Highland Fling 100 Mile vs Oaks Ingar Andersson benchmark

S

SlowManiac

Likes Bikes and Dirt
Hi,

I am new to mtb but I am not new to doing stupid long endurance races (e.g. running 100 miles). I'm trying to get a feel for how fast you would need to be to make the cut-offs for the 100mile Fling.

My main long distance rides have been out and back on the Oaks and I have started venturing up the Ingar with the intention of doing the O-I-A-O loop.

Has anyone done both of these rides (100mile and O-I-A-O loop) and can you post your times?

I know I'll be too slow this year but still interested as to how far I have to go!

Thx

Edited to add - is the cut off for the 100 mile (9.5 hrs I think) considered really tight?
 
Last edited:
BLKFOZ

BLKFOZ

Likes Dirt
Can't help with the 100 mile Fling.
I have done the O-I-A-O loop with a trip out to Euroka clearing on the way up making a roughly 105km ride a couple of times (also do it on a 160mm travel bike which may slow me down a bit).
Ride time is just over 6hrs - actual time out with a few nature stops, food stops at; top of Oaks, Ingar lookout (not the official name), bottom of Bedford and top of Oaks is around 7-7.5hrs.
I imagine the 160km (100 mile) fling is much harder than the above loop.
The Oaks 100 is definately a good training ride to get a feel for the distance.

Edit. here's my strava link for the ride; http://app.strava.com/rides/12613797
 
Last edited:
P

PepsiMax

Likes Bikes
SlowManiac said:
Hi,

I am new to mtb but I am not new to doing stupid long endurance races (e.g. running 100 miles). I'm trying to get a feel for how fast you would need to be to make the cut-offs for the 100mile Fling.

My main long distance rides have been out and back on the Oaks and I have started venturing up the Ingar with the intention of doing the O-I-A-O loop.

Has anyone done both of these rides (100mile and O-I-A-O loop) and can you post your times?

I know I'll be too slow this year but still interested as to how far I have to go!

Thx

Edited to add - is the cut off for the 100 mile (9.5 hrs I think) considered really tight?
Click to expand...

Dude I did the Highland Fling last year and did the 100km ride. It was a very eye opening experience, especially with some of those climbs *the wall* omg that climb is a bitch!

I thought it would be pretty easy, seeing as I rode about +300kms a week & did gym etc but in all honesty I suffered yet still enjoyed every metre of the race.

I suffered heaps of cramps - about 60km's in, I ran out of food with <20km to go, my ass hurt and I was soooooo relieved to cross that finish line....best feeling, after pushing your body to do something that it wants to quit

I cannot imagine doing a 100mile race, it would be easier for the pro's, as they have support staff to give them everything & are just elite fit mofo's, that laugh at any hill

Ill be riding again this year but probably the 50km & smash out a hecktic time

all I can say is that it is a going to be a tough ask to complete 100mile & you need to just be prepared for it
 
S

SlowManiac

Likes Bikes and Dirt
Thanks for the replies, more training I reckon! But the highland fling 100 miles is still the second hardest way to cover 100 miles under your own steam on the weekend of 10 November! Check out the great North Walk 100. First year I ran it took me 35 hrs. That's a hard race!
 
McBain

McBain

Likes Bikes and Dirt
Well, one friend that did it a few years ago took about 6hrs for OaksIngarAndosOaks a few weeks before the 100 mile fling, where he just got under the 9hr mark.

The time cutoffs are pretty tight - if you can make them, you are on a pretty good time for the 100km, let alone 100mi. Plus you have the mental hurdle of having to go back out for the long middle section a second time.
 
S

SlowManiac

Likes Bikes and Dirt
Hmmm seems you need to be quite a gun to do the 100 miles due to time cut-offs, seems a pity, I wonder if the more average punter would be keen if more time were available. Would mean riding into the night I guess.
 
cleeshoy

cleeshoy

Eats Squid
SlowManiac said:
Hmmm seems you need to be quite a gun to do the 100 miles due to time cut-offs, seems a pity, I wonder if the more average punter would be keen if more time were available. Would mean riding into the night I guess.
Click to expand...
You're right about the night issue - given that race starts at 7am(?) most people would assume they wouldn't need lights to finish the race. Those waiting at the finish line could be there all night.

Last year we did the Full Fling (108-110km) and crossed the line in 6 hours. About 15 mins later Jason English came bounding in having done the 100 miles looking fresh as a daisy. Those elite guys are pretty amazing.
 
S

SlowManiac

Likes Bikes and Dirt
Knickr - seriously that just makes me want to do it more! Reading stuff like that is what got me into this endurance malarky in the first place!

The 100 mile run I mentioned - the winner comes in about 24hrs but the final cut is actually only 36 hrs. So its open for a wide range of abilities.

Haha I had to Google Jason English, I am such a noob.
 
cleeshoy

cleeshoy

Eats Squid
You can always start off with the Full Fling before graduating to the 100 miler next year? It will certainly give you a solid understanding of where you sit ability wise. If you can do the Full Fling in under 6 hours, you could prolly do the Full Fling and beat the cut off time
 
S

SlowManiac

Likes Bikes and Dirt
Yeah I figured that'd be the best idea. I can't wait, I can't imagine what 2000 people on bikes looks like! Woop!
 
Pizzaz

Pizzaz

Likes Dirt
This is my last 100 mile Fling time...

Which best compares to O-I-A-I-A-O which I did less than a month before...

For reference, I did the 110km last year in 5:53 on a crosser..

Its not the hills... its the amount of flat pedalling that you have to do between the hills that kills ya!

Although, its much easier with the current course layout to meet the cutoff with 30km to go now... all those hills are now moved to be in the last 30 yay *groan*
 
S

SlowManiac

Likes Bikes and Dirt
Thanks for that Pizzaz - for the reply and for killing my dreams when I realised you did 2 laps of Ingar/Andersson! :shocked:

Just as I was thinking maybe I have a chance :)
 
Pizzaz

Pizzaz

Likes Dirt
SlowManiac said:
Thanks for that Pizzaz - for the reply and for killing my dreams when I realised you did 2 laps of Ingar/Andersson! :shocked:

Just as I was thinking maybe I have a chance :)
Click to expand...
Don't mention it :)

In all seriousness, with the cutoffs the way they are now then if you can do the fling in about 6hrs then you can make the 100mile... you need to be on about 6hr fling time for the whole 100mile - from memory there isn't really a cutoff at the finish anymore, they pull you off course before the last section - this was my first go at the 100 in 2009... missed the cutoff by about 2 mins :(

Trick is to find another 'miler and work together - especially for the second forest NSW loop which can be pretty lonely (in a magic 'alone with your thoughts' kind of way)... helps with pacing as well as someone to share the front coming into wingello which seems to always be into a brutal headwind!
 
fatnold

fatnold

Likes Bikes and Dirt
I did the 100mile Fling a couple of years ago and O-I-A-O is one of my regular rides. I did the 100miler in something over 9hrs and it wasn't pretty, me and wifey do O-I-A-O in about 6hrs with or without gears. Here's my take.......
O-I-A-O is not an especially tough ride compared to the 100 miler. I've added a double loop of Ingar/ Andos to the mix a couple of times and that is still not as tough. Two things make the 100miler tough. Firstly, you start surrounded by those doing only 100k's and they are they guys who worked there way to the front of the start line and fancy themselves as racers. When the gun goes off it's hard not to want to race everyone around you, red mist etc, (screams inexperience) but you've got 160k's to go! The other thing is the singletrack and general course set up. No particularly long climbs but they come regularly. You are basically doing interval work the whole way and while conserving energy and riding smoothly is easy on O-I-A-O, it's not easy to do on the Fling course.
The 100 mile Fling course is not super tough though, just tough compared to O-I-A-O. The cut off timing is achievable by any reasonably fit rider, pacing yourself is the answer. You better come prepared if you have ideas of 'racing' it though. :Cry:

..and do not under any circumstances follow tjb's wheel if you want to stay on course.:embarassed:

My 2c, if the mountains are you local trails and you wanted to train up, O-O repeats would be better prep IMHO. If you still feel comfortable after 2.5 of those then you're good to go.
 
Last edited:
Tristan23

Tristan23

Farkin guerilla
I have a slightly unrelated question although don't think it's worth creating a new thread for:

To those who've done the Fling, either half or full (but more so the full), what kind of bike would you recommend? A 29'er is obviously the go, but do you think the track requires a dually necessarily or is a hardtail a good option? I'm currently tossing up between the two and fear a hardtail (for the full) will be too rough, but then again it may be the best option for those extreme speeds and quick times I expect to be putting out...:pound:

To give some background: I ride 300+k's a week on the roadie, and can climb better than most people I know. I don't fear hills but i'm not the smoothest MTB rider, so i'm trying to work out whether something that'll help me in the singletrack and rougher sections of the course (dually) will slow me down on the climbs and fire roads. If people think a hardtail would be the quickest option, i'd be interested to hear from them.
 
G

guyc

Squid
Hardtail is fine for the Fling, and actually better if you want to go fast. There's not a lot of rough stuff / rocks compared to other races.
 
Pizzaz

Pizzaz

Likes Dirt
Shrekmeister said:
Aaron, when you do this ride...where do you fill water...i know there is the tap at the top of oaks, but anywhere else, eg at wentworth falls end ??

ive put this ride into the plan progressive build to it...:)
Click to expand...
2 Bidons and a Camelbak with a refill at the tap at the top of the oaks on the way down was plenty... be interesting on the Scalpel wth only has room for a single bidon but from memory I think I had almost a full bidon left... you drink a bit on the way up the Oaks and Ingar but not so much anywhere else :)
 
Shrekmeister

Shrekmeister

Likes Dirt
Pizzaz said:
2 Bidons and a Camelbak with a refill at the tap at the top of the oaks on the way down was plenty... be interesting on the Scalpel wth only has room for a single bidon but from memory I think I had almost a full bidon left... you drink a bit on the way up the Oaks and Ingar but not so much anywhere else :)
Click to expand...
thanks dude, yer have a 3 litre camel and one bottle on the stumpjumper...so will find out before long....or just borrow some water from a house up at wentworth falls for a fill up...:)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top