I ran Tubolights for inserts. Most inserts are pricey for what they are.
As others have said, the long road section gets things stretched out early. This year they started the race about 30 min later and that made the roll out a little safer as it wasn’t dark.
The problems I saw people have were mostly technical. They were hitting the corners on some of the gravel sections too fast for their abilities and crashing. I watched one guy in front of me get his front wheel completely sideways on an off camber downhill corner. He flipped over the bike and because it was downhill rolled about 2 or 3 times and then popped right back up. I was able to steer wide around him but was amazed he wasn’t hurt. Guy knew how to take a fall…
I got one for Outerbike (same weekend as Big Sugar) last year that was close to downtown and I think it was like $800 total for 5 or 6 nights. They were obviously cyclists and catering to cyclists – there were recovery boots in the living room!
I didn’t find Bug Sugar overly technical, just chunky in some areas……the most challenging areas were (IMO) descents on the looser gravel, especially off-camber ones.
Those were the areas where I noticed riders with “radar lock” and would drift towards the side if the roads vs looking where they wanted to go.
Just got off the waitlist for the 100 miler, have until Monday to take the slot. Would be a bit difficult for me to get there, but I’m certainly thinking about it…
So I am in for the 50. Will be running 47 Pathfinder Pros. Seems like there might be quite a bit of tarmac on the course. Is it worth running aerobars?
I’ve done the 100 the last two years. There is a fair bit of flat exposed sections in the last third, which is also where the 100 and 50 join back together. Last year there was a major headwind in this stretch, so anything to get more aero would have helped.
In the first half of the hundred, it’s pretty climby and more technical than the second half. I’m not exactly sure where the 50 splits off, but I don’t remember seeing too many people using aerobars. Certainly a lot less than Unbound.
That being said, there was one guy on a full aero setup with a disc rear wheel! Did not look like a comfortable ride…
Man, I woulda killed for some aerobars last year……the wind was BRUTAL on the way back in. Last 40-50 miles were basically straight into a 20-25mph headwind. I did the 100, so don’t know how the run-in may have been different for the 50, but there were enough long, straight sections that aerobars would have been very welcomed.
Any tips for dealing with the wind without aero bars? I currently don’t have any, never used them, and don’t think I will have the time to get used to them in the next six weeks.
The wind last year was a bit of a one-off….there was a big storm system off Texas and it was creating high winds throughout the mid-South. I wouldn’t worry about it too much.
Just the same as any other times and get your upper body lower by either getting in the drops or stretched out on the hoods. Aero helmet, good kit, tight fitting pack or bottles. And if at all possible ride with a group, which is probably the most critical.
My plan was to be in the group most of the day. Having not done a ton of gravel races, I wanted to reduce energy output and learn from others on course.
I did the 50 miler last year and this is a great event. As mentioned above, go with the biggest tires your bike can accommodate and be ready for chunky gravel with off-camber descents. I ran 38c last year and paid for it dearly. I also had CX gearing versus climbing gears and that really put the hurt on me. I rode all of the climbs but paid for it a month after with a pulled muscle in my back.
Take time to enjoy the SAG stop Whistling Springs. There was a goat walking around that liked people. Don’t linger too long, the climb out of there is brutal.
I’ll be running Maxxis Rambler 45’s this year for more comfort.
The wind coming back in last year was no joke.
Bentonville is such a great town. Take time to take it all in.
I should have added that my experience last year was on Pathfinder Pros 38’s. Great tire just undersized but that was the max my bike could accomodate.
This year on a new bike will be a more comfortable ride on 45’s and a double chainring versus the 40x32 gearing. The last two pavement climbs were brutal. I pulled some muscled in my low back and was in pain for a month after. For a guy from a flat area, these climbs feel like Everest.
