Managed the 7 though only really raced myself for all 7 laps.Either the field was more competitive or I was crap as a year’s training has yielded an extra 2 places. Which is to miss the point – great course and great event.

Went round it earlier. Brilliant course, mainly in reverse to last year. More singletrack a lot completely new and lots of short sharp climbs, roots and other fun things.

I suspect 7laps going to be very tough.

This what you were looking for?

http://www.sip-events.co.uk/solo-rideguide2.html

Very good plan indeed IMHO

Well thats helped me make my mind up! A beginners TT on quiet roads near Oxford?

I found XTR went from smooth but not very free running to shagged with no middle ground. After 3 in a year (faced Soul) I fitted a CK and now just regrease occasionaly with the tool that makes me grin every time.

The whole enchilada appears to start high and descend 11,000feet. No mention is made of how you get to 11,000feet. I ask because the climbing is the bit that appeals!

You have work to go to

I hope this means warrantee support etc for current owners?

I so wished I had fitted my trailrakers for Erlestoke last year. Best quote I saw was ‘like giving your bike rugby boots’

I’d want the lighter, faster bike for just that use. They’re not that hard to ride.

Until you’re wet, cold, knackered and fighting giving up 12hours in. My Merida 96 would have killed me on the Manx 100 – doubt there’s a 29er as sharp but long distance geo doesn’t have to compromise weight.

Maybe some main use clarification is in order. Long distance or racing or both. Having had a razor sharp XC FS that threatened to throw me off unless given full concentration I would caution against the lightest XC weapon for long distance less technical riding when you may be tired and need some forgiveness.

Gee – No surprise that I am in for the full 100. May I suggest you beast yourself on Charlies gravel dash and ride your fatbike for this please.

Yes if custom. British, great company, great individuals, great product, great design (me), great ride, great looking. Not great photo

20141115_064303 by adshools[/url], on Flickr]null

You could do worse than read the test of the anthem and spearfish in our host mag.

Say what? Where?

Issue 89 – summary page 124.

Anthem fastest, Spearfish most popular with testers. I got my spearfish for long distance at which it’s sublime and it’s none too shabby on XC either.

You could do worse than read the test of the anthem and spearfish in our host mag.

I have a k-edge and a cheapo from xc racer shop. Both work but the cheapo one is pretty bendy/naff

Christ I shouldn’t read these posts. Throwing quite a bit of cash at an alloy spearfish and it’s 24.2lb with pedals.

Frame 2730g
Forks (Fox) 1670g
Wheels (AC/Revs/LB) 1390g
XTR M985 crank + 30t 1×10
XTR rear shifter
XTR 11-36 cassette
XTR med cage rear mech
Hope Race brakes 160f/140r
KCNC pro post 31.6×350 168g
Fizik Gobi kium 250g
KCNC 80mm stem – 96g
MT zoom flat bars
ESI grips
XTR pedals
Ron 2.25 protections f/r

Sort of as light as you can go with mainstream bits?

Could save 100g on saddle – tried – it hurts. 80/100g on pedals – get foot pain. 200g on tyres – puncture more. A few g on grips but my hands hurt.

Wasn’t bought for racing but I think it’s as fast at 24lb as my 21.2lb carbon HT.

It seems counter-intuitive to be buying bits to sell at a reduced price but presumably the loss is offset by the buying power of the manafacturer?

If that’s the case the best option is the lowest spec model with the same frame?

I would say pedalling characteristics would be more important than weight for an xc race frame. I haven’t tested a huge number of frames but i’d be looking for something with a DW-link type setup as they seem to really favour hard pedalling efforts.

Agreed – the split pivot (by DW) rear on the later Spearfish weighs a bit more but is very impressive – seems better than my Flux ‘proper’ DW.

Has anyone actually had a pair of Shimano peddles fail.? I’ve got pedals that just seem to go on forever through all types of shite.
The xtrs had a serious issue with shearing off the spindle for a time – loads on here and mtbr about it.
The 959s were the classic fit and forget part, so a v unwelcome development. It probably is sorted now, though. Something so obviously wrong would be simple to put right, esp given their track record of pedals.

Yes – just happened to me from pedals bought 2years and 11 months ago.

Apart from this my beef is they just wear out so fast – last about 3-4 chains before massive play on the axle. They are also bad in mud. If they don’t wear out, fail and it’s dry they have a lot of support and are really comfy. I’m warranteeing my 3 sets and replacing with Ritchy.

Having failed I’m not willing to take on blind faith that Shimano have fixed the design. Mine came of in my hand but a failure while riding/racing could be really disastrous.

Whatever you do DON’T get the XTR M980 pedals. They wear out very quickly (much quicker than a cassette0 , are not serviceable and the separation of pedal body from axle is not internet rubbish – it just happened to me.

AVOID!

No way of knowing what the M9000 pedals are like but I bet they’re not serviceable.

^ just check the geo. I SO wanted one of these to replace my Flux but it almost looks like they put the ‘wrong’ seat post length on them. 🙁

I readjusted my post to take account of the £2k! Glad to hear the Scale lockout is reliable but I am really crap at remembering anything like this when racing hence why all my remotes have been sold and RCT3 run in light platform has replaced them.

I became a bit obsessive about this and was willing to spend on lightweight carbon but didn’t because I didn’t like a lot of the geos available.

I think the choice for £2k boils down to frame only alloy spearfish or complete Giant Anthem and change what you can afford for light bits.

I went the Spearfish route and love it. The alloy is only 225g heavier than the carbon but £1,000 cheaper. It’s possible to build to 25.5 real world pounds with Crests, 1x, KCNC etc, Conti protection tyres, normal cassette, comfy saddle etc. Decent wheels, cassette and tyres can get it very close to 24lbs (with shimano pedals)

I’m hoping 4.6 will see me having some fun on club runs. Maybe after a few of those I can consider an entry. Looks like son’s CAAD10 might not get sold.

Crest hill prior to Labyrinth at HR Zone 6 breathing through arse. See group of guys sitting on 140mm FS bikes at start of Labyrinth. Ride past looking hardcore Jeyboy thinking how fit/skilled you are on your carbon HT with bottles. Start Labyrinth getting HR down and trying to hold speed. Hear noise behind you and realise AM types have taken the metaphorical gauntlet. Ha you’ll rinse them on the ups.

They really are quite close. Shit I can’t drop them…. panics…. smoothness gone, effort up, speed drops, **** up root on the tight right and have to dab. Reason utterly gone, mad thrutching gasping styleless mania ensues until – the shame of it – you have to concede defeat. All subsequent efforts go into recovery to appear as if you weren’t trying. At this point you get faster and can almost forget the nightmare that just happened until you read this thread.

Salt and pepper level alert!

It’s racecraft, not fitness.
People underestimate it, everyone trains to heart rate, power, wattage but that;’s sod all use if you can’t hold a wheel or corner in a bunch.

Can’t really. Was just thinking of trying it for variety from my XC MTB training. The consequences of getting tangled in one of the inevitable coming togethers probably outweigh the benefits.

Faster club run here I come.

Out of interest what sort of watts per kilo would you need to finish in the bunch of a 4th Cat road race (not crit) assuming you had the race craft.

Due some rain next week so I doubt dust will be an issue. I’m sorry I caused this by ordering a Racing Ralph.

This was the venue of my first ever MTB race in 2013. I entered the 7 laps and did 2. Started far too fast and got so tired I was dangerous so DNF’d. Did the 7 last year and placed half way. Hoping for an incident free well paced showing this year.

My tip for this as a first race – enter 2 laps less than you think you want to do and start slow riding your own race not trying to keep up with others. If you do this a lot will come back to you later on which builds morale and is much better than dying after half a lap with 3,5 or 7 to go!

Mounted on Crests. Think the new Spearfish is allowing me to carry more speed into corners.

Bought from ze Germans……….

If money were no object I’d go Quark XX1.

My current system is 1x Stages XTR between 3 bikes. Doddle to change. Left sided only is fine for XC and training and it’s the only system I use.

Reliability is down to battery life which seems dampness related. Updated firmware, new door and seal with gasket grease but still ate a battery in a week. I no longer wrap it in tape which was holding damp in once broached and I now carry a spare battery for training and change before races. I spoke to Saddleback unofficialy at BOB who also reckoned battery was down to damp ingress.

It’s such a pity that such a neat tool is compromised.

Each to their own. I can eat 20gels I can’t eat 160 jelly babies (8 jelly babies per gel for same calories). Agree if you’re not racing you don’t need them as much but they are still useful for long lower intensity efforts.

Oh god, I’ve just realised I actually answered the question that was asked. <hangs head in shame/>

Close but no cigar. In the best STW tradition you have taken experience with a similar but different bike (26″ vs 29″ Anthems with 7 years between them) to be a definitive answer.

Left only works for me on my MTB but my left right imbalance has me weaker on the left so data doesn’t give me false highs.

Trick is to eat massive before you start (carbs) and then eat to a schedule. By the time you feel hungry or tired you’re playing catch up. It’s also a great motivator if you like what you eat.

eg

On the hour – Gel/Swig
Quarter past – jelly babys/Swig
Half past – Gel/Swig
Quarter too – half banana/Swig

Third hour give yourself something special eg a caffeine gel or sandwich or whatever you can pin your mind on when the going gets tough.

Tough cycling is about 500 calories per hour.

If I’m really killing myself on a 5minute hill I have to alternate spinning and standing to try to access different muscle groups as I go into lactate hell.

The powermeter says that power is down over anything other than a few seconds when I stand because although force increases cadence drops considerably.

This is born out by the fact that I’m slower on my single speed despite putting in HR Zone 6 effort – whoever says spinning gives more aerobic stress hasn’t single speeded up a steep long hill. I feel sick thinking about it even now.

Didn’t realise so many bikes look like Spearfish!

^^Nope but people tend to think of fresh legs and dry trails when choosing chain rings not 11hrs in going up SpongeBob with legs the consistency of overcooked noodles.

Racing with 1x is great – less chain noise, less to screw up when breathing out of arse. I run 1×10 with a T-rex and 30T front. The T rex might come off soon as I’ve done a lot of training.

Hmmm and it’s easy enough to change a CK to GXP retrospectively?