Nice video Padkinson, it’s got me looking like I’m pushing my team off at 2 mins in!  Numplunzrichard – you seem to feature a bit as well!

Need to watch the rest of it!

Hoping to get there again this year, I did a steady ride round last year with my son, route here for the full distance if anyone wants it: https://www.strava.com/activities/1166720095

Really nice course apart from the walk up Jacobs ladder!

Iain.

I’ve run a 3” Minion on a 40mm rim in a fox 34, it’s tight but okay, a 2.5 or 2.6 is perfect.

Arundel are by far the best cage you can get, done many XC and Multiday XCM events and never lost a bottle, ever, even large bottles. Bloomin’ expensive mind! I’ve lost bottles from most other cages….

https://www.arundelbike.com/product-category/bottle-cages/

I thought the Expert/Elite race looked tough with the temperature climbing, well done padkinson!

Jimbob – in case you were wondering who was cheering you on and calling you jimbob, that was me..

We had a good day out, the drops scared the hell out of me on Saturday, opted for the B lin on the first one as the time difference was minimal and I was struggling on the berm at the bottom (not the difficult bit at the top for some reason, probably because I’m sure I close my eyes and miss the braking point!). The second drop was okay and gained time on the guys around me each lap which was good. Ended up 6th in GV which is my best National result yet. My son was 18th in Youth which he was pleased with and team mates got second in vets and 6th in Expert so a good day all round.

It was a really well run event and the guy from Mud, Sweat and Gears looking after the camping area could not have more friendly or helpful, more mountain biking in Sufflok for me!

Not sure I fully enjoyed the course today, had to also give myself a bit of a talking to before getting over the two drops, still not sure if I am A or B tomorrow, will have to work that out first lap! Some bits were good fun though, just too many tabletops and flat corners for me.

My in laws lived in the last house going south out of Seathwaite for 25 years and I got to know some areas quite well. If you are going there you have to do Park Head Road down to the Newfield Inn and the bridleway down the side of Wallabarrow – they are both great and some of the best fun you can have on a bike. Not jealous at all….!

I went on a very expensive weight shed on my Top Fuel, lost a kg of the standard spec 9.9, quite pleased with it but skint now! Could have done with it at Dalby and Glentress.

I tend to only use a full lock out or fully open so not such a problem for me.

Maybe see you at the weekend, I’m off 309 in GV, orange kit, orange Trek.

cheers,

Iain.

Jimbob – I’m the same, thinking about putting a 34 on having watched the video. I’m a 10 at the rear, only time I’ve come close to running out before was at the first Round at Sherwood. Will take one and see if needed.

Rons, thunderburt on rear, XR1 in Marathon and rocks.

I got one of these, it’s huge: https://www.thule.com/en-gb/gb/bike-accessories/bike-travel-cases/thule-roundtrip-transition-_-1683469

Will take a 29+ with probably just the rear mech removed.

There are a few places that have them on offer.

Good fun today, I rode with my wife who was First Lady back in the 50km, my son was quickest in the 50km – he was chuffed with that as he’s just turned 16 and my team mate was first home in the 100k with a ridiculous time of 3 hrs 53 mins which is just stupid.

I thought the event was great as always, well run and made the best of the conditions which could have been really horrible, great to see so many people out having having a good time.

Kryton57 – understand completely, it took me and my coach over two years to understand what worked for me, never easy as we are all different!

Good luck with it and hope to meet you at a race some time.

Kryton57 – just reading your earlier points I would definately consider racing less, last year I had a similar problem where I lost so much fitness every race weekend as you only generate 100-130TSS/race whereas you can use the weekend for volume and use mid week sessions for intensity. Therefore I am only doing Nationals (XC) this year and try and retain the marathon championship in GV.

The CTL drop that Padkinson mentions is very real and takes two weeks or more to build back up. I also find that going into a race tired is a disaster as it does my head in mentally, I would rather not race than turn up carrying a high level of fatique as that will affect me for the next few races. I have enough problem getting decent results without turning up knackered!

I did about twenty races last year including the six stages of Andalucia, this year I will do only about 13 or 14 (i.e 6 in Andalucia, 5 National series, 1 marathon and 1 Nat champs) in the hope of retaining more CTL/fitness later in the season. This is a big change for me and sadly means that I won’t see my son racing in the Midlands series which was a huge consdieration for me but I see it as the only way to turn up on the line prepared to the best of my (limited) abilities.

My mate rode most of the 100km route yesterday and said it wasn’t nearly as bad as expected, sounds like the course layout is reasonably sensible with more road this year and some hard-ish bridelway. Cross bike probably fastest option for this one I expect.

Some good results in this lot, well done guys. That crash (or two) at the start of the Expert race looked horrible.

I had an awful start and dropped to about 25th place in the GV race while people people seemed to keep falling off in front of me, just had to watch everyone disappear up the trail for the first lap as passing was not easy on some bits. Eventually got going and recoved to 11th place at the finish which I was pleased with as I felt pretty good through the race, it would have nice to have a been a few places higher with a decent start though but happy with the weekend overall – I think it’s the first time my HR has been much over 150 since last August, a bit of a shock to the system!

Dalby next!

Haven’t seen that yet, only in picture, one of my friends lad’s rode it and said it was okay.  We’ll see! I’m sure I can make a mess of it!

Gridded 9th in grand vet, listening to the rain falling on the caravan roof at Sherwoood. I’ve had enough of rain after the the continuous torrential day in, day out soaking at the Andalucia Bike Race a few weeks ago.

it does look like huge fields this year, hope its dry!

So who’s racing what this year?

Heading of to the Andalucia Bike Race in about a week and half’s time for six days of suffering, training has gone well so far with last big weekend finished and time to taper. First marathon race in National Championship jersey so trying to not turn up and ride like a tw*t!

After that it will be National XC and Marathon Champs, will try and do a few Midlands XC but found last year when trying to do both it killed my fitness as I hated going into races without a reasonable level of rest. My son is planning to do all the Midlands races in Youth category though.

Hope to see some of you guys out again this year, nice to meet up with other STWers last season.

Iain.

James Richards is very good, he is also married to Tracy Mosely who is also a great coach, James’s website is here: https://www.mtbsprocket.co.uk/

Iain.

I use one on MTB most of the time, not so useful for XC but couldn’t ride a marathon event well without one!
The data you collect from them is very useful but will be course dependent in XC racing.
Iain.

I’ve got a Thule G6 4 bike rack for sale if you are interested, in South Warwickshire though. Email in profile.

Iain.

I use the new spec 29×2.2 XR1 in anything rocky now, got me through Andalusia Bike Race and National Marathon champs well, grip is good and rolling resistance is also good. XR2 does not provide much more grip but rolls slower.

Still tend to use Ron’s for most other races.

FS, hardtail or cross bike? Last year the first five in the 100k were: 1st – FS (Trek Top Fuel), then: HT, FS (another Top Fuel), Cross bike, HT (Trek Procalibre).

So, anything goes really but a trail or Enduro bike will be hard work

Nah, do the 100 Russel! Easier terrain than FoD!

Used one all through the summer, love it and cools well.

I managed to squeeze over the line first in the old boys category of the National MTB Marathon Championship this year at the Isle of Man, not sure how that ranks me in slogging up hills for over six hours though!

Thanks all, large it is then!

What worked for us was 50p per year old per week i.e. an 8 year old gets £4 per week, a 12 yr old gets £6 per week, etc.

We viewed it as an organised training camp to start with then it got a lot more serious as the date approached!

Andy, happy to help, email is in profile. Cheers, Iain.

Enough single track to keep most people happy, some stages you are just abut begging for an easy fire road to have a break!

I did it last year with a few others, awesome event, going back this year with 8 of us. I can’t recommend the event enough, the riding is great and courses are excellent.
Let me know what you need to know and I’ll try and help.
Iain.
Ps make sure you’re reasonably fit otherwise the last few days might not be so much fun…..

Great, thanks guys.

Strava file here: https://www.strava.com/activities/1231870791

Bloody good fun today, nice bunch of people. My son lost his garmin on stage three and someone handed it in – says it all really!

First Enduro for me too, rode the stages today a few times – really good fun and a lot of new stuff, should be fun tomorrow, even at my slow downhill pace!

I got talked into doing the event by my 15 year old son who wanted to do a marathon, I thought it would be a nice easy ride but he took off like scalded cat, managing to last about three hours before he went ‘pop’ and I was then able to get a rest for the last hour, he managed to be faster junior which he was well chuffed about, even managed to get some pictures.
Great day out, well organised and nice to see so much support for a very good cause.

My son managed to get his first choice in Glasgow to do Physics which is great, mum’s still crying! Second choice was Heriot Watt, I’m sorry it was not his first choice as it looks a great place.

Hope everyone else’s plans are working out okay.

Ferrals, I only took on that drop once they’d lowered it, no chance of me going over it in the higher position for the reasons well stated by mick.

Getting a better write up would be good, I have a friend on the BC XC commission and will ask her if they could cover at least some of the other races.