Mountain Mayhem, Our Name Up in Lights, Team: London FGSS.com

This is but one of my goals next year. I'm still struggling to afford my new road bike, a cross bike definitely takes second priority.

I should be at the peak of my fitness come this race, but will still need to do lots of off road training between now and then given that 99% of my miles are on the road at the moment.

Was thinking of using Epping Forrest for off road recovery rides.

My father in law (well, live in girlfriends dad to be exact) invited me to join his team, since I've accepted I seem to have been sold to his friends as the saviour of their team and the positions they were getting a decade ago will somehow be achieved.

No pressure.

how many laps were they putting in as a team?
we did 23 lastyear as vets, 6 each, solid as a rock,
the one guy Ray only did 5 as he is 62,
we didnt give him any shit.

No idea, I'll get back to you.

Doing it next year?

yeah do that,
dont know, unlikely really, looking at some more distance events, (and trying to be a bit more selective)
mayhem is good though, worth going just for the hilarious conversations people have about
" yeah well if I had the right tyres would have done better"
no if you didnt just read mtb mags and go to the pub all winter you would have done better.

"If X then I would have been quicker/placed higher etc."

I don't need to go to mountain mayhem to hear that.

I think cross bikes are against the rules at mayhem, mainly because it would blatantly be loads quicker on a cross bike. None of it is technical if you are any good on a bike and I think it's always muddy, so a cross bike would rule, especially if you have to carry your bike because of the mud. Skinny mud tyres on a hardtail or a flat bar cross bike would be a good bet.

i hope to do some 24 hr mtb stuff as x-training for paris brest paris

get one of those 29'ers with stupid bars, they are near enough a cross bike and ideal for riding round a field of grass.