I admit, I almost cancelled when we got the email that aerobars are banned. But now it looks like we might (?) have a chance for miles and miles of soul sucking sand so I'm happy again. The bike is in the box, the plane leaves tomorrow, just have to decide on the saddle bag now. Hope to see some of you guys there!!

Paul Thomas is at our place right now, slept at 8000ft last night to get some cool and thin air. He will be joining you all, dont let that old man make you eat some dust!!!

Hope you guys dont get this brutal heat wave next week, can't imagine doing those tough courses in 100 degrees+

It's looking like up to the low 90's in Sisters the week of the race. Going to be quite a change from the first edition which was fairly chilly for much of the week.

I'm packing the big water bladder for the hydration pack!

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Tech writer/support on this here site. FIST school instructor and certified bike fitter. Formerly at Diamondback Bikes, LeMond Fitness, FSA, TiCycles, etc.
Coaching and bike fit - http://source-e.net/ Cyclocross blog - https://crosssports.net/ BJJ instruction - https://ballardbjj.com/

"Paul Thomas is at our place right now, slept at 8000ft last night to get some cool and thin air. He will be joining you all, dont let that old man make you eat some dust!!! "

Hold on now...how old do you have to be to be an old man....??


"I'm packing the big water bladder for the hydration pack! "

How far do you figure it'll be between aid stations?

The course maps are up on ridewithgps now. Feed 1 on day 1 is only 18 miles in, but it also takes 1500 feet of climbing to get there. On some of the roughest terrain of the entire event.
That's sorta' the general theme for this race. If you look at just the distance, you will really, really underestimate how hard it's going to be.

I alternated days with the hydration pack at this race last time to give my back a bit of rest, and I wound up being faster overall with the pack because I could skip (at least) the first feed. Still worth it for my old man back. If it's as hot as it looks like it might be this year, I'm pretty sure I won't be leaving it off at all, though.

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Tech writer/support on this here site. FIST school instructor and certified bike fitter. Formerly at Diamondback Bikes, LeMond Fitness, FSA, TiCycles, etc.
Coaching and bike fit - http://source-e.net/ Cyclocross blog - https://crosssports.net/ BJJ instruction - https://ballardbjj.com/

"The course maps are up on ridewithgps now. Feed 1 on day 1 is only 18 miles in, but it also takes 1500 feet of climbing to get there. On some of the roughest terrain of the entire event.
That's sorta' the general theme for this race. If you look at just the distance, you will really, really underestimate how hard it's going to be. "


I see them now, it also is less than 10 miles between aid station 2 and 3 so it must be brutal. I'll take your advice and go bottles and pack for sure day 1. Water in the pack and mix in the bottles is a pretty decent way to go anyway. Thanks for the advice!

I’m seeing mid to high 90’s on Saturday in La Pine and Sunday in Sisters after some long stages….at least it’s a dry heat.

Can't wait for the 90's! I'm in Arizona now and its headed to 117, again...

I rode some of the early part of stage 1 in Chad’s omnium and it’s tough going stuff that just wears you down. Also rode thru Sisters the other day and it’s hot and dry— drink a lot! And good luck.

Thank you!
Yeah, the first part of stage one is pretty brutal. The first year of the race it caught everybody but the locals by surprise, and some folks were pretty freaked out by how technical some of it was.
Sounds like Chad and co are doubling down on ice and water supplies... gonna' need em!

PS - we need to go riding one of these days!

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Tech writer/support on this here site. FIST school instructor and certified bike fitter. Formerly at Diamondback Bikes, LeMond Fitness, FSA, TiCycles, etc.
Coaching and bike fit - http://source-e.net/ Cyclocross blog - https://crosssports.net/ BJJ instruction - https://ballardbjj.com/

in!

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36 kona qualifiers 2006-'23 - 3 Kona Podiums - 4 OA IM AG wins - 5 IM AG wins - 18 70.3 AG wins
I ka nana no a 'ike -- by observing, one learns | Kulia i ka nu'u -- strive for excellence
Garmin Glycogen Use App | Garmin Fat Use App

Awesome! We just rode the first few miles of Stage 1 and I now realize why 40 mm tires is the minimum recommended.

just wait till you get to the 4 mile sand pit :)

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36 kona qualifiers 2006-'23 - 3 Kona Podiums - 4 OA IM AG wins - 5 IM AG wins - 18 70.3 AG wins
I ka nana no a 'ike -- by observing, one learns | Kulia i ka nu'u -- strive for excellence
Garmin Glycogen Use App | Garmin Fat Use App

managed to finish this yesterday. this event is legit. I rode 700x43 all week. I wouldn’t go narrower, those who did mentioned in camp wanting more tire. these “roads” are primitive and you will get beaten up. the climbs are hard, but not terribly steep, they just go forever. and don’t even get me started on the sand.

this is an experience! if you are thinking about it, then you should probably do it. but come prepared.

Congrats!

can you share your strava links?

I was there too. What an incredible event. I flew home late last night and don't quite have the words to describe it yet.

We have the best gravel over here in the driftless region. Oregon Trail 'gravel' is ATV trails. There's nothing wrong with that, it was just a bit more sand and rocks than I expected, because it's a LOT of sand and rocks. 190ish lbs on 40 mm tires as low of psi as I could go and there's zero chance I would ride that small again. It will be 650b x 2.x" or MTB next time. I would encourage others to strongly consider renting an MTB from a shop in Bend vs. flying in your own bike. I saw Project Bike rents a Specialized Chisel for $30 a day which is right about what it cost me to get my own bike there and back. The difference in aerodynamics and rolling resistance is minimal because there's almost no flat, paved parts in the timed sections. Railing rocky descents on a rigid bike really takes a toll on your body after a few days. I was a bit out of the top half of the General Classification before taking the early start option on Day 4, so keep in mind I'm not terribly competitive in such a big pond.

I don't want to appear as if I'm complaining, I just wanted to throw some more info on the thread since it's kind of hard to find more out there. I'm signing up again for next year if my wife is on board.