How does the Three Peaks Cyclocross race work?

With regard to the route, land access etc; Is it all private land or does the race use public rights of way and if they are rights of way, how do you control access on race day? Also how do they define a cyclocross bike, which I understand can have straight handlebars, from say a 29er XC race bike? I was talking with someone who raced it last year and they were saying how ‘mountain bikes aren’t allowed’ and how they have these rules about bike geometry that sound draconian and quite ridiculous.

how they have these rules about bike geometry that sound draconian and quite ridiculous

You mean you don’t own a cross bike, so wanted to complain that you’re prevented from riding?

Waah.

Theres some info in the 3peaks forum about the bikes.I reckon theres plenty places to race a mtb or 29er, the race has some heritage why not protect it?

Flat bars not allowed, 29ers also not allowed. Its a cx race and pretty much the only kind of it’s type in the world and the rules are there to maintain the legacy of it rather than use this week’s niche.
A large part of the route is on private land and not rideable at any other time.
It’s a cross race.
Get over it.

I was talking with someone who raced it last year and they were saying how ‘mountain bikes aren’t allowed’ and how they have these rules about bike geometry that sound draconian and quite ridiculous.

don’t enter or create your own event. No point moaning about it.

Poor Troll.. 🙁

1.5/ 10…

I am over it. I was curious to know how they structured the rules. Really not a troll, although my view is that the rules seem to be draconian because they seem to be protecting something that doesn’t exist any more.

You mean you don’t own a cross bike, so wanted to complain that you’re prevented from riding?

You don’t know me. The last thing I would want to do is enter the 3 Peaks race.

Flat bars not allowed

I think they are allowed. Here’s a picture that perhaps proves that point:

29ers also not allowed

Sure but aren’t 29ers identical to 700c/27″ road rims? See here.

Access is on private land, OK but the paths they use to get to the top of the three peaks themselves are public rights of way aren’t they?

Yes you can run flat bars but only less than 500mm. The organiser can set whatever rules he wants as it is his race and has been for 48 years.

“they seem to be protecting something that doesn’t exist any more.“

what’s that then?

as from this year flat bars will not be allowed

They may well be public rights of way but they are not Bridleways. The race organisers have landowners permission for the day of the race only. Not all of the route uses public rights of way, some of the race is over private land.

Flat bars are not allowed in this years race. Believe me.
Maybe you should go to the EU and get an injunction on discrimination?

and they were saying how ‘mountain bikes aren’t allowed’

I innocently asked this about 5 years ago and attracted no end of censure. It’s just one of those things you’re not supposed to ask like “when did you stop beating your wife?”

I was curious to know how they structured the rules. Really not a troll, although my view is that the rules seem to be draconian because they seem to be protecting something that doesn’t exist any more

the rules keep the private landowners happy which in turn keeps the race open.

Racing can’t be held on bridleways but can be on footpaths thanks to the archaic rules that govern our PROW. Hence you will never be able to ride the course “legally”

The organiser can set whatever rules he wants as it is his race and has been for 48 years.

Couldn’t Gaddafi claim the same ?

Ah OK so if they’re using footpaths, then the unstated element is that it’s OK to ride on footpaths when you have the permission of the landowner?

Is that correct?

Flatbars may well have been ruled out for this year. I wouldn’t know, that’s why i was asking.

Are you allowed dropper seat posts?

What I was getting at with the rules to protect something that doesn’t exist anymore was this.

The Specialized 29er that that bloke won the UCI XC race on last year, put dropper bars on that and bingo you’ve got a cyclocross bike right?

Or not, because there’s something about geometry that no one has explained yet.

But let’s assume that the geometry thing is just a bit too anal even for the UCI or whomever is making the rules up.

A spesh 29er MTB race bike with drop bars. What’s the difference between that and a cyclocross bike.

Let’s assume there are no restrictions on what bike you can use except that it has to be powered by you and you can only have one for the whole race.

What would be the ideal bike?

I innocently asked this about 5 years ago and attracted no end of censure. It’s just one of those things you’re not supposed to ask like “when did you stop beating your wife?”

PMSL – but I am begining to see what you mean! **** me they’re an uptight lot aren’t they.

Well it’s obvious – a cyclo cross bike. 🙄

Well it’s obvious – a cyclo cross bike.

Touche!

Why aren’t cyclo cross bikes allowed at Mayhem?

I am not sure Gadafi has a waiting list of people wanting to come and do his event!

Good point about the bridleway – I remember there being a Marshal making sure we got off and walked on one section so as not to be racing on it. Awesome event and the hardest thing I have done. Keeping these rules keeps the spirit of the event. Like the tyre sizes – running 100mm of suspension with 2.2 tyres down the steps of wherside would take away the challenge.

**** me they’re an uptight lot aren’t they.

sadly the thread is lost in the mists of time but it was very funny 🙂 Basically the rules are the rules are the rules and questioning them is tantamount to defying the heavens.

Why aren’t cyclo cross bikes allowed at Mayhem?

one might also ask:
why is everyone so well behaved ?
where is the mountain ?
etc etc

I am not sure Gadafi has a waiting list of people wanting to come and do his event!

ah, you were under the impression participation was optional ?

it’s been suggested that mountain bikes were excluded to appease the landowners but local Chris E said that they can’t tell bikes apart anyway and will only be happy when they are allowed to kill any life form found on “their” land 🙁

Flat bars used to be allowed provided that they were no wider than 50cm. They are no longer allowed. You can use a dropper seatpost although frankly, why would you? Tyres must be no wider than 35mm.

It maintains the spirit of the event, it’s one of the oldest CX events in the world and certainly one of the toughest. Doing it on a 150mm all-mountain “rig” would take away the challenge of the descents, you’d gain nothing on the uphill bits and it’d be slow as hell on the road bits.

Three Peaks has an atmosphere all of it’s own – personally I’d say do away with spare bikes/bike changing and keep it as no disc brakes too.

the rules seem to be draconian because they seem to be protecting something that doesn’t exist any more.

Do you think while you type?

They are overwhelmed with entries from people wanting to ride it on CX bikes.

There’s a vintage car rally through Whinlatter every year and they don’t allow subaru Imprezas. No-one ever complains.

A spesh 29er MTB race bike with drop bars. What’s the difference between that and a cyclocross bike.

Are you serious? Or can you not tell the difference? If you put a spoiler on a land rover do you have an imprezza?

Would you want to do the 3 peaks on a mountain bike? From what I can see the terrain is either pretty dam steep and its quicker to carry or its not technical to warrant the extra weight etc of a mtb.

“Why aren’t cyclo cross bikes allowed at Mayhem?”

Because they would be way quicker than mtb’s and make a bit of a joke of the title Mountain Mayhem. It really be called riding round a grassy field mayhem.

Back in October there was this race http://www.bingleyharriers.org.uk/html/h_v_cyclists/hvc.htm one by a cyclocross… in fact the first few bikes home were x bikes as well as runners. Mtb’s came 3rd by some margin. Some sections of the route are actually quite technical too.

A spesh 29er MTB race bike with drop bars. What’s the difference between that and a cyclocross bike.

Tyres need to be less than 35mm, so that would require a change, up to last year disk brakes were banned, and simply adding drop bars to am MTB frame would make for seriously interesting handling.

Not quite sure where the UCI stand on suspension on cross bikes, but I wouldn’t be surprised if you’d have to run rigid forks.

So that’d be a normal 29er, with new wheels and tyres, drop bars, and rigid forks.

Do you think while you type?

They are overwhelmed with entries from people wanting to ride it on CX bikes.

I do but I try not to think too much as it wears me down. It’s obviously a very popular event, which is great. I’m honestly really happy for everyone who gets pleasure from participating.

Are you serious? Or can you not tell the difference?

I know the difference, but that’s not what I was asking. If as the organiser couldn’t tell the difference then whats the point in the rule?

Ultimately the only material difference will be in the geometry and I can’t quite see how you make a rule that says ‘you can’t race a bike with a head angle of less than 72 degrees, a BB drop of more than 10mm, TT length of blah blah blah’.

If the rules don’t change then the race will become just like that vintage car rally and will become an anachronism and won’t be taken seriously.

but local Chris E said

What does that twerp know?
He just gets upset by people getting in his way on 3 Peaks CX day, when he goes for his snuff and Sunday paper from his local shop for local people. How are his nose bleeds these days??
😉

If the rules don’t change then the race will become just like that vintage car rally and will become an anachronism

They did change them, to allow flat bars, and now they’ve changed them back.

and

won’t be taken seriously.

We’ll see. It’s outlasted most other races so far.

simply adding drop bars to am MTB frame would make for seriously interesting handling.

Quite.

Craig won the 2009 race on flat’s IIRC? Wonder why they are ruling them out.

Anyways from what I know the top tube of a CX is a different length to that of a MTB tube.

The only reason JT did that was because he had a season riding with an US road squad and his coach told him to maintain the same position. He only did that for one year, I wonder why?

If the rules don’t change then the race will become just like that vintage car rally and will become an anachronism and won’t be taken seriously.

And yet still full year after year…

Ah OK so if they’re using footpaths, then the unstated element is that it’s OK to ride on footpaths when you have the permission of the landowner?

The footpaths will also have to be subject to a closure notice from the local authority for the duration of the event which won’t be granted until all sorts of hoops have been jumped through. There will be signs up saying “FOOTPATH CLOSED” at the start and end of each section*. Enforcing it is a different matter.

* Well that is how it works in Bury for HtN.

Actually it’s getting harder and harder to get in. In 99 I was offered a free place in that years race. Oh well.

And yet still full year after year…

Maybe I have a better ability to envision what the future might look like.

Yes JT raced with the 7-Eleven team IIRC and yes he didn’t maintain that absurd position for long.

I mean, why make things artificially hard? It’s not like 40 miles and 5000ft is easy after all.

Why not let anyone ride anything they want as long as it’s 100% human powered. Surely that’s the challenge, not the bike you do it on?

Hey here’s a radical and progressive idea.

Let’s have ‘

categories

‘ for different bikes.

You could have the open category, that allows any bike and then the ‘Master Race’ category for the cross bikes.

‘Master Race’

but you must be in the Hitler Youth ?

I believe this event to be a form of religious observance…

What a brilliant idea. Let’s do that with everything! Formula 1 could have a class for mini’s. You could pitch your Honda C90 against the best in the IOM TT. It’d be ace. I’m sure the organisers wouldn’t mind a bit of extra work.

PS Good work on the trolling though.

“You could have the open category, that allows any bike and then the ‘Master Race’ category for the cross bikes.”

The cross bikes would still win so a bit pointless really

The cross bikes would still win so a bit pointless really

is it only about winning ? That would be a bit poo for the hundred losers 🙁 Actually you could save time by banning anyone who wasn’t going to win.