Is it Worth Joining MTB Himalaya 2014?

randeepbrar

I am Looking forward to 10th edition of MTB Himalayahttp://www.mtbhimalaya.comthat is going to start this September. Any body else is interested to join this event ? They recently announced that former Tour De France rider will be starting at MTB Himalaya.

12000 m elevation gain
3400* m max elevation

ddraver

I'd love to but I doubt I'd get through the first day!

I like the way it describes it as the Worlds 3rd Toughest MTB race...what are the first 2?

Festerfeet

This looks like an endurance race mostly ridden on tarmac roads and fire trails. Probably more suited to a former Tour de France rider than someone looking for technical riding.

jairaj

I'm sure the scenery will be fantastic and it'll be a great experience. But from the photos and videos I don't why its called MTBHimalaya? and I don't know why people are using mountain bikes? It's mostly on tarmac roads and the odd bit of gravel. A cyclo cross bike seems like it's be more than enough and be much faster than a MTB.

pilch

If I were doing another stage race... it would have to be this one, 9 days/900k across South Africa, fantastically well organised, great people & fantastic riding

cooldad

Or one with a chunk of prize money.

https://themunga.com/the-story

randeepbrar

Thank you all for your suggestions. This event will be flagged off on 27th September, we have got ample time to think upon it. I am also researching about this event, please give some real facts that can be useful to know about this http://www.mtbhimalaya.com event.

cooldad

A faint whiff of a canned, pork based luncheon meat?

paul.skibum

randeepbrar wrote:

Thank you all for your suggestions. This event will be flagged off on 27th September, we have got ample time to think upon it. I am also researching about this event, please give some real facts that can be useful to know about this http://www.mtbhimalaya.com event.

I dont think anyone knows anything about this event to give some useful real facts. I do however think that you do know about it and are trying to promote it to people on a mtb forum. Personally I'd rather do the Trans Alps or Provence.

rockmonkeysc

Looks like a mountain bike event organised by roadies for roadies.
It doesn't appeal to me at all. If I'm going to ride 900km I want a good amount of it to be proper off road with the absolute minimum of tarmac and gravel roads.

randeepbrar

paul.skibum wrote:

I dont think anyone knows anything about this event to give some useful real facts. I do however think that you do know about it and are trying to promote it to people on a mtb forum. Personally I'd rather do the Trans Alps or Provence.

I am a rider from India and I am just trying that a great sport like mountain biking should gain prominence all over. I am just promoting the sport not the event brother. Hope so you understand it! Rider's from all over the world should take this initiative.

randeepbrar

RockmonkeySC wrote:

Looks like a mountain bike event organised by roadies for roadies.
It doesn't appeal to me at all. If I'm going to ride 900km I want a good amount of it to be proper off road with the absolute minimum of tarmac and gravel roads.

Terrian type defined on official web site is - Off-road ,Broken Tarmac, Gravel , Rocks, Mud, Sand, Lose Rock.
Hope so it's true.

jairaj

Looking at the videos and photos from previous events, its not what I call mountain biking. It seems mostly on road and gravel paths. Which is a bit of a shame as the event is held in one of the biggest mountain ranges on the planet.

As said, I'm sure the scenery will be amazing but I think you'll be better of on a road or CX bike.

rockmonkeysc

Apparently there is some mind blowing big mountain freeride in the Himalayas. I wonder if they take in any of it on their route.

paul.skibum

You would hope for gradual winching climbs on the gravel and roads with long undulating or downhill on the goat tracks and trails but I wonder if that is the case.

I am happy for people to promote the sport in their home country and around the world - I live in Whistler where you would imagine no one is unfamiliar with biking but I still manage to find new people to the sport most days. Promote away and I hope the event is a good one if you do it, just felt like you were doing some surreptitious advertising!

coulddobetter

Sorry but my bike isn't a Yeti.

randeepbrar

Watch this!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=siCwWBenldU

Long_Time_Lurker

And that message was brought to you by the Himalayan Tourist Board...
Visit beautiful Nepal...

Nothing technical there. And nothing that a cyclocross bike can't handle.
Looks pretty though. But then so does the South Down/Yorkshire Moors/Northumberland...

jairaj

randeepbrar wrote:

Watch this!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=siCwWBenldU

Yep sorry, but If I am entering a mountain bike event I expect more interesting terrain than what's been shown in that video. Especially from an event held in the Himalayian mountains.

I don't know if its just been filmed badly and missing out all the interesting terrain or there just simply isn't much on the arranged route. But the views look amazing!

paul.skibum

randeepbrar wrote:

Watch this!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=siCwWBenldU

Well as a promotional film for the event that was disappointing - lead rider has drift logo on his sleeves so might have managed to get a bit of on board footage - as it was the whole thing is filmed from places where support vehicles can get so no idea whether we are seeing the best terrain on offer, some singletrack on show ridden apparently by two people who aren't particularly good riders - I thought when the Imagine Dragons track kicked in we were getting to the good stuff. But no.

Surely there is more potential out in those mountains than what we see there? The cost of the flights is the cost of entering the Trans Provence......