Dude wins MTB race on gravel bike

[fa63]

The dude is Geoff Kabush, but still an interesting read:

https://www.velonews.com/2018/11/news/the-dirt-how-and-why-kabush-won-iceman-on-a-gravel-bike_481072

[ptourkin]

Cool story. Four people finished Leadville on Rodeo Labs Trail Donkeys, a couple placing pretty well. Like Geoff said, they handle the groady sections fast.

[redir]

Dude has skillz.

" I was running 20-21psi," Wow, that's lower then I would have thought.

[Aldus]

Not familiar with the course, but he described it as pretty smooth so I can totally see this.

I love riding my CX and SSCX bikes around the MTB trails in our local parks. Makes you focus on the line choice instead of letting the bike soak everything up. I've also trashed wheels doing this so hey, it is kind of a risk.

[crankles]

Dude has skillz.

" I was running 20-21psi," Wow, that's lower then I would have thought.
If he was running those 650b 2.1 tires, it's not *that* low.

[nalax]

Dude is on the Canadian Olympic team how many times? And a past winner of Iceman a couple of times. World cup rider etc. Iceman is mostly double track as I recall (haven't been there in 15 years), deep sand in spots, not technical, but it's a fun and fast race to end the season.

[dustyrider]

Reminds me of a cyclocross race I was in once. This dude shows up in cut off jean shorts and a tank top, swings his leg over a bmx bike and proceeds to lap the entire field. Never got the chance to talk to him, but I assumed he was an elite athlete just out for some fun.

[d_douglas]

Yes, he is seriously capable as a rider.

He once sat beside my wife and I in a great restaurant and ate dinner. I didnt approach him, as I am sure he just wanted quiet, but was impressed at the food he put back - he was no starving cyclist :)

[mtb_frk]

Iceman is mostly two track, with some dirt roads and a few single track sections. Lots of sand depending on the weather. They usually cut in new single track at the end which is typically pretty rough, just because it is new. Some people race it on cross bikes every year, you see a very wide range of bikes for sure. Probably the hardtail 29er is the most common bike.

For a pro racer the course isn’t really hard I would say, just a lot of punchy hills near the end. It’s fun watching the pros finish, it’s amazing how fast they are.

[BryanE]

Here you go.
Drinking is hard in a race.
Perfect course for a cross bike.
BE

[45K10]

I got third one time in a MTB race on a cross bike but I'm by no means Geoff Kabush. That dude is PRO.

I was in a couple of spring RR with him when I lived in Vancouver. He would just ride off the front of the pack (Pro 1,2,3) do some intervals and then come back. Until the last lap then he would just help blow everything up.

He and Tim Johnson are two of the nicest Pros I have meet.

[benb]

ISTR seeing him release a power file from a big win years ago and it was like WHOA!

That bike really looks sweet, those are some big tires.

The pressures don't look too low for tubeless setups.

I have been running about 20-22psi in the front and 25-27psi in the rear for years on my mountain bike with 26x2.1-2.3 tires. Much more than that for tire pressure and things really don't work as well either in terms of rolling resistance or traction and bump absorption.

The whole thing makes sense.. until there's a majority of sections with rocks and roots and/or things you need to jump the gravel bike makes a ton of sense.

[benc]

Istr?

[Jaybee]

I Seem To Recall.

[azrider]

Ummm......not just any dude......that's Geoff Kabush. :p

[batman1425]

Istr?

i seem to remember

[R3awak3n]

As the owner of the same bike, I wish I could have got the yeti colored one

also we need video of this dude ripping through the corse on that bike

[bitt3n]

is that his normal cross bike? the drop looks pretty shallow for someone that hard core

[Sjambok]

I recently did the Oregon Mtb 24 solo on the same bike (brown version, not the sweet yeti one). I cut my race short at 12 hours since I was happy with my results but I felt the bike was a definite overall advantage especially with 1000 ft each lap of climbing. The race had a lot of single track but nothing too technical. The only rough spots were the corners where the brake bumps got worse and worse every lap. I was running 2.1s in the high teens for pressure with wide rims (Ibis 741s). I brought my 5010 just in case but never ended up riding beyond the parking lot.

[mtb_frk]

As the owner of the same bike, I wish I could have got the yeti colored one

also we need video of this dude ripping through the corse on that bike


https://www.iceman.com/videos/2035627

The race will be shown on cbs sports network on the Sunday after (American) thanksgiving.

[Matthew]

I've done Iceman four or five times now and can see where this bike may have an advantage because of the type of course. I haven't done it in a while but it's a fast flowy course for sure. But he could likely win it on my old 26er too.

[R3awak3n]

https://www.iceman.com/videos/2035627

The race will be shown on cbs sports network on the Sunday after (American) thanksgiving.

@ 30s in the video. Thank you for that. Amazing

[BryanE]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mFo-kx7puQ0

[Spaceman Spiff]

I recently did the Oregon Mtb 24 solo on the same bike (brown version, not the sweet yeti one). I cut my race short at 12 hours since I was happy with my results but I felt the bike was a definite overall advantage especially with 1000 ft each lap of climbing. The race had a lot of single track but nothing too technical. The only rough spots were the corners where the brake bumps got worse and worse every lap. I was running 2.1s in the high teens for pressure with wide rims (Ibis 741s). I brought my 5010 just in case but never ended up riding beyond the parking lot.I did the same race! I used my rigid 29er because it's my only mountain bike. BUT I didn't feel like the lack of suspension was a disadvantage at all. That course was not technical and very fast.

Sent from my Moto G (4) using Tapatalk

[unterhausen]

I think it's great that this kind of bike is now coming with clearance for 2.1" tires. But it seems a little misleading to call it a cross bike, a pro couldn't ride it in a sanctioned cross race.

[KonaSS]

I don't think this bike is branded as a cross bike at all, but you can race cross on it, even at the pro level with the right tires.

In fact Kabush, got 2nd at the Canadian National Cyclocross championships this past weekend on this bike.

[Jaybee]

I recently did the Oregon Mtb 24 solo on the same bike (brown version, not the sweet yeti one). I cut my race short at 12 hours since I was happy with my results but I felt the bike was a definite overall advantage especially with 1000 ft each lap of climbing. The race had a lot of single track but nothing too technical. The only rough spots were the corners where the brake bumps got worse and worse every lap. I was running 2.1s in the high teens for pressure with wide rims (Ibis 741s). I brought my 5010 just in case but never ended up riding beyond the parking lot.

Man, every Open UP/Upper I see just looks really good, regardless of color. Especially the 650b fat versions.

[benb]

I don't think this bike is branded as a cross bike at all, but you can race cross on it, even at the pro level with the right tires.

In fact Kabush, got 2nd at the Canadian National Cyclocross championships this past weekend on this bike.

That's an amazing testimony to this bike. Competitive at the top level in 2-3 disciplines. (It can't be a worse gravel bike than MTB or Cross bike can it?)

[wc1934]

Dude has skillz.

" I was running 20-21psi," Wow, that's lower then I would have thought.

I was just looking that up - I thought the same thing - thought at least 50-55.
Shows you what I know - or don't know.

[R3awak3n]

That's an amazing testimony to this bike. Competitive at the top level in 2-3 disciplines. (It can't be a worse gravel bike than MTB or Cross bike can it?)

I bet you could get good results as a road bike too, its a great bike. I think he probably could have got results with any similar bike though :)

[R3awak3n]

I was just looking that up - I thought the same thing - thought at least 50-55.
Shows you what I know - or don't know.

50-55 would be at the upper limit of a 2.1 me thinks.

[sandyrs]

50-55 would be at the upper limit of a 2.1 me thinks.

It would be well above the limit on lots of wheelsets, too! My Shimano XT wheels have a 40psi limit, which is more than enough for mtb-width tires.

[benb]

50-55psi... that'll knock your fillings out!

[93KgBike]

When you are thatstrong, you gots choices! He's having fun with it. Bet he telemarks too.