for accommodation ..may I suggest ..
https://www.airbnb.co.uk/rooms/18760670
It’s a place I know rather well ..not sure if it’s available that weekend though ..

After the trauma of Year 1, no way!

Would a carbon 29er be ok over this distance and terrain?

Yes.

I mean you are going to be over biked. But you’ll be absolutely grand.

I’m in for the 130km because I can’t be arsed riding a bike for 200km. Looking forward to a nice ride in some cool scenery.

I have some setup questions:
– Bike has 34-28 as lowest gear currently. Bad idea? (I’m ok at riding uphill but don’t want it to be a total ordeal)
– I have the choice of bottles & apidura saddlebag or a camelbak. An reason one would be better than the other?

I have some setup questions:
– Bike has 34-28 as lowest gear currently. Bad idea? (I’m ok at riding uphill but don’t want it to be a total ordeal)
– I have the choice of bottles & apidura saddlebag or a camelbak. An reason one would be better than the other?

I used 34-36 on my CX bike and that was OK. I’d have hated to only have a 28.

My hydration was water bottle and small Camelbak.

If you are confident your bottle stay in the cages.. i didnt lose any but i am definietly adding straps/bungee keeper this year.

Bottle. Its a longway to carry anything on your back.

There are plenty of water refills.

I’m in 130 last year 200 this year

Last years bike

This years bike

I’ve signed up. I have a tent pitch for Fri and Sat.

Is there a shindig on Sat evening? Or does everyone head home?

Have done it the past 2 years and wouldn’t hesitate to enter again. But given it was already one of the more expensive events, and it’s had a significant price hike on top of that, I think I might be out. It’s a good day, but it’s difficult to justify that kind of money on a bike ride.

go tubeless
go tubeless
go tubeless

That’s the best advice I can give, I was Soooooo glad I was running tubeless last year 😀
But like many, my water bottles ejected themselves at some point 🙄
Thankfully the feed stations were excellent, so I didn’t die of dehydration.
Entry is £60 and I think that’s good value compared to some of the other Sportive events I did last year.
Out of all the events i did last year the DR200 was the best organized, best feed stations, and best atmosphere by far 😀
Roll on 2018

Entered for the 200km when I got back from the pub on Friday night feelin all indestructible 😯
Now ‘the fear’ has kicked in and will be my motivational tool for training my ass off over the coming months, any training tips from DR veterans?

Also bike choice time, have a genesis vagabond with alfine which would mostly prove too heavy and a high latitude steel 29er, concerned neither will be suitable in current form. Do I modify the vagabond or go n+1 (rondo ruut/cannondale slate/niner rlt etc), the n+1 is obviously more appealing but might result in selling some of the fleet or finding another wife as a consequence.

Booked into the kielder campsite for fri&sat, looking forward to it (when ‘the fear’ subsides)

Vagabond will be fine.

Just enjoy it.

training tips from DR veterans

Just ride.
Enjoy the day.
You can do it just about any bike. Last year I remember some chap had forgotten to bring his SPD shoes, so rode the 200 in his thin soled trainers on SPD pedals 😆 had to hurt. Was quicker than me as well 😆

Now ‘the fear’ has kicked in and will be my motivational tool for training my ass off over the coming months, any training tips from DR veterans?

It depends, do you just want to finish or do you have a target in mind? If you want a descent time, say sub 10 hrs then you need regular training at 20kph and above with lots of climbing blocks built in, say 400m every 20k. And slowly build up your distance whilst maintaining pace. Try do do at least one long ride of 160k before the event

sorry didnt mean to hijack thread 🙄

good advice, no plans to race round just make it round while being able to enjoy it.

bikes, trails, camping and beer. whats not to like!

If you’re camping take a tarp to put under your tent. The camp ground can get very, very boggy.

And wellies.