Highland Trail 550

Looks like they're all behind the record pace now, but also noticed the route is different now compared to the record year apparently.

http://trackleaders.com/highland17i.php?name=Neil_Beltchenko

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Maybe the top 3 all will not sleep? With it being such a short race, doubtful they will kip a few hours from the finish especially with it so close. Andrew Hutcheson has to rest soon which I imagine takes him out of this lead bunch. Josh has been extremely close to another rider for almost all the race, maybe it gives him motivation. He has the fastest pace currently. If it wasn't Skinny I'd tip josh for the win haha. Liam might run out of steam against these two he went off fast to begin with. All baseless conjecture of course anything can happen.

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Yeah Liam's speed could drop a lot, if he's running out of steam and can't stay on top of the gear and can't just choose a smaller one.

This year's route goes to the other side of Loch Maree compared to the year the record was set. That was on the east side on the orange line. So looks like there won't be a new route record this year, though I know nothing about those trails.

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Would you stick to your sleep pattern Samuli if you were near end of a race and it was close, or would you push through?

Push through for sure unless I was too tired to ride properly, then maybe take a nap somewhere, like an hour at most or something. But it depends on what you feel like and if you've still got a full day of riding ahead after the night. I don't know how long they will still take to finish, if it's something like afternoon or early evening tomorrow, I don't think the top 3 will sleep.

The south side of Loch Maree, once they reach the widest part, is on the A832 [so fast]. I don't know the track that climbs up from Poolewe and then drops down to the shore, but the north side of the loch is much slower going in the second half: IIRC there are some farm vehicle tracks that are likely pretty bad now and it's mostly not even that.

Indeed there's an actual road. Looks like it's about a 20 km section of something like single track either way, but then also about the same length of the road for this year. Dotwatcher says it's Tollie path
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwNAfNRRH9I

The weather looks pretty grim

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Tailwind for the leaders!

Liam's lead over Skinny increased from just over 1h to almost 3h in the last 10h of riding (2h30m if we consider he just took a 30min break). I find that very remarkable given he's on a SS steel MTB

he's on a SS steel MTB

He's won it before though, right? So I'm guess his MTB experience is playing a much bigger part in this technical off-road stuff than bike choice.

Quite clearly

Still pretty amazing to me he's on SS and winning.

the 10k either side of cp6 fisherfield they are just passing through is the most technical riding on the entire route. here more experienced mtb riders will probably gain a lot over the others.

it's a shame they took out the coffin road climb after ullapool, notorious for its >30% gradient over rocks!

I remember that bit as the one you told me not to mess around about with a gravel bike

In other news, Skinny seems to be on the chase, at 2h20m behind
EDIT: You'd expect the gears to be an advantage on MTB skills on a road segment

notorious for its >30% gradient over rocks!

Is it rideable or HAB?

Will be interesting to see how much he can reduce the gap on the road. I don't know what gearing Liam is running but I'd expect it to be pretty low.

34x20

Even with that I think I'd be walking the whole route. :)

Say 28kph @120rpm. James has got 30x10T I guess so more like 50kph @ 120rpm

How long is the road section and can someone do the rest of the maths with all the assumptions I've not bothered to explain away

That is 34t at the crankset, so 1.7, will be as if you're running an 11-23 cassette with a 40t single chainring! You should consider it for Badlands

Not that I'm riding Badlands again but I'd definitely be able to ride more of it with 30x42T or if I had a MTB 30x51T. But that's what the hardtail is for.

30x42T

With you mate, I will be tracing these madmen trails next week with a 30x40 as last resource before walking

Hope you're taking your camera. Maybe one day I'll get to Scotland but I think it'll be GNT with the missus rather than this craziness.

They did sleep, some more, Liam less.

Mike Sheldrake scratched due to mangled rear shifter.

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