Farmington CT - Winding Trails ?

[bdee]

I'm thinking of doing the sport singlespeed race - any thoughts on gearing? The description of the course says it's fast - my question is how fast? 32X15 fast ? Any big climbs, grinding sections etc. Any info will be much appreciated :)

[gnurider1080]

count me in for that. ill be on my rigid singlespeed. 8) hopefully the course will have dried out by then.

[Wheeldog]

I don't ride singlespeed but I have ridden that race course (last Fall). I would say there aren't any killer climbs to speak of. There was one spot that was kind of washed out where people were hopping off and running up, but even that was pretty short.

[jaime]

I did that one 2 years ago. It's a really pretty place (bring a picnic for afterwards), but the racing itself is pretty tame. Lots of double track, relatively flat. Good course for displaying your roadie fitness. I had fun there...

[bdee]

So, think I could do it on my 'cross bike? I'm serious (for once). Any rules against it? That would be a fun time if it's really that flat and fast.

[AA]

So, think I could do it on my 'cross bike? I'm serious (for once). Any rules against it? That would be a fun time if it's really that flat and fast.


I've never seen the Winding Trails course but I have seen people attempt the Watershed Wahoo race on a cross bike. It generally dosent work out too well.

http://www.efta.com/info/wahoo05.pdf

As far as I know a cross bike is no different that a 29er and those are legal

[ArmOnFire]

The Wahoo is a fun race, no singletrack, but you are either screaming downhill or lung searing climbing, all doubletrack; fireroads.

[OldSloDoggie]

count me in for that. ill be on my rigid singlespeed. 8) hopefully the course will have dried out by then.


Gnu,
Whats's your new ride? Still got the Kona?

[gnurider1080]

the kona is gonna be a rigid singlespeed this season. depending on how it goes with my parents i might be getting a morphine to use as a freeride bike.

[Big Game]

So, think I could do it on my 'cross bike? I'm serious (for once). Any rules against it? That would be a fun time if it's really that flat and fast.


Every year a few people race on a 'cross bike....I don't think they'd have problem with it this year either. And just to let you know how big of a disadvanatage it is, I've passed the 'cross riders. They are just not nimbly-pimbly enough and the roots will steal your momentum. You'll get massively beat up...a 32cm tire just doesn't give you as much cushion as a 1.9. Even the most technical cross race is still pretty smooth. And while Widing Trails is smooth for a MTB course, it is rougher than any 'cross course.

[Dino Sore]

And while Widing Trails is smooth for a MTB course, it is rougher than any 'cross course.


I agree. Even though there's a lot of flat double-track, the roots can be pretty brutal on a hard-tail mountain bike. I hit a couple of big roots last year that flung me right off course and into the toolies.

[bdee]

Thanks for the info on the course :) I'm 99.9 % certain I'm just going to stick to a rigid SS. Maybe geared to 32x15. I'm in crappy racing shape but I just didn't want to get stuck spinning like a fool if its that flat. Should be fun, hopefully things dry out by then :-\

[gnurider1080]

ill be running a 32x16. does that mean its in the middle for the gear ratios or really high or really low?

[bdee]

32X16 is kind of the "standard" starting point (most stock SS bikes come set up this way). I usually run a 32X18 or 32X17 for most places like Foxboro, Arcadia etc. It works well for short steep climbs and is doable on the longer grinds. It all depends on your fitness and whether you spin or mash (pedal squares) and where you ride. The only reason I'd go lower for a flat course is to avoid spinning out - the point where you just can't get any power and your legs are spinning as fast as they can. If it's muddy a lower gear will be easier as well.

[mcd]

I also want to try out some racing this year...how about a link to this race as i'm unable to find it...
thanks

[splat]

MCD

check these sites

http://www.root66raceseries.com/schedule/winding.php
and
http://www.windingtrails.com/mtbike/index.html

[sizlinseagulsoup]

www.root66raceseries.com

I'd agree, a cross bike wouldn't be a good idea. It seems everytime I take a cross bike on a mountain trail, there are pinch flats galor (anyone else go to the Dalton shorttrack? That was a disaster)

[gnurider1080]

well im pretty sure im going. i hope 15 miles on a singlespeed for my first real ride of the season wont kill me.

[bdee]

The race was a lot of fun. I ran a 32X16 in the SS race and it was pretty much perfect. Wound up 6th in the SS race and funny thing is I would have wound up 6th in the geared Sport race as well (going by overall time to finish). Amazing how much that course suited a SS. Saw Gnurider there for his first "real ride" on his SS. He picked a good way to break it in ;)

[gnurider1080]

i really wish that i had ridden more before that race. i felt like i was gonna die. i came in 2nd to last in the ss class because some guy didnt finish and got the slowest time for all of the sport class racers. that course had some fun downhills. although i nearly crashed when i flew into that huge mudhole at the bottom of one of the hills. even though i was in alot of pain, im somehow looking forward to the next race.

[MMcG]

People have to wear nametags at these races so we can all say hello to each other.

I was there rooting on my friend Doug who was in the sport 30-39 class.

There were two unbelievably fast SSers - one on a rigid Vicious hardtail I think it was and the other on a Ritchey SS - looked like an older frame but it looked sweet. Those two guys were really really strong.

BDee was that you riding the sparkly blue SS??

[gnurider1080]

yup he was riding that. im pretty sure he lapped me too. i was riding a blue/grey kona cinder cone and wearing a green sinister shirt.

[bdee]

Yeah, that was me on the blue Schwinn. My buddy was the guy that DNF'd. He just started riding SS and hasn't raced a whole lot in general. He's a really strong rider, usually gets stronger the longer the ride. Racing is always a different kind of riding though. Oddly enough I think it'll motivate him to race more ;D

The guys that won the SS race were seriously fast. I never saw them after the first climb. I was just psyched to come within 4 minutes of their finishing time. That open class is pretty wild, I think those guys could've raced in the Expert race and won. I'm bummed I'll miss the race on May 15th but I may do the one on May 29th. The goal is to do one a month before going to the SS worlds in PA in August.

[MMcG]

Yeah, that was me on the blue Schwinn. My buddy was the guy that DNF'd. He just started riding SS and hasn't raced a whole lot in general. He's a really strong rider, usually gets stronger the longer the ride. Racing is always a different kind of riding though. Oddly enough I think it'll motivate him to race more ;D

The guys that won the SS race were seriously fast. I never saw them after the first climb. I was just psyched to come within 4 minutes of their finishing time. That open class is pretty wild, I think those guys could've raced in the Expert race and won. I'm bummed I'll miss the race on May 15th but I may do the one on May 29th. The goal is to do one a month before going to the SS worlds in PA in August.


Was your buddy the big dude on the bright green Bianchi??

[bdee]

Nope - the big dude on the black Redline Monocog. He was wearing the cut off shorts with the knickers underneath.

[Wheeldog]

I'm bummed I'll miss the race on May 15th but I may do the one on May 29th. The goal is to do one a month before going to the SS worlds in PA in August.


There is a race on May 22nd in this area that is not part of the root66 series but is still supposed to be a pretty good course. It's in Winsted CT. You can find details on bikereg.com or on the message boards of the root66raceseries.com site.

Winding Trails was fun on Sunday - tons of people (and a lot of fast riders).

[bdee]

Our RI NEMBA Fun Ride is May 22nd, so I'll be tied up there (should be a good time). Seems like the schedule this year is getting crowded very fast between trail work, events and races - never mind non bike related stuff.

[douglas]

........although i nearly crashed when i flew into that huge mudhole at the bottom of one of the hills. even though i was in alot of pain, im somehow looking forward to the next race.



I think that mudhole was my fav part of the course! ;D - it was about the only place I passed anyone!

There was some pretty fast guys in the sport group....I ended up getting 20th/34
that was the biggest field I have ever raced against

[hammerhead]

Certainly was a fabulous day for a ride in the woods. I agree with you Douglas the large fast field was a bit of a challenge. It really stinks I pass my kid at mile 14, he started two groups ahead of me, he still gets points in his class for 10th place and I end up 20th out of the 37 overfortys.

[Dino Sore]

I agree with you Douglas the large fast field was a bit of a challenge. It really stinks I pass my kid at mile 14, he started two groups ahead of me, he still gets points in his class for 10th place and I end up 20th out of the 37 overfortys.


Regarding the speed of the field, I figured the winning sport class riders were averaging around 13+ mph (the expert winners almost 15mph).

That's freaking fast, especially considering there were long stretches of soft, slow ground (the bark mulch field, for example).

[sizlinseagulsoup]

I was there too. My nametag is an orange superlight with a big old' wad of ducttape on the toptube!