mack_turtle Posted September 20, 2018 Author Share Posted September 20, 2018 might be wet, which will add to the "fun." I am on the bright green SSCX Traitor. My gear is probably too hard for the course so I might be the guy who is walking a lot of it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mack_turtle Posted September 20, 2018 Author Share Posted September 20, 2018 13 hours ago, JRIDER said: I've never done a gravel grinder or ridden in this area. What is the recommended tire pressure for a 29" ht mtb with 2.2 tires? pump your tires up a little harder than you would for trail riding. I am not going to give you any numbers, but they don't need to be rock-hard for pavement riding, but running them at trail pressure is going to bog you down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheX Posted September 20, 2018 Share Posted September 20, 2018 I'll be there with rain gear on. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mack_turtle Posted September 20, 2018 Author Share Posted September 20, 2018 I am not going to bother with rain gear. being soaked but warm will be just fine. soaked and cold, notsomuch. rain gear just gets swampy. flappy fenders would be a good idea to keep the flying much off your face, though. however- wet, sandy gravel roads and 35/32 mm tires- good idea or bad idea? not sure if those will get stuck in the dirt, or dig through it. CXers use skinny tires in mud for a reason, right? should be an adventure either way. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
512 Posted September 20, 2018 Share Posted September 20, 2018 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheX Posted September 20, 2018 Share Posted September 20, 2018 I was kidding about the rain gear. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AntonioGG Posted September 20, 2018 Share Posted September 20, 2018 Hmm, a fender is not a bad idea. I'm running 40mm tires. I was looking at some of the roads in google maps, I think they'll hold up fine in the rain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheX Posted September 22, 2018 Share Posted September 22, 2018 Looks like the rain will be stopped by the start of the 50K ride at 10:30. wo0t! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheX Posted September 22, 2018 Share Posted September 22, 2018 Had a BLAST...and a flat. grrrr. If you were out there I was the guy you probably passed with the knee high american flag socks. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AntonioGG Posted September 22, 2018 Share Posted September 22, 2018 Did the 100k. I got to meet Jason before the start. The first half, I was thinking "why do they call it the breaker? This is easy!" Then we hit Sand Hill Road in the 2nd half. That was some brutal velcro-like sand. I believe you 50k guys avoided that. I heard a dude say after "never in my life have I been so glad to hit the chip seal!" I'm definitely doing other Spinistry events. It was enjoyable and very low key. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mack_turtle Posted September 22, 2018 Author Share Posted September 22, 2018 good times. rode the 50k at a pace that challenged me but wasn't very fast. 32/35mm tires and a 39/16 was just fine. my seatpost slipped down so slowly that I didn't notice. I knew the ride was getting harder, but i thought that was because I was getting hungry. I had to look at a photo of my bike to confirm that my seat was over an inch lower than when I started. d'oh! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AntonioGG Posted September 22, 2018 Share Posted September 22, 2018 That slow seatpost slide has happened to me on my road bike! It sucks. Took a friend telling me "it looks a bit low" and sure enough, I was 2.5" down! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fontarin Posted September 25, 2018 Share Posted September 25, 2018 Weather scared me off on Saturday (though it seemed to turn out fine) but I was camping down near Lockhart so I just went out and did the 50k on Sunday. Beautiful weather (a little misting at one point) and dry roads - was glad I waited though I missed the large group of folks taking off. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AntonioGG Posted September 25, 2018 Share Posted September 25, 2018 I saw you rode it on your own on Sunday. It's a nice route. It's the perfect thing to do when the trails are wet. Next time do the 100k, and get a taste of some sand. 🙂 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AntonioGG Posted September 21, 2019 Share Posted September 21, 2019 Who is in for tomorrow’s Breaker? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheX Posted September 21, 2019 Share Posted September 21, 2019 Totally forgot this was happening, have fun! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AntonioGG Posted September 23, 2019 Share Posted September 23, 2019 On 9/21/2019 at 6:36 AM, TheX said: Totally forgot this was happening, have fun! I wish I'd forgotten it too. That hurt! The worst was the heat+humidity and the awful smell of those chicken coops toward the end of the ride. I came into this ride with lower fitness than last year, and for some reason I've been getting bad leg pain in recent rides. It could be a lower back issue. At some point the pain went away so I could push a bit harder. My sole motivation for going fast was to get it over quickly. I did something pretty stupid before the ride though...I went bouldering at the Austin Rock Gym for 2 hours for my first time ever on Friday. I was afraid about muscle soreness, but that turned out to be the least of my worries. The skin on my hands felt like it was going to be ripped off during the bumpy sections (tons of washboard this year). I still opted for riding the rocks and washboard instead of the sand on Sand Hill Road, and that made it much easier. I also remember running out of water last year and having to stop at a BBQ place. This year I chugged extra water during the stops and I stopped at both the stops which helped a bunch. Still, at the end, what held me back from going a bit faster were my hands. I also think I need to change my bars. I've just never felt comfortable with these cowchipper bars. That Bell's IPA, chopped brisket sandwich, and the fistful of pickles were the best after the ride. The other cool thing is the start is in the Lockhart City Park which has a splash pad. Every ride in the heat should end in a splash pad. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chief Posted September 23, 2019 Share Posted September 23, 2019 21 minutes ago, AntonioGG said: I came into this ride with lower fitness than last year, and for some reason I've been getting bad leg pain in recent rides. It could be a lower back issue. At some point the pain went away so I could push a bit harder. My sole motivation for going fast was to get it over quickly. Could be a bike fit issue. Our bodies are changing all the time and a refit should be done every couple of years. If it's your knees it's probably a saddle position issue to high/low to forward/aft. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chief Posted September 23, 2019 Share Posted September 23, 2019 I needed wider bars on my gravel bike and went with these. Affordable and pretty comfortable especially with the flat top sections. https://www.jensonusa.com/FSA-NS-Adventure-Drop-Bar 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TAF Posted September 23, 2019 Share Posted September 23, 2019 34 minutes ago, AntonioGG said: That Bell's IPA, chopped brisket sandwich, and the fistful of pickles were the best after the ride. I'm glad to hear Spinistry is upping the post-ride game a little. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AntonioGG Posted September 23, 2019 Share Posted September 23, 2019 1 hour ago, Chief said: Could be a bike fit issue. Our bodies are changing all the time and a refit should be done every couple of years. If it's your knees it's probably a saddle position issue to high/low to forward/aft. It was my quads. I think the quads are not a bike fit issue necessarily (been doing weights and other things lately that are not my usual), but I'm not discounting it being tied to the lower back pain. At some point during the race I just stopped feeling the pain and leg-wise and back-wise I was super comfortable for the rest of the race. Maybe it's a matter of loosening up a bit more before such a ride. No warm-up and hard start is more likely my issue. Toward the end I suffered with hand pain. That's my main focus at this point. I may give the Whisky no 7 12F bars a try. I like their 68mm reach. I'm at 95mm (yep, I think it's that drastic a change I need). I've also never gotten used to the weird angle on the woodchipper drops. The other bars I should look into are the Specialized Hover. That's what I have on my road bike and I like them. They have a rise on the flat (which I don't use often except for during a break or when drinking). They're 70mm reach and shallow drop. What are opinions on the Spank Vibrocore? Worth it? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AntonioGG Posted September 23, 2019 Share Posted September 23, 2019 Hmmm, how do they measure reach? I think different brands must do it differently. I was measuring center of flat tube to center forward bend tube. I measured 95-100mm on my woodchippers, Salsa lists them at 56mm. Compare to Specialized, my bars measure exactly at 70mm center to center. It seems like Salsa measures inside to inside. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mack_turtle Posted September 23, 2019 Author Share Posted September 23, 2019 I've not tried a lot of different drop bars, but I've used Salsa Cowbells for years with no issues. They are short, shallow, and have just enough flare to make them stable on unpaved surfaces. I have a medium CX bike with a 70mm stem. Top of handlebar is just below level with the saddle. The short reach + moderate drop makes a good balance of comfort and handling for me. TRP brake levers are comfy too. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheX Posted September 23, 2019 Share Posted September 23, 2019 The washboard roads last year almost killed me. I would have been better off riding my XC bike. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bart Posted September 24, 2019 Share Posted September 24, 2019 The heat just makes any ride tough and that was no joke hot. I ran 38's and double cork bar wrap. 41 cassette helped spin thru the sand a little better. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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