Hi Folks. I am new to structured training but have been mountain biking for 20 years. I am training for the Whiskey 50. I am in SS Base just starting part 2 next week. My trainer is a Kickr with my Trek Emonda. I have a PM on my gravel bike but not the bike I will be racing for the Whiskey. I have already started to see the benefit of a PM on the gravel bike for pacing. The XC race bike is a 23lb 11 speed full suspension. There is a TON of climbing on this course. I have the money for 1 upgrade. Should I get a PM for my XC bike or should I upgrade the gearing to a 12 speed (eagle). I am 47yrs old. 5ft7in 186lbs with an FTP of 260 at the start of the SS Base. Yes, I know, lose weight. That is easier said than done with my work schedule type of job / motivation. I am not looking to win this race by any stretch. I just want to be able to enjoy it as much as possible.
PM or Gears???
@GravelRepublic - I too am without a PM on my mountain bike, but have it while training on TR. I’m using the opportunity to focus on RPE on the MTB - a skill i need to refine.
Did the Whiskey 50 last year and doing it again this year - you’re going to love it, Epic Rides makes the whole weekend fun. Upgrade your gears, you can do the PM later. The Skull Valley climb drags on a bit and you’ll appreciate the extra gearing.
Good luck - see you out there!
Sweet!!! Thanks for the input and I do hope I get to meet you out there. Gears were what I was thinking as well.
I agree that more gears is going to serve you better than the power meter at this point. If you have a good power setup for training, you can definitely go by feel on race day.
If you already have high level components, which it sounds like from the bike weight, you can get an e*thirteen 9-46 cassette for your 11 spd drivetrain to get more gears if you have an SRAM XD driver hub. The less expensive one (30g heavier) is $250, just a little more than a GX eagle cassette.