Dude wins MTB race on gravel bike

[fa63]

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

https://www.velonews.com/2018/11/new...el-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]

Originally Posted by redir

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.