Race report: Highland Fling (113km MTB event Australia)

[napalm]

With mine i cut about an inch off the seat tube so that the first 1.5 inches of the fork sits under the seat base. That way with the brake on the right hand fork arm it can sit nice and close to the front of the seat (not on the curve of the frame where it wont go).

I also run it without the front bumper/hande. That is probably why you struggled getting it on. Get a light weight clamp on there, your brake, some tape and some bar ends (important if you don't want to impale your legs on it in a really bad UPD) and your good to go. Good luck with it

mark

[Tucson Uni]

I actually put the seat handle back on after getting the frame on. I think it was a bear to get on because of all the rust on the inside of the old frame. It is on so tight that no clamp is needed. Wish I had cut it down first, not sure if it is coming off now.

[Tucson Uni]

After a fair amount of struggling with it, I decided to leave the frame handle where it is. No brake, because the cable is too short. I haven't really been using it lately anyway.

[KiwiRichard]

Napalm, that is an amazing effort. Can I ask you a naive question? What makes a 24" with 125 cranks better than a 29" with 150 cranks? They have about the same gearing, but, I would have thought the 29" would have the advantage of rolling over rough surfaces better.

BTW, thanks for the inspiration.

[napalm]

@ kiwirichard. Its not a naive question at all. I guess the thing that makes it better is that i have a 24 with 125s. I've never ridden a 29er before. If i did not have the schlumpf hub in my 24 then for this type of riding i would be on a 29er. Jamey did the same course as me on his 29er with 125s and coped ok. I think most of 'what is better' has to do with the set up you are most comfortable/familiar with.

If your interested my Muni equipment evolution has gone like this.

24x3 with 170s. Was great for really technical dh without a brake but otherwise was slow.

24x3 with 150s. Nice all round ratio for climbing and descending- a good set up while getting fit for climbs and longer rides.

24x3 with 150s and brake. Same as above but increased DH control and a better set up for saving the legs- thus longer rides in the saddle.

24x3 schlumpf with 150s and brake. Now you have a machine capable of some proper xc mileage. Good crank length to start off- pushing high gear requires a different type of fitness to normal muni riding so this length gives you an entry point to get the fitness up.

24x3 schlumpf with 125s and brake. Once i built up the leg muscles this gearing was better for the type of terrain i ride- because of my medium sized feet it also resulted in more effective shifting (foot closer to shifting button with shorter cranks). My climbing did not deteriorate with the shorter cranks and the DH stuff was still ok too.

24x3 schlumpf with 125s, brake and handle. This is my current set up. The handle helps distribute weight on the saddle and provide even torque to the pedals (especially when powering along in high gear). I really like this set up and am very happy with it atm.

One set up i would like to try would be a G26 with 137s but i haven't found anyone that has one that i can try.

[Tucson Uni]

I did a ride on a trail in a nearby wash this morning. I have the new handle set-up with brake and I moved the pedals to the 125 holes. Shifting is a snap at 125. I liked the speed and there is a little less wobbling, which made it possible to use 2 hands occasionally. The trail is moderate technical XC. Things were going great until I had an unintentional downshift when I was cranking along through a slightly downhill, moderately rocky section. It caught me totally off-guard and I didn't have a chance to run it out. My gloves saved my hands, and the shin/knee guards protected everything but the upper inside of my knees. I ended up with a gash just above my right knee that now has 2 stitches in it. I guess the shifting is a little too easy. I have 661 shin guards, and I am wondering in KH leg armor does a better job of covering the knees. Does anyone else have problem with accidental downshifts at high speed?

[GizmoDuck]

Only just saw this post- I've not been on the forums much recently.

Good work guys- nice to see you beating a few two wheelers.

How did you find the Schumpf in low vs high gear Mark? Did you do a lot of shifting? Sounds like a very hilly course with more than 2km of elevation.

I'm going to have to start training to keep up with Mark when he comes over for Karapoti next year

[unicycle6869]

Just finally had the time to comment on this thread! Thanks Mark for the awesome writeup, now I'll be able to remember it forever. It was by far one of the hardest things I've done in my life but also one of the most rewarding.

For me the race went well except for the last 10-15kms when I just had nothing left. Ended up walking almost everything except for the downhills and flats. I psyched myself out a bit at the halfway point when some people said that Mark had just left the water station. For some reason I thought I could catch him...boy was I wrong! So I kicked it into high but soon after we hit the long pretty flat roads through the hillside and I had no chance especially against his schlumpf. Think I spent way too much energy trying to catch him so on the last leg of the course I was done. Can't tell you how happy I was to see the finish line!

Overall it was an amazing experience and I might consider doing it again next year but only if I have a schlumpf so then maybe just maybe I have a chance against Mark or anyone else that may enter!