Merida Brass Monkeys

Mccraque

Thinking of entering this in a couple of weeks. Anyone done it? What sort of bike would be best? A full sus or HT?

miss notax

Yup, i'm doing this 8)

I did one last year and it was good fun - as competitive as you wanted to make it really. It was my first MTB race and I found it all a bit strange and let loads of people get ahead of me for no good reason. I need to be a bit meaner this time!

Regarding which bike to use, the course last year wasn't overly technical so i'm sure a hardtail would be fine (and probably faster than a full susser too). I shall be on my 5 though - I like my comforts!!

Have fun and wave if you see a small blonde on blue 5....!

grenw

I'll be watching the one in a couple of weeks time as the course is over my usual playground at Porridgepot. I ride there a couple of times a week as its only a 30 minute ride from home.

I ride it on my 10 year old (and was cheap then) hardtail and have no problems at all. I'm assuming it will be similar to the courses used before by Gorrick and the army. Nice forest singletrack and plenty of short sharp drops and climbs. Nothing technical either so a hardtail is fine. Wet roots are the biggest problem at the moment as it never gets really muddy.

VWsurfbum

I too will be racing, i'm in the 2hr race, doing it on my 29er Full suspension 12omm travel bike, as the last time i rode down that way it was proper gnarcore but as i dont know the area at all i thought it best to be safe than sorry!

I have still got my trusty 2.4 mountain kings on, i have heard it drains really well there so the option of fast rolling race tyres may be an option???? anyone have any expeiance of this?

grenw

I'm no racer but as far as tyres go I'm running a Conti X King on the rear and a Nobby Nic on the front and have had no problems around there even after a night of hard rainfall - the odd puddle but very little mud more than an inch or so deep. Leaves and roots are the main things you'll have to deal with. If the course goes up along the firing range fence as it has in the past then the roots are really bad there especially if wet.

VWsurfbum

ah yes i forgot about leaves, i have never done a autumn/winter race this could get interesting then?
Hmm go with my plan A then, leave the MK's on and take race tyres with me and hope i can get them sealed or run tubes?
*EDIT*
I did do a winter series this year but it was more a spring series, and no slippery leaves just draggy mud :roll:

Mccraque

Thanks for the answers guys - I'd sooner race on my hardtail (boardman) but the word "drops" is making me consider the zesty - how big are these drops?!

Miss N - I'll wave....will be the one near the back, out of breath...probably hungover as well....

miss notax

Ha, not as hungover as me - it's a friends 40th party the night before :shock:

The one I did last year didn't have any nasty drops, nothing that sticks in my mind and I wouldn't do on a hardtail anyway

See you on the start line

VWsurfbum

Well i think i will be in good company then as its the big xmas light switch on on the saturday night!, i hate xmas but the excuse for a beer up in the high street with a load of friends and family is usually quite good fun?

grenw

Mccraque wrote:

Thanks for the answers guys - I'd sooner race on my hardtail (boardman) but the word "drops" is making me consider the zesty - how big are these drops?!

When I say 'drops' I mean short sharp down slopes. Nothing that would have you leaving the ground with either wheel to be honest. One of them did have me eating dirt last week but that was my own stupid fault for letting the front wheel bite. Porridgpot is a small tight outcrop/peninsula where the ground falls away sharply on each side so neither climbs or slopes down are that long.

xcmad

Signed up for all 3, looking forward to it.

Undecided with tyres, I'm getting a bit bored with the performance of my reinforced nobby nic's, seem to be crap everywhere. Will most likely switch to Hutch Torro rear and a Jones front. They did superbly for me at Kielder this year.

See you there!

grenw

Rode a few k of the course today and Friday. Some very nice sections of twisty singletrack. Took some of my favourite little stretches and added some extra loops off them.

Nice and flowing, narrow in parts but nothing technical. Trails were swept so nice and clean that even though there were no markers I could pick it up easily. Can't say it'll be the same in another week though.

Good luck all!

Mccraque

am still pondering which bike! more for the tubeless wheelset on the zesty....the HT would prob be quicker though, I guess...decisions decisions.

miss notax

Good luck on Sunday everyone

Think tomorrow will be bike-tweaking day after some rather ominous sounds on Wednesday night, and sadly Notax has a bad case of man-flu so will instead taking up the important role of official Miss Notax supporter

agg25

I've signed up for the 4 hour, hopefully my back will hold out, it seems to be the first to go. I guess I'll have to treat it like a marathon rather than a race and pace meself. Going to run Nobby Nics on my 100mm full suss, they did alright on the Gorrick Autumn races so should be ok I think here. I never seem to be able to grip on wet roots anyway no matter what I'm running, I absolutely detest wet roots!
Let's hope the rain stays away! Good luck all!

sandy hill

VWsurfbum wrote:

I too will be racing, i'm in the 2hr race, doing it on my 29er Full suspension 12omm travel bike, as the last time i rode down that way it was proper gnarcore but as i dont know the area at all i thought it best to be safe than sorry!

I have still got my trusty 2.4 mountain kings on, i have heard it drains really well there so the option of fast rolling race tyres may be an option???? anyone have any expeiance of this?

I keep a look out for you on the course. Likewise if you would - I'll be riding an old red Kona with orange tyres. Oh and I'm single speeding it as well. :shock:

VWsurfbum

Sandy Hill Is it single speed doable over there? i was ubnder the inpression there was lots of big hills? (i have never been)
You cant miss me on the bright green fully bouncing 29er!

anyone have a clue about conditions over there?
I kept my mountain kings on after a prep day yesterday, and decided more grip may be better than no grip? I will still take my race tyres and change afetr a practice lap if its bone dry over there?

sandy hill

Tuesday night rides round here are often single speeded but I suppose it depends on what the guys thread together.

Of two guys I'm riding with one has a 29" Singular Swift rigid fork, and the other should be ssing a Boardman hardtail this week. We aren't really competing as we enjoy titting about and flicking mud too much.

VWsurfbum

I really hope this half arsed cold sods off so I plod round in reasonable comfort

Northwind

VWsurfbum wrote:

Sandy Hill Is it single speed doable over there?

Singlespeed is doable anywhere. You just have to be half daft, is all

VWsurfbum

Northwind wrote:

VWsurfbum wrote:

Sandy Hill Is it single speed doable over there?

Singlespeed is doable anywhere. You just have to be half daft, is all

In that case i'm half way there LOL

grenw

You lucky people. The windy conditions meant the course really dried out just in time for the event - even the roots had some grip! I got there early and rode a couple of sections before the marshalls started clearing the track (even helped one back on his motorbike after he came off on a corner!) and then found a couple of places to watch from that I could ride backwards and forwards between and get maximum viewing.

Some nice bike porn there but found myself drooling over what looked like a carbon On-One Whippet in red and white. Very nice!

miss notax

Well that was interesting!

Hope everyone had a good ride?

Really good route, actually more technical tham I expected (but nicely so) with lots of roots, little bomb-holes, and some cheeky climbs. Great fun. Everyone really nice and friendly apart from the chap that smacked into me meaning that I bashed my bars into a tree and went flying - but hey ho! :?

I have no idea where I finished, I got 2 laps in 1 hour 57 but couldn't face a third lap so stopped then! I don't even know if i'll get a a placing because I stopped before I should? Anyway, still a really good race!!!

Also really nice to meet the chap that recognised my bike off here at the start - i'm afraid I can't remeber your name , but hope you had a good one

VWsurfbum

Hi chaps, chapess's.
Great event.
I was the one who helped you with getting the Marshall and the scrambler back upright.
I think I was racing with you miss Notax? Bright green 29er?
Cracking day even though it could of gone horribly wrong when my rear calliper rattled loose and was barely holding on to one bolt, amazingly the other bolt hadn't fallen out?
Tempted to do round two now, although I said I wouldn't?

Shmikuk

Good to meet you Ian! Glad the bike held together. Was good fun day out. There was some shockingly rude/ ignorant riders out, but the vast majority were friendly. Well done everyone!
Ian ( the "hippy" on the swift!) ;-)

miss notax

VWsurfbum wrote:

I think I was racing with you miss Notax? Bright green 29er?

Sorry, I am rubbish at remembering who / what bikes i've seen :oops: If it was a blonde girl on a blue 5 (black leggings / blue top / camelbak) then I can safely say it was me! I hope I was riding ok at that point - I well and truly ran out of steam on a couple of occassions!

I am definitely doing the rest of the series - they are good fun, and I figure it can only make a better rider, right??!

VWsurfbum

Hi hippy Ian! You are mad doing that course on a rigid single speed!
It wasn't you then Miss Notax, that means I can slate her for holding me up, getting in the way and generally getting in the way as soon as the course got technical but I didn't really mind as I was just plodding along by this point trying to hold off the cramp!

Glad I did a practice lap but I think it didn't help the legs?

miss notax

Phew - glad it wasn't me holding you up!!

Not sure I could have done a practice lap and THEN raced! How many laps did you do?

My neck is properly aching now from coming off :evil:

Shmikuk

VWsurfbum wrote:

Hi hippy Ian! You are mad doing that course on a rigid single speed!
It wasn't you then Miss Notax, that means I can slate her for holding me up, getting in the way and generally getting in the way as soon as the course got technical but I didn't really mind as I was just plodding along by this point trying to hold off the cramp!

Glad I did a practice lap but I think it didn't help the legs?

Mad? The bike rides so well i didn't miss the gears or bouncy bits at all. Was in two minds about doing another lap but decided the f1 was better watched with my eyes open so skipped out.
See you at round two! ;-)

njee20

Also really nice to meet the chap that recognised my bike off here at the start - i'm afraid I can't remeber your name , but hope you had a good one

That was me! Nice to meet you too.

I thought it was great fun, really enjoyed it. Lost bags of time at the start, and then took a wrong turn and rode the wrong was for about a minute, so missed out on a 4th lap, which I was annoyed about, but a really good course, so dry, bags of grip!

Mccraque

A 4th lap? I was blowing out of my rear after 3. Finished 60th in the 2 hour. Miss N - i did see you...not on your bike though. I don't know if that was after your tumble but you were off to one side, on a blue 5 - on lap 1. I couldn't say hi as was a little far away.

First lap was way too crowded. I think I am too nice a racer - people were piling in from the sides at the bottlenecks whereas i did the English thing and queued patiently.

The marshall on the quad ran over someones wheel, i heard!!!

i am thoroughly spent this evening. The wife has rubbed my back with Deep heat and is handing me beers periodically in front of the ski racing. Could get used to this....