The Strathpuffer: Where Opera Meets Mountain Biking and Winter Endurance is King!
Arriving at the Strathpuffer 24-hour XC race is an experience in itself. This year, the event HQ greeted me with the unexpected strains of opera at 8 AM – a rather dramatic soundtrack for a day of extreme endurance! While the music might have been a surprise, the quiet of the registration tent was not. Most racers, seasoned veterans of this brutal event, had already sorted their gear the night before. After all, two hours before the starting gun is hardly time to be fiddling with paperwork. There's porridge to consume, spare wheels to prep, glove choices to agonize over, and, of course, those pre-race nerves to manage.
The Strathpuffer, affectionately known as 'The Puffer,' takes place in the Scottish Highlands, hosted by the towns of Contin and Strathpeffer. It's a grueling 24-hour XC race, and in 2026, it will crown the UK National 24 HR XC Champions. This will be the 19th edition of an event widely recognized as the toughest XC race you can enter in the UK. While completing any 24-hour XC race is a feat in itself, signing up for one in January in Scotland, where darkness reigns for 17 hours a day, borders on the extraordinary.
I may be prone to a bit of exaggeration, but the truth is, hats off to the 200 solo entrants this year, and of course, all the pairs, trios, quads, and school teams of 8, making up the 650 strong field of incredibly resilient individuals.
I took a stroll through the pits as riders made their last-minute preparations, eager to see how they were tackling the snowy conditions. It's a tricky situation; based on the pictures, one might assume that Schwalbe Ice Spiker Pro tires are a sure bet. But, alas, it's not that simple. With rain predicted in the afternoon, followed by near-freezing temperatures overnight, and then a downpour in the early hours of the morning… it's the kind of event where you could bring three sets of wheels and tire combinations and still make a poor choice at some point.
Luckily, these riders seem to have the right 'get on with it' attitude.
Kerry was busy stuffing her gloves with hand warmers and her shoes with sole warmers. Her standout kit item is the Madison bibs - waterproof around the undercarriage but breathable everywhere else. They have vents at the sides, and a thoughtfully placed zipper allows for easy bathroom breaks.
Her Restrap top tube pack is filled with snacks that are already partially opened, ready to eat.
I didn't expect to see any Maxxis Aspen tires this weekend, but here they are on Natalia's Santa Cruz Blur, aka, Platypus. Her Ice Spiker Pro tires are still in the mail. In preparation for the event, she has been listening to the song, Dumb Ways to Die. Natalia is racing in a pair with Thomas, who is riding a Scott Scale with similarly low-profile tires – a Schwalbe Racing Ray up front and a Racing Ralph in the rear.
The Strathpuffer 24 is made possible each year by over 50 volunteers who marshal the event. They'll have earned their pints tonight!
What do you think? Are you brave enough to take on the Strathpuffer? What tire choices would you make, and why? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
