I’m afraid that it won’t melt in a week.
Maybe the nonstop downpour will help.
BRING YOUR RAIN CAPES KIDS
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Welp…that snow is definitely sub-optimal!!
Such a great event….had a blast last year. Hope everyone going this year has a good a time as we did. Enjoy every minute!
They don’t call it Iceland for nothing.
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I see Lauf is doing a social ride Friday. Anyone doing anything Thursday? Or a different ride Friday?
I highly recommend the Lauf ride on Friday…covers the opening paved segment (~8k, IIRC) and then the opening climb, followed by the descent to the first river crossing. You can then do a couple of crossings if you want.
First, it is a gorgeous section to ride…the waterfall to the left as you crest the climb is very cool.
Second, it gives you a good idea of the opening climb…the race blows apart here so being familiar with the climb helps a lot on race day.
Finally, if you are nervous about the river crossings, this gives you some practice.
Enjoy!
Don’t worry about the snowy patches. Talked to one of the Lauf guys and it’s only a couple hundred meters give or take. Eazy peazy not so freezy.
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That was a hard race!
I accomplished my goal to get under eight hours even though I crashed in one river crossing and lost a lot of time due to sore arm in the technical sections. It was hard to ride just my own pace and let a lot of people past. The downhills were harder than I thought so for my next race I will try training some ski slope descending in the summer. I had maybe the best legs whole season so on the flats and the hills I progressed very well against the others. I was flying the whole second half and nobody did get past me then. I went the first 50K way too hard, had ca. 300 W avg power and almost 180 bpm average heart rate for that part.
There was more snow than I thought and the gravel was quite rough in lot of places. I saw a lot of riders to suffer punctures. Luckily I did avoid them, maybe because I had new tires with inserts and a lot (100 ml per tire) of sealant in them. There were some crashes too.
During the race I had very mixed feelings. After my crash and injury I wanted to quit, but I continued with grit and made it. Maybe the two Red Bulls at the sock exchange gave me confidence. My arm is still very sore and the legs are too. When I saw Vestmannaeyjar islands in the horizon descending the last gravel section I was happy that I made my goal and that I could enjoy everything I experienced during the race.
This was my second large gravel race and it left me wanting for more. It will maybe be Gravel Worlds next year but I wonder how does these two events compare to each other. I assume that Gravel Worlds would be a bit easier than The Rift even though it is a longer one.
It was nice to see that with good consistent training I could get so near the fastest guys and be quite fast even in the hills even though I’m not a light guy. I was at 4,5 W/kg in the race day (384 W). Now I just need to drop some kg:s of body weight and be more confident in difficult terrain.
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Thanks for the tips, y’all. I did what I wanted to do and finished. That was a hard course and I don’t think I would have finished if the weather was bad. The views of the landscapes was worth the pain.
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I think I under estimated how brutal the course would be. Still had some legs at the end but everything else was in pain. Heard multiple comments about it being harder than Unbound despite the mileage difference.
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Almost sounds like it’s better suited for an XC MTB if the course is that punishing.
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Yes at times some guys with XC bikes went past with good speed, but they were caught at easier sections and were not seen since. Gravel bike will clearly be fastest option, but the course is demanding.
Sounds like some of the West Coast races like Rock Cobbler and Heart of Gold which have sections that are 100% more suitable for an XC MTB, but have long enough gravel/road sections where that benefit evaporates pretty fast.
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Yes the gravel bike is definitely the better option if you are going for time. If you are going for comfort however…
This was only my 2nd ever gravel race so I’m sure I have a lot to learn. There were plenty of people that didn’t seem to be in as much pain as I was. Having said that the washboards were absolutely miserable. And then the triangle loop after the aid station right after the washboards. A rider who had already finished the loop simply told me “good luck.” Ouch.
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A buddy of mine rode The Rift this year on an S-Works hardtail, with 120mm fork, aero bars, and Thunderburt tires. He said the fast rolling tires really made the difference in his training and ride on the day.
By far, the worst washboards I have ever seen in my life….at least they were last year. Some sections would just grind you to an almost complete stop.
2 of my buddies did it this year, but one tested positive for COVID the day they got back, so haven’t had a chance to hear a lot about their ride. One of them did say it was harder than Leadville.
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I guess it depends on the “type” of gravel that you are used to riding at home. I didnt think it was that bad, apart from that unnecessary little loop before going onto the road section I found it relatively smooth and fast. On the washboard sections there was nearly always a line between the washboard and the sand that was pretty much OK. To be fair, I had my choice of line at all times as my bike was left behind on the tarmac on my flight out and didnt arrive until Sunday evening so I rode the route on my own on Monday. 
Ooof….that sucks, man. Sorry to hear that.
Hope you enjoyed a spectacular country, nonetheless.