its nearly that time

Whos all heading up ,

What you riding – quads, pairs , solo

Predictions for weather….ice spikes or muds 😀

I’m in a quad riding an Clockwork Evo 29er.
My money’s on muds, but I don’t have any so I’ll be riding what came stock on the bike.
Dog dodgers will be sopping wet!!

I’ll be there, solo, and taking 2 bikes plus a spare set of wheels with ice spikers… Expecting mud or frozen mud looking at the forecast.

I’ve never done it before, are mud tyres needed if it’s wet?

I’m soloing this time, an itch that I had to scratch. I’m going singlespeed with 30/21 in an effort to not burn all my matches straight away. I’ll be on my trusty mk1 Longitude, although I will be taking the geared fat bike just in case.
And fear not, there will be no need for ice spikers as I got myself a set an have run them in properly and everything… 😆
2degC, dry and light winds please, although I expect 2degC and on/off mizzle and rain.

mud tires not essential its rocky up top and they take some finessing

im currently thinking ill just leave the summer tires on until the day ….. if its hard pack they will be fast/comfy – if its muddy – its mostly fire road and thus they will be fast and i can fudge the muddy bits.

if its icy – spikes go on.

I soloed last year on 32:22 but back in a team of 4 this year… said i wasnt doing it on account of the new arrival and training time etc but now we are taking the whole family up.

Quad. Taking 2 sets of wheels – one with 2.6 trail tyres, one with spikers. Forecast trending colder again so hard to say which will be needed. Doesn’t take long for the slabby rocks up top to ice up when it gets sub zero, so will err towards spikers unless it’s definitely not looking icy. Mud tyres not needed as mostly hard trail with puddles or runny mud on the final descent that trail tyres cut through fine. Looking forward to it…just hope my cold clears up!

Attending in support of a Solo, looking forward to reading my book, having cups of tea then a few beers after the watershed. I’ll be one of 8,000,000 VW vans !

My ten pence from my experience.

I agree with @trail_rat. It’s a pretty tame course which has a lot of fire road. I got overtaken by a lot of 100mm hardtails with thunderburts or racing Ralph’s etc on here as its the best place to overtake and not get stuck behind slower riders (like me)

Even if it snows there’s that many riders that a line soon appears for you to follow on decent mud tyres. Its also one of the best courses for standing up to a lot of riders and didnt seem to get too bad or too muddy.

Doesn’t take long for the slabby rocks up top to ice up when it gets sub zero

This was the worst part for me as a lot of tired riders either stopped to push or fell off here. I wouldn’t want to ride icy rock slabs with spikes. I just rolled it and didnt use my brakes once it was clear and didn’t have any problems.

I guess if the weather does turn and a lot of riders drop out then you would need them.

Apart from riding it, Ive been a mechanic for a team twice. One year i spent all my time defrosting gears, the other year trying to get mud out of the gears. They were all fast riders and overtook in silly places and went off the main line and through less hard packed lines.

Did it last year. You might not *need* ice tyres, but they are useful. Last year on lap 1 even the fire road was feeling quite slidey, got round OK and wasn’t sure if ice tyres would be worth it but they made a huge difference on the descents. (I did lose 96 spikes, must bed in better in future, but then I had about a weeks’ notice for it and only got the tyres up there.)

Snow wouldn’t really call for spiked tyres unless it thaws and freezes over, but if it’s just cold, there are places you could come a cropper without. I’d have them ready although the forecast is 50/50 currently.

Anyway, the GF is doing it this year (last minute dropout that she’s filled the place of) but I’m not able to go and support as I’d booked some other stuff already, I’m helping her with prep though.

Mud tires are the way forward for snow.

Fat bike the rediculous and slow choice.

Me (in a quad), 16 year old lass (in another quad), mud predictions as I’m following Windy Wilson, my guru.

Was booked to do pair, then my team-mate dropped out, and plans B and C became unavailable. Managed to get a solo place instead, but doing without support (see plans B and C above), because I’m an idiot.

First time doing the Puffer although have done a number of other 24 solos. In much better conditions. A bit worried about the cold – I turn into a big girl’s blouse when my hands and feet get cold, so bringing eleventy million pairs of gloves as well as pogies.

Two bikes, one with Ice Spikers (if I can get the f*ckers back on – they are tighter than a gnat’s privates) and one with summer tires, so that should ensure nice sloppy non-frozen mud throughout the race.

damascus
…It’s a pretty tame course which has a lot of fire road.

It’s the weather that makes it interesting IMO. I live not far from it and the only time I ride it these days is the race. It’s a good track for running on though. I reckon a 24 hour foot race on it would be great.

As for weather, it’s been pissing down here in the higher part of Dingwall with a touch of sleet, but it can and does completely change overnight.

If it turns out to be sleety, it would be wise to have mudguards.

Mudguards are a must I reckon. They really do make all the difference.

Indeed. I’ve fitted Mudhuggers, front and rear. Limited testing tells me: they work.

absolutely mud guards.

and waterproof shorts.

keep that grit out your crack !

Mud huggers will stop some of the mud not a great deal but some.

youll still be firing it directly at your feet – your speed is lower than it would be shreading the gnar.

I’m doing it in a quad – we usually do it to raise money for Glencoe Mountain Rescue but the wife of one of my teammates died last year so we’re raising money for the hospice that looked after her. It’d be nice if anyone who can would donate to the cause-

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/strathpufferforstmichaels

Bike – just my hardtail with XC race wheels on. Normal quickish tyres – any mud will be in tiny stretches so not worth worrying about. I do have a spare set of wheels and some spikers in a box to put on them but I doubt I’ll need them. I will be mudguarding and waterproof shorting.

@munrobiker what time are you arriving?

Hoping to get there around 6pm. We’re in a big camp with a small Scouts’ mess tent in the bottom carpark if you want to come and poke us.

I shall do as I’m proper soloing. Wife reckons the boys will get bored and create havoc if they all came along and I’m inclined to agree with her…

More the merrier – do you want to pitch up in the mess tent? We’ve got a stove and a fire and we’ll look after you.

Cheers, I’ll see where I get parked. I’ve got the van with comfy bed so should be fine if I end up a bit far away.

Well it’s nae cold tonight’s snow hasn’t come to fruition we had a little shower of rain about 4pm /exactly when I chose to run the course.

I can share that it’s *dubby as ***** or…..*more dub than dubfest*

Ankle deep mud and slick mud coated slippy rocks.

Good luck all.

Seems its not a proper puffer anymore. No snow or ice. Back when I were a lad ………………

Couple of showers this morning but amazingly now the sun is out…

Depends what you call a propper puffer.

This has more shades of puffer 1 and 2 than any puffer I can remember since.

Mech hangers and mechs are precious commoditiys this year.

So many been ripped off on course.

Including my team mate 🙁

So muddy not cold

Just checking up on how folk are doing

Swavis seems to be plodding along nicely top 1/3 ish. Munrobiker and his mixed team ( icemagic) about 7th mixed a lap or two down on leading mixed and decent place in quads and just 3mins behind another mix quad

I think Trailrat ( If I have his name right) doing fine a couple or 4 laps off the lead ( crackcleaners???) but behind Munrobiker

Lap times are not as fast as some years.

Now is when its time for the tough to get going. Been dark a good few hours and dawn is a long way off yet.

~anyone else from here?
http://live.sportident.co.uk/home/multistage/stage/results.html?multistageid=98a3cd23-a10a-44c6-8199-0c4385e752b8

I was taking the piss Trailrat.

Anyone know the teamnames of the other STWers? Be nice to follow them

Swavis is 3rd singlespeed

PhilH – If I have guessed the right chap is 5th SS a lap or twobehind Swavis

trying to see if I can work out the others

paule – again if I have guessed the right chap doing really well just in of his 10th lap in 27th. climbed the leader board a few places that lap

Kriksmeister seems to be having a hard time – 6 laps solo
codybrennan doing fine in quads chasing after trailrats team and not far behind

Aye TR is a crack cleaner all right. That’s his team too, nominative determinism in action.

coach and horses is codybrennans team I think

lap times seem to have dropped the last hour. some quite slow laps

Well I am off to bed – enjoy your night chaps and chapesses

Our third guy lost a mech in the top rock section on his first lap and is riding my wife’s bike now.

He had to run round.

And I’ve just had to replace a free hub that failed – new rule. If you want to ride on our team no superstar componants bits.

Again he had to run round.

Anyone know the teamnames of the other STWers? Be nice to follow them.

Richpips and his son Tom (Minipips) are riding as a Pair in Team Sonder Bikes. Both SS. Rich messaged last night to say they were taking a short break due to the mud but checking now it looks like they’re both still going.

Feeling absolutely shattered here, 13 laps down but a lack of fitness, some knee pain and insomnia the 2 nights before puffer are really taking their toll… The course is finally drying out in places, but is still very hard going!

I’ve been supporting my gf soloing, her bike’s on its last legs but she should get a couple more laps on the board. Looking forward to sunrise in an hour or so.

Good going chaps – time for the dawn lap – thats the one I “enjoyed” most the year I did it.

The STWers all seem to be doing well.

My solo had a big off somewhere in the top rock garden on lap 8 about 6:30 last night. Knocked himself out, big haematology on L quad and various other pains. I fed him and sent him back out but he couldn’t pedal so self medicated using Bowmore. It’s a mucky mess out there

Our third guy lost a mech in the top rock section on his first lap and is riding my wife’s bike now.

He had to run round.

And I’ve just had to replace a free hub that failed – new rule. If you want to ride on our team no superstar componants bits.

Again he had to run round.

HUb gears? *ducks and covers*

HUb gears? *ducks and covers*

I read it as freehub. The splined thingy that the cassette fits onto. I’ve had one go before. Bearings seize up or the pawls snap and you can freewheel both ways but go absolutely nowhere!