I use them:

– PSP drink on long hard rides & races at night and when it's cold
– GO drink when it's sunny
– GO Gels and the odd bar added to the above depending on how hard I'm trying as there's a LOT of me to fuel
– REGO after a race or a massive ride as I cycle to work everyday and like frsh legs!

In fact I use SIS products almost exclusively and, on long rides >12hrs, where you're asking your stomach to process a lot of food without a break and it get's quite upset about it, I have really struggled with nausea in the past.

I've found the SIS range pretty effective, and I feel I've been riding stronger since switching to the SIS products (and thinking a bit about which to use and when)

That said however, away from the race track, you'll always find a pork pie and a malt loaf in my backpack ;-)

Metasequoia – I'd base the decision on top tube length, not how much seatpost I have sticking out the frame, as you'll have different kength legs to mine and the seatpost can be moved up and down, whereas top tubes are kinda stuck!

My saddle is a shade under 34" from the centre of the cranks (I may be a wee bit over 6'4")

Enjoy your test ride, it's a pretty phenomenal bike

6'4" and a wee smidgen – it even says so in the link/article, there's more photos of the bike too ;-)

I do really rather like my Tallboy too though

FULL ARTICLE ABOUT IT HERE

Niner, surely? With matching carbon fork.

no

Me, I actually make my own lights, as it entertains me in the winter and for a while home made lights were significnatly better than the lights one could buy. Remember that massive light homebrew thread from many years ago? It was me that started it, so I have done my homework.

For racing I always use exposure lights as the QR bracket and cabke free lights is a big advantage, particularly for solo, but I shan't eulogise about the exposure range any longer. I put enough of my time and money into racing for the extra cost to be more than worth while. In fact, I would suggest that most people here put enough time and money into cycling to justify the extra). Yes, I have got to know a couple of the guys at Exposure, but this has highlighted just how much effort goes into developing these into the very best bike lights, not just a bright torch in a neat package. You only have to see just how many of the endurance events they support to see how they got their lights so developed.

For Set2Rise I was very lucky indeed to be lent their new light prototypes, but sadly they had to go straight back. Despite the light being very developed already, I was aksed for feedback on all aspects of it just incase it could be made better again, these guys are passionate about their lights!

For the record, on the topic of burn times up there, Exposure do a piggyback battery which can be used (or even more than one of them, to acvhieve whatever burn times you want) and it's way quicker than swapping replacement cells into your battery pack or torch.

However, given the levels of light we were all using 10, even 5, years ago, the DX torch is adequate, just hope no-one in your group has a briter light or you'll be riding in your shadow when they're behind you!

I don't subscribe to the school of thought that too much light "ruins the night ride experience" for me it's just about getting out there by myself or with my mates and riding my bike. Rifding at night will always be different as the light source is mounted just in front of you and moves with you and the bike, quite different to the sun! I don't find myself going out at 2am in summer to get out in darkness to simulate a proper winter ride. I ride at night as I love riding my bikes and in winter, as I work full time, this means I have to ride in the dark, excellent lights make this possible. However, I do like being out in the open on a full moon with the luights off, truly peaceful.

spokebloke, you miss the point:

1) The DX lights do not put out anywhere near 900 lumens

2) The DX led has a generic reflector (less efficient) applied for all purposes, torch, bar light, head torch etc. The guys at Exposure spend a long time and many many prototypes optimising the lens type, combination and orientation optimising them for each light to make the best bike light.

3) Check who you're lecturing about riding ability and telling to MTFU; I just won Set2Rise 12hr solo and, after the course slowed after it had rained, my lap times stayed pretty damn constant from lap 3, when it was light, through the night laps, all the way through sunrise to lap 15 at the finish :-P

It won't last 3hrs at a rated 900lumens without a LOT of batteries, the P7 LED chomps a ferrocious 18W to produce that, so whilst the LED may be able to produce 900 lumens, in the highest bin, when cool at full power, with two cells and 3hrs of burn time (i.e. less bright LED), the effective light will be half that.

I'd much rather one MaXx-D, that's been designed as a bike light, than two torches strapped to my bars based on the side by side testing I've seen out on the trail and in wide flat spaces looking to see distinctive features.

Two of those lights will not be the same, by a LONG way, as the 1800 lumens quoted by the new Exposure six-pack for example.

As troutie (and anyone else who makes their own lights) will no doubt confirm, it's not just the rated maximum lumens of the LED you choose to put in your light, but the development of an effective lens for the intended application (different for bars and helmet) that makes the light truly good for riding at night.

The DX lights simply can't compare to the MaXx-D, which is in a different, better, class all together. There's several of both in my ride group, and all but a couple are MaXx-D riders now. Definitely worth the extra if you can find the cash. It's transformed my night riding.

Is anyone who is recommending the DX light suggesting it's actually better, or just confirming it's cheaper? Most who rate them are switching from old, very low powered systems, so they appear great in comparison, however not so much in comparison to the MaXx-D. There's definitely a lot of unhappy faces in the group when the DX lights guys start changing batteries every 30mins at 11pm in the middle of winter too!

Don't take my word for it: Turn up to a night endurance race that runs through the nigh and have a look at what 95% of the guys at the front who want/need to go flat out through the night have fitted to the bars ;-)

Swampi – I bet my Tallboy's lighter ;-)

rootes1 – not enough to slow me down!

I am quite happy climbing out the saddle after a little bit of shock fettling to get the VPP to operate at the right point. If I mash in granny ring I can force bob, but pedalling smoothly, or in a "proper" gear ;-) it's quite astonishing

You want a race bike? How about this:

Tallboy Race Bike Feature

Tallboy is DEFINITELY a race bike! Question is, are you after a one-lap wonder, or something that will let you cross the finish line a few hrs later at the same speed you started out at?

At Set2RiseI came round the first lap quite alarmed to find myself in 5th place overall "cruising" ahead of all the male teams, who were doing just the one lap. The bike is stunningly quick. I haven't touched my Superfly (2009 race bike) since I got it. Off to Bristol Bikefest this weekend with one bike in the boot: Tallboy.

Erm, I mean, it's horrid, no-one get one who is going to race against me. It must just be my legs. Erm… :-P

Giant will do an Anthem 29er, if you'd been watching the Sea Otter news:

BIKE RUMOUR – ANTHEM 29er AT SEA OTTER[/url]

Yup, Santacruz Tallboy, provided by the nice guys at Leisure Lakes. A singletrack weapon beyond compare IMHO (and I rode a Superfly last year as reference!)

There's mine, on it's way to winning Set2Rise solo at the weekend:

Lots of twisty-twisty is where I made all the time, I got toasted by the other guys fighting for the lead on the big climb (look at the size of me) so it needed to be double quick in the woods! Luckily it was simply awesome.

Yup, that was me who left the pits without lights and had to go back for them at night.

It was also me in the trees whose crank fell off at the end of lap 2, and you can see me bolting it back on. Just as above, I rode out the pits without fixing it properly, it fell off again mid-lap, I stopped to put it back on and then reattached it properly the next time through the pits.

Add the triple crank re-attachment to my lack of lights at night screw up and it's amazing I finished anywhere near the podium! Luckily I was having so much fun it didn't phase me. Not having anyone in the pits to help out also meant I couldn't get stressed about where I was in the race or how much time I had or hadn't lost as I didn't have a clue how I was doing for most of the race!

My guts were fine luckily. I think I pedalled most of it out my system! I was certainly a bit hungry once I'd stopped. I was using up my odds and ends of energy foods from last season, but SIS are supporting the Leisure Lakes team this year and so far the experience has been rather pleasant for my long suffering stomach :-D

Either that, or it was the "medicinal" properties of my breakfast of champions from the first petrol station that I passed, which consisted of: Pork & Pickle Pie, Giant BLT Baguette, huge bag of Flamin' Hot Monster Munch, Bucket of Coffee and as much Flapjack as I could carry! Probably what Nick Craig has after a big ride too ;-)

Hi, I did see it thanks, I love the one you have of my food & bottles. I was completely unsupported, so tried to get a bit organised before the race to minimise the time sorting myself out between laps:

Oh, and cheers for the pics!

Hi S-Works,

Great podium photos, thank you! I was unsupported and pitting for myself, so I didn't have anyone to take any photos. I have a few good shots I've already got permission to use of me riding from other people, but is it OK if I use the podium shot and the great shot of my bottles with food attached in the pits as I'd like to write a little piece for Leisure Lakes who have been great in supporting me this year? Solo can get very expensive just with all the food to keep someone my size going for 12hrs! Let alone the wear and tear on the bike.

Obviously the photos will get a credit to the photographer, if it's OK, who would you like me to credit the photos to? A name?

Fingers crossed!

Cheers

Rob

I think it's fair to say I won despite my tyres, not because of it! I had a couple of spills on the way round. I also got some (deserved) stick of Dave Buchanan of Syncros (who also won, in mixed pairs) as I passed him as apparently I was all over the shop as he followed me, which I can't deny!

Do I get a prize for looking like the rider happiest to be on the podium? :-D

Janesy – yes, that was me on the SB8s, which I used from lap 1 to lap 15, they worked pretty well for me as that's me up there with a shiney new Charge Duster frame too! WHOOP!

I enjoyed chatting to people all the way around for the whole 12hrs, I think everybody had a great race. What a cracking event (second only to the BrightonBigDog ;-) ).

Just the one event Cris? Time to MTFU :-P Is Trevor riding too?

12hr team on Saturday followed by a "cheeky" 6hr ride on Sunday here ;-)

Just like last weekend I won't be chasing you on lap 1! Should I put money on you for fastest lap again, which I assume is target #1?

Mayhem doesn't have a pairs category, only solo & teams

welshwheels, it's quite common, it's refered to as a "short" 12hr, the same format is also used at TwentyFour12, BrightonBigDog and 24hrs of Exposure to name a few.

You still get all the drama of trying to squeeze an extra lap in, and tactics can become even more exciting for those who are running close; imagine finishing at 6:01 and it not counting!

The idea is to give the event a "clean" ending, which is far, far better as it stops the slowest rider sprinting to get in then going out again with 1min to go and doing a 2hr lap, which would mean a MASSIVE wait for everyone until results could be finalised and podiums happen etc. This means that this format is getting quite popular. Good PA/timing systems also keep the crowd informed who is running it tight so makes for a very, very exciting finish for the last few minutes and there's oten a count down with 60seconds to go as you see some desparate rider appear on the horizon sprinting to get in, very dramatic! Mayhem, for example, is always a >25hr race with the hugest wait for the podium ceremony by which time lots of people have gone home, which is always a shame.

When I say "propoer" i was refering the the guys with big tripods, a helper holding the flash on the other side of the trail, a warning sign so you knew they were there and didn't get alarmed by the flash, a selection of cameras, each one of which looked like it weighed more than my bike! i.e. not some chap with an ixus ;-)

Still, no-one can shed any light on this, or is everyone else who entered still asleep?

Me!

Complete with shiny new bike

BTW:

New bike ready for 24 Solo Champs next weekend too – double happy ride!

I'm coming out to play!

Asuming my new bike's all ready to roll of course. With a week to go should I be concerned? Hmm…..

I'm a long way from "the professionals" and my computer told me I didn't actually stop for the first 8hrs of the last 24 I did (rolling pit stops, hell yeah!) there was then some stopping to fit lights, a few <20second stops for water & food between rolling stops and few stops on the course to have a wee and a single, 4min, stop for a brief leg rub and to settle a very nauseous stomach when I was at my absolute lowest point. And I'm just a doing-it-for-fun-ist!

If you want to see how it's done, watch 224 Solo. The guy who won, now he knows how to push himself and we can all learn a lesson about what being really tired is from him!

Can't wait, everyone should have a crack at one of these. The competitor list is pretty intensely fierce though, just a top 10 finish is going to be super hard, and there's podium talk up there!

Rob

My tip for the SDW it get two bottle cages and two large (750ml) bottles to get the weight of your water on the frame. I found this makes a massive difference. The public taps are frequent enough that this should be more than enough to keep you hydrated.

Sounds like you're already a long way there with your massive pack for everything else.

Good luck, hope you enjoy it, it's a great "must do" ride. Just back from a long sunny day ride with a healthy chunk of the SDW myself and it's riding fast at the moment and looking great in the sunshine. You guys will have a ball. More importantly, the cake at QECP is eating well too I can confirm ;-)

If you've done a few big, long days in the saddle the hardtail might be quicker as there's lots of climbing and it will be more efficient and, presumably, lighter. If you're not or are at all worried about comfort, your legs or your back, or you're intending on sitting and gently spinning up all the climbs, the Yeti would be a safe option.

Maybe a couple of photos of the builds would help with giving advise as "steel hardtail" covers a VAST range of bikes and 575s can be build up in so many different ways. One man's "light-ish" is another man's downhill minster!

Oh, and good luck with the ride. This weekend would be good as did a big ride yesterday and the trails are baked tarmac hard already so a fast time would be on the cards with the current windyness ;-)

Somewhere in Cocking would be a good option, a friend stayed their as part of a 3-day ride last year. Cocking's quite close to the SDW and is neatly positioned with 35miles, roughly 1/3 of the way, from Winchester. I believe there's a pub you can stay in and get food at which will happily house your bikes securely.

Exposure

As bright as anything out there, great multi colour LED button to tell you howthe bettery is doing and what more you're in, and the only lights to offer cable free. Nothing gets close to being as good as a joystick as the ultimate head torch for package, weight and convenience, the red eye rear light is a great add on to make it the ultimate commuter light, as well as the ultimate race light too.

Once you've gone cable free with integrated battery you'll never go back. There's a reason all the top racers in the UK (who can use whatever they want) Matt Page, Ian Leitch, Ant White, the Torque team, the Syncros Endurance squad etc. ride Exposure ;-)

Too much "I ride this and it's great" on this post, not "this is best because". At the end of the day however, all modern LED lights are more than bright enough ultimately!

I'm having a go

The solo only format makes it look by far the most appealing 24 to do, plus the trails look great (less of a laps of a field feeling!). Yes, it's quite early in the year, but it'll set me up nicely for the rest of the year :-)

If you're in any doubt, just check out the entry list – reads like a who's who of soloists from recent years, and those boys know what they're doing.

If anyone's in any doubt about, or in any way tempted by solo 24, this is THE event to do IMHO

when it's "off" there is a teeny, tiny current still going through the smart port, which I think is just the control circuit looking to see if there's anything there. It'd last for years at that low low draw, so it's irrelevant. The actual "on" is sooooo much brighter.

I've got one and leave kit plugged in all week for commuting and it's never run flat even though i push my 10hrs pretty close

Oh, I see, just re-read, that'd be leaving a car for when you finish.

In that case do it quick, you'll barely have to pedal the wind's that strong! Wear the baggiest jacket you have and hold your arms out to make a sail and 7:30 should be yours ;-)

If you're flexible, with the current predicted wind direction, I'd look at doing it Winchester-Eastbourne rather than ride along an exposed ridge into a headwind all day!

For reference of train conditions fancy posting your trrget and/or actual time on this thread here before and/or after?

SDW TIMES THREAD

Oh, and erm, sorry, I can't actually help, but above and next to Paradise drive is all residential, and a safe distance from town IIRC, so plenty of safe, free parking.

Good luck, and enjoy it!

Rob

oldgit, local knowledge helps a bit, but its mostly keeping moving, keeping a nice even tempo (not too fast when you feel strong, not too slow when you feel tired), keeping eating and drinking before you feel thirsty or hungry i.e. start within 45mins and continue little and often and not stopping to eat, adjust clothing, etc. Making up 15mins for a sandwich stop takes a couple of hours of trying hard! The SDW is very well signed in both directions so minimal navigation required, just strong legs and lots of food.

Under 11 hrs? I hope you're not planning a ride this weekend or it could take a bit longer with the current quagmire-esque state of the trails ;-)

Hope you enjoy it when you give it a go, good luck :-)