Me me me!
First time doing it… Riding with a bunch from here…

Quick question – the scandal is set up SS at the moment (which I’m perfectly happy to ride up hill and down dale on). But…it’s weakness is miles of flat fire track/road.

What’s the HONC route like?

I KNOW it can be done on a SS…but if I stick gears on it, will my life be better and more fulfilled?!

DrP

Me, maybe.

Route will probably be out a day or two before, usually big climb at end but all ok ss

Yes on this. I’ve never ridden 1) HONC 2) cx bike, so could get interesting; off to practice…

Kite

The route changes every year so who knows. I’ve ridden before and I wouldn’t do it on a singlespeed if I had a choice not to. Last year had a fairly sizeable flat road section that would drive you mad pottering along on a singlespeed. Hills tend to be long drags rather than short and steep but conditions play a huge part in whether you get up or down. I’ve done it twice on a cross bike but will be taking a rigid 1×9 29er this time in the probably vain hope I’ll enjoy it a bit more.

DrP, you should have had an email by now with the routes in GPX format.

It will be 50% road / 50% off road approximately. There will potentially be extended strecthes of Tarmac where you could spin out. But plenty do it in SS each year.

I am in and doing 100km on the CX bike…………..hopefully.

Pete – no email…..

Might bring my CX type bikey thing then….
(Which I’m planning on riding about 135miles on on Thursday!!)

Are we meeting at yours before hand?

DrP

Culd you forwards me the .gpx so I can have a peek please!

DrP

If you are staying in Gloucester coming to mine first on the day does not make any sense.

If you fancy popping over on the Saturday then you are very welcome.

Email on it’s way

I’m doing this, probably just the 50K though, never ridden anywhere near 100K in one go before! Haven’t received a GPX of the route yet though either

The emails with the GPX files always end up in my spam folder, so you might want to check there (and click the “not spam” button if it is there!)

My 7th outing to HONC!! Hopefully doing the 100k route on the Scandal! Heading down from Derbyshire on Sunday morning!

It’ll be my 1st – SS MTB on the 50k. Hopefully it’ll be dry.

Me as well. Probably the Cotic x unless the Pickenflick arrives this week.
No GPX files here either.

No email here.

I’m taking my racy-ish bike and am going to come first* – sticks tongue out. Geared 26er literally ftw. 😆

*Obree mentality in effect.

Email just turned up from HONC admin, including instructions and 50 and 100K gpx files

Houns – Member
Me, maybe

Blimey! I thought I hadn’t seen your usual “HONC entry fir sale” thread this year, good on ya

Anyone want an entry (no charge), i’m unable to ride not, family have decided to descend on me this weekend, been living in new house for 6 months and they choose this melon farming weekend!!!??

Any locals checked the files yet?
It seems to be going up tracks I usually ride down…
I’m concerned its going to be going up good descents and down roads.

Don’t speak too soon RD. I’m currently in bed feeling crap

First time for me, what is the general consensus on bike choice? I’ve got a cyclo-crosser or a carbon 29er hardtail, which do you think is going to be more fun/suitable?

Looking at the route and the amount of road I’d say CX.
Often it’d be a tough choice but its not looking like the most exciting course – even by HONC standards.

Doing 50k on my Gryphon 1x 10

@dirtbiker, after last year they may be playing it safe?

if you send the file to moloughlin (at) gmail (dot) com, I can have a look and pass judgement.

It pissed it down yesterday the ground wasn’t that dry… not saying it is very muddy, just it isn’t very dry….

Email landed a few minutes ago.
And just how do I open the gpx file?

http://www.gpsies.com/#10_52.33329772949219_-0.1833038330078125_mapQuest

other apps are available.

Just upload the gpx, and it may load so you can see where you are going. I say may as there seem to be so many slightly different versions of gpx these days.

What’s the locals verdict on the route then? All off-road climbs and road descents? I’m going to do it anyway, just wondering what to expect 🙂

Upload to http://www.gpsvisualizer.com/map_input is what I do.

Not ridden some of the tracks but there are a bunch that I normally include on a ride as a descent, never thought of climbing them.
Fair amount of road it seems as well.

Forecast looks ok for the rest of the week so hopefully it will dry out a bit before sunday

Cx bike for me this year. Although I’ve just been for a spin to check bike over and have done my knee somehow. Still a few days to go so should be ok I hope

No doing it this year and seeing this thread has made me feel a bit flat about not entering 🙁

Me. Looking at the route it looks like we go up Cleeve hill, which is usually the best bit going down

Looking at the gpx file (I’m not local to the area) it seems there is a fair amount of tarmac!
Not that I mind, but has squared it for me that I’ll bring the drop bar bike…

DrP

thanks db, i have had a look at the course, it should hold regardless of weather, a very different! first climb, nice interesting decent off cleeve hard tracks should be fast. first chunk 10miles is pretty much all off road. then some road. final drop is a very fast decent starts on tarmac, turns to gravel, bit of tarmac then more gravel before kicking you out with a couple of miles of road work past Sudeley Castle.

Take a Cross bike i think in my opinion.

Mattbilliard, your not going up Cleeve, that is the novelty, you climb a different hill then traverse across cleeve before dropping off the back on hard fast tracks

The course is never very exciting.Should run more above Cheltenham and Gloucester way to get some better trails in but Hay Ho.Very popular event though.

mrmo – I’ll take another look. It looked like the reverse of what we did a couple of years ago. Either way I hope it is better than last year and no head wind all of the way round!!

Should run more above Cheltenham and Gloucester way

That would be a way of saying ‘Cranham’ would it?

not just cranham, run it through sheepscombe, back upto Birdlip, etc.

I’m entered

Currently trying to find any enthusiasm for it, as though I actually quite enjoyed it last year (despite the headwinds), a number of things are conspiring against me enjoying it this year already! 🙁

Rode the rigid SS last year and it was the perfect tool for the job, but the mud was incredible – so where everyone else had their trusted stick to dig the mud out of everything, my SS lapped it all up

Looking forward to Sunday – not sure if my legs are as i’ve only ridden the SS once this year 🙁

boltonjon – Member
– not sure if my legs are as i’ve only ridden the SS once this year

Yeah right 🙄

😉