Mountain Mayhem 2013

Jaymoid
Jaymoid Posts: 24
edited July 2013 in XC and Enduro
Anyone entering Mountain Mayhem this year? It's my first year so any tips appreciated!

What is your team name? Points for for the best name. Our's is "Anne Frank's Drumkit", as it accurately describes our teams effeciacy. Not very PC, but it wasn't completely our choice.

~ J
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Comments

  • njee20
    njee20 Posts: 9,613
    Yes I quite fancy it as they've moved it to somewhere hopefully less rubbish, it's been banded about certainly. Will be racing as part of Salsa Factory Racing if I do go.
  • Jaymoid
    Jaymoid Posts: 24
    Yeah I think the Gatcombe park could go either way, being a horse trail place it could have good drainage, but on the other hand if the ground has been churned up by horses it could get loose and all muddy. Who knows!

    Either way, I am both excited and deeply worried.
  • njee20
    njee20 Posts: 9,613
    It can't be worse than last year. I'm still having flashbacks.
  • miss notax
    miss notax Posts: 2,572
    Yep, i'm there... We are the Muddy Butts :lol:

    Don't say thing like that njee20 :wink: If it's as bad as last year i'm not even attempting to ride, I shall be in the pub instead!
    Life is not measured by the number of breaths you take, but by the number of moments that take your breath away....

    Riding a gorgeous ano orange Turner Burner!

    Sponsor the CC2CC at http://www.justgiving.com/cc2cc
  • JasonRwmb
    JasonRwmb Posts: 268
    I am in. A team of ten, which should be fun. No idea on the name as someone else sorted it out, I would imagine something like Tunnel Hill Ten.

    Looking forward to a new venue for MM. I was getting fed up with Eastnor.
    http://www.tunnelhilltrolls.co.uk
  • njee20
    njee20 Posts: 9,613
    Always fancied a team of 10! Fun weekend with a lap or two for good measure!
  • homers_double
    homers_double Posts: 8,268
    I'm trying to get a team together but its slow going.
    Advocate of disc brakes.
  • tv
    tv Posts: 338
    We've got a team going called 'Will's Apostles'!

    My first time too, looking forward to it! New course should be less muddy (hopefully!)

    Got a friend doing it solo as well!
  • Jaymoid
    Jaymoid Posts: 24
    Solo sounds mental...

    MM have just put some pics up from last year, these are the best two...

    528988_561719680529590_699636194_n.jpg

    487927_561719513862940_1637116196_n.jpg

    I read somewhere that it is advisable when there is that much mud, it stops your gears working (or rip your derailers off!). I'm tempted to get one of these Single speed jockey wheels http://superstar.tibolts.co.uk/product_info.php?cPath=58&products_id=268 so that if it gets bad you could just take off your derailers and put it in a gear you like and run it as a single speed. Anyeone had any experience with these or extremely muddy situations?
  • njee20
    njee20 Posts: 9,613
    If it's that bad, just concentrate on drinking beer and what not.
  • pilch
    pilch Posts: 1,136
    I was in a team of 10 last year... the worst thing was doing your lap, getting dry and clean-ish.... then realising that there was just enough time to get another lap in.... just bogging
    A berm? were you expecting one?

    29er race

    29er bouncer
  • homers_double
    homers_double Posts: 8,268
    Haha, I've done SITS in conditions like that. Mechs died, tyres died, frames wore out, people barely managed sub 3 hour laps and all the way through my Heckler didn't miss a beat, the mud clearance on it is massive.
    Advocate of disc brakes.
  • Jaymoid
    Jaymoid Posts: 24
    homers double wrote:
    Haha, I've done SITS in conditions like that. Mechs died, tyres died, frames wore out, people barely managed sub 3 hour laps and all the way through my Heckler didn't miss a beat, the mud clearance on it is massive.
    Frames wore out!! This could get expensive.
  • homers_double
    homers_double Posts: 8,268
    Yep, the ammount of crap in the tyres wore through a mates chain stay.
    Advocate of disc brakes.
  • miss notax
    miss notax Posts: 2,572
    I had literally just had my Santa Cruz powder coated and built up - this was it's first outing - and it stripped all the paint off the inside of the chain stay :evil:

    I wasn't too amused at the time but it actually a pretty cool battle scar now!

    I NEVER want to ride through that much mud again though. Ever.
    Life is not measured by the number of breaths you take, but by the number of moments that take your breath away....

    Riding a gorgeous ano orange Turner Burner!

    Sponsor the CC2CC at http://www.justgiving.com/cc2cc
  • njee20
    njee20 Posts: 9,613
    It'll be interesting to see what Gatcombe Park is like, as a general rule venues that have never hosted cycling tend not to be that good, but then I guess every venue has to have a first event!
  • Jaymoid
    Jaymoid Posts: 24
    The new video hints at a hillier, trickier course than in previous years.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uNk7GnywyAM
  • njee20
    njee20 Posts: 9,613
    It's not hillier though, the profile was online a while back. Climbing on grass again... Lets hope it's dry.
  • homers_double
    homers_double Posts: 8,268
    Jaymoid wrote:
    The new video hints at a hillier, trickier course than in previous years.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uNk7GnywyAM


    I'm sure the trail pixies will be out before the event.
    Advocate of disc brakes.
  • Jaymoid
    Jaymoid Posts: 24
    Weather's looking good for it![/sarcasm]

    http://www.yr.no/place/United_Kingdom/E ... /long.html
  • homers_double
    homers_double Posts: 8,268
    Perhaps I'll give it a miss...
    Advocate of disc brakes.
  • njee20
    njee20 Posts: 9,613
    It'll be fine!
  • Jaymoid
    Jaymoid Posts: 24
    Video preview, a lap with Vin Cox.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0c2UVtWKtzE

    Started to get worried when I saw them push up the hill.
  • njee20
    njee20 Posts: 9,613
    It'll be fine!
  • miss notax
    miss notax Posts: 2,572
    It's starting to look like the weather might be a bit *ummm* 'damp' this weekend...... :|

    Well, decided to take the 5 (as opposed to the SC) as more mud clearance - just in case you understand. But putting narrower tyres on and taking a Trailraker for the front. Again, just in case.... :lol:

    Still need to find the tent, sleeping bag and assorted rubbish - but hey ho!

    Everyone else ready?!!
    Life is not measured by the number of breaths you take, but by the number of moments that take your breath away....

    Riding a gorgeous ano orange Turner Burner!

    Sponsor the CC2CC at http://www.justgiving.com/cc2cc
  • Runtothehills
    Runtothehills Posts: 184
    You must be joking. My prep has so far consisted of spraining my ankle last weekend (should be ok with strapping) and I've got three days of rowing in bumps before I need to think about Mayhem.
  • njee20
    njee20 Posts: 9,613
    It'll be fine!

    I actually don't think it'll be that bad, the ground is very dry at the moment, it's not like last year where it was starting from a sodden base. The ground appears to drain quite well according to Matt Page who's done a few laps. I imagine they actually will have put some sort of base down on the bits likely to cause problems, because there'll be a lot of trouble if the horsey events can't happen there.

    Weather looks ok? Rain from Sunday morning, I can cope with that! I'm confident the 1.5" Black Sharks aren't going to be needed, and hopefully nothing more than a Ralph!
  • miss notax
    miss notax Posts: 2,572
    I'm working on the umbrella theory - if I take mud tyres, I won't actually need them :wink::lol:
    Life is not measured by the number of breaths you take, but by the number of moments that take your breath away....

    Riding a gorgeous ano orange Turner Burner!

    Sponsor the CC2CC at http://www.justgiving.com/cc2cc
  • tomstickland
    tomstickland Posts: 402
    I'll be there with MBSwindon. We've got three teams there. I'm going in a slow team for this event which might be a good thing because there's only 3 of us and I'll probably have to make up most of the extra laps.

    I was at Bristol Bikefest last weekend and Erlestoke a few weeks before. This is my first Mountain Mayhem so it will be interesting to see how it goes.

    ps: I did 2412 and SITS in the mud and rain last year.
    2412: http://www.mbswindon.co.uk/bontrager-twentyfour12-photos-2012/
    SITS http://www.mbswindon.co.uk/sleepless-in-the-saddle-2012-photos/
  • njee20
    njee20 Posts: 9,613
    I'm quite looking forward to it now! Still looks like it'll be dry until the last couple of hours.

    I'm the slowest in a pretty quick team, so hopefully can enjoy a nice cushy weekend while the faster people do all the work!

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