First long MTB trail advice
Discussion
Having just returned from Wales I really have the urge to get out on my bike.
I have quickly drawn a route on google earth consisting of roads, trails, mountain paths, forest trails ect.
It's 25miles and we are reasonably fit but relative novices and I wondered how long this would likely take?
What sort of kit should I take?
Any useful tips?
Oli
I have quickly drawn a route on google earth consisting of roads, trails, mountain paths, forest trails ect.
It's 25miles and we are reasonably fit but relative novices and I wondered how long this would likely take?
What sort of kit should I take?
Any useful tips?
Oli
How long is a piece of string. Depends on what terrain you are traveling on, quality of bikes, quality of riders, amount of climb, how wet it is, what tyres... How big your lunch is ... How many gates you have to cross...
Yesterday on no roads and basically carving mud all the way with about 1400m of climb with 2 reasonable riders took 3.5 hours. As a road ride I would expect a decent rider to take approx 1.5 hours
Yesterday on no roads and basically carving mud all the way with about 1400m of climb with 2 reasonable riders took 3.5 hours. As a road ride I would expect a decent rider to take approx 1.5 hours
It really depends on the terrain
Have a look on Garmin Connect and see if anyones done it before and posted their results
If not my own average cross country is 14kph - which is probably meaningless
Stuff I carry - open to personal taste but:
water
phone
cash
multitool
pump
CO2 tyre repair kit (I run tubeless)
I tend to travel light and ride my luck
I also hate packpacks
Some pals carry the kitchen sink
Good luck
www.mbwales.com loads of useful advice here
in general, a camelbak type thing with some water, a few flapjacks, a multitool with chain splitter, spare tubes, tyre levers and a pump are the bare minimum, i often take a basic first aid kit, those foil emergency blankets and some spare gear cables, some zip ties etc... you dont know what you will come across on the trails and stuff like that could help another rider who has had a crash.
25 miles off road should take you about 4 hours with cake stops.
ride sensibly, leave gaps between riders so if one of you brakes suddenly you dont all career into the back of each other (seen it so many times its laughable)
in general, a camelbak type thing with some water, a few flapjacks, a multitool with chain splitter, spare tubes, tyre levers and a pump are the bare minimum, i often take a basic first aid kit, those foil emergency blankets and some spare gear cables, some zip ties etc... you dont know what you will come across on the trails and stuff like that could help another rider who has had a crash.
25 miles off road should take you about 4 hours with cake stops.
ride sensibly, leave gaps between riders so if one of you brakes suddenly you dont all career into the back of each other (seen it so many times its laughable)
I've did several 30-40 milers last year via (UKcycling events & Evans Rideit events)....
40 Miles round The New Forest (mainly flat fire tracks) - took me 2h 58m - that felt like a time trial, really fast for a MTB, whilst I did a 32 Miler around the Devils Punch Bowl, Surrey took over 4h 20m.
Get a decent bike setup sorted as well. Tyre and shock Pressures. Before checking I used to ride with a general guide on tyre pressures, once I brought a guage I found I was running at 45 PSI on the rear..! - way too hard, now I check and use the guage, I realise that I can adjust per conditions. I run low 30s for wet trails and 35 - 37 in the summer months. Also shock pressures have to be adjusted with tyre pressures. I've spent several rides playing with adjustments, and have noted what works for 'me!'.
jj
40 Miles round The New Forest (mainly flat fire tracks) - took me 2h 58m - that felt like a time trial, really fast for a MTB, whilst I did a 32 Miler around the Devils Punch Bowl, Surrey took over 4h 20m.
Get a decent bike setup sorted as well. Tyre and shock Pressures. Before checking I used to ride with a general guide on tyre pressures, once I brought a guage I found I was running at 45 PSI on the rear..! - way too hard, now I check and use the guage, I realise that I can adjust per conditions. I run low 30s for wet trails and 35 - 37 in the summer months. Also shock pressures have to be adjusted with tyre pressures. I've spent several rides playing with adjustments, and have noted what works for 'me!'.
jj
anonymous said:
[redacted]
Couldn't agree more, even Slime scabs or the like are a pain in the arse compared to just whipping out and replacing the tube. Repair it later in comfort.Currently carrying : spare tube, scabs, tyre levers, multi-tool with chain tool, powerlink, energy bar & phone.
Gren said:
anonymous said:
[redacted]
Couldn't agree more, even Slime scabs or the like are a pain in the arse compared to just whipping out and replacing the tube. Repair it later in comfort.Currently carrying : spare tube, scabs, tyre levers, multi-tool with chain tool, powerlink, energy bar & phone.
parktool super patches, woth their vwery nmeagre weight i ngold. they are a world away from the old patches with the vulcanising solution whcih were alwasy hit or miss. for those who havent used them, they are like mini squares of duct tape and do a good job of holding 100psi in a repaired 700c tube.
Nobody's mentioned the padded shorts/undershorts. If you're relative novices then a good chamois under your tackle will pay dividends over 25 miles.
I ride with Park Tool patches (good for the Camelbak bladder too), tyre levers, two inner tubes and a multitool plus Geobars which I find particularly easy to eat under way if necessary.
As for time 3hrs should be ample unless you're doing a fair amount of climbing (>500m)
I ride with Park Tool patches (good for the Camelbak bladder too), tyre levers, two inner tubes and a multitool plus Geobars which I find particularly easy to eat under way if necessary.
As for time 3hrs should be ample unless you're doing a fair amount of climbing (>500m)
Group size, frequency of stops, fitness, crashes, steepness, muddiness, navigation errors, etc all play a part.
I've taken nearly 4 hours to get round the Twrch trail at Cymcarn (approx 9 miles) with a few novices. Lots of breaks, a couple of crashes and slow pace meant doubling the normal time estimate.
With a sensible head on, be very pessimistic about pace and at this time of year, aim to back well before it gets dark. Ideally plan a route with "bail out" options so if you need to shorten it, you can easily. Groups always go way slower than even the slowest member would solo. Take layered clothes that will keep you warm and dry enough, including a spare layer in case you're waiting around (mechanical or injury). Take enough tools and spares to deal with the common issues - minimum allen keys, spare tube, patches, levers, pump and chain tool. Have enough water and food. At least one person should have basic first aid stuff and a space blanket.
I've taken nearly 4 hours to get round the Twrch trail at Cymcarn (approx 9 miles) with a few novices. Lots of breaks, a couple of crashes and slow pace meant doubling the normal time estimate.
With a sensible head on, be very pessimistic about pace and at this time of year, aim to back well before it gets dark. Ideally plan a route with "bail out" options so if you need to shorten it, you can easily. Groups always go way slower than even the slowest member would solo. Take layered clothes that will keep you warm and dry enough, including a spare layer in case you're waiting around (mechanical or injury). Take enough tools and spares to deal with the common issues - minimum allen keys, spare tube, patches, levers, pump and chain tool. Have enough water and food. At least one person should have basic first aid stuff and a space blanket.
If you are in a group it may well be worth grabbing a few cheap basic indestructible PAYG phones so when the guy at the back gets a puncture or feels rougher than f
k they can atleast drop the rest of the group a text to say they have bailed or are ages behind. I say PAYG phones as I have come off and smashed my old iphone twice, huge touch screens attract pointy rocks etc.
k they can atleast drop the rest of the group a text to say they have bailed or are ages behind. I say PAYG phones as I have come off and smashed my old iphone twice, huge touch screens attract pointy rocks etc.Gassing Station | Pedal Powered | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff