Rovaniemi 150

[voodoo_simon]

I'm thinking of entering the race in 2015, but that's as far as I have got :D

For the last 10 months, the race has been bugging me, so this month, I'm debating whether to train for the race over the course of the next 13 months or put it down to a mid-life crisis (at 29!). I've noticed that most of the people that take part are racers, but this has never appealed to me after doing mountain mayhem once (god, it was boring), so I'm a little worried that I may be out of my depth

I'm used to long days on the bike (although I'm a newby to bikepacking) and used to climb in Scotland during university, so long and miserable days in the dark shouldn't be a problem but I've yet to experience a finnish winter!

Do you think its possible for an average cyclist (I say average, I've done over 4000miles this year) to undertake such a race?

I've read shaggys blog and looked at various other sources on the internet to get as much information as possible (even watched Cracknells attempt at the Iditarod several times) and it seems to boil down to several things;
-fitness
-correct kit
-attitude to finishing
-luck

Getting the kit and working on my fitness should be possible.

Anyone got any thoughts on my ramblings and good guides to what I should expect? I'm guessing its like anything else, I wont know until I try it out!

[Bearbonesnorm]

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.

Simon you'll be fine, 13 months is a long time. Just set your stall out and get cracking

[Ian]

I've half got my eye on it for 2014. Down to cost of travel at the moment on top of the entry fee of €350

[FLV]

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.

[Bearbonesnorm]

entry fee of €350

Plus the (refundable) 1000 euro security fee and the need to have a bag rated to -20 ... starts to get very expensive and that's before I've bought a bike.

[voodoo_simon]

Cheers Stu, just what I needed to hear :D

Found a mountain hardware lamina minus 30c bag today for £160 (snow+rock), so that will fit the bill.

I thought the security/bail out was 100 euros? I might have to double check before I commit myself and sell one of my bikes to raise funds for a fatty

[Bearbonesnorm]

You're right Simon ... 100 euro deposit. The entry is now 250 euro too? :?

[voodoo_simon]

You're right Simon ... 100 euro deposit. The entry is now 250 euro too? :?

250 euros if you enter before a certain date and 350 if you're a late comer. Think entries opened up in August this year to allow people to get cheap flights etc sorted out

[Chew]

Don't you have to have special parts as well?
Bearings that can cope with the cold.

Ask Aidan for a few pointers. Think hes gearing up for this winters Iditarod.
Theres also Ed Oxleys write up of the event somehere (might have been XXC mag)

[Ian]

Their website isn't very good at telling you how to get to where the race is. :?
Looks like none of the budget carriers fly there?

[Chew]

Looks like none of the budget carriers fly there?

Finnair from either Manchester or Heathrow ~£200-250 + bike which seems reasonable

Rovaniemi cant be that big and I assume they let you know the registration place nearer the time

[gairym]

I've had my eye on this one for a while now - I really like the look of it: long, cold and evil - what's not to like???

Before entries open for 2015 in April I'll be putting in lots of snow miles and then we'll see where I'm at and maybe I'll enter.

Would be very interested to hear from anyone who's done/doing it (have already read loads trip-reports).

[jameso]

Do you think its possible for an average cyclist (I say average, I've done over 4000miles this year) to undertake such a race?

Totally possible.
Sounds like you really want to do it and that's what will get you through the prep, that in turn will help the event go well. 13 months is loads of time, you have related experience so it's just down to being comfortable on the right bike and the kit/methods you'll need in the event. Budget for a trip or 2 to the Cairngorms in training?

[voodoo_simon]

Don't you have to have special parts as well?
Bearings that can cope with the cold.

I was hoping a stock on-one would be enough?

Their website isn't very good at telling you how to get to where the race is. :?

Rovaniemi is quite small, pretty much most of it is on the one 'high street' if I remember correctly from 5 years ago (summer trip). As a side note, it as an vaguely exciting museum there about Sami people, weather and global warming

[voodoo_simon]

Cheers James, the more encouragement I hear and the more positive thing I hear makes the race more realistic and not some fantasy stuff that only a select few 'hardnuts' do :D

Training in the Cairngorms sounds like a plan

[Aidan]

You could fill a book with musings about winter racing, but specifically on the point of low-temp grease...

On the basis that if your freehub fails to engage, you're a bit stuffed, I've always just degreased the freehub and run that dry.

Everything else I run with stock grease. I don't want to do more harm than good prising open sealed bearings.

In two trips on the Iditarod, there were only a handful of times where I could feel the extra drag from the grease.

Riding the bike is the easy bit. The hard bit is being organised and knowledgable enough about winter camping not to freeze to death e.g. be able to go directly to safety kit like stove, light, warmer layer without searching. Be able to service your stove on the trail, be able to light it when the cold is so severe that gas (like you get in cigarette lighters) won't vapourise and burn so all you get is a spark.

Which is no reason not to do it... lots of reasons to learn stuff and go for it. It's immensely liberating to out in the middle of frozen nothing and thriving on it.

[voodoo_simon]

On the basis that if your freehub fails to engage, you're a bit stuffed, I've always just degreased the freehub and run that dry.

Everything else I run with stock grease. I don't want to do more harm than good prising open sealed bearings.

That's good advise, cheers. Plenty of time to practice campcraft, guess getting it done perfectly and more importantly, quickly is key to surviving those sorts of temperatures (its currently -21C out there!)

[voodoo_simon]

That's it, I'm committed now. Registration opened yesterday for 2015 and they've accepted

[johnnystorm]

Well done!

[Ian]

That's it, I'm committed now. Registration opened yesterday for 2015 and they've accepted

Nice one. Did you have to submit a reasonable detailed race CV to demonstrate you can cope with the cold etc?

(Hoping to enter too - in negotiations at home at the moment...)

[voodoo_simon]

Cheers Johnny

To be honest Ian, I don't have any race experience! At university, I used to winter climb in Scotland (16 hour days) and I was the chairman of the uni mountaineering club. I mentioned that I work in a ski/mountaineering shop and that I was a road cyclist/mountain biker with summer bivi experience. That's all I put down, so you'll be fine with your experience/race results.

I get the impression they're not necessarily after elite athletes but level headed people who know what they're entering into as the only other question on the form asks about what sleeping bag you're intending to take with you

[Blackhound]

I think one loop is a lot easier mentally than multi laps as in MM. Having travelled that far you won't be quitting unless you have to. And no time to be bored.

[Alpinum]

On the basis that if your freehub fails to engage, you're a bit stuffed, I've always just degreased the freehub and run that dry.

I run a mixture of silicon oil and grease and it works great in the Alps. A thin film of silicon oil will help with all moving parts and acts as a lubricant down to -60 °C easily (pourpoint is around -80°C).

I used to winter climb in Scotland (16 hour days) and I was the chairman of the uni mountaineering club. I mentioned that I work in a ski/mountaineering shop and that I was a road cyclist/mountain biker with summer bivi experience

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.

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.

[Bearbonesnorm]

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.

Or I could have just bought a fat bike and lugged it round Wales in summer convincing myself that it makes a great all round trail bike

[Alpinum]

Or I could have just bought a fat bike and lugged it round Wales in summer convincing myself that it makes a great all round trail bike

Yes, they're awfull on trails. Like going down stairs on a dingy...

But you can make a 29+ and 29er bike out of a fat bike frame (at least out of a muru witijra). If you don't mind a wide stance.

Come and visit me for some snow burrowing