Anyone interested in Gravel Race up Spruce Knob ?

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  • April 7, 2016 at 4:19 pm #1050679
    Tania
    Participant

    I signed up for the classic 52-mile course. Every time I remember that (a) I signed up and (b) there’s 5200+ of climbing, I ask myself what the heck I was thinking.

    I won’t be camping but I’ll likely go down the night before.

    April 7, 2016 at 4:23 pm #1050680
    Sunyata
    Participant

    I am already signed up for the short course with Tania. :D

    I talked to the organizer at the 60/40 last month and he was pretty excited about it.

    I will be camping both Friday and Saturday night and will have a full camp kitchen if anyone wants to hang out and eat delicious food.

    April 7, 2016 at 4:58 pm #1050684
    hozn
    Participant

    Awesome — look forward to seeing you both out there!

    April 7, 2016 at 5:46 pm #1050689
    MFC
    Participant

    Any idea if this is suitable for a slightly trepidatious person on a cross bike?

    April 7, 2016 at 5:54 pm #1050690
    Tania
    Participant

    @MFC 138117 wrote:

    Any idea if this is suitable for a slightly trepidatious person on a cross bike?

    I’m less of a chicken than I was even just last summer, but I still tend to go slower DOWN hills than up.

    So, from a fellow chicken, and provided you can get 28’s or larger on your bike, I bet you’ll be fine.

    Hozn, I’ll expect a pull from you at the end since we’ll probably be finishing around the same time! :p

    April 7, 2016 at 6:15 pm #1050691
    Anonymous
    Guest

    hmmm… I will keep this in mind as a possibility. I would like to try something like this this year. I was (trepidatiously) thinking about Hilly Billy Roubaix. But… I strained my back on the first fricking day of spring (!) 😡 and am not yet able to do long or hard efforts without irritating it. I don’t want to take chances with the back, trying to do too much too soon. This looks like 3 weeks later so might be a better option in terms of being able to train for it so as to not die before the finish line. :)

    If I were to do it, I would probably go up the night before.

    April 7, 2016 at 6:49 pm #1050696
    consularrider
    Participant

    No go for me, I’ll be on my way to Frankfurt that week.

    April 8, 2016 at 6:13 pm #1050756
    huskerdont
    Participant

    This looks interesting. I might sign up, but I see two problems. 1) I am constitutionally incapable of signing up for a 52-mile race when there is a 72-mile option, and 2) I am still recovering mentally from Monster Cross, which was only 50 miles (which is BS–it came in as 52 miles on my odometer, and I thought I was gonna cry on those last couple). But I’m thinking about it. Too much.

    April 11, 2016 at 12:11 pm #1050811
    Sunyata
    Participant

    @huskerdont 138189 wrote:

    This looks interesting. I might sign up, but I see two problems. 1) I am constitutionally incapable of signing up for a 52-mile race when there is a 72-mile option, and 2) I am still recovering mentally from Monster Cross, which was only 50 miles (which is BS–it came in as 52 miles on my odometer, and I thought I was gonna cry on those last couple). But I’m thinking about it. Too much.

    This will be WAY easier than Monster Cross. Mostly because it will NOT rain (power of positive thinking!) and it is not in February. That, and there are hills. Which means you can coast on the downhills. (I have a much harder time on flat courses than I do with big elevation rides.)

    Just sign up. It will be fun. :D

    April 11, 2016 at 3:35 pm #1050821
    Tania
    Participant
    Quote:
    Just sign up. It will be fun.

    Agreed!

    Quote:
    This will be WAY easier than Monster Cross.

    Do NOT agree. And I’ll be doing 41st street and the VA Welcoming Committee hills on Williamsburg a few days a week to prep.

    April 11, 2016 at 3:42 pm #1050822
    hozn
    Participant

    I’m going to do a big gravel ride — maybe Pete’s Round Hill loop or maybe Mt. Weather (I think there are some gravel roads out there?) — to prep / equipment (tires) check. Probably on a Friday in June. I’d like to run the Roubaix 30/32 tires, but would like a little more experience riding them on gravel roads. I see they’re recommending 35mm+ tires, so I can always run the Triggers. But as this is a race, I’m trying to weigh the speed benefits for the dirt and pavement sections vs. added flat protection on the gnarly bits. I guess I need to find out what % of the course will be gnarly.

    April 11, 2016 at 3:52 pm #1050823
    Bilsko
    Participant

    Looks like a fun ride – checking the calendar now, but am leaning towards going. Have been on the fence about HBR this year – this looks like a good alternative.
    Now, FG, SS, or sane?

    April 11, 2016 at 4:33 pm #1050824
    hozn
    Participant

    @Bilsko 138262 wrote:

    Looks like a fun ride – checking the calendar now, but am leaning towards going. Have been on the fence about HBR this year – this looks like a good alternative.
    Now, FG, SS, or sane?

    Well, they do have a SS category, so I think you’re obligated to do SS if you have appropriate equipment :) Of course, it is a race, so really gears should be equally hard (you’ll just go faster).

    April 11, 2016 at 4:41 pm #1050826
    Bilsko
    Participant

    Yeah – my thing with this type of event is that I’m not really fast enough to be competitive as a racer – so I tend to make it more of a personal challenge. Its why I rode HBR and MC both FG. No chance I’d be competitive against the SS riders, but it makes finishing a tough/technical course a bit more rewarding having spent the entire time spinning my legs.

    April 11, 2016 at 4:55 pm #1050827
    hozn
    Participant

    @Bilsko 138265 wrote:

    Yeah – my thing with this type of event is that I’m not really fast enough to be competitive as a racer – so I tend to make it more of a personal challenge. Its why I rode HBR and MC both FG. No chance I’d be competitive against the SS riders, but it makes finishing a tough/technical course a bit more rewarding having spent the entire time spinning my legs.

    Yeah, I was mostly kidding. I plan to race it, though I’m realistic that I’m not going to be competitive with the leaders. But it’ll give me something to measure against if/when I do it again. Maybe more importantly, it’ll give me an opportunity to practice nutrition and hydration at race-pace for the SM100 later in the year. (In the past I’ve always done the long rides very casually, wearing a camelbak and stocking it with more gear and nutrition than I need, taking a leisurely amount of time at rest stops to refuel, etc. I want to become more efficient at that; easy way to improve race times.)

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