Cosmic Kid
Posts:4209
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| 05/22/2019 11:05 AM |
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OC, they have not released the course yet....that happens Monday. They do not release course info until the week of the race...not sure why.
Whole new course this year...the race has traditionally gone south from Emporia, but this year they are heading North to start the race. But everyone makes a point of saying that there are definitely some steep punchy climbs in the area.
As for gearing, I probably would not have thought twice about it, but after my experience in Western IL two weeks ago, I am questioning whether a 32 is a big enough bailout gear. That ride was ~60 miles w/ 4K of climbing and almost all of it was short steep stuff.
I'll probably go with the 11-36 just to be on the safe side....I don't want to burn my legs out grinding up hills on a 200 mile race. |
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| Just say "NO!" to WCP!!!!
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79pmooney
Posts:3189
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| 05/22/2019 11:23 AM |
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CK, I was wondering on the wisdom of my 50-38-24 X 13-28 setup for the Cycle Oregon weekend where they were not going to give us anything ridiculous. Well the 24 X 28 got used a few times. Felt like I was geared right all weekend.
I've changed my climbing style a lot for the gravel. Sitting really pays. That 5-10% slip when I have to pull my weight forward for the extra umph is costly.
This was an excellent shakedown for the bike. I like! I think I will change out the tires to same size but sturdier/more expensive for the O.T. ride. Maybe raise the FD just a touch. I jammed the chain and had to put a foot down a couple of times double shifting to the inner ring. (Elegant shifts aren't always feasible on gravel with DTs!) But overall, the gearing worked very well and as I get better with the shift sequences, they should get better still. I was worried my short cage SunTour AR front derailleur would give me problems on the inner ring and smaller cogs, but all, even the extreme crossover, ran well (except a lot of noise. The chain dragged on both the cage sides and the "bushing". The bushing is a stack of small washers to narrow the bottom of the cage a lot. Makes for quicker shifting and fewer chain drops on rough stuff. A trick I've been doing forever. Does require the ability to correct trim, a nice feature of those DTs. (And as DTs go, I got reminded again just how sweet Power Rachets are.)
I've been using TriFlow for chain, derailleur pivots and brake bushings but I am gong to go liquid after this weekend. The wet clay apparently displaced the TriFlow and by the end of Sunday rough. After I rinsed it off when I got home, next day the bike was running like it had been set outdoors for a year. (I could not even turn the cranks!) Wet FinishLiine will make a mess over 5 days but I'm thinking that, with a few applications over the ride, that all will be working throughout the ride. Bike's going to need a full clean anyways so what the hey.
One surprise I got going out last Friday - put my ancient Yakima rack on. (Thank you Yakima for making updates for new cars feasible over the past almost 30 years.) Mounted the bike. Rocked the bike; the simple test that in the past has always rocked my cars. No, the plastic clamp for the fork was flexing. Scary. Drove carefully to the local rack people who carried Yakima and put the tracks on my car. No, they didn't have the fixture.
So I put the bike in the back. OK. (I drove to at least one CO this way in my larger previous car. Bike arrives bug-free and clean. Better gas mileage. Less wind noise.) But coming home with a filthy bike? Ahh! the tent ground cloth spread over back of the car. Big enough and perfect! Over the bike the cheap rain poncho I brought years ago for camp wear. Bike was now completely out of sight and I could put my bags over it. Nice! Plenty of room for the additional gear of 5 to 7 day rides.
The rack is a keeper and I will find/make a new fork fixture. For one thing, those racks are great for carrying the big and heavy items needed as a homeowner. Once probably 600 pounds of roof debris. ((Drove really carefully to the dump. That was very close to the roof's limit!) Lumber, sheets of insulation, etc. I use a regular galvanized pipe for the crossbar and keep the nice Yakima ones set up for the bike. Started using the pipe when I used to travel to regattas to race my 15' sailboat. That boat was much longer and wider than the Tercel under it. Made finding the car in parking lots so much easier! |
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Cosmic Kid
Posts:4209
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| 05/22/2019 05:06 PM |
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OC, here is one of the hills from my ride two weeks ago. 40x32 was a bit of a grind on this one.
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| Just say "NO!" to WCP!!!!
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Orange Crush
Posts:4499
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| 05/22/2019 08:52 PM |
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Nice. I think 40x36 will be an excellent choice.
And I expect Ben to spin by me while whistling using his gearing. |
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Cosmic Kid
Posts:4209
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| 05/22/2019 10:20 PM |
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Sorry for making the thread a “widey”.....
I now have the most kluged together aero bars in the world...Profile brackets, Zipp EVO110 extensions and an ancient pair of Scott RCO pads (about 25 years old). But I am digging the set-up!! |
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| Just say "NO!" to WCP!!!!
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79pmooney
Posts:3189
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| 05/23/2019 12:13 AM |
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| Got you beat CK - age-wise, not kludge-wise. My seatpost is secured with a 52 year old UO-8 pin. (Has the perfect head to fit the brake cable hanger. The Campy pin that came with the Mooney sucked with that hanger.)up |
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Cosmic Kid
Posts:4209
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| 05/26/2019 07:09 AM |
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I think I am in deep trouble w/ DK....been REALLY sick this weekend with a nasty cold. Didn’t ride Friday or yesterday and spent yesterday in bed. Could barely get out of bed, I was so weak. Head was stuffed with gunk and I eventually puked in the afternoon from all of it working it’s way down my throat.
Dehydrated, pounding headache, only had a little toast to eat.
Feel significantly better this AM, but I still feel like complete schitt. Cold has now settled in my lungs and I have a horrible cough...not looking good for getting on the bike today either.
Pretty sure I will only be in survival mode next weekend..... |
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| Just say "NO!" to WCP!!!!
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Orange Crush
Posts:4499
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| 05/26/2019 05:00 PM |
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| Eat rest recover. You'll surprise yourself. |
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Orange Crush
Posts:4499
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| 05/26/2019 07:18 PM |
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I did the Double Seymour ride again with 103kms and 2500m vertical for day. First time up felt a lot more like playing with the hill than working it and rode it pretty aggressive. Paid big time on second ascent which is a long ways off from being easy. Seymour is the perfect hill to tell you how out of shape you are. Now it's on to BTWW or five 47 km days.
Also some bonus lawnmowing after today's ride. Definitely lacking power with my push mower after ride effort. |
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Dale
Posts:1767
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| 05/27/2019 07:18 AM |
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Did 50 miles Saturday with two of the four guys I ride with that were selected for the DKXL. Three of the four will be in dark brown with orange trim Kuat kits, the other in a red and black Springfield Brewing Company kit. One of the guys, maybe two of them, will be on Luaf bikes. One is on a bike he brazed up himself-- primer grey.
There are several others in SBC kits doing the 200 route that I ride with.
Good luck and we're looking forward to a report once the feeling returns to your hand so you can type  |
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Cosmic Kid
Posts:4209
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| 05/27/2019 05:12 PM |
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I’ll keep an eye out for them...i’ll be in a black / red INTENT kit with a couple of other guys.
Got up off my death bed and did an easy 20 on the local trail. Oooof. Think I am looking at a long day on Saturday....and they just announced that this year will be the most climbing ever. Glad I ordered the 36!! |
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| Just say "NO!" to WCP!!!!
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Orange Crush
Posts:4499
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| 05/29/2019 01:13 PM |
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Just tag on in the slip stream CK; you got those aero bars.
https://www.velonews.com/2019/05/gravel/worldtour-pros-will-race-to-win-at-dirty-kanza-200_494307 |
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Cosmic Kid
Posts:4209
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| 05/29/2019 02:14 PM |
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I gotta believe those guys are just gonna string the field out to start this thing.....
Course was released on Monday....most climbing ever for DK. Garmin says it is ~6K feet, but when I put the route into RideWithGPS, it comes up as ~8K...another guy said he got 10K, so who knows. But the first 40 miles or so look to be uphill / false flat the whole way, so I expect some legs to crack early.
Did another hour last night on the trainer.....anything above very-low Z2 effort causes coughing fits. This could be really ugly... |
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| Just say "NO!" to WCP!!!!
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Orange Crush
Posts:4499
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| 05/29/2019 02:41 PM |
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| In my experience RidewithGPS is pretty accurate; Strava tends to overestimate a little although much less so than couple years ago. It's a function of the digital elevation maps they're using. |
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Cosmic Kid
Posts:4209
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| 05/29/2019 03:34 PM |
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| My experience as well....and 8K across 200 miles really ain't that bad. Of course it is all gravel, soooooo......*shrug* |
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| Just say "NO!" to WCP!!!!
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