Kingtut, is that an XTR c0ckring? 😉

If i did it again, i’d do it in a team. It’s not much fun on your own

I disagree, I did it on my tod and had a great time. None of that waiting around for anyone. You can go at your own speed as well. The only downside was with navigation where I also felt that the sign posting could be better.

I think maybe a Garmin for next year may be a plan.

Err, what sign posting!!
That’s what the course description and map are for..

I went alone and really enjoyed it, just me and my stopwatch!

I didn’t find navigating to be a problem, it was 10km before the pack thinned out, and about 30km before I found my place in the pack and started passing a lot less. Just made a concious effort to keep riders in sight.

I think I ended up using my route card 3 times, and each time I checked my distance, found an instruction that made sense and carried on. I was in touch with a few smaller groups throughout the day who I kept exchanging position with and most had at least one good navigator…

GaryLuke> were you on the 50 or 100k?

Kingtut, is that an XTR c0ckring? [:wink:]

Of course, a carbon and Ti mix.

KINGTUT – Member

Try 490g tyres with 90g tubes and a 1600g wheel set, I wheeled and climbed past many a CX bike rider and as I recall I wasn’t struggling to keep up with you and the rest of LVIS peeps on CX bikes, I’m not willy waving but I think your statement is flawed.

Done all that. Your pace is mainly down to your fitness of course but as I stated having got all the options (ie cross bike, light full susser, hardtail) available to me, I’m still convinced that a cross bike is fastest/easiest. For me, the cross bike meant that doing the 100k was doable without being a miserable experience for my woeful level of fitness – I reckon it may well have been a real stretch on an mtb and as such potentially a lot less enjoyable…

Still, you’d probably enjoy it more if you were more miserable 😉

And LOL @ the signpost comment – TBH, I was suprised at how many there actually were this year – previous ones I’ve done had almost none (if any) and that’s the way it’s always been and is meant to be…

TD,
“If I did it again, i’d do it in a team. It’s not much fun on your own “

Nah! The first time I did HONC it was with a friend and I ended up having to wait for her so many times that it wasn’t as enjoyable as it could have been! 😕

I’m quite happy to go round on my own! I’ve found that you useually end up talking to plenty of people and (although that might be because you don’t get many women on their own doing this sort of thing).

I think you just have to learn to socialise more!! 🙂

Consider also, Kingtut, that you’re not comparing like for like here. I was doing it on a low-end alu ‘crosser with a cheap ‘n’ nasty factory wheelset (Which I paid £75 for IIRC). If you can build up a faster full susser for £500, let me know. 😉

Still laughing @ trickydisco getting lost 10 miles from where he grew up! Gps so last year, knowledge is power.

Sheldon – I know.. it’s bad but just don’t know the local area. Only got into mountain biking in the last 5 years. Wish i’d have been into it as a kid and explored.

Hells> I did end up talking to loads of people (plus lots that were lost .. even the marshall!

Next time i’ll be more prepared and know the route + hang out with sheldon for shortcuts 😉

I was doing it on a low-end alu ‘crosser with a cheap ‘n’ nasty factory wheelset

Still weighs half what mine does 🙂

I just had fun riding in the sunshine with mates. Nice to have hit dirt a bit too.

Mine doesn’t double as a bird-scarer though. 🙂

🙂 they weren’t shortcuts, more like offroad links to remove some of the tarmac bits :-0

Mine doesn’t double as a bird-scarer though.

*chuckles*

What I still don’t get Andy is that even though the exploding tyre locked your back wheel, you still managed to go over the bars. You must have been hauling when it happened. 😆

The bike stopped, I didn’t, easiest dismount was just to vault the bars 8)

The escapade did break mapboard Mk 2.5 though.

A garmin is only as good as the operator- I speak from personal experience. I thought it was playing up and followed the flock at one point- it was right and I wasn’t….Baaaaa. Still I enjoyed the extra 12 miles that this lapse provided for me….

12 miles?

TWELVE MILES? 😯

Surely you noticed something wasn’t quite right after a mile or so at most?

We realised fairly soon,looked at the map and route card ,saw there were some interestingish bits ahead and then finally took a short cut to rejoin the 50k route when we decided mates on the 50k route might be waiting too long back at the school. It was a nice day to be out on a bike… Did just over 70km in the end

Consider also, Kingtut, that you’re not comparing like for like here. I was doing it on a low-end alu ‘crosser with a cheap ‘n’ nasty factory wheelset (Which I paid £75 for IIRC). If you can build up a faster full susser for £500, let me know.

Ok, I’ll offset the weight of your CX bike against the fact that you are 15 years or so younger than me.

🙂

… and you’re failing to take into account the coefficient of friction of that beard KT 😉

I’ll offset the weight of your CX bike against the fact that you are 15 years or so younger than me.

Clearly a 1500 gram wheelset is redundant if you also have a bottomless quiver of excuses. 😉

Hi guys,

Newbie forum member here – rode the HONC at the weekend and just wanted to say thanks to forum member Adey, aka “hobett” for the company on the back leg. I ended up riding with him and another guy called Nick (sorry mate, forgot to swap details at the end of the ride, hope you’re a member too!). I’m really chuffed having completed the 50km in 3hrs 10 mins on my hardtail singlespeed that I built up after DNF’ing last year’s event (long story, but I ended up being a “customer” of the St John’s Ambulance back at the HQ). Am planning to up the distance to 75km next year (rather than try to make the jump to 100km all in one go), so will look forward to more off road.

What I also found was that, if one hour’s riding on a singlespeed is fun, three hours is three times as much fun.

I’ll add my thanks to the organisers for putting on such a well-run classic event.

Some photos are now one line
http://gallery.sussexsportphotography.com

Got my first MTB end of January, humble rockhopper, got persuaded to enter the HONC 50k. Considering I didnt think I could get fit enough in time, I was happy to finish with my mate Dave.

Great fun was had, I was slow at over 4 hours (I did take plenty of time to enjoy some bread pudding though) and had a few 100kers somehow get past me (are they machines or what?).

Had flat rear tyre 3 times despite slime, which certainly got frustrating. The last few miles I just kept pumping it back up instead of trying to fix it and trying to keep going.

One or two close calls (that very steep rocky slope that many took by accident) with two people stopped across the path. Saw a few barrelling down it full pelt, amazed they made it unscathed. One incident where a 100ker passed where there wasnt room to pass and almost having me off for once I got my foot out of the cleat intime 😉 . Great experience all round though.

I swear someone had hosed that final downhill track to put some mud down to cover me 😉

Final mile or so ignored my gps and followed people who were lost haha, so added a couple miles to.

Overall great fun, look forward to getting fitter so I can enjoy it even more. Brilliant event for the price too, and the tea angels were a godsend, that bread pudding was the best food I ever tasted.

Tricky, 100, why?

Cus it’s a challenge. I’ve done 50k rides before in the lakes and wanted to see if i could do 100k

I’ll do 50k next year and blast it if i’m on my own again

I’ve not ridden the lakes but I’d wager 50km of proper MTBing in the lakes is pre-requisite enough for 100km HONC…

I’d wager 50km of proper MTBing in the lakes is pre-requisite enough for 100km HONC…

I’d agree. The climbs were not that taxing IMO. I’m from Aberystwyth and most of our weekly rides take in more climbing than was on the HONC.

If you can ride 50km in the lakes, then the 100km at the HONC should be a breeze.