Cheers for the offer Alpinum. Would love to pop over but a 3 month old means my training will be confided to sunny England and Wales

Alpinum wrote:
Very similar situation here too and so far I survived every outing in the coldest spots of Switzerland (Jura and Engadin) riding or pushing my chubby bike.

Let me know should you fancy some solid winter training in Switzerland.

FLV wrote:

s8tannorm wrote:I had thoughts of entering as a way to justify buying a fat bike but for one reason or another I was put off, so no fat bike.

ha! me too.

I get more and more tempted towards trying out a fat bike, I like the idea of the rov150 too.
I also like the idea of riding around in in the alps in the snow.

How many guys from the forum are in or gonna enter ?

How's preparation going ?

Preparation is going ok, got some long road rides in over the summer (temps about 30c so not ideal). Also did a 75km singletrack ride on the fat bike last month and felt surprisingly fresh afterwards, so it's looking hopeful. Need to get more rides in on the beach for a better feel of my fitness. I tend to respond better to block training, so my plan is to do a 5 long rides on the run early February to get me up to speed.

Kit wise, need to singlespeed the bike for simplicity and buy some pogies, then it's all finalised (helps working in an outdoors shop for clothing!). Need to borrow a petrol drive and more importantly, make using it second nature

Are you entering it Paul?

Petrol drive?

Did your u mean stove?
If so you can borrow my msr

Correct FLV, that's predictive text for you
A friend said I can borrow his stove but if that falls through, then I'll certainly be in contact. Cheers for the offer, very kind of you

Heres the roster, speak up if anyone knows someone from the list (I'm number 4) http://www.rovaniemi150.com/roster/

Yeah I have entered.

Will be running 1x11 on a new frame I am having made.

This week I will be ordering footwear :)

Alpkit will be supplying the bulk of the rest of my kit

I'm guessing you're rider #20?

I've gone for flat pedals and some TNF winter boots that are supposedly rated to -25C. Using a Mukluk for the race with a bar bag and panniers (heavy setup up but it's my first winter race, so I'll carry extra clothes as I hate the cold!)

Yeah rider #20 :)

I ran flat pedals for Arrowhead 135 back in 2010 but this time I wanna try spd pedals so ordering some Lake MX303 then will figure an overboot should it get really cold.

Plan to ride an Ari Cycles custom frame, will be running it with least amount of kit possible

I'm prevaricating at the moment. I'm going to need to shell out for a big winter bag, which on top of entry and flights is going to make it a pricey event to attend.

Footwear - Aidan used a pair of wellies for Iditabike. They were -40 degree jobs for about 80 quid. Can't remember the name of them now, but possibly the cheapest cold weather footwear solution going.

Ian, yeah it's not a cheap outing .... I had to sell a bike to part fund it.

The sleeping bag is I think the biggest outlay though I am sure someone could loan you one.

I have some snowmobile boots I used for Arrowhead 135 you can have if you come play :)

paul78 wrote:I have some snowmobile boots I used for Arrowhead 135 you can have if you come play :)

I've got tiddly feet though - size 7. I doubt yours are that size?

Here's what I was looking for earlier: http://www.buymuckbootsonline.co.uk/sho ... en/6427357

Ian,

I have a sleeping bag you can borrow that will do the job.

Just bought these Ian
http://m.ellis-brigham.com/products/the ... ots/206439

Normally a 7ish in footwear but gone to a 9 as I needed extra space for my thick, merino wool socks. Got some basic gaiters to stop the snow getting in

Chicken Legs wrote:Ian,

I have a sleeping bag you can borrow that will do the job.

Cheers Andy!

I'll send you a PM...

voodoo_simon wrote:Just bought these Ian
http://m.ellis-brigham.com/products/the ... ots/206439

Normally a 7ish in footwear but gone to a 9 as I needed extra space for my thick, merino wool socks. Got some basic gaiters to stop the snow getting in

Useful, ta. I might pick up a pair of muck boots anyway - I can justify their use for work, and then see how they work on the bike.

To those who would like to use SPDs:
I use mid high "Supplest" SPD shoes. About 3 sizes too big to accommodate thin polypro socks, VBL and very thick wool socks.
They have a soft sole, which I think is the key – you need to be able to move and bend your feet freely in order to keep them warm. On a 4 day trip, at -18 °C just at the very start of one of the days, I had to walk for a while, because the feet wouldn’t get warm whilst riding. Once they were warm, riding could continue. When they turned numb again, I walked another couple of minutes.
For when it gets really cold I’ve got some supergaiters. Stuff/glue dense foam into the gaiter, gaiter over boot, job done.

I don’t run SPD on all my bikes, but on the snow bike I think they really help to torque through the deep, soft stuff.
The temperature issue (you obviously have less in big moon boots) is manageable.

Thanks Alpinum

I am going to try these ..

http://www.lakecycling.com/shoes/mxz303/

Sized at least 1 or 1.5 times bigger than normal with VBL and wool socks or alternatively some thick seal skin socks ( they seem to work like a VBL and wool sock in one).

I am also planning on either modifying an overboot to work with them or simply carrying some ski boot toe warmers (the neoprene things that go over ski boots).

Winter racing is a gear geeks dream :)

paul78 wrote:Sized at least 1 or 1.5 times bigger than normal with VBL and wool socks or alternatively some thick seal skin socks ( they seem to work like a VBL and wool sock in one).

Some things I use(d) for winter mountaineering:

A thin neoprene sock (check kayaking gear) will work great as a VBL too.
Aluminised foam under inner sole and between boot and supergaiter (OutdoorDesigns Eiger, see Berghaus Yeti)
Spares of an old space blanket can come in handy for lining too.

What about tires?
I’ve used On One’s offerings and didn’t like them, especially not for a front tyre.
For the kind of stuff I mostly ride I’m glad to have Lou and Bud on a 83 mm rim, but for a Rovaniemi 150 I’d probably go for a Big Fat Larry up front and Specialized Ground Control rear. Preferably on a Nextie Dragon rim

What are your thoughts?

paul78 wrote:Winter racing is a gear geeks dream :)

Yeah, you bet. Activities in winter always bring along that "more gear" issue - if you want it or not. Concerning this, I imagine winter sea kayaking to be dreadful.

Alpinum,

Thanks again will experiment with some of your footwear suggestions ... as its a one shot ride to the finish I think there are some compromises that can be made over riding something like Iditarod where you need to maintain the effectiveness of your kit for multiple days.

Tyres I haven't thought of though I guess maximum float as from what I gather though the trails are broken in by snowmobile they are not well travelled routes like the Arrowhead 135 trails. At the moment I have Nate's fitted .. will be trying to reduce as much weight so may swap them out for something lighter and less aggressive a tread

Entry now confirmed

... Just need to pay the entry fee, book flights a sort out the hotel.

Nice one Ian, I'll see you over there

I'll be posting off the forms for the 66 North tomorrow. I think I can make the dates work..... I just hope there's some cheapish flights and hotel rooms left should I be accepted!

vaguely exciting, they'll be a Bearbones party in Finland Think Ian has been looking at hotels Johnny. See you in February

voodoo_simon wrote:vaguely exciting, they'll be a Bearbones party in Finland Think Ian has been looking at hotels Johnny. See you in February

I cheekily emailed the application forms as PDFs as I was worried about flights, etc. He's accepted me and the paperwork goes in the post on Monday. I think Ian's hotel was fully booked but I've found another just a few hundred yards away. If you've already booked and wouldn't mind saying where you're staying I'll have a look......