I have a checkpoint and I’m thinking TB f / siped TB rear, RK f / TB r, or like @grwoolf, RK f / PF r. Can’t decide. I ran tufo thundero 44s in 2023 and they held up well. I was considering ordering them in 48.
1 Like
Change of plans in the last week after a bunch of pre-riding to the North. Race King front and rear unless it’s crazy muddy.
4 Likes
Why not the Race Kings in the mud? Too wide and not enough frame clearance for the mud?
If it’s crazy mud (like '23), having massive clearance can allow you to ride pretty much anything. The Lauf officially supports a 2.25 and has a bunch of clearance with a 2.2 (i can get a full finger between tire and frame with a race king). That works for mild to semi-bad conditions, but you’d still be walking if you hit mud. I think Unbound is taking a more conservative approach to the course these days, but if weather is nasty and they don’t change the route, I’ll probably run 47’s and have a stupid amount of clearance and hope to ride past people clearing/walking their bikes. I went 42’s on my checkpoint in '23 and it easily fits 47’s and I still had to walk a bit. In hindsight, I would have run 38’s that year and it wasn’t that long of a mud section.
3 Likes
I mounted the GK X1+'s last night. This morning the front measure 46mm wide and rear measure 45.5mm wide on 25mm internal width rims. I’ve been riding GK SK+'s in 43mm the last couple of years in the winter. Hopefully the X1’s are a little faster. I’m also going to bring my Pirelli Gravel H’s to Emporia just incase the conditions are ideal.
1 Like
Looks like I’m making an unfortunate shift to my training plan. This week was intended to be my 3rd, and largest consecutive week of intensity and ramped duration. I did a Z2 100 mile ride on Saturday, which I’ve done quite a handful of times before without issue. It all went smooth, legs and body felt strong other than a bit of general fatigue from the big week.
Come Sunday, my right hip was a bit sore, progressed worst yesterday, and now limping today. I still did easy Z2 rides yesterday morning and this morning as riding the bike doesn’t hurt, but walking and standing are now a struggle. Looks like I’ll be taking tomorrow off for sure, and will just have to play it by ear after that.
Nov. 2023 I had my a torn labrum and impingement corrected in my left hip. Overall it is well improved. Occasionally when ramping up training or big races at longer distances I’ve had some discomfort in both hips, but not terribly.
This is the first time I’ve experienced this severe or long of duration hip pain (particularly in my right hip, which isn’t the one I had fixed). It usually subsides pretty quickly, usually a day or so max.
Hopefully it just needs some rest and I’m back into full swing soon. My training has been going phenomenally this year, so pretty disappointing.
3 Likes
Not racing this year but got a reminder email from 3feet sag service. Not affiliated in any way but they were great and wanted to pass along.
6 Likes
+1 for 3 feet SAG
2 Likes
Race kings came in the mail today. I dry mounted the rear to test the clearance on my frame (58 cm Trek Checkpoint Sl7). Measures 51 mm at the tread on my wheels. I have about 3-3.5 mm with a wheel that is slightly out of true. Since I need to have the wheel trued anyway, I was going to ask my shop if it could be re-dished to give me another 1 mm or so. I could easily sipe the driveside tread a bit as well.
All said, I am guessing this will not be worth it to ride the hype train, and I should just run a tire that clears my bike…
That seems pretty tight even for a dry course. I’ve noticed that the drive side chainstay on my Checkpoint has less clearance than the non-drive side chainstay.
What size race kings are those? For me, 2.2’s measure out to 56mm on my 25 ir rims. The front fits OK on my gen2 checkpoint, but rear is almost touching and rubs when out of saddle. I believe the gen3 checkpoint has a good bit more room, but I can’t remember how much. Dishing the wheel slightly is a good idea if you really want to run it, but it’s still only going to be an option if dry.
I raced last weekend in Kansas and the winner (Justin McQuery) was a pro running 2.2 race kings on his State frame. It was so tight in the rear I can’t believe it wasn’t rubbing, but it was dry and he was doing just fine leaving us all in the dust. Bottom line, you don’t need much clearance if conditions are dry.
Yes, there is plenty of room on the non-drive side. Which I why I wonder if I have a little room to play with the dish.
They’re 2.2s on the stock aeolus 3v rims on a gen 2 checkpoint. I was measuring from the edge of the tread, which is where it would rub. I rode it on my block to see if it would rub with cornering, but surprisingly it did not.
If they are new tires, remember that they will grow a little bit as they get broken in. And if you haven’t already, try some efforts out of saddle (standing climbing in particular), that’s what made mine rub. Not saying your rear tire will rub like mine did (maybe your rims are narrower or some other difference), just some things to consider. I considered trimming the side lugs on the drive side also. Doing that, plus a little dish would almost certainly make it workable for dry conditions. Plenty of clearance to seat tube and on non-drive side.
I’ll likely only have a chance to pre ride around 30-40 miles for the 100 course. Suggestion on the best section(s) for some course recon?
Well, tried out a 2.2 race king with my Enve Gravel Fork rated at 50mm and an 25mm IW wheel and it’s definitely too tight for me. Seems a fair amount larger than my Thunder Burt. Looks like I’m running the TB or 47 pathfinder up front w/ 42 or 47 out back. I’ll have each on a different wheel and make up my mind when it’s closer. If it’s not muddy/much mud it’ll probably be the TB, but pathfinder if looking like a chance of more mud. I’ll put 4.5 oz fresh sealant in the TB and should be good to go.
1 Like
Just got the Unbound email saying we have to download the app in order to check-in for packet pickup. I hate this. I don’t want to download another one-time use app. Has this always been the case?
1 Like
No it’s new this year. I didn’t need it for Sea Otter either.
Just create an account. unsubscribe to everything. download the app, give it ZERO permissions, Notification, location, NOTHING. When you get to Emporia, scan for pickup, then delete.
Few if any apps should have any sketchy permissions, let alone location. “My Fitness pal needs perpetual microphone permission why exactly?”
Smartphones are a spy in your pocket. This is your Cyber Security tip of the day.
3 Likes
I know I can do that. For now, I just want to shake my fist at a cloud.
2 Likes
I downloaded the LTF app. Took a screen shot of the QR code/Event Pass and then promptly deleted the app.
Do you download the MyAlerts App they recommend in the athletes guide?
2 Likes
I did a long shakeout ride on the new Lauf today. It was a road ride, but 8+ hours and the fit is good (almost identical setup to my checkpoint). The middle 4 hours was a group ride and I was rolling the 2.2 race kings, so lots of watts required and the legs and bike felt damn good. After resting this week, I got a little taste of the fitness I hope is coming. Rule of 3 is next Saturday and I plan to pre-ride most of the course on Thursday and will be training hard all week. So, I’ll have a good amount of fatigue going into the race and then really winding things down the 2 weeks before Unbound. After racing last weekend, I was questioning my fitness. Decent results and OK numbers, but just didn’t feel dynamic (saddle sore didn’t help). But I came into that race at the end of a huge 4 week block. I should know better, but I always freak out any time I’m not seeing great numbers or not feeling strong this close to a big race. It’s so hard to trust the process…
The Lauf setup - GX transmission drivetrain. Rival shifters (until new Force is released). Quarg/Force PM crank. 25 ir rims with the race kings. Running Bontranger aero road bars with Profile Design Aero bar setup. ~23lbs with pedals and cages (the aero bars are boat anchors). I’m missing the downtube storage I had on the checkpoint, so putting all my flat repair, etc. in a bottle under the BB during training. That will come off for race day and I’m just going with the top tube bag. One thing that I will shout out - I got an Ergon flexible seat post from a teammate and love it so far. More rear compliance than what my Trek isospeed had. I’ve got a stretch of chunky gravel I’m been testing on and the bike feels smooth and planted. Next week at Rule of 3 will be the real test. I can’t believe I’m swapping bikes 3 weeks out, but I think it’s going to work out well.
8 Likes