Well the puffer is looming, I’m no where near as fit as I probably should be but hey ho. Anyway, it’s a few days away as yet but the forecast is looking like light snow and hovering around the freezing mark or just below at night. Will I need spiked tyres on the bike and what about the car? Is it wet and muddy up in the Highlands at present? Pretty dry for the time of year here in South Yorkshire. Any tips welcome!
Trevor.

I’ve decided to do it next year to tick off bucket list. When do entries usually open and is it massively oversubscribed?

entries via sientries, opens in July. Solo slots sell out in about 7 mins but usually a few spaces come up on puffer facebook forum after Christmas when people like me bail out.

you dont NEED winter tires for your car that is a given , you just park at the bottom.

if the temps are hovering round 0 you wont need them for the bike either as the trail will be broken up constantly by bikes going over it.

last year in the snow and -14 they didnt really do much either , i found old school mud tires faster.

how ever there have been years where its been about -5- -8 and the grounds been solid for most of the night and they have been a godsend then.

Right now the way the forecast is ill be putting muds on my good wheels and sticking my ice spikes on my old set and in all likely hood probably wont swap over if conditions are as currently forecast – but this is subject to change once the weather falls onto short term forecast.

been 10 years since i did a solo 24, this could go really well or be a total disaster……i ended up doing it after the wife was forced to pull out 🙁

Best of luck on the day Terry, I bet you surprise yourself. 👌🏻

Is it wet and muddy up in the Highlands at present?

Pretty dry with cold, hard ground at the moment.

i ended up doing it after the wife was forced to pull out

she said to me that was her plan all along 😏

Took a mate round part of the Puffer today.

It’s like summer.

It’s midnight Saturday, and it’s 10ºC outside!

That’s a heatwave up here…

My neighbour’s fallen for the classic “one of our team has pulled out” scam. “Can I borrow your fatbike?” “No. No you cannot”.

Fat bike for puffer. Talk about trying to make life hard for your self.

Talk about trying to make life hard for your self.

You mean like entering a 24hr bike race? 😉

Lol @ Northy!

‘Aye nae worries mate, mind if I rally your car through the galloway forest for a day or 2? I’ll wash it like’

😂

It’s been a few years since my last puffer and I do miss it. I don’t miss the journey back home though (West Cumbria).

I’ll be back sometime, I’ve got a solo itch to scratch.

There are 8 of the Monday night pub lot going up…..

Tyres weren’t a problem but frozen mechs = single speed for most of the laps…..

SS was the way forward the last time I was there, the muddy downhill was claiming rear mechs left right and centre!

I learned the gears lesson in 2006

Been singlespeed since.

32:22 this year

have they added more trail to the course again this year

packing the kitchen sink tonight….

generator is load tested – after last years shit its self at first turn on….not that ill be seeing any of the good of it this year.

cleaned out the fridge in the van from the summer season.

packed the tool box and emptied the chemical potty

Bikes are in .

Food shopping done.

Clothing is packed .

Should be on site from early afternoon tomorrow. Big red iveco daily hopefully 2/3rds up the fire road climb

I’m here

Black t4 I’ll be with or near the Jmc lot.

I’m on a intense tracer

Best of luck guys!

Tonight:
At the bottom -1ºC
At Puffer Bill -10ºC (according to my bike thermometer) but nice, dry and pleasant.

Did about half the course – just trying out the bike with gears. Was starting to ice up on the top, but nothing slippy except one wee bit at the bottom of the longer rock slab, nearly an oopsy!

Lots of mud ruts in the same places as last year – I’m not very good at riding them.

Hope you have an amazing time. It’s one of them things that very few get to ride.

Big red iveco daily hopefully 2/3rds up the fire road climb

Will it not get all the way up like? Even with those Carlos Fandango tyres on!?

You assume the top is a prime place to park…. It is not

Yes, good luck to all. Keep up the reports please.

Very fine morning for it!
-2, crispy clear day.
Puffer is taking place pretty much centre of the picture.

Best of luck, at least the weather has sorted itself out in time.

Good luck all, wish i was up there

Good luck all!

Glad I’m not over there though*, I’ll go and ride my fat bike in the snow for enjoyment later this afternoon then possibly head to the pub for a couple of ales 😉

*well maybe a tiny bit envious…

It’s looking good. A bit icy but that should keep the mud down… 😁

Spotted Trailrat (settling into his race pace) ably supported I might add!

Aldo spotted my mate James too so now decamped to the wimpy in dingwall…

Good luck to all out there today.

Good luck to all the Monday Night Pub Ride crew. Its going to be interesting to see if they can make the pychological leep from having been on the bike for a cople of hours, then not settling down for a couple of pints and a packet of crisps in the nearest boozer 😀

is there a link to the puffer results / current position?

http://live.sportident.co.uk/home/multistage/stage/results.html?multistageid=607205db-a94a-4772-b11a-81ab785bd34b

Looks like my prediction about not needing ice tyres was way wrong.

Sorry folks!

If it’s any consolation I suffered too… 🙂

Ooft, chin up Brian!.

Terry is going well! Mon the Ratboy!

I only got one lap in.

Yesterday I starting peeing blood. Been feeling poorly for a while, but ignoring it with the ‘Puffer coming up. Saw the doc, he wasn’t at all enthused at me doing a 24 hour solo.

Me this morning, ever the optimist, it can’t be that bad, I’m still standing.

One lap, waves of exhaustion on stuff I was whipping up the other night. A lot of slithering around.
Summoned SWMBO (but ignored on sensible stuff) went home and collapsed into bed for a few hours.
Briefly thought of going back, but nah, time to act my age.

Really pissed about that. I reckon the conditions are perfect ‘Puffer stuff, and the clear sky and minus zero weather means the views are stupendous.

Still the baton for us oldies is being carried by Ron Smith aged 79, and doing his first solo. Now there’s a real hard man (ex fell runner etc).

Terry is going well! Mon the Ratboy!

Certainly is, King of Sketchy Riding indeed.

I only got one lap in.

Is that you masquerading as Fatty Owls? That sounds pretty rough, all the best for recovery. Mr Smith last lapped at 1500 but still has bigger balls than me for even attempting it!

My neighbour was doing alright in team Up All Right To Get Lucky but I think they’ve stopped. She’s never done an xc race before, the total nut