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TomH
03-09-2009, 10:50 PM
The Blast roll call, I am in...

I have never done it before, is there much climbing involved and what exactly happens on the day...

Scrivo is going down...
erykkartman
04-09-2009, 08:35 AM
Yeaa, lads

I haven't done it as well,
Any tips ? maybe you have map of the track ?
Where does exactly start ?
cheers
paddyobrien
04-09-2009, 10:56 AM
you'll love it tom .. especailly since you were elbowing people off the bikes in an XC race, i think you get extra points for doign that here!

Basically the race starts from the top and finishes at the bottom, theres no major climb but there is always a little bit meaning a full on DH rig is not really the ideal way to go. Something liek that spicey you had would be perfect for it.

You race a heat against, say, 10 other people. Then the winner of each heat races in the final, second place in the B final, third in the C final etc etc. Once all that is out of the way the full blast is run .. thats where all 160 odd riders do a mass start race to the bottom. Good craic and mostly carnage on the way down, depending on how much mud there is.

It is a bike and body breaker though, my first attempt at it ended up with a snapped front axle, a cracked fork and some nice bruises during my final. Still managed 7th or 8th out of the 10 or so in it!
diamondG
04-09-2009, 11:45 AM
yeah it was some day, did it on the canyon hardtail, it was un understatement to say I pushed it, and 3 decent crashes later managed 3rd place in my first heat!
deadly buzz

had a blowout on the Blast itself :mad:

yeah, paddy's right, no big climbs, but the little ones and flat spots of the course would be tough/impossible on a full DH bike. Wear a decent pair of runners!
TomH
04-09-2009, 12:47 PM
Ok so sounds sweet, and as you say Paddy I wouldn't be impartial to some elbowing action so that'll be fine...All going well I think I may have a perfect bike for the task at hand;)...
Phil
04-09-2009, 03:16 PM
Would that be the bike that vegetarians would not be too fond of Tom?
paddyobrien
04-09-2009, 03:25 PM
is it made of bacon?
Conor
04-09-2009, 03:28 PM
Deadly Deadly Deadly !!

Cant wait for the Blast. My advice Tom would be to wear a bit of armour. Not cos you might crash, but when you crash the armour will help when people ride over you!!

Its carnage, its a giggle, and hopefully it'll be dry...ish.
Phil
04-09-2009, 03:44 PM
is it made of bacon?

Nope...you can get instant noodles in this flavour (though I wouldnt recommend them)
Morgan
04-09-2009, 04:29 PM
Chicken and Mushroom?
DaveS
04-09-2009, 04:35 PM
A Doner Kebab bike??? I'd buy one of them :D
TomH
06-09-2009, 03:01 PM
You'll all get a good luck at it soon as it tears down the hill on front of you next weekend...clue: it's another orange bike...Does anyone know is this going to be a mudfest?, Is it on the usual Blast course that was used in the Ballinastoe bike race...?
Scrivo
07-09-2009, 02:14 PM
Ahh Tom, the Goober is coming out in you now. The fun part about the Blast is that eveybody knows as little about the course as possible. All this 'should I put mud tyres on' talk is wrecking the buzz ;)
Oisin
07-09-2009, 03:09 PM
clue: it's another orange bike...

BFe?
TomH
07-09-2009, 04:15 PM
Ahh Tom, the Goober is coming out in you now. The fun part about the Blast is that eveybody knows as little about the course as possible. All this 'should I put mud tyres on' talk is wrecking the buzz ;)
Whatev...you'd have to be a goober to think tyres don't matter

Your spot on Oisin...should have it tomorrow or Wed...what fork are you running?
Oisin
07-09-2009, 04:50 PM
Rockshox Pike. Really suits the bike. That frame can take up to 160mm too - would love to put the Fox 36 that I have on it sometime. 6" on the front, zero on the back... just pray the rear wheel gets through it!
TomH
07-09-2009, 05:33 PM
Yeah a nice 36Van up front would be fun...I'll be running a FOX32RLC Talas, should be spot on...we'll have to go for Bfe rip soon...
djcromie
08-09-2009, 09:29 AM
Hey hey Tommy, your back, this lotto win is lasting a good while, Whistler, BFe......

I've a bid on a ex magazine BFe through Cotic on ebay you never know I could be joining you boys soon enough

I should be there Sunday for a rip
Morgan
08-09-2009, 09:39 AM
Ahh Tom, the Goober is coming out in you now. The fun part about the Blast is that eveybody knows as little about the course as possible. All this 'should I put mud tyres on' talk is wrecking the buzz ;)

Whatev...you'd have to be a goober to think tyres don't matter

Holy crap! You turned that insult around and used his own words against him. You're like the kung-fu master of arguments!
TomH
08-09-2009, 12:04 PM
Hey hey Tommy, your back, this lotto win is lasting a good while, Whistler, BFe......

I've a bid on a ex magazine BFe through Cotic on ebay you never know I could be joining you boys soon enough

I should be there Sunday for a rip

Good man Mark, yeah I have a few sheckles left to keep me ticking over...wait until you see what's next on the list ;)...go on the Bfe boys-can't wait to bring it for a rip...
Micheal
08-09-2009, 08:12 PM
Poor student my Hole!!

As a man with only 2 bikes, i have the choice of the Glory or the Xtc. Im thinking the Glory due to the fun on the decents as a trade off for walking the climbs!!!

What ye think?
Scrivo
08-09-2009, 08:19 PM
Yeah go for the Glory for sure Michael. You'll make up loads of time in the first part of the course and the 'climbs' are flat so you'd prob be able to get up them on the big rig anyway.. Dooo it
Micheal
08-09-2009, 09:31 PM
Thats what i be thinking. What horse will be coming out of your stable for the blast?
Scrivo
08-09-2009, 11:00 PM
Thats what i be thinking. What horse will be coming out of your stable for the blast?

The good and solid Reign with a brand new set of Fox 36's (thanks to James). Can't wait!!
Scrivo
08-09-2009, 11:01 PM
See here for all the updates: http://www.epicmtb.com/forums/showthread.php?p=65299#post65299
TomH
09-09-2009, 09:16 AM
Poor student my Hole!!


Who ever said I was poor?
djcromie
09-09-2009, 12:52 PM
So it looks like I've just joined the BFe gang, got the frame on ebay, just need to get everything else now. Grey with orange stickers, pimp.

Might stick all the bits on from the SX and give it a lash for a while
TomH
09-09-2009, 01:08 PM
DJ Cromie in the House!...Do you have forks for it yet?

Oisin, how does the Bfe climb compared to the Slayer or your XC bike?...

Micheal, sure slap the Fox 40s onto your XTC for the Blast and you'll be laughing...
djcromie
09-09-2009, 02:09 PM
Hey hey

I ain't got nuttin yet, so might be a while before shes out, on bike components.de gettin the forks and other bits, reckon I can use the wheels for sure from the SX, save some mullah and they're pretty pimpin
Oisin
09-09-2009, 02:12 PM
Oisin, how does the Bfe climb compared to the Slayer or your XC bike?...


Just ask the other lads who were in Spain last Spring... that was a lot of climbing. The BFe was no problem at all.

Much better than the Slayer cause the geometry has steeper angles and its lighter. Not a patch on the XC bike though cause its heavier, more draggy tyres and the position isn't as good (shorter stretch and more upright).

I have to say its an amazingly versatile bike though. Short XC spins, long endurance spins, light DH (I had it in Cloon a few times) you name it. If you have a fork that you can adjust then that helps too - I have the Pike usually at 120mm for general trail riding. The only time I need the XC bike is for savage XC creasing sessions so I can keep up with everyone else on their XC bikes. Otherwise its the BFe most of the time.
TomH
09-09-2009, 02:29 PM
Just ask the other lads who were in Spain last Spring... that was a lot of climbing. The BFe was no problem at all.

Much better than the Slayer cause the geometry has steeper angles and its lighter. Not a patch on the XC bike though cause its heavier, more draggy tyres and the position isn't as good (shorter stretch and more upright).

I have to say its an amazingly versatile bike though. Short XC spins, long endurance spins, light DH (I had it in Cloon a few times) you name it. If you have a fork that you can adjust then that helps too - I have the Pike usually at 120mm for general trail riding. The only time I need the XC bike is for savage XC creasing sessions so I can keep up with everyone else on their XC bikes. Otherwise its the BFe most of the time.

Brilliant, just waiting on a mech and I'm on the trails...can't wait to give it a good thrashing
Micheal
09-09-2009, 05:26 PM
Who ever said I was poor?

i thought 'poor' always went with 'student' like 'buckie' goes with 'what happened'
Richie Byrne
09-09-2009, 07:29 PM
hello MADsers..
theres no schlomp on the course except maybe where you enter the track off the mountain..
its a lot faster and theres probably more room for carnage..
More jumps, more short little climbs..
Tyres, forks ,bikes , shiny bits are no substitute for balls, Commitment and mania..
do not let muppets jump the starts..I hate hearing about that..
and abuse people if they take shortcuts..
TomH
09-09-2009, 07:48 PM
i thought 'poor' always went with 'student' like 'buckie' goes with 'what happened'

Ah not anymore Micheal, I didn't work as Joe Wall's right hand man for 3 years for the fun of it :)...

Thanks for the info Richie,...if anyone jumps the start I'll sacrifice my run to take them down...
Ciaran_
10-09-2009, 06:50 PM
About what time will the final mass start heat be held?

How much hanging around waiting to go is there?
Scrivo
10-09-2009, 07:17 PM
There's not much waiting around at all. Main Blast is set to erupt at about 3 I believe.
Ciaran_
10-09-2009, 07:23 PM
Ah grand, not too bad. Feeling anxious already, first ever race and no idea what to expect.
Scrivo
10-09-2009, 07:25 PM
The best race of the year, maybe in the world... Be very excited. The craic is deadly and nobody takes themself seriously! You'll be buzzing for weeks!
feed
10-09-2009, 09:26 PM
Really looking forward to this. Not racing as I don't want to risk having a big spill on a suspect knee, so I'm marshalling (hopefully somewhere where I can hurl abuse at you all as you pass in the best "epic" tradition :) )
TomH
11-09-2009, 08:36 PM
I'll bring some tunes for the MAD pits to get us all pumped up...starting to get excited...
Ciaran_
11-09-2009, 10:12 PM
starting to get excited...

Can't shake a anxious feeling myself, starting to worry about pacing myself and if I'll manage the jumps on the run, also wondering if I'm talking this too seriously now :p

Although I have a feeling every one is saying its just for fun while still taking it very seriously while putting on a care free face.
TomH
11-09-2009, 10:27 PM
I'm sure all the jumps will be pretty small and will have lines around them if your not feeling the love...it'll be grand, just go ride as hard as you as can and have a laugh...
Ciaran_
11-09-2009, 10:59 PM
l have lines around them if your not feeling the love

But what if Richie hears about me taking a chicken run, thats going to be scarier than crashing.
TomH
11-09-2009, 11:02 PM
Well then grow a pair...
MarkG
12-09-2009, 07:04 PM
Cant wait for this now,weather just great too
Get in there!
Phil
13-09-2009, 05:41 PM
Fanbloodytastic!!!
What a great day, fantastic course, superbly run..even the weather played ball.
Stoked.
djcromie
13-09-2009, 06:08 PM
Couldn't say it better myself Phil, absolutely brilliant, track was deadly, the crack was ninety and the yellow thing in the sky even made an appearance, woo hoo. I'm off to bed I'm bleedin knackered, but stoked at the same time.....
MarkG
13-09-2009, 06:58 PM
That was just deadly,great track and whole event ,still buzzing!
TomH
13-09-2009, 07:15 PM
Great craic, big thanks to the EPIC lads, must have been some amount of work gone into organising it....
Ciaran_
13-09-2009, 07:34 PM
I'm sure all the jumps will be pretty small and will have lines around them if your not feeling the love...it'll be grand, just go ride as hard as you as can and have a laugh...

Missed a chicken run :D
http://img523.imageshack.us/img523/7482/dsc00377x.th.jpg (http://img523.imageshack.us/img523/7482/dsc00377x.jpg)

Was following someone that went over the big vinnie jump and didn't see it till it was too late to go around. Could of stopped but decided to just go for it, foot slipped off the pedal on landing and that happened. Got a collective "Ooooooooooo" from the crowd when I landed so it was completely worth it :D

Had a great day over all, loved the course and was impressed by the amount of work Epic obviously put in.
Oisin
14-09-2009, 09:02 AM
Brilliant day out! The course was excellent. It made the best use of everything thats there. The racing was really fast too. Some guy crashed in front of me on the heather in the main blast and I went over too so the main blast wasn't so good for me but the heats and heats final was just brilliant.

Well done everyone who took part especially if it was your first time - getting down in once piece is an achievement!