In a moment of 'JFDI' I've got myself a last minute solo entry to Strathpuffer 24 in a few week's time. I know some of you are doing it, have done it, and some of you multiple times, so would appreciate some advice.

In doing a virtual recce via blog posts and YouTube vids, I can see it's not a race for your best carbon-framed bike, so need to make a call on what to ride. My default off-road endurance ride bike is a Cotic Cascade, with 100mm travel forks and super wide shallow drops: essentially a drop bar mountain bike. As far as I can tell, the course doesn't tend to be massively technical/gnarly so I'm thinking I may be able to avoid rebuilding with flat bars which would necessitate switching groupset too, and just ride it as is. As a reference point, it's the bike I rode for BB200, a Lakeland 200, an aborted HT500, etc so I certainly have ridden what many would usually go MTB for. So what d'ya reckon?

If you've done the HT550 on it and the BB200 as well as many other mtb rides. Though I'm no expert at the Strathpuffer (other than it's for insomniacs) I'd be using the same bike you've been doing all them other off road rides on.

You will be grand in that. Having ridden both the ht550 and the puffer there’s nothing massively technical in the puffer course so drops will handle it all no problem. Rode it last on my surly ogre with no suspension and had no issues.

Sounds like a perfect bike for it to me. I put inboard bar ends on my bike to give a hoods type position for the long first climb, and it made a decent difference to my hand comfort so drops would be even better

Thanks for the reassurance, all.

PaulE wrote: ↑Tue Dec 19, 2023 9:59 pm Sounds like a perfect bike for it to me. I put inboard bar ends on my bike to give a hoods type position for the long first climb, and it made a decent difference to my hand comfort so drops would be even better

I do think there's something in the 'gravel bikes are just 90's mountain bikes' cliché in that hoods on wide drop bars are pretty similar to old school bar ends on flats. Come to think of it, I'm pretty sure my drops are wider than the bars we used to ride back in the day.

Whatever bars you do it on, death will still come for you in the end.

You will suffer on the last descent. My tool of choice would be a full susser, or at least something with big tyres.

Richpips wrote: ↑Tue Dec 19, 2023 11:18 pm You will suffer on the last descent. My tool of choice would be a full susser, or at least something with big tyres.

Oh I expect to suffer all round, Rich! I'm not seeing anything here that's got me overly worried but POV footage can be deceptive. Perhaps for a couple of minutes after ~19 minutes in looks the worst? By way of reference, it doesn't look as spicy as say The Beast out your way which I've done on this bike, actually before I'd put the bouncy forks and wider bars on come to think of it.

Tyrewise I'm currently running 2.4" Barzos but could go bigger. Any suggestions from your experience? Depending on what's forecast I have a pair of ice spikes to hand. And if things take a particularly snowy turn, then I could rethink completely and go with my Ice Cream Truck and have 4.8's to play with!

Thanks in advance. I'm not normally so last minute on these things, but had a rush of blood to the head yesterday, got the entry and am now playing catchup.

2.4" would be a good compromise if you are rigid.

We take a spare wheelset to put ice tyres on which some years are useful for a few hours.

Just watched the old Adventure Show episode covering the 2008 edition: Jeez, do we overthink and over complicate things these days or what?

I've done it on drops years ago (on a 26" single speed Specialized M2, with canti brakes - you'll be fine.
I've also done it on a mullet old style Scandal 29er (but not 29 at the back, obvs being mullet-ed). This was probably more appropriate, but not because it had flat bars. More the disc brakes and bigger tyres. I ran this with 2.4s, and wouldn't really want any bigger - there are long, pretty smooth fire-road climbs and you don't want anything too draggy.

Quite fancy doing it on drops again...

And enjoy - its a good event.

By way on an update, I didn't die, but took an absolute battering: I spent way too long recovering rather than riding. Was ultimately really pleased with how it went given that, but would not recommend drops. Rich, hope you and Tom had a good one.

Hyppy wrote: ↑Sun Jan 14, 2024 10:49 pm By way on an update, I didn't die, but took an absolute battering: I spent way too long recovering rather than riding. Was ultimately really pleased with how it went given that, but would not recommend drops. Rich, hope you and Tom had a good one.

Well done. Tom was saying it was particularly rough out there this year.

We had a great weekend thanks. Tom won the U23 solo national jersey which was a bonus.

Richpips wrote: ↑Mon Jan 15, 2024 7:36 pm Tom won the U23 solo national jersey which was a bonus.

I saw that. What a star!