HT550 2023

[fatbikephil]

Cue torrential rain between now and the 27th....
Whose all doing this on here?
Me, obviously....

[Willow16]

Hi, what pedals for the ht550, flats or spd. I've used spd's for the past 30 years. Also rigid forks or suspension?

[redefined_cycles]

I just looked at Phils setup on here viewtopic.php?f=7&t=14444&start=1300 who has suspension (ok, Jones) and spd with a wide platform. But then he's also singlespeed it appears (so a bit bonkers). I'd definitely go with suspension if going the the HT though I usually ride rigids (for the convenience of servicing).

[whitestone]

Hi, what pedals for the ht550, flats or spd. I've used spd's for the past 30 years. Also rigid forks or suspension?

Whatever you are happy with. Shoes need to be comfy as you'll be doing quite a bit of hike-a-bike, up to a couple of hours at a time.i did it in SPDs

I rode a rigid hardtail, did get some nerve damage in my hands but that went within a week. These days I'm much more used to multiple day rides on rigid forks so I don't think it would be a problem. So go with whatever you are used to doing long rides with.

[fatbikephil]

+1, what you are used to - changing now will cause more problems than it solves.

[sean_iow]

2 weeks out is the point where the panic starts to kick in and you start to question your kit choices.

My advice is to stick with everything you've been using to get to this point. Same shoes, pedals, bike set-up, bag choices etc etc. Ride your own race and don't pay any attention to what the other riders have or haven't taken.

In 2019 I was chatting to another rider on the road just before Bridge of Balgie, I asked how he was doing and he said good but he'd brought too much stuff. I replied that any idiot can start with too little kit and scratch when the weather turns bad - which most of the field then did. I'm sure he finished.

As for rigid or sus forks... I rode a rigid singlespeed in 2018, if I ever went back I'd take my Salsa Spearfish, short travel full-sus with 1x11

[Hyppy]

@sean_iow, @fatbikephil, @whitestone, any thoughts on taking sandals for river crossings? Or is that more faff that it's worth for what are quite likely to be already bog-soaked feet?

[whitestone]

@sean_iow, @fatbikephil, @whitestone, any thoughts on taking sandals for river crossings? Or is that more faff than it's worth for what are quite likely to be already bog-soaked feet?

I wouldn't bother: if it's a dry year then there's probably only the Abhainn na Sealga in Fisherfield that will get you wet feet, if it's a wet year you'd be wearing the sandals all the way from Tyndrum! My feet got just as wet on the track from the river crossing to Larachantivor as the crossing itself.

A spare pair of socks or two wouldn't go amiss. I'd also take a towel and something like talcum powder to dry up your feet each night - after five days I was starting to get trench foot (Phil might remember the smell back at the café in Tyndrum )

[sean_iow]

I don't think it's worth the faff, as Bob says if it's a wet year you'll have wet feet whatever you do. Even in a dry year you'll likely to still have wet feet. Dry them off when you stop for the night and dry socks to sleep in. This is my foot (apologies to the squeamish) on the 4th night in 2018 which was the driest year ever maybe? Only 5 minutes of drizzle and 20+ degrees all day every day.



I dried them off, wiped down with hand sanitizer and they were ok in the morning.

[Hyppy]

Ta Both,

Plan is to go with merino socks carrying a couple of pairs of the same as spare: there's something uplifting about sticking on a fresh pair of socks mid-ride. I've done the Dexshell waterproof sock thing in the past but reckon they're of diminishing return for multi-day rides as they're always going to get wet inside at some point and never seem to dry.

[gairym]

It's a good job you've got that perfectly normal and healthy looking thumb in the photo as a frame of reference for what your regular body parts look like!

[sean_iow]

I was wondering what was going on with my thumb. I also had gravel rash up my right leg from a crash descending to Fort A on the first evening, endless cuts to my right calf from the pedal hitting it pushing, both shins torn apart by vegitaton on the Postman's Path and I'm sure quite a few more cuts and bruises.

In fact the foot and the thumb might have been the best 2 parts of me

[fatbikephil]

I've always kept my feet dry, more or less. Take boots and socks off, remove insoles, put boots on and paddle across, squeeze water out of boots, refit, go! If you are using sealskins socks you'll keep your feet dry. Of course this is a faff, but I reckon you will lose more time through wrecked feet after getting them wet than doing the above. In 2017 I didn't have to take my boots off at all as all the river crossings were rideable or step-across-able. I had to remove boots twice in '21.

[redefined_cycles]

I've always kept my feet dry, more or less. Take boots and socks off, remove insoles, put boots on and paddle across, squeeze water out of boots, refit, go! If you are using sealskins socks you'll keep your feet dry. Of course this is a faff, but I reckon you will lose more time through wrecked feet after getting them wet than doing the above. In 2017 I didn't have to take my boots off at all as all the river crossings were rideable or step-across-able. I had to remove boots twice in '21.

Phil... so you manage to keep yourself pritected from the shrivelled foot syndrome (forgotten the official term) by just removing socks and wading through with boots on. Do you mean you use SealSkinz to keep the feet dry after having done the wading (is that the right word) or did you mean people with Sealskinz would be fine!

Also and lastly (sorry) how do you manage to squeeze enough water out the boots to keep the socks dry (or I assume if not wearing sealskinz then you just don't pop the socks back on yet?).

I have poorly feet from a combination of 20 years of athletes foot, 10 years of fungal big toe nails and now they've both been fully treated and healed I have anothe issue of watery blisters (forgotten the official term) which is being managed well with honey. I do wonder how bad other peoples feet are (ie. thoughout the rest of the year) that go through the shrivelled foot issues!

[Hyppy]

20 years of athletes foot … 10 years of fungal big toe nails …  watery blisters … shrivelled foot issues!

And perhaps I'll leave my breakfast till later on.

Seriously though, this is useful stuff. I usually lean towards managing rather than preventing wet feet as, as I mentioned above, it seems inevitable that they will get damp in proper wet conditions whereupon letting them breathe seems the best course of action. That said, for a dry weather but boggy-grounded Dales Divide I wore waterproof socks and they were ace.

[redefined_cycles]

20 years of athletes foot … 10 years of fungal big toe nails …  watery blisters … shrivelled foot issues!

And perhaps I'll leave my breakfast till later on.

Seriously though, this is useful stuff. I usually lean towards managing rather than preventing wet feet as, as I mentioned above, it seems inevitable that they will get damp in proper wet conditions whereupon letting them breathe seems the best course of action. That said, for a dry weather but boggy-grounded Dales Divide I wore waterproof socks and they were ace.

sorey hippy. I think I overdid it a little and made it sound bad. All been relatively mild and more an inconvenience than anything restrictive or grotty/smelly. Just never thought to discuss it as it's a bit gross and always wondered how too many rivers crossings would affect it.

Now they started the topic I thought I'd jump at the chance. Current strategy that I'd determined is almost as Phil says (socks off then a barrier between dry socks and wet shoes innards). Have considered some flexi river crossing shoes but then that's just adding lots more weight/volume!

[fatbikephil]

Phil... so you manage to keep yourself pritected from the shrivelled foot syndrome (forgotten the official term) by just removing socks and wading through with boots on. Do you mean you use SealSkinz to keep the feet dry after having done the wading (is that the right word) or did you mean people with Sealskinz would be fine!

Also and lastly (sorry) how do you manage to squeeze enough water out the boots to keep the socks dry (or I assume if not wearing sealskinz then you just don't pop the socks back on yet?).

Yup bare feet in boots (if the river crossing is rocky, otherwise I'll paddle bare foot) dry feet on far side and leave boots to drain (whilst snacking), plus squeeze padding to get as much water out as poss. Put socks and sealskins back on, into boots (which are now a bit wet rather than waterlogged) and off you go. Any water left in the boots doesn't get to your feet, provided your selaskins haven't failed.... A good poly bag works nearly as well!

[fatbikephil]

Phil... so you manage to keep yourself pritected from the shrivelled foot syndrome (forgotten the official term) by just removing socks and wading through with boots on. Do you mean you use SealSkinz to keep the feet dry after having done the wading (is that the right word) or did you mean people with Sealskinz would be fine!

Also and lastly (sorry) how do you manage to squeeze enough water out the boots to keep the socks dry (or I assume if not wearing sealskinz then you just don't pop the socks back on yet?).

Yup bare feet in boots (if the river crossing is rocky, otherwise I'll paddle bare foot) dry feet on far side and leave boots to drain (whilst snacking), plus squeeze padding to get as much water out as poss. Put socks and sealskins back on, into boots (which are now a bit wet rather than waterlogged) and off you go. Any water left in the boots doesn't get to your feet, provided your selaskins haven't failed.... A good poly bag works nearly as well!

[redefined_cycles]

Thanks Phil. Some of what you just said must've been part of the desing insipration into them bikepacking boots/shoes by 5:10. Under the (removable) sole they have a waterproof plastic (proper plastic it appears and welded to the insole) membrane.

On the outside there's the fins which the holes obviously enter the shoe from above that plastic... Pic below...

[redefined_cycles]

Actually, the holes don't enter the shoe afterall...


Or maybe theyrenot drainage hoels afterall. Pretty sure I read about these as being the bikepacking draining shoes many moons before buying (review on bikepacking.com AFAIR). Oh well... Bloomin river crossings (especially big scary, fast ones).

[Polisherman]

Mrs Polisherman of this 'ere parish will be on the start line...

[touch]

I've never managed to keep my feet dry. Tried taking shoes + socks off and paddling through the rivers, which works fine but inevitably step on what I thought was solid dry at the next bog and end up knee deep and soaked. It's not the obvious river crossings which get you wet - it's the hidden bog!

[Mart]

Anyone noticed there is an ITT going on - Richard Wilson.
He’s storming it, started yesterday morning and already onto the top loop.

[HUX]

'^^ ' i don't beeelieve it'
I hope the weather holds for those taking part this year. I may have a bash at it in June. Did it in 2018 but believe the route has changed since then, does anyone have a current gpx they could share? Oh and where is the go to parking now that the cafe has stopped us using the carpark? Cheers

[Mart]

Alan’s probably your best bet for the GPX file.
I stopped the night before at the ByTheWay campsite and left my van there (for a tenner)