Great course and route. Plenty of climbing for those who think Grinders are for sissies
The views of the front range and surrounding areas was hard to beat. Nothing like spending and afternoon under blue skies and in front of the stunning Rocky Mtns
The opportunities for the epic rides just east of I25 are ENDLESS
J.Paks wrote:Great course and route. Plenty of climbing for those who think Grinders are for sissies
The views of the front range and surrounding areas was hard to beat. Nothing like spending and afternoon under blue skies and in front of the stunning Rocky Mtns
The opportunities for the epic rides just east of I25 are ENDLESS
Thanks for coming out and supporting the ride J.Paks!
Looking for suggestions for what type of bike to ride. This is my first gravel grinder and I usually ride the dirt roads between Boulder and Fort Collins. These gravel roads are fine for road bikes. How are the Pedal 50 roads? Cross bike ok? 33-35 tire? Thanks for the help! John
Last year's pedal 50 was my first gravel road event. I rode with Clement X'Plor USH 35 tires. People finished on fat bikes and people finished on road bikes with probably 28 mm file tread tires, so it's important to remember that tire selection may affect your comfort or speed but you should be able to finish on just about anything provided that you have the bike handling skills to match.
If I was riding the event this year (super bummed to be unable to as it was a lot of fun), I would probably use something like WTB Nano 40s or another 38-40 mm tire. If I had a fat bike or rigid 29er, I might just ride that instead. I like the USH for the mix of pavement and hardpack dirt in Boulder County, but I did not like the way they plowed through the deeper gravel on the farthest east portion of the course. Keep in mind that last year it was dry and snow-free...
I would recommend Cross/Fattie/MTB/Gravel bike. The Greenland openspace is the only area on the route that will have soft dirt or and heavy mud if any moisture falls before the ride :-), the rest of the route is hard pack that I remember. And as J.Paks stated above, there will be plenty of climbing.
I've ridden the course many times including Pedal 50 last year. Have done it on cross bike and rigid 29er. Both were fine. Cross bike was faster, but I'm riding 29er this year for comfort.
I have not done the exact course but have ridden some of the roads around that area. I usually ride the Clement MSO 700 x 40. This gives you a little extra cushion to absorb the washboards but also very fast rolling.
I also ride the dirt roads north of Boulder and a road bike is perfectly fine. That being said I would definitely not ride my road bike for 50 miles on these roads.
Thanks for the replies! Now about the navigation... How are the cue sheets set up? Can I use my garmin 500 and reset the lap at each point so I know the distance or would a handheld gps, phone, etc. be better? John
I follow the course without gps or cue sheet by using my scouting techniques. Look at ground, find tire marks in dirt, follow many tire marks. Don't follow single tire mark going in strange direction. When close to the end smell the air and find the beer aroma follow beer smell.
Great ride today. Pushed myself into the red a few times and I think I saw a zebra at mile 45 or so? Anyone else see that or was I cooked? Thanks to all involved! Great course!
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