I figured w sign ups opening today, I would open the discussion to all things rule of 3.
Tech.
I plan to run my Specialized Cruz with pathfinder pro 42mm tires. Sram rival xplr. For this race I will drop from a 46t chainring to a 40.
Course
No clue. I have done the 60 mile before. This is my first time doing the 100. So my goal is sub 7hr. I guess we will go from there.
Cant wait to here what yall have to say.
I’ll be doing it again this year with several teammates, 3rd year for me. It’s not an event that suits my abilities on the bike, but it’s one of my favorite events. Super laid back vibe, more like a huge group ride/party than a serious race. I do it as a final tune up for Unbound (2 weeks later), so my priorities are not wrecking on the single track, having fun, and pushing a bunch of Kj’s on the gravel/road sections. That means staying with the lead group until the first single track and then watching everyone roll away on the technical sections. I’ll be running same setup as last year, Seigla with 42t ring and mullet gearing (10-52). I’ll use every bit of that gearing. Race King 2.2’s on Xplr wheels and I’ll be running my aero bars (which are kind of silly for this race). I’ll also be adding a dropper post this year. I’ve already got the dropper and this is the only gravel race I do where I think it might be useful.
Bold target. The 100 course was ~115 miles last year and sub 7 would be pro territory (top ~5 overall). They change the course a bit every year, so TBD how much singletrack and how fast it will be running. I’ve finished just under 8.5 hours both times I’ve done it and finished between 30-40th place. That’s with very good “unbound” fitness/durability, but taking it really slow/easy on the single track, chilling at aid stations, and having to backtrack a few times. If you have great technical skills and can ride a gravel bike fast on the single track, it’s a huge advantage on this course. There is usually ~25 miles of singletrack. I’ve got a buddy who is an elite MTB rider and he is crazy fast on the trails with his gravel bike and he finished right around 8 hours.
It’s just an awesome event all around. Pretty clear why it always sells out on the first day of registration. The only negative I can think of is that the course and course markings can be tricky and lots (most?) people struggle to stay 100% on route without some backtracking. For people who are taking the race serious, I’ve seen frustration with this. Every time I’ve had to backtrack it’s because I blindly followed the people in front of me, so it would be good to pay very close attention if you want to avoid the backtracking. I struggle even when pre-riding slowly, there are just some really confusing places where you go through neighborhoods and/or cross roads. The vast majority of the field isn’t in serious race mode though, they are just out there to ride their bikes hard and have fun. Aid stations are chill with people hanging out for a bit rather than playing F1 pit stop. It’s basically the opposite vibe from a sanctioned USAC race.
As far as race prep/training, be ready for a mix of punchy climbing with steady hard-ish watts on the flatter stuff. Looking at my race file from last year, it was 233w NP for 8+ hours, ~5600Kj’s, and 466 TSS. It can be a beat down for people without solid fitness or with poor pacing. There were plenty of folks still rolling in at 12+ hours.
42s? Unless youre super rad at skills, id say you are going to loose some time in the singletrack. The first singletrack always filters out people and drops them from the group, why make it harder on yourself? (Ive raced the 100+ 3 times, 45 is the narrowest ive run, and will be running 2.2 race kings again this year)
Registered for the 60 and it’s my third time riding this event. I rode my hard tail MTB last year and it was a great experience. I remember it being hot last year with plenty of single track. This is my favorite event of the year.
I don’t want to sound over confident but……… Last time I did it I went into the woods with 1 enduro kid and 1 xc kid. The enduro kid was on a gravel bike and the XC kid was on his XC race bike. I was able to drop both of them every time we headed down hill. I think the main thing is I run Pathfinders. The same tire I have had for over 4 years. I know them inside and out. So I may be more limited. But I can ride at that limit the entire time. Also maybe a little bit of selth loathing and disregard for my own well being.
P.S They blow out to about 45 on the rim.
Awsome! Cant wait to race with you. Do you spin out on the road with a 42t? I have a 46t. But plan on running a 40.
The Dropper is crazy. I hope it works. I don’t even run a dropper on my mtb.
Yeah. I have never done the 115. So my goal was just a shot in the dark. I would love to be top 5 over all. We will see how the fitness comes. I usually sky rocket around that time. Last year I went from about a 280ftp to 320ftp in about 2 months with just group rides. This year with actual training who knows. I also know the area so home field advantage I guess.
For many riders, I think an XC bike is the best choice. If I wasn’t focused on Unbound prep and wanting to run my Unbound setup, I’d definitely be on my Epic 8 FS XC bike for this race. An XC bike just isn’t much slower on the flat stuff and it’s significantly faster (for me) on the single track. I can get around the singletrack on my gravel bike, but I bleed time.
The first year I did this race, I knew I was out of my league on gravel bike handling skills at the shake out ride. There were a few guys on gravel bikes clearing table top jumps and doing nose pivot/endo turns going down the switch backs, smooth as butter. But there were plenty of people riding my pace as well, something for everyone on that course.
There are probably a few spots I’d prefer to have a 44t, but the 42t isn’t a limiter. I raced similar roads/gravel at Big Sugar a couple years ago on my XC bike with a 38t and never had any issues keeping and pushing the pace with fast groups (I think I was top 10-ish in age group with off season fitness that year).
The dropper is probably sillier than running aero bars. It adds a little over a pound to the bike, but I figure it will be a fun experiment. The reason I bought it was to fit my bike upright under the bed in the back of our van. So, I keep the dropper on the bike and basically only use it to store the bike. It is nice to have an extra AXS battery on the bike in case my RD battery dies. RO3 might be the one race I actually see a performance benefit. I’ll probably pull it off for the day at Unbound and save the weight.
That’s about where my FTP was last year, but it sounds like you know the trails and have good skills (and are probably lighter). I’d bet you can get well under 8 hours if you have a good day. I was around 8:30 last year, but that included ~20 minutes of aid station stops and ~10 minutes of detours. On similar power/weight, I bet a highly skilled rider making quick stops and staying on course could finish in ~7:30-7:45. I don’t know exactly what it would take to go under 7. But looking at some of the names that have done it, I’d guess it would take an FTP closer to 400 than 300 and mad technical skills (and basically no stopping or detours).
My first two years I did it on 45s and dropped like all but one in my group on the early single track sectors….a lot of people with engines but not much skill show up. 42/45s are fine, but I think bigger is better. I think I remember Payson and Alexi both saying that 50s is probably the sweet spot tire. I think the last two years I had a ftp in the 320 range and finished in the top 20 one year and top 30 the next. Aid station killed me last year as I had to stop and no one in my group stopped, so had to ITT for quite a while on the flat gravel, definitely need to have the stops dialed if you want to be riding in the front.
Yeah. I would run bigger. But that would mean I would have to buy new tires that I am unfamiliar with for one race. Budget just dose not allow that kinda set up switch. How much of it is usually road? It seems no one talks about it so I am curious if that’s even worth thinking about.
Defiantly TT set up will be important to me. I am not sure if I will have any outside support for Aid Stations. So we shall see.
There’s a good bit of road and tame gravel, enough that it helps to be in groups.
I didn’t see many people with outside support at the aid stations, maybe a few of the pros. If looking to reduce risk of losing your group, carry enough at the start to just make a single stop. I can’t recall the mileage, but there is an aid station a little over half way that is the primary stop and I’d be surprised if many groups were blowing through that one.
Good to know.
I think I will drag my buddy outa and make him do aid for me. I really do not want to carry 2 1l bottles and a camel back for 8ish hours. He owes me one anyways.
I hope I am in the has skill and a decent engin. I also have a fairly good TT set up. I don’t have aero bars but can sit in puppy paws for an a good while.
I also hope to have some aero wheels by then. We shall see. Any other bike tweeks to consider?
the only roads that really stick out to me is all the steep hills when you start getting back into town prior to the last single track section. Probably not much of any issue when fresh, but they can crack you a little bit with 100 miles in the legs. I don’t know where these are as Im not from there, but if you live there, I assume you’ve been on them connecting trails. The roads over into OK last year were zero tech, just kinda wore you down with endless flatness (I was solo for like 30 miles or so)
Don’t forget about the B road sections last year. Those were pretty gnarly.
2025 was a hot year and that really impacted me last year. Have a hydration plan if it gets hotter than your typical training. I did the 50 last year and the last half was pretty warm after the aid station.