Just registered for the extreme 211km, 7000m. Feeling a bit jaded/unmotivated on the training and need something to aim for.

Any experiences, knowledge of the event? Looks to be 2,000m more climbing than the Manx 100.

Wonder what difference moving from a racefit 73kg to a positively skeletal 70kg would make………

Chapeau for entering! Looks somewhat daunting…

Not done it myself, certainly interested but probably not this year.

Jason Miles blogged about it last year here, not all that much info in there but maybe he’ll drop by here and give you some tips.

Did it last year and have signed up again for this years with a mate.

Great atmosphere, superbly organised and fab scenery (if you can get the sweat out your eyes to see it!)

As to tips

– If you havent got accommodation already, then your probably out of luck, the town fills up pretty quick. Theres always the campsite but thats pretty heaving come the race.
– If you want a fast time then get near the front of the start pen which means getting there v early. The first hour or two is pretty chaotic, bodies everywhere and on the steep bits if someone stops in front of you it can be hard to get going again.
– if (like me) your just in it to survive, then you’ve still got to keep up a reasonable pace the whole way around just to make the 16hr cutoff. Easy at the start but it gets tighter towards the end. I would say you need at least a 30min buffer at the half way point otherwise your gonna struggle to make it.
– get used to prolonged steep climbing, theres lots of it. The Salzberg mountain at 130K? is really nasty, steep all the way up rising to 35%. be happy walking in your mtb shoes.
– regardless of the weather forecast, take a lightweight jacket. Lots of people got caught out last year as the weather turned really nasty towards the end of the race.
– was over 30C last year and I had 2 water bottles as recommended but theres plenty of water stops and I was fine with just one large one.
– I was on a FS last last year and yep there are several long rocky\rooty sections to make use of it but with the amount of climbing I would say if your body can take it, a hardtail will be quicker. You want to be as light as possible – body & bike.
– Food stops are pretty well stocked, fruit, cake etc. although unless your quick there were slim pickings on the longer route at the last few stops. I was weighed down with a lot of my own gels and bars as that’s one thing they don’t have but ended up binning a load about 12hrs in as I just couldnt face any more sweet stuff and thought losing the extra weight would be more beneficial. I will take less this time.

Hope that helps, good luck and see you at the start.

M.

Is there much carrying or pushing (apart from the traffic jams)?

Hardly any really, I did a quick carry here and there just to get around some of the technical stuff, mainly when there were other people around and you have to push quite a bit up the Salzberg climb as its impossible to ride up the steepest bits, other than that your pedalling all the way.

Forgot another tip:
– The official bike check is on the Friday but if you don’t want to take your bike into town and queue up, go to one of the bike shops in town on the Thursday where you can also get it signed off, hassle free.

I did the Manx100 last year and finished 6th. I also did Salzkammergut and did not make the 190km cut off.

I did make some mistakes with my training which I will fix this year, not enough intensity, too many endurance rides.

The climbs are a bit steeper than expected, and the descents are more technical than I thought. If you are too far back, you can get stuck behind people who are walking down.
I only had one bottle, which was fine as the water stops are well spaced.
Nothing can prepare you for Hallstaat, 520m vertical in 3.5km, average 18% that comes at 150km, but also the next climb after that is pretty big too.
Quite a bit of the descending is on gravel roads, which are fast, but can be tricky if you get off line into the kitty litter, so practice that if you can.

I stayed in Bad Ischl last year, which is close enough to get there in the morning.

Try get some time to visit the salt mines up there, last year I went on the Sunday after, and walking around was uncomfortable.