Raced as a SS pair (both on 32:18) at the last one and didn’t feel like a disadvantage (finished 6th, I think), trying ice tyres this time after too many painful offs on the small block 8’s :-O

Possible double figure temp’s later in the week … if that lasts long enough there might be a good thaw of it all. Saying that – it might just create more water to create yet more layers of ice 🙂

Roll on 7/1/12

It was like this today

But there’s been a heap of “warm” rain since…

Thanks epicyclo, getting the condition reports is great 🙂

The powder over ice was like that in many places around the highlands on sunday. Total nightmare! Looks fine,feels fine then the bike washes from under you on what looks like grippy fresh snow.

If anyone thinks they are too late to enter you might want to call and see if you can get in.

Go on.. you know you want to!

Last I heard solos and quads were full… would love to do a 4th year on the trot, missed the solo spots and not been in training but I reckon taking part in a good quad is feasible. Anyone missing a team mate?

There is a guy on this forum selling off his solo spot – do it!

Ice tyres have arrived, even had some snow to train on this Sunday.

What’s the typical temperature likely to be?

One thing I noticed at the weekend – had a puncture in -1 temperature, and used CO2 to inflate the tube. Didn’t use the nut to hold the valve in, and the CO2 pushed the valve up, then froze it in place to the rim!!! Lesson was learnt there – always use your nuts 🙂

Solo’s full already? Arghhhh 🙁

Solos sell out in 10 mins

The restrictions on numbers are because of the parking.

I think there’s less Quads this year, so that may open up places in other categories because there will be less cars.

It’s worth a phone call to find out.

What’s the typical temperature likely to be?

There’s no way of knowing until a day or two before.

Don’t forget a list….

If it’s anything, 2 of us are doing it solo, and will just have the one van 🙂

Well now …. it’s all starting to look muddy around most of Scotland. Temps holding up beyond Xmas too. Somewhat different to last years prep for the Puffer which involved a full month of permanent snow tyres on just for commuting …. and many trails were pretty much just too deep in snow (bar ones that people kindly walked on to create hard-pack).
Only a few days of it this year on glass-ice before the return to winter mud this week.

Who’s betting it’ll get sub-zero again before 7/1. Those ice tyres could need changing for Mud-X’s soon …

Long range forecasts to 5th Jan are showing no snow or serious cold weather at all. They are showing heaps of wind and stormy weather which will make the last 2 weeks of training difficult. Ice tyres not required this year methinks.

Mud tyres are looking the likely choice if it stays like this. Going round the course tomorrow night so will report back.

Big respeck if you rid eit today Mick, you’ll get blown off in the wrong sense of the words. 🙂

Or pinned to the ground under a fallen tree! Roof is nearly coming off the house here.

Warm, wet and windy is my prediction. YUK! My least favourite conditions.

had a spin round the course yesterday. Zero ice or snow, fire roads are firm and good condition, but still thow up a very abbrasive sandy mix on the bike. Fair few puddles on the single track but generally not bad.

Yesterday ok. SImilar to Spring conditions.

Very windy & wet today. Bit of falling debris in the woods nearby (not on course), and beginnings of mud baths.

Chocolate soup! That’s my prediction 😉

And that’s before we start. Was out on Tuesday and had a great time, but the trails were pretty busy, cyclists/walkers and the odd quad!!!

All looking a bit like a normal day at a trail centre now eh …. other than the 17hrs of drakness of course ….

Took a run round today. I think it would be fair to say you can expect a bit of mud. 🙂

Well I got roped in to riding in a quad the day before yesterday when a friend dropped out with an injury. 47 is probably later in life than is advisable to do your first MTB race and the Puffer probably isn’t the one you’d choose but after spending the last 14 months helping my 14 year old son through cancer, you get the feeling that you can survive anything. I’m sure I have the mental toughness and I do a Highland 33-mile RT commute with 2000ft of climbing in everything but deep snow and 30+mph wind (when the Kessock Bridge gets too dangerous) so I think I have the stamina for a quad.

After doing the course for the first time yesterday, the bits I found toughest were the more technical rocky drops (I don’t get out on the MTB as much as I should). As above, the climbs are long grinds which I’m used to – it’s the fact that you rewarded for that work with short, sharp drops which is hard with energy going into the brakes not into getting you speed.

The weather is looking like it’s going to be relatively mild – though, this being the Highlands, it’s still far too early to tell. Most of my winter commuting is on ice spikers but it’s not unusual to freeze on the way to work and boil coming home.

Hats off to the SS riders though I can see the sense in it if you’re going solo.

I’ll be taking it steady (colleague broke ribs last year and LBS mech was off the bike for 2 months) so I’ll try to stay out of your way through the bumpy stuff.

33 mile RT per day with 2,000 feet of climbing.
I can’t see you getting in anyone’s road 🙂

But if you fancy attaching a tow rope to pull some of us along as you pass by then pls do.

Enjoy the event.

It’s the bumpy bits where I’ll be slow – my singletrack technique is pretty poor as I’m lacking experience – that’s where I’m worried I’ll get in the way. Going out tomorrow night and will just focus on the hard bits and improving my technique. Will go again on Tuesday and do the same thing in the light again. Then rest up until Saturday.

Snowed last night. Now sleet. Slush everywhere.

Mudbath! Just ordered an extra 4 sets of pads. This is gonna be harsh.

It’s been snowing here (10 miles away) all day on and off. Decided just to play in the forest at the back of me instead and it’s a mudfest in there. Fair bit of rain forecast

Any tips for the mud? Ordered some Trailrakers and I have 6 pairs of sintered pads on advice from Puffer veteran mates.

Out of curiosity (I’ve no plans to do the Puffer, sounds orrible!) when you’re doing an event that’ll go through multiple sets of pads, do you guys bed them in beforehand? Seems like sticking in new pads and taking off into really abrasive conditions will burn them out even faster but I’ve never had cause to try it…

The advice from my LBS mech (who has done the Puffer and is spannering on this year’s) was to bed in sets beforehand for just that reason.

Aye, makes sense to me… Cheers!

I did the Puffer a few years ago and I managed with one change of pads. If you can get your bike cleaned between runs it makes a really big difference.

I found that going to sleep for a little bit was the worst thing to do, I would of just stayed up had I known.

Have a good time, it is really hard work but really worth doing. I don’t feel the need to do another though!

A few of us were planning going to watch, I’ll get some details from some of you before the event to see how you are getting on.

I’m in on a last-minute reserve entry. Not sure four weeks has been enough time to get fit but hey-ho…

I’m driving up Friday night from Sheffield and staring at a 2AM arrival. Which will be nice. Obviously, the site’s shut then. Can I walk in? Anywhere nearby to put up a tent? Nearby youth hostels? Or am I best stopping off on the way up and making a crazily-early start?

Being Scotland, you can pretty much put up a tent where you like. I would imagine you can walk into the site but I can’t think of anywhere much at the site itself where you could pitch a tent. A little bit past the entrance (near the Rogie Falls entrance) on the opposite side of the road is a field that will probably be used as the car park (it was for the Snowman Rally stage there).

meanredspider – Member
…Any tips for the mud? …

Mudguards, drum brakes, singlespeed, rigid, ie, first cut down the amount of crap flung onto the bike and then have no non essential moving parts that are not fully enclosed.

You get cold when you’re not moving, so you really want to avoid any unnecessary stops to fix things.

Thanks though I don’t really have the luxury of choosing my steed – Cube Reaction Race or nothing. I have guards and we should some cleaning capability in the pits as well as a bit of support crew (the friend who I’m standing in for) – but, you’re right, I don’t want to be standing in freezing gale trying to clear mud off something to fix it.

If anyone is looking for a body to make up a quad I am available. Email in profile. From my past puffers I am firmly mid field in ability.
I stay local so can go at short notice.(I’ll be there anyway)

Was up there this morning. It’s going to be filthy. There was a fair bit of snow which made the fire roads a bit of a grind. It was very wet too – several sections were just streams