I think I have one somewhere but I haven't looked for it yet. If I'm too lazy to look in my own house for it, I'm pretty unlikely to come up by you to pick one up 😛 but thanks much. I'll let you know if I develop a sudden burst of un-laziness.
2016 Singlespeed-A-Palooza Thread
- Thread starter Pearl
- Start date
I think I have one somewhere but I haven't looked for it yet. If I'm too lazy to look in my own house for it, I'm pretty unlikely to come up by you to pick one up 😛 but thanks much. I'll let you know if I develop a sudden burst of un-laziness.
1speed
Incredibly profound yet fantastically flawed
I think the thing I like best about SSAP is that all discussion of gearing and/or race tactic and any plan anyone may have goes right out the window if there is a decent amount of rain this week. If it does rain a lot, everybody's race plan basically becomes "F*ck it ... wear old gear, forget about plans and remember that brake pads and bottom brackets can be replaced. Oh - and that puddle in front of you is probably about a foot deeper than you think it is."
huffster
Well-Known Member
Rode Stewart today. Trails are mostly dry with an occasional muddy spot. The typically muddier trails are - no shit - muddier. But, all in all, its good. This is all subject to change based on Friday/Saturday forecast.
I know I've said this before but I hate that these big races occur regardless of recent/current weather and trail conditions. So, hundreds of bikes will fuck up 20+ miles of single-track. I've heard all the challenges for the promoters to have rain dates and do set-up, etc. I also know that the promoters are also trail maintainers. It just seems to fly in the face of all the "don't ride wet trails" posts I read. Some people really flame others for riding "their" trails in bad conditions. But, I suspect some of those same people are about to do it at Stewart.
Thank goodness nature is resilient.
I know I've said this before but I hate that these big races occur regardless of recent/current weather and trail conditions. So, hundreds of bikes will fuck up 20+ miles of single-track. I've heard all the challenges for the promoters to have rain dates and do set-up, etc. I also know that the promoters are also trail maintainers. It just seems to fly in the face of all the "don't ride wet trails" posts I read. Some people really flame others for riding "their" trails in bad conditions. But, I suspect some of those same people are about to do it at Stewart.
Thank goodness nature is resilient.
The Heckler
You bring new meaning to the term SUCK
can't w8 2 shred
Pearl
THIS CHANGES EVERYTHING
...but it's Stewart
Dave Taylor
Rex kwan Do
What's the start like? I feel like a spinny gear is better at most places if you aren't that strong but then you have wayway with the prolog section. That made the first half of the race very tough for me because I needed to pass so many people. Is ssp a long start?
huffster
Well-Known Member
Based on that GPS a couple pages back, you are starting on Ridge Rd and then taking a left on Scofield. You are going to be on a wide gravel road and mostly level for about a mile, then its a gradual climb for less than 0.4 mile, then some momentum down before you take a left on Scofield. This trail will narrow down to single-track. But, there are passing opportunities. You are taking Scofield in the favorable direction, with only one notable effort I can think of which is about 1/4 mile past the new Great Swamp trailhead. This "up" does not show well on that Strava link. It doesn't last long, though. I'm not a racer, but it looks like the intent is to spread out the herd a little on this first <4 mile loop. If that doesn't work the not so tough climb up Maple will spread it out more and then climbing Buchanan will finish the job.
I just looked....Last year the first 9 miles....~30-35min I averaged 16.0 mph. Will be a little slower this year bc of the Buchanan hill...but thats a couple of minutes. Everyone will stay bunched together for the first 1.5 miles or so until the first hill climb after the fork...that breaks everyone up in a hurry. Then the climb on schofield will break everything up moreso....Its like the waywayanda start but things just never slow down for 2 hours 🙂
Flat plane crank?
you cant really say you need xyz gear to do well at this race...you need xyz gear that works for you to do well. For example...my ave cadence in this race last year was the exact same 83 rpm that it was for several of my h2h races I did with gears. Thats including the 9miles where I felt like i was spinning like a hamster. Its just what my legs like.
The Kalmyk
Well-Known Member
Hopefully there's no 27 5+ bikes. That would be unfair to everyone else
Thats what the H2H is for.
You don't need an age category to race your bike, you just need a bike.
Pearl
THIS CHANGES EVERYTHING
Are you arriving that morning or camping at DH?
ChrisG
Unapologetic Lifer for Rock and Roll
Says the cranky old man.