Important info

Race Day is April 16th, 2011
9 am is the ride start time.

This may be obvious but I need to state the necessary things for riders to have with you on the ride. I won't be checking you over, but if you're missing one of these pieces you may find yourself stranded.

Mandatory:
  1. Cycling computer with trip distance functions.
  2. Helmet. Don't be an idiot and show up without a helmet. No one wants to call the cops trying to describe where they are and have a helicopter come to pick you up because you smashed your head wide open.
  3. Handle bar map case. Cyco Active makes a sweet map case that Peak Sports will be stocking.
  4. Cash. I'm pretty sure the Burnt Woods and Summit general store take credit, but cash is universal and a safe bet for a small transaction, plus it comes in handy as a tire boot or home made bandage.

PSA

This is in no way a race more of a friendly uncompetitive group ride. It will be officially conducted as a group ride and until further notice will require riders to acquire their own Starker Forest use permit.

Saturday, January 15, 2011

The route has been completed


I did the last of the recon today. Pretty tough ride for a single speed. As long as it was flat and smooth things were great. Once the route changed to soft dirt road things slowed down, but were still good, then the road turned into double track with golf ball to fist sized rocks laid every 20 feet or so in small groupings. I've ridden some of this portion of the route before and a geared cross bike handles it well, but maybe I'm a little ambitious with a 46x20 geared SS.

So I followed my planned route but soon realized the map I had showed some roads that existed at one time, but were now heavily over grown. So I followed some more traveled roads in hopes of achieving a similar route. My main concern is having the route on roads we all could figure out and not easily get lost on. So the map showed a large hill. I didn't know this large hill was just shy of being a mountain. The climb just kept going and going. Then at the top there is no gratifying look out, just lots of fir trees. The decent however was awesome. Really really fast with some wide winding turns and then just before you get onto a public road there's a sweet section of single track riddled with whoop-dee-dos and a creek crossing. The creek is about 7 feet wide and 7 inches deep. It's very rideable. But if you're going into it to quickly you're going OTB.

So after this portion I am debating on adding one semi difficult last short and steep climb. For me after 3 hours on the saddle I couldn't do the climb so I by-passed it. I can imagine what a short and steep climb will feel like after 5 hours in the saddle and I'm betting riders would prefer an easier way. The easier way is paved and is against all that this race is about. After the last climb it's flat with a nice long mellow down hill finishing at the starting point. So I'll debate with some people who've attempted this climb and see if a cross bike can do it.

Now since the route has been designed and traversed, it's time I attempted the route in one shot. I need to get the actual milage, real time gps route, and write down where every turn is per cumulative mileage.

Wish me luck! I might need two flasks for this.
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