So with the impending 100 miler approaching, what tips and tricks can those veterans of years gone pass on??

Cheers 🙂

Buy DEET

It’s not 100 miles.

When you get to 100 miles, have an energy bar or something, you’ll still have a few miles to go (and they’re not flat)

Oh and don’t forget to look at the scenery 🙂

Based on using 100% deet last year, save you money and buy a wet suit you might stand a chance.

Shh! Dave don’t tell them it’s rounded off.

Based on using 100% deet last year, save you money and buy a wet suit you might stand a chance.

I got 1 bite last year, that was with using 100%
Maybe they just don’t like me 🙂

The little buggers love me, there’s plans this year though for the presentation as that’s when it went mad.

Mosi net for your head (go outdoors for a couple of quid) useful while waiting to start. Long sleeve top and leggings is best bet.
Last year it was only the first 50 miles that were up hill, I can’t comment on the next 50….. I had a serious mechanical problem that prevented me continuing…… My body broke an my soul died!!
I do remember that when I missed the cut off by a few minutes, I was told that the shortest route back was only 12 miles…… And yes most of those were uphill!!!

Enjoy……

there’s plans this year though for the presentation as that’s when it went mad

do the presentation under water with snorkels for breathing?

We walked up towards the castle for the presentation and could see the millions of midges in the lights so went to the pub instead

You can tell how bad it gets as the pub has a big fan at the door, faced outwards

No snorkels they’ll crawl down them, after 100 miles you’ll be breathing through your arse anyway.

Now I see why you had 1 bite.

Carry as much of your tools/water/food on the bike rather than in a camelbak, as the extra weight on my body gave me a super sore back.
Also check your computer/satnav is working, as my £4 computer stopped working on the start line.

The worst part for me, both years, was just after the curved bridge over the river, toward the end. There’s a signpost saying it’s just a few miles to the castle on the track, but then you turn left onto some nasty undulating, rocky singletrack that I just couldn’t get into a rhythm on.

My top tips

Minimise stopping time at the feed/water stations and keep moving; that’ll be the difference between making the cut-offs and not if you’re on the limit (as I will be, again).

Eat what you’re used to and that you know works.

Take sachets of energy drink to use with the water at the feed stations as then you know you’re using what works for you, that it’s mixed to the right concentration and you get energy drink at every station.

Jungle Formula did the anti-midge job for me. Lots of it; in your hair and ears too. Long sleeves and long trousers for the presentations, and something with a hood.

When any of the marshalls say ‘Not much further now’ – it’s a lie 😀

When any of the marshalls say ‘Not much further now’ – it’s a lie

+103

+1 for the part after the curved bridge near the end. There’s a monster descent from the border right down to Kielder and you think you’re gonna get plonked into the finish straight. Not so !!! You’re approaching 100 miles and then it straight into some really loose, rubbly singletrack. I’d lost my granny so it was a struggle.

Take on plenty of food and water. The stations are semi regular (every 25 mile from memory) so filling two water bottles should be enough plus they have bananas. I always carry jelly babies too in my back pocket just in case things get low.

There’s quite a lot of singletrack which is physically harder than the fireroads / doubletrack. There’s the Kielder Blue near the start (easy), then there’s stuff up at the border crossing (easy and mostly down from memory), then there’s Newcastleton (harder as short sharp climbs), then there’s the section at the end back in Kielder (loose and rubbly!).

+1 for not hanging around at food stops. Fast riders will either not stop or be sub 30 seconds.

It is an awesome ride, so really really enjoy it like I did. The views are stunning and riding with so many folks over such a long way is a very uplifting feeling. Always have a cheery word as you pass / get passed in later stages !

Midge hood.Weather last year was amazing, hence midges. You may get no midges it’s just last year there was no breeze whatsoever down at the event centre.

Prepare for a chily start so leave room to store extra top,arm warmers midges will get eveywhere I found the most annoying ones on my eyelids and inbetween my fingers all the marshalls are politicians in their day job.Dont take the family it will not be fun for them.The owner of the pub is a grumpy sod!
The hot food stop is great spent 20 mins gorging myself and missed my 10hr plan, riding SS is fine untill you hit the flat bit from Newcastleton only the Reivers trail.
Will be taking it easy this year as I have an annoying muscle problem on my left leg which is not going away!
Ennjoy 🙂

all the marshalls are politicians in their day job

No we’re not. I’m a data analyst 😉

I didn’t have a problem with midges at all whilst riding. Best thing is not to hang around too long at feed stations. But do keep on taking fuel and liquid. I was struggling after about 25 miles last year and forced copious amounts of water and grub of all kinds down me, gradually recovered and was fine until about 70/80 miles when general fatigue kicked in. I did make sure I kept topped up with food and drink though after the early mistake.
As others have said the last miles (well all miles really) are tough! And it is a kick in the nuts when you are toiling up another beast well after 100 miles!
Great event though.

Minimise stopping time at the feed/water stations and keep moving; that’ll be the difference between making the cut-offs and not if you’re on the limit (as I will be, again).

This + 1

I broke the ride down into 4 different rides. Once i got to a station i spent a very minimal amount of time there and got on the bike (in my head this was then the next ride)

I didn’t use any midge repellent at all. I actually found this spurred me on if i stopped.

At the 3rd stop with all the tea, cake etc benig served i saw loads of riders just sitting down chilling out. This looked like a big mistake to me.

Helps chatting to people along the way. I rode with the same guy for for 30 miles or so.

I bought a tri style food bag for the top tube which had energy gels and jelly babies. This meant I was continually taking on food. For some weird reason i felt extremely strong ni the last 20 miles despite it feeling like It was all uphill

Not doing it this year but I thorughky enjoyed it. The view in the morning was amazing

When any of the marshalls say ‘Not much further now’ – it’s a lie

+ 101!!!

Also with 15 miles to go when the marshall says it’s all downhill from now they’re lying (although I found out later they were told to say this)

When your clock says 98 miles there are anout 5 miles to go. Half of which is up one of the steepest hills of the day.

Check everything works. What starts off a bit iffy in the morning will break before the end.

Good shorts because you’ll be in the saddle a while.

It’s not one ride of 100 miles but a series of ~25 miles with short breaks to pick up food. Mentally try and break it down otherwise you will break down and cry at about 50 miles when you realise you’re only half way through.

Start your preparation early. You’ll probably not sleep that well the night before as you have to be up really early. Make sure you don’t arrive tired.

Have a plan for the end. You’ll be knackered and hungry, maybe muddy and wet.

Enjoy the single track and the views.

You can get away with racey tyres. You’l slide a bit on the mud but most of the course is gravel or loose roads.

Take spare brake pads, actually take lots of spare brake pads, epspecially if it is going to be wet.

Free speed – To keep you average up don’t brake or coast on the long easy bits, soft pedal, tuck up and gain some time it adds up.

Have a pacing plan (Miketually any news on THE spreadsheet?) and stick to it. People who go off way faster than you are either too fast for you or are going to blow up at some point. Unless you are planning on winning it’s a war of attrition so don’t try and keep up a pace you are working hard at.

Smile and have fun?

trickydisco,
I don’t mean to be too much of a cock, but it would be nice to have my picture linked from the original, instead of a copy.

Look at the kit list and make sure you can meet it with the minimum of stuff. There have been comments in the past that some riders must have cheated as they didn’t have big rucksacs on but with a bit of thought and some tape you can get 90 % of you kit on your bike and then just shove a windproof in your back pocket.

I’ll be looking out for the spreadsheet.

I remember one thing from my failed attempt last year – didn’t make the 60 mile checkpoint in time…

DO NOT STOP. Not even for a second. You need to be able to ride for 10 hours+ pretty much without putting your foot down. This means riding every climb… no food stops… etc.

It was a living hell. I could have done the distance (was only 2pm I think when they stopped me) but the pace required to make the checkpoints killed me.

+1 for no camelbak

-Saddle pack for all your tools / tubes etc
-Strap jacket on to bike under handlebars to avoid carrying it.
-2 water bottles – 1 forwater, 1 for energy drinks
-Leave more than you need at each food station (I had the pi55 taken out of me when handing my bags in last year as they were so LARGE but I ate the lot :wink:) If you don’t need it then so be it but don’t get caught out!
-3 jersey pockets & 2 short pockets = no bag required
Bit late for training now, but if you’ve done some that can only help

+1 for midge repellant for the evenings.

I didn’t use any for the race. Sure they got in your hair a bit but it’s not too much of an issue. if they’re annoying you, ride harder.

-1 for not stopping at the food stops.

Stop, stretch. Let your food go down. Stretch again. You have a long way to go. Ward off the cramp and start refreshed and faster for it. You’re not racing for the win (except YOU). If you think you’re struggling to make the cut-off you’re already losing. Train harder.

– Put all you can on the bike. Bottle, saddle bag, pump and tube taped to frame, and food bag on the top tube mean you’re bag-less.

– I started with arm warmers and gilet. Arm warmers were pulled down before the first station. Gilet and arm warmers came off then.

– Large volume tyres are good as there is a lot of really rough singletrack. (n.b. the Skydive descent and the Deadwater descents have been resurfaced, can’t remember if those get used).

I’m not racing this year (summer off injured) but do fancy marshalling… might see you there 🙂

I don’t mean to be too much of a cock, but it would be nice to have my picture linked from the original, instead of a copy.

Apologies for that. Where is the original? I can delete this one if you like

I’ll be using a Camelbak as I don’t have any usable bottle mounts, it’ll be just one of those water only ones though
If it’s as warm as last year, I want at least 1ltr/hr so I’ll be filling to the brim at every opportunity and live with any extra weight

Apologies for that. Where is the original? I can delete this one if you like

No need to delete it, that’s why you can download it.
Originals are here:
http://richmars.smugmug.com/Sports/MTB/Kielder-100-2010/13638392_h7qRV

I will need to carry a camelbak as I only have 1 bottle mount on my Trance and I drink loads 😀 I have a small saddle bag which I use on my road bike which holds: basic tool, levers, 1x tube, 2xCO2. But I am going to borrow a mates tri top tube bag for extra tubes and bits.
My Quechua rucsack is quite light and comfy in comparison to my camelback so I will be using that.
Distance wise I have done 130+ mile road rides (did 640 in one week).
I am also contemplating those Michelin tyres from On-One, as I could do with something that’s faster rolling.

Thanks for all the input so far!!

I agree with the previous replies but…
I don’t get on with bottles – so I took a small (2litre) camelbak.
Everything else on the bike.
I saw at least a dozen bottles by the side of various DOWNhills.
I would be gutted to lose one at any point.
plus..
Take change for the piper(s). But only give the first piper half.
there was a second piper at Newcastleton last year.
I felt shame to be out of change for him.
The “spreadsheet” is very very useful.

Keep the stops quick ++1 – make your drop bags distinctive –
chances are you’ll be full of sugary gels etc so I relished my sausage rolls with a satchet of (quality)brown sauce(!) at each food stop.

Miketually any news on THE spreadsheet?

Once the tbc disappears off the official times/distances, I’ll make the spreadsheet and stick it up – I had to change it last year and so some people had the incorrect info.

I used a pack last year, as one of the bottle bosses on the borrowed bike came loose so I only had one cage. I put one bottle on the bike and another in the bag. There was nothing else in the bag apart from my waterproof and some extra food – tools, pump, etc. on the bike and food in pockets.

I’ll be doing the same this year, as my new bike only has one set of bottle bosses.

Resurrecting this, anyone got a GPX file of last year’s route? I’m marshalling and thinking about bivvying out on the Friday night to be wherever I need to be early, fancied armchair scouting some possible locations on Memory Map if anyone’s got the file.

Cheers!

Just 18 spaces left on the campsite, if there’s anyone who’s not booked yet… (Plus the overflow, so you’ll be fine.)