2009 Vision Quest/Counting Coup - March 7th, 2009

Discussion in 'Racing and Training' started by dubjay, Sep 2, 2008.

  1. kev

    kev vincit qui patitur

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    Ouch :)
     
  2. Pho'dUp

    Pho'dUp Spam Musubi MasherSS

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    32:16? Is your name Cameron Brenneman? I'd gear down personally. There's no flats till the finish.
     
  3. Zippo

    Zippo Pow Wow!

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    Quote:
    Originally Posted by KonaDupee
    My SS is a 29er with 32/18 gearing.

    Given Kev's 26" conversion, that would be 32/16?
    Ouch
    __________________

    yeah, I usually ride 32x18 on one bike, and 34x20 on the other (both 29ers). I rode The Traverse on a 20 lbs rigid El Comandante at 32x20 and was longing for another tooth or two in the rear. However, I'm not sure I could spin up The Wall in a 32x22 anyway. And the ride out on Trabuco just plain sucks to the point that I may ride the VQ with a Reba & the pop-loc...but climbing with a rigid fork is so much nicer (I'm torn).

    Kev - yes, we rode the Traverse together halfway up to Beeks.
     
  4. kev

    kev vincit qui patitur

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    I've been riding rigid so much now that anything else would seem like cheating. :)

    Yep, half way to beeks is right, then you dropped me like a hot potato. ;)
     
  5. KonaDupee

    KonaDupee Soon to be Konaless Dupee

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    I bought my 29er with the 32/18 gearing. Frankly, I'm hesitant to change it out to anything else; it's all I've known when it comes to SSing. If it ain't broke, don't fix it...or something like that (it really isn't a macho thing at all).

    I figure if Kona thinks I should be able to do it, I should be able to do it.

    There have only been a few climbs I have not been able to do with that gearing. Hell, climbing is so much easier on my SS than on my geared.

    For me the real issue would be fitness level in order to be able to string together ALL of the climbs into one 8-hour sufferfest.
     
  6. JOx2

    JOx2 Active Member

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    Reading your post about single speed is painful enough for me. :clap:
     
  7. kev

    kev vincit qui patitur

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    I hear ya. When I first got into singlespeeding I was changing cogs all the time depending on what event I was doing. It always took my legs awhile to get use to the new spin. If finally got sick of this and just stuck with a gear. I was running a 32X19 when I was living on the East Coast and switched to a 20 when I moved out here.

    You just get used to a certain effort level (and pain level) and when that changes it throws off your mojo. So yeah if it works stick with it.
     
  8. davidB

    davidB Active Member

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    speaking of rigid, how's it hold up there? I love my cf fork for riding up here in the San Gabes so I can't imagine the singletrack down there can be much worse. Then again by mile 30 I could be hating life so....:?:
     
  9. KonaDupee

    KonaDupee Soon to be Konaless Dupee

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    Rigid is perfect for the amount of climbing that the CC & VQ include. I've never had a problem riding Blackstar or the Main Divide with my carbon fork. In fact, it's probably a lot easier.

    I'm guessing that both courses include Trabuco. Trabuco would be hell at any time without suspension, let alone on mile 40+. Regardless, if I go for the CC I am leaning towards riding my rigid SS.
     
  10. genusmtbkr5

    genusmtbkr5 STR Moderator

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    Think about this, when you ride the San Gabes, you're not trying to make a cutoff. As for me, I'm much faster on descents on my FS than my HT. If you do the VQ, you'll have 3 descents, Silverado Trail aka Motorway, Upper and Lower Holy Jim and Trabuco.

    You will NOT descend Trabuco on the CC, only VQ participants will.
     
  11. kev

    kev vincit qui patitur

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    Well for me the choice is easy all my bikes are singlespeed and all my bikes are rigid. :)
     
  12. davidB

    davidB Active Member

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    my butt is doing CC. So, easily doable?
     
  13. genusmtbkr5

    genusmtbkr5 STR Moderator

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    Ya IMO, Trabuco would be the one that is "rougher" because of the rocks and shale. On the CC, once you've come down HJ, it's 4.5 miles of that brutal access road out to the finish, which everyone has to do, even those who DNF.
     
  14. KonaDupee

    KonaDupee Soon to be Konaless Dupee

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    That access road is brutal on any bike, rigid or with 8" of travel. Honestly, I'd rather have to do the Wall again after 40+ miles than that damn road.
     
  15. sdyeti

    sdyeti New Member

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    32:16 :(

    I had a 2:1 combo on my SS before I sold it...it was so hard!
     
  16. KonaDupee

    KonaDupee Soon to be Konaless Dupee

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    It's not a true 2:1 on my SS. It's 32/18, but on a 29er. I'm sure if I ever swapped out for a larger cog I would feel the difference. However, ignorace is bliss!
     
  17. Padre

    Padre New Member

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    Have you forgotten the Motorway?

    Oh yeah...rigid is perfect for the Vision Quest. Make sure you also gear down to at least 32x16. Don't want to be spinning out on all the flats.
     
  18. CPATCRASH

    CPATCRASH Enjoy the ride!

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    Isn't the Motorway a fire road now?
     
  19. donkey

    donkey New Member

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    I'm in.

    Spare me the "I thought you said you'd never do another VQ" speech......I need something to train for over the "winter".

    Giddy up.

    B
     
  20. Impy

    Impy Active Member

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    awww thanks!

    are you guys in this year?

    poor al just looks at me like "NOOOOOO" when I'm talking about this. After SS rigid last year I think he's "dun" with VQ. Says 3 feathers is fine.

    Hrm not a bad idea!

    Liz would kill this thing like it was nuttin! I trained my heart out last year and......missed the cutoff by few minutes.

    "Impy, meet cramps. Cramps, meet Impy."

    NEVER in my life have I cramped as much as on that road. Didn't stop though.
     

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