Yet Another Cycling Forum
General Category => Freewheeling => MTB => Topic started by: Chris N on 04 December, 2008, 09:57:29 am
-
Entry opens on 1st January. Who's going?
Hell Of The North Cotswolds (http://www.honc.org.uk/)
-
Entry opens on 1st January. Who's going?
Hell Of The North Cotswolds (http://www.honc.org.uk/)
Me! I had an entry two years ago but didn't realise it was on a Sunday (doh!) so couldn't do it as there are no trains from Oxford->Winchcombe before 9am on a Sunday. Last year I did the Harlequin Hack audax instead but this year, for the first year in 4, the audax and HONC are on different days. :thumbsup:
I'll need to get a B&B for the 4th April. Any recommendations?
-
My brother and I are planning on doing this.
-
Hmm. May have to give it another go. The last time I did it the weather and route were fantastic (though the year before it nearly got snowed off...)
-
Thinking of giving it a miss this year. Very nice route, well organised, etc but too many people for my tastes. I'd rather have a pootle in a small group or alone.
-
My two regular riding companions and I are planning on riding it next year. We failed to enter this year as all the entries were filled by the 12th of January.
We've ridden the event several times before and find it's best to let the rabble start off first, rather than end up walking up the first few tracks blocked by a mass of cyclists who can't climb hills.
-
Got mine: no. 198 :thumbsup:
-
Hmm. I appear to be #203.
See you there, weather permitting...
-
Got mine :thumbsup:
Number 76.
-
Is this likely to require a MTB?
-
Is this likely to require a MTB?
Actually a cyclo cross bike is, in my view, the ideal option.
If fairly dry, a road bike with some cross tyres and low gears would do the job.
At the front it's a pretty competative event, but further back it's a great day out.
-
It's full already. :o
All 1100 places for HONC 2009 have now been taken and the Reserve List is full. We regret we cannot accept any further entries for this year´s event.
Annie, I'll be on my roadrat with cyclocross tyres - I don't think you'll need a MTB.
-
Ru88ell did it on slicks the year before last and didn't have any problems.
Although the year before that ice tyres would have been useful in the afternoon ;)
And the year before that (I think or possibly the one before that?) the mud got pretty bad with plenty of crashes near the end.
It all depends on the weather.
-
Number 580 ...what have I let myself into? :o
....Im riding with Ru88ell's "mob" be interesting to see if he packs a spare set of wheels with slicks this year ;)
-
Number 780, on my trusty roadrat.
-
Is there somebody who wants to ride this event and isn't entered?
PM me for some good news.
-
Entry sorted now.
-
Fankyew :thumbsup:
-
Arse. I've just read the "letter" that got emailed out last week.
It says "...bring your email entry confirmation to register on the day".
Which, of course, I don't appear to have saved or printed out.
Sigh. Muppet ::-)
Anyone got any (helpful) suggestions?
-
Contact Entry Central and see if they've still got the records?
Need to order some tyres, swap sprockets, change handlebars and whip off the mudguards for next weekend.
-
A question for those who have done this before. Is there food/water out on the course at the controls?
-
A question for those who have done this before. Is there food/water out on the course at the controls?
Free refreshments at more or less halfway...water, banananas, cake, etc
plus a few pubs and shops on route but not that many
-
Cheers Bodger. And will I have to carry my bike at any point? I'm trying to make sure I carry enough water but don't want to use a water bottle. I'm looking forward to this, it' been a while since I've ridden a long way off road on the roadrat :D
-
Don't think that I ever had to carry the bike. You might find that you might have to push for a bit on the first hill because everyone in front of you has decided to push too and have speard out across the track because they've decided that if they can't ride up it then they are going to make jolly sure that no one else gets the chance.
-
John Taylor, the very nice organiser bloke, who clearly should be doing far more important things than helping out muppets like me, has sorted me out with a new confirmation email.
Which means, ulp, I'd better turn up.
(Planet-X Kaffenback, Citroen Berlingo, no idea what I'm wearing, though there may be a YACF buff on the go if you want to make sure you avoid me...).
Do I want to check the weather forecast? Or will I just depress myself?
-
I'll keep an eye open for you Dave. I'm on a Cotic roadrat with silly red brake pads and red hubs and trying to beat everyone to the first hill.
-
All sorted here, both bikes looking SUPER 8)
See you on Saturday
Andy
Contact Entry Central and see if they've still got the records?
Need to order some tyres, swap sprockets, change handlebars and whip off the mudguards for next weekend.
-
Might need to leave those mudguards on ;)
-
Looking a bit damp, isn't it? I shan't bother giving it a clean first.
-
I've dug the crosser out, replaced the disc pads, greased the headset, and checked everything else over. Will be bunging crud catchers on for the big day. :thumbsup:
-
No mud catching devices for me, more mud more fun!
-
I'll know to push you off into it then ;D
-
Looking forward to catching up with y'all. I'll be with a gang (13) of Stourbug riders (mostly female) all wearing red and black. Dunedin is in our gang.
-
The HONC, first time for me. I rode it on the Roadrat with 35mm tires, next time I will use more rubber, I punctured twice, and wiped out twice! I now have a hole in my knee for the first time in about 10 years. Despite the punctures, the spills and the multiple wrong turns I manged to get home at 2.15pm. Bread pudding at the food station was good. ;D
It was a great ride and one I will do again next year. :thumbsup:
-
Wasn't quite sure what was left in the tank after yesterday's 200k and a really bad night's sleep, so planned to set off hard and see how far I got round the 100k course before fading but made the mistake of not being on the front of the start line, and spent the first hour fighting my way through the chaos. Was a bit of a PITA to be honest. The uphills were blocked with panting mtb riders wobbling all over the place.
Eventually managed to get past hundreds and hundreds of people into a bit of open space. Up front the wheat had seperated from the chaff and everyone was in small groups moving at the same speed. It was good. Full-on insane madness.
Taking my crosser proved to be a very bad choice though... fat aluminium tubes and no suspension :o Got so shaken on some of the fast rutted downhills that I actually couldn't see. Wish I had taken the MTB. Started to get fed up with hooning past the mtb'ers on the uphills only to have them shoot past me on the descents thanks to their full-sus, with me vibrating so much I could hear my brain slapping against the sides of my skull.
Got to the 50k point after 2h 30, nice cup of tea and a Bakewell tart. Decided I'd had enough of being vibrated and also recognised that my (and others) fatigue levels might lead to a nasty high speed spill, so headed off on an impromptu tour of the villages of the North Cotswolds on my own.... had a lovely time, topped off by a lovely fit young lady on a white carbon Trek stopping to talk to me as I was studying a map on the way back to Winchcombe
A good day out, but if I do it again I'll take the MTB, make sure I'm in the front of the other 1099 riders at the start line and not do a 200k the day before.
Definitely a good event though.
-
I really enjoyed that - set off right at the very back of the group, leaving the start at about 9.15. Slow going up to the top of the first hill, but a pretty good way to warm up (and make sure my brakes were working). Started to enjoy it after clearing the big groups of riders - some fairly challenging climbs and nice fast descents. Bit of a silly grin on my chops on the bridleways around Cleeve Hill - not had that much fun on a bke for a long time!
Agree about needing fatter tyres - I'm going to have to get some 40 or 42mm tyres for the 'rat next time I try something like that.
-
Hats off to doing it on fixed... I wouldn't have :o
-
It was good - 57" worked really well. Only walked two climbs, once where I got caught up in a bunch and once where I got bounced into the side of rut. Wrists a bit achey now.
-
Apart from the climbs, I spent all the ride on the drops to try and minimise the impact
-
I'm going to go back to Midge bars on the 'rat - looks like it'll be staying in off-road mode for a while. :D
-
Have to agree with Chris (thanks for your company), it was a great day but quite tough on the Pompino.
Must congratulate the wife as she doesn't ride off road at all and did really well today, her Marin Point may never be the same again. :-)
Pomp will be going back to road trim for the summer.
Andy
-
Nice day out. I was even given a HONC polo shirt after the event for just standing around at a couple of road junctions (and putting pen to several hundred cards). ;)