Yo!
Thinking about signing up for the Rule of Three in Bentonville next year. Anyone here done this race before? How quickly does it sell out? Any feedback on tire choice, weather, tips/tricks? I won’t be able to ride too much gravel where I live (south Louisiana), but we do have a some single-track trails. Not sure what to expect. Probably won’t be able to get out to Arkansas and pre-ride anything until that weekend.
Weirdly enough in May this year I took my then-new gravel bike (Trek Checkpoint ALR5) on my own century ride where I linked up road, gravel, and single-track before even knowing what the RO3 was 
: Follow Joshua on Strava to see this activity. Join for free.. Very fun and would love to test my limits in my first ever gravel race.
Yes, forgot to mention that. This will be my first gravel race.
So I’ll be riding the Trek g-bike, but on the RO3 site they recommend 45s set up tubeless. 45 is the biggest I can go (per Trek) without setting it up with 650s (and having to buy another wheelset - which is not in the budget). Would 45’s leave enough space if it’s muddy like last year?
Help?
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I think it sells out quickly, but it’s first gravel and maybe MTB race! Def more than just gravel at that one!
Good luck!
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I just signed up. Looking forward to overthinking my tire and bike choice. Who else is in?
Be prepared for rain and mud.
Naw, its gonna be good weather this year, thats why i signed up. Cant rain everytime.
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45’s would be ideal, and you’ll be fine with that on the Checkpoint. Highly recommend Pirelli Cinturato Gravel M’s (“Mix”). One of the most popular tires in NW Arkansas for these types of events due to their combo of durability, speed and grip (great for trails and also fast on tarmac). They did incredibly in the mud at RO3 last year and RO3.99 a few months ago. Running Airliners is an added bonus. Make SURE you’re topped off on sealant & everything is tested beforehand. Other tips: PACE yourself (especially if you’re doing the 100, the hills keep coming and the singletrack will wear you out). Be ready to party after. Good luck!
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I tested the two wheel/tire setups I have for my gravel bike on a five mile loop, some of which is likely to be part of the course, last month. One was my typical 700 x 38 Vittoria Terreno Dry (which measure to 43mm mounted on 25mm internal wheels) and the other was 27.5 x 2.0 Continental Race Kings. Without getting into to all the details, I am going with the 27.5 x 2.0 for the 100 mile due to higher volume to prevent rim hits, better corning traction and very little difference in rolling speed.
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I tried to mount the Vitoria Terreno Dry 700x38 on my Crux and found they measured to about 44mm on my 25 mm rims as well. Ended up putting the Pathfinder Pro 700x38 back on and we will see what happens at this race. I’m bringing both my gravel bike and my MTB in the event that it rains.
My gravel setup has a Vittoria Terreno Dry 700x47 on the front for a little comfort and a Pathfinder Pro 700x38 on the back.
The singletrack on the gravel bike has me more than a little nervous but it will be fun. Bentonville is beautiful
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