Flagstaff riders - any beta on the Barn Burner course?

[Christophe Noel]

I'm signed up for the Barn Burner 104 as a geared solo. I'd like to qualify for the Leadville 100. I'd like to ride my cyclocross bike at the Barn Burner. Anyone ridden the course? Is it appropriate for 35c tires? Everyone I've talked to said it's super mellow, but I'd like the local beta.

Anyone?

 

[Flagster]

Heading out tomorrow am for a preride on my cross bike...32c tubies...still deciding on whether to use in race...
It is a mellow course...couple of tech/rocky decents but mostly fast fireroad...

Matt

 

[Christophe Noel]

Anxious to hear your report. I've tweaked the ExPo Fargo project bike to tackle this race. I put her on a severe diet, but it's still a heavy bike. I also fitted it with 2.0 tires, a longer stem for a more aggressive posture, and a bigger chainring. It's now the world's most burly cyclocross bike. However, I'd love to rip this out on my Yeti ArcX cyclocross bike. I do five hour service road rides on that bike all winter long.

 

[Flagster]

Well not much has changed since last year...just much drier...same rocks are in the same places
There were some sketchy slick patches last year that made me glad I was on a 2.1 knobby but this year it is really dry and I am going to do at least one lap on my cross bike (I only have to ride two as I am doing it pardner style)
There is one long fast down hill with IMO the potential for severe rim damage if sloppy on a skinny minny and one short rocky slightly technical (just because big loose rocks) downhill that is going to require slow pace and picking the less evil line...
IMO there is just so much fast flat fireroad that I think taking a bit off the pace on the technical downhills will be totally offset with what is made up on the flat stuff...
I don't have a 29er MTB and would probably ride that if I did...but my 26" Yeti ASR SL is "slow"...24.5lbs vs 15.8 for my cross
Not sure if I am going to run the tubulars though...at least I can carry a handful of tubes for all the pinch flats I will probably get...

 

[Christophe Noel]

Thanks for the beta. I'm putting the crosser on the roof of the car just in case I feel it's worth using. I'm starting off on the Fargo. Just talking about racing a Fargo makes me chuckle. But, it'll be a fun installment in the ExPo Fargo project. I went out yesterday and did 35 miles of mostly singletrack on the Fargo and it did great. I've got it pretty slammed so it should have a similar position to my cross bike. 2.0 tires won't roll as fast as 35c tires, but I should be able to bobble through those techy sections quickly. Who knows maybe it'll be perfect. It handles like a truck in the tight stuff, but I won't have much concern for that on this course.

Can't wait!

 

[Flagster]

I will probably rock a particulate mask for the first bit of the race...:snorkel:

 

[Christophe Noel]

I will probably rock a particulate mask for the first bit of the race...:snorkel:

Hmmm....I'll channel my inner road racer and shoot to the front. Seriously, every race I've done lately it's been all about a fast start. I hate getting caught in the herd.

 

[APolinko]

I'll be heading out there today. I'm really just happy there is no rain in the forcast. I got caught at the top of the big climb when the monsoon rain came last year, it was a brutal descent.

 

[Christophe Noel]

I'll be heading out there today. I'm really just happy there is no rain in the forcast. I got caught at the top of the big climb when the monsoon rain came last year, it was a brutal descent.

30mph wind in the forecast. Oh boy. Time to get low and skinny.

 

[Flagster]

Great race...how bout that flour dust

 

[Christophe Noel]

My race was not so stellar. It's been a while since I've had one of those races where everything fails to come together. I ran to my bike at the start only to find some poor guy had his wheel snagged in my pedal. That 5 seconds put me 40 riders down and right in the bulk of the choking dust. Then I got behind a small crash. By the second lap I had flatted twice. Ultimately, I was just not having a good day. Felt great on lap one. Despite my poor start and my flat I put in a 2:04 first lap. It just went south from there.

And for the record, a Salsa Fargo was NOT he right choice of bikes. Holy crap did that thing beat me to pieces. 78 miles in my fun meter was on empty. I didn't do the final lap. My time on lap three was terrible. I think that dust on lap one really effected me more than I realized. I've been coughing and hacking all evening and this morning it's even worse.

It was a muli-layered disaster....can't wait to do it again!

 

[homey]

I got back from Flagstaff today and I just hopped on Expedition Portal to relax for a bit when I noticed this thread. After reading your past posts I was hoping you didn't take the CX as I saw a number of people who were struggling with even proper mountain bikes. Congrats on your effort and to your first lap time, you smoked my lap time for sure! I think anyone who does that race Solo deserves a metal or something just for finishing (even without completing the final lap)!! Honestly, you solo guys are a different breed!

It was a blast for me but I'm glad it's another 12 months before I do it again.

 

[Christophe Noel]

I wanted to take the Fargo for two reasons: 1) The Fargo is this year's official ExPo build project and under that project I had to use it at least once as a race whip. 2) My new bike isn't finished yet.

The biggest challenge I had was the constant jarring. That course has miles of rough, rough terrain. The Fargo is like riding a bridge truss. Even with padded tape, my little 2.0 tires were communicating every rock and bump I hit. I rolled into the barn after the second lap and felt like I had been flogged. In fact, I had to go extremely slow on the rocky descent just to keep my hands on the bars. On the first lap, amidst the dust of the first 10 miles, I hit a dip so hard one hand shot off the drops leaving me swerving into the brush, one hand in the air like I was riding a bull.

Next year I'll do it on a proper mountain bike and get that buckle. One of my training partners put in a 7:55 time and we're usually of equal fitness and tenacity. I will just say this - 78 miles on a Fargo feels like 156. I'm a tired puppy today. Not my legs, just my hands, arms, shoulders, neck, back....

 

[Flagster]

I did a two man team...lap one on my cross bike and lap two on my 26" full suspension yeti...
I would NEVER ride my cross bike again...the little bit of advantage on the few true forest roads at the beginning and end of the course did not begin to make up for the slow pace I had to ride on all but the slowest downhills...those sharp rocks had me cringing on every downhill section and I was getting passed like I was standing still...Also had to ride at about 60psi to keep the flats at a minimum...was too chicken to ride my good tubulars...
I managed a 2:06 first lap with two flats on my cross bike and a 2:06 for my second lap on my FS 26" MTB... I think a proper 29" FS or hardtail is the perfect ride for this course...fast enough on the flats and still able to bomb the downhills...
Even with a good start I was still glad I rocked the particulate mask...

 

[Christophe Noel]

I would NEVER ride my cross bike again...

One of my local pals did this race last year and said to me when I signed up, "Dude, you could do that race on a road bike it's so smooth." He did it again this year and we met up outside the barn after lap one and he said, "Dude, I'm sorry I said that about the road bike, it's bumpier than I remembered...." Really?

29er hard tail with tubeless tires. That's the ticket for that course.