Hi. I have both a Trek 2024 supercaliber, gen 2 (110mm front/85 mm back) and an Orbea Oiz Downcountry 2022 (120/120mm). Both are full carbon XTR builds, so fairly light, but the SC is a few pounds lighter. Which would. you choose for Little Sugar? Never been and doing both the MTB and gravel races this year. Thanks so much. I am 60+ doing the middle distances for both, so there really is not a podium, but like most of us, want to execute my best performance (and keep up with my friend who will be on an Allied 120/120mm travel bike). Thanks.
I have not raced little sugar. But I have ridden all the trails and done many long rides in the area. I honestly would go for the Supercail. You already have all the suspension you will ever need for it. Most of it is flow. If I were racing it, I would reach for my older Epic. More snappy and the stiff suspension will help you up the climbs. I think the energy you save climbing will be more than the effort saved in the one long tech section. Also, if you can pre-ride the second half (Mainly ledges), then I think you will be golden.
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Great comments. Thanks so much. SC it is! Probably with 2.35 Barzo Trail.
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One more thing-dropper post or not?
Ok, so I don’t like droppers. I personally think they add weight and complexity. I also learned all my life without one, so when I tried it, I was no faster. I’ve raced xc races with gap jumps without a dropper. That’s my bias. So take what I say with a grain of salt on this.
I would only use a dropper if you are extremely used to it and have one like a transfer sl that is super fast and not super heavy. Our descendants are not very long. Maybe 3 minutes max. So a slow dropper is just going to be a hindrance. If you can descend just as fast without it, don’t take it. One less thing to fail. Lighter weight. Some of our hills are short but punchy, so a lightweight, snappy bike helps. I can not think of anything really techy on the descents, but I also have ridden the place a lot and do not know where you come from. So my techy and your techy may be completely different.
I hope this helps.
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How about flat or drop bars?
I’m joking, but not really. If you want to take a risk to save a few nanoseconds on the climbs and be able to stay on Keegan’s wheel, then go for it. Otherwise, just run a dropper. If not for anything else, then for the peace of your mind.
In other words, I can see the point of riding a regular seatpost if YOU know that it’s the right choice. And “you” is indeed a keyword here. But whatever the community thinks is largely irrelevant. Everyone will give you their sincere advice; I have no doubt in that. But you don’t want to find yourself in a situation where, in the middle of the race, you’d think: “screw those guys on the internet who told me to leave my dropper at home”, do you?
Thanks to both of you. Great advice. I swap seat posts a lot as I have a wireless seat post that I only use on techier stuff. If there is no Moab 2-4 foot drops, then probably don’t need a dropper. Fun to have this discussion. And tires? Barzo 2.35 trail casing make sense? I hear it is really sharp out there. How about 45mm Continental Terra Speed for the gravel race? OK? Thanks again.
If you go back and forth between high post and dropper, it’s doubtful you’d want one at Little Sugar. Mostly flowy stuff.
I don’t know that tire, but I’d definitely prioritize puncture protection for the gravel race. Probably not as much sharp stuff in the gravel compared to the MTB trails, but there are places where it’s deep/soft and is hitting the sidewalls. And if you are trying to hang with the fast group, it can be really hard to watch/choose your line. I’ve raced those gravel roads a few times (including Big Sugar last year) and there are a lot of flats.
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“screw those guys on the internet who told me to leave my dropper at home”,” cough couch. I mean, hey, I assume he knows how to ride without one if he is asking the question, Lol. Honestly I think to many people rely on them. I know some people who will walk down stairs when the elevator stops going down. Kinda crazy how relyant they are on it.
I mean hey, Drop bars will make you supper fast for the first like 30 seconds before you enter the trail.
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I think the Barzo is fine. I personally would reach for a Fastrack. But hey, they are close enough, I think it will be great. The Maxxis SS, I think it’s called, was my favorite rear tire for this area. You don’t really need out-and-out traction on the rear. Just the ability to corner. But for the front, a Barzo will be good.
I have ridden with people who ran the Terra Speed. They all said they loved it for our roads. But they are not the best puncture-resistant. If you are trying to race it, I would go for something a little heavier. But if you are just out to have fun, I think you will be fine.
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If they actually did that, I might consider running them at some races. But it’s going to take a lot more than drop bars for me.
On a related note, optimizing equipment for specific short parts of a race can be really effective if those are the selective spots. In the context of a dropper, it could give an edge at a race with a technical descent near the finish even if it was dead weight up until that point. I can’t really think of anything at Little Sugar that stands out as a “different” selective section to optimize, it’s mostly the same thing over and over.
I’m looking forward to finally getting to race in NWA! I’ve ridden what seems like about 50-75% of the trails on the course, but riding at race pace will be so much more fun!
I’m planning on running my Epic 8 and most if not all of the fast folks I know are also running ≤120mm travel full suspension bikes.
I’m bringing my dropper and high post and will decide if I want the dropper once I get some time on the more technical sections of the course. While I agree with the thoughts expressed here so far on them being extra weight that adds up on all of the short climbs, a flat tire is much slower than that, and sometimes having a bit more separation between your bike and your body when you are on your limit is the difference between taking that bad line or holding onto the good one.
I’ll be running 2.4 Rekon Race tires in 60tpi. They are painfully slow, but again, a flat tire is slower! 
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thanks so much for the thoughtful response. I will bring both the posts and do a little testing. Take care.
I love that you find them slow. As an unskilled New Englander who can use all the tread I can get, these are my race tires, and every time I switch from a bigger tread onto them I think “wow, these things are so fast and slippery!”
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Ture. But the only real techy (relatively) part is Ledges. Which is not really a down hill. Its just a slog of no momentum bumps. So the jury is out if a dropper would even help. If so, if it would be enough to warrant.
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That is a fair point. Although, I think since its not XCO, I don’t think you will be on the limit the same way you would be in that kind of race. I think ultimate exhaustion will be more of an effect.
Although that might just be my inability to go that hard for that long.
I did the 100k last year on a trail travel bike (140/140) with an XC complex (lightweight nice parts, lol). Wouldn’t have changed much in my setup except maybe going to 10-52 (instead of the 10-50) with my 32t as I got kinda grindy the last 1/3 of the race. Nothing too heavy that I had to walk, but would have been nice going up into the backside of the castle hub climb. If you are used to it, run the dropper–as Jonathan mentioned if you can remain agile and spry on the descents, you can minimize your risk of flatting, which is super easy on the NWA rock. I’ve done races where the dropper could have stayed at home (looking at you, Chequamegon) for the extra weight savings, but here is not one of them. I’m also one of those people who finds extra power in riding a partially dropped post at times–if we aren’t climbing climbing nor descending but it’s short of uphill in but techy or turny way the post down just an inch or two allows me to float over chonky bits with easy and then exit on the gas. As for tires, leave the XC race casings at home and go for a tougher sidewall and casing unless you wanna be super paranoid. I rocked a Rekon Race 2.35 rear and planned on a Rekon front until I flatted that JRA in the pre-ride. Ended up running the Vittoria Agarro up front cuz that’s all I brought as a spare. It was a great choice. Ran inserts, also ran out of water! It can get hot in NWA, even in October. Good luck!
Great comments. Thanks! Yes, I’m gonna use 2.35 Barzos front and back with the trail casing. I’m only doing the 50 K as at this point in my life I’ve decided I don’t wanna be on the bike more than four hours so does that change you’re feeling about using a dropper?
100k here because why have type 1 fun, when you can push it to almost type 3?
While I’ve been on my Scalpel HT almost all summer, I’ll be bringing the FS Scalpel to Little Sugar. 120f/100r and a dropper. Tires will be Barzo F / Mezcal R XC Trail in 2.35
I my wife and I get in on Thursday, but sure wouldn’t mind a TR meetup before Sunday.
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One reason I’ve chosen the 50 K mountain bike and the 50 mile gravel instead of the long version is that I want to have the energy to have fun throughout the week and not be toast for two or three days after the mountain bike race if I do the 100 K version.
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