I am not quite sure of the terrain, but I heard there are some chunky parts. My options for the race coming up is either my Trek Boone 33mm REAR/ 35mm FRONT or my Trek SuperCaliber MTB (weight: 21lbs) with 2.4 Maxxis Aspens.
I am a 47 year old with a FTP of 335w (4.3 w/kg) who would like to be somewhat competitive. All the Dylan Johnson videos have me wanting to ride my Trek MTB with bigger tires, and my Boone really limits me on tire width. Thoughts??
Trek for sure
Any gains to be had by going with the wider tires will be lost (and more) but riding a MTB and losing a more aero position from the Boone.
Also, “some chunky parts” doesn’t sound like it is the majority of the race……choose a tire that best reflects the majority of the course.
I don’t have any experience riding this course, but watching their Instagram videos, it looks pretty Cat 1/2. Of course those are just a few small samples, so maybe it’s worse in other areas. Looks like a fun ride though with Levi and Lachy. I have been to Truckee and the surrounding area a few times and it’s a beautiful place! Have a great day.
I haven’t ridden the new course but raced in 2022 and have ridden many of the roads they’re using. It is not “champagne gravel”. The roads can be rocky, loose, rutted from cars, and include long sections of washboard. Then again, maybe the roads were graded this spring?
The organizers are suggesting at least a 42c tire (Levi is running 47c Pathfinder Pros). If you’re running the Boone tubeless with inserts and are a good bike handler, run that. Just make sure you’re topped off on sealant and have some plugs ready. If the Boone has tubes and/or you’re a meh bike handler, run the Supercaliber (and still have some plugs ready!).
If you haven’t read the rider guide, take a look at that too. They announced some updates to it today.
I rode some of the Tahoe Rim Trail today and it was really dry and dusty already, even at the higher elevations.
The race will be further north than I was but that zone dries out much earlier. If you’re lucky enough to be in a group, be prepared to be sucking in a lot of dirt and poor visibility. We call it moon dust for a reason.
Course recon video:
Wow. That’s going to be a beautiful ride. I’m going to have to add this one to my bucket list.
Can you update on what tires/bike you went with and what you would do if you did it again?
How was the race? Thinking about doing it… Would you recommend?