HT550 2021

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fatbikephil
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Re: HT550 2021

Post by fatbikephil »

Hi Javi, nice to hear from an expert!
OBH is advertising its bunkhouse as being open so hopefully scope for a cop out if the weather is nasty.
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trob6
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Re: HT550 2021

Post by trob6 »

Richpips wrote: Sat May 08, 2021 4:47 pm
trob6 wrote: Sat May 08, 2021 2:09 pm
Richpips wrote: Wed May 05, 2021 12:40 pm
sean_iow wrote: Wed May 05, 2021 12:04 pm Pleased you've warmed up :-bd It looked properly horrible in the pictures. How was the Outdry jacket? Did it keep the water out? Looking at your pictures reminded me I need a better jacket.
I can honestly say that jacket saved me. I've just checked I was rained, sleeted and snowed on for over 9 hours. When I took my stuff off, my under layers were dry.

I've just bought another as a spare.
I'm in the market for one of these jackets, well 2 really, one for my wife too, where did you get it from Rich?
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Great Thanks.

Hi Tim, straight from the Columbia website the model I have is the Reign.
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AlasdairMc
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Re: HT550 2021

Post by AlasdairMc »

htrider wrote: Thu May 06, 2021 1:57 pm A thing I always think about - some very fit people have failed, some (comparatively) unfit people have succeeded. Nous and keeping a level head are more important than fitness.
This was discussed at length in 2019 by all of us waiting around in Tyndrum. My personal theory is that people who know they’re not fast (myself included) will pack enough stuff to be comfortable because they know they’ll be out there a while. The racers at the front are either racing or scratching - there’s no middle ground, so they’ll go lighter. This means when it goes titsup it can get risky, as they don’t have the literal comfort measures that comes with the slightly extra kit. I’ve always packed to sleep every night in relative comfort to ensure I can be fresh(ish) each day.
pete68
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Re: HT550 2021

Post by pete68 »

For anyone not planning on being at the sharp end, I personally would say take a lightweight tent,especially if the bothies aren't open. Doesn't weigh much more than a bicycle and tarp if more comfy, and gets you away from the midgies.
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fatbikephil
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Re: HT550 2021

Post by fatbikephil »

Yeah I'm thinking on taking a shelter that will allow a decent kip in crap weather. The good news is that there will be no midges. Still some frosts to come and lots over the last month or so so the little bleeders won't be out until June I suspect. :-bd
ScotRoutes
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Re: HT550 2021

Post by ScotRoutes »

htrider wrote: Sun May 09, 2021 10:44 am Yeah I'm thinking on taking a shelter that will allow a decent kip in crap weather. The good news is that there will be no midges. Still some frosts to come and lots over the last month or so so the little bleeders won't be out until June I suspect. :-bd
There was a midge report from Angus yesterday.
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sean_iow
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Re: HT550 2021

Post by sean_iow »

Did I hear it's a staggered start this year? Just thinking about my dot watching and wondered how that will work.
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fatbikephil
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Re: HT550 2021

Post by fatbikephil »

ScotRoutes wrote: Sun May 09, 2021 10:50 am There was a midge report from Angus yesterday.
Singular? :grin: we'll be fine
sean_iow wrote: Sun May 09, 2021 10:51 am Did I hear it's a staggered start this year? Just thinking about my dot watching and wondered how that will work.
Groups of 5 or 6 at 5 minute intervals between 8am and 9am. Should be good as less temptation to hare off at the start. I think the plan is to put all of the 'favourites' in one group
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sean_iow
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Re: HT550 2021

Post by sean_iow »

That shouldn't make much difference to my dot watching then. 6 at a time every minute means everyone will be off after 10 minutes and once they get to the railway underpass they'll all be together again :smile:
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boxelder
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Re: HT550 2021

Post by boxelder »

Updates are only every 10 mins anyway aren't they, so shouldn't be noticeable.
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fatbikephil
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Re: HT550 2021

Post by fatbikephil »

sean_iow wrote: Sun May 09, 2021 11:12 am That shouldn't make much difference to my dot watching then. 6 at a time every minute means everyone will be off after 10 minutes and once they get to the railway underpass they'll all be together again :smile:
5 min intervals not 1 minute intervals.
I checked out the gate next to the stile under the railway last week and annoyingly it seems to have been re-set so nigh on impossible to lift out of its slot. Over the stile we go.....
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sean_iow
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Re: HT550 2021

Post by sean_iow »

Ah, I misread that as 1 minute intervals.

How was the river crossing when you turned off the old route to go along the south side of the Loch? It looked like it had potential to get quite wide when I rode the LTL, but it was getting dark when I was there and they always look worse in the dark.
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fatbikephil
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Re: HT550 2021

Post by fatbikephil »

All very low on my visit but they could be quite tricky after heavy rain...
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ChrisS
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Re: HT550 2021

Post by ChrisS »

journeyman wrote: Fri May 07, 2021 9:43 pm
Bike wise ive got some new drive chain bits for a 1x12 and a good chunky bontrager XR3 XR4 tyre combo. Ive smashed a wheel rim before on the ben alder water bars which by the grace of god i was able to bend back and carry on. When it happened i thought id blown it; definitely a place to be 100% concentrating.
After much back and forth this is the tyre combo I've gone for after deciding to err on the side of chunky. Had a mega search for for an XR3 2.4" though - finally tracked one down at C&N Cycles in Surrey who kindly agreed to pop one in the post for me despite not usually doing mail order on tyres :-bd
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Bearbonesnorm
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Re: HT550 2021

Post by Bearbonesnorm »

This was discussed at length in 2019 by all of us waiting around in Tyndrum. My personal theory is that people who know they’re not fast (myself included) will pack enough stuff to be comfortable because they know they’ll be out there a while. The racers at the front are either racing or scratching - there’s no middle ground, so they’ll go lighter. This means when it goes titsup it can get risky, as they don’t have the literal comfort measures that comes with the slightly extra kit. I’ve always packed to sleep every night in relative comfort to ensure I can be fresh(ish) each day.
I do wonder whether the mindset of some has altered over the years. Once, the most important 'thing' was a finish. A fast one would be good but to finish at all seemed the most important thing. That some how seemed to alter to the finish fast or not at all approach - maybe I'm seeing it differently, I dunno.
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ScotRoutes
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Re: HT550 2021

Post by ScotRoutes »

As said, this was gone over in 2019. I also think that, for some who've already completed it, the goal is to do it faster and if that's not going to happen then why bother.
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sean_iow
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Re: HT550 2021

Post by sean_iow »

Bearbonesnorm wrote: Mon May 10, 2021 9:20 am
This was discussed at length in 2019 by all of us waiting around in Tyndrum. My personal theory is that people who know they’re not fast (myself included) will pack enough stuff to be comfortable because they know they’ll be out there a while. The racers at the front are either racing or scratching - there’s no middle ground, so they’ll go lighter. This means when it goes titsup it can get risky, as they don’t have the literal comfort measures that comes with the slightly extra kit. I’ve always packed to sleep every night in relative comfort to ensure I can be fresh(ish) each day.
I do wonder whether the mindset of some has altered over the years. Once, the most important 'thing' was a finish. A fast one would be good but to finish at all seemed the most important thing. That some how seemed to alter to the finish fast or not at all approach - maybe I'm seeing it differently, I dunno.
I think I worked out at the time that you were twice as likely to finish if it was your first time or if you were from overseas. People who had a previous finish didn't feel the need to spend 6 days in the rain to finish a route they'd done before in less time and better weather.

I think that the conditions in previous events also had an impact. As most of the events in the one of two years beforehand had perfect weather conditions* people carried less and less and got away with it each time. Not helped by the weather in Tyndrum in the days before the start being so good, it didn't correlate with the forecast for the coming week further north.

*Obviously not including the 2018 BB200/BB300 :lol:
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ScotRoutes
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Re: HT550 2021

Post by ScotRoutes »

Maybe Alan needs to re-think the selection criteria and start excluding previous finishers :lol:
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fatbikephil
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Re: HT550 2021

Post by fatbikephil »

Its the old "Its a race" mentality, which if you are a racer head then you can't escape so you will always want to go faster. If you've done it before then its easy to ID bits where you could save time - typically when you've stopped early. After 2017 me and Bob both noted that if we'd not stopped at the OBH bunkhouse on night three (at 7.30) then we could have been done on the Wednedsay night. True in theory but maybe the extra long stop help me recover enough to pull an all nighter Into Thursday....

I do get the feeling that some people go in with racer kit (lightweight bivvy only and no PJ's for example) as its the done thing, without looking at the weather or using experience to judge what's actually needed. I recall Aiden Harding raised a few eyebrows in 2013 as he had a lot more stuff than others; but he'd packed food for the whole trip so he didn't have to rely on shops and also warm gear if he got cold and wet. In the event this paid off for him.

My approach is standard - go with the flow and err on the side of caution for kit and food. I'd say my motivation to ride in 6 days of rain is pretty low; but, I'll tend to keep going on the basis that the weather might pick up. Plus once you're on the return track your as well continuing than scratching...
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Re: HT550 2021

Post by Bearbonesnorm »

I hope no one thinks my earlier comment was a criticism, it wasn't, it was more of an observation really.

The idea of not allowing previous finishers to partake is quite interesting - given previous comments, I actually wonder whether the scratch rate would be lower?
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fatbikephil
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Re: HT550 2021

Post by fatbikephil »

Bearbonesnorm wrote: Mon May 10, 2021 1:27 pm I hope no one thinks my earlier comment was a criticism, it wasn't, it was more of an observation really.

The idea of not allowing previous finishers to partake is quite interesting - given previous comments, I actually wonder whether the scratch rate would be lower?
Quite possibly - we are an ageing population after all :grin:
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Karl
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Re: HT550 2021

Post by Karl »

I've been pondering the attrition rate on the highland trail (and other races). I've come to the conclusion that other than injury it really is a state of mind that gets you through. 2019 my kit was on the limit, it would have been very easy to throw in the towel. My mind was wired to not quit. I got very cold on night 2, only thing for it was to get riding, I wasn't going to get warm lay there in my wet bag/clothes etc.

I've finished the Dales Divide last weekend with no training (well 2 weeks - that a real only 2 weeks due to injury since Jan). I said to myself that I needed to give an honest appraisal to Alan to show whether I was ready for the highland trail. So I plodded. I moaned a lot (ask Andy B), but plodded through really crap weather. Kit was soaking as you'd expect. I am far from fit and ready at the moment. When people were commenting on the weather, and wondering whether to carry on or not I just got moving, not needing the negativity making me take the easy, justifiable option - the weather was crap, anyone who bailed quite rightly did so. Therefore the mindset is a big component of me getting through.

Expect a slow plodding dot.
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Re: HT550 2021

Post by ScotRoutes »

The idea of not allowing previous finishers to partake is quite interesting - given previous comments, I actually wonder whether the scratch rate would be lower?
I was, if course, just being humorous but I guess it depends on what "success" looks like in Alan's eyes. I doubt it's having a 90+% completion rate.
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Re: HT550 2021

Post by Bearbonesnorm »

I was, if course, just being humorous but I guess it depends on what "success" looks like in Alan's eyes. I doubt it's having a 90+% completion rate
Indeed but there's perhaps quite a difference between what an event deems to be successful and what a participant does. From the perspective of a rider, surely a finish (even if it wasn't the one they'd hoped for) feels more like success than a DNF?
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Re: HT550 2021

Post by Lazarus »

I guess the reality is folk do this to challenge themself. The challenge is either to finish it for the first time or go faster with the later having a greater drop out rate as once you cannot beat your time there is no challenge [as you know you can finish it ] - and as Karl notes [nice write up btw ] that is in your head/ mental rather than physical.
We also all have a safety point - mine being not having to get up at 2 am to ride wet because the alternative is death :wink:

EDIT :DNF due to weather may feel lessof a fail- not your fault - than a much slower time ? Not sure guess it depends on the rider
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