Stoopid 50

i will be doing it on my SS. looking forward to it. looks fun. can anyone recommend what gear to ride with my 32T?? i was thinking either 21 or 20
 
I would err towards gearing comfortably for the climbs. The singletrack is pretty technical, and the downhills are super fast so you won't be at a disadvantage there. There is a road climb at the start, and a mostly flat section of road in the middle of the race that you may end up spinning on, but I would rather be a little slower there than walking up the hills. I'm not a single speeder though so what do I know.
 
gingertooth said:
i will be doing it on my SS. looking forward to it. looks fun. can anyone recommend what gear to ride with my 32T?? i was thinking either 21 or 20
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This totally depends on you -- how do you like to feel on climbs? Like Chris said, there is a lot of up and down on this course, with few flat sections, so the 21 won't hurt you that way. lYou'll be doing a lot of climbing. Personally, I always go with a 20 for any race or ride over 30 miles because I do like to spin, but 21 just feels too light. But everyone is different. I know a few guys who would use an 18 and be perfectly happy. That would break my legs. A 20 feels right to me under most longer ride circumstances. I think I'd burn myself out early spinning a 21. But if you prefer higher cadence, a 21 might be right for you. I'd suggest riding a 21 on a local loop that has longer climbs if possible. See how it feels. If it feels to llight, go withthe 20. The steepest climb on the Stoopid 50 is a walk-up no matter what gear you're in.
 
two yrrs ago i was running with 33x20 it was manageable however i would preferred 33x21 if i cosidered doing it again this week.

you may want to run 32x21 if this is your first race there...it was too many darn long steep climbs.unless hill is your thing..
 
I am signed up. Last year I did it in 7:00. I also did the W101 last year, and that took me around 11:30. Yes I am slow... 🙂

Stoopid 50 and W101 share a lot of the same trails, but Stoopid adds in a nice singletrack after the initial climb (Tussey Ridge I think), and is probably about 15 miles of singletrack across 50, where W101 is about the same amount of singletrack over 100. Mile for mile, I think Stoopid is a harder effort over a shorter distance.

Last year at the Stoopid the torrential rains came just as I hit the the second ~10 miles of singletrack, which turned greasy and had about 3" of peanut butter mud for most of it...

Stoopid also has one of the coolest finishes - you go down a really steep technical rocky trail (maybe called 3 bridges?) and then you finish in a rocky streambed, coming in under a head-high fallen log across the stream with the Stoopid 50 Finish banner on it. Epic!
 

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It was a hard race. Wish it went a little better. Threw myself on the ground 4 times. Lost the trail twice. Had lots of chain drop/jamming issues. Will be back next year. Trails were great!
 
It's a great race. I would recommend it in a heartbeat. It's got a good mix of singletrack and fireroad. The climbing is tough but not over the top. It ended up being ~6600 feet in 50 miles. The 5' long black snake I had to bunny hop in the middle of the trail made it even more fun.
 
okay, im marking my calendar for this one. promise. it sounds like hell but the recaps you guys write are either way better and less painful than it seems or you are just sucking up to the promoters 😛
 
I too had a horrible race. My back was hurtin' and I couldn't seem to put any power to the pedals on the climbs. I was suffering badly and in full survival mode for the 2nd half of the race. Limped in for a dismal 12th in the Masters.
Lesson learned?...Hardtail is not the way to go for the Stoopid. Incredible course though; some of the best singletrack I've ever ridden. Next year...
 
i did it too on my singlespeed with a 32x20t. It was a tough one for sure. The climbs were long and draining. The singletrack was ridiculously awesome. I dont think the single track wasn't that technical compared to the bearscat. I think cause the technical stuff was all on the flats which made it easier to ride. For those who haven't done it, everything is rideable, everything. Nothing is hard technically. It is a must do race. It was awesome. just dont expect to win those pa mtbrs are the strongest i have ever seen anywhere(with beards of course)....:hmmm:
 
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pearl said:
okay, im marking my calendar for this one. promise. it sounds like hell but the recaps you guys write are either way better and less painful than it seems or you are just sucking up to the promoters 😛
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You won't regret it. Chris Scott doesn't know how to make an easy race, but every one of SMT's races I've ever done has been a really fun experience despite the pain. The gem of Stoopid 50 is the Tussey Ridge. You earn it with the climb. but once you're up there, it's incredible. Just don't get too caught up on the scenery -- you're still riding some technical stuff!
 
thedoner said:
I too had a horrible race. My back was hurtin' and I couldn't seem to put any power to the pedals on the climbs. I was suffering badly and in full survival mode for the 2nd half of the race. Limped in for a dismal 12th in the Masters.
Lesson learned?...Hardtail is not the way to go for the Stoopid. Incredible course though; some of the best singletrack I've ever ridden. Next year...
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Next year for me too. Might still do the Rattling Creek later this year.
Why Hardtail- bad beta? Somebody (Masse?) told you it was all fireroads?
I guess that'll be your dropped race. Still in first?

Oh, and yes. Pa riders are mutants. Specially the bearded ss guys. Or Harlan.
 
Claude said:
Oh, and yes. Pa riders are mutants. Specially the bearded ss guys. Or Harlan.
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Unfortunately, being from PA, having a beard and riding a SS may be a necessary condition for excellence, but it is apparently not sufficient, which really sucks because my entire training program this year revolved around growing a beard. (Although I have to say that my training montage of checking on the status of said-beard each morning while Joe Esposito sang "You're the best" in the background was pretty f*cking epic ...)
 
xc62701 said:
It's a great race. I would recommend it in a heartbeat. It's got a good mix of singletrack and fireroad. The climbing is tough but not over the top. It ended up being ~6600 feet in 50 miles. The 5' long black snake I had to bunny hop in the middle of the trail made it even more fun.
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Funnily enough I was riding in Rothrock on Tuesday afternoon doing the lower loop of the 2009 race (not sure if it's still the same course) and had a huge black snake stop me in my tracks. I let it take its time in getting off the trail 😀
 
6thElement said:
Funnily enough I was riding in Rothrock on Tuesday afternoon doing the lower loop of the 2009 race (not sure if it's still the same course) and had a huge black snake stop me in my tracks. I let it take its time in getting off the trail 😀
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I found that if you have enough speed you can easily clear them 😉
 
Claude said:
Next year for me too. Might still do the Rattling Creek later this year.
Why Hardtail- bad beta? Somebody (Masse?) told you it was all fireroads?
I guess that'll be your dropped race. Still in first?

Oh, and yes. Pa riders are mutants. Specially the bearded ss guys. Or Harlan.
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As far as HT vs. FS at Stoopid...you can make the argument either way. There is a lot of fire road climbing, but I just felt sloppy and beat up in the singletrack. Maybe it's because I'm gettin friggin old, but after Bearscat and the 10 miles of tech in the middle of this race, I just felt pummeled.
Yeah...still leading but I'll have to do really well in the last 2 to hold onto it. I think there are 2 drops in the series. See you at Rattling Creek!
 
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