Another question: would you recommend the 40mm or 45mm? Thanks again!
This email also raised my eyebrow. I’m thinking that a 30+% grade and I’m off the bike regardless of tire. The route is still 60% pavement.
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I have not raced BWR NC so I could be wrong about the recommendation. I however feel that based on my experience I have never raced a course that truly required more than a 40mm tire width. I transitioned to 35mm Pirelli H tires this season that blow up to 38mm with my rims and have been very successful with them so far.
I primarily race in Michigan which is smooth gravel that has loose/slick rock topping and random sand pits. I have done Barry Roubaix the last 4 years and it has a “chunky” section with sand traps at the bottom of rolling hills. I never once had issues with this section outside of people being in my way.
I believe once you get outside of measured 42mm OD you have passed the rolling resistance to aero to traction to weight ratio. This is my opinion and I have not seen the “world” of all gravel.
If the course truly required more than a 42mm OD tire I would just ride my 19lb fat bike that has 4" tires
I’ve heard that the feed zones have volunteers giving hand ups with water bottles as you pass - does anyone know if this is true for BWR and the North Carolina edition specifically? I am trying to decide if I will need to bring a Camelbak or will get hand ups as I do not want to stop unless I absolutely have to.
They did have some small water bottle hand ups at some of the aids last year in NC. I cant say they had them at all aid stations, but maybe?
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They didn’t have hand ups for the wafer but they had a really efficient system to refill water bottles for each rider.
Maybe things will be differently this year with less Covid restrictions.
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I’m so confused. I’m signed up for the Wafer again. The May 24th message from BWR says it’s 70 miles but the May 17th message from them says it’s 80 miles!
I guess they are still finalizing the course 
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Yeah i noticed that too. They dont seem like the most organized promoter.
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It also seems a little odd that the course isn’t published yet. Even just the distances being accurately represented for nutrition planning, or what will be on the course for aid stations, etc.
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Not super experienced MTB but staying in Mills River for a couple of days - are the blues good for a beginner skill level?
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The area has had a ton of rain in the past week so singletrack may be closed/questionable. If it were me, today I’d go to Bent Creek and ride a gravel-ish route
I typically park at the Ledford trailhead and do a Ledford-South Ridge-Hard Times route
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/36770614
Let me ask around about the North Mills River trailhead and get back to you. I like Yellow Gap for gravel but the paved parking area is paid ($4, I think). I often ride gravel while my husband goes mountain biking so he drops me off and continues up Wash Creek Road to the parking area near the horses (you’ll see a sign for the horses on the right, the parking is on the left. On the map you’ll see Hendersonville Reservoir/Fletcher Creek. Parking there.)
If you have any other questions, just let me know.
Just stumbled across this thread trying to find the 2022 NoCack Route - Waffle. I did the 2021 event and am originally from the area but moved away years ago. Kind of scratching my head trying to guess where they’re adding the +/- 30 miles. The private Camp with the S-T certainly seems like one place, but that sounds like a few miles - not 30. Descending Hobart Cove and climbing Green River Cove will do it…but I’m guessing too much pavement.
I find the tire discussion interesting. Last year - I ran Conti Grand Prix 4000 700x32 tubeless (slightly fat road tires) and they worked fine. Had to tiptoe down Pinnacle - otherwise super fast.
I hope the really change the route from last year. It would rule if they used some Dupont gravel and singletrack, but i assume thats off limits. Not that i didnt like last years route, i just want variety. They change the SD course every year i think
Routes are released. Doing pinnacle twice? Kinda disappointed about that, surely they couldve found some other stuff to hit rather than repeat a long section. Maybe this is a wafer year for me, although I hate to miss all the stuff to the east.
For what it’s worth.
I did the full BWR NC last year on my Canyon Endurace Di2 with a 32mm (panaracer gk sk) on the front and a 30mm IRC sand on the Rear. I was 90% sure I wasn’t going to make it down that giant (blowout mtn?) descent off the back side of the dirt mountian climb (like the 45min one). Both tires survived. If I were to do again this year i’d run 35’s front and rear, but the endurace wont really fit a 35 in the rear without lots of rubbing. You don’t need more than 35’s IMO. There was more road than I thought there was going to be. Also, I switched from road shoes to mtb shoes/pedals last minute. I didn’t need to.
I would have been fine with my road shoes/pedals. Like others have said, the rest stops were limited because of covid, but I knew I could make that route with basically 2 bottles, pockets full of gels, and maybe 1x stop. The course was great. It was a mix of everything and marked well. Yes the morning start was crazy, to get to the start line from parking just because it was pitch black. That Jeter road or whatever is no freaking joke. Like rolling into it’s deceiving because I remember this chill dirt road along a lake, then it popped out and was really flat and you went through this dope corn field. Then more kind of flat and all the sudden you make this right turn and BOOOOM… Like there were people walking this thing. So if you are not like insanely strong you are going to want a groupo that has a 1:1 ratio of some sorts. I think my best on my 2x di2 was 36/34. That was like mile 90 also… It was tough. Fun Event. Went mtb’ing at Dupont next day which was also a blast… I remember this one trail in that place that was called like cliffline or ridgline that was super fun and flowy…
have fun, this year I think they added like 25miles
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Ive heard from others 35’s are fine. I keep getting nervous and am bringing 40’s, so thanks for the reassurance. I have a 46/33 2x AXS setup now on my gravel bike. Will probably switch to road pedals now, as I was leaning that way anyways. Was contemplating a 1x set up- 42t front, 10/50 rear. I have a 10/36 also, but figured it’d get rough at points. Thoughts?
I mean gearing a personal pref thing, but i can assure you at the end of the day as you are going up jeter road you will probably want a 1:1 ratio. You guys aren’t hitting that till mile 115 or so. You will want that 1:1 then. I am a mid pack cat 3 ride so I was not at the pointy end… I am guessing those guys went up that road 53x11 
So yeah on the tires, the people that scouted the route and came up with the route were riding it on 30’s road tires the week before the race. Not saying I’d do that, but just some info to know. 35’s would be my choice 100% with no question. The hardest part is that crazy descent after that long dirt climb which looks to be between miles 62 and 70 for you folks this year. Descending that on the 30mm rear was pretty sketch but I made it. The rest of the course was just fine on that setup.
Very great course. The road parts are fast and you can bomb the road stuff.
Only other advice is to watch out for the hillbilly redneck guy that owns some landscaping company. He was driving around running people off the road, tearing down course directions, and just being an ass.
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I’m excited last year my gearing wasn’t the greatest. This year I’m running 40t 10-42 cassette, hopefully I can beat my time on jeter mountain this year.
Running a more aggressive tire maxxiss rambler 38, I’m kind of wishing I chose something with less tread down the center. Oh well.
I won’t make the rider meeting, have some things going on, so I might comment here if there is anything valuable I need to know.
Maybe they have someone keeping an eye on that reckless redneck!