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Hi all, I'm doing HONC on Sunday. I only have semi slick or pure knobbly tyres as an option. The knobblies have spaced out knobs so v sketchy on tarmac and likely to be well worn by the end. But I'm not sure if the semi slicks are a crazy idea for the off road bits.
Does anyone know what the conditions are like at the moment? Is it all doable on semi slicks (the type with a solid strip down the centre)?
There will be a lot of road, and we haven't had a huge amount of rain recently, so I'd go for the semi-slicks. Next problem is pressures - too hard and it will really hurt your wrists on the inevitable fast stony descents, too soft and you'll puncture. Have fun!
Haven’t had much rain recently 😳
Really?!
I did honc a few years ago and although I have nothing useful to say, I’d go for knobblies based on my previous experience
We've had showers 3 days a week. The ground is dry and dusty, with some wet patches in the woods. The week leading up to HONC has been dry, and the weekend is going to be dry and warm. When it was a proper Hell, first week of April, you'd have been mad to use slicks, but now it's no longer hellish, slicks will be fine.
I will be there on my Scandal with worn 2.25 Mezcal's front and back.
My dilemma is what colour hoody to purchase 😄
I’ll be on my purple Rourke Audax/rough stuff tourer on semi slicks. Last time I was on Rene Herse knobbles and tore a tyre on the last fast descent so gone for tyres that will force me to slow down 😄 Wave when you pass me.
Thanks everyone. Semi slicks it is. Now to spend 2 hours effing and jeffing in the garage after swapping them over and they inevitably don't seal 🙂
My experience has been that the twice I used lightweight cx tyres I punctured on the rocky fast downhills damaging the sidewalls enough to need a tube.
Ill be there tomorrow and will have Schwlabe G Ones fitted on my gravel bike.
Ultrabite on the front.
Bite on the back.
Both 700c x 50mm
So OP, how were the semi-slicks? I was pretty happy with my Racing Ralph/Ray combo.
I ran racing Ralph rear and Specialized storm control on the front just because I didn’t want the faff of buying new tyres for my old 26” hard tail.
Did the 100km, bloody knackered by the end of it, only ridden 500 miles this year up until HONC. Good route and great event though.
Happy here with my semi slicks too. Bugger me it was hard going in the heat and I’m not ashamed to admit I walked up a few hills from the 50km feed stop as my legs were doing all of the cramps. Eased off after the 75km stop but I was still 45 minutes slower than last time. Double snake bite puncture didn’t help either. https://flic.kr/p/2oZQNh7
I was very glad to be in my sandals.
I had a place, sad that missed it ☹️ poorly knee meant it was a bit pointless going as I'd have struggled to get round.
I went for a local pootle to enjoy the sun, but even 30km was pushing it.
Oh well, bring on next year!