The Lutsen 99er is fast approaching; coming up June 28, 2025. After saying I would never do this race again after last year’s debacle, I find myself registered for this year’s installment. Short memory, I guess. Question for the broader group, or potentially those more local to the area. With the big changes in route this year (no single track, lots of road and gravel) is anyone feeling like this may be the year to go with a gravel rig? Or is the course still better served by a full MTB setup?
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It wasn’t on the course last year because of the weather, but the High Climber singletrack is still on there for the finish. Not sure I’d want to be on a Gravel Bike for that. Hard to tell, but it looks like there’s still a good amount of snowmobile trail too. And, after the last two years, I’m not sure I’d trust showing up on one at all.
I won’t be there this year, but Race Kings have worked great the last two years for me on the XC Bike, I’d need some serious convincing to show up on a Gravel Bike…
That’s super helpful. Thanks for the input!
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The ~5-6 miles of single track would be quite tough on a gravel bike and for me would be even borderline unsafe. This section is really fun on a mountain bike and likely a lot faster.
The course is different enough this year that it is hard to know what the rest of the roads/double track will be like but if the snowmobile trails are similar to years past then you’re going to be pretty uncomfortable on a gravel bike.
I’ve done the race since 2021 and the fastest rig for me personally is a full suspension xc bike (100 front and rear shock).
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I rode the 2022 race (Devil Track Lake loops) on a gravel bike and finished. My review is colored by the fact that I was on 42c tires so take that into consideration. (I chose to use the bike literally 5min before heading up from the cities as my plan to ride a mountain bike fell through at the last minute). The rollout, first climb, fire roads, and some of the double track was fast and fun. Definitely held my own and even pulled away from groups on those sections. The big caveat is any other section of the race where Lutsen gets the idea to call itself a mountain bike race. Mark Lake Road will forever stand in my memory as an endless slog of bump after bump after bump after bump after bump after bump after bump after bump (you get the picture…) where I was fatigued from just trying to handle the bike on a “road”. Additionally some of the downhills are fast and fun on a mountain bike with 2.3+ tires, on a gravel bike they were sketchy and I found myself getting dropped and having to put in substantial effort to catch back up to groups the pulled away from me when they were literally coasting down hills while my wrists, arms, and hands were getting physically accosted by each and every rock my bike hit on the way down. I suffered 5 flats in mosquito country. I distinctly remember at one point getting lapped on the Devil Track Lake loop by the leaders and one of them looking down at my bike and saying “dude, how are you even riding that?” I finished like 400th(?) at almost 8 hours. Anyways, I signed up the next year because memories are short, got myself a full suspension MTB and cut off 2 hours and over 350 places.
So can you do it? Yes. Should you? Depends, but probably not. Is it faster? No. More Fun? Really matters how you define fun, some people take all their gears off and race, you know, for fun. To each their own. 
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This will be my first time doing this event. Aside from full suspension, any other general tips on the course? I am using this event to improve my corral position at leadville.
Only one big climb, and it’s right out of the gate. For me, I stay under FTP on that climb with a race that long, but definitely high sweet spot / low threshold as I think there is a benefit to staying with a fast group at Lutsen, there’s a lot of faster sections and drafting. After that first climb, it’s all shorter punchy stuff.
Altitude and climbing isn’t a factor so I think heavier riders don’t get penalized like you do at Leadville. But, still a long ride in the saddle so fueling still important. Weather’s been cooler the last two years and muddy as hell, so course conditions definitely come into play.
If you flat and have to stop, you’ll probably die from mosquito exposure if you don’t have bug spray and maybe a headnet.
Race Kings worked great for me the last two years, I’d run them again. I run inserts.
I think it’s a good Corral Improvement race. Just a royal PITA to get to, expensive lodging, and dodgy weather. My Bike has HATED me two years in a row.
I won’t be there this year, in green already and elected to do Sea Otter instead.
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If you’re trying to improve your corral position, my big recommendation is to get into the start gate early so you’re near the front. My big mistake last year was doing a warm up and getting into the start gate fairly far back. There were immediately massive gaps that opened during the neutral rollout, which I had to work pretty hard to try to bridge across. I had a pretty good climbing performance, but I still ended up by myself at times in the race, which was far from ideal, especially on the forest service roads.
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Anyone know if they allow aerobars or inner bar ends for this event? Still waiting on the athlete guide.
Looking for advice on setup. Since I haven’t been back to the area since childhood. I’ll be on my epic 7 full suspension.
The course seems very easy unless it rains, I’m thinking no dropper post.
34t or 36t? I’m not super fit this year, but I imagine a 36t would come in handy on the road segments? 20 min power is around 4.8w/kg of that helps.
Any thoughts on the new dubnital vs peyote? I have both in my garage.
I’m not racing this year, but last two years I ran the race king in the mud and had zero issues. I’d run a fast tire like a Race King or a Dubnital if I was going this year.
I ran a 34 last year, it’s what I’d run this year (FTP ~4.4 w/kg / 340) and I don’t remember any issue spinning out, but a 36 would probably be fine too.
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Peyote unless there is mud… Little less w/kg than you, but 34 or 36 would work for me. Curious to hear what people think of the new course. Has me thinking about making a return on my single speed.
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Welcome back to the northwoods! What distance are you riding? It’s a fairly easy course technically, but the long ATV trail sections can be surprisingly mentally taxing. Not the same as demanding single-track but it has a way of wearing on you.
Is your dropper post consideration to save weight? Aside from the Caribou Trail climb near the beginning (paved), there are no sustained climbs. I’d run whatever you feel most comfortable with.
Regarding gearing choices, I run a 34t (290ftp, 4.1ish w/kg). I think the only places on the course I spin out are the big rollers at the top of Caribou Trail and on Onion River Road coming down to 61 (if wet and we don’t do High Roller).
IMO, for tires, run whichever is faster on gravel.
Lutsen 99er just posted on Instagram that the Superior Cycling Association is “embarking on a full renovation of High Climber,” so High Climber will not be part of the course this year.
Is anybody here familiar with the road conditions of the new course? Looking on Google Maps as best I can and the vast majority now looks to be gravel roads and without the single track section is the new course going to be a gravel race trending on the side of a little bumpy? I see maybe 2 or 3 sections that would qualify as snowmobile/ATV trail with the rest being legit gravel (complete with google street views).
I would like to say that I am not familiar, but from the 99er website, “96.8 miles, about 5,200 feet of climbing, Gravel 49% | 2-track 28% | Pavement 10% | ATV 4% | Snomobile 3% | Singletrack 6% = 100% FUN!” With High Climber taken out, the singletrack percentage should be 0. Obviously that is just a marketing blurb, but if those percentages are even close, I am thinking I may run my gravel bike with mtb tires. I fully acknowledge that it would not be optimal for some of the rougher sections, but I think it will be the optimal setup for most of the course.
Thanks, sounds like I can just keep the 34t on.
I’ve racing on a dropper since 2015, but I did a season of switching back and forth in '21 and found that if I have a dropper I’m going to use it, and even on moderately technical singletrack I’m faster on a ridgid post cause I’m always on the pedals. The weight is an added bonus.
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Thinking about swapping my gravel bars with the new red levers over to my XC bike for this one. Looks like they would work (“performance may vary”) with my level stealth 4P brakes.
Wondering if I will regret riding curly bars at any point on the course?
If there’s no mud on the course, then there is nothing technical now that the singletrack is gone. I think you’ll be fine.
Have any of you thought about your fueling plan now that the drop bags are available at the miles 32 and 68 aid station? I’d really like to start without a pack or heavily laden with fuel/water on the initial climb. It seems much more doable to start light now that I can get at my drop bag early in the race. That being said, I didn’t use a drop bag last year, so I am not sure how quick it will be to get at it.