Haven’t seen a thread yet, apologies if there is one already!
Who’s in? First time riding it which is stupid as it’s on my doorstep
Got a couple spare tickets if anyone wants one and didn’t get one. There was going to be a what tyre question as well but with the current weather it might all out mud tyres 😂
Yep, it will be my 6th (or 7th?)
Looking forward to it 😎
Hopefully it'll dry out!
Yep we will be there. Done most of them so far. It’s a good weekend
This is Heaven of the South yeah? If so, yes I'm in. Me and a mate. Fancied something a little different to the norm and I've done and enjoyed a few of the Dyfi Enduros a number of years ago. Also not really visited that part of the country before so looking forward to great British countryside views.
I'm in, done two in the past. Cant decide if I want to treat it as a sociable ride or a try to stay with the leaders type of smash.
I always say I'll take it easy, but then hare off like a loon 😆
I've done the 75km every year as I don't ride round there often, so want to enjoy all the trails. But my mates are mostly locals, so they treat it as a social ride and do the shorter route.
I try to beat them back - which I've mostly done in the past.
I know a fair amount of the route but it doesn’t take in any trails that I build so will be good to get something different in.
I’m just looking forward to a good day out, no pressure on fast. Just cruising around!
Not sure which distance to ride yet. I’m keen on the longer route but not sure my mate fancied that!
Only got the hardtail built at the moment. Will be leaving tyre choice to see what the weather does I think!
Only got the hardtail built at the moment
I wouldn't say there's ever anything that warrants a full sus on the HOTS route.
I've done the last couple on a rigid single-speed.
To be fair I’m not so worried about the hardtail not being enough bike, it’s more my body hasn’t rode a hardtail for a full day in about 20 years 😂
I think I have committed to only riding hardtail for a year is my reasoning!
Hey Mark. I did it last year with very little training and struggled towards the end; there are some bloody steep hills towards the end! I saw a couple of people on gravel bikes so a hardtail and fast rolling tyres would work well. Unfortunately I’m not doing it this year as fingers crossed I’ll be moving house 🤞🏻
Good luck.
I've got tickets, as have some mates...
Hoping to encourage my lad to come along on the ebike... I reckon it MAY get 75km out of the battery 😳
DrP
I have 2 tickets for sale @qwerty they are day tickets but I imagine they could be upgraded to camping if needed
I’m not worried about my training or fitness. My biggest problem is I’m running my first ultra 2 weeks before so my legs will probably be toast!
I'll take one, a mate may take the other tbc. YGM.
Does anyone else have any tickets available?
Check the HOTS Facebook page, there's normally a few people trying to sell on there.
Looks like it'll be a moist one this year ☹️
Cheers, I'm not on FB but the Mrs is.
Still got two weeks to go so anything can happen 🌞
I'd not fancy it in a mud fest.
I'm doing it. I've done it 4 or 5 times before but not since 2019. I'm 6 months post ACL surgery, so it's a bit of a gamble but I've done a few longish training rides recently so should be OK🤞
Edit to say, having done it on hardtail and full sus, I'll be taking the hardtail.
I’m thinking about putting an airshock on my sentinel and building it up with some faster tyres just to give me some comfort for the day!
Next couple of weeks are looking wet so I’m trying to work out what tyres 🙈🙈😂
Got minions, aggressor, forecaster, dissector. None of them are full xc but some lighter use slightly!
Ran an ultra Saturday and have done zero bike training this year. Sure it will be fine though!
If it's really wet I'll use my single speed...some of the trails up there can get very claggy!
They've just posted on their Facebook page that they still have a few tickets left after adding a few more, but sales stop this Friday.
Looks like it’ll be a moist one this year ☹️
I have it on good authority from a local, that the trails are drying out nicely! 😊 Some light rain forecast on Friday and looks like good weather on Saturday. Dry and sunny with temps between 12 and 18 degrees during the day.
Yea, trails are prestine right now, pending a deluge any rain should soak right up & not make an impact. Saturdays weather looks perfect too.
Yeah everything around here is running very nicely at the minute! Nibley over the weekend was incredible! Just some big sloppy patches on flat areas.
Should be good for the weekend
Think I’ve settled on an aggressor rear and old worn dhr front. Maybe send the forecaster back as I won’t use it after hots I wouldn’t have thought
Pint of cider tomorrow evening anyone?
Properly looking forward to this weekend 😎
Meh, stuff on this weekend, which is annoying as it's only 5 miles away
Pint of cider tomorrow evening anyone?
Yep up for that. I'm all packed ready to go, but my son is headed over later and his bike needs some attention involving internal cable routing and other faffage. How long that takes will dictate what time we get there. Camping with a load of mates.
A bit of rain possible this afternoon and evening, but looking tip top for tomorrow 😁
Pint of cider tomorrow evening anyone?
Properly looking forward to this weekend
I'll be up for that...
Leaving worthing about 1500, so should be there 1830...
I'll have the Grey Octavia and the big blue tent!
I stuck a new tyre on the back of the SS..it's keen on NOT staying up, FFS!!
DrP
Grey Octavia and the big blue tent!
I'll be in a Blue Octavia and a very small (and very ancient) green Vango Banshee tent.
Sounds good. We should be there by about 9 in a bursnter motorhome, hardtail with ardents for us. Route looks good and is the other way round compared to prior years and the split for the extra is much later than usual so will decide as we go which one we will do.
yeah, both routes have about 800m of climbing.. 54km or 67km!
DrP
75km was actually 75km, so not sure why the gps showed 68km 🤔
Lovely day for it too 😎
@ajantom was that you on the Stooge? - if so I was the one in a lairy pink & blue jersey & fluro orange gloves, we rode together for a bit 👋🏻
Was good to have the great techy singletrack earlier on when I still had some oomph.
Did the the 50k with a group of 9, a mix of non mtbers and mtbers so a bit of a slow sociable gaggle. My Garmin watch shows 64km and 1450m of climbing. We were following a local, I think we made have gone off piste a bit!
qwerty
Free Member
@ajantom was that you on the Stooge? – if so I was the one in a lairy pink & blue jersey & fluro orange gloves, we rode together for a bit 👋🏻
Yep twas me *waves* lovely ride 😎
@ajantom - think we got lost a few times together and endured the many gates - good riding with you 🤛
think we got lost a few times together and endured the many gates – good riding with you 🤛
Hiya 😆 yes, the gates. I have quite fizzy legs from the nettles now!
I did the ‘50km’ route with my lad in the end, as he was getting tired and running out of battery… it was indeed 64km!
I didn’t mind, but he was miffed as ran out of battery 4km to go!
Oh well.. a rather significant mileage error there!
DrP
It was a good day out wasn’t it?! The weather couldn’t have been better! I got proper stuck in the only boggy patch! Tried to power my way through. Took a minute to pull the bike out 😂
I rode the 50km, we diverted to ride a couple trails at nibley and stinchcombe so that added extra but it was definitely more than 50k!
Enjoyable though
Fantastic day, it's always a great event. Had two boozy evenings full of laughter with our crowd on the camp site. Hope we didn't disturb any of you! 😊 Only just got back home to Shropshire. Sorry I never got chance to say hi to any fellow STWers, hope you all got home safely with great memories of a fun weekend in the Cotswolds.
Great ride that! Me and my buddy did the 75km route, although I balls'd up a bit and missed the first singletrack loop - went straight over a rd and should have turned left. My mate didnt go wrong, so I waited for him to catch up. I missed 5miles and not surprisingly my mate insisted that it was the toughest section of the ride lol! Good food, great route and friendly people, some lovely views as well. Thoroughly knackered now though - when you wake up and your Garmin says 14% body battery, you know its going to be a tough day!
- where was that Tower? We didnt see that? - short route only?
That's the Nibley monument AKA Tyndale monument. I never actually noticed where the split for the 50/75 route was.
The split was in a village called Kingscote. By that time I had trained myself to be super attentive to the signage/tags as a lot of junctions were very easy to miss!
Another great weekend riding in glorious weather. Did the 75km which did have endless gates but missed the gulley climb 🙂
