Many semi-professionals are using 29ers, to great effect. Just look at the professional mtn biking scene in the UK – it's almost zilch, even Matt Page has a day job.

The road riding example above: extrapolate that and you have some more information so don't be so blinkered, it's 2010 and 29ers are winning all over the country in all manner of races from my local High Wycombe race meet to the Kielder 100. If you race or compete in events, be it Mayhem or your local club events, you’ll see, year on year, more riders commuting across to 29ers, and that’s simple fact.

Out and out speed is really only a small part of the bike riding experience and equation, but since the OP asked specifically about the speed of 29ers, I've confined my comments to just that. Unless you suck-and-see for yourself, you’ll forever be relying upon 2nd hand snippets of information and anecdotes, not the most informed way forward.

Last w/end was the UK solo 24hr mtn bike championships. My two fastest laps were on my 29er. I then had a rear wheel bearing issue so rode the Turner Flux for the remained of the 24hrs. This took in the Red & Blue routes at Newcastleton, so my personal advice would be to ignore the uninformed riders who pedal the line that 29ers are slow in the single track as they're talking from little or no personal experience; take your lead from those who have made the leap and actually own both 29 & 26ers.

It's only a short ride back to the hall of shame.
The route is sort-of a figure of 8-ish.

Rest is vital and over training is going backwards full-tilt. Especially the older you get, the more quality rest your body (& mind) requires. FWIW, take this w/end off as stress can put you back no end as well as your HRmax can be adversely affected; besides, the weather looks poor until Monday!

I think a few drinks can be a spanner in works too, alcohol and hard-graft training are poor bed-fellows.

Looks like the 13 miute lap time was broken by a few riders.
It's the young 12-14yr olds belting past you / me on their 3 laps that get me!

I can tell you on my road training rides, with both the 29er and the Turner Flux mtn bikes shod with RRalf tyres, the 29er is almost 1.5mph faster on each ride.

It's time in the saddle on training rides that is going to count. Simply clocking up some miles is perhaps fools gold as riding up Mt Kenya is very little distance but a killer climb! You have to be quick to the 50 mile check point, which is where about 1/3 of the 203 riders failed. I'm also coming to the conclusion that time in the saddle on road rides is maybe the way to train effectively as there's no letting up on the cadence.

Don't just work on distance at the expemse of speed. Have some long days but don't go easy on your speed or you'll be sent back to Kielder at the 1/2 way point.

There are going to be a lot more riders this year, so that might get a little awkward at times – not sure quite how it'll work, but they'll have a solution. Book your accommodation if you haven't already! Consider that move to a 29er – many riders did very well on their 29ers last year (it looked like most of the UK's 29ers were lined up on the start line last September).

Perhaps go up there for a long w/end and ride the trails to better get a feel for the terrain and task? Either way, it's alreay become a legendry event and it's only its 2nd year in 2010!

Hope this helps.

Anyone else feeling sleepy still?
I know I am!

I had a great 3hr hill-fest training ride on Thursday night locally, which I was very surprised about as I thought my legs would be dreadfully fatigued.
Perhaps I didn't ride as hard as I think I did over the w/end and it was my mind that was content at 10 laps!

After a w/end of riding, I'm having a late / mid morning breakfast including oven chips (you know, the big fat ones we all so like!) and I've taken to snacking on some rather yummy Bombay mix and cashew nuts!
:wink:

I've switched to Bonty 24, pairs this year.
If a space comes up with a week to go, I might, but after a few years, it's time for a break.
Will ride the Meridas, UK 24 solo & Kielder 100.

Murphy's Law = icecream vendor turns up at an event and it will snow that w/end.

A T-shirt sounds like an excellent idea.
I'll buy two please.

As above, I'm sure the economics of this 1st race precluded the usual T-shirts inclusion; as you say, a lot of hard graft for little £ would have been the order of the day for this first one.

Next year will pay slightly better dividends but more than that, this event further builds on the branding success of the Montane Kielder 100, meaning SIP Events can perhaps expand their operations as I for one would not hesitate when booking another inaugrial event with them, such was the huge success of these last two. (where do I sign-up?)

a link please.

A history of the World – this one is about the history of smoking, originating in N America.

It worked out in the end.
Possibly the best race / event I've ever entered.
And what's more, my knee held up, even if my lack of race fitness did tell at times.
Had I not been taking photographs and had a break for breakfast I might actually have broken into the top 10.
Next year….

Recovering from the 24hr at the w/end.

From experience this April / May, RR on the the wrong way makes a difference.
Make sure they're pointing the correct way.

Yesterday I felt fine and drove back to London in one hit & got on with some work.
Today, I'm battling through the day like it's soft sand. Siesta time me thinks!

What's good that whatever's said on line, or whatever comments are posted up, once out on the trails and racing, we're all the best of friends. It really was a great pleasure riding with you all.

I was surprised, give the nature of the course, that more mechanicals weren't an issue (or did I miss them?) although both my bikes need some £ throwing at them before I ride them again.

On my last lap, at the top of the grassy climb, I sat on the bench for a good 10 minutes soaking up the view and the bird song.
Moments of pure indulgent bliss at the end of a tough but hugely rewarding race.
If SS events are like that, I'm off to buy one! :wink:

It's a shame many pubs don't see a need to put smokers in one section of the garden and non-smokers in the remainder of the beer garden. And why do they feel the need to hang about the door way? Even people inside can't escape them when they loiter with their vile drugs.

I've been to the pub maybe 3 times since the ban and each time I drank up and left such was the stench from the half-wits & their "need" to do their drugs.
Prior to the ban we used to visit the pub garden for a drink maybe 10-15 times a year, now it's down to once – at most.

Thankfully, it's becoming more & more socially unacceptable to do tobacco, and the last I'd heard was that the cost to the NHS was actually out by a factor of 5, so the idea that the 1/2wits pay for the hospitals is somewhat flawed.

Sign me up!

75 new mountain biking "friends".
What a cracking set of riders and support crews and staff.
So much was nigh-on perfect, I'm still finding it difficult to organise my thoughts on the event, and what an epic battle for the title!

Matt, your race win was quite astonishing to witness, huge congratulations to you and your crew; in fact, congratulations to everyone who raced – we lucky few!

Can't you tie one hand behind your back to make it a little harder on yourself? :wink:

I'll just wear my jeans I guess! :wink:

Leaving shortly, so pop by for a cuppa everyone. Blue family sized tunnel tent, Blue Passat, reg ending in TFP, riding a Ti On-one 29er and a silver Turner Flux.

I am never rude to cold callers be they on the phone or the door stop.
That is simply bad manners are reflects badly upon you, the called-upon.

YOu don't have to fight fire with fire, there is never a need to be rude to people, however much you may dislike their chosen occupation, they may be doing what they're doing for a mirriad of personal reasons and to have an uneducated lout abuse them is poor form. Shame on you if you believe the way to behave is to verbally abuse another person.

Caution. Very rude words from Kevin Bl££dy Wilson's way of dealing with cold callers!

We get calls here in the office, obviously originating in India.
They come on, after a long-distance pause and tell proceed to tell me their name is Cameron or Paul or Jonathan (!) or some such. No, it's Mr Patel again with his list of lies.

Usually they also ring the 2nd line at the very same moment, so I turn one hand set into a 69 position & let them chat to each other !

Just looking at these figures and one leaps out: The Doctor.
To go from 86 to 75kg is asking a huge amount. That would leave you with a BMI of 21.6. (I guessed a DOB 1970)
I've been down to that BMI and there was nothing of me, you could see striations in my back & shouldre muscles and people kept asking me what was wrong, if I was ill (I'd been solo trekking in the High Andes for 2+ weeks).

Try Crank Bros Candies or Egg beaters maybe?
There's more float & kinder to the knees.
YOu might be getting older. :wink:

This makes a big difference if you have the bike upright or upside down for a night or so. It asks the air in the braking system, very politely, whilst you're asleep, to leave so their master can have his brakes working again.

Zip ties every time.

£999 at Halfords. CF jobbie that's all the rave reviews are about.

Rutland Water – sounds flat, or are you Jesus on wheels?

Right now a mtn bike 'round these parts on the minor roads makes perfect sense as they're are in a dreadful state. In the winter it makes sense too as you have more contact patch with the wet, slippery road surfaces. I sold my Trek 2300 on eBay last week (£461) as it never left the shed.

Is the Boadman carbon bike (as above) for £999, now the default setting for mtn bikers when buying a road bike for training purposes?

What's wrong with a mtn bike on the road – put on 2.3 chunky winter tyres and train hard! (I average 13mph on the 26er, 14mph on the 29er)

(I was just checking you were still with me with the omni / herbi BTW. Cows are, as you well know, carnivores.)

I'll open the bidding then at £17 (to include postage).

cow. Do you feed them fat?

I think you'll find cows are omnivores – last I looked.

If you are a farmer, you'll be familiar with the practise of gavage; force feeding animals. Or leblouh, force feeding the bride-to-be – in some cultures.
This has now died out in the UK since all our women folk seem to be either fat or obese!

As in most societies, people want what they're not or don't have.
Fat want to be thin, thin want to be fat, straight hair wants curls, curly wants straighteners for Xmas, and so it goes on. This post in many ways is not dissimilar. The OP wants to lose weigh so he can manage the climbs better. There comes a point at which weight loss actually become detrimental to the end game.

90 degrees to seat post and shove it your arse for such a question.

There's always one fool who think he needs to "contribute" with some abusive nagative.
Cheers for the informed answers (minus the village idiot).

On that note: does anyone ride with 2x pairs of padding on long rides, ie an extra insert?

With the weather set to be warm / humid, many changes of tops.

Ban America words from the written word. Next you’ll be using color, which is again, unacceptable!
Colloquialisms are fine but need to be placed in " inverted commas" when used or else people will think you don't know the difference! Having been brought up in the North Riding, I know this all too well.

Toys19 – how does this equate to most of the world's population surviving for the last 12,000 yrs on rice or the cultivation of millet going back 10,000 years?

Now – back to the OP.

Two other things:
sun tan lotion & midgie spray.

PS – I'm going to try 1x energy bar & 1x gel per hour plus propper food based on rice every 3-4hrs in small amounts.

Ewee see, with a word like "reet" you instantly know Dave is a Yorkshire Man and therefore tough from his 'ead t' his toes, so don't try and keep up with him as he's off t' podium (via & a spot of ploughing on his tractor, clutchin' a Yorkshire puddin' & perhaps some black puddin'). By'Ek Lad, he's a bit nifty o'tut bike, ain't ee?

here on the BBCFor the weigh-in, taken from the BBC:

For a man of his age (late 40's) it's considered average that his fat % to be 22-25%.
Men's bodies contain 50% water, women's 30%.
Endurance athletes can lose up to 2-4ltrs of water per hour with exercise. If you lose more than 2% of your body weight from sweating (ie – not replaced fully) then performance is impaired.
This loss of 2% can occur within the first hour of exercise.
At the elite level, replace water loss to include water with sodium & sugars.
Look at urine colour – pale straw colour is best, orange is not hydrated enough.
Weight loss and weigh-ins can provide the person with a good idea of how much they sweat per hour during exercise.
1kg of weight loss = approx 1ltr of sweat.
Too much water before or during exercise can result in a stitch (runners more perhaps?).
Small amounts and often is the best way to hydrate.
Alcohol = net fluid loss (unless it's very weak beer).
Glass of wine = loss of 100ml of fluid.
A shot = 150ml loss.
Don't hydrate with sugary drinks.
Tea & coffee contain caffeine and so after 2-4 cups of tea, only then will the diuretic effect kick in. Coffee has 2x the amount of caffeine as tea. Espresso and such like are not good as you take in very little water at the same time.

ps – can we also expunge those twin American evils – gonna & gotten, they are NOT English words?

For a man of his age (late 40's) it's considered average that his fat % to be 22-25%.
Men's bodies contain 50% water, women's 30%.
Endurance athletes can lose up to 2-4ltrs of water per hour with exercise. If you lose more than 2% of your body weight from sweating (ie – not replaced fully) then performance is impaired.
This loss of 2% can occur within the first hour of exercise.
At the elite level, replace water loss to include water with sodium & sugars.
Look at urine colour – pale straw colour is best, orange is not hydrated enough.
Weight loss and weigh-ins can provide the person with a good idea of how much they sweat per hour during exercise.
1kg of weight loss = approx 1ltr of sweat.
Too much water before or during exercise can result in a stitch (runners more perhaps?).
Small amounts and often is the best way to hydrate.
Alcohol = net fluid loss (unless it's very weak beer).
Glass of wine = loss of 100ml of fluid.
A shot = 150ml loss.
Don't hydrate with sugary drinks.
Tea & coffee contain caffeine and so after 2-4 cups of tea, only then will the diuretic effect kick in. Coffee has 2x the amount of caffeine as tea. Espresso and such like are not good as you take in very little water at the same time.

Off at a tangent: it might be prudent to check all your close families birthdays and anniversaries if you'd managed to forget this event’s date!

You only need forget your wedding anniversary just the once to better understand what I’m talking about.