Or rather casing choice advice?

I run DHR2 2.4 WT front and back. Always run 3C/EXO/TR. Never have a problem with punctures (I’m too slow anyway) despite rocky North Wales riding.

Just signed up to the Megavalanche. I figure my first ever mountain bike race better be an interesting one. I’m racing to be “last finisher” 🙂

Not interested in changing the DHR II – but do I need to be looking at different casing? DD? MaxxGrip? Make a difference? Much chance of puncturing.

If you’ve been – any other Mega advice is welcome btw 🙂

I ran dh carcass minions, and still managed to get a flat- though only because the tyre insert stopped any sealant getting to the hole! No idea how I managed to actually get the flat though, it happened down in the woods where there’s nothing sharp, ah well.

I’d definitely go with heavy duty. Partly because you don’t get to do something like this often, and partly because it’s just plain long and you’ll get tired and careless, probably end up on lines you didn’t plan to, and some parts are massively fast with stones lying around. I wouldn’t dream of using Exo, DD might be good enough but I’d still chose dh versions.

As for the actual tyre…It was a dry year, and I was a bit over-gripped, I wish I’d had a rockrazor or something with me for the rear.

A friend is insistent on inserts, runs about 15 psi but if they can stop auto sealing I’m not sure (and it sounds like it’d be a dog to pedal).

So you didn’t come a cropper getting slashed on the rocks but in the woods then.

Anyone else?

i will be running Super Gravity schwalbes (magic mary front, hans dampf rear).

Toughest casing you can find. The rocks up the top of the course are savage. As for the extra rolling resistance, that’s what training is for.

Dh tyres all the way

Nothing less than actual DH tyres. It’s not the place to worry about weight.

Your mate who runs 15psi, is he 12 years old or just really small?

Dh casings all day long, I’d run an insert in the back as well. Running higher pressures than normal as there are a lot of square edges about.

They only tape the quali track the day before, so save yourself for riding it a few times on the Thursday. The top lift station to the middle seems consistent year on year, but the bottom half seems to vary a reasonable amount

Worth going up to pic Blanc a few times to practice riding on snow, the top half of the main course doesn’t really change too much. The bottom section is the same, they’ll tape it a bit different but there isn’t much they can do.

It was DH tyres and DH tubes back when I did it, but I know people have done well with Schwalbe SuperGravity and tubeless.

I’ve found Maxxis DD casing slightly less tough, so I’d probably go for the DH casing in Maxxis – on the rear at least.

The DD Assegai Maxxgrip would be the obvious suggestion for the front, but I’ve owned one and they are hard graft to pedal with – so you’d have to choose compound based on how important the climbs are to you.

If I were doing it again (which I’m not going to), I’d probably have a WTB Verdict on the front and maybe one of those tough carcass Wild Enduro Rear with Rimpact Pro both ends.

I half expected to use EXO tyres when I went BTW, but the rock is really slicy.

DH casings really. I’ve done it on SG though, DD would probably be fine but they are slightly less resistant in my very large experience of putting holes in tyres

Tread-wise semi-slick rear and magic mary or assegai front. Nothing will grip on the snow anyway and the semi-slick is good on the rocks and will get you rolling fast down the singletrack traverse after the big climb

Other advice: Careful trying to drink water with your fullface on, I almost drowned myself on the big climb when someone handed me a bottle of water

Another vote for DH casings. Even if you’re racing to just survive and finish, other riders will force you onto lines you don’t plan on taking, which can mean hitting really aggressive rocks without time to prepare. Every time I’ve entered I’ve seen multiple riders with flats within the first minute. I’d say it requires as tough tyres as racing Fort William.

chevychase
Free Member

A friend is insistent on inserts, runs about 15 psi but if they can stop auto sealing I’m not sure (and it sounds like it’d be a dog to pedal).

So the sealing thing was probably just a freak, I’ve never had it before or since. And the insert certainly paid off once it was flat, so there’s that. I wouldn’t be put off it.

The difference between a traditional dh tyre and some of the new ones like doubledown probably isn’t that massive tbh. The new Supergravity as mentioned above just is a dh tyre essentially, the new models are much tougher than the old ones which were basically tough trail tyres.

But I’ll say it again, you will curse any weight/drag pinching if you flat, for an entire year.

Go with heavy duty tyres I reckon DD or DH. I remember the year I was there that Nico had single ply semi-slicks and lost the race due to flatting before he even made it to Alpes D’Huez.

Although saying that I’ve been running EXOtyres on my bikes for the last 10 years for general alps and never had a problem.

Definitely full DH casings. There is next to no disadvantage of doing that. You can run them at lower pressure too.
Put an old tyre on your downtube/BB area 4 of us did it in 2014 and 4 of us had massive dents those areas.

Food for thought. Thanks all.

@sharkattack:

Your mate who runs 15psi, is he 12 years old or just really small?

He’s just a bit insane. There’s three of us going, we’re all really shit – he’s the one who could probably be convinced to do it blindfold.

FWIW I run 16psi. I mean, I weigh 10 stone but mostly I just like the softer tyre.

What about body armour? What did you guys wear/anything you think you missed/would recommend?

I was going to put my POC VPD 2 knee and elbow pads on. I don’t usually do elbows, but I’m pretty nailed on to come off so it’s probably for the best. And I’ll be wearing my osprey hydration pack for spares – with water in in (it saved my spine in the alps once, but the water bag did explode!)

Any other reccomendations? Should I be hitting Antur Stiniog three times a week to ready myself? 🙂

Just wear all the armour you’ve got. It’s one ride of hopefully less than an hour, it won’t weigh you down or hold you back and it might stop you from putting big holes in your body.

I don’t know how much footage you’ve seen but did you notice any soft ground anywhere? Bin it too hard and you’ll be leaving in a helicopter.

As for preparation there’s really nothing in the UK anything like it. The best thing you can do is cardio. You’ll be absolutely ruined and choking on dust from 5 minutes onward and then you’ll need to overtake people on the climbs while blowing out yer arse.

Magic Mary and rock Razor/Damp Hans supergravity with pro core worked well for me. Puncture free each time.

Maxxis EXO, puncture, no seal put tube in, puncture, fix tube, puncture, fix tube, puncture, fix tube, puncture, snap pump.
Walk to Duez, buy super gravity Shwalbe and another tube.

I’d take a look at Michelin DH tyres.
Stupid durable, and the weight is offset by the fact you can get away without inserts.
The DH34 is not that slow rolling, I would say