Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Hey Crew,
Frank Lundeen of Cyclova XC put together a useful check list for when you are on the bike.  Cyclova XC will also have some basic bike consumables (tubes, chains, quick links, etc) for sale should you burn through your tubes on in the 1st day.

I also put together a short opus on using a GPS to navigate on the bike on my personal blog.

Water: Anytime you see a sign for a campground there is a good probability that there will be well water available.  I will always have at least 20 gallons of water and ice in the truck.

Aid stations: On stages 2 and 3 I will be on course near Isabella with all sorts of beverages and food. There is also the Trestle Inn on the last stage (just before you start heading up Heartbreak!).
Let me know if you have questions

Monday, August 20, 2012

The Route

If you registered you should have received 3 emails from me with the final routes as GPX and TCX files, and Cue sheets.
Below is what the route looks like from 30,000 ft.
Stage 1: Grand Marais to East Bearskin Lake ~50 miles

Stage 2: Bearskin Lake to Ely ~125 miles

Stage 3: Ely back to Grand Marais ~115 miles

I would also like acknowledge our newest sponsor: A-Train Cycles This event would not be possible without the generous support of businesses large and small. Thanks!

Sunday, August 12, 2012

Final Recon

Its gonna hurt.
It is finished. Under 300 miles. I have a route put together and will have GPX, TCX, and cue sheets out to you by the end of the week via email.
Few Details: Hwy 1 is still closed and is nowhere near being completed.  I rode through trespassed the construction zone on Friday and almost got ran over by several 60 ton Terex mining dump trucks that were positively flying.  That was the most scared I have been in quite a while.  The official Hwy 1 detour would subject you to about 40 miles of narrow pavement, and I was not thrilled about that prospect either.
So I spent some time evaluating the prospects of routing on "unimproved routes" that connects Tomahwk Rd with Spruce Rd by the Kawishiwi River.  This would totally bypass all the construction and still spit you out on Hwy 1 about 8 miles south of the airport.  I rode the route, found it to be very acceptable, and then marked it with yellow fluorescent tape to aid with navigation since there are no road signs.

Another flat, but I catch this one early, and manage to nip it in the bud.
I only had 1 tire plug and thankfully it held.



140 strokes with the floor pump to get to 35 psi

I managed to get about 125 miles over the weekend, and I can say that I would not be afraid of riding a mountain bike on this course.  There is only about 10 miles that would require you to be super careful on a cross bike with 35c tires, but there is a lot of piece of mind rolling on bigger tires.  It allows you to look about and be negligent with your line choice.  If you intend to SS, please choose a conservative gear ratio (no more than 60 gear inches) and be prepared to do some walking on the last day.
My trusty steed.
Northern Culture on the Skids
Let me know if you have questions