Tweedlove Vallelujah Stages

Any knowledge (or random speculation) on the routes being used? I can guess at a couple on the Yair side but was wondering what folks think the most likely route back into Selkirk will be?

Asking as it is unlikely I will be able to pre ride on the event Saturday but may get a chance to get up there this weekend

isn’t the forest closed this weekend for the rally? I thought there was a tweedlove message urging people not to get cheeky practices in this weekend as it would be very dangerous

Is it? better check that out then. Thought that was early March

Regardless I can probably go Thursday or Friday if required

This will be interesting, a bit like getting blood from a stone, my precious.

Sounded to me like all stages were in Yair, then a road ride back to Selkirk.
You definitely can’t ride this weekend due to the rally!

Edit: “Event start in Selkirk, you will need to ride to the start
of Stage 1 from the event village at Selkirk Swimming
Pool. All four stages will be within Yair Forest and
some transitions will be on open roads”

Hmmm….interesting !

OH and I are down for Vallelujah and we’re heading down there tomorrow to try to get a feel for the place. We’ve never been there before so finding the car park is the first challenge. Finding the actual trails is going to be a mystery tour I think!

This will be interesting, a bit like getting blood from a stone, my precious.

and would have to leave the country or face imminent death with a blunt instrument

OH and I are down for Vallelujah and we’re heading down there tomorrow to try to get a feel for the place. We’ve never been there before so finding the car park is the first challenge. Finding the actual trails is going to be a mystery tour I think!

Nearest place to park would be Yair Bridge – and follow the SUW to the top of 3B as a starter.

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@55.582943,-2.859021,3a,75y,208.95h,76.49t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sNX_Gf90uuj7rj2JBRt08iQ!2e0?hl=en

Rode there on Sunday, nice trails. Was bloody muddy mind you! Know idea if what I rode will be in the race, will find out next week. Some big climbs involved though.

Confirmation email said 1100m which is decent but doesn’t seem that big? Same as King & Queen of the Hill last year. I’m expecting that main thing is that we’ll either be trudging up fire roads or on gloopy singletrack rather than the nice meandering climbs up Glentress?

Based on the notes last night I am however glad I ordered a Chunky Monkey for the front, though now wondering whether I should have gone for a full on mud tyre!

Taz – Member

Any knowledge (or random speculation) on the routes being used? I can guess at a couple on the Yair side but was wondering what folks think the most likely route back into Selkirk will be?

The route back to Selkirk is along the road for “several km”

Pretty certain one of the climbs will be right up to the Three Brethren, and it’s a bloody long, horrible, steep, quad track type thing. I’ll be trying to remind myself that real men don’t use range-extenders 🙁

I have a pair of unused 26″ mud tyres if anyone wants them for a tenner 🙂

tempted to put my granny ring back on just for emergencies lol I’ve got a baron up front but my mountain king mk2 at the rear is not good in mud

Thanks guys

Guess this weekend is out then 🙂

Sounds like the race will be at least partially blind for me then.

Done that climb to the 3B a few times (in Merida Marathons as they were then). Was tough enough in a granny ring on an XC bike. Maybe Saturday as a rest day will be no bad thing :-).

I’ve got a baron up front but my mountain king mk2 at the rear is not good in mud

I’m just keeping mine on the back. It’s not the best but it’s by no means rubbish, I figure given the distance over the two days I’ll be thankful for something that rolls a little better than a mud tyre front and back.

Standard Butcher and Purgatory combo for me. Do have Storms but accidentally ordered S-works ones, then rode them anyway, then tore the sidewall in one last week…. probably wouldn’t have been the best race choice.

I liked the “what tyre for” advice in the notes 😆 Mine already has a Shorty and a Butcher on so I guess I’ll use that. Quite a lot of climbing… But not I think as nasty climbing as the usual inners straight-up-the-hill ride-up-the-pushup malarky.

Yeah I liked the what tyre bit too. I have a WTB vigilante upfront already but a HR2 on the back. Curent dilemma is what I should stick in the back (HR2 is almost past it anyway). I’ve got a hand Dampf in the garage so thought about that but it’s a shot in the dark without knowing what I’ll be riding. Dunno what worries me more ….the massive climbs (steepness of them rather than the kms) or the steepness of the descents.

I liked the “what tyre for” advice in the notes

Yair is tough for this. You want loads of grip, but there is also loads of climbing, so you need/want it to roll.

Quite a lot of climbing… But not I think as nasty climbing as the usual inners straight-up-the-hill ride-up-the-pushup malarky.

Yep, nothing that can’t be ridden – although if one-by, an extender will be very useful along with a >=32T front ring.

Thanks guys this is helpful. I have 1×11 which I’ll run with a 30t upfront. OH runs a 32t, I can see him buying a 30t too.

Still need to work in tyres so any advice very welcome.

Would a hans dampf be a good option or should I look at something completely different. OH has magic Mary / hans dampf combo….any thoughts?

I’ll post back up when we’ve been down tomorrow on current conditions.

I was riding trails there in the autumn which I’ve no clue are part of this race or not, but was the kind of mud that doesn’t really make much difference what tyres you use, think we all had a little lie down at some point that day.

Still need to work in tyres so any advice very welcome.

Retro wheels and lots of = loads of tyre options 🙂

Julzm – I think a Magic Mary or a Han Dampf (not Pace Star compound) will be fine up front based on other nearby venues. Good all rounder’s with a nod towards the wetter end of the spectrum will probably be better than full on mud tyres

I may bump into you tomorrow if I can juggle some work stuff after that I may offer different advice 🙂

I run 1 x 11. May look out that 30T as well!!

Taz we’ll definitely be down tomorrow. Feel free to mail me if you’re about, address in profile.

Mud tyres? it was a wee bit muddy on Sunday but nothing a bald DHfs and a bling bling on the back couldn’t handle. Bear in mind the trails there require very little braking.

RIP Yair :'(

Interesting this hasn’t had the same reaction as Muckmedden re. trail damage 😀

mtbel – Member
Mud tyres? it was a wee bit muddy on Sunday

mtbel – Strava
Yair was pretty mingin but good fun for it. Double decker was **** though.. it just ran too sloooow in the squidge

Make your mind up, wee bit muddy or mingin? 😉

Thanks Julzm I will play it by ear tomorrow. See how much I can juggle work around

mingin means splashy Son.

Can’t expect you to understand from the splashguarded safety of your GCN turbo suite 😉

Xx

yeah but I soon get to upgrade to my mtbel approved turb-zebo! 8)

mtbel – Strava
Yair was pretty mingin but good fun for it. Double decker was **** though.. it just ran too sloooow in the squidge

DD has taken a beating over winter, especially as we’ve had a ‘problem’ with MXers. Also shows the issue with natural trails – a trail on the other side has not been the same since a wet Marathon went down it (plus all the 29ers/fast folk cut a load of the corners)…

In 20 years racing I don’t think I’ve ever been sent a pre-race weather warning……until last night! How’s the weather looking down that way?

A bit of snow on the hills this morning but it should be gone by this afternoon.

I’d expect it to be a bit muddy come Sunday though

In 20 years racing I don’t think I’ve ever been sent a pre-race weather warning……until last night!

TBF 400 complete fairies racing minatureDH Sportives under the blanket disclaimer of “a day out with your mates” it is a fairly recent phenomenon..

Lovely…

http://www.xcweather.co.uk/forecast/selkirk

Woke up to snow this morning.

Each of the valleys though around here can easily have totally different weather forecasts (and actual conditions) on the same day 🙂

In 20 years racing I don’t think I’ve ever been sent a pre-race weather warning……until last night!

TBF 400 complete fairies racing minatureDH Sportives under the blanket disclaimer of “a day out with your mates” it is a fairly recent phenomenon..

Hahahahahahahahahaha!!! You coming down to be my pit bitch, erm, biatch, my bike will need washed 😛

It’s gonna be muddy. Should be interesting.

wish I could.

micro-me would love it, mini-me not so much 😕

if you are thinking of entering another of these Sportives and happen to notice a HT cat. Do let me know.. quite fancy a bit of third party insurance covered mincer-skittles 😉

It’s gonna be muddy. Should be interesting.

Was def “interesting” watching you 4 negotiate that last chute before the car park in the dry… 😆