512

When @Hakalugi and I did it, we both started ~1/2 through the GB (both on SS as well). I think the only thing about the ride that's particularly hard is Thumper and, with all the rain we've had it's gonna be a booger slick nightmare. I think Thumper will prevail no matter when you hit it over the ride. I too, would allow it.

Can vouch for stickers and goodies in the mail.

Just looking at the creek and not counting that fact that most of the trails are saturated: The creek is running around 300cfs right now (hit 4k on the 27th, 1.8k on the 2nd). It's been dropping ~50cfs a day over the last 4 days or so. The cfs drop slows down as it nears 200, but I'd expect the creek to be running around 200ish on Saturday barring any more rain... ...however, there is a 100% chance of rain on Friday, predicting about 1/2 inch. Depending on where it falls, the creek will be somewhere between 200 and 400 on Saturday morning. Not lethal, but I don't cross the dam over ~350 (note here that riding across the dam when it's flowing at all is a bit tarded). So, depending on how much rain we get Friday the creek cfs might be ok. When J and I did the EB in November the creek was ~175. I got the boys a bit wet crossing at EZ, but there was no danger. The organizers called the ride when the creek was under 200, so just going on the cfs this ride is off. https://waterdata.usgs.gov/tx/nwis/uv/?site_no=08155300&PARAmeter_cd=00065,00060

It was sprinkling when I left this morning, I live off Sweet 16... Depending on where you ride it'll be either hero or owl-shit slick. Pick your poison. Rode last night and it was strange, some rocks were covered with perspiration and very slick while others were dry as a bone and they'd be 10 feet apart. Generally speaking, IME, the south sides of E-W trails are the slickest in weather like this (I'm looking at you, Rattlesnake) but it's a pretty mixed bag across the GB lately with the humid air and temp fluctuations day/night.

Nice reports guys, here's mine. http://www.sbtec.com/

I always run one of these. It's a bad clothing choice but a good dental choice (it has come in handy one time). https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002SR8SE8/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I just dropped some change on a insulted shell - it had to be done. See ya Sunday

They basically made little ramps so you can just ride up those few ledges that were a bit technical. Stravatards I'd guess, nobody else would take the time.

Ride report: http://www.sbtec.com/2018/11/eb-2018.html

When I was trying to time my Friday ride to avoid commuter traffic, I threw my approximate times into a spreadsheet. This'll work for anyone who wants to know when they'll be arriving at different landmarks assuming that the % of the total trip for each section is relatively the same for everyone. https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1SAP_OOxad0ZXyHloGQXIX2AnwqKqWZqp3VtgeLv8vLk/edit?usp=sharing

Yeah, but only near the beginning after that sketchy root turn thing

I thought @Hakalugi was shitting me when he said I'd need to crawl under trees and tug my bike behind me by the handlebars. He wasn't. I felt good in Thumper and my time was the same as the year I almost laid down and went to sleep because of all the trees and crap. I didn't get lost, so it could be a lot worse

Did the official route, all crossings etc. In the morning it was in the 40s but the creek was actually warmer than the air which was actually kinda nice (until you got out). The deepest crossing was on the way back, downstream of the chains/downstream of the rope swing were both almost waist high. It could have been my Garmin, but I'm not sure the route y'all posted has the new bits in Walnut (the berms part, the part that goes through the woods instead of powerline hill, the one that goes over the dam instead of the waterfall drop). I got a little lost before the main creek crossing trying to do some part @knifezilla showed me where you end up going backwards. The ride I did yesterday is the light orange, the 2018 EB in blue (dark orange is the new loop at the end of Duval that I skipped to get water): https://drive.google.com/open?id=1W36z_BTTsQbgwFPtCBVP6ZHOEbMvBedX&usp=sharing

It's like you don't even know me behind this anon digital facade. My middle name is Shortcutsareforbitches for godsake. Hell, I made the map of the official route. But, yeah, I'm riding the whole thing. I rode the whole GB section last weekend; crossed the creek 7 times. Had to use the chain but that just adds time and keeps the same distance. The creek was at ~150 cfs then; it's at 99 right now and dropping about 15 a day.

I'm starting at Twin Falls (I live right up the hill) so that's basically what I'm asking. Shifting the ride ~20 miles forwards moves me to Jester Mart but I'm not sure what's next. I only ride Walnut & the Shoal Creek stuff once a year. I can't really pick any place to stop between Jester and Home except the 7-11 at Mopac and Duval and that seems ~10 ish miles too short... Maybe I'll just do Jester and the 7-11?

I'm thinking I may do the EB solo this Friday, leaving from my house. Question about water. I know I can get water at the CP fire station or Jester mart to replace the traditional CP angel stop, but where can I get water around Thumper? In the past I've just got lucky and found a guy standing in his yard and asked if I could use his spigot but I'd like a better plan than that. Also, since I'll be ~25 miles back (starting in the GB instead of WC) I guess I could push my water stop to WC - I could use the Shell station @ Duval and Mopac at that point, right?

Kayaking anything in the lakes chain is suicide, but I'd think kayaking BC would be fine - it's just rain water. I was actually planning on running from LC to 360 tomorrow morning if it stays at or below 350cfs. Am I missing something, the creek isn't really all that high at this point from what I can see of all the monitoring stations: https://water.weather.gov/ahps2/river.php?wfo=ewx&wfoid=18703&riverid=203502&pt[]=144374&allpoints=144374&data[]=hydrograph&data[]=obs

Girls, girls - you're both pretty It's .862 miles https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=1W36z_BTTsQbgwFPtCBVP6ZHOEbMvBedX&ll=30.334321234996885%2C-97.76051450000006&z=12 Orange section at the north end

I've got a set of 27.5 I haven't found a use for. Mismatch set, XT and DT Swiss. Could work for you for a tester set. They didn't look used from what I remember. Nevermind, I don't think mine is boost. Stupid new standards.

Rain gear won't keep you dry, especially if you're sweating, but what impermeable clothing will help with is a chill. You should at least bring an impermeable vest so you don't end up shivering. That happened to me on the Nutcracker and I've never been more miserable.

I do one long ride a weekend for 6-8 weeks leading up to the weekend before the ride. Like something between 6 and 9 hours. I don't do more than an hour or two the weekend before. During those weeks I'll ride once or twice during the week. EDIT: food I do infinite. I put 3 servings in a ziplock bag (six scoops) and take 2 bags with me dry. I mix those 6 in a bottle and pour that in an Osprey (not mixing in the bottle first creates protein cement in the camelback). Then I throw in water the rest of the way. I do one of those to start at Walnut, one on the way out of city park and then I do one on the way out of Thumper but I usually only drink ~1/3 of that one. I keep the remaining 2/3 around and drink it in between beers waiting to riders to roll in. It's basically 1 serving an hour and the ride usually breaks up that way for me. My infinit is w/o protein from the factory. I put in egg albumin (egg whites) after the fact b/c the soy and dairy they use doesn't sit well with me at all. I'll share my no-protein mix formula but, honestly, most folks wouldn't use it unless their body really responds well to egg (or doesn't respond well to soy or whey). Link to follow shortly - I'm getting it approved or whatever from Infinit for sharing. I tend to put some of the food info in the race reports I write after a race: http://www.sbtec.com/. Don't usually put much training info in there.

I'd be down for a harder version, although I'd like to minimize road if that's possible. I'm all for hurting myself on a trail, but getting drug to my death under some milf's SUV b/c she was sending emojis to the dude she's dinking at work isn't high on my list of things I wanna do on a bike (or on a milf)