Deerfield Registration is open !!

[chuck]

Sandy Whittlesey's and Don Podolski's Deerfield Dirt Road Randonnee (D2R2) - in its 2nd year - is now open for registration via BikeReg.com. Here's the link from Don's LBS website describing the ride and linking to the bikereg.com registration page as well as other helpful information:

http://newhorizonsbikes.com/page.cfm?PageID=347

This is the century with more than 11k feet of climbing on centuries-old unpaved roads through fields and woods in the Berkshires in MA and VT. You can search this forum for reviews from last year's inaugural ride ("Deerfield" will show the results). There are 2 distances to choose from: 170k starting at 6am, and 100k starting at 8am, on Saturday Aug 26.

See you there!

Chuck

[Ginger]

Yay! I'm *not* taking the chance that it will fill up! I'm registered. I better get my butt in gear.

[manet]

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[manet]

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[manet]

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[manet]

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[manet]

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[manet]

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[manet]

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[manet]

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[stevep]

you finished in the dark?
how was the ride manet?
s

[manet]

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e61/easterncaster/IMG_2050_1.jpg

[manet]

you finished in the dark?
how was the ride manet?
s

naw _ that's just darkness at the end of the day _ at the edge of town.

it had plenty of cowbell, and then some.

[Louis]

That Rivendell makes me feel better that I'm not the only one out there with a dish-sized MTB cassette on a road bike and low, low gears...

[Peter P.]

Steve-while manet would give you the impression that road bikes ruled out there because of the photos, it was not necessarily so. Yes; the overwhelming majority were road machines, especially cyclocross bikes.

I used a full rigid ATB with 32mm tires. The triple paid for itself climbing the 25% Archambo Wall ( I saw cyclists walking up it) and Patten Hill, with it's 20% grade. On the road, I had no problems keeping pace the roadies. On the downhills however, the ATBs owned the road (dirt, actually). We dropped like bombs, and there was no way the drop bar set could maintain control on the loose surfaces like we did even though we had similar width tires-and the cross tires even had a more aggressive tread. After a while the 'cross guys I was riding with would just move over on the downhills and let us by, and we would disappear like money in a crack addict's hands.

My final tally was 115 miles in 10 hours and 20 minutes, and that's no joke.

Steve, it was a ride to remember.

[manet]

Steve-while manet would give you the impression that road bikes ruled out there because of the photos, it was not necessarily so. Yes; the overwhelming majority were road machines, especially cyclocross bikes.

I used a full rigid ATB with 32mm tires. The triple paid for itself climbing the 25% Archambo Wall ( I saw cyclists walking up it) and Patten Hill, with it's 20% grade. On the road, I had no problems keeping pace the roadies. On the downhills however, the ATBs owned the road (dirt, actually). We dropped like bombs, and there was no way the drop bar set could maintain control on the loose surfaces like we did even though we had similar width tires-and the cross tires even had a more aggressive tread. After a while the 'cross guys I was riding with would just move over on the downhills and let us by, and we would disappear like money in a crack addict's hands.

My final tally was 115 miles in 10 hours and 20 minutes, and that's no joke.

Steve, it was a ride to remember.

this was very strong local dude (mark).

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e61/easterncaster/IMG_2037.jpg

[tch]

I'm only about 40 miles south of the route, and it poured all weekend like someone had set off the sprinklers in the office. Today was WET!!!
What kind of conditions did you have?

[stevep]

great ride manet, peter, anyone else.
i give a lot of credit to the guy who came up with that route.
must have taken a lot of " rides " to put that together.

[manet]

I'm only about 40 miles south of the route, and it poured all weekend like someone had set off the sprinklers in the office. Today was WET!!!
What kind of conditions did you have?

perfect for me _ cool and cloudy _ no rain.
it rained fri on the way up and sun on the way down.
dust free roads and not very soggy.
traffic _ what's that ?!

oh, and being 40 miles south gives you absolutely NO
excuse not to do this ride next year... it's crazy beautiful!

[manet]

you finished in the dark?
how was the ride manet?
s

TooTall went and got all wordy over in the 'rides + gatherings' forum

[manet]

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e61/easterncaster/IMG_2039_3.jpg

[dauwhe]

That Rivendell makes me feel better that I'm not the only one out there with a dish-sized MTB cassette on a road bike and low, low gears...

The Saluki is mine, with a 12-32 cassette and a 48/34/24 front. I needed that gear for half the ride! Low gears rock...

Dave, who made up his own route but had a great time

[stevep]

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e61/easterncaster/IMG_2039_3.jpg


the river road.
phew, not too bad.. a gentle descent for a long time along the river... you can wail or you can just pedal along. a fitting ( near ) the end of the ride.

[Too Tall]

Just back from D2R2.
Manet and I had a blast. Ouch.
It was very very hip to arrive for this event not knowing what to expect with the Vanilla under me for the first time giving a real test. Boy howdy was it ;)

First things first...the bike :) The Vanilla was designed for this ride in mind and it shined buddy boy, it is awesome on rough stuff going fast, climbing sketchy steep washouts and bombing at 30mph down rocky fire roads. Just a GREAT bike. The geometry is perfect with 28s under it and I never felt out of control or uncomfortable. Sasha bruddah, you know how to make a bike and tune the specs. EVEN for an overgrown Gnome the likes of me. Kudos, cheers and hazzahs.

THE RIDE: D2R2 is not your avg. dirt ride. The route is very tough, never flat and roads are not marked. You will be challenged at every level. Glorious scenery at every turn and some of the most outrageous gnarly fast rocky descents I've ever done....yippy :)

We stuck with the fast guys for about 20 miles taking advantage of local knowledge than settled into our own pace for the remainder. Much of the ride we were with John Bailey who is also a tandem "nut" of sorts. His great attitude and sense of humor was appreciated and a more capable rough stuff rider I'll never know. We rode with quite a few fun folks...haha between bouts of mind numbing climbs and screaming descents.

Some of the "roads" are nothing more than some farmers twice a year tractor path (as Manet astutely put it) and others are ancient logging roads washed out and never used, cow paths and local access to seasonal houses etc.

The race starts near town. We began in a group of about 25 and within 5 miles began climbing...climbing...climbing until I thought we'd reach the top...than climbed some more. At this point we we are a group of about 12 than began a series of fast turns many unmarked all in less than 1 mile apart. Now were were down to Bailey, Manet, a local and myself riding...BS'ing and navigating. I really can not describe some of the wacko steep pitches we were sent up...it was wild. I do remember all the fast descents and will revisit them in my dreams tonight...sigh. There were to die for periods of peddaling thru tree covered dirt roads and passing cottages tucked into hillsides...one of these cottages we stopped and begged some water from a sweet old couple who were gardening.

This is an incredibly hard ride!!! We never ever rode flat ground!!! Alternate up/down with navigation challenges and TRYING to take in the beautiful scenery and I think that D2R2 is hands down one of the most intersting (Brutal) events I've ever done.

After the ride we stayed to eat and watch riders come in. Similar yet different from DBRKS TDFL there was tons of bike porn and the difference was that all these bikes were JUST ridden in very challenging conditions so their configurations took on special significance. The configuration(s) of tyres and equiment was really interesting. Many choose to ride on nothing more than plump street tyres (rolly pollys) and others used mild cyclocross tyres. On the other end of the spectrum was John Baily who rode massive 2" Schwalbes with very low pressure. I want to say that I've rarely seen anyone dive down a rock descent so fast as John, he is not only skillful he also has nerves of steel.

Gearing, others have given good advice. We were under geared. I had a 34X27 and that was not enough. Next time I'll have 34X32/34 so that I can spin up the really steep pitches without having to muscle it and be able to pick my way uphill thru the really washed outsections with more control.

My tyres were more than adequate: TUFO D28 tubulars with sealant pumped to 80 psi ( a bit too hard ). Riding this event on tyres that have smooth tread or file tooth road tread is stupid. You CAN do it, don't get me wrong but it will slow you down and sap energy.

Another tip for future riders: have a calibrated speedo and organize your queue sheet is such a way that you can read it on the fly. The best system I saw all day was a simple handlebar mounted map case. I used laminated file cards.

Ginger, Shoe, Dave and others were there...I'll let them tell their stories. It really is an amazing event....still buzzed.

PS - Manet is studmuffin. That guy can ride a bike.

[palincss]

I'm only about 40 miles south of the route, and it poured all weekend like someone had set off the sprinklers in the office. Today was WET!!!
What kind of conditions did you have?

I drove up from Hamden CT, where it had been raining the day before and was raining that morning. I drove through rain for around an hour, but inthe vicinity of Greenfield it was dry, overcast and - by my standards, having been used to weeks of 90 degree temps - cold. I was hardly the only one who felt cold, juding from the arm warmers that were in evidence at the checkpoint at the covered bridge.

It had obviously rained at some time in the recent past, but the road I was on was dry and well tamped down. One person told me the surface was much more solid than it had been the year before due to recent rain.

[theprep]

Deerfield Randonnee just sounds so innocent and sweet. Seriously, they need to rename this ride something scary (include some Hells, Painfest & Suffering) to keep unsuspecting riders away and healthy.

It was a ride I will never forget for its amazing countryside and challenge.

Manet - great photos, did you get any of the stacked rocks in the river or the Big Little House (or was it Little Big House)?

Too Tall - I saw you at the riders meeting and wanted to introduce myself, but you were ready to go on time and rolled out when you were supposed to. We (me and 6 buddies) didn't roll out to 6:32 am. Your advice to "have a calibrated speedo and organize your queue sheet in such a way that you can read it on the fly" is right on the money. I fumbled around for 1/2 the day trying to read mine. I was elected navigator and needed a better system than the clips I was using.

It took us 9 hrs 42 minutes of ride time and over 12 hours total to complete. We had 4 flats, a cut casing that needed a boot and 2 rear tires that kept loosing air, I think just from high speed impacts.

I used my cyclocross bike and was constantly over 40 mph on some of the downhills. My max was 46 mph. I never see speeds like that at home.

My bike in the attached photo was equipped with 32 mm Tufo LPS tubulars at 60 psi. They worked great. I carried a whole extra cross tire and some glue tape in a pack under my saddle. Luckily I didn't need it. My low gear was 38x32 and it was not enough. I must have pushed my right lever looking for an easier cog about a hundred times on Saturday.

I took the attached photo of the 25% grade at Archambo Road. That is my buddy Gary saying, "we need to climb that?" I made it up that mess but paid for it on the next climb up Hillman Road. I was cross eyed on this one and pretended I needed to look at the Arabian Horses, but truth be told, I needed to walk.

[shoe]

alright i don't envy the hundred milers and was glad i did the 1k.next time the longer. this is a story of two strangers somewhat opposite ends of the spectrum brought together with the love of riding bikes all thanks to ginger...so this guy nat puts us up for the night. total stranger but hey i'm game...he is a very in control structured kind of guy ... i am a bit loose and unstructured. he is very punctual ---and i tell him i see time more as an abstract....so anyway he tells us we leave at 7:15 to get there...on the dot the wheels leave his driveway...he has a merckx aluminum racer with 25's and i have a steel kirk with rolly pollys and some gear and a rack. he straps a heart monitor onto his chest as i twine a bag from my tires onto my handle bars for the cue sheet. we poke fun at each others differences. and we start off with our homegirl ginger. he starts to pull away...and i think- just roll this ride and take it in or try and rock it with this guy... ahh i have no computer and he does and he's a directions kind of guy so off i go to catch up..we are cruising along and it is beautiful around there. the road starts getting narrower and narrower. and here comes the dirt---oh and our first hard climb....thank goodness for fear because the day before i had a triple put on and to think i scoffed to myself when i saw the 24 ring...haaaah... so i figure i will punch this out in the center ring and it is all good.....no....hello 24... i truly loved that little bugger and a few times i looked for even more gears. that was when i realized they weren't kiddin when they said it was tuff. nat was awesome. he was smooth and strong. always kept his heart rate in check... i was the wild card panting and slugging it through the steeps. we rode together the whole time and had a great time (well he did wait up a bit). nothing like hauling azzzzz down hill on 28's in the dirt... so much fun. early on i figured i would find the limits ... i figured he was stronger than i was so i would just let it loose on the down hill....i decided to reel it in a bit after taking a corner too wide off the road into a driveways then into a little ravine for run off then ....schwwew pop back up onto the dirt road. it is amazing what speed can drive you through at times...nat thought he was going to see me summersaulting luckily i had no time to think about it but to just try and keep it together. i think we sort of just pushed one another, but it was fun to just dig inside and see whatcha got... many times i felt like i was pedaling through my stomach instead of my legs but then you just look up and have to smile.. i must say i am sad that i missed the bear that checked us out and then went lumbering away through the field. at that point he could have eaten me..they had a great checkpoint at a covered bridge where several dirt roads convened and what too tall said we just did it in sections.. well into it -we had the pleasure of 1o miles of flat dirt road and we just buckled down and rocked that out trying to do my part as a flat lander. nothing like a pace line on gravel with the extra guy that joined us. my mind went kind of grey and i just plugged along..i rode nat's ride and it was a true challenge. fun and challenging. if i didn't hook up with him i think there would have been an extra hour added to my time but we just tried to rock it out as best we could . challenging each other and being challenged by the course at each step. it was the hardest and coolest ride i have ever done and that was the shorter version. congrats to all that did it. i think that most everyone has a smile right now that did the ride...the course was a true gift.... to all that got to share it...thanks to nat and ginger.....you guys both rock and to don i believe it was for so much time put into laying out the course....also i saw a bunch from the ramble...ginger,too tall , dave ,the other peter, and ron i believe was his name.....met manet for the first time too....not a bad lookin bugger i might add. the weigle in the earlier photo was my favorite bike there. the colors truly striking . the owner said that peter was in maine and was inspired to paint a bike that color from a lobster boat he had seen...there is some true new england inspiration.....hope to see more of you there next year.. as far as the ride if you take your time and ride it slow or at your own pace it would make it much more manageable...so don't let the stories scare you off as to how hard it is only let it entice you...must give a big thanks to dave kirk for a bike that handled the conditions flawlessly....the bikes were as interesting as the people...hope you enjoy the stories it was a truly great ride on so many levels......dave

[dauwhe]

It was nice to see so many familiar faces a week after the Ramble--Ginger, Shoe, Too Tall... I started the 180k but took a wrong turn after about 90k, which put me on the 100k route into the Green River control. After the extremely hard riding I'd already done, it made sense to take it easy and socialize, so I ended up riding all the way back to Greenfield on Green River Road. I did end up riding home after the dinner, but it still boggles my mind that I bailed on half the ride, and still did 107 miles with 8,700 feet of climbing! Archambo Road was certainly the hardest I've pushed this year on a bike--25% on loose dirt; I thought my heart would explode. Luckily the next climb (Hillman Road, long and steep) was in rather better shape than last year. I was pleased to do the first half without walking!

After my attack of sanity, I had a great time chatting with friends, looking at cool bikes (like Elton's Peter Mooney converted to 650B), and generally enjoying being on the bike. I bought a house in Greenfield today (!?), and so can do bits and pieces whenever I feel very, very ambitious. Thanks to Sandy for the route, Don for being the consummate organizer, and all the old and new friends I saw! What a great day...

Dave

[Too Tall]

Dave, when you told us about the house your look was priceless. Kind like the cat that ate a tasty canary ;) Congratulations.

[Jeff Weir]

I end up in Deerfield a couple of times a year and would love to ride parts of the route. Would anyone have a route map (or copy) that they would be willing to share?

Jeff

jeff@jeffweir.com

[manet]

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[manet]

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[manet]

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[manet]

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[manet]

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e61/easterncaster/IMG_2051.jpg

[manet]

a front 32 x rear 23 ain't enough

[jbay]

For your perousal, here's a shot of Manet and Too Tall making Hillman Road look easy.

-- John

[manet]

For your perousal, here's a shot of Manet and Too Tall making Hillman Road look easy.

-- John

YOU sir, are tooooo kind _ great riding with you.

[jbay]

I had an absolute blast riding this event last year. Indeed, I was nearly worried that I had too good a time and that this year's edition could only be a disappointment in comparison. However, fear not! The mindblowing route captures every facet of your attention. Better still, the ride attracts a terrific bunch of riders. I was lucky enough to spend quality time with forumites Dauwhe, Manet and Too Tall, along with local riders Mark and Pete, trading tall tales and pedal strokes.


First things first...the bike :) The Vanilla was designed for this ride in mind and it shined buddy boy, it is awesome on rough stuff going fast, climbing sketchy steep washouts and bombing at 30mph down rocky fire roads. Just a GREAT bike.
And sweet looking in the metal too!

Glorious scenery at every turn and some of the most outrageous gnarly fast rocky descents I've ever done....yippy :)
Ah yes, those descents!


On the other end of the spectrum was John Baily who rode massive 2" Schwalbes with very low pressure.
Yeah, people tell me that I'm at the other end of the spectrum alright! Those Schwalbe Big Apples give the most buttery smooth ride you can imagine, however. And I have the skinny (700x50) version. They make a 700x60!

PS - Manet is studmuffin. That guy can ride a bike.
Amen. It was a pleasure to descend with the man.

Signed,
Your friendly neighbourhood tandem nut.

[Too Tall]

:) Thanks John. We really should make a habit riding together more often.

If you care to? Post a pic of your rig and tell folks how the gear ratios work out. You've created a unique world class bike.

Other D2R2 riders also, pls. post pics of your rigs and say what worked and what did not. Good notes for others to come.

[palincss]

:) Thanks John. We really should make a habit riding together more often.

If you care to? Post a pic of your rig and tell folks how the gear ratios work out. You've created a unique world class bike.

Other D2R2 riders also, pls. post pics of your rigs and say what worked and what did not. Good notes for others to come.

John's other bike (or, at least, one other bike, the J.P. Weigle) may not be quite so unique, but it is most certainly world class as well -- an understated masterpiece, as all Weigles seem to be. I think the forum would love to see pictures of that too.

[weisan]

Thanks for the ride reports, pals! I have a real desire to do this next year, God willing.

[merckx]

I rode my Merckx MX Leader on the 170K loop. It was a great machine for this event. It is comfy like carbon, strong like titanium, stiff like aluminum and heavy like steel. It has it all. I used 27c old style Vittoria Tigre Cross clincher in the front and Master Cross clincher in the rear. I would have enjoyed some wider rubber at times, but......well, it is a road bike and it would not accomodate anything bigger. My lowest gear was a 39 X 29 Campy double. Could I have enjoyed a lower gear but.......

[Peter P.]

Sorry, I can't post any pics of my bike. What I can tell you is my two buddies and I all rode full-rigid mountain bikes with 1.25" tires. I had Panaracer Paselas, which provided reasonable grip on the loose surfaces, though I did break traction if I stood up at times. I think the optimal tire was what my friend had-Avocet Cross 1.25" with the inverted tread. I ran 70psi, which was perfect for my 130lbs.

Though the lowest gear on my middle ring was a 34x30, I used my granny ring twice; on the Archambo Wall and on Patten Hill. The bike carried two waterbottles and I carried two in a fanny pack, along with all my food and a jacket. A seat pack held all my tools, but I lost it bombing down one of the dirt roads! My buddy had a bottle cage mounted to the seat post, but the location lent itself to too much verticle movement on the dirt descents. He lost the bottle too many times and just gave up on retrieving it. Next time he said he'd either forego that location or secure the bottle to the cage with a toe strap.

My other friend used a rack trunk on his ATB in lieu of a fanny pack but in retrospect said it made his bike too top heavy and he'd consider doing without it next time.
I think we had the optimum set up as we could easily hang with any of the 'cross bikes out there but totally crapped the knobby set out the back on the dirt descents, even though we had comparable tires. Like Elmer wrote-it was comical!

The KEY accessory to have was the map holder. I lost count of the people who I KNOW were following us just because we had THE setup for reading the directions without stopping. It will cover your bike computer, so I suggest you do like we did and ride with a companion; one of you use the map holder and the other keep track of the mileage (which is referenced on the cue sheets), or find an alternative location for your computer head.

The Zefal mapholder shown is what we used. The picture shows it in the open position. It easily folds closed in half, clamshell style, and stays closed with velcro tabs. This was worth it's weight in gold.

http://www.zefal.com/AAA/page.php?nom=nouveaute&ref=115100&langue=an

[jbay]

We really should make a habit riding together more often.

That would be a pleasure. Now if only this work stuff didn't interfere with my cycling so much...


If you care to? Post a pic of your rig and tell folks how the gear ratios work out. You've created a unique world class bike.
The black IndyFab bike in one of Manet's pictures is mine. I don't have any detail pictures to post at the moment, and there wasn't any natural light left to play with when I got home this evening...

It's loosely based on their Independence touring model, but with increased tyre clearance for the A-number-one Schwalbe Big Apple tyres and Rohloff specific sliding dropouts for the -- you've guessed it -- Rohloff rear hub.

For those not familiar with it, the Rohloff:

http://www.rohloff.de/en/products/speedhub/index.html

is a 14-speed internally geared hub. It's heavy, expensive and noisy in some gears. So, why bother?

Well, if you like riding your bike as opposed to fettling with it, it may be of interest. Throw in a liking for dirt roads in all kinds of weather and the low maintenance Rohloff starts to come into its own. If Timex hadn't coined the phrase, "it takes a lickin' and keeps on tickin'", Rohloff might have. Then again, it may not have had quite the same ring in German...

To answer Too Tall's question a little more directly, I have mine set up with a 38x16 combination. Combined with 700x50 tyres and help from Sheldon Brown's on-line gear calculator:

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/gears/internal.html

this results in the following gears, from 19 to 100 gear inches:

1-7: 19.2 - 21.7 - 24.7 - 28.1 - 31.9 - 36.3 - 41.2
8-14: 46.9 - 53.2 - 60.6 - 68.7 - 78.0 - 88.8 - 100.8

Gears 5, 6 and 7 definitely got extended use!

The Big Apple tyres could be considered overkill by most reasonable folk, but no one ever described me as reasonable, so I used them anyway. They roll respectably well, but cannot be considered high performance tyres. Their diameter and air volume, however, combine to take everything in their stride and give a blissfully smooth ride, especially with 40psi in them.

Braking is courtesy of the rare and delectable Campag HP cantilevers (ca. 1990, part of their shortlived tandem group and an option on the equally shortlived Euclid MTB group, if memory serves) and they fulfilled their role with aplomb.

That's it from me for now,
John

P.S. Just seen Peter's mention of a map holder and couldn't agree more. Let's see if I can also throw in a picture of my 'bar setup showing a Rixen and Kaul mapholder:

http://www.klickfix.com/minimape.htm

[jbay]

John's other bike (or, at least, one other bike, the J.P. Weigle) may not be quite so unique, but it is most certainly world class as well -- an understated masterpiece, as all Weigles seem to be. I think the forum would love to see pictures of that too.

I really need to take some decent pictures of it. One of these days...

In the meantime, this will have to suffice. 'Scuse the lack of a front rack in this picture.

-- John

[39cross]

snippet:
P.S. Just seen Peter's mention of a map holder and couldn't agree more. Let's see if I can also throw in a picture of my 'bar setup showing a Rixen and Kaul mapholder:

http://www.klickfix.com/minimape.htm

Just what I've been hoping to find someday - where can you find these (to buy, that is)?

[Too Tall]

Most excellent Jbay. The details...ahhh the details :) I'm pretty sure I've got one complete set of the Campy brakes in my parts drawer. They look better on your bike.

I'll be back next yr. for certain. It is fun to learn the ropes at a new event. Map holder, lower gears are on my plate.

[jbay]

Just what I've been hoping to find someday - where can you find these (to buy, that is)?

I thought they were available in the US, but a quick web search has come up blank. You could definitely mail order one from the UK, however. Alternatively, you could use it as an excuse to go cycling in Europe, visiting a bike shop or two along the way!

-- John

[jbay]

[...] I'm pretty sure I've got one complete set of the Campy brakes in my parts drawer. They look better on your bike. [...]


Too Tall,

If you don't like the way they look in your parts drawer, I'll be happy to take 'em off your hands!

-- John

[Too Tall]

They are there if you need em' J. Def. droolworthy bits.

Your pic of Manet and myself climbing the hill gave me a giggle. The back story goes like this...that hill is as long as any "big" fish story and twice as steep! Manet and I both jumped off and were walking for about 10 yards when we saw JBay about to snap a picture...soooo rather than go down in flames we jumped on our rigs PRONTO ;) As Phil says "easy peezey"...our reputations intact...hilarious.

[Ray]

Your pic of Manet and myself climbing the hill gave me a giggle. The back story goes like this...that hill is as long as any "big" fish story and twice as steep! Manet and I both jumped off and were walking for about 10 yards when we saw JBay about to snap a picture...soooo rather than go down in flames we jumped on our rigs PRONTO ;) As Phil says "easy peezey"...our reputations intact...hilarious.
Pictures are really deceptive. That hill looks like it just got easier after a much steeper part behind you in the trees. But then, Archambo looks like a nice enjoyable 6-8% climb in the earlier picture of it, rather than the 25% it's s'posed to be. I've done plenty of 12-14% climbs that barely looked like climbs in pictures of them - like false flats almost.

Sounds like a bugger of a ride. I'm sure I'd have a 24 tooth granny ring and a 32 or 34 pie plate in back if I ever tried it. Which isn't likely to begin with. I enjoy sections of dirt road, but having spent a week riding nothing but dirt roads in the Rockies a couple of years ago, when you're riding them all day they stop being fun at some point and just turn into punishment. I expect my threshold for that is probably somewhere between the 35 and 62 mile options.

-Ray

[dauwhe]

Archambo is crazy... I hit the bottom in my 24 x 32, and immediately start losing traction--the surface is covered in fine, loose dirt (with lots of footprints). I have no idea how I stayed upright. I think half of it was adrenaline! After the first bit I had more traction, but the grade did not ease off. As I said, I think that was certainly my most intense effort of the entire year, and my legs felt a bit empty for the rest of the ride.

What an adventure! I may try most of the 100k course next Sunday...

Dave

[Too Tall]

D., bonus...after you hit the G.River Control in 9 miles look for Coffee Roasters on your left. O He!! yeah. Great stuff.

[dauwhe]

D., bonus...after you hit the G.River Control in 9 miles look for Coffee Roasters on your left. O He!! yeah. Great stuff.

I've had some yummy snacks there... it's about a mile from the significant other's barn. I ride bikes, she rides horses. I have the more economical hobby!

[bgav]

D., bonus...after you hit the G.River Control in 9 miles look for Coffee Roasters on your left. O He!! yeah. Great stuff.

Is it true Pamela Blalock (riding the 100K route on a Bianchi San Jose singlespeed, btw) went by the Coffee Roasters without stopping?!?!

[Too Tall]

SO DAVE?!?!?! So many broken hearts to mend now. Wow, that is amazing horse country. Neat.

Passed the coffeeroaster without stopping. Say it ain't so.

[jbay]

Is it true Pamela Blalock (riding the 100K route on a Bianchi San Jose singlespeed, btw) went by the Coffee Roasters without stopping?!?!

Shock and horror! Yes, it's true. Pamela was riding with her good friend Susan, who apparently rode right by without stopping. Pamela is reported to have a hard time controlling her bike as she rode by, but the good news is that they are still friends.

Regarding the bike, she used the aforemention San Jose with a 34x17 gear, reckoning that it would be good gear for the uphills, that there would be very little flat riding and that she would be freewheeling on the downhills. She was very happy with the setup and the 700x35 Schwalbe Marathon Slick tyres that she used.

Getting back to the coffee, you will all be glad to hear that she made up for missing the coffee roasters during D2R2 by visiting both Northampton Coffee and Amherst Coffee (sister shops) the next day. The former, in particular, was fantastic.

Oh, and Holy Smokes BBQ in Hatfield was saintly!

-- John

[bgav]

:)
Other D2R2 riders also, pls. post pics of your rigs and say what worked and what did not. Good notes for others to come.

http://static.flickr.com/95/228626525_1b2c9def28.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/briang/228626525/)
click photo for original with notes

I rode the 100k and finished without flatting or having any mechanicals.

What Worked for Me:

Michelin Transworld Sprint 700X35 Tires (http://two-wheels.michelin.com/2w/front/affich.jsp?codeRubrique=2092004115348&codePage=2092004115348_10092004150450&lang=EN) inflated to 65psi (175lb rider). Great traction in the loose stuff, wide enough not to dig in, I wouldn't have wanted anything narrower on the rocky/washed out descents. Center tread with low rolling resistance on paved roads vs conventional cross tires. If you under-inflate and try to squeeze out a bit more traction, you run a very high risk of getting a pinch flat with clinchers. I rode by a couple of riders who flatted on the first rocky climb up Old Albany Road, and I would bet under-inflation was the culprit. A set of wide, bomb-proof rims like the Mavic MA40s added to my peace of mind on the rocky descents.

Gearing 50/38/26 triple with 12-24T 7-speed cassette. the 26X24 low gear was a leg-saver on the brutal climbs. I read all of the ride reports from last year, and the recommended 1:1 bailout gear (or close to it my case) will make this a much more enjoyable ride. I was able to spin past guys on dual-ring cyclocross rigs on the tough climbs, and they were definitely suffering..

Cue sheet holder (http://www.cueclip.com/) - I reduced (a bit too small) and laminated the cue sheets which made them tough to read while riding. You *will* need to refer to the cue sheet, and a well-calibrated 'puter is a must. Even then, you might take a wrong turn or two, but you don't want to be back tracking or adding more mileage to what is already a long day in the saddle (100k or 180k).

It goes without saying that you must maintain a steady caloric intake and remain hydrated on this ride. The checkpoints were well-stocked with bananas, PB&J's, and other no-bonk snacks, but make sure you stick with your own tried & true energy drink, water, and snacks while on the bike.

What Didn't Work for Me

Extra weight - Carry the essentials and little else. I was a bit over-prepared in the H20 department (full 102oz Camelbak w/water + 2 20oz bottles w/Cytomax) and I carried enough water to get me through unsupported. There was plenty of water to replenish my bottles at the checkpoints while I was there (although I read some reports that some checkpoints ran out later in the day). Next year I plan on going lighter by ditching the Camelbak.

Summary: You'll have a great time if you prepare for this ride (lots of hill training is a must). The other riders, scenery, and challenge of the route make the D2R2 a truly unique and incredible experience that you'll want to enjoy to the fullest and do not want to miss.

Brian

[Too Tall]

BGAV, kudos on a great ride and your rig is spot on...shows that making good decisions requires nothing special or gucci just common sense and a good parts drawer ;)

Regarding water, support etc. Good news reported by you was ot true for 6:30 am riders. Other than a suprise control early on we had nada until Green River. A side trip to a friendly farmhouse saved the day.

[dauwhe]

BGAV, kudos on a great ride and your rig is spot on...shows that making good decisions requires nothing special or gucci just common sense and a good parts drawer ;)

Regarding water, support etc. Good news reported by you was ot true for 6:30 am riders. Other than a suprise control early on we had nada until Green River. A side trip to a friendly farmhouse saved the day.

Last year there were no supplies at the checkpoints until Green River. So we all stopped in Charlemont at one of the stores there. This year I didn't see anyone else stop, but I wisely got some chocolate milk and gatorade! I never pass up a chance for chocolate milk!

Too shy for the farmhouse trick :)

Dave

[Too Tall]

Dave, you gotta look for the Hobo signs....details details ;)

[dauwhe]

Dave, you gotta look for the Hobo signs....details details ;)

My vision was too blurry after Archambo & Hillman! Anyway, with all the bags and luggage I carry, the farmers would probably be asking me for supplies :)

[shoe]

yeah but dave atleast if you get lost and stuck out there all night you have the sweet generator hub and light..

[Bittersweet]

I'm just getting back from vacation, late to this party, but still excited about what a fabulous ride this was. Shoe and Ginger spent Friday night with me which was fun. Faces to names. Shoe and I rode the whole event together and I for one had super time with him as a riding partner. No nonsense just pedal the bike. The highpoint may have been the quick mutual agreement to pull over at the coffee roaster at about mile 55 and have a single shot of expresso at the counter and then quick back on the bike. This capped off the great ambiance of the ride, and we were soon wending our way down Hawk's Road.

I road one extreme of the bikes at this event: Merckx Team SC, Michelin Pro2 Race 25c, Stronglight Z'Light 180mm compact 48/34, 12-27 cassette, Ksyrium SLs, eggbeaters in case I had to push but luckily I didn't. I thought the setup was perfect but I think most of the really devilish climbs of the 180k were excluded in the 100k. My guess is that nothing was steeper than 14% on the 100k. I also think that with the shorter length you can just grunt it out whereas on the 180k fatigue sets in and you have to push. I used the 27 quite a few times and the 25 a lot. 48 big ring is perfect for most everything on this type of riding (although I realize when looking for this crank that Obtuse/Jerk wouldn't be caught dead without his 53.)

Again Dave/Shoe was the perfect partner for me on this ride. A great sense of camaraderie even though we'd only met the night before. This is the first ride all year I did with a group/partner of any kind so it was a real treat. Rare that you find that ideal pace out of the blue.


I can't seem to post pics but I'll try a little later.

[Bittersweet]

Pics of Merckx as described previously and Stronglight Z'light crank. For those in the market for a 180mm compact this Stronglight and the TA Carmina are really some of your only choices. I think the TA is better looking but it wasn't possible to get a 180mm in time for this ride.

I'd like to have Too Tall post some pics of his rig in D2R2 format. For me that was the most bada$$ bike there. It looked fast leaned against the split rail fence. What were those rims? Tufo D28s that were mounted on them looked to be the perfect tire.

[Peter P.]

Did you find the 25mm tires sufficient on the dirt sections, especially a tire with little "off road" tread? Did you have a problem with slippage? I rode the 100km last year/100 mile this year and thought 25mm too skimpy if you wanted to bomb on the dirt sections. I suppose it would be a cool challenge to finesse the miles with a skinnier tire.

Did you buy the chainring set up (34x48) specifically for the ride, or is 48x12 your standard top gear? 48x12 equals the "old" standard 52x13 and a 48x12 is what I run on my road bike. I thought I was nuts but if I can't wind it out in a sprint I figure it's wasted gearing.

The color coordinated seat and bar tape shows a great sense of style! And you're right about the crank; it definitely has a more sophisticated look than the standard Shimano/Campy fare. T.A. does make some elegant looking rings, too.

[shoe]

now wonder why bittersweet got up the hill before me that baby is much racier and lighter than my rig... next time i'll just get all carbon parts....that way bunny hopping will be much easier as well...thanks for the rider feedback ...i liked riding with you too(man we are gonna have to hug this out i think) ...see the serotta forum opening us up to all new experiences....dave

[Ginger]

You know...when I watched you two pedal off I thought it might be a match...at least for that ride. I figured you (Dave) would either wind up dead on the side of the road, or put in a pretty good time.

[bgav]

Getting back to the coffee, you will all be glad to hear that she made up for missing the coffee roasters during D2R2 by visiting both Northampton Coffee and Amherst Coffee (sister shops) the next day. The former, in particular, was fantastic.


Glad to hear it, the coffee gods are appeased..

BGAV, kudos on a great ride and your rig is spot on...shows that making good decisions requires nothing special or gucci just common sense and a good parts drawer ;)

Thanks, and I think the variety of different bike setups seen during the ride and posted here shows that a wide range of different setups can work.

But 25c tires like Bittersweet's? I wish I met the man so I could shake his hand. That's impressive! That's a beautiful, sweet rig Bittersweet.

[Andreas]

I thought they were available in the US, but a quick web search has come up blank. You could definitely mail order one from the UK, however. Alternatively, you could use it as an excuse to go cycling in Europe, visiting a bike shop or two along the way!

-- John

Yep, Klickfix system works well.
Here is where you can get them:
http://www.metostrade.net/shop/v2/assets/s2dmain.html?http://www.metostrade.net/shop/v2/01f0df95430bbd202/01f0df95410f8b802/01f0df95410f8ed06/index.html

It is in Germany. You will need to order the mini-adapter as well.
BTW I am using this exact thing as well; or the great map holder on the Ortlieb front bag.

Cheers,
Andreas

[ericspin]

Ginger - Being a fellow Kirkian (is that a word?) I am curious what setup you used? Tires, gearing etc? I have not used my Kirk for anything but fast road riding but I am always thinking. How did your ride fare?

[jbay]

I'd like to have Too Tall post some pics of his rig in D2R2 format. For me that was the most bada$$ bike there.

This picture doesn't do it justice, but here ya go.

-- John

[Bittersweet]

I learned on the forum, from dbrk I think, that the Michelin 25c is true to size or fatter than the typical 25c. To my eye it seemed similar to Shoe's 27c Roly Poly. I never wished for tread of any sort. I'm a seated climber and conditions on the 100k were very favorable and there was no 22% grade hill that I remember. I loved that I didn't hear the whine of the treads on the pavement. I thought the 25c was a little inadequate on the Old Albany Rd uphill in the very beginning. I was in the 27t, perched on the nose mtb style and my HRM hit 190bpm. I thought it was going to be a hellacious day as this was quite early. I whacked a rock hard on a downhill where Shoe did his best World Rally Championship fishtail exhibition and thought I was going to pinch flat but luck held. The downhill on Hawk's Rd was a little dicey but it didn't last too long. Overall the tires were fine and weren't a limiting factor. We did it comfortably in 4:20 and hit a max speed of 50mph. I think the tire of choice would be Too Tall's Tufo D28 set up. That looked pro.

I would have been fine with a Shimano or FSA compact but neither offers a 180mm arm. I like 180s and my body is used to them so I didn't want to switch length at the last minute. I found the Stronglights in Toulouse FR and couldn't get TAs in time. The Stronglights are goofy looking with odd French styling but they are growing on me. I like the 48t big ring and as pointed out the old 52x13 was always pretty adequate, at least for me, before everything went to 53. Other than my DA 53/39 crank I've switched the others to 52s. I ride alone 99% of the time and average 20mph. This doesn't warrant the 53x12. At 6'5" and 168lbs people rarely remark about my "powerful" style. I bought a 50t at the same time and doubt I'll put it on. For now I ride almost all the time in the 48t until it really goes up.

Shoe and I will hug it out offline - not that there is anything wrong with that.

[Ginger]

Ginger - Being a fellow Kirkian (is that a word?) I am curious what setup you used? Tires, gearing etc? I have not used my Kirk for anything but fast road riding but I am always thinking. How did your ride fare?

Eric,
My kirk was built as the Montana road bike with a terraplane. It loved this ride!

Shoe was on a Kirk so check out his setup as well.

I'm not saying much because I bailed at the first check point of the 64miler. It wasn't the ride or climbing...that was hard, but do-able with my setup. (It was a "Family" issue that has worked out just fine...) I was just REALLY slow going up hill...because...well...I am. Don't get me wrong...next time I will have a bigger selection of much easier gears than I took with me this time. I think that I would have been unhappy if I had done the complete 100k with this setup.

Compact campy 34/50 on the front and a 13/29 on the rear, and unlike the guys I *was* running 30c Richey Speed Max Cross tires at about 50lbs.
My thought on the tires was that I was glad that I had them in the dirt, but like all knobbies, they made me nervous on the sweeping curves on the wet pavement descents. Next time I'll probably go with a road type tire. I know I can handle those in the dirt, and it would make the pavement faster. (I ride the Kirk in the dirt on road tires all the time. I was just a little psyched out by the description of the ride.)

Next time, unless my strength changes drastically I'll be doing the whole thing and will go with a triple or a mtb setup on the rear to give me a bigger selection of very easy gears. While I did the climbs with what I had...I would have rather had the triple.

I'll get my pictures posted up soon. I did go back and ride a bit more of the ride when the weather cleared up a bit. :)

For those who are curious and may go to ride the ride outside of the event; there is a rest area at 91 and 2 that you can ride out of to the ride. It isn't that far from the official start and it's easier than finding parking space in town. No showers, but the bathrooms were open all day.


Shoe does get the "Appropriate Lifestyle Vehicle" award. Honda Element seemed to be the vehicle of the day in the parking lot.

[shoe]

finger lakes ramble steel bike convention---d2r2 honda element convention... and i thought i was the only one that new bikes fit in their so easily... ginger glad to hear things turned out alright....dave

[theprep]

Does anyone have information on who stacks all these rocks?

I think we came upon this river at about 80-90 miles into the 115 mile ride.

[obtuse]

ahm. i don't know.

[Ginger]

Close. Depending on who you talk to.

Buddists.
(no one related to dirt digger though...)

At least that's the story I heard.

[Ray]

Does anyone have information on who stacks all these rocks?

I think we came upon this river at about 80-90 miles into the 115 mile ride.
Are you sure they were really there? 80-90 miles of THAT ride woud be enough to make even your camera hallucinate.

-Ray

[theprep]

Are you sure they were really there? 80-90 miles of THAT ride woud be enough to make even your camera hallucinate.

-Ray

If I didn't have the photo as proof, I would have thought I was hallucinating.

A few miles before the rock river there was a "LITTLE BIG HOUSE" along the route. I would like to see a photo of that, to confirm I was not hallucinating. It had a huge front door and windows for the Jolly Green Giant. I believe there was a sign, like it was some sort of tourist destination.

cheers,
Prep

[ericspin]

Lool like cairns to me. Typically they are marking something. Wonder if they are marking something here or is this some type of Zen gardening?

[Too Tall]

Thanks, yes the TUFO D28 is one he!! of a great tyre for this event. I pumped them to 80/85 I tink! That was a wee too much pressure. I had excellent traction even on the steep stuff and awesome rim protection on fast descents. Sorry no new pics. of the rig....he's sleeping :)

[nikehoffman]

Nothing wrong with walking if you didn't bring the gears :)

[fiamme red]

Nothing wrong with walkinghttp://farm3.static.flickr.com/2741/4151351743_bb316a6eef.jpg