I don’t know the area and am keenly interested in intel from those who do...One of the guys who helped lay out the course said he was thinking 38s. But...if there’s sand in spots I certainly want bigger...38 would bog right down. but it sounds like 20 different kinds of surface so even more than usual you’re prob always going to be on a compromise pick...
MMX said he thinks the tire choice is going to be 36-40. IRC is pushing their Boken 40's. I have a feeling that pros are going to run 36's, and us humans will be running 38-42's.
I plan on using a set of Boken 40's (measure 42mm) for the ride.
Boken is a good tire. IRC is a BWR sponsor, thus the very specific recommendation you see floating around. Only a handful of people know the precise route as of today. Having ridden in the area, and elsewhere around the US, I'd characterize it thus:
-Some paved bits on poorly maintained roads. 32c slick -Long sections of fairly smooth hardpack roads: 35c-40c file tread -Short sections of technical singletrack on hardpack with some small loose rocks: 40c file or small knobs -Gravel roads: 40c file tread
For any gravel race/ride one has to determine how much time you'll spend on each type of surface and honestly asses your bike handling skills.
The important bits and most of the area described in the recent blog post on Enve's site is hardpack dirt with some gravel. Very little of the course appears to be tire shredding rocks or loose stuff. Very little sand. So I'll run 40c Pirelli Gravel H on 23mm internal width. I'll start pumped up high to 45/50psi for the initial paved and hardpack sections. 1st aid station or whenever we hit the first technical section or gravel, I'll drop down to my usual 28/30psi and finish on that.
dodin wrote:Awesome. Thanks. I think I’ll try the GravelKing SS
I debated between a 40c Boken and 42c GK SS. Apparently the last climb has a few steep pitches and is loose. So you'll probably want something with a little bit of bite. The tires discussed here all seem similar.
