I am down to race the Puffer in January, and having serious thoughts about getting a single speed to help me through the gunge. I have ridden a fixie on the road for a few years, so used to the style of riding, however I have never raced MTB with one gear. From what I have read, shifting gears is not a graceful thing at the Strathpuffer.

Does anyone know how much climbing is on the course?

Would I be better off smashing open my piggy bank and getting an Alfine hub?

Also, the other question – do I get a suspension fork, or just tough it out with a rigid carbon fork? How lumpy is it?

There’s a fair old bit of climbing per lap on the ‘Puffer course, but it is very SS friendly (speaking as someone who has never singlespeeded it and has no intention of doing so, ahem)

Parts of the course are quite rocky, but then again, I’ve raced it many, many times now on a rigid bike and not wanted anything squidgier 🙂

It’s a hilly one, but good for singlespeed. Wouldnt want to do it rigid though.

Raced it twice and done well on an Anthem X, so quite the opposite to Dave. First year was 3×9, this year was 1×10 and both were fine.

1×10 certainly seemed a lot better this year when it was a lot filthier and icier as I remember my front shifting going a bit a few years ago but if you’re serious about it and aren’t as much of an animal as Shaggy or someone you’ll enjoy it a lot more with some gears, especially if you’ve not singlespeeded before and there’s only 6 weeks to go- it’s 24 hours and it’s hilly.

Course is kind of brutal- always feels like you climb a lot for little reward. There’s a lot of uphill and the downs seem to come in short bursts.

Personally I think you’d be best with normal gears- just keep them and your brakes clean (I took a B&Q garden sprayer with a hand pump) and you’ll be fine. Also take a LOT of brake pads- I went through 4 sets per brake and Matt Page who beat us was on a similar amount.

I think it all comes down to if your doing solo or part of a team. I certainly wouldn’t want to be riding a SS rigid round that bad boy for 24 hours…

I’ve ridden all the “Puffers solo on a singlespeed hardtail.

I did the first 2 with front suspension, but the last 4 years I have been on a rigid. If you’re used to riding SS you’re out of the saddle a lot so suspension is just extra weight to cart around. The only place where suspension may help is on the longer descent where stutter bumps get caused by cowardy cowardy custard heavy braking types on full sus bikes. There’s usually a reasonable line at the edge somewhere if you don’t like double vision. 🙂

As far as gearing is concerned, there’s 2 choices.

Keep your normal gearing and be prepared to walk in places later in the race (they only count the laps, not how you do them).

Or use my tactic of the moment which is to gear lower than a low thing to preserve energy. Maintaining the ability to keep going is as important as sheer speed to me. Of course if you aiming for a podium finish, nothing I say is relevant – I just aim to survive and keep going.

The bulk of the climbing in the course is from the start – one long drag, not particularly steep anywhere, but a real morale sapper at subzero sleety 3am when instead you could be standing around next to a nice warm log fire drinking coffee.

Ice tyres & spare brake pads are handy things to have with you. 🙂

Oh, and take tissues for the weeping gearies trying to re-assemble their mangled derailleurs with frozen sausage fingers by the light of a dimming LED* … 😆

*It’s not that bad really, but there’s usually evidence of 2 or 3 destroyed derailleurs when you go round the course in the next few days after.

32:22 is a good place to start.

I soloed it with an alfine geared right down – I was geared for the equivalent of 22 chainring and 11 – 32 cassette. worked for me. gears from 2 mph to 15.

You don’t say if you are apart of a team or solo but for ordinary mortals it tends to be about conserving energy and reliability. I was glad of the alfine for sure.

The climb is not hugely steep but after a few laps a low gear is nice. Maybe 700 ft or so?????? Even so I was walking the top single track section as it was not much slower and a lot easier than riding it. It was a mix of deep snow, slush and mud

I’ve raced loads of 24 hour solos, but never singlespeed. I’m going to SS the Strathpuffer this time though as I reckon it’s the course most suited to it. It’s just something I need to get out of my system for some reason.

I can’t think of a reason not to aim for the podium either 😉

There is 300m of climbing every lap. None so steep that you can’t get up it on say 32:16 but personally I would be goosed after 2 laps on SS. If you aren’t doing hard core SS already I would give it a miss and go gears.

Shaggy won the solo outright on a singlespeed.

More importantly though, get yourself some ice tyres.

Thanks for the input chaps, 11 spd Alfine + Reba 29er fork is sounding very tempting. Would make an awesome little bike for bad weather.

I am doing it solo. Will be bringing my race bike (On One Whippet/3x10spd XT/SID) with ice spikers, but thinking of having a 29er aimed more at cutting through the mud (narrow tyres, alfine hub) once the course is chewed up after 12 hours of abuse. I have a massive pile of pads.

Also, 6 weeks?! More like 3! 🙂

Absolutely any tips are massively welcome.

Does it still count as SS if you change gear in the ‘pits’?

I’ve done it a couple of times but this year is my first solo and i’m planning to go SS too.

Currently have SS MTB and fixed gear road bike but I am planning on gearing low and taking several lower options for when fatigue sets in. I’ve enjoyed trying to do fast laps before but this year is about survival.

Can’t stretch to a pair of ice tyres though, is having one any use or am I just going to have to hope for snow/warmer weather?

Can’t stretch to a pair of ice tyres though, is having one any use or am I just going to have to hope for snow/warmer weather?

TBH even in last year’s ‘icepocalypse’ conditions I ran studded tyres for about 3 laps then sacked them off. A rideable line tends to form after a few hours and much of the roacky/singletracks/foresty stuff doesn’t ice up too much

How do you approach clothing for doing it solo? At this year’s D2D, I think I did it all in the same clothes – I just thought if I changed, I was going to get all muddy again within 5 minutes, so why bother? Planning on bringing a big selection of clothes. Looking at investing in some Shimano MW81 and the Endura Stealth-Extreme Biblongs, and crawling ebay for a collection of cheap winter jerseys and rain jackets. I have some really thick thermal SealSkinz gloves, but tempted to try to find some liners.

Really, really, really looking forward to riding through sleet and blizzards at 3am 🙂

TBH even in last year’s ‘icepocalypse’ conditions I ran studded tyres for about 3 laps then sacked them off. A rideable line tends to form after a few hours and much of the roacky/singletracks/foresty stuff doesn’t ice up too much

So a two bike strategy might work? How skinny would you go for mud tyres on the course?

I did it all in the same clothes – I just thought if I changed, I was going to get all muddy again within 5 minutes, so why bother?

Same sort of idea applies – start out wearing stuff you know will keep you warm/comfy (so keep an eye on the weather forecasts – in previous years it’s been anywhere from sub zero with gale force winds to 8 degrees and totaly still), getting changed at 3am when your hands and feet have gone numb is nigh on impossible…and getting back out on the bike when you’ve stopped and have lost that ‘riding heat’ is even harder.

Small things like a clean, dry pair of gloves/jacket can give you something to look forward to, won’t muck up your ‘flow’ too much and mean you can tailor your clothing as the temperature falls/rises/turns into horrible freezing sleet easily.

(Saying that, make sure you do have at last one full spare set of clothes, just in case you crash/fall into a pond/etc)

How skinny would you go for mud tyres on the course?

I’ve got 2.0″ bonty mud tyres, wouldn’t go any narrower simply because there’s not that much claggy mud on the course…and anything too narrow will be a pain on the rocks

calumlorimer – Member
Does it still count as SS if you change gear in the ‘pits’?

…Can’t stretch to a pair of ice tyres though, is having one any use or am I just going to have to hope for snow/warmer weather?

Not really IMO, but I doubt any single speeders will complain if you do.

As mentioned, the ice tyres are only really necessary until a line develops, and they are like dragging sandbags if the course is clear. A few of the fast guys didn’t use them in 2011 and got through ok, but I had 2 big crashes on ice with mine.

So how many singlespeeder solos have we got? I may stick up some prizes again if there’s enough.

I’ve got 2.0″ bonty mud tyres, wouldn’t go any narrower simply because there’s not that much claggy mud on the course…and anything too narrow will be a pain on the rocks

he’s right. my 1.3 ice spikes resulted in the slowest lap of the race. even 3am on ice w/o ice tyres was faster.

Are we allowed spare bikes?

Ice tyres blow goats.

readikus – Member
Are we allowed spare bikes?

Several of the fast guys use 2 bikes and swap each lap onto a clean prepped bike. Having a good support crew is useful. 🙂

I always take a spare bike in case I do major damage. I’d sooner not be fixing a bike in subzero, even if it is in the pit area.

Several of the fast guys use 2 bikes and swap each lap onto a clean prepped bike. Having a good support crew is useful.

I always take a spare bike in case I do major damage. I’d sooner not be fixing a bike in subzero, even if it is in the pit area.

Cool – was just checking there wasn’t anything in the rules against it. Of course, would make it interesting if you weren’t allowed to change bikes 😉 I am generally rubbish at fixing bits in a warm garden in Summer, so thinking a spare would be ace. Also, last 2 races have had mechanical, so paranoid now. Can’t seem to persuade any of my riding chums to lend me a bike to race up there – they said something about being attached to their drive train 😉

We were both on Spikers all the way through until the last lap when I took off my rear one, I’d say they’re worth it. We were 2nd in pairs. I ran 2 bikes though- one for the first quarter til it died (brake failure), one for the 2nd.

I think it goes to show that there’s no “right” approach with the Puffer.

I still think that, regardless of the race, if there’s only 6 weeks to go and you’re toying with doing something totally different (29er/singlespeed/whatever) it will not work and you should stick to what you know- no racer will be trying things as dramatically different to a new wheel size this close to race day and expecting to be totally at home with it by then.

Where was this line of which you speak last year? It was a nightmare and really difficult without ice spikers for most of the race. Once it melted it was ok but it was all over bar tea and medals by then. Ice spikers were most definitely an advantage. I will never forget limping along giving every ounce of energy to just focus on staying upright and feeling sick when guys came flying past on the ice in the middle at mach 1, studs a rattlin’.
I’ve got about 5 pairs of aldi winter bike gloves for glove changes if necessary. Swapping out of cold wet stuff into warm stuff is a massive morale boost and isn’t something I did enough of last year. I will this time I reckon, if my pit bitches are willing, as they had to help me get changed. Peeling off skin tight cold muddy kit is nigh on impossible by yourself when you are exhausted, shivering, disorientated and your hands don’t work properly. Anything other than driving wind and rain will be ok, the course holds up quite well. It’s hard frozen just now, that would be fine.

Medusa 2.1 tubeless for me. Just hope this ‘ice’ thaws 😯

Couple of laps last weekend and a few more tomorrow (hopefully on Medusa’s). Will be keeping an eye on the forecast for sure. Steve@squarewheels does have a supply of them meantime but doubt they’ll last long.

Dry clothes, warm food and a strong will to continue – no matter what the conditions, should see you through. 4th attempt for me solo and still looking to stay ‘awake’ through the night. Hopefully this time (but I do like my shut eye!)

Keeping dry = keeping warm = mudguards.

Keeping dry = Keeping warm = sound asleep under a down filled duvet? :O)

I rode a 34:18 on a 26″ wheel the year I won there. That was pretty spot on for me.

Clancy will probobly send me to the top station (again) to marshall, so I’ll keep spare hankies for all the geezers weeping about the buggered shifters etc, and for all you hardcore single speeders – good luck ya nutters, just glad its no me doing it.

Kit – evey bit of kit yo can scrounge and organise a place to change – warm dry kit is nice. I am in the have ice tyres camp – sometimes its hard to ride without.

support crew is a huge help.

It’s 6.30 on Saturday morning, the ice tyres are fitted and we’re about to head off up the Pentlands on a Puffer training ride. The joys of the Puffer!

Went round the course yesterday afternoon. Theres about 1″ snow covering the fireroad and most of the course. Ridable on the whole, but theres a lot of ice under some of the snow on the fireroad climb, I had 2 falls on the climb up with my front wheel washing out on the ice below the snow. Still 3 weeks away so conditions will prob change (for the worse ;))

What Martinxyz says is good advice.

You have no idea how delighted I am with my decision NOT to do the Puffer this year.

I would definitely recommend anyone to do a few Puffers, just so then you are qualified NOT to do it. It’s going to be my most enjoyable Puffer yet……..hopefully…. 😀

Some more fresh snow today. It was falling as I was riding.

First part of the forestry road climb was ok with care. Singletrack link to next bit of forestry road was fine, but then it got trickier.

Probably about 2″ snow, but polished ice underneath. Difficult even with spiked tyres – or maybe they were packing with so much snow that the spikes were redundant.

Looked like this:

but I was have spinout problems approx every 30 yards

Met some guys out on ordinary tyres and they were also sliding around. There was plenty evidence in the snow of falls.

Thanks epicyclo, not sure if snow or mud’s better ???

Have signed up for the solo, 1st and last time I hope. Bit of an odd question but what’s the parking like ? Not got a 4wd just a hatchback.

Gonna turn the heating up, all this snow’s making me feel cold.

Not sure what the parking instructions are yet. Cars usually off site.

Usually one car on site per team I think, the pass from Square wheels for your team is the car pass… or so it was last year….

Ok thanks. Looking forward to it in a strange way.