Shame the video misses the rocks. Usual GoPro crappy mount too. GoPro cameras are good (assuming that’s what it is) but the mounts are rubbish – too flexible and hard to clamp up tight without making some of your own modifications.

Nice pics Innes. I thought the Haribo Hill bridge would probably be a good place to get action shots of fallers but never saw any. I cleaned it and the hill 10 times but then started walking it after a very close wobble because I was too tired. The muddy descent just before the 2nd marshall station is where I saw most crashes! I was guilty of the occasional dab there myself.

The place I saw most “offs” was the lumpy big rock towards the end of the rocky section – someone would get it wrong or stop there and cause a bit of a pile-up behind. I nearly launched myself over the bars in a dip between rocks in the middle of the night (fortunately nobody about to witness it!)

Another vote for Inverness:

Plenty of employment
Cheap housing
No traffic
Lowest crime
Beautiful, car free, commutes
Good state schools,
All the MTBing you could want (Puffer & Learnie are 10mins from my house & I have a forest at the end of my garden)

I didn’t take many pics and the ones I did take weren’t exactly exciting

The last one is in thanks to Kenny Riddle for popping up to check out our bikes and give them a quick service at around the mid-point.

Stuart, at the right of the middle pic, was our secret weapon. On a “borrowed” bike, his first two laps were 39′ and 40′ – fantastic for a guy who isn’t any sort of mountain biker or any sort of bike rider. National junior level badminton player though.

Epicyclo, help yourself. I was hoping to see you at the Puffer, I was telling others about the bike, it was good to see it, even if it was just as you battered down the hill. I forgot your Forum name, that’s why I just shouted Singletrack at you, I thought you would know what I meant.

I did something similar but mentioned my forum name.

Epicyclo – tyres worked well, thanks. Apart from the QR skewer coming loose on the rear (that you saw me wrestling with – having caught it on the “bridge”), the only issue I faced was horrible chain suck – frame is quite scratched. Giving the chain a good dose of Wet lube seemed to cure the problem.

I was surprised by how many people ran without rear mudguards – it’s not like they’re particularly heavy.

That was the most technically difficult and enjoyable 24hr course I’ve ridden. It was absolutely brilliant, although my back, neck and arms are killing me today as a result! Anyone know how long a lap was?

The fireroad climb was another matter entirely…

I’m glad you said that about it being technically difficult. As a total novice, I thought it seemed quite tough for an endurance race but I have nothing to compare it with.

As for the fire road climb, that’s where I passed everybody (apart from the surface, it’s not a million miles different from my commute) – then I’d let them back past as I was fighting the rocks! It’s my upper body that’s taken a battering – the swelling on my wrist as gone down thankfully.

I should add that anyone who was wondering what the Doug Stewart memorial trophy was – Doug was a close family friend (colleague of mine, husband of my wife’s beSt friend, father of my kids’ friends) who was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer the day my son’s cancer was diagnosed. His son was in my quad. Things like that drive you on

Would i do it again? If I was put in the same situation again, I would.

I did it this year because I’ve spent the last 14 months helping my 14 year old son through cancer. After that, I feel like I take take on anything – I can’t imagine anything tougher (the Puffer is obviously a walk in the park in comparison). The Puffer was a great atmosphere – very friendly – had a chat with people on my way round and got cheered on.

Well done to all my fellow competitors – awesome fitness, skills and commitment. My first-ever MTB event (at 47) which I only found out I was doing a week ago when a (so-called) friend pulled out of a quad with an injury. My total lack of MTB skills told a bit but I loved (almost) every minute of it. No injuries or damage – result.

Survived and really enjoyed it (in a “glad it’s over” kinda way). I have never seen so much mud – real issues with chain suck during the night – but the Trailrakers worked faultlessly. I relaxed into it and enjoyed each lap more. Thanks for the advice.

Wow – sounds a bit rough outside as I sit in the warm having my breakfast. 25mph NW wind at 6c and raining a fair bit. Hoping our gazebo is ok – we didn’t extend the legs yesterday and strapped it down well (plus put it in the lea of the Transit) so it should be ok. Picking up one of my team mates (he only arrived back from Oz on Wednesday – he’ll be fine at night!).

Go the Culbokie Cruisers!

I avoid the A9 as much as possible. I do a short dash down the hill to the Tore roundabout but don’t do the reverse route as it means sitting in the middle of the road – nearly got wiped out by a BMX X6 overtaking up the hill at the junction!

Cheers. I’m probably over-thinking the whole tyre thing but I know how much difference they make on the roadie. It’s a good job I’ve only had a week to prepare! Thanks for the support.

Bigdonx – hmm – I don’t think that’s me. I have a Focus Cayo for the drier months then swap to a Boardman CX for the crappy weather. I go Culbokie, Knockbain, Tore, Bogallan, Kessock Br, Raigmore on the way in – though it is about 7.30 I set off so I’m close to there.

I have some Trailrakers if it gets muddy – they just feel quite heavy. I’ve done the course twice with the Ice Spikers – had a few issues with grip on the bare rocks (rock chute was exciting) but they weren’t bad – again, quite heavy. The fire road climb (one of the easiest bits for me as its like the last bit of my commute home) looked in really good nick and the tracks through the wooded areas were fine too. Think I’ll try the Ralph/Ron combo on my first lap and swap to the Trailrakers if/when it cuts up badly

Will my default tyres (Racing Ralph & Rocket Ron) do the trick? I’m such a newb to this type of cycling. My Cube gets most of its miles in snow and bad ice so spends most of its time on Ice Spiker Pros as I commute from Culbokie to Raigmore all year.

Any final thoughts on tyre choice? There was obviously a lot of water about up there today

Very mild (9c) this afternoon, a bit of rain and only a light breeze.

Well it’s been snowing and sleeting on the Black Isle this evening though the forecast for tomorrow is better.

I’ll just be happy if it’s doesn’t rain or freeze at night.

Yup – Dingwall has had over 0.5″ of rain today.

Mud tyres and sintered pads fitted. Hardware all packed up for loading into the team van tomorrow night.

Makes sense to pack the brakes out of the way of the mud. There’s probably more that could be done to protect discs from mud too. As is always the way with brakes, it’s a compromise between protecting them and keeping them cool.

Not been up but it’s been raining a lot and it’s 4c this evening.

Pretty sure the snow will be gone – the forecasts are converging to a high of 6c and a low of 2 or 3c. Looks like it will be windy – though the prevailing wind should actually blow you up the fire road (aye, right)

I know 5 Puffer veterans and every single one has said “mud tyres” first when I said I was doing it. I’m sure you can do it without but they do seem recommended.

Amazing how much of the snow had gone between when we went and you took the pictures. I’m sure it’ll all be gone by the weekend. That’s good because it was tough spotting obstacles and the rock chute was covered (which, bizarrely, made it seem less intimidating to me with Ice Spikers on)

As a commuter from north side of the Black Isle, I can pretty much tell you that forecasts will still be guesses at best. I’ve seen night time temps from +3 to -3 forecast for Saturday night and daytime temps from 3 to 8c. No forecast for heavy precipitation which is good but plenty of rain between now and then.

I managed to keep my feet dry until tht final ST stream which I was fording nicely until one of my team mates hit a branch and stopped dead in front of me.

Yup – very wet snow. My team mate had his mud tyres on and he seemed to be in the best shape of the three of us out there. I’m still running Ice Spikers as my mud tyres haven’t arrived (still a BH here) and they were a nightmare on the bare rock. The third guy was on standard MTB tyres (not sure what) and he was getting traction issues in the mud and snow.

Was up there this morning. It’s going to be filthy. There was a fair bit of snow which made the fire roads a bit of a grind. It was very wet too – several sections were just streams

Thanks though I don’t really have the luxury of choosing my steed – Cube Reaction Race or nothing. I have guards and we should some cleaning capability in the pits as well as a bit of support crew (the friend who I’m standing in for) – but, you’re right, I don’t want to be standing in freezing gale trying to clear mud off something to fix it.

Being Scotland, you can pretty much put up a tent where you like. I would imagine you can walk into the site but I can’t think of anywhere much at the site itself where you could pitch a tent. A little bit past the entrance (near the Rogie Falls entrance) on the opposite side of the road is a field that will probably be used as the car park (it was for the Snowman Rally stage there).

The advice from my LBS mech (who has done the Puffer and is spannering on this year’s) was to bed in sets beforehand for just that reason.

It’s been snowing here (10 miles away) all day on and off. Decided just to play in the forest at the back of me instead and it’s a mudfest in there. Fair bit of rain forecast

Any tips for the mud? Ordered some Trailrakers and I have 6 pairs of sintered pads on advice from Puffer veteran mates.

It’s the bumpy bits where I’ll be slow – my singletrack technique is pretty poor as I’m lacking experience – that’s where I’m worried I’ll get in the way. Going out tomorrow night and will just focus on the hard bits and improving my technique. Will go again on Tuesday and do the same thing in the light again. Then rest up until Saturday.

Well I got roped in to riding in a quad the day before yesterday when a friend dropped out with an injury. 47 is probably later in life than is advisable to do your first MTB race and the Puffer probably isn’t the one you’d choose but after spending the last 14 months helping my 14 year old son through cancer, you get the feeling that you can survive anything. I’m sure I have the mental toughness and I do a Highland 33-mile RT commute with 2000ft of climbing in everything but deep snow and 30+mph wind (when the Kessock Bridge gets too dangerous) so I think I have the stamina for a quad.

After doing the course for the first time yesterday, the bits I found toughest were the more technical rocky drops (I don’t get out on the MTB as much as I should). As above, the climbs are long grinds which I’m used to – it’s the fact that you rewarded for that work with short, sharp drops which is hard with energy going into the brakes not into getting you speed.

The weather is looking like it’s going to be relatively mild – though, this being the Highlands, it’s still far too early to tell. Most of my winter commuting is on ice spikers but it’s not unusual to freeze on the way to work and boil coming home.

Hats off to the SS riders though I can see the sense in it if you’re going solo.

I’ll be taking it steady (colleague broke ribs last year and LBS mech was off the bike for 2 months) so I’ll try to stay out of your way through the bumpy stuff.