bristol bike fest
welshkev
Posts: 9,690
i've just entered the 3 hour solo men's event at the bristol bike fest, any one else doing it? not sure what to expect, never done one before :?
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Yeah, I'm hoping to do it this year as well for the first time.
http://www.bikeradar.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=12613664&highlight=
Providing I can keep my bike in good working order.
I'll probably get it serviced during the week leading upto it.0 -
Expect a fairly technical mostly singletrack course with only one big climb.
If the weather stays good like last year it's real fun and quick, if it's wet it will literally turn to s**t after one lap and be a total slog.
Did tema of 4 12 hour last year - doing 12 hour solo this year. Look out for the cheesy riders and come and say hello!0 -
zero303 wrote:Expect a fairly technical mostly singletrack course with only one big climb.
If the weather stays good like last year it's real fun and quick, if it's wet it will literally turn to s**t after one lap and be a total slog.
Did tema of 4 12 hour last year - doing 12 hour solo this year. Look out for the cheesy riders and come and say hello!
seeing as you did it last year, you should be able to answer this for me.
Am I right in thinking it's a time trial and not an actual race (and you have 3 hours to get your best time?) If not how does it work?
thanks[/u]0 -
[quote="
Am I right in thinking it's a time trial and not an actual race (and you have 3 hours to get your best time?) If not how does it work?
thanks[/u][/quote]
i think that you have 3 hours to do as many FULL laps as possible, so if you're on say 3 and a half when the 3 hours is up only 3 count. i think that's how it works.
kev0 -
If the weather stays good like last year it's real fun and quick, if it's wet it will literally turn to s**t after one lap and be a total slog.
Oh ye of little faith.
To be honest I'm not sure how it will hold up if it's wet. I've done it about 5 years running and it's always dry. :shock: I suspect that if it rains parts will get very boggy but it won't be totally unrideable in the same way that, say, Mountain Mayhem can be.
About half the route is singletrack and it's quite rocky and rooty. There are a few good passing places, but I think most of the fast guys make up their time on the climbs, which are mostly smooth and wide. There will be a lot fewer people doing the three hour then the full 12 hour, so it might seem a bit dead, but it's still a really friendly and laid back event. It's definitely a race though!0 -
Bristol Bike Fest is hopefully going to be my 1st outing for my hardtail single speed but having read the above would it be more suited to my geared full susser?0
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projectsome wrote:woot, signed up today for the 3 hour novice solo on sunday. now i just gotta train.
does anyone have an idea of the actual course/route
hey mate,
I was shooting there last summer and have a load of images here -
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bristolpet ... 835956152/
Hope this helps.
It is a very rooty course and slippery when wet, especially given that the stones that are showing have been polished by multiple bikes over the years. Hope it will be a good day, not too hot, but no rain.
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full susser or hardtail?
Unless you've got quite a light racey full susser I'd say hardtail. The bumpy stuff isn't that bumpy and the climbs are a really good place to overtake.
projectsome, have a look here for the course:
http://www.bike-fest.com/bristol/course.php0 -
Antony: You're positive enough for all of us about our trails in the wet!
To confirm: Bike fest is a race and it's most laps in the time category wins. They try to big up the Sunday but it really is all about the big 12 on saturday in terms of "that event feel"
RE: full suss vs HT - I'll be full sussing it but only because I'm a) doing 12 solo and b) really don't want to single speed it (my other bike).
However, Speaking to the Canondale rep last year - he raced a couple of years previous and was changing bikes every lap. Out of a Taurine, Scalpel and a Prophet, the big old Prophet was actually the quickest.
Now I suspect hardened racers will probably be quickest on the Scalpel or possibly Taurine but mere mortals probably get more tired from the ST sections than they do from lugging the weight around.
I demoed the Scalpel on the Sunday last year and while I was big ringing it in sections I never thought possible, I was then grinding to a halt in sections where I'd be maintain speed on my own bigger travel slacker bike...
I think the course is varied enough to flatter all sorts of bikes mind - my mate Matt does the same times on his AM rig and his rigid geared 29er! Go figure!0 -
Zero303, that's not baseless optimism you understand, just a reflection on the amount of stone we've tipped into the track over the years! The only bit I can see going south if it rains is the grassy section along the edge of the showjumping field, and I'm nagging them to do something about that, although they're not keen to make it permanent for some reason.
Agree that you can do a fast lap on almost any bike - I guess it depends which you hate more, bumps or ups.
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I rode around Ashton Court the open part of 50 acre woods (red parts closed off), longwood lane straight through down a steep hill (stillwoods area i think) then back into ashton court, up some sort of stream, then upto the quarry then back down to leigh woods/paradise bottom. think i still need more training, as I'm not too good at picking up speed.0
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The course is all in Ashton Court - it basically follows the waymarked trail but it adds in an extra descent to the bottom of the estate, and a climb back up. It runs the opposite way round to the normal trail direction too so don't be surprised if you meet people coming the other way. :shock:0
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Antony_de_H wrote:The course is all in Ashton Court - it basically follows the waymarked trail but it adds in an extra descent to the bottom of the estate, and a climb back up. It runs the opposite way round to the normal trail direction too so don't be surprised if you meet people coming the other way. :shock:
like me. :roll:0 -
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