whiskey Town MTB who's in ?

[Christophe Noel]

This is an update on the course and a shameless bump to ramp up the peer pressure to get more guys to sign up.

Course: The course is coming along nicely. We've put about 80 hours into the course prep in just the last two weekends. The snow is slowly melting off a few sections, but I think we'll have a few patches to march through on race day. As courses go - it is a brute. I did my first pre-ride on Sunday of the 25 course and dang it hurts. I mean hurts. 3500 feet of gain in just the first 18 miles.

As for the event in general, talking to Todd Sadow of Epic Rides, this year's event is on track to be the biggest yet. Word is Tinker will be on the line. I wouldn't be surprised to see Jay Henry back in town with a few boys and girls from Tokyo Joe's Cycling Team.

It's not too late to sign up: www.epicrides.com

See you in P-Town!

 

[SOAZ]

This is an update on the course and a shameless bump to ramp up the peer pressure to get more guys to sign up.

Course: The course is coming along nicely. We've put about 80 hours into the course prep in just the last two weekends. The snow is slowly melting off a few sections, but I think we'll have a few patches to march through on race day. As courses go - it is a brute. I did my first pre-ride on Sunday of the 25 course and dang it hurts. I mean hurts. 3500 feet of gain in just the first 18 miles.

As for the event in general, talking to Todd Sadow of Epic Rides, this year's event is on track to be the biggest yet. Word is Tinker will be on the line. I wouldn't be surprised to see Jay Henry back in town with a few boys and girls from Tokyo Joe's Cycling Team.

It's not too late to sign up: www.epicrides.com

See you in P-Town!

Sounds like you guys are putting in some serious effort to make this a great race. Thank you!
I WISH I was able to come and preride some of the course. It's going to be a long day for me. That's for sure! I can't wait!! hahaha!

Let's grab a "training" beer the Friday before the race! :bike_rider::bike_rider::bike_rider::bike_rider::bike_rider:

 

[Christophe Noel]

Sounds like you guys are putting in some serious effort to make this a great race. Thank you!
I WISH I was able to come and preride some of the course. It's going to be a long day for me. That's for sure! I can't wait!! hahaha!

Let's grab a "training" beer the Friday before the race! :bike_rider::bike_rider::bike_rider::bike_rider::bike_rider:

We'll put in another 80-100 hours of work into the course by race day, but it will still be a hair raiser. There's only so much you can do to such a brutal course to make it slightly less brutal.

Let me know if you need any course beta or race day suggestions.

It really is going to be a sweet race.

Beer - yes.

 

[SOAZ]

We'll put in another 80-100 hours of work into the course by race day, but it will still be a hair raiser. There's only so much you can do to such a brutal course to make it slightly less brutal.

Let me know if you need any course beta or race day suggestions.

It really is going to be a sweet race.

Beer - yes.

I'll take all the help I can get Christophe! Any info on helping me survive this will be highly appreciated. :snorkel: <--Me in over my head!

 

[vtarider]

Flounder,

Thank you for all the info ,sounds like a great ride!!!!! This will be my first time for me to ride in your neck of the woods,looks like a great place to live and ride.
I'm not sure what route I'll be doing even though i've reg for the 50.

Any must see/do Bars,eats,sights, while we are in town Thurs afternoon- Sun noonish? we will go for a small ride on Thurs when we arrive.

Thanks again for all the info / Hospitality


Dave

Ventura,ca

 

[Christophe Noel]

Dave,

For eat/drink suggestions: The Rave Cafe has become the spot for wayward mountain bikers for everything from morning coffee to late night brews. Coyote Joes is a nice watering hole if you get thirsty. Cuppers Coffee makes a mean cup'o'joe. Maya's Mexican on Montezuma has good eats. All of these places are within 200 yards of the downtown square. You can park your car on Thursday and not move it until Sunday and be fine.

Regarding the course:

Section 1 - This is the 4 mile paved climb from the courthouse square to the first section of singletrack. It hurts. Go slow. The last 100 yards of pavement always sees walkers. It's gnarly for pavement. Go slow.

Section 2 - The first section of singletrack is about 1.5 miles long with a mellow climb for .75 miles on good singletrack. Go slow. People get stoked on the first bit of singletrack and go hard and regret it later. This is the first run into the pines.

Sectoin 3 - You cross a gravel road and enter the Aspen Creek singletrack. This is the " water bars" climb. This will take about 30 minutes. Again, this is in the trees. It has three definited climbs with some mild/short downhills between. There will be walking and it will really hurt. ....Go Slow. (there's a theme here).

Section 4 - As you crest the last climb, you ride a ridge for a bit then start a drop down a quad trail. It's rocky as all hell. Do not pinch. Do not open it up too fast. This is in the pines and scrub. There is one section you don't want to ride. You'll know it when you see it...bodies piled below it. This is upper Trail 260. It's rough up top and gets very exposed and open. Few trees, lots of cactus, rubble, rocks, but great views. Half way down 260 it gets nice (we groomed it). You can recover on the last 2 miles of that descent - and you want to. It drops you off back in the pines. If you feel blown at this point, you better stop for a second and chill in the shade. Many people screw up and don't recover on the 260 downhill.

Section 5 - Copper Creek Canyon service road slowly climbs for a couple miles through pines with lots of stream crossings. This is a good place to ride slow, stretch out, relax. It gets gradually steeper and rougher near the last 200 yards. It takes you to the 3-way intersection with 25 mile racers going right (up) and 50 milers going left (down) to Skull Valley.

Section 6 (50 milers) - You drop down maaaaaany miles to Skull Valley on a graded road and then turn around to climb maaaaany miles back to the 3-way intersection where you wished you had turned right with the 25 mile guys. The Skull Valley road is very exposed, little shade or relief from wind, etc. There's nothing to it, but to churn it out. God help you if there's wind.

Section 7 - The climb from Copper Creek Canyon (3-way intersection) to the Sierra Prieta Overlook is about 3ish miles and it will hurt. It's in great shape. When you duck back into the trees, you have 2 miles to the top. Go hard if you can here. This is where you catch people who f'd up and went too hard climbing up Aspen Creek.

Section 8 - From the scenic overlook there's a short section of singletrack you climb to the course high-point. It's short, hurts, but it's over quickly. Then you start bombing down towards Prescott on rocky...very rocky...service roads. Do not pinch. You then drop down to a turn onto singletrack which has one rock you'll climb over. This singletrack is only 1/2 mile through lush pines and dumps you off on a steep 10 foot wide service road called CRAMP HILL. WARNING: CRAMP HILL is a beast. It's loose, hurts like bloody murder and no one expects it. Expect it. Walk if you must. Do not cramp. It's about 3/4 mile long and takes you to the top of a nice fast section of singletrack that takes you all the way back down to paved road. DO NOT PINCH on this last piece of singletrack in the pines. Many do.

Section 9 - Pavement to home stretch. From the time you roll off the singletrack, you can coast (limp, cry, whine) all the way back to the courthouse.

My advice? Go slow at the start. Then back off. You will gain 2000 feet in that first 10 miles or so. This is a mean course. Dip into your reserves at the wrong time and you'll suffer. The course is hard from the first 1/4 mile. It's all about managing your efforts. Go too hard to push over a single section and you will pay for it. Never enter the red zone. The only place I tend to let it truly rip is on the climb back to the overlook and the race high point. The devistation along that road is amazing. Those who went too hard up Aspen Creek are strewn all over that climb like litter.

It's gonna be awesome!!! WHOOOOOOOOOO!!!!:victory:

 

[SOAZ]

Christophe,
I guess that was a good description, because it scared me! :drool:
Can't wait, it's gonna suck and be amazing all at the same time.
:sombrero:

 

[Christophe Noel]

Christophe,
I guess that was a good description, because it scared me! :drool:
Can't wait, it's gonna suck and be amazing all at the same time.
:sombrero:

Aside from organizing the trail crews to prep the course, I've been riding the 25 mile loop three days a week. I'll post course conditions as they develop. We've got another crew going out on Saturday so we should make progress getting some speed added to the climb up Aspen Creek. For you 50 mile nut-jobs, the race is really just about finding your happy zone and staying there. The ride down to Skull Valley isn't really hard, just long. It does have great views and the surface is fast.

 

[Elvota]

Hey Flounder... I jumped in with both feet and have joined the 29'r SS revolution. Epic was even kind enough to let me swap my registration from geared to single.

I must say, I am having a blast on the thing. :bike_rider:

http://www.thestickichronicles.com/2010/03/now-rolling-two-nine.html

Anyway, thanks for all your efforts getting the course ready to go. We only had time to hit the Pearlstein singletrack and some of the end trails the other weekend, but really found everything in tip top shape.

Except maybe the very last section of trail that runs next to Thumb Butte road. Lots of damage from runoff. Does the course take this trail all the way to the parking lot, or jump up to the dirt road instead?

Looking forward to the race. :victory:

 

[Christophe Noel]

Hey Flounder... I jumped in with both feet and have joined the 29'r SS revolution. Epic was even kind enough to let me swap my registration from geared to single.

I must say, I am having a blast on the thing. :bike_rider:

http://www.thestickichronicles.com/2010/03/now-rolling-two-nine.html

Anyway, thanks for all your efforts getting the course ready to go. We only had time to hit the Pearlstein singletrack and some of the end trails the other weekend, but really found everything in tip top shape.

Except maybe the very last section of trail that runs next to Thumb Butte road. Lots of damage from runoff. Does the course take this trail all the way to the parking lot, or jump up to the dirt road instead?

Looking forward to the race. :victory:

Congrats on the 29er SS. Smart move.

We got another 75 hours in the course prep yesterday. Everything from Pearlstien through to the singletrack at the Sierra Prieta Overlook is nicey nice. Fast. No thorny bushes eating your shins and we even moved a few tons of snow. Next week we'll polish some of the lower stuff you mentioned near Thumb Butte.

I'm not sure if the course is just fast or I'm feeling my oats, but I'm consistently pushing times in the 2:40-2:55 range, which in year's past is top 3-5. Me thinks it's just the course that's getting faster.

It's going to be a good race.

 

[Elvota]

Those sound like strong times. It's good you can be so familiar with the trail and how you feel on different sections. I am sure that will be a big help when trying to overcome the adrenaline and jitters brought about from race day.

What ratio are you finding works well for you? My new bike came with a 32/20 which seems to work all right, but I spin out a lot more than I remember with my 26'r SS that was geared slightly higher.

I don't think I want to push much bigger with this 29'r though as it seems to take a fair amount of effort to keep those big hoops rolling on the steep and rocky stuff.

 

[Christophe Noel]

Those sound like strong times. It's good you can be so familiar with the trail and how you feel on different sections. I am sure that will be a big help when trying to overcome the adrenaline and jitters brought about from race day.

What ratio are you finding works well for you? My new bike came with a 32/20 which seems to work all right, but I spin out a lot more than I remember with my 26'r SS that was geared slightly higher.

I don't think I want to push much bigger with this 29'r though as it seems to take a fair amount of effort to keep those big hoops rolling on the steep and rocky stuff.

I've got a knee that's as creaky as an old barn door, so I run 32x21. I could maybe turn a 20t cog, but for the Whiskey being able to sit and churn it out is better for me. Very few are able to turn anything smaller than a 20t cog and not implode on Aspen Creek.

 

[Elvota]

I've got a knee that's as creaky as an old barn door, so I run 32x21. I could maybe turn a 20t cog, but for the Whiskey being able to sit and churn it out is better for me. Very few are able to turn anything smaller than a 20t cog and not implode on Aspen Creek.

Yeah... I know I won't be able to clean Aspen Creek with a 32/20 unless I have a stellar day. I figure there will be traffic though and no matter what gear I choose there will be a good chance for me to be walking.

Thanks for the input.

 

[Christophe Noel]

Yeah... I know I won't be able to clean Aspen Creek with a 32/20 unless I have a stellar day. I figure there will be traffic though and no matter what gear I choose there will be a good chance for me to be walking.

Thanks for the input.

Not even the top 3 SS racers clean Aspen. I certainly won't. Won't even try. There's two sections in particular that are just as fast to trot up as they are to ride, and should you ride them, you'll be blown and unable to clean the sections behind them. Plus, there's bound to be someone in front of you walking or taking your line. By the way, the top of 260 is still borderline dangerous if you take it too hot. Even with massive amounts of trail work, it's still going to eat a few people alive.

 

[SOAZ]

So... How about that weather...




Yikes.


What would you recommend wearing Christophe? Temp says HIGH of 50 on Saturday, but that doesn't neccessarily mean "on" the course.