Your Average/Best Gate-Gate time at BlackStar?

Brian, did you ride your Moots or the SS?

I get lazy on the geared bike and just shift down to make it easier. But the best I have done is 59 anyway. I can't imagine 40!

 

Gears....

B

 

I'd think you'd have to to get it that quick...you just end up spinning out on the flats in the beginning and on the way out running ss.

What's your fastest SS time Brian?

 

I don't know about B, but for me the SS was ~3-4min. slower. Though the SS is the heavier bike. And I'm a spinner. I'm sure lots of that was just getting to the tubes.

40min Donkey?! Dam, so next week? So I'm going to start about 15min ahead of you and see if I can hold off. Yell when you see me so I know throw my tools, pump, water etc in the bushes to drop some ballast.

 

42 was my fastest ever before last night....and that was on my SS.

As for next week Carl.....I'll be in the Grand Canyon running.....but go do it! We need to make this a weekly Tuesday thing!

 

DONKEY!

Your MODERATE PACE and your BS time both are BS(and I don't mean blackstar)..............they are F%$#!@& FAST!

 

Donkey,

I sold Zack (ZGraves) a bike just about perfect for this...


He still rides it around geared 34-17.

 

He just said he's going to RUN at the Grand Canyon! He's clearly a freak of nature (so is Josh).

 

I might do the same thing.
Please yell when you see me so I can throw my tools, pump, water etc AT YOU! That's the only way I'd have a chance at beating you to the top!:lol:

Seriously...40 minutes G2G is insane! That's an average somewhere in the neighborhood of 12 mph - a good pace for most of us on flat ground, not climbing 2100 feet!

Much respect :clap:

 

These threads are inspiring, imo.

I was stoked with my 1:11 gate to gate on Saturday (my second visit to Blackstar), with no stops. Been riding a year now, plenty of time to improve!

 

I agree. 40 minutes is insane. I gave this one a try tonight. It was cold near the top and the trails were in great shape. Not enough rain last night to matter. My previous best gate to gate was 56 minutes and I managed to pull off a 52:30 gate to gate. Round trip was 1:20:30. I wasn't racing down. Just cruising and watching out for people coming up.

Splits were 10:30 to pipe, 30:30 to start of downhill after first climb.

Bike was a 28 lb Lenz Leviathan 29'er full suspension.

Rider 210 lbs. I was impressed that I was able to do the whole climb without going lower then middle-3. I still remember a couple years ago when I'd drop to granny to get up this trail.
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olis - Thanks for including your splits. I'd love to see more people break down their times to some of the landmarks - the pipes, the top of the descent into Hidden Valley, and the cattle crossing coming out of the valley.

I'm nowhere near the pace of the fast people here, so getting down to an hour G2G would be a massive improvement, and having an idea of people's pace through each section helps. I think I'm losing a lot of time just by the time I get to the pipes.

 

One more split. I was about 38 at the left turn after the flat where the second climb starts. At the mud puddle (you'll know it when you see it).

 

I'm not setting any records, either, but here's some ideas for a faster climb.

1) Warm up first until you're sweating, then catch your breath, and go like hell.

2) Travel light.

3) Shoot for fast times when you're fresh.

4) If you think you're losing time from the gate to the pipes, try bringing it down by going as hard as you can to the pipes, then backing off and spinning your granny gear. Do this type of interval work over time and on different parts of the climb. You'll gradually get stronger and used to carrying more speed.

5) Do Dino's weight loss challenge. Excess weight (aka fat) needs to be hauled to the top of the hill, and kept alive with oxygen that should be going to muscles.

Any other ideas?

 

Shoot, I'm usually sweating by the time I ride from the tree farm to the gate!

Well, at 200 lbs on a 29lb bike, that's gonna be a problem, but I guess I can take one less Gu pack!

Freshness is also a problem: I'm a lot closer to my expiration date than most of the fast guys!

What if spinning in the granny gear is going as hard as I can?!

Muscles? Oh, that's what I've been missing!

J/K. Those are great suggestions. I am doing the WLC, and I've done some interval training in the past and will be doing more (and Blackstar is great for interval training).

See you on the trail :wave:

 

Here's the splits on my best time
14:30 to the tunnels
36:03 to the first cattle gate
61:43 to the top gate

on a 24 pound SS rockhoper

 

i've been riding MTB for about 6 months, but i am conditioned from road/cross. best time is 53:00, but only really hammered the last 2-3 miles of the climb trying to beat my friend's vision quest time gate to gate. i guess i need to try a super suffer fest ride and crush it. this thread if anything has inspired me to do so on a personal level. i think i could get sub 50:00 or better i guess.

rider: 6'3" 190lbs.
bike: Specialized Stumpy Comp 29.

 

Olis probably passed me twice on his ride, on the way up and back down while I was still on my way up. I think I took somewhere around 1:15-1:20 G2G today, but as I get back into shape I will reach my personal best 51-52 minute range in about 6-8 weeks.

If you watch some of the GPS replays on geoladders there are some people who break 40 minutes.

 

Were you the guy with the red jersey that parked at the xmas tree farm or the guy that was pissing by the pipe when I went past?

 

Brian and Josh are not just fast, they are HELL-A-FAST! But just like anyone who rides bikes can tell you, there will be faster riders~ALWAYS! Looking on Geek-o-ladders is a great example of that.

I used to be able to ride with them. Not any more.Now I would simply hope to make it to the first gate. Josh is a top 10 Vision Quest finisher and Brian opts for the longer races. You know, things like Leadville.... #-o

Rock on Big B and DarkHelmet!!! :clap::clap::clap: