Scott 24Hr

[angryasian]

Being a total 24Hr noob, and a complete stranger to the track...

Does anyone have any tips/pointers?

What's the weather like up there?
How technical is the track?
Tire choice?

What do you bring for this kind of thing?

Should I ban the GF from coming? Don't want her to see my sorry-ass limp-home mode.

[alchemist]

Being a total 24Hr noob, and a complete stranger to the track...

Does anyone have any tips/pointers?
Take every piece of cycling gear you own.
Loose the derailleurs - all those extra gears are slowing you down.
Be nice to every one
Dont forget to have fun


What's the weather like up there?
http://forums.farkin.net/showthread.php?t=63738


How technical is the track?

Not very
http://forums.farkin.net/showthread.php?t=57019&highlight=Mont+24hr


Tire choice?
Whatever is on the bike at the time - Larsons, Crossmarks, Karmas, Ignitors, Explorers, XCRs - their all good (unless it is muddy again)

What do you bring for this kind of thing?

A bike, some more stuff here
http://forums.farkin.net/showthread.php?t=59577&highlight=Mont+24hr
and
here http://www.brightorangeevents.com/allaboutMTBpage6.htm

Should I ban the GF from coming? Don't want her to see my sorry-ass limp-home mode.
Is she hot? Honestly, it depends - If she doesn't mind hanging out in a freezing forest with a bunch of smelly bikers why not and it is good to have someone drive you home. If not leave her at home or a nice warm hotel in Canberra while she checks out the sights.

[Drizz]

.......If not leave her at home or a nice warm hotel in Canberra while she checks out the sights.

Sights? U mean Fyshwick??

[FR Drew]

Question one really needs to be are you doing it solo or in a team as that will seriously change what you bring along.

Tip one: Do a practice lap. I would say around 70% of the effort is in the first half of the course. You want to be able to pace yourself so you're not utterly shagged after the first 10km.

Tip two: If it is wet at all, on the boardwalks covered in wet clay go slow and keep the bike vertical on the turns. Time saved leaning the bike to get through the corner faster will be quickly lost as time off the side of the boardwalk in the swamp.

Weather looks like it'll be dry and for the moment the track seems to be holding up well.

The climbs are all do-able for anyone with some hilly xc riding under their belts.

The singletrack is all pretty flowy. there are rocks and tree roots though and having just switched from a HT to a 3.7 inch travel duallie I'd say bring a 4 inch squishy bike if you can.

As far as tyres go: I've said before that I'd opt for a Larsen 2.0 Exception on the rear and an ADvantage on the front if taking the mid price option.

I'm currently running Syncros FLT2.0 Factory both front and rear and it seems stunning for the Scott course. Jump up in price from the Maxxis though.

Heaps of folks have their partners there. Good for a back rub when you're feeling sore, or to make you a cup of hot chocolate, or to curl up with in a sleeping bag.

Bring:
Bike
Tent
Sleeping bag
Air mattress
comfy folding chairs
Water
Small gas stove (the ones that take the aerosol cans that they sell for 20 bucks from Big W are brilliant
folding table
Water
Tarpaulin
Rope (to string tarp between trees)
spare tent pegs
Aerogard
torch
all the warm bike riding clothing you have
as many spare pairs of knicks as you have

Curash nappy rash powder (I used to have serious probs with sweat chafing when out on long rides. Since i started dusting with Curash before putting my knicks on I've had no hassles. For me it's been a godsend. YMMV)

clothes to change into once you've got out of your riding gear after your lap (do NOT under any circumstances sit around in your riding knicks after you get back. Change into something dry and fresh or you will pay for it later on.

a pillow
fresh socks
around $200 in cash at least, plus whatever credit card you usu use (you may need to pay for on site bike repairs) and you will buy food.
cooking gear
plates, mug, cutlery, etc
something to wash cooking gear with
your food
your drink
power bars, Gu's, Sports Beans or whatever
Salted chips to bring up your sodium levels (even Gatorade doesn't have enough to replace what you sweat)


bike stuff:
Puncture kit
3 spare tubes
spare chain
SRAM joiner links
chain breaker (pref on multi tool)
Allen keys for all bike fastenings
pliers
needlenose pliers
side cutters
small and large cable ties
gaffer tape
elelctrical tape
spray lube
chain lube
flat and phillips screwdrivers
rags
bike cleaning brushes (a cassette brush and a few old toothbrushes)
mineral turps
a funnel that will fit into the neck of a coke bottle
an empty 2 litre coke bottle (for waste turps)
an empty gatorade bottle
(the easiest way to clean a chain is to undo the joiner link, drop the chain into a gatorade bottle with some turps, shake it well, pour the black turps out and repeat with fresh, then clean off with a rag, lube with tri flo, wipe down with rag to remove excess and re fit)
at least one spare tyre, preferrably 2

Hope that helps a bit.

[angryasian]

Ahhhhh... that's the spot. ..
Thanks for the list - exactly what i was looking for.


I hope dearly that it's dry. I hate wet races. The board-walks sound scary. Especially at night. Is this a make our break your ride kind of thing? (If you fall off - time to go home?)


Another wayward question - Average lap-time? The gun guys do it in " "

The average guys do it in""

The guys who are in waaay too deep do it in ""

[Le Matelot]

Here are some graphs of lap times from last year...

So, for men by day, in answer to your question...

Gun: 49 mins
Average: 72 mins
I Shouldn't Be Here: 100+ mins

[FR Drew]

As a relatively unfit rider with crap bike handling skills, I'm pretty sure that my day laps in decent conditions have been around the 1:25 mark. (I'm the slowest of the group of folks that I ride with)

Even as a total novice on a 17 kg cromo framed mongoose hardtail with Rockshox Jett's I still lapped under 1 hour 30 and that was on the 03 course when it had the big firetower climb.

If you do any XC riding/racing at all and don't come in the rear 5% of the field the Scott course should be a breeze. Even if you at the back of the stragglers, it's do-able. Don't sweat it.

As for if falling off the board walks would be the end of your race, I'd seriously doubt it. It's not a deep fall, it was just into a boggy section with standing water and mud. More likely to have to scrape the mudd off, dust down your pride and continue on riding. Worst case would be a buckled wheel i'd expect unless you really fell badly and injured yourself, but you can do that anywhere on any MTB XC course.

PS, there may be a few things that I've left off the list further up, don't take it as the be all and and all of a Scott 24 hour checklist of stuff to take.

[fatnold]

while the tips are flowing I have a question.
i sweat alot and as a result my helmet gets soaked. i hate putting my freezing wet helmet back on when it is time to go again.
any tips for either keeping the helmet dry in the first place, drying it out between laps or learning to love ice cold sweat running down your forehead?

thanks

[Joel O]

i didn't even think of it until just then riding home in the dark, but is a rear red light a requirement for the race during night laps, like it is on the road?

[Sleeman]

Yes, a rear red light and a spare white light of some sort is a requirment on all of these type of races once it starts to get dark.

And as for getting your helmet dry, if you're in a corparate tent, just hold it up to the heater. If not so lucky, dry it out as much as you can using a towel, then a gas cooker will let off enough heat to dry it out completely. Just be careful not the get it too hot or you could damage the helmet.

Otherwise a spare helmet might be good. I also take spare shoes, worst thing is putting on cold, wet shoes at 3am in the morning.

[alchemist]

while the tips are flowing I have a question.
i sweat alot and as a result my helmet gets soaked. i hate putting my freezing wet helmet back on when it is time to go again.
any tips for either keeping the helmet dry in the first place, drying it out between laps or learning to love ice cold sweat running down your forehead?

thanks

Using a bandana such as this (http://www.irule.co.nz/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=I&Product_Code=STEALTHTROP&Category_Code=HED) can help with not getting as wet or for putting on dry when your pads are already wet. To dry them out between laps a heater works very well, as does putting them near a gas mantel light.

If you dont have a heater then as soon as you finish your lap take them out, squeeze as much sweat as possible out then stick them down the side of your knicks or undies (if you're getting changed). A similar trick with wet gloves is to put them in the bottom of your sleeping bag if you've got time to have a snooze. Overnight will probably dry them out, after a few hours at least they'll still be warm.

As for learning to love it - even I'm not that much of a masochist.

[prklcd]

Curash nappy rash powder - huh???

I picked some up at coles tonight - hopefully I get the results you did :D

[angryasian]

Yes, a rear red light and a spare white light of some sort is a requirment on all of these type of races once it starts to get dark.

And as for getting your helmet dry, if you're in a corparate tent, just hold it up to the heater. If not so lucky, dry it out as much as you can using a towel, then a gas cooker will let off enough heat to dry it out completely. Just be careful not the get it too hot or you could damage the helmet.

Otherwise a spare helmet might be good. I also take spare shoes, worst thing is putting on cold, wet shoes at 3am in the morning.

Erhm.... will a knog style flashing number do?...

Thanks for the tips guys... much appreciated!!
Will most likely try to ride the course with Larsen's front and rear...
Was thinking a crossmark for the front - but it sounds a bit too bumpy for that kind of action.
I've got some conti vert pro's ... might give them a crack on the front too...


What do ppl do for bike parking at night? Just a phat lock through the frame/wheels? + dog? LoL...

[astroboy]

Erhm.... will a knog style flashing number do?...

Thanks for the tips guys... much appreciated!!
Will most likely try to ride the course with Larsen's front and rear...
Was thinking a crossmark for the front - but it sounds a bit too bumpy for that kind of action.
I've got some conti vert pro's ... might give them a crack on the front too...


What do ppl do for bike parking at night? Just a phat lock through the frame/wheels? + dog? LoL...

Like FR Drew I have latched on to the beauty of the Maxxis Larsen TT for our local Canberra trails, but opt to run it only on the rear. I run the Larsen with a Ritchy Excavader on the front. I use to run with the 1.9 inch Larsen TT but they have become very hard to come by so have gone to the 2.0.

On the bike parking front there is a million and one options as you will see by the time the race actually starts - bike rack designs are many and varied. Bike security never seems to be an issue - I have not heard of anyone's bike getting stolen but that's not to say it wouldn't be seen as a prime picking ground for the less savoury characters. In a big team there is usually always someone awake during the night to keep an ear out.

Astro

[angryasian]

Might be an obvious one... but why not on the front?

No-one is running it?!!

(Basically I'm still packing myself that I've gotten into this 24Hr scary darkness thing...)

[FR Drew]

I've seen XC whippets riding 1.9 Larsens; front and rear, but sadly, they posess bike handling skills that I do not. ADvantage tends to wash out less up front than the Larsen.

I'm disappointed to be in a position to dispute Astro, but one of my friends had their NRS stolen last year at the race. Only case I've heard of in 3 years of riding and a ballsy effort considering he's a 6 foot 6 policeman. Person in question was very lucky they didn't get caught in the act.

Bring a cable lock and throw it around the bike wheels/frame and one of the multitude of trees (or another bike, 2 locked bikes are fairly hard to carry).

[Oddjob]

while the tips are flowing I have a question.
i sweat alot and as a result my helmet gets soaked. i hate putting my freezing wet helmet back on when it is time to go again.
any tips for either keeping the helmet dry in the first place, drying it out between laps or learning to love ice cold sweat running down your forehead?

thanks

Crumpled newspaper is always pretty good at wicking water. Just use the crappy Sunday tabloid of your choice.

[Mr Pants]

while the tips are flowing I have a question.
i sweat alot and as a result my helmet gets soaked. i hate putting my freezing wet helmet back on when it is time to go again.
any tips for either keeping the helmet dry in the first place, drying it out between laps or learning to love ice cold sweat running down your forehead?

thanks

Buy 2 of these: http://www.irule.co.nz/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=I&Product_Code=STEALTHTROP&Category_Code=HED

And dry one while you ride with one. They dry in no time and stop the sweat running into your eyes. Problem solved.

[...jim]

Wet helmet - wear a headband/skullcap under it, and/or use some paper towel to blot the sweat out of the pads after you finish your lap.

Tyres - I ran a Conti Vertical Pro on the front during the Kowen 3hr on the weekend just past and it ruled! Yeah, it's a touch on the heavy side and I'm certainly gonna try something lighter (but still knobbier than an Larsen/Python) pre-race, but I reckon I probably make up more speed cornering confidently with a big knobby bag on the front than I lose pushing around the extra 100gsm. Larsen/crossmark all the way on the back.

Bring - everything - and a trolly. Don't overdress at 3am though.

Lap-time - who cares? Unless you really think you can gun for a podium the only thing you're really racing is your battery.

[fatnold]

thanks mr alchemist and mr pants. order placed with irule.

thanks mr ...jim, paper towel ordered.

oddjob, your suggestion is only good for after the paper arrives sunday.;)

[astroboy]

Regarding the wet helmet issue, another solution is the original Buff. See http://www.buff.com.au

I picked up my first one at the Oz Bike Show in Sydney last year and am know a life supporter. This thread just prompted me to get a 2nd one for the Scott - they are great stuff.

Astro