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So...
What tyres for Mayhem?
Has the course been confirmed yet?
What coffee should I be taking?
What is your most useful tip for Mayhem - aside for don't enter and take mud tyres?
Almost getting excited about it now.
What tyres for Mayhem?
If it's dry: Furious Freds
If it's wet: 1.5" Black Shark Muds
Chance of needing anything in between is pretty slim!
Most useful tip - become friendly with the guys two teams down who have a petrol-powered pressure washer.
The course will invariably be dull with lots of climbing and not enough singletrack and your are likely to be held up by people who didn't take mud tyres and get off and push in the limited ST
And it looks like you are going to be the weak link i.e slowest in your team 😉
Coffee why bother you'll be better off asleep
That should make me number 3 or 4 in the running order!! Not bothered about that.
Need coffee for the drive home!
personally...
Racing Ralph for the dry and
Nobby Nic for the wet (but most tyres will not help as mushed grass and clay is never a great mix)
I reckon Kenda Slant 6's should be spot on!
If it's dry: [s]Furious Freds[/s] Slicks
If it's wet: [s]1.5" Black Shark Muds[/s] Walking Boots!Chance of needing anything in between is pretty slim!
FTFY 😉
I am running crossmarks in the dry and advantages in the wet. Only 40% will be really bad if it rains. Course is normlly designed the weekend before the event once the weather forecast is a little more accurate. Expect a wet one this year
I'm running Specialized ground controls wet or dry as they're the only pair of 29'er tyres I have 😉
It looks like we may have fixed the weather by next week anyway
...
http://www.yr.no/place/United_Kingdom/England/malvern/long.html
Top Tip: A brazier and firewood. Makes getting up in the cold at 3am much less daunting if there's a nice fire to go and warm yourself up.
If it's dry:
29er 2.1" SB8s and a smiley face.
If it's wet:
29er 2.1" SB8s and anguish.
My only other tyres are some 2.2" Nevegals, I stuck them on in the wet last year, they clogged up and stripped the paint off the frame. Don't hugely think they helped to be honest, might stick one on the front.
Anyone know of any decent cheap mud tyres? £120 on 4x Maxxis Beavers for myself and the wife is looking a bit steep.
Most likely going rigid on a Scandal, might chicken out and stick the Rebas back on.
Edit: Oh and my tip would be not to fret too much about taking stacks of food, unless you're riding to win. The catering tents have a good selection of sensible stuff for decent prices.
If it's dry, lol
Last time I did Mayhem (2005 I think) it was filthy, managed to ride the entire course on Trailrakers, perfect tyre.
Last year I rode with swampthings as I just couldn't be arsed to take them off, probably not the best idea as they were a bit hard work!
This year I've got Rocket Ron's if its dry and Mud-X if its wet.
Course-wise I'd like to see the one they used two years ago, last years felt like it had too much climbing in.
Thanks for that Neil, didn't go last year as i thought there was too much climbing in 2010 🙁
Team mate said there was less last year and i believed him...
I just think 2010 had a better balance, last year felt like more climbing with little to no reward. Everyones view will be different of course 😉
2010 was my favourite from recent years too.
Toasty, you can always get the wire bead Beavers for £22 each, might be worth getting one for the rear to give some traction. SB8's will clog very quickly in Mayhem mud (but then so will most tyres). CRC also have the WTB prowler for £16 at the moment and i found them far better in the mud than i expected.
All irrelevant of course though as it's bound to be dry and dusty. Mayhem always is...... 😉
Trailrakers, perfect tyre.
This has always been my experience. Used Racing Ralph / Nobby Nic combo, one year only...2005 or 6???
2012 - the weather gods have been in training...
Was camping on the Isle of Man last week. For some reason I just couldn't get thoughts of a wet Mayhem out of my mind
I think it was the combination of:-
- defeaning percussion of intense summer downpour on the tent
- soggy, slidy, waterlogged grass and clay slime campsite
😀
What is your most useful tip for Mayhem
If it's dry, knock off for the night after your first night lap, if it's still dry, start again around 8am
If it's wet, knock off about 6pm for a warm and some hearty food, if it's still wet, start again around 10am
What is your most useful tip for Mayhem
As it seems it will be an absolute mudfest the best tip is to take a bike designed/built in Britain, the carnage from a few years ago with mechs ripped off and clogged frames showed that bikes like on-ones and oranges were the least effected (memories of the thread on here following the carnage) did my 5 laps on a 5 with trailrakers and it never clogged, mis-shifted or had any issues, will be taking that and my 456 so not too worried about the mud
Last year ran NN on front Ralph out back for 24hrs no real probs. yes last year had too much climbing, more than the previous 3 yrs I've done it. 17 laps got me 2 laps shy of climbing the height of Everest in 24hrs 😀 Ant Whyte went above and beyond Everest 😯 so yeah last year had lots of climbing.
Toasty, you can always get the wire bead Beavers for £22 each, might be worth getting one for the rear to give some traction.
[url] http://www.allterraincycles.co.uk/product/126624.html [/url]
These are my new plan I think, maybe 1 and a Nevegal if I'm being cheap, a pair if I'm not.
SB8's will clog very quickly in Mayhem mud (but then so will most tyres).
My thinking was they'd clog into thin muddy discs, where as the Nevegals clogged up into huge fat tyres, getting stuck on the stays 🙂
There was only one part of last years course I found really bad, I can't see any tyres coping hugely well with the clay type mud that built up there briefly. It did dry quick though.
considering some drastic changes to my Epic 29er,
what are peoples thoughts on CX tyres on a 29er? I take it they fit.
Beavers are the only worthy 29er mud tyres and i have a set, I don't think the mayhem mud with clear well on them,
1x10 setup without a chain device? thinking XTR rear mech with new tensioner, thoughts?
2010 was my favourite from recent years too
me to
Racing Ralph/Rocket Rons if dry and Mud X - wet for me
This year I've got Rocket Ron's if its dry and Mud-X if its wet.
glad to see your taking it more seriously this year 😉
Racing Ralphs/NN's for normal conditions.
Medusa 1.8's & Conti xc 1.5's for normal Mayhem Conditions
grtdkad - Member
It looks like we may have fixed the weather by next week anyway
Hmm not sure that helps.
Whilst praying for a dry one, the woods round there take well over 2 weeks to dry out. So if that forecast comes true and it turns nice from next Tues on and the course goes through the woods, then it'll make the choice of tyre quite tricky.
I did last year on Michelin dry II's and probably lost a bit on the v few muddy sections but made up time on the grassy/dry sections. If there's far more mud in the woods this year, but still plenty of dryer stuff too then I think the equation swings towards the thin mud tyres.
Looking forward to it, whatever the weather brings.
stop.
the best course was the first one after the move to Eastnor, that was cut down the following year cos a load of whinging jessies couldn't ride up a muddy fireroad.
carry on.
...the best tip is to take a bike designed/built in Britain...
A belt drive Rohloff Lefty for example... 😉
I'd agree with Pedlad.
The course is due to get, according to Accuweather, 1.5 inches of rain this week and 1.1 inches over the weekend.
Next week is dry until Sat/Sun where it's showers.
It'll take more than 3 dry days to get a decent course.
Last year I did the first lap on Medussa 1.8's and in the woods they were great but not for the rest of the course and the next rider in our team rode Ralphs and wasn't really slowed down.
You need both mud and dry tyres and work it out when you're there. Not taking both is a big mistake.
Also worth noting that the decent/pro riders have little problems with the mud it seems to me so the answer is to keep your speed and momentum up and shed the mud. Easy !
D
Anyone running a 29er found a narrow tyre suitable for mayhem mud? I'm thinking a 42mm cross tyre might be useful
whinging jessies couldn't ride up a muddy fireroad
Whilst strictly true, "muddy fireroad" it is not how my memory recalls the LandRover tracks....
Just taken delivery of a small shelter to keep the sun off me up there...
[url= http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5341/7365061492_c7a675093e.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/ciderinsport/7365061492/ ]in the car![/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/ciderinsport/ ]ciderinsport[/url], on Flickr
Should have measured the car first 😕 doh!
Also worth noting that the decent/pro riders have little problems with the mud it seems to me so the answer is to keep your speed and momentum up and shed the mud. Easy !
I'm far from being a pro (or in any way half decent), but I think you'll gain more elsewhere on a lap running dry(er) condition tyres than you will running full mud tyres. There's perhaps 20-30% of the course where you'd benefit from Mud tyres, the rest of it is hard enough that whatever the weather, you can ride on almost any tyre.
Don't get me wrong, it'll be a slippy nightmare in the mud on dry(er) tyres, but as long as they're thin enough they don't clog your bike (will be taking a rigid fork for my HT too and assessing on the day) I think full on mud tyres won't really be worthwhile.
If it rains every day from now until mayhem, and rains all weekend of the race though, mud tyres will be the order of the day.
As for the 29er boys thinking about CX tyres... Probably not a bad idea if you're prepared for the pounding over the rough terrain. Speed + mud shedding ability are the desired factors here I think. I'm tempted to blag a 29er off someone for the race for that reason and sling some CX tyres on it!
Whilst strictly true, "muddy fireroad" it is not how my memory recalls the LandRover tracks....
nor mine.
my rear mech and mech hangar expired about 2/3'ds the way up.
on my next lap i broke a shoe.
at that point i gave it up as a bad job a drank beer/watched.
on my next lap i broke a shoe.at that point i gave it up as a bad job a drank beer/watched.
Best anecdote EVER.
Although last year was never a clog-fest it was a good mix of wet, intermediate, and dry. I used Ralphs for all my laps and had no issues at all.
CX bikes are against the rules yes?
but 29ers with CX tyres are allowed?
My top tips for Mayhem (and all events really)
1. Make sure your bike is actually in a ridable condition BEFORE turning up to the event. Turning up with a knackered drivetrain or brakes is just silly. Yes it does happen, more than you would imagine.
2. Take a spare mech hanger. Bending one beyond being able to be bent back then breaking it as you try really is quite disheartening and could ruin your weekend.
3. Take spare brake pads. In fact take spare spares. And probably another set just in case.
4. Bring beer to bribe any mechanics to repair your bike while you clean up, eat, sleep or take a dump 😉
My top tips for Mayhem (and all events really)
cough* My Top Tips to Shimano/Madison employees *cough
STAY AWAKE!!!
The SRAM guys were awake all night last year, fixing shimano equipped bikes for free, fuelled by nothing more than a bit of gratitude (and the occasional beer)... I even apologised for taking a bike along with Shimano components on to them, they commented "well you ain't gonna get much luck over there are you" (pointing to the Shimano/Madison outfit all packed up for the night!)
Seriously... It's the small things... At a 24hr event, the least people there to promote their brands can do is actually have at least one person awake the whole time. I'm far from expecting my bike to be fixed for free (and I'm capable of it myself, just neglected to take every single tool I owned along last year), but if you want good press, from I dunno, at least 2500 cyclists riding all weekend, then at least keep your station manned! SRAM had a MASSIVE moral victory last year in that respect, and I'm not the only one that noticed...
+1 the SRAM guys sorted my non-SRAM bike last year.
Great guys
Dugast Rhino XL in 45mm width FTW...
CX bikes are against the rules yes?but 29ers with CX tyres are allowed?
That old chestnut. Well I don't think there's ever been a serious challenge to the 'rule' but when I rode a Gryphon with drops and won the SS cat in '08 no one complained too much. My view is that if it's not a UCI legal 'cross bike then there's really no way to argue. They don't get specific about it like in 3 Peaks.
mboy - Member
I'm far from being a pro (or in any way half decent), but I think you'll gain more elsewhere on a lap running dry(er) condition tyres than you will running full mud tyres. There's perhaps 20-30% of the course where you'd benefit from Mud tyres, the rest of it is hard enough that whatever the weather, you can ride on almost any tyre.
Got to agree with this, unless it's a full mud fest. Last year I did one lap in 1.8 Medusas, then changed to 2.1 crossmarks for the rest of the time, much much better!
1.5" mud sharks if it's really wet so the bike doesn't jam up completely. I ran 1.5 Medusas last year for the first lap until it dried out a bit, but these were probably an over-reaction based on previous years' experiences...
Transitioning to Ralphs as it starts to hold together again.
The 1.5s were the only way to go in the truly biblical years - 05, 07, 08... Don't remember 09 but I don't think it was that bad? 05, 06 and 07 had moments of utter misery, particularly the torrential horizontal rain and gales of 07.
GB
09 wasn't too bad. 2010 was so dry I did the whole thing on a pair of 90s vintage green Michelin file-treads.
05, 06 and 07 had moments of utter misery
06 people got sunstroke chap! I only did 2 laps, as a stand in for someone who was really ill (sunstroke), and was VERY VERY red myself come Monday morning and back to work.
2010 was so dry I did the whole thing on a pair of 90s vintage green Michelin file-treads.
2010 was lovely conditions, not too hot, but nice and dry. Shame I got drafted into a team of really quick guys as they lost someone with a few days to go, and ironically I was the next fastest person they knew! I very nearly killed myself trying not to let them down... Still, 21st out of 132 iirc in category, that's about the highest up a field of entries I'm ever going to come in my lifetime.
Got to agree with this, unless it's a full mud fest. Last year I did one lap in 1.8 Medusas, then changed to 2.1 crossmarks for the rest of the time, much much better!
I think the mud clearance is more important than the tread itself. Hence why the old 1.5" conti XC's seem to be so good, and CX tyres for the 29ers. Not heavy treads, just thin and still very fast. Thinking if it's horrid I'll fit the narrowest tyres I can to my full sus bike, as ironically it's got quite a bit more tyre clearance than my HT (though the Maverick DUC32 fork helps there!) and just slice through the mud with 60psi in some 2" tyres or thinner. Preferably still with not too much tread though, so they're still quick.
the SRAM guys need to keep their servicing open all night....
1. Make sure your bike is actually in a ridable condition BEFORE turning up to the event. Turning up with a knackered drivetrain or brakes is just silly. Yes it does happen, more than you would imagine.
I've had some amazing support from both Madison (new rear mech, whole new brake) and SRAM (new MoCo cartridge) at Mountain Mayhem after various bits broke. It's [i]almost[/i] worth turning up with a knackered bike and getting them to fix it all.
Ah yes... Typo. I said 05 07 08 earlier... I should know 06 was hot as it was solo that year!
Course is up on the Mayhem website - Similar to last year.
Start is the same, up the zig zig hill, along the fire road, down through the woods to the lower fire road, climb up to the plasticine woods that never dry out, back up to the other end of the woods alon the edge of the field, through a little bit of trail then back down the slippy fire road to the arena. Over the bridge, up the massive grassy uphill, through the woods to the right of the obelisk, slippy off camber decent etc which is hilarious when it rains, down to the fire road over the back, up to the Somme woods, down all the way to the bottom of the next woods, climb back up through the woods (this is comedy in the wet) then down the fast rattly final decent as last year.
Course is up on the Mayhem website - Similar to last year.
Bum!
2010 - Great course
2011 - Much less so
🙁
Well the Somme woods and the next decent is the fun way round so that helps - that's better than 2011. Those two one after the other are great if it's dry as it's a fun fast bit. Otherwise it's a comedy slog mixed with trying not to end up pointing the wrong way down the trail whilst avoiding crashing into other riders...
Anyway, Mayhem has never been about the course. Where else do we get such an amazing atmosphere - its like a massive carnival.
Hmm looks like "wiggle woodland" is just a slog along that miserable muddy track rather than diving off in to the woods themselves. I hope not.
Hoping the jump of doom or whatever it was will make a return. The course needs some more features.
Depressingly similar to last year's course which was no fun. If it weren't for meeting up with folk not sure I'd bother again.
Looking at the map and comparing it to last year's GPS map they look pretty much the same.
I quite enjoyed the course so suits me.
Hoping the jump of doom
If you see a disco tent and a load of really fat blokes, you will find one of these! (stolen idea - sorry!) 😉
I don’t understand all this griping about the course... You can’t polish a turd after all, the topography of the area has never leant itself to being a "great course". What is and always has been great is the atmosphere.
I am coming back to racing mountain bikes after giving it all up after the "Malvern’s Classic" in 94. In those halcyon days of the early 90’s when the sun always shone the Malvern’s Classic offered a great event with a very mediocre course, but it was always on my list of "must do events".
I came last year and camped for the weekend, I rode the "Sunday Munch" 100K road sportive with my brother (who has never ridden a mountain bike). "We have to do this next year" he said.... So 12 months later we are ready for whatever MM throws at us.
As Guy Martin often says "it is what it is". Its going to be muddy and its going to have a lot of climbing, if that does not float your boat why do it!
I think most of the people commenting have been to the event several times like myself. And this will be the 4th year for my team and sadly I think the course is cr@p. The courses of 2009 and 2010 were quick yet fun with reward for the climbs with some great downs. Last year was a good change to mix it up but judging by the responses here and on other sites the keeping of the same course has not gone down very well.
I found last years course better on a singlespeed, there was only one bit right up the top (the last bit of gravel fire road) that I regularly walked.
I think they reduced the fast decents because there were quite a few crashes in previous years - the helicopter turned up for one unfortunate. There is a huge variety of skills participating so its always going to be a compromise between a good race course, and something which is rideable and safe for relative newbies.
My first experience of Mayhem, or any mtb race , come to that, was last year. My mates persuaded me that running my Smallblock 8s was a bad idea, so I swapped to XC pros for the entire thing. In all honesty I think the Smallblocks would have been ideal.
Plasticine woods will always be exactly that, like industrially processed cheese which sticks to everything unless you want it to and the stony, mossy long descent back toward the event site on the first part of the course, gives about as much traction as ice.
If the forecast for this weekend is as grim as it appears, truthfully, no matter what you run and I hate to say it, but it will be tough, no matter how perverse your idea of fun is !
Good luck to everyone.
You can’t polish a turd after all, the topography of the area has never leant itself to being a "great course".
Really? It's not exactly flat around there.Whether you like what they offer or not is down to preference, but I dont see the topo as a limiting factor...
What is and always has been great is the atmosphere.
AGREED
Well I for one quite like that course.
What mboy and Will said: full on mud tyres are a waste of time unless it really is sopping wet or you're seriously racing.
I ran 1.5 Mud Sharks for a lap last year and the lack of grip anywhere other than deep mud cost me more time than they saved. Having to keep them at higher pressure didn't help either.
1.8s or 2.0s I reckon for "average" conditions on 26" rims. I'll be seeing what it's like before I take off the 2.25 ADvantages and sticking some Medusas on.
Course looks the same as last year, so that'll be fun for me considering I'm even less fit than I was 12 months ago.
Useful tip? It's not lightweight camping, so bring as much stuff as will make it a comfortable and fun weekend for you.
Another useful tip, a Big clock, easier to quickly see the time if you're in a team.
I've seen the forecast and shall be riding this...
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[/img]
Last year was definitely not wet enough for 1.5" tyres! I just ran Nics all the way through and they were fine.
This year I fear will be wet enough, and then nothing else will work properly!
I'm clinging on to the hope that its not soaking wet, if its dry(ish) next week then hopefully that will give it chance to dry out, it does dry out quite quickly.
At the end of the day its the same for everyone and we've just got to make the best of it 🙂
I've seen the forecast and shall be riding this...
Sheer genius!
Mind you, you'll need to watch out for it when you're not riding it, that will be hot property! You ain't seen me right... 😉
Last year was definitely not wet enough for 1.5" tyres! I just ran Nics all the way through and they were fine.
Aside from plasticine woods, last year was almost dry! I know there was technically some precipitation, but I was running a Hutchinson Cobra rear tyre that would make a Racing Ralph look like a mud tyre, and the only place I suffered with a lack of grip was on the long landrover track style descent after plasticine woods, on the way back to the arena, because of the early morning dew. Everywhere else it was more than enough! Some people don't half panic about tyre choice when things get even remotely wet. You'll slide around more on something with less tread, granted, but then look at a CX tyre. They're narrow to cut through the mud, but they don't have an awful lot of tread on them, and they're bloody fast!
Yes, huge error of judgement on my part, but in the past I'd held off on changing tyres then regretted it, so I changed earlier...
On the plus side though, that error means that I'll not use them again because I hate them and would sacrifice the clearance for the better stability of a wider tyre . 🙂
I'm slow as hell anyway, so a bit of extra speed in the mud isn't really an issue.
It'll all be fine. Course looks OK and with nothing too bad in the damp.
Looking forward to it! Not long now.
Looking at the map and last year experience there are a few places that may catch you out.
1) the SingleTrack SingleTrack that runs between M2 and M3 cuts up lots if wet.
2) the Wiggle Woodland never dries so is always an issue (It's like moulding clay so never sets and is always sticky).
3) Ospray off-camber is a car crash if wet and you are stuck behind slow riders
4) Weldtite wash out is slippy at the top and people go too fast down it
5) The North Face Forest is always wet but they do try to sort it out with carpet sheets where the stream crosses.
So all in all, going to fun!
first time for me this year- was planning taking the Single speed with 1.9's fitted.
Is the course going to be suitable for single speed ? or should i take a geared bike instead ?
Any thoughts
theredchilli - the course is quite good for SS. I rode a lap on my SS (with 2.1 Nobby Nicks on)last year to compare against my laps on the geared bike. Turns out my SS lap was my fastest. Might try the same again this year - definitely taking the SS because if it really muds up then keeping it simple works well.
STS.
A LOT of rain here (just a few miles from course) from yesterday 4pm until the early hours, with plenty more scheduled over the weekend. I think that if the trail went up the somme woods (AKA north face forest) as it has done some years then muddies would be an automatic choice. Going down you have the choice of just slithering along with gravity I guess.
Agree with Dimmadan that Osprey off-camber is the next trickiest place and if it goes through the bracken it'll be impossible to ride on anything that doesn't really cut into the mud.
ScotlandTheScared
Thanks - was my original plan, as the weather looks rubbish ,definaltey my preferred option, as with riding anywhere for the first time- just concerned on the climbs !
theredchilli - I think I managed most of the climbs OK on the SS. I am not the fittest or strongest. I probably had to walk a little bit but not too much. My main problem will be that if its claggy mud my SS has V-brakes so the wheels start to clog up. Hmmmmm.
STS.
Is the course going to be suitable for single speed ?
ss is fine! If fact, me and some mates find it a bit easy so we add in some of these:
[url= http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7139/6850305056_dc80810cbd.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/ciderinsport/6850305056/ ]DSCF1345[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/ciderinsport/ ]ciderinsport[/url], on Flickr
😆
www.justgiving.com/team-SUMO
Sorry for the plug 😳
I cant FLIPPLING WAIT, 4th year in a row for me 🙂