No less than 4 errors!

Bar ends are definitely upside down (and really shouldn’t be on a riser bar)

The chain is too long (more weight to be saved!)

Front brake hose running around the outside of the fork – error (should be on the inside, this would not only protect the hose from scuffing and crushing damage, but the hose could be shorter and lighter)

Rear brake hose is too long

Possibly a fifth: Is that bits of cable outer between the cable stops to simulate a full length outer? Not only will it add weight (the outer is heavy steel), but it won’t protect from dirt ingress as the dirt only get in at the ends & joints, it will even increase the friction in the bits with “extra” outer. This is a massive fail if my eyes are right.

OOPS!

One for Exposure:

– You don’t have to cycle through flashing to get from low back to high (ESSENTIAL!)

– Integrated battery an a neat QR mount, so much easier to fit and the battery baag won’t scratch your frame or stem

– There’s a reason why all the top racers in the UK (who can chose whatever lights they want) choose to ride Exposure lights – they’re better

– Exposure use the latest Cree LEDs and are brighter

– Exposures can be charged not just be mains but in your car (excellent for weekends away and racing) and by USB (excellent for commuting)

You don’t need an pit bitch, althoughb they can help in some situations.

You just need to be organised so pit stops don’t take so long. I won Set2Rise solo out the boot of my car without a pit, I just lined up all my food and every lap stopped for as long as it took me to lean over (staying straddling the bike) to grab more food and/or water, which was less than 20 seconds per lap. Similar to the food bags suggestion above.

Like Blazin-saddles says, Craig won TwebtyFour12 by just keeping moving (he also won by being the best rider and by going fast enough to podium in the 12hr and keeping going, a truly top class ride). Bear in mind you have to ride an awful lot harder for an upsetting amount of time to make up 5 minutes on the trail, so take the effort down 1% and stop stopping for so long.

1) Isn’t this just advertising? Shouldn’t you pay for this? I’m sure if Pat Adams signed up and, the next day, placed an advert for one of his events there would be a cry “foul”

2) Why would you choose to run a 24hr race on t eh same weekend as SSMM, the biggest 24hr race in the UK, when there are 51 other weekends in the year?

MaXx Exposure Report Now HERE

I did it, might have been me you saw, had a the new Exposure 6-Pack on the bars and the new Joystick MaXx (mk. 5) on my head, bonkers bright.

Waited at Southease level crossing (grrr) and 3 punctures saw mw lose Ian Leitch, who won and kicked my butt, still pretty chuffed that I came 2nd, 1hr7mins ahead of 3rd!

Great night for it, a good test of legs and head as there was a rare (and strong!) headwind all the way through the night from start to finish.

I highly recommend the event as just a great night out on the bike (specially with Exposure lights, who always have a feet of hire lights of their latest models). Riding along Firle ridge at as you get into the 2nd hour, into the setting sun is truly special. My trail wildlife count was 2 badgers, 1 owl and 1 MASSIVE stag that jumped ovber a hedge in front of me and for a brief moment we both stopped stationary on the trail and stared each other down, both a bit startled I think! I love this event.

:-)

Read a bit about in the latest MBUK! You can ride from Middleton Top to Summit on the PBW, which then becomes the “special section” whis is the Mary townley Loop. The norther section, which connects to this, isn’t finished yet.

74miles for the PBW southern section
47 miles for the MTL

My mates up and around in 3 days and it was a bit of an epic.

I’ll be “doing a double” in the spring (see the latest MBUK for an article about it) having set off and suffered s kipping freehub at 40miles a few weeks ago and having to pull the plug.

It’s a great adventure, highly recommended :-)

I've done the MaXx a couple of times and recently broke the SDD singlespeed record, heading out at night and doing the first one way 101miles in 8hrs 35mins with a MaXx-D on mid (10hr) setting without ever fiddling with them, let alone turning them off or feeling I needed to put it onto the high power setting, that's enough speed (and, therefore, enough light) to normall see you finish in the top 3… if you've got the legs of course ;-)

Of course, I am aware one can never have too much light!

I'm hoping to complete the event this year and will be running the same, a MaXx-D on 10hr setting and don't expect any disadvantage, specially at 80mile pace, through not using the brighter setting

Congratulations!

Glad to hear that you made it and enjoyed it, it's a great day out on the bike and I've always have a smile on my face from start to finish on the couple of occasions I've done it too.

Well? Success? Did you enjoy your grand day out? Will your legs ever be the same again?!!

My SDW double write up is here: CLICKY LINK

At the bottom there's a lost of what I ate, which was spaced evenly over the ride. Eat little and often; I started eating within the first 30mins.

Hope that's useful

Rob Dean

24 solo here

SB8s are staying firmly on for now….

You have to change trains twice, once at Brighton, and once either at Southampton, or between Havant and Southampton to get onto the S'ton-London line to Winchester. It takes "a while" check your train times as you don't want to get stranded!

Cheers Chipps. Write up sent to you yesterday. Let me know if it doesn't get there.

Thank you for running it, hope it's useful and interesting to someone.

The "old temporary" route is still all bridelway, legal, open and rideable. I used the old temprary route so I could compare my time to Ian Leitch, Mike Cotty, Rob Lee, Steve Heading and Neil Newall, as well as my own geared time.

My Harveys Map also shows the old route ;-) !

There is a minor diverson at Southease at th river swing bridge, but it's really minor as well as obvious, so not an issue.

Mercian Cycles in Derby

For "Alpine" attempts, the rules are, with the exception of public water taps and streams that are available 24hrs a day, "carry it on, carry it off". Using even shops limits the start times, and makes certain start places and timings advantageous, which makes it mor of a logistical effort for some. This wy it also stays very simple.

Ian's time is only 38mins faster than my SS ride! However, the number of "fast" rides is very few and far between, and extreme care is taken to hold gates for people, chat, wave, smile etc. These are quite special and heavily planned rides. Plus these are done on week days (yes, this means it involves a holiday day from work). What is to be avoided is several people, every weekend, going balls out across the Downs, shouting at families on a Sunday stroll to get out of the way while they have an Sinday afternoon stroll.

The current rate of 1-2 record runs a year and "a few" 24hr rides is something that's, hopefully sustainable, but as rides like the trailquest lemming and the BHF randonee show, a one way ride is achieveable by, literally, hundreds of even "occasional" riders with a bit of support.

Hmmmm

large418 – I think you're missing the point. These endurance challenges are set up with the idea of being personal challenges, where the aim is to complete them in under 24hrs (or similar), only a very few go much faster, and plenty just try and finish at all.

There is never any focus on just going outright fast, the SDD (I guess the main ride of all of these) satisfaction is completing. There is no focus on the fsastest one way time, and this is for good reason: Lots and lots of poeple can complete a one way, and encouraging people to race on a public trail is only going to be bad for the sport. If the peoper fast boys have a go, they can go very, very fast indeed for 100miles and it no longer bcomes a matter of "can I do it?" and very much becomes "how fast can I go?" for everyone, which will get riders and mtb-ing in trouble and end in tears for everyone. You yourself are already talking not of whether you can complete but focussed entirely on just how fast you can do it. The much shorter "half" rides also involve no night riding and don't involve the trucky kit, food, hyration etc. issues of the 24hr-ish rides

Now, if you were to try a Cambrian Way Double, and get that under (or near) 24hrs, I think you're onto something. If you're talking about how fast you can go on a ride someone can pop out in 8hrs, then I think you're missing the point. Look at the SDW, there is, very deliberately, zero focus on one-way times.

As for support, there's two categories kept, "Alpine" where zero support is allowed, and "Supported" where any level of support (except a Cancelara style motor!) is allowed; food & clothing handouts, bike swaps etc.

So, without wanting to be overly negative – GET OUT THERE AND DO THE TCW DOUBLE! ;-)

Hey people,it's as formal as the people involved have time to make it.

All the rides on the SDD are ratified in one way or another, everyone who has had a go has googled "South Downs Double", found the website, and got in contact with someone or another.

Rides are seen off and back by other riders and normally local riders and supportes will pop out onto the trail to watch riders coming past. Often the rider will carry a GPS logger too, to prove that they did it too.

For my Singlespeed Double ride I sent my schedule to local riders, phoned in at the start finish and turn and was joined by KMP rider Lea, who turned up unannounced and rode behind me for a chunk (so as not to interfere with my rides or the gates).

If you're going to go that fast, chances are that people will have heard of you, and that you'll be in contact with fast people or maybe sponsors, who will get the word spread to make sure the ride can be ratified.

Oh, and as there's no cash, no podium, just yourself to beat, these are quite personnal rides, so I really can't believe anyone who had enough of a love of cycling to be out enough to get record threatening times, would even have the thought of cheating cross their mind!

However, for the SDD, the website is, as it says up there: http://www.southdownsdouble.net/%5B/url%5D

It's all still quite a new thing really. For the Pennine Bridleway, which has been completed successfully in one hit by just Steve Heading and Rob Lee, the finish times are 21:39 & 26:43, impressive stuff, as this is much more intimidating terrain and far more isolated in places than the SDW should it go a bit wrong.

The SDD website is a great resource, and helped me enormously in my preparation

I assume you saw this on the Cycling section:

Cycling
Many sections of the Way are excellent for mountain biking with a wide range of tracks from forest roads to singletrack. However other areas are unsurfaced track over grassy hillsides. Due to the prevailing weather conditions in southern Scotland and the fact that much of the area is peat bog these areas often become so muddy that it is not possible to cycle them. This is very weather dependant so areas that might be easy to ride in the winter when the ground is frozen are impassable over the summer and autumn.

We are currently working on improving the Way for Cyclists and also producing a guide to riding the Southern Upland Way with advice on which areas can be ridden and alternative routes for areas that are impassable. For more information please contact one of the Rangers.

Looks like it's not one for just yet, but certainly one to keep an eye on perhaps?

Were you thinking a one-hit-wonder, or a multi-day ride?

Cheers (again) guys,

It's reading about the SDD a few years ago that got me into the endurance thing, and wondering just what was possible (for me), so if this helps make it seem more possible for more people, that's very flattering indeed.

I'll be doing a short write up now I've celebrated with my friends and fellow riders and have started to catch up on missed sleep. I'll stick a clicky link on this thread once it's published on the Leisure Lakes website, and hopefully on BikeMagic too.

For those that are interested I could include a little bit on what I ate, as this is a BIG thing for me as I've really struggled with this in the past? I now have a rucksack FULL of wrappers!

If it was easy, we wouldn't do it!

brooess – or a hardtail fast tyres and fit a USE suspension seatpost (cheaper and lighter!)

Don't use paper thin tyres or the flint will rip them (a theory well proven)

Neil ewell has GPS of one or more double and it's 101 miles and 12700ft of climbing each way, or 25400ft for a full 202 mile double. It's "quite" hard ;-) (but a lot of fun)

Oh, and all the taps were working, except the one at the Adur river crossing, but there's one at the Truleigh Hill youth hostel immediately aferwards, so its not a problem if you're going W-E

Hi Ti29er – I enjoy a solitary ride for these big jaunts, but a bit of company is always pleasant for the odd hour here and there. I do enjoy having the Downs all to myself from late evening through to mid-morning though. The company sometimes has an issue keeping up too ;-)

Oh, and after a hundred or so miles, doing 8:35 pace, I'm not much of a talker!

Yes, mine is indeed the General Lee, and an unbelievably incredible bike it is too

Eastbourne & back is a good long roll along the downs – and you get to go past the pie shop in Alfiston TWICE!!! (panic not, there's an ice cream shop too)

Run? I DON'T do running! ;-)

I walked about 3 sections on the way out, but lots of slow pedal turning gurning was in evidence, lots more on the way back as I was well ahead of where I expected to be and wanted to keep a lid on my efforts so I made sure I brought it home safely.

With fresh legs (and without having to have some legs left for the remaining 150miles!) it's ALL rideable, specially if there's a bet on for a pork pie ;-)

Cheers Napalm – I found my way around the footbridge OK thanks luckily, maybe it was the helping vibes, they do say it's the thought that counts!

This was just OSMM make-up, I did Set2Rise 12hr solo the week after 24hrs of exposure illness disappointment, and won it, which was pretty good compensation for that one!

For the record I was running a 29er, with my gearing at 32:18 (equivalent to 32:16 on 26" wheels) as that's what was fitted to the bike and that's all I own and all I've ever ridden with. Luckily it seemed to work just fine ;-)

Karinofnine – Yes she's Rory's wife, but mainly she runs her own Physio clinic. I went to her on reputation for my knee, not due to the Rory connection, and the progress she's made has been truly astonishing (the time speaks for itself!)

Sorry to hear your knee's not having so much fun, knees are a rubbish design aren't they!

Ti29er – I think you're confusing me with Santacruz rider Rob Lee

Legs and back are fine all the same, cheers, when I saw how fast I was going I backed off a bit so I didn't blow up, so they're relatively well looked after

Karinofnine – Enjoy it! It's a "must do" day out for any UK rider IMHO, and a great day out it is too. Don't forget that, if you're not doing it unassisted (also referred to as "alpine" in the official double records) like I was, there's an ice cream van at Ditchling Beacon and a great deli/pie shop in Alfrison :-) I, sadly had to ride past both of these so timed my ride to make sure as much as possible was shut so I didn't miss out!

Knee problems? Snap! Get yourself to Sabreen, mine has been fine this year, not a squeak, and that was a pretty damn good test I just gave it! Oh, and say I sent you ;-)

wwaswas – leverage advantage, maybe, but try hauling me up the hills and I think you'll discover it's an advantage my love of pies+cake more than offsets ;-) (compensated for by good old-fashioned stubbornness and a love of riding my bike a long way)

Cheers guys

I had no idea that that fast was possible on a SS! The previous record was 23:20:32! Set off with a 22hr in mind, then revised to 21, and by the return leg decided to try and aim for sub 20, was a bit shocked by the time. I had a blast, and the sunrise was fantastic, riding through it with the trails to myself was a treat, not to mention two badgers and two barn owls spotted – yay!

I can't recommend a single SDW highly enough as a day out, and would encourage everyone to try a SDD – with a bit of planning an assisted SDD (kit, food, lights handed at all the road crossings by a mate in a car meaning the rider can go super light) should be pretty accessible for anyone brave!

All the credit really goes to the ipod for playing my special SDD playlist I made the night before in the perfect order! (oh, or maybe to Sabreen Hitchens at Active Physio in Brighton for being the best physio in the world :D)

A great tyre, not really understanding the wet comments. I use them front and rear and won Set2Rise on them, and it rained in the afernoon and the first few hrs of the race too, maiing the course a quagmire. Let a bit of pressure out and they gripped amazingly in the wet rooty sections. However, I was on a 29er, which would have helped with traction.

They do slide earlier than some, but it's super predictable and couple that with low rolling resistance and they're a stupidly fast tyre in most conditions as long as you're comfy with a bit of movement under you.

Hoorah! – another person happily admitting to getting all over excuberant on race day. I haven't ever felt cheeky enough to shout "elite rider coming through" but I like the idea. I think for me it might be more a case of of "solo rider going at an overly optimistic pace for this early stage of the race coming through"!

That I will be flat out for a long time I won't debate, that this won't be a slow creak for a significant proprtion of this is entirely debateable, given that the course has 1300ft of climbing per lap and I'm one of the morre, erm, "confotably proportioned" soloists. Is there a prize for the heaviest solo rider?

Either way, I'm getting butterflies already. Bring it on!

Looking forward to all the pushes this year from the declared non-racers though ;-)

I'll be there.

Doing my first mayhem solo.

I might try and do my best impression of racing – is this so wrong? It is a timed race after all. Hopefully this means everyone who has stated they're just there to do a few laps can take pity on me give me a push as I slowly creak past them please?!

No, I'm not joking. Based on last year's course; there's just over 1400ft of climbing per lap, laps take about three quarters of an hour, so that's almost 2000ft of climbing per hour. That's a lot of climbing no matter who you are or where you are.

flatness of the course

????

Sure you have the right event? The climbing, per mile, of the Mayhem course is significant. It's known as a climby course.

Didn't you ask this yesterday HERE ?

The answer is still "no" :-P

The cassette spacing and shifter/mech travel are different; 8s and 9s cassettes are the same width but 9s has closer spacing and a narrower chain.

Obi_Twa – Member
PSP – Carbohydrate 99g/100g & Go – Carbohydrate 95g/100g

So why would you use both?

To ensure you got sufficient, but not excessive, quantities of electrolyte in your energy drink. PSP is without, GO is with electrolyte. Insufficient electrolyte on a hot day, or just on a long ride, where you've sweated a lot out and you'll suffer some or all of muscle cramps, stomach cramps and nausea, extremely unpleasant in my experience. Too much electrolyte is also unpleasant, hence the "plain" energy drink with just carbs.

TORQ also make their drinks with and without electrolyte (flavoured with and plain without), which is not realised by most users I've found!

SIS can't be that bad, Contador just switched and surely, if any cyclist on the planet can, he must be someone who can choose exactly whatever he uses. Just because it's "old technology" doesn't make it worse, let alone ineffective. Wheels have been made round for quite a while now ;-)

Protein bars as a recommendation for energy producrs? Really, Can you explain please flap_jack? Genuine question as I've not done too much research on the subject, but that's the first time I've heard that. Cheers.

To qualify the Contador comment, I can't believe that road and MTB require different energy products, as it's all just cadence and heart rate using very very similar muscles. It may just all be a marketing thing as Torq seem to target the mtb scene whereas maybe other brands go for the road/sportive market?