Any of you out there going to ride the Snake in January? I plan on trying out the 17 mile route first and possibly doing the 34 by March.
For those of you who don't know what the hell I'm talking about. http://www.nwgasorba.org/the_snake.html
I have a pickup truck and can carry an extra bike and body if anyone wants to carpool up with me. I am going to plan to leave early early early that Saturday. More details will come together later. Possible meeting place for carpool is Einstein's Bagel Company on Monroe around 5:30am.
Event:
Too Early
I'm in, signed up last week. You're leaving way too early man. Get there between 9 and 9:30 and you'll be good. The shuttles didn't start rolling until about 10:30 last year.
I saw on the website it said
I saw on the website it said 7:30-9. Why would they lie to me!
Ah I see. Shuttles start at 9-9:30. Guess that was for Registration.
au contraire
You should get there extra early to trash talk and psych out the competition. With a TT format you won't have a chance once the race starts. I know you like to race dirty, Bob.
If by race dirty you mean
If by race dirty you mean show up unshowered, then yes. If you also mean throwing sticks into peoples spokes or putting down oil slicks behind my bike to slow down my competition, then yes also. I am just going to be happy to finish this one. I'm not holding my breathe for any podium racing against Mr. Robert Kuhn and a slew of other amazing SS-ers.
.
MTB racing + mario cart antics = awesome amirite?
I'm totally going to find a
I'm totally going to find a Green Turtle shell to stick to the back of my bike.
+1
Yes on the oil slicks. The more racing tips we pick up from Knight Rider reruns, the better.
smoke screen!
smoke screen!
raspberry!
jam the radar!
Let me just ask since I've
Let me just ask since I've never done this. Is this setup like a TT start? Everyone goes at their own start time and then they just clock you? I just suck at mass starts I hate all that noise.
Yeah.
You just roll to the line when you're ready and they take your number and scan your chip. Not a mass start.
in the way
is it hard to pass there? do the fast people try to go early so they don't have to deal with slow people in their way?
I would imagine the money
I would imagine the money class guys in the 34 leave first in order to have an open trail but in the 17 people just leave randomly.
I never had an issue passing or getting passed. When someone comes up from behind just move to one side of the trail and keep pedaling, they'll pass you with no issues. I just tell the person I catch which side I'll pass on or if they come up on me I tell them which side to go on.
Go slow and Thomas Turner will catch you :)
Are people going to laugh at
Are people going to laugh at me if I shoulder my bike and begin to jog through a ridiculous climb?
yes.
yes.
Prepare to laugh then. :-D
Prepare to laugh then. :-D
You will probably find
You will probably find yourself riding alone for most of the race. Really only 2 climbs I couldn't do (I'm sure some riders could). First one is a short sandy hill a couple miles in and the second one is a pretty steep hill I think most people walked towards mile 13?
Here's what I remember from my two rides last year, I'm sure others know more than me (mile markers are estimates).
The 17 starts with about a 1 mile climb, then it's just rolling hills for the next 4-5 miles. Nothing too crazy. Mile 5 thru 7 is a fire road, you'll cross a couple creeks. Mile 8 thru 11 is kind of rolling again with more rocks added in. Miles 11 thru 15.5 are a techy ride over rocks, this is what most people remember about the Snake. You will probably dab thru here and maybe walk some. My only advice is to try to keep your momentum up to make it easier over the rocks. You will cross thru 2 big boulders at mile 15.5 and see a cell tower. From that point on it is all down hill. Half mile on forest road and maybe a mile the road. You'll hit speeds over 35mph.
The weather plays a big part in how the course rides too.
wow
nice course beta Eric.
Anyone doing the preride on the 27th? I should be around then and was thinking of heading out for it as long as the weather is halfway decent. Still havent decided if I am entering the race but riding it for free sounds good!
I'm 50/50 on the pre-ride.
I'm 50/50 on the pre-ride. Thanks for the summary. I'll probably update closer to x-mas when I figure out my schedule for that weekend. I might just hit it cold in January.
mmmmaybe not...
I got some kind of shifter issue beyond my own mechanical abilities, so my bike is in the shop being tended to by a trained professional. It will be done in a day or two but between my travel schedule and the shop's hours I might not get reunited with it before the morning of the 27th. So I would probably not be able to make it to the pre-ride. Or rather, I could be there, but my bike would not be there.
nope
i won't be back in town.
i'm also gonna miss the first TT on January 3rd, but i still plan to do the other two.
i'm up for random mountainbiking in january, but two weekends are spoken for - the 24/25th is Southern Cross & the Athens Bike Pentathlon, and the best FM party in history is some weekend in january.
Hey Jim - when is that party?
so its the same course three
so its the same course three different weekends?
Same course, it's run the
Same course, it's run the first Saturday of Jan, Feb and Mar.
So who all is going? Anyone
So who all is going? Anyone want to carpool on the 3rd? I got a pickup truck with room for 2-3 bikes (stacked in the bed) and for one extra body. Meetup for breakfast? Einsteins? Waffle House? Krispy Kreme? Which would you rather puke up?
I don't think I will have time to do the pre-ride so the 3rd will be my preride.
sadly
I had pretty much decided to race on the 3rd but mechanical troubles are interfering. My right shifter just left for a little trip to SRAM headquarters in Chicago so the experts can fiddle with its guts. Unless they work really fast it probably won't make it back to its rightful place on my bar before the 3rd. I may make it to the Feb and March TTs though.
single speed class is still
single speed class is still open, yes? ;-)
To my knowledge, yes. I'll
To my knowledge, yes. I'll be doing SS.
it did cross my mind
but the bike would be a three-speed, since the front derailleur would still be functional. Plus, I am too lazy to ride single speed for 34 mi!
I would recommend setting it
I would recommend setting it in an easy single speed and just running the 17. Your time won't count but at least you'll get to ride and do a little recon.
What size bike do you ride?
hmmm
What you say here intrigues me. I will definitely think about it, I kinda want to ride on the 3rd!
And-- I am 5'7 and I usually ride a medium mtn bike/54 road bike. I guess I might be able to borrow a bike or something instead. This is one of those situations that makes a strong argument for not selling the old bike to offset the cost of the new bike. I need a bigger fleet of bikes!
Question: If I register
Question:
If I register online for the 17 mile SS, do I have to do that all season long or can I bump it up to the 34 in March if I feel like it?
you can ride whatever you want
but your best time will only count once - in the category you register for. Also, if you do a different distance, I think you will have to time yourself.
correct ^
Bob, I told you wrong on the shuttle times. For some reason they are doing it earlier this year, whether they stick to it or not I can't tell you? I am going to get there between 8 and 8:30 I guess for the Jan race.
damn
That was a pretty serious bicycle ride. I did the 34 and the mud on the first half was no joke. Riding alone along the ridge lines in the fog was fantastic though. Absolutely beautiful.
Props. I commend anyone who
Props. I commend anyone who finished the 34 miler.
I did the 17 SS, and well I sucked and hated just about every climb, but I had a good time overall.
That chili was the bomb even it was from a bag.