Mud, Sweat and Gears 2012

stylish

Looking at the forecast, i am glad i am not racing, had enough mud at dusk till dawn to last me a few years.

bigdawg

was gonig to give this a miss, but now having seen the pics and the latest weather - Im just about to sign up... 8)

C0LL0

Went over Hadleigh yesterday expecting it to be muddy, bone dry, just a few mud holes on a bit of single track, for the amount of rain we have had the earth just soaks it in, still put on a set of Bontrager XR3's though as an all round tyre.

pilch

Sweet.... looking forward to it

bigdawg

d'ya think if I left my semi slicks on Id be pushing my luck?!

flange.

I did the nationals at Dalby on small block 8's at the weekend. I say 'did', I was racing for all of 15 minutes.

Learn from my mistakes - take the semi-slicks off......

bigdawg

yeahbut....

the suns going to be out...

http://www.yr.no/place/United_Kingdom/E ... /long.html

VWsurfbum

Just got back.

Firstly its wet, but and its a big But its fast. the rolling resistance is very low, and the grip is still there (at the moment) but i could see by the 2 hour race be a completely different to the hour one.
I think you could get away with rocket rons, but racing ralphs maybe a little too small? definatly not slicks LOL
there is some puddles that are deep but shouldnt slow you down.
the bit that i didnt recocgnise i found, and it should be fun by the 2nd lap :lolno:

anyway i did last years lap as i couldnt see any other markers to say otherwise.

http://www.endomondo.com/workouts/nrQtQRRtdvA

evo3ben

Hmmm. When i entered the Hylands Park post code into the long range weather forecast it said showers all day. Either way, im racing regardless. The less people there, the better my position 8)

Im gonna go for Racing Ralphs front and rear but bring a spare front wheel with a nobby nick on just in case and see how the warm up lap goes.

VWsurfbum

I may pop along to laugh at you all in the afternoon?

bigdawg

bring some coffee!

Actually the site I get my info from shows it now getting warmer:

http://www.yr.no/place/United_Kingdom/E ... /long.html

result by 2pm it could well be as dry as its gonna be, could be a good one after all...

Not having been here are there plenty of places to overtake??

VWsurfbum

bigdawg wrote:

Not having been here are there plenty of places to overtake??

Some big long bits to overtake, but long sections of tight singletrack.

bigdawg

please dont let it be another traffic jam of a course... Looking back at my times for the last race it loks as though I lost anything up to 2 minutes on some laps due to being sat behind traffic...

bigdawg

:shock:

ooh this is very not good...

http://www.yr.no/place/United_Kingdom/E ... /long.html

14mm of rain thats biblical flood proportions! - what happened to the sun ?!?!?!?!

evo3ben

And I dare say the forecast will changed again before Sunday as it has done past few days :roll: they can't get tomorrow right let alone a long range cast lol. Even the forecast we use to get in the Army wasnt accurate and that was ment to be reliable. Take each day as it comes and as long as we're prepared for the worst, all should be ok 8)

bigdawg

not so much that its raining its the amount of rain they're forcasting... 22m! In the last few days we've had falls of 4-6mm (which is considered heavy rain) 22ml is build an ark proportions..!

That norwegian site I link to is the one used by the Formula 1 teams on race day - not the one they're paid to use and a few tems have been reprimanded as a result..

Anyone know where to get SPD wellies?

VWsurfbum

I think id be putting the flats on! That bomb hole run through is off camber and rooty!

bigdawg

Ive got the tyres, either my old 1.5 conti xc's or a new set of conti muds depending how gloopy or clay(ey) its going to get.

Id imagine if it does flood theyll start altering parts of the course to stop it destroying the ground...

Pirahna

I don't think it's "if" it floods, but more a question of by how much. I'm thinking of leaving the bike at home and bringing a canoe.

VWsurfbum

Its not clayey so I recon your 1.5's?
My mate runs 1.8 rons, they'd be ideal!

C0LL0

I'll bring the jet ski instead of the MTB, for Sundays race

IhateDNS

Good luck, should be fun to watch too.
Weather for Chelmsford http://www.yr.no/place/United_Kingdom/England/Chelmsford/long.html

Still haven't got the motivation to get riding more :roll:

bigdawg

well at least it should only be light rain come race time...

In honesty I dont have ap roblem racing in the rain, but on a flooded course - I hate puddles!

Pirahna

If that forecast is correct then it's anything between 3/4 and 1 inch of rain before the race. Wifey is down to ride the womens race in the morning and I'm supposed to ride the mens in the afternoon. Neither of us fancy spending a wet day sitting in the car waiting for one or the other to finish. I think I'll commit to decorating the bathroom instead.

bigdawg

of all the changes that was the one that made the least sense - Having to travel in (for three races) over 100 miles and have to get there for the womens race would put me off too... My other half contemplated a comeback but just with the huge gap between races she didnt bother...

evo3ben

Hold it a sec the weather looking good now lol. Take it as it comes I think. Hope you all have a good safe race and good luck!

VWsurfbum

Good luck tomorrow ill think of you all tonight while im drinking my rum and eating curry! You may see me tomorrow with the littleuns and maybe vwdog.

bigdawg

conti edges fitted - rear mudguard thing fitted, 1.5s on standby - now all Ive got to do is find where ive put that motivation!

VWsurfbum

Popped up to poke fun of you lot, I've never been so happy not to race

Click the big pictures for the video's and click the small pictures to make them bigger!

VWsurfbum

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