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It's going to be
Isn't it.
I have put my old heavy wheels back on the Diverge and have my armbands packed in the saddle bag.... cant see me doing more than the 50km...half of that should be on road yes?
Yeah, I had planned to do 75km, but I can see me doing the 50km
I thought it was 50 or 100?
'Unofficial' 75 = first half of 100 (so 50km), then second half of 50 (so 25km), cos both courses meet at the same point in the middle.
**** that with my poor little brain I'd get co fused and do 100 by mistake!!
I am marshalling the first half of the long route, playing sweeper.
Shouldn't be too bad, all the riders will have cleared the mud so by the time I ride through I should be on bed rock.
HONC! I'm in. Having never ridden in that part of the UK I have no idea idea what to expect other than it won't be like the Peak District.
Cross bike or hardtail 29er?
Cross bike or hardtail 29er?
Which has the better mud clearance.
Beaten by seconds
Cross bike or hardtail 29er?
29er Hardtail... But with cross bike tyres on... You think I’m joking?
Or “whichever is lightest when covered in mud as you’ll be carrying it a lot”...
Taking a hiatus this year, sold my ticket. Last year was good, the year before destroyed my soul and this weekends conditions look set to make 2016 look like a walk in the park!
Good luck to all doing it... It’ll change you!
Somewhere in the garage I'm sure I have a set of 1.9 Trailrakers. I may be digging them out.
I’ll see you all there for the clag-fest!
was hoping to do the 75km, but will decide on the day.
Sarurday looks damp. Sunday dry until noon-ish.
...I have some super skinny (1.5 iirc) mud tyres lurking in the garage but reckon the road sections may be a chore on them.
Nobby Nic (f) and a new Rocket Ron on the rear ftw!
I don’t remember 2016 as being that bad ?
But im missing this year out as it clashes with family stuff.
Good luck all
Cross bike with discs would be perfect, or a nice 29er hardtail. Not doing it this year, but I've enjoyed it in the dry and the mud. Both great, just require an adjustment of expectations! Personally I think its worth making the quickest start you can manage then its less crowded up the muddy sections where people tend to get off and push.
Taken the Nano's off and stuck some CX knobblies on. Suspect clearance will be important especially as the Pickenflick doesn't have a huge amount at the back.
Looking forward to it. Think last properly muddy one was 5/6 years ago, when it was torrential for the 3 days before. Might move the gravel bike wheels with Nanos onto a 29er for a bit more mud clearance. Either way it will be fun 😁
Personally I think its worth letting the mass start go and then wait a few minutes before you set off then its less crowded up the first climb where people tend to get off and push.
That was my move last year. Ended up at the back trying to get past all the fat (er than me) blokes on fat bikes. cannot be arsed with standing by the gate for an hour though to be at the front so guess its pushing through again.
Taken the Nano’s off and stuck some CX knobblies on.
Just done similar, put a 33mm cx tyre on back and sticking with 38mm G one allrounds on front.
Sounds like the cross bike would be best then.
Next question is...
Where do I put my Pit Crew & spare bike. 😉
My mate rode most of the 100km route yesterday and said it wasn't nearly as bad as expected, sounds like the course layout is reasonably sensible with more road this year and some hard-ish bridelway. Cross bike probably fastest option for this one I expect.
I’m back again, I think for the tenth time! Hopefully I’ll manage to do at least the first half of the 100, then the second half of the 50! But looking at the weather forecast, I’ll see how cold & wet I am by the split point!
Timely reminder that you can put your control card in a secure place, you will only need when you return to the school. Yo will be given a elastic band at each checkpoint.
I'd been planning to do it singlespeed but thinking that gears might be more sensible in the mud. I've already decided to swap the 27.5 plus wheels back to 29ers, at least at the rear.
Last time my riding buddy was still queuing at the burger van when the thing started so we were well behind but the first climb was so much easier without the procession of pushers.
For the last really muddy one I did. I used my salsa el mar but with 700-33 cx mud tyres , it never clogged
I’m in along with my son. I think I’ve done it on my single speed for 4 of the last 5(?) years. But given the forecast, I’ve put the Alfine back on for this weekend......
Well hasnt rained much for two whole days so thinking 75km now. How do I do that, follow 100km to feed stop and then take the 50km home? Is the feed stop the same for both 50km and 100km then?
Yes and yes.
Food for thought...have to commit to 75km quite early though I suppose.... or follow 50km to feed and then take 100km back?
If you do the 75 that way round there will be a good chance that there will be no marshals at the road crossings or checkpoints when you reach them.
Personally I think its worth letting the mass start go and then wait a few minutes before you set off then its less crowded up the first climb where people tend to get off and push.
Yes IHN and this too- probably more sensible....
How hectic is the start then?
If I want to start at the front inorder to push on how early do I need to be on the start line?
back from signing the second half of the short route and almost no mud! there are a few bits but far better than I thought it would be.
I was all set for taking the MTB now reading the latest comments I'm not sure. Really want to do it on My CX but it has minimal clearance (PX XLS) even with 32mm tyres so if it's claggy it will be a nightmare. Argh😖
I god I am wracked with indecision. I stuck a full on 33mm cross tyre on the back of my Diverge with a 38mm G one All round on front...if its dry I could use 2 G ones...and what clothes do I wear? Do I need over shoes, do I need a soft shell...what about what about!!!!!
Well that was tough!
In answer to my own question, people started waiting about an hour before the start and about 30mins before it was getting busy .
The neutral start was the diciest bit of the Day, slow car and lots of people trying to jump to the front, once the car spend up it strung out and all was good.
I thoroughly enjoyed my first HONC, CX bike with 35mm schwalbe x-one all rounds at 40ish psi. Bit rattley on the descents, quick enough if the hard stuff. Two short pushes uphill in sloppy mud but otherwise the course was no more muddy than expected probly 200m wasn't rideable (for me) .
I'll try and return in future years, hope everyone else had as much fun as me .
Good fun today, I rode with my wife who was First Lady back in the 50km, my son was quickest in the 50km - he was chuffed with that as he's just turned 16 and my team mate was first home in the 100k with a ridiculous time of 3 hrs 53 mins which is just stupid.
I thought the event was great as always, well run and made the best of the conditions which could have been really horrible, great to see so many people out having having a good time.
Well that was entertaining. Definitely had the best tyre choice for a very different event, the Racing Ralph rear copped better than I expected but certainly wasn't a good choice.
Was sweeper for the first 50k that plus out and back made a nice 95km day, not to wet, not to muddy. The stream was a bit deeper than expected though!
I arrived with 20mins to go and it was pretty busy!! I must have rolled out near last wondering why mtbers insist on riding next to their mate and blocking the track, wear waterproofs when its not raining and then stop after the first hill to stuff their already bulging rucksacks with their waterproofs.
Had a good ride though. Did the 75km option and was pretty much done by the end.
Great day. Ground not as bad as some year past, but still hard work. Afternoon rain didnt help. Really enjoyed it though. Did the 100km and just glad to have completed it. The people at the finish were saying it was the lowest turnout they could remember, but that must have been due to preceding rain.
Well done and thanks to HONC for a great event!
Great event again!
Managed the 100k on my hardtail with rigid forks.
Dirty Dans were a good tyre choice.
A bit draggy on some of the roads but managed to ride most of the sloppy bits!
Max
Well really enjoyed that today. Cross bike was perfect (running vittoria xl tubeless tyres - 33c - 40psi).
I'll definitely come back and try it again some time.
Great event. Well organised as usual.
Challenging in places, but completed 80km route. 26” Lefty HT on Nobby Nics ftw - though I did start to look to the many 29ers out on the route, normally passing me on the faster road sections.
back again next year!
Well, I HONCed, and it wasn't the mudbath I was expecting. Ended up doing the 50km after a bit of a mechanical mare in the first 10km:
1) Whilst lining up at the start, discovered the disc caliper body was rubbing on the disc. How the hell I don't know, but had to realign the caliper, so set off towards the back.
2) Riding past Sudeley Castle I had a jockey wheel squealing like mad and start to seize up, so had to stop, dig out some lube and sort that out.
3) Riding up the first climb a young lad (he looked about 10) who had been going great guns managed to drop his chain over the back of his cassette, into the spokes, jamming the wheel. He was looking a bit distressed so I stopped to help him out, he was even more distressed when his bell-end Competitive Dad appeared and his first words to the lad were "what were you doing wrong?" whilst I was un-jamming the wheel. Got him moving again, no thanks from him (not that I expected any, the poor lad was in tears), or from Competitive Dad, or indeed from his mum who had by then turned up.
4) Riding across the first field from Roel Farm my gears started skipping badly. Limped it down to the road and discovered I'd got a badly twisted link in my chain (again, how the hell I don't know). So, more faffing to take a link out of the chain.
By this point we were firmly at The Back and fate seemed against us (well, me), so decided we'd just do the 50. The rest all went well, to be honest I probably didn't have the 75km in my legs anyway.
First time I've done it in about five years, after doing it for about five years on the bounce. Seemed to be fewer folks than normal, and the proportion of people in expensive kit pushing expensive bikes up not-that-massive hills seemed to be greater...
Great event though, well done to the organisers and marshalls who were brill as always.
Why do they hold the event at this time of year ? Its always hit and miss weather wise. The Cotswolds are pants in the wet. If it was a dryer time of year I reckon the turn out would be higher and the event more enjoyable.
Because it's inspired by and held on the same weekend as Paris-Roubaix, aka Hell of the North (or L'Iinfer Du Nord for the Frenchies)..
Why do they hold the event at this time of year ?
Posted by miss dapoint.
Why do they hold the event at this time of year ?
Because the Heaven of the North Cotswolds would be a different event.
Being quite early in the year is one of the things that appeals to me as it gives me something to focus on and get out and ride for. Also a good HONC gets me motivated for the summer.
Thank you organisers, my first HONC coming up from the Southdowns.
I did the 75k think that 50/50 road to off road it would not be too hard.
Wrong, the last incline to Cleeve Hill had me wondering where my fitness had gone given that I think I'm quite fit at the moment.