D2R2 ride reports go here

[alessandro]

Originally Posted by Corso

My first time. Did the 115, met a bunch on nice folks along the way. Patten hill killed me, legs were not ready for that one. Did an extra lap at the “lollipop”, where many riders were going all different ways…kept hearing about how “tricky” Hawks road was, I thought it was fine (this year at least).
Loved the FAST downhills, a jeep coming up the road was a great reminder for me to “cool it”. Perfect weather, good beer, a great day.

WHAT is that cue sheet scroller box?? Cool.

[witcombusa]

Originally Posted by alessandro

WHAT is that cue sheet scroller box?? Cool.

It's an enduro route sheet holder. What, you ride without one?

[MattTuck]

Ok, I have to admit, I've never been that interested in this ride. But that seems to be changing with some of these pictures and glowing ride reports.

What's the skinny on doing this thing?

For the 100K or 115K, what is the elevation gain? How much of it is on dirt? What is the quality of the dirt?

Can you ride with a road bike or do you essentially need a cyclocross set up at a bare minimum?

It sounds like it should be on my radar for next year.

[Bruce K]

100k list around 6600 elevation gain

3/4 dirt (at least)

This was my first, and not my last, but I would say dirt quality would depend on weather

Cross bike/gravel bike is the ideal

Saw folks on road bikes but I would say 28mm tire as a minimum.

Treads / knobs would help

BK

[druptight]

Originally Posted by MattTuck

Ok, I have to admit, I've never been that interested in this ride. But that seems to be changing with some of these pictures and glowing ride reports.

What's the skinny on doing this thing?

For the 100K or 115K, what is the elevation gain? How much of it is on dirt? What is the quality of the dirt?

Can you ride with a road bike or do you essentially need a cyclocross set up at a bare minimum?

It sounds like it should be on my radar for next year.

For your gains, here's the 2014 routes:

180K: http://ridewithgps.com/routes/3145729
160K: http://ridewithgps.com/routes/5664367
115K: http://ridewithgps.com/routes/5703089
100K: http://ridewithgps.com/routes/5651922

I used my commuter, tossed on some 32mm tires, took off the rack and fenders, and had at the 115k. Each route is different, and from what I understand each year the off road bits can vary in their smoothness, etc based on the winter/spring/summer conditions. From what I saw this year (my first) on the 115K, I'd say it was about maybe 20% paved roads, 40% well packed smooth gravel/dirt, 30% looser gravel, and 10% more rugged, rocky rootier stuff.

I saw everything from 23/25mm slicks to wide slicks to cross tires, to full cush MTBS, to fat bikes.

[moose8]

Originally Posted by druptight

I saw everything from 23/25mm slicks to wide slicks to cross tires, to full cush MTBS, to fat bikes.

Whatever you have works, at least for the shorter ones. I've used 25s the last two years and a couple of the descents were a little sketchy but if you just go slow it's fine. There's nothing wrong with walking some of the portions either. If I had a gravel bike though I'd choose that first.

[AngryScientist]

i rode a good chunk of the 100k route with two guys from RSC, who were on road bikes, with either 23 or 25c tires. they made out just fine. i was actually thinking 95% of the dirt roads this year were in fantastic shape and would have been great on a set of open pave 25c tires. the opening old albany road and the closing hawks were the two notable exceptions.

[R3awak3n]

yeah the opening dirt road would be sketchy on skinny tires, the rest would probably be fine. I saw at least 3/4 people on road bikes and they were doing fine. One dude told me, he had no idea the ride was mostly on dirt so he brought his road bike but said it had been fine so far apart from the first hill where he had to get out (this is the 100k).

I hate to say I was glad to be on 42s, I thought hawks descent was awesome and didnt find it super sketchy at all.

It was my first time, did the 100k and it was difficult (glad I didnt do the 115k, prob could have done it but would be hurting), I went slow up hills, fast down hills. People were super nice, met a bunch of really nice people, super well organized, never needed more water or snacks. The beer was delicious but the peach ice cream was even better.

Will do it against next year for sure, prob the 115k but will be happy to do the 100 k again... there is no easy in d2r2, I can imagine how hard the other rides are if the 100k is like this.

[Corso]

Originally Posted by alessandro

WHAT is that cue sheet scroller box?? Cool.

Enduro route sheet holder, left over from my moto days. easy to find. A few people asked about it.

Just google it, or call you local motorcycle shop!

[eBAUMANN]

if you live in NE and enjoy riding bikes, it really doesn't get any better than the D2R2. even if i didn't live in NE, I would travel back to Deerfield every year for it, its just THAT great...seriously.

you can do the ride on anything you want (bike/tire-wise) but if you are anything like me, the "sketchiest" roads are also the most fun parts of the entire day, and having a bike capable of ascending/descending them is priority #1 for me (which means cx bike with appropriate gearing and 30c+ tires with a light tread).

its all been said before so ill stop there but really...if you live in NE and like dirt roads D2R2 should be a permanent fixture on your annual ride calendar.

[alessandro]

Originally Posted by MattTuck

Ok, I have to admit, I've never been that interested in this ride. But that seems to be changing with some of these pictures and glowing ride reports....It sounds like it should be on my radar for next year.

I've wanted to this for years, but haven't because it falls a week before the one stage Cat5 gentlemen's (and women's) stage of the Green Mountain Stage Race. I did that for the past 5 years, but won't this year

Matt, let's do it in 2015.

Originally Posted by christian

This is like skiing with my friends--it's not a good day unless you do something dumb.

Originally Posted by witcombusa

It's an enduro route sheet holder. What, you ride without one?

Learn something new every day on this board. Once I was lost, but now I am found.

Originally Posted by eBAUMANN

if you live in NE and enjoy riding bikes, it really doesn't get any better than the D2R2. even if i didn't live in NE, I would travel back to Deerfield every year for it, its just THAT great...seriously.

Eric, great pictures!

[druptight]

For those that have done the 160 and the 115, how do they compare? Looking at the elevation profile on the ridewithgps, it doesn't appear to have too many crazy steep sections aside from the one climb around mile 70. Appears to roll up and down a lot more.

[eBAUMANN]

Originally Posted by druptight

For those that have done the 160 and the 115, how do they compare? Looking at the elevation profile on the ridewithgps, it doesn't appear to have too many crazy steep sections aside from the one climb around mile 70. Appears to roll up and down a lot more.

I would say that the 115 is just an abbreviated 160. In terms of TYPE of terrain covered they are very similar, there is just an extra 45k of it on the 160. There is one descent (the B&W pics I posted) through the woods on a VERY unmaintained jeep track that was AWESOME. Id say about 75% of folks were walkin it. If you were on fat tires it was a hoot.

There is one hill that is forever seared into my brain on the 115 though...i think its called "pennel hill road" - that sucker was tough.

The 160 was great though, IMO a perfect compromise between the "back in time for beer and hang outs" mentality of the 115k and the "all day on the road, grabbing the last bus to the showers after dinner" of the 180k.

[merlinmurph]

Still nobody that did the Josh Rd option on the 100K? Really?

[eBAUMANN]

Originally Posted by merlinmurph

Still nobody that did the Josh Rd option on the 100K? Really?

whats the deal with josh road? never done the 100k...