Highland Fling 2011

[JD26]

http://pin-it-you-muppet.blogspot.com/2011/11/2011-highland-fling-sort-of-big-deal.html

First time at the Fling. I posted a report up on my blog. I'm starting to feel a bit more recovered today (Thursday!).

Definitely a pretty hard race - at least up there in the top 3 I have ever done. More to do with intensity of the race than the actual terrain.

It will be good to hit it up again next year actually with some course knowledge to assist.

Nice work from the organisers for a slick affair!

 

[cleeshoy]

First time at the Fling. I posted...at section - it was very impressive to watch!

 

[JD26]

Great read!
I am so glad that even elite racers need recovery time like us weekend hacks

BTW I saw you and Dylan Cooper (I think it was him) ride past me at around the 55km mark (just past the Shimano tent). You were riding up a hilly section faster then I would on a flat section - it was very impressive to watch!

I think it might have been Troy Glennan and I at that stage. I am pretty sure we lost the front group at about the 40km mark.

Yep, recovery is vital so you can go again down the track. Got back on the bike today. Still not fully recovered!!

Props to anyone who did this race.

 

[alchemist]

I was hoping that the Alchemist was behind me somewhere so I could borrow another skinny tube.

I was definitely behind you. After helping disentangle a deraileur that was jammed in between a cassette early on I was dead last. Rode past a lot of people in the paddocks before Wingello, before I got my first flat. Had a lot of problems with the chain dropping off on the fire road descents in first part of WIngello, eventually snapping the chain so after 40km I switched to the freewheel. More flats, busted pump, another flat - the tube given to me at the halfway station had a schrader valve, the next tube I was given had a busted valve, took a while to blag a tube with a long enough valve stem to fit through the rim. Got to Wingello, ran into a friend who'd already pulled the pin so decided to ride back along the road with him.

 

[brontosaurus]

One aspect of the Fling needs a thorough review: The Start!

To have elite 100kers jumping barriers and forcing themselves into a position at the front of the start line is ridiculous at the least and dangerous at the most. So how about a designated painted out-roped off area for the 100ker ellites - a separate 'box' as it were, roomy enough to allow them a bit of safe space, followed by known ellite 55kers in another boxed area (say racers who have done a 1/2 fling before and who have finished in the top 25 finishers), again with enough area to avoid collisions etc. The worst thing that could have happened last Sunday was for some ellite rider to have gone down in the first 20 metres and then have someone ride over the top of them or their bike to put them out of the race. How about it Huw?

 

[undulator]

I was definitely behind you. After helping disentangle a deraileur that was jammed in between a cassette early on I was dead last. Rode past a lot of people in the paddocks before Wingello, before I got my first flat. Had a lot of problems with the chain dropping off on the fire road descents in first part of WIngello, eventually snapping the chain so after 40km I switched to the freewheel. More flats, busted pump, another flat - the tube given to me at the halfway station had a schrader valve, the next tube I was given had a busted valve, took a while to blag a tube with a long enough valve stem to fit through the rim. Got to Wingello, ran into a friend who'd already pulled the pin so decided to ride back along the road with him.

Maybe we should just stick to fat tyres...

The only cramps I got were in my biceps from 1/1/2 hours of pumping.

 

[mtb101]

http://pin-it-you-muppet.blogspot.com/2011/11/2011-highland-fling-sort-of-big-deal.html

First time at the Fling. I posted a report up on my blog. I'm starting to feel a bit more recovered today (Thursday!).

Definitely a pretty hard race - at least up there in the top 3 I have ever done. More to do with intensity of the race than the actual terrain.

It will be good to hit it up again next year actually with some course knowledge to assist.

Nice work from the organisers for a slick affair!

great write up of race, good insights into the mental battle of riding a bike fast, just one question why do you think you would be on a 29er next year? do you think the big wheels would have been a bit quicker over that course.

 

[JD26]

great write up of race, good insights into the mental battle of riding a bike fast, just one question why do you think you would be on a 29er next year? do you think the big wheels would have been a bit quicker over that course.

cheers mate!

It's a subtle thing, but with the 'right' 29er - it could be good. The roughness of the course could possibly be handled better with the larger wheels, but you still need the bike to be light enough for the 2000+ metres of climbing.

I haven't raced a 29er yet, but have done metric testing against the 26 and 29 to know where the compromises are for both. Probably wouldn't make much difference - but we'll see how it goes.....

 

[jathanas]

cheers mate!

It's a subtle thing, but with the 'right' 29er - it could be good. The roughness of the course could possibly be handled better with the larger wheels, but you still need the bike to be light enough for the 2000+ metres of climbing.

I haven't raced a 29er yet, but have done metric testing against the 26 and 29 to know where the compromises are for both. Probably wouldn't make much difference - but we'll see how it goes.....

Thanks from me too, for the great write-up. I love reading MTBing tales of epic suffering and glory! Congrats on having the will to persevere and the strong result.

I think a light 29er HT can be a great choice for the epics. You'll still get beaten up, but it will be easier to sustain a strong pace on the firetrails especially in the last few hours of a marathon.

 

[Cap]

One aspect of the Fling needs a thorough review: The Start!

To have elite 100kers jumping barriers and forcing themselves into a position at the front of the start line is ridiculous at the least and dangerous at the most. So how about a designated painted out-roped off area for the 100ker ellites - a separate 'box' as it were, roomy enough to allow them a bit of safe space, followed by known ellite 55kers in another boxed area (say racers who have done a 1/2 fling before and who have finished in the top 25 finishers), again with enough area to avoid collisions etc. The worst thing that could have happened last Sunday was for some ellite rider to have gone down in the first 20 metres and then have someone ride over the top of them or their bike to put them out of the race. How about it Huw?

Could not agree more. I have spoken to others with the same opinion.

 

[beaver44]

'box ' for elites...????

yep great idea...lets line the 'box' with cotton wool too...C'mon this is a mtb race/ride we are talking about...

 

[frensham]

One aspect of the Fling needs a thorough review: The Start!

To have elite 100kers jumping barriers and forcing themselves into a position at the front of the start line is ridiculous at the least and dangerous at the most. So how about a designated painted out-roped off area for the 100ker ellites - a separate 'box' as it were, roomy enough to allow them a bit of safe space, followed by known ellite 55kers in another boxed area (say racers who have done a 1/2 fling before and who have finished in the top 25 finishers), again with enough area to avoid collisions etc. The worst thing that could have happened last Sunday was for some ellite rider to have gone down in the first 20 metres and then have someone ride over the top of them or their bike to put them out of the race. How about it Huw?

Awwww diddums! Poor wittle elite riders with their sponsored bikes and their sponsored kit and their sponsored everything having to jostle with us mere mortals for a place at the front. Oh, the indignity of having to climb over a barrier because they couldn't be arsed getting there earlier. What a shame. Look at it his way, without the elites the Fling would be just as good a race/ride. Without the punters their would be no Fling.

 

[cha_cha_]

i don't see the problem with the self seeded start that the dirtworks uses. everyone leaves in waves a few minutes apart based on their expected finish time and most people treat it with respect. the "road" bunches are significantly smaller so if something stupid happens on the run out of town there are fewer people to potentially be involved - lets face it, most mtbikers have nfi how to ride in a bunch, there was a nasty fall at the front of this year's dirtworks, imagine if it were at the front of a few hundred riders instead of just 30 or 40? The bottlenecking through the first 5-10km would be greatly reduced for everyone, more people would get a clean run through the fields and everyone would be happier.

ripping on elites? why bother? they're no different from you, most of them pay their own entry fees, they just want to have a great day on the bike and they want the best time they can get. needlessly being made to pass hundreds of punters is probably enough to mess up their whole day - doesn't seem too fair, does it?

 

[onyabike]

Might not suit the elites who have a single time/gun start but for the rest of us with individual timing chips a good alternative to avoid the bottle necks is just to hang back let the crowd go first. By starting of the back you are motivated to slowly pick you way though the slower riders which is motivation in itself and there is plentyof fire trail and doublle track for this to be done safely particularly at the fling.

 

[Bushranger]

I do think they need clear some traffic early and wave starts is the easiest way to do it. We all get net times (bar elites) anyway. I was pretty amazed that they set so many off in such large groups.

The hold ups at the crossings would not be so long.

 

[frensham]

ripping on elites? why bother? they're no different from you, most of them pay their own entry fees, they just want to have a great day on the bike and they want the best time they can get. needlessly being made to pass hundreds of punters is probably enough to mess up their whole day - doesn't seem too fair, does it?

Seems fair to me. The elites have had many things changed in this race to suit them. This year's start for example. No one forces them to enter and they know what is involved in this race. Elites are more than welcome to organise their own 'punter free' enduro races - lets see how financially viable that is.

 

[sobmal]

The start of the fling "as is" is perfect, I look forward to seeing the elites blast past the punters (me..) somewhere between transition 1 and Wingello.. why change it if there's been no real issue apart from some hypotheticals mentioned here?

 

[mittagongmtb]

I'm lead to believe that the final time for some elities was a matter of seconds. The majority of them are great guys and gals and I think that they should be respected by allowing them a decent start. Why have would bes if they culd be pressing into the first few rows of what is an exoplosinve start. Non of this sardine can stuff - it's just stupid. the dirtworks and Husly 100 were stated in well organised waves. Huw went close to this thsi year and I believe can do better. The OP made some good points in suggesting suitably sized holding areas for these guys amd girls. Why not special treatmnet? The national series is run with decent staggered starts wihy not the Fling.Ultimately we're all in it for the fun - how about some sensible fun instead of th shamoozle at this years fling. As op said what if an the leaders went down - race stuffed...
I'm not ellite but would be interesting to survey them.

 

[mittagongmtb]

yep great idea...lets line the 'box' with cotton wool too...C'mon this is a mtb race/ride we are talking about...

And people don;t have a duty of care? (Otherwise a ridiculous childish statement). Marathon F1 have organised starts don't they?

 

[HerdingCats]

Might not suit the elites who have a single time/gun start ...

A small point, but Elites ran timing chip starts as well. It seems second and third places were influenced by the delta in times crossing the mat (check out Andy Blair's blog).