Have you done a marathon before? A sub 3 hour marathon is a very big ask, even for an experienced runner. If you can run a sub 85 min half marathon, theoretically, you should be capable of a sub 3hr marathon….if you’re prepared to train 5 or 6 days a week, and put in speedwork, hills, long threshold pace runs, then maybe, just maybe.
(I’ve done a 83 min half, and my best marathon time is 3:13….I think it would have been a big jump for me to get that under 3 hours).

you took the plunge then?!

Paceman..I’ll be interested to see what you choose..I’m starting to think about changing my Pace 405 and a 29er of some sort may be on the list. I’m going to give a SC Tallboy a test – would like to try the LT version too. but they are expensive!!

the new Reverbs come with a nice shiny silver clamp that you can put around the extending part to stop it dropping all the way down…if that’s what you mean. Maybe they’d sell you one for an older Reverb?

with regular riding 3 times a week (a long low intensity ride, plus some shorter higher intensity stuff), you should have noticeable fitness gains in about 6 weeks….probably

Jones Mudx or Maxxis Crossmark 2.25

I’ve had them on my Trek Fuel for 14 months. they survived the TransRockies and show no signs of damage or being out of true. Very light compared to any other wheels I’ve got. I figure I’ll cross the spoke replacement/servicing bridge when I come to it!

years :wink:

Trickydisco..that’s what I was afraid of :(

thanks…it’s not actually for me, a friend’s wife wants to buy him a course for his birthday, and wants me to go along. having been for a day with Jedi, I’m trying to figure out how it would compare

only have Nobby Nics left – they’ll be dead in an hour

don’t understand…I run a Nobby Nics on my bike and go to “Welsh Trail Centres” regularly and don’t have to replace my tyres every hour?

2009 Transrockies…not at the time, with 5 days of rain and endless mud, but looking back, it was fantastic.
NOT the 2011 Transrockies..great singletrack but no “trans”

Black Mountains 3 day in ’11 comes a very close second!

you’d think if you were doing a dissertation, you’d be able to spell it :?

it seems odd that people who admit to jumping red lights only seem to think that they’re putting their own lives at risk, therefore, if they accept that risk, it’s OK. What if a car swerves to avoid an RLJing cyclist, and hits another car, or pedestrian?

I had the Bankhart procedure in October 2009, 4 weeks in a sling, gradually building up the physio over the next few months. I rode my mtb in January (very very carefully) and finished physio in April 2010. It’s been a total success and I have full movement..but like all these things it depends on how dedicated you are doing the physio.

the only thing I would watch out for is the cost of pads for the XXs. You (according to SRAM) can’t use sintered or semi-sintered, and the organic pads don’t last long in the wet. other than that, a great brake if bled properly

even better, don’t do the course, and buy Adobe Lightroom….

no thanks..like Onzadog, I have dogs to walk in the morning. it’s bad enough that I have to walk them in the dark for 6 months of the year, let alone 8….and no, I can’t just get up later, cos I have to work.

buy some lights

I guess I should have linked to my blog, seeing as I’ve taken the trouble to wirte it![/url]

oh and after the first day, we didn’t notice the altitude!

did it two years ago (the wet year) and it was really tough…partly cos of the rain/mud for 5 days. But we’d trained, and it was do-able..

am doing again next week! the course has completely changed – it’s considerably shorter (390km vs 550km) and less climbing (12K vs 15K), but is apparently alot more singletrack and more of it is rideable. I’m suspect it won’t be any easier this year, even tho each day is shorter….I suspect being more technical will take it out of you just as much as a long fire-road climb.

I’ll let you know in 2 weeks!

a fantastic event….really well organised and great trails. I’ll be back!

me

I was there…did Skyline and the wall. Tho I still enjoy Skyline, Afan is definately going downhill (haha)….too many people, not enough trails

“Saw many many people failing when trying to clip in whilst trying to ride up a rock garden!”

where on earth is this unrideable uphill rock garden at Afan…I must have missed it?

yes, is the short answer.
you can train at specific cadence/HR much more easily on the road (not necessarily a road bike), and by training at specific combinations (e.g. at your threshold HR for a given cadence) you’ll ultimately generate more power for a given HR. Also much easier to practice pedalling through 360..nice smooth cadence makes maintaining traction on slippy stuff much easier, rather than mashing the pedals.

I had steroid injections in my shoulder a few times…first time it worked really well, and lated about 2 years – the steroid reduced the inflammation enough to stop the aggravation. 2nd time it didn’t work so well, but got me through the Transrockies, then I came back and had surgery (and it was all a lot more of a mess in there than expected, so 3 hrs of surgery needed!)

I don’t see the point..what does the dog get out of being dragged round behind a bike? just leave him at home and take him for a proper walk before and after the ride!

yeah what he said…I had to buy a smaller big chainring for my OnOne 456C…no clearance otherwise

I still have an email from Giant somewhere saying a 120mm for would be absolutely fine

(but I bought a Trek fuel instead)

We did the short route too…pretty grim (but it’s a pretty grim course anyway imho).
I was amazed to see a pair of riders heading up to the start, one wearing football shorts and a cotton t-shirt, the other in shorts and a cotton sweatshirt…wonder how long they lasted?!

um…have you been to Merthyr??

Oggles…how did you remove it?

great…thanks for the feedback folks!

In fact you’ll probably struggle to find a native Welsh speaker living within 15 miles of Pontrhydyfen

guffaw!!

I made it 77km. thought I’d missed something!

there is a full 42km of Skyline available, tho’ one bit, the homeward route goes along the outward route (in reverse, obviously). There is less singletrack than there used to be, but if you want a long ride that feels a bit more “out there”, it’s OK

don’t think of it in metric…1 and 3/4 pounds sounds like a lot more to me!

I rode the newly re-opened partly re-routed Skyline last weekend….there is a full 42km route available now but some of the singletrack is still closed off

I use High5 recovery (chocolate is great) and their energy 4:1 drink…both work well for me