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Looking at doing the Wiltshire Wild Heart Gravel event in March, has anyone done it?
I’m wondering on bike choice as I don’t know the area - I know a lot will be down to personal preference.
I have either:
Scott Spark 900rc
or
Mason Bokeh (700c wheels with 38 tyres) My rims won’t take bigger tyres.
Having ridden the Ridgeway and SDW I was glad to be on my Spark - if this gives an insight?
If it’s proper gravel / smooth-ish bridle way, then Bokeh will be fine, but if it’s rutted etc then I’d prefer my Spark.
I can’t find any YouTube vids of the event and the info page says either bike type is fine - guess I just don’t want to be over or under biked, if you know what I mean?
Thoughts please?
I've done a few of the old Trailbreak orienteering races out of the race course back in the day but I think they tended to be aimed at the rutty end of the spectrum for check points. The route sounds like its going across the river valleys (Chalke, Wylye and Avon I guess) which would suggest the better tracks and a bit more road (the Ox Drove out was OK, more gravel than ruts) so I'd be inclined to go with the Bokeh.
That said, if I was doing the Ridgeway now (Goring > Avebury) as I've done in the past, I'd take my Tripster rather than the mtb so you might be happier on the Spark. 75kms on mtb with road sections feels like a bit of a too long day out for me now 😀
Was this under a different name a few years ago? If so, I’ve done it. Definitely done one out of the same start location. From memory went up the “Hovis Hill”??
When I did it the conditions were very wet, there was about a half mile of land rover rutted section, I was on a Trek Domane with 33mm tyres. I was getting passed by the XC hardtail guys on this section, everywhere else my bike was more appropriate. The last maybe mile was a bit tough as it was fast wooded section, a bit rocky/rooty but nothing the bike couldn’t handle. I didn’t get overtaken on it. The climbs were non technical, descents again from memory I think one of them might have been very loose gravel, but not technical. I got a gold medal and finished pretty high up the order on the road bike.
I probably did it in 2017, gravel was just becoming gravel…I had a choice between the Domane and a Trek 100mm XC hardtail. If doing it again I’d prefer wider tyres, 38mm or maybe 42, but would do it on a gravel bike rather than hardtail.
Just to add, on the real muddy rutty section, as there was a bit of a tailback of gravel bikes struggling, I just shouldered my bike and ran. The hardtails were able to take a different line, but that would be down to better tyres shedding mud, and I guess wider bars helping with control.
Thanks chaps - much appreciated.