This weekend. Anyone else going? I’m doing the 2 hour race in the vets class. Earlier start times this year though so no Sunday lay in. Looking forward to it after a half decent result at the autumn classic last week. Hopefully not too much more rain this week.

Sadly not as Mrs Weeksy is away. I may pop over though for a little day out if my lads Isla arrives by then.

Yes- 4hr for me.

Yep, 4 hour vets. First time racing on single speed.

Singlespeed is good at Minley Manor. I did it ss last year, and debating whether to go ss or geared this time.

2hr Vets for me this year.

Looking forward to 3 rounds of 2 hours instead of 4 rounds of 4 hours last time round – that destroyed me for the rest of the season!

Two hours in one of the ‘aged gentleman’ categories.

I’ve never done one of these before OR raced at Minley. What’s the course like? How muddy is it likely to be?

Also sort of wondering how competitive these events are – I know they’re races, but I don’t really want to be to humiliated…..

Hope to come out and play at rounds 2 and 3. 2hr vets for me.

Course – reasonably well drained, so hopefully not too muddy and definitely not claggy. There are a few bombholes, lots of nice singletrack, roots, etc. Not too hilly, only 1 steep one I remember, but it was v short. There is a unique spongy bit though. Sort of mossy surface that deflects under bike weight.

Less competitive than xc and nowhere near as intense imo. Nice relaxed atmosphere given the longer race format, and longer course to spread folk out a bit.

4hr for me, been a while since i’ve sat on a bike for that long, results might vary…

Thanks Yak 🙂

Sounds great. I’ve not done anything competitive for a while so was worrying a little.

Happy to come last – just didn’t want too much of a pounding.

Signed up for four hours in round two, no one else seems to want to play.

Yes, four hour for me this time. First timer last year in the two hour, and they were great races. Friendly, well organised, and more interesting courses compared to the other long duration (team) races I’ve done.

Looking forward to more of the same!

I’m in for 2 hour Vets again this year.

Hoping to improve on my 13th overall in the series last year.. a tall order given that it was achieved by only 13 people doing the whole series! 😆

Entry for this Sunday closes at midnight tonight, for anyone who still wants to enter…

Yep, 2 hour for me!

Be gentle with us Nick!

Yep 4 hours for me. Has anyone got any HR based guides to pacing as its one of my flaws?

Be gentle with us Nick!

You’ve not got to worry about me, not least because you’re old 😉

Some quick boys riding the 2 hour anyway, we’ll see how it goes!

Yep 4 hours for me. Has anyone got any HR based guides to pacing as its one of my flaws?

It’s only 2 hours – balls to the wall! Last one I did was average of 184bpm (against a max of 203), so >90% or so! YMMV.

4hrs Vets for me.

Crosshair, I tend to pace it on how I feel, but a quick look back at previous 4hr races and I seem to average 85-90% of my max HR for the 4hrs. At the start I probably ride out of my comfort zone for 30mins or so and then settle into a steady pace.

Hopefully no more rain between now and Sunday.

3hr supervets for me cos I’m super*

*over 50

2 hours vets for me, I have no idea if it is going to be competitive or not, I will be bimbling around at the back reminding myself that taking part is important, and that I make everyone else look better 🙂

My competitive aim is that in at least one of the rounds, I won’t be last male vet! I think it is good to have lofty ambitions!

Some quick boys riding the 2 hour anyway

Are you including yourself in that? 😉

I’m looking forward to getting smashed by most of my team-mates, including one on a fatbike, for which my excuse will be that I’m “training”.

Are you including yourself in that?

I wish I could… Think Isaac may be doing 2 hour and Philip Pearce certainly is. I suspect the competition in Vets will generally be more fierce though!

We can skulk (and sulk) around at the back of the pack together then!

I don’t think I’ve actually ever done a 2hr race before. No doubt I’ll try and pace it either like a 1hr race, or a 12hr race, or perhaps some inappropriate mix of the two 🙂

I tend to work on the basis that there is no pacing for a 2 hour race! The issue comes when they’re long laps and you finish one at 1:58, a 2:45 race is quite a bit harder if it’s unexpected!

Either way, it will make a nice change from 4hrs, after doing that for every series since its inception!

Was kind of looking forward to the later start too – until the new start times were announced 🙁

2 hr vets, at my level the pacing strategy is charge off with everyone else, get stuck in the queue at the first bit of singletrack /technical feature then ride around slowly for two hours.
I rememeber the ” unique spongy bit though. Sort of mossy surface that deflects under bike weight” that was a tad odd.

Off on a coaching course, so will be a no show from me.

Seeing as FTHR is only 173, I won’t be averaging 184 for four hours thats for sure 😀

Looking at SPAM which I tried quite hard at, I averaged 167 for 2h50, Brecon Beast was 155 for 4h50 but that included 3 puncture stops so is a little low. 2013 Beast was 160 for 3h32.

So I reckon around 160ish which is about 83% MHR should be ok?

Everything I do lately, I lose a place on the last lap to a guy who is doing a massive negative split on his last lap (not the same guy but you see what I mean 😉 ) I just gasp away with nothing in the tank as they pace their way to moral victory.

This is just training for me rather than something I’m targetting so it will be a good scenario to try some disciplined pacing.

This is just training for me rather than something I’m targetting so it will be a good scenario to try some disciplined pacing.

That’s what I’m kidding myself too 😉

Glad to see it’s not just me going then! 2 hours seems plenty long enough at this time of year. Spent the summer doing longer races so just want something shorter for now.

I just can’t be doing with being that cold and wet and doing that much damage to my bike! I get bored too! 2 hours is plenty!

I would race but I am otherwise committed.

Notes Daves excuse.

Thinking about it. Have a pass, so it would be rude not too.

3 hour Grandads here 😆

4 hour for me – first time in 2 years

What’s worse is that my Fatbike is the only suitable bike for the event… 🙂

I’ll be the youngest in grandad category – 50 on 3rd jan so sneak in by 1 day

Usually you move up the year in which you turn 50 (or 40 or 30), so anyone with the same birth year will almost certainly be younger!

The age rule is different for Brass Monkeys, I think because the series is in two years. So age relates to your age on the day of the last race.

For anyone planning to enter today is the last day to pre-enter, no entries on the day.

I’m in for the 4hr too.