Not seen this done yet……….

Who’s in? I’m looking forward to it after missing out last year due to bike issues.

Weather forecast is looking cracking so can’t wait, though still waiting on a wheel rebuild before I have a bike for it! Am guessing same or very similar course to previous years but interested to see if they have anything interesting up their sleeve.

Tentatively in. Depends on my heart being up to it (Atrial Fib) and work not throwing a spanner in the… erm… works.

Never done it before, but managed 31st at 10UTB last month and that was okay, so the shorter 10k laps might not be too bad on the old dicky ticker.

Yep, first timer here. Not expecting any great results but will be interested to see how I go in what’s going to be the longest race I’ve ever done. Supposed to be bringing the family along too for “support” so it could still all go horribly wrong, but if the forecast is correct it can’t be too horrendous an experience for them, can it?

Have an entry so will be going up for a mince round. Not done this event, or anything like it before. For those that have done it, what is the cake situation like on the course  – will it see you through, or should you bring plenty of food and stash it in the pits

Hopefully marshalling it again this year, dont know  where I’ll be this year yet, give a shout out to the marshalls as your going past, good luck to <span style=”font-size: 0.8rem;”>all that have entered, see you there</span>

Another 1st timer, used to do loads of endurance races but a long time ago now quite nervous just thinking about it.

Hoping to achieve something I have rarely done before just have fun, not nearly enough training done, due to illness and children and currently trying to fend off another bout of tonsillitis.

Probably like no one else hoping for rain! But looks unlikely.

Will certainly wave to the marshalls as I pass.

First time solo for me and first solo longer event too. Looks like it will be hard, loose and fast. Hoping it won’t be too hot though. Forecast looking good at the moment – 17degC and sunny!

For those that have done it, what is the cake situation like on the course – will it see you through, or should you bring plenty of food and stash it in the pits

Normally a cake and drink stop at the top of the course. Never used it much in previous events but always looked well stocked when I’ve passed.

3rd time in a pair for me. Really love the vibe and the course – bring it on!

A friend has a spare pairs entry (both riders) – if anyone’s interested drop me a line.

Doing it in a pair. Team Big Co. Jones  😉

I’m soloing again, on the fatbike, but not really feeling very fit. I guess I’m looking for 6 laps- but then last year was a total disaster, I had to pull out after 4 with terrible cramps, having a proper XC bike was too much of a temptation and I tried to make it go fast. Team Glentress Mincer’s inexorable march from inadequacy to mediocrity continues.

@Garry, for the last few years they’ve had a big cake, water and banana stop right at the very top of the course. Which is probably a rubbish place if you’re full on racing but it’s a pretty nice place to stop for a moment and catch your breath before firing into the good bit.

it’s a pretty nice place to dismount  and push down the scary bit.

Ftfy.

Actually its not a good place. It could be closer to the tunnel of love so there isnt the dilemma of an annoying 200m push or a barely worth it pedal then dismount.

First time for me as well, thankfully as a pair. Grand plan of 5 months training went wrong in early January so just as fat and slow as usual.

Cake stop sounds like my kind of racing.

Joshvegas, if you push down in front of me I’ll ride you down like a dog. 4.8 jumbo jim prints down your back.

I wouldn’t rely just on cake stop, you’ll need something more substantial than just that to keep going over 7hrs plus extras such as electrolights and salt etc (hot day and a lot of climbing, salt really helps keep the cramp away later in the day)

I’ve been solo past 3 years and have done all I can with that so doing pairs this year. Does anyone know what time you realistically need to be there to get a space for an ez-up? Usually just rock up last minute and put a box in solo pits but would rather have space and shade for inbetween laps. I’ve heard folk say pairs is harder than solo so not sure what to expect! Good course but the braking bumps in final descent were horrendous last year! Not going to get any better!

I’m soloing, not done this event before.

Got 18th at 10UTB a couple of years ago but nowhere near as fit now, just hoping to enjoy it.

If you see  an idiot trying to get all his kit in and out of a Smart Roadster, that’s me!

Joshvegas, if you push down in front of me I’ll ride you down like a dog. 4.8 jumbo jim prints down your back.

In my defence i fell in the slowest otb possible as the guy infront of me panicked to a stop. I then tried getting back on including clipping in which resulted in otb no. 2. After that i was a bit rattled hence my later crash photo…

https://peterjsmith.smugmug.com/Biking/2016/Glentress-7/i-pFtvcCv

I also fell of infront of everyone trying to remove my dibber drom my left wrist with my right… Whilst steering with left hand breaking for and turning into transition.

And my team mate got airborne on the bombhole without his bike and snapped his bars.

So all in… Not my finest hour(*7)

Singlespeed was hilarious though. And running past someone with my bike down tunnel of love was mildly amusing.

<div class=”bbp-reply-author”>bigmandh
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I wouldn’t rely just on cake stop, you’ll need something more substantial than just that to keep going over 7hrs

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That’s where the beer and burgers come in! 😁

I did bin it one time in the tunnel, when I was on my rigid soda- my ebay dropper post seized up just before it, and it quickly turned out I’ve completely forgotten how to ride a bike with the seat up 🙂 Fiascos ensued for the final 2 laps. I also may have ridden over Andy Weir from Ridelines when he screwed up the exit. Ah, racing.

Entered as a pair.

First time ever doing something like this. Aiming for 3/4 laps depending on my climbing legs making the trip down with us.

How good/bad is this tunnel of love? Can it be compared to anything else at GT?

It’s a short, rooty (lots of little roots), steep enough to worry people section with a corner right at the bottom- it’s really short but understandably intimidating, and can be crowded too. Also, on lap 1 it’s literally the first bit of offroad you do which is a really horrible trick to play on people, and it’s right at the very top so people are gasping.

I suppose it’s a bit like the Bitch? But not really. It’s not the sort of thing you usually find at trailcentres just because of wear. But you can see the end from the start. Don’t stress about it- but, if you’re on the first lap it’s worth making an effort to get to it reasonably quickly as there’s sometimes pretty big queues once people start pushing and getting stuck in numbers.

Yeah unless you’re on flats a foit down is going to see you pushing for a bit.

The inside* of the corner is the better line i reckon. Steeper but less direction change.

*There is a tree in the middle of the bend.

How good/bad is this tunnel of love? Can it be compared to anything else at GT?

It’s a very short steep chute, no worse than any of the other off piste stuff at Glentress, but totally different from anything on the official marked trails. Main challenge is that it’s at the top of the main climb so you tend to come into it at max heart rate, it also spooks a lot of people so slaloming round those pushing can be fun.

Hi, new forum member here (long time lurker 😉 )

Looking forward to GT7, raced it twice before as part of the same pair as this year.  I’ve built a carbon HT for this year (used Whyte M 109 FS previously) so I’m hoping to go a bit faster.  Hopefully I won’t fall off this time or lose my chain like I did last time x3 🙁

Hoping  I won’t get in Northwinds way – I recall seeing his post re “10 under the Ben” being full of roadies and triathletes…..and guess what my team is made up of.. 🙂  In fact that forum post inspired our team name for this year 🙂

@trichris, I don’t think many people will get in my way this year, I’m going to be toiling- time for the roadies on knobblies to get their revenge! I’ll be easy to spot on my glowing yellow fatbike so say hi

Joshvegas wrote, “The inside* of the corner is the better line i reckon.”- absolutely this, the outside line is fine too but it’s got no momentum so people are always stalling on it, if you just get your front wheel into the inside and keep turning you’ll get to the end without doing anything. OTOH the outside line allows for a wee pause between the chute and the corner so is probably better for people that’re struggling.

Northwind, I’ll give you a shout if I pass you, though if I fall off afterwards (being a triathlete and all) please don’t roll over me with your fat bike 🙂

I’ve marshalled at GT7 since the second year of it. Having to give it a miss this year due to being too broken.

Have fun everyone, looks like it’ll be a sunny one again.

the tunnel of love was quite exciting the first year, as the roots had that mega slippy slime from when they first lose their bark. I lost the front wheel on the corner at the bottom and got tangled up in my bike, silly clipped pedals. It’s nowhere near as hard as other off piste stuff in the valley though.

Has the tunnel of love always been in it? I did it about 3 years ago and I can’t remember anything particularly technical. There was one steepish rooty bit with a tight corner at the end, but it was only tricky as there was always about 3 other folk trying to negotiate it in front of you and you never knew if they would fall off or not.

That’s the one. It wasn’t in it for the first couple while the trails varied, but now that they’ve arrived at a sort of perennial route it’s always been in it since

I’m making the journey north and racing in an old folks pair. First time for both of us.

Looking forward to it.

Anyone know what time you’d need to be there Sat morning to get space for easy up in the pits?

So i am going to be marshall #2, should be the 1st you meet going round (think it bypasses me on the 1st lap) feel free to say hello/shout abuse. Enjoy the day all those going round.

Well that was a tough day out.

How did everyone get on?

Pretty hot from the start. And since it was so dry, the course felt pretty rough!

Managed 8 laps in the end. So not too bad. Was glad not to make the cutoff for a ninth!

Great event, really impressed with the course, but it was tough. 8 laps for me also, was feeling ok and on top of the climb through halfway, but wilted pretty bad, just surviving by the end. Could have paced it better (last lap was a death march), but reckon I was always going to be gasping last couple of hours in an event like that.

Thks to all the marshalls, encouragement helped a lot.

7 laps within the cut-off, couldn’t face an 8th, was wilting and making mistakes.

Forks not 100% and the race-specific trails got chopped up and harder towards the end making it worse – well blistered today! And sore.

Great marshals and support.

Cracking day, bit hot at times but can’t complain too much! Just failed in our target of top 10 in u75 pairs, but improved on last time which can’t complain about given lack of training and fact I’ve barely ridden since a massive stack 4 weeks ago. Top 10 next year!

Fantastic weather and great trails /marshals !!

I started to cramp a bit on my 4th lap so backed off a little as we had a bit of time in the bag (in our category), unfortunately my teammate punctured on his fifth lap and had to change a tube which cost about 8 min and put us into 2nd place in category.  I therefore finished with a HOT lap in a desperate chase, but as the other team had a 3.30min lead it was a bit futile, closed the gap by 2 mins but it wasn’t enough 🙁 which also meant that we didn’t get to do an 11th lap, though I think my teammate was probably quite happy with not having to go out again!

Biggest difference for me this year was that I called out to riders that I wanted to pass MUCH earlier than previous years, this worked far better and seemed to be appreciated by most riders as it gave them more time to plan a safe pass.

I only hit one tree, which I put down to a young lad taking photos who was positioned right in the sight line after rounding a tree on the final section, though it was really me just being useless 🙂

Looking forward to next year, assuming I can persuade my teammate to enter again

Didn’t see a glowing yellow fat bike, so didn’t get a chance to say hi Northwind

I’m not proud! I had a total tubeless fail when I went to the garage, got the tyre back on, drove 10 minutes, heard it pop back off the rim, spat the dummy. I could have run home and swapped bike and begged them to let me start late but in my head it was all fatbike so, didn’t happen. Ah well. Sounds like a great day though! First one i’ve missed 🙁

Too hot and too dusty 🙂 crashed 4 times, each one a result of front wheel sliding out in the dust. Also hit numerous trees on the last descent and lost 15 mins to a puncture. Despite that still managed to improve on previous years with 9 laps. On the penultimate lap I swore I wasn’t going out again if I made the cut-off but did exactly that for some daft reason. Was totally battered and bloodied by the end. Bloody great fun. Also very surprised to get the fastest Strava time of the day on the last descent through the field. Must have been a GPS glitch 🙂