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First time Ard Rocker. Some clubmates did it last year and either rode tubes pumped up (too) hard to avoid pinch flats, or tubeless on heavy duty tyres.
Got two set of wheels set up. Both tubeless. One is Hans Dampf/Rock Razor and the other is Butcher/Purgatory. Don't really want to shell out on new tyres for one event. Have ridden both combos in Lakes/Peaks/Wales but never ridden the Dales.
Love the Spesh tyres for grip but don't really trust the sidewalls when the going gets rocky (both control casing). Feel the Schwalbes are slightly tougher but a tiny bit less confident in them.
Which option would the STW hivemind go for to ride Ard Rock? Or bite the bullet and shell out the best part of 100 quid on new rubber?
I'd go for the spesh tyres you have, it's not that rocky, there's lot of grassy stuff with rocky sections in between, but nowhere near lakes type standard. And I wouldn't fancy hauling big heavy side walled tyres up some of the climbs.
Can you ride the spesh tyres tubeless? That'd be ideal tbh.
Butcher/Purgatory tubeless for me last year, no problems.
Hi
Not done this genet specifically but ride the area a lot and no worse than anywhere else for punctures.
You'll be fine
Cheer steve
1st year - ran Maxxis Ardent 2.25 front tubed at around 30psi and Maxxis Advantage 2.1 rear tubed at around 32psi on large(ish) forked hardtail. No punctures. Both regular Maxxis folding tyres, no fancy protection, EXO sidewalls, etc....
2nd year - ran Schwalbe Hans Dampf 2.35 Snakeskin Trail Star front, tubeless at 25psi, Schwalbe Hans Dampf 2.35 Snakeskin Pacestar rear, tubeless at 28psi on a 6" travel trailbike. No punctures.
This year - dunno - giving serious consideration to going fat...
I ripped a brand new Schwalbe rear in the quarry area once, I think just dumb bad luck though the bike shop does a good trade in tyres.
As always, its down to your luck and riding.
I will say the rock there is really harsh, its sharp to pick up and handle so the risk to tyres is high.
Freshen your tubeless gunk, take tubes - not chances.
This year - dunno - giving serious consideration to going fat...
One guy did fat last year for the sportive. For a bet as I understand it. When he reached me at the end point i only just managed to tag him then he fell over and lay on the ground for half an hour.
I believe he won a fiver.
It isn't massively rocky terrain but there were quite a few small sharp rocks strewn around a couple of the sections last year, I pinched an EXO maxxis set up tubeless on one and put two gashes in it too big to seal on practice day, but had no problems with a specialized control casing on race day.
I think with 1000 riders plus the hundreds riding the sections the day before mud is a bigger issue unless it has been dry down there.
It has not been dry...
My mate did it last year on some 2.35 Small block 8's.
He got some interesting looks from some of the marshals and staff, but did not get any punctures or rips (he does weigh as much as a packet of crisps though)
The limit of my advice is to make sure you don't have a bald Maxxis advantage like I did last year - the back end was trying to overtake the front all the time!
3 pinch flats in 2 years (during stages, not transitions) running High Roller 1s with tubes at 40psi. Gave me an excuse for my finishing position. Tubeless should be fine though as there are not huge square edged rocks, or super sharp rough stuff. I'm marshalling this year instead.