I’ve actually done more. My son has got the bug for the kids class in our local XC meets (Gorrick) so we can make a day of it with me doing the veterans. We’ll still be doing the Mayhem even after this year’s conditions as it’s a fantastic social and we can get away with cranking the disco up on the Sunday night.
Historically I’ve gone through phases of racing for a couple of years and plateauing then giving it a miss until I’m old enough to get into the next age category.

Perhaps the more relevant question is: Why aren’t so many younger riders getting into MTB eventing to replace the older riders that leave through natural turnover.
The Big Bike Bash is good example of this.

Maybe the larger events should make more effort to provide entertainment for non-riding attendees.

Certainly don’t have a problem with athletic or muscley girls here, even to the Jodie Marsh level and I could quite happily watch a lot more of Zoe Smith, the weight lifter in that Guardian video.
The stick insect look of the longer distance runner, eg Paula Radcliffe just doesn’t do it at all for me though.

Certainly don’t have a problem with athletic or muscley girls here, even to the Jodie Marsh level and I could quite happily watch a lot more of Zoe Smith, the weight lifter in that Guardian video.
The stick insect look of the longer distance runner, eg Paula Radcliffe just doesn’t do it at all for me though.

Thanks folks. Foska appear to have the one I was looking for.

He’d probably be better off in prison. His identity will get out somehow and then his life is going to be a very scary place.

I’ve ridden Thetford a few times and you get out what you want to put in. Yes, it’s largely flat but that’s only a problem if you don’t like pedalling.

To be fair the press fit BBs I was referring to are the BB90 versions, but I don’t think any press fit sytem is up to the rigours of off roading. They may work fine in road bikes but that’s where they should stay.

Watch out for press fit BBs moving in the frame and wearing the BB housing. We’ve seen that on a couple of budget carbon frames locally. I’d recommend using only the plastic shelled BBs from Shimano and not anything alloy shelled. They won’t last any longer but they’re less likely to take your frame with them when they do go. The problem particularly affects singlespeed builds.

Not quite Norway but I remember reading in a motorbike magazine some years back that Lulea at the top of the Baltic in Sweden can be a bit of a sun-trap and gets surprisingly warm in the right weather conditions. There was mention of 24 hour daylight and naked Scandinavians. From there you’d have a trip over the mountains to the fjord-land that is Norway.

Consider yourself lucky to still have enough hair to wring out.

I heard someone on the TV state that it’s been the relatively stable climate over the past few thousand years that has allowed civilisation to develope and the global population to dramatically increase. If a stable climate is NOT the normal state then it looks like humanity is in for an awful lot of hardship over the long term future now there’s so many of us to provide for.

Don’t worry too much about specific training yet. Once you’ve put your entry in you’ll find that focussing on it comes naturally (if you’re anything like me). Within a week of having my entry confirmed I was taking every oppportunity to get miles in, in all weathers and had even lost the taste for alcohol.

It’s a long way off yet but just as important as the training is having your food, bike spares, clothing all prepared, everything in place to make the ride as comfortable and fuss free as possible.

jimmers – Member

One last tip from me…

Rice pudding! Record number of tins consumed = 16 at Mayhem 2008

It was a tin of sardines in tomato sauce that fired me up again when I hit a low point at 7am on my solo.

What no-one has mentioned yet is the importance of bike handling skills. On a wet course like last weekend’s Mayhem there were huge gains to be had from being to spot the path of least resistance through the mud and having the confidence to stay off the brakes as much as possible. Being able to follow the narrow rut that the rider before you has carved out will result in a big reduction in expended energy.

I’m not sure staying up all night would help much actually, its possible it would throw your sleep patterns out

Fraid I’m going to have to disagree with you there Dasilva. Having worked weekend nights in my student days and done Mayhem solo in 2006 I’d say it definitely helps to be used to being up through the night. My training through May that year consisted mainly of doing the Thursday evening ride with the lads, stopping with them at the pub for an hour and then going back out til 4 or 5am.

One aspect of the race I found hard was keeping to a pace slower than I would normally ride and not being tempted to compete with team riders going at a pace I could normally find fine on a shorter ride. I think singlespeed might help there as you don’t have the option of cranking it in the big ring on the flat or downhill sections.

Get used to being up all night. If you don’t want to ride on your own and can’t find anyone to accompany you at that time then just stay up at home. Do that once a week for a period a month or two before the event. Even without activity it’ll make a difference to how you feel in the wee small hours.

Thanks Footflaps, I’ve now downloaded your pic of me (2102) and owe you a beer.

I’ve only had time to read the first three pages of this thread but am always dismayed when folks who call themselves mountain bikers shy away from mud. I thought the conditions at this year’s event made the race far more a test of skill than any dry course ever could be. There were huge opportunities for anyone good at spotting the firmest line to ride or with the confidence to stay off the brakes on the descents to make up ground on fitter but less skilled riders.

Warton, your situation sounds very similar to the one I was in with the first Mrs Balanced 22 years ago. I don’t regret getting out, despite having to leave our 6 month old daughter but I did make a thorough mess of it by staying until it took a third party to show me that relationships could be better. It was partly hope that things would get better, partly fear of the unknown that made me stay as long as I did but it sounds like you need to make a decision as to whether the relationship is salvageable or not before too long.
My daughter has mostly been understanding about me not being there apart from a patch in her mid teens when she became resentful of the circumstances of my departure.

It depends on how you like to ride. I’m 5’9″ and I find my 29er great for racing and covering distance but the 26er is better for anything trialsy or playful.

A bucket and brush. There are many standpipes in the camping area and a bucket of water and a brush will save you hours waiting in the jet-wash queues. Also you can rinse your kit out before taking it home. If you get really desperate you can rinse it out before putting it back on. Wet kit is marginally better to put on than muddy and wet kit as I found out at my first Mayhem in 2004 when the weather was REALLY foul.

still undecided on gears or SS.

Hi Thom. I did the night ride three weeks ago to Brighton on my singlespeed (26inch slicks and 50:18). It felt just right for it and I got to Brighton in 3 hours 50 without trying too hard. I thought SS was a good way of emphasising to myself that I wasn’t treating it as any kind of competition. If it’s anything like the night ride there’ll be a huge ammount of people on bikes of varying degrees of inappropriateness, including plenty of fixies.

still undecided on gears or SS.

Hi Thom. I did the night ride three weeks ago to Brighton on my singlespeed (26inch slicks and 50:18). It felt just right for it and I got to Brighton in 3 hours 50 without trying too hard. I thought SS was a good way of emphasising to myself that I wasn’t treating it as any kind of competition. If it’s anything like the night ride there’ll be a huge ammount of people on bikes of varying degrees of inappropriateness, including plenty of fixies.

ciderinsport – Member

by those who know where they’re going

Counts you out then MB

Wondered how long it would take……………

I ride the Forest regularly and have come to regard the present situation as about as good as it is likely to get. The Forest is large enough that a low level of cheekyness by those who know where they’re going is generally ignored bar the odd grumble. But the best bits are natural trails and not built to ‘trail centre’ standards, hence they would be very quickly eroded if the traffic over them increased significantly.

A good example is one bit of trail locally which used to involve a tight little wiggle round some bushes to line yourself up for a plank over a ditch. It was very satisfying to get it right. Since it got discovered by more of the local kids it’s become as open as a motorway.

Also, during the summer months the majority of riders in the Forest are family types and having them all clogging up the singletrack if it were made legitimate would be awfully frustrating.

Thanks to everyone who tried to help. One way or another I hope she realises she’s saved me an awful lot of faffing replacing my phone and camera which were in the bag.

Well mboy didn’t know, so for one last time, does anybody here know who Fiona is?

Bump!

Anyone know who or where she might be?

Geared bikes are for rest days

My thoughts exactly.

He is now riding back home before it gets dark.

He doesn’t live in Eastbourne does he?

Cracking effort.

A couple or three pints does it for me.

I’m just jealous of him having enough spare time to seriously train for and attempt something like that.

I had some Rubber Queens brought back to me last week with the same problem. They were the cheapie wire bead version. In future I’ll stick to stocking Kenda Kinetics as a cheap fat tyre.

Waiting so long to get over the start was a little frustrating at the time but as it meant I reached the top of Devil’s Dyke right on sunrise all is forgiven.

In my feedback I’ll mention that the organisers should point out the potential for delay and remind participants to bring spare clothing. Waiting that long in the middle of the night could have been quite grim if the weather had been less perfect than it was.

Cracking night out. Didn’t realise it would take 1 hour 20 just to get over the start line! Best bit was reaching the top of Devil’s Dyke just as the sun poked it’s nose over the horizon. Stopped for few minutes to watch and big cheesy grins all about.

Spent the morning winding my way along the coast before meeting Wifey at Amberly with 120 miles on the clock.
That gear proved to be just fine.

After 39 hours up it’s time for bed now.

Hoping here that the wind keeps up as I’ll be turning right at Brighton and winding my way back along the south coast towards Southampton. Wifey’s going to meet me somewhere depending on what time she gets up.

The route

I would be relieved with a gear that big!!

50:18 for the record

I’ll be riding my singlespeed commuter (below) and trying to keep my touring head on, not my race head. I’m not sure whether I’m relieved or dissappointed that we’re not doing Ditchling Beacon.

On a practical (and maybe boring) note. Wear a lightweight running vest to start, then whip it off when you’re out of sight of work/general public*.

*Delete as lardiness dictates.

As a LBS I find that losing the occasional sale by refusing to price match is preferable to getting a reputation for discounting and then finding more and more of my customers, who might have previously been happy to pay what I asked, expecting a discount.

To all those reading this in regular employment. How would you feel if your boss told you he’d had some unemployed bloke come in who’d offered do your job for half what he’s paying you. Would you price match then?

And don’t forget, a 20% discount is not 20% less profit for a LBS, it’s more like 60% less, obviously depending on the original margin.