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MountainBikeReview.com's Forum Archives - Endurance Racing
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TransRockies HT vs. FS..? Done it twice, going for 3... (18 posts)
|  TransRockies HT vs. FS..? Done it twice, going for 3... | Nicholas Broskovich
Dec 3, 2003 8:19 AM | | For those of you posting commments and ?'s on TransRockies..
I've done both the TR's so far, mixed results... 13th overall 1st year, finished 2nd year but wasn't in the ranked results - partner was heli-evac'd with broken collarbone. I was allowed to ride the last 3 days, but was not ranked against the overall teams. I was able to finish on my own amoung the 8th to 10th place teams the last 3 days. 1st year was with a Klein Adept full susp - a measly 2.5 inches helped a lot. 2nd year was with a hardtail - me an my bright ideas... my ass still has scarring. I was using two pair of shorts the last 3 days. With the stable platform and pedal efficient designs offered today, there is no reason not to go with the Full susp. The 2nd place men's team, the Rocky Mountain pro team with Andreas Hestler were riding Rocky Mountain's full susp. XC bikes... I don't think they would opt for HT's (the men's winners were even overheard saying they wish they had full suspension).
I'm going to '04 with an Intense Spider XVP, Mavic SL's or a Mavic/King buildup, xtr cranks, Hayes Mag XC plus brakes and SRAM X.0 drivetrain..
This race experienece is unrivaled - I cannot say enough good things... both years have been adventures beyond words, the organization is top notch, the people are great. Hell, I met my wife at the 02 TR! I say this as either a serious competitor, or from a standpoint of just wanting to complete, it's worth every penny x 10!
Random Equip Advice: Either XTR or top of line SRAM (whatever you're into...), Hyd. Disk Brakes are a must, UST tires w/Stans Notubes... repeat Stans Notubes... Good reliable fork (Marz. marathon... Fox...)
Wipperman/Connex Stanless Chain and Rock & Roll lube... any other lube will dry out - I've tried them all. A tried and true SEAT!!
Common sense, go as light as possible, but use common sense. You don't want a freeride bike with 4 plus inches... there is a lot of pushing... repeat... lot of pushing!!! Good computer... you'll want to know how far you have to go!! (MUST) A comfortable hydration pack, but low profile... don't kill yourself and pack the kitchen sink... I kept my pack down to 2lbs (without fluid), and still carried all the necessary mandatory equip (they don't check by the way). Train with the pack filled with your stuff a month prior to the race... get used to it.
Race Video - since the http://www.rideguide.ca site is not yet up, right or call the calgary address on the www.transrockies.com website...
Do this race... that's all I can say! I got my 04' entry in time for the BIG discount. If your from the US, think about how much an eco tour/adventure package would cost you, then throw in what you get for the TransRockies Classic package... it's a deal even if you don't care about racing...
Hope this helps... if you have anymore questions... drop me a line...
Nick Broskovich, CT, USA
nmbrosko@aol.com |
| I've already registered....see ya there! BTW, I'll be on a HT... | SS_MB-7
Dec 3, 2003 1:00 PM | | I'm partnering-up with fellower MTBR.com'er, FritzMan. Fritz and I both live in the Ottawa-area, have ridden and raced together and both seem to have the same goals for the season and the race.
As much as it pains me to do so, I'll be putting 23 more gears back onto my Seven Sola Ti hardtail...currently, it has been converted to a singlespeed to use as a back-up for my solo 24 Hr racing. I've been racing singlespeeds 100% (MTB, 'cross and road) for the last 3 yrs...I'm not sure I'll remember how to shift ;)
FWIW, FritzMan will be using a Cannondale Scalpel.
Ride Hard,
Mike B.
http://www.one-speed.com |
| Most pumped to be going... | FritzMan
Dec 5, 2003 4:50 AM | | MikeB and I have already started strategizing on training plans. 5+ hr rides up our local ski hills are definitely in the works, along with a couple of hike-a-bike climbs. Although I've already implemented block training technique last season, I've never taken it to the point that preparation for TR will require (ie: longer blocks with longer duration).
With a background of only single day enduros, I have a few staged MTB events next year in the months leading up to the TR so I'm expecting that to help with preparation as well.
I've just built up a Scalpel this past fall and so far I love it. Endurance and reliability were the priority with this setup. Sensible light weight parts give me a short travel disc'd dualie in the 23lbs range.
I've been on the fence about hydration. I hate packs so the dual bottle setup has served me fine on past enduros. I typically get 3hrs with that setup and so I'm wondering if 2 water stations along the way will be gapped enough to provide timely refills.
It will be nice to see some faces behind the names next year. Nicholas, as you probably already know, the RideGuide coverage had a couple of minutes on you partenter's incident. Funny how he was convinced he could ride until the doc made him actually feel his collar bone. |
| Classic collarbone moment.... | Nicholas Broskovich
Dec 5, 2003 9:34 AM | | Fritzman... you had me laughing recalling Jim's look when he felt a spur of bone sticking out of his shoulder... I haven't seen the show or the Tape that they're supposed to send us, but I did see the coverage that evening - they show the days highlights every night after the award ceremony. I'm sure Jim will be happy he made the final cut... wonder if they showed his X-ray. Hey, it was a free heli ride.... he took it well all things considered and is raring to go in 04.
Scapel, disc brakes... sounds all good, training-wise, your ahead of the game compared to what most participants do... I read Mike's website.. all impressive.
Water... watch it there... we made the mistake of thinking we could make it through the first day (hey... what's 48K, right?) with 2 16 ouncers... but with no place to hide fromthe sun on some of the hike-a-bikes, long grinders... it's not fun running out of fluids... you can usually guage when you can go with just the bottles based on weather and distance... but it is the Rockies... and mother nature can throw some curve balls. I've got a bare-bones hydration pack cuz' I hate packs as well... I've gotten used to it. There were a few days after that 1st day where I made it ok without the pack... but the weather cooperated and I doubled up on fluids at the checkpoints, downing as much as I could as well as re-filling.
See you @ the start.
Nicholas |
| Camelback thoughts from a local | calgarydave
Dec 5, 2003 12:05 PM | | I don't mean to come off sounding like Mr. Know-it-all but as a former Ontarioan who used to do the 2-bottle thing I'll pass this along.
These are the Rocky Mountains. That means possible quick and drastic weather changes, hopefully in your favour but likely not (refer to TR 2002). Hypothermia really can take the fun out of any ride, never mind the race of a lifetime.
As much as I agree with you on going lightweight, my Camelback will contain arm & knee warmers, spare gloves & socks, and a Sugoi waterproof jacket. We always carry a jacket, it keeps the rainclouds away :). Also be prepared for cold mountain mornings, from +10c/-2c. But hey, it's a dry cold so you'll love it! All this being said, I'm sure the organizers provide daily weather forecasts and if it's looking 100% bluebird then ditch the extras.
Two personal weather anecdotes.
1/ Riding Jewell Pass (which unfortunately isn't in the race, but should be because a/it's the logical choice to start the last day, and b/it's such a killer climb and downhill with one of the best views around.... but I'm not bitter) one sunny day a few years ago we started to get sprinkled on. No problem, keep riding and it'll pass over soon. Nadda. Dime-sized hailstones start pinging off our helmets and the wind literally screams through the trees. WTF is going on? We ditch the bikes and cower beside a truck-sized boulder, watching through a wall of rain as 8" diameter trees get uprooted and crash too nearby for our comfort. And then it's all quiet. Over and gone in 10 minutes. Bluebird again.
2/ Three friends start out climbing to Cox Hill, anticipating a great view and the undisputed king of downhills in Kananaskis (which is thankfully in the TR). A few clouds in the sky when they leave the cars, nothing worrying as they ascend for 1 hour. Out of the trees and onto the ridge now they are enveloped quickly by a thick blanket of cloud. The temperature in the cloud is hovering at 0c. They continued the ride after putting on every piece of clothing available but had to walk some sections of the downhill because their hands couldn't squeeze the brake levers. Their hair and eyebrows looked like something out of an Everest expedition photo, covered in ice crystals.
Both rides occurred in late July.
Cheers,
Dave |
| Yup - refer to TR '02 | Nicholas Broskovich
Dec 5, 2003 12:55 PM | | Dave, you said it best.
A lot of people are asking what is mandatory equipment, what is necessary, do they do equip checks... etc. It comes down to this, look at the locals - talk to them and then use your best judgment, which hopefully entails common sense. They (organizers) don't do equipment checks, and yes, they have a rather extensive madatory list; 1st Aid Kit, Space blanket, flashlight... and so on. If you however, are in the top 3 teams and you line up with only two water bottles, don't be surprised if you get hit with a time penalty and have to go back and get your mandatory gear. It happened to the 1st place and eventual winners on the second day this year - they got a 10 minute penality and had to thrown on their camel back. Only thing is, it was another top team that ratted them out. Otherwise, the race directors hope you have enough common sense to take what's necessary...
You can condense all the 'unreasonable' mandatory items down to a small little packet (use a penlight, bare minumums 1st aid kit, space blanket weighs nothing, use a keychain light... and so on) held together with a few rubber bands... if they do equip checks, then you can always throw your kit in last second. My whole little kit weighed less then two tubes and took up less room. I used the same one in '03 as I did in '02 and it never made it into my pack in 03.
Knee warmers are a must on day four if the course is the same, or you'll find your self going through the dense underbrush rather slowly instead of bombing it. BTW - it may be a completely different course and route this year... time will tell. Armwarmers... I always have them in my jersey pocket.... I use a lightweight jacket that weighs a few ounces, but I didn't carry it this year. The clear waterproof jackets are a must to have in your gear bag.
Dave - This year I figured the fires would keep bad weather away, so I didn't take the xtra gloves/jacket/kneewarmers/etc - kind of like your 'carry a jacket' logic :) (seriously... it was unfortunate that the weather ws so 'bluebird'... it was so dry, that the race organizers almost lost permits to go through some areas, or had to get special ones on account of fire hazards... hazards like lead motorcyles... ).
Ever year and adventure..
Nicholas |
| I'd say that's a smart move... | Roger__
Dec 15, 2003 2:00 PM | | I've talked with a couple people that have the done the race and who ride predominately SS and they said an SS would be a bad idea do to the long long flat sections and the shallow extended pedaling descents.
Good luck in the event and happy training. |
| We'll see you in Fernie August 8th | calgarydave
Dec 3, 2003 1:07 PM | | My wife and I finally said "now or never" to the TR, getting in just before the discount cutoff. And why not, it's practically in our back yard with Fernie and Canmore being our two favourite places to ride. Look for team "Dirty Deadgoat Duo", hopefully mid-pack in the mixed category. We thought the team name of "How to Ruin a Marriage in Seven Days" was a bit of a downer!
I hear you re:bike selection. My butt says lightweight FS is the only way to go. I'm on a Rocky Element and she rides a Sugar, both with a Fox F80RLT. I spoke to a guy in Canmore with a new Spyder and he said his Fox fork was even better than the bike itself. Talking to some other TR racers, they also agree with you on Stan's wheel kit. I've never been one to weigh my bike but I think this race will have me gram counting. And dollar counting!
One gear question others might be asking too.... "Can you take spare wheels and have them transported from camp to camp?"
The first day last year must have been a rude awakening, especially for any flatlander's, with 40kms on Fernie trails. It must have felt like double the distance and three times the expected climbing. But Ohhhhh baby, what a sweet payoff on those downhills!
If you are hesitating about the TR, don't! I haven't done the race yet but know people who have and they all rave about it. Like Nick said, top-notch organization all the way. What I can attest to is the quality of riding and scenery you will be treated to.
Moab schmoab, this is where the real dirt is!
See 'ya,
Dave
PS: Appologies to all who love red rocks. |
| We'll see you in Fernie August 8th | Calvin
Dec 3, 2003 8:32 PM | | Good to finally see some people posting on here who have done the race. We did it last year and I can say it was amazing. Every possible emotion you can think of and worth it. They really need more rider for 2004 to break even. If we do not support this event it will go away. The entry fee is totally worth it, but it is hard to understand that until you actually do the event.
I personally think anyone is nuts to use a hard tail for this race. If that is your only bike so be it, but if you have a choice go light weigth, cross country dual suspension. There was one guy last year on a fully rigid bike (I cannot imagine how much his ass hurt!). Hardtails are good bikes for shorter rides and more NORBA style racing. In an event like this the slight weight penality ir worth it. You need to remember you are racing for 7 days and over that time more suspension makes sense.
I rode a Moots YBB soft tail and promptly sold it when I got home. Now I am riding a new Blur with a 5th Element and I know this would be a much better bike for TR2004! Hopefully we can get the funds together and do it again. I learned a lot the first year and would be much better prepaired the 2nd time.
CJ Gauss
Boulder, CO |
| Any advice for first time TR entrants? | calgarydave
Dec 4, 2003 7:02 AM | | Hi,
"I learned a lot the first year and would be much better prepaired the 2nd time."
We have tons of questions for people who have done the TR before. Two broad based ones are.....
1/ Other than "ride lots", what training did you do for the race?
We've got a full schedule (Test of Metal, CCP100, 24hrs) this summer and are already on the indoor trainers, plus XC and backcountry skiing on weekends. As soon as spring hits, we'll be out on the road bikes for looonnng rides. Mmmmmmmmm, chamois gel!
2/ What's in your Camelback? Was there something you wished you'd brought but didn't?
One thing we'll carry that we wouldn't normally bring on a long ride is a spare rear derailleur. Last year one team had a derailleur snafu early on day #2 (130kms) and the guy had to singlespeed for about 10 hours. Anyone for some Advil?
Pass along your pearls of wisdom.
Cheers,
Dave |
| Any advice for first time TR entrants? | Calvin
Dec 6, 2003 10:28 PM | | I am no expert on this, but here are my thoughts. Feel free to email me directly with questions: calvin.gauss@worldnet.att.net
1. Not enough! Do some long ride roads (over 6 hours) to get better used to the time, but not beat yourself up so much. You better do soem MTB rides that long too. Specifically do soem 3 days blocks where you do MTB rides fo 5 hours each day. One of the hard things about TR is not any given day, but doing it every day for 7 days.
-spend some time hiking and do it with your cycling shoes on! You will learn very quickly how comfortable your shoes are, or are not! Carbon soled race shoes are not that comfortable! Hike steep and rocky trails, you will be happy you did. Get some good wool socks from DeFeet. They are nice on long days!
-ride the bike you are going to race. Get a seat that is comfortable! DO nto worry about super light weight. Comfort and durable is best.
-I would really reccomend going with a full UST set up, plus Stan's. That is what we did and we had no problems. I smiled every time we passed riders with flats. What were they thinking! I would reccomend lock on grips. With all the water crossing and potential bad weather they are a good idea.
-train together with your partner. It will help you figure out what to expect. If is helpful to know if one person climbs or decends a lto slower than the other. Also learn to talk to each other while ridding. We made sure who ever was leading in technical sections or downhills would call things out. It helps ride faster and prevent crashes (we did not have a single serrious crash in 7 days).
-do soem generaly cross trainign liking hiking and running. I think weight lifting and yoga is a good idea too. I woudl reccomend spending some time steengthing your ankles and wrists. Both those areas take a beating.
-climb! You are folling yourself if you do not think there is a lot fo climbing in this race (and that coming from a guy who lives in CO!). Also a lot fo the climbing was pretty steep, so get used to clibing in some really small gears.
-figure out what you are going to eat in advance. The Flash 5 food they provide is interesting to be polite. Bring what you like and learn what works for your body. I would also try to eat normal food on the trail as all the engery food crap will kill you over time.
-we both a road racers who have done maybe 7 days raod stages races and that helped us out. You need to learn that every day you need to think about the next. You cannot go too deep into your reserves each day. You also need to keep well feed and watered each day to be in better shape the next. At the end of every stage get ready for the next day by taking in good food, a recovery drink, too many Advil and do some good stretching. It makes a difference.
-use disk brakes and know how to work on them. The XTR ones work great for us!
-brign extra tires. Our rear tires were very worn by the end fo the week.
#2. We carried way too big a packs and with too much. I was blow away with how little somke people carried. One team wore cut off jersesy each day and onyl carried 2 water bottles. In the Rockies that is asking for trouble! A mid sized pack is fine and extra clothign is a must. A shell jacket (I think the clear rain coats suck as ther do not breath), leg warmers, arm warmers and a head band. If the weather turns that is a good place to start. Carry a multi tool you can fix evertything with (I like the Cranks Brothers one as it has a tool to tighten the rotor bolts on disk brakes and is small). A der? Maybe. We did not. One thing you could do to simplifiy is to put a break away bolt on your der. and then carry another one. We carried some extra chain with us and a few extra shimmano chain pins. CARRY SOME GOOD SHAMMY CREAM. You will need it. Also it was so dry last summer we carried extra lube and used it most days.
CJ Gauss |
| Any advice for first time TR entrants? | Calvin
Dec 6, 2003 10:31 PM | | Sorry for the bad spelling and the like. I mistakenly pushed send before I read it over!
CJ |
| re: TransRockies... comments... | Nicholas Broskovich
Dec 4, 2003 10:07 AM | | Mike B, Calgary Dave - You guys are in for a treat!
Mike B- I love my Ti Hardtail and will still be racing the 100 milers on it... I've even used it for 24hr duos, and one solo... but I can't bring myself to use it again for TR. But at least you can do it on a HT.... whereas a SS, I don't think it would be possible or practical! Scapel is a good choice.
Calgary Dave - see if I can't hit some of your ?'s (good write-up BTW, thx) ... wheels from camp to camp, no... your limited to what you can fit in the gear bags they supply you (weeks worth of clothes, sleeping bag and pad, etc...). My advice to you since your local would be to have someone meet you to grab your dirty clothes, bring new ones, so you don't have to worry about stuffing your gear bags to the gills. Also, in the case where you need wheels in an emergency, maybe you could arrange someone to drive out to you. Training, sounds like your on the right track... I did road rides during the week, a 12 hour solo, a 24 hour solo (only did it for the training, and only rode 15 hr's on purpose), several road centurys, and a 100 mile mtb race.... One thing not to overlook is the hike-a-bikes and how hard they are on your quads. Get to the gym for some squats... a few, not much. Also, you have the luxury of riding/hiking some of this stuff... Cox Hill..lucky dog! Hydration: Everyone is different, and you really figure out what works during a hot 100 mile race... in TR there are at least two checkpoints everyday where they have water and Flash-5... some people were quite content with the Flash-5, others opted for their own choice. My tried and true method is water in Hydration pack, rehydration drink (triple strong mix) in water bottles. You dilute the mix with water from the hyd pack. But... I digress... everyone is different.
Calvin - you missed a good one. 02 was epic becuz' of the weather, and it was an inagural. 03 got us on some of the terrain that we were supposed to see but didn't (remember the snow day reroute? plus they got permits for the last day so we rode singletrack instead of the TransCanada). The first three days were also different becuase of re-routing from the fires... so the only day the same was day 4, and yes, the thigh slapping rhododendren decents were still there, minus the rain and cold. Out total mileage was a bit more in 03.
Hope this helps guys... get the word out... TR's is the best kept secret... still cheap until they attract the masses!
Nicholas B. |
| I've ordered a custom Ti Racer-X for the race.... | SS_MB-7
Dec 5, 2003 7:03 AM | | While I realize that the TR is a very, very demanding race, I won't be getting a dually anytime soon. I'm just having way too much fun on my SS Ti HT.
BTW, can you please detail what is mandatory to bring with you for each stage?
Like my partner Fritz, I'm not fussy on CamelBaks, etc. But, I really feel that this will be a race that demands one. Curiously, I noticed that the '03 winners did not have CamelBaks are any extra equipment...did the organizers not check for mandatory equipment prior to each stage?
Ride Hard,
Mike B.
http://www.one-speed.com |
| LOOKING FOR A PARTNER!!! | Kaparzo
Dec 5, 2003 9:18 AM | | I am 17.5 from MA looking for a partner for the Transrockies!! Email or post to communicate |
| re: TransRockies HT vs. FS..? Done it twice, going for 3... | Jim Swigart
Dec 8, 2003 1:43 PM | | I was Nicky's partner last year and will be again in '04. Before I comment on the real issue of HT vs. FS, let me say, I broke my collarbone COMPLETELY IN HALF (yes, displaced) in the '03 race and I have ALREADY signed up for the '04 race. This isn't just a bike race, its an EXPERIENCE. I'll give my phone number to ANYBODY who needs to be talked into doing this race. Why it doesn't fill up like its partner race (the transalp in Europe, which gets about 5000 entries for 500 spots if I am not mistaken) is a mystery to me.
As to HT v FS - unless you are superman (i.e. going there with a realistic chance of winning), this is a no-brainer - go with the twin squish - remember, you are talking about being on your bike for FORTY HOURS that week (the winners took just over 30 hours). Yes, there are a lot of km's where you will go faster with a HT and yes, you will wish you had a lighter bike when you are pushing it uphill, but there are lots of km's where your undercarriage will be thanking god you went with the FS - and remember, if you start to get sore down there three days into the race, you still have 4 days to go... If you want something fast on the flats, get something with an automatic lockout, like the Specialized Epic - I used an S-works Epic FS in 03, and will again in 04... Was a perfect bike for this type of race if you ask me.
Finally, bring a lot of race clothing - especially the type of stuff that can be taken on/off and stores well in jersey pockets (arm warmers, leg warmers, long gloves, hat that fits under helmet) - temps can change quite a bit during the day up there. I would also strongly suggest a camelback or other hydration pak. There are typically two water stations during each stage - but they aren't always at the intervals you would like them to be at (because some of the course is not really accessible by car) - and, unless you are going to win the race, you will take longer to go from station to station than the leaders - it could be 2-3 hours between stations. You may want two pairs of shoes - your feet WILL get wet crossing streams...
As to the "whether they check your equipment" question - they pretty much don't - if you show up at the start line with a jersey with empty pockets and two water bottles, you may attract some attention, but if you are carrying a hydration pak, or your pockets are fairly full, you are probably ok - but keep this in mind - you WILL, at times, probably be TEN MILES from the nearest road a car can get onto - if the weather changes and you aren't prepared, you WILL SUFFER - if you have a major bike problem, you WILL SUFFER - so, this question comes down to your risk tolerance - I carried some of the things they suggested; I did not carry others - one more note - some of the items they want you to carry are "per team" meaning that you only need one between the two of you - so my partner and I split some of the items between us - you only need one multi-tool, for example. |
| Good God this Race Sounds Cool!! | Bogus
Dec 10, 2003 1:24 PM | | I think I'm gonna have to do it... |
| you're invited to pasta party | pive
Dec 15, 2003 5:47 AM | | as my partner and myself will probably be the first italians to partecipate to TR, we'd like to invite you to our motorhome for a pasta party, one day! see you on the web |
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