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My main bike goals this year are XC MTB races and I'm thinking about what percentage of my training time should be spent on the MTB versus the road/gravel bike. Reasons to ride the MTB: It's more specific, you're training the positions and stresses of the goal event. It provides technical practice. More fun. Reasons to ride the road/gravel bike: It's easier to accumulate more easy Z1/2 volume on road/gravel routes than on MTB trails. For intervals, it's easier to find climbs/segments that match the interval length than on MTB trails. You can ride from home rather than having to drive with the bike somewhere (unless you ride the MTB to the trails or drive to gravel) which saves time and can make it easier to get out the door on a busy day. What are thoughts from other folks who race XC?
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Apr 12, 2023 05:53
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gohuskies posted:My main bike goals this year are XC MTB races and I'm thinking about what percentage of my training time should be spent on the MTB versus the road/gravel bike. I’ve got a couple of thoughts, at least. The first and most obvious answer is that it’s highly terrain dependent. I’ve got lots of long climbs of varying grades that are well suited to any kind of horrifying interval. If your terrain doesn’t fit that, then yeah, it’s going to be a lot more difficult. The second thing that comes to mind is that regardless of the fit on your drop bar bike, putting down power in a mountain bike position is fundamentally different than doing so in a drop bar position, and I’d want to train the former for XC racing. It will stress different muscles, and you want to be ready for that. Also, part of XC racing for me is not just being able to descend, but being able to descend competently with your heart rate up in Z5 or so. You can’t practice that on a road bike. I think either will get your legs and lungs strong, but if your goal is to be fast on an XC bike, I’d maximize your time training on the XC bike.
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Apr 12, 2023 20:57
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It's hard to say how to balance a specific ratio of road riding to mtb but there is definitely value in road riding for xc racing fitness. If I lived somewhere without winter I suppose I would mtb more this time of year but I like spending time in the spring out road riding and getting those long days in. Hill intervals on pavement are kind of nice because you can focus more on putting yourself in a hole of misery vs paying attention to where you're going and what you're riding on and watching out for bears and hikers. I've only ridden a mountain bike like 3 times on short rides and low elevation trails so far but feel like I'm getting to the point where I'm ready to actually race from all the zwift and road riding. But yes there's also benefit to being on the mtb. I'll frequently add a workout into my "commute" home on the trails, which involves like a 25-30min ride up to the trailhead, then another like 45min up to the top of the ridge before descending down the next one where I live. That lets me warm up and then throw in like 4 vo2 efforts if I want or maybe I do some sort of a 40/20 format or I could even just do threshold all the way up. Anyway I guess one answer would be yes, ride a road bike especially if your trails are covered in snow like they are here. But ride mountain bikes too. Mainly just ride a lot. jamal fucked around with this message at 05:18 on Apr 13, 2023 |
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Apr 13, 2023 03:58
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Depending on the type of Mtb racing, road riding would be like running on the road to train for a mud/obstacle course run. The cardio helps a lot and you need that base line, but the specific technical skills make up at least 50% of the challenge.
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Apr 13, 2023 04:41
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Agree with Bud’s point in the value of doing hard efforts on the bike you plan to race. Road will bring the base fitness but can you carry speed while riding the MTB? How do process the trail in the middle of wanting to die? From a skills perspective, always something you can do on a rest week or easy day; lots of stuff to focus on that doesn’t need to be an interval, but just you getting more comfortable on the bike.
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Apr 13, 2023 14:21
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I find it really hard to do longer zone 2 type rides on single track around here. Especially on a weekly basis. That and I have to drive to the trails. Cuts into my ride time and makes it hard to hit my 10+ hours a week goal.
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Apr 13, 2023 16:16
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Went to do a couple of quick maintenance things to the hei hei today. Mainly wash it, swap tires, do a quick lower service, maybe clean out the pivots and check the bearings. Washed it and got the tires on but then lower service turned into taking the damper apart to change the fluid and bleed it because it felt like poo poo and ended up having quite a bit of air in it. Feels pretty good now but that took up a lot of time and I didn't do anything to the rear suspension parts so I guess some other time. Should service the freehub too. And the brake pads are looking pretty low. And I could use basically an entire new drivetrain. It is cleaner now  Was hoping going back to xc tires would get it under 26lbs but not quite. 26 and 4oz as pictured. jamal fucked around with this message at 02:07 on Apr 18, 2023 |
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Apr 18, 2023 02:00
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I have 2 young children and was able to carve out a 2-hour ride today. I feel incredible!
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Apr 18, 2023 02:33
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Nocheez posted:I have 2 young children and was able to carve out a 2-hour ride today. I feel incredible! Best feeling in the world. Well done.
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Apr 18, 2023 02:58
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Nocheez posted:I have 2 young children and was able to carve out a 2-hour ride today. I feel incredible! Living the dream
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Apr 18, 2023 04:03
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jamal posted:Went to do a couple of quick maintenance things to the hei hei today. Mainly wash it, swap tires, do a quick lower service, maybe clean out the pivots and check the bearings. Washed it and got the tires on but then lower service turned into taking the damper apart to change the fluid and bleed it because it felt like poo poo and ended up having quite a bit of air in it. Feels pretty good now but that took up a lot of time and I didn't do anything to the rear suspension parts so I guess some other time. Should service the freehub too. And the brake pads are looking pretty low. And I could use basically an entire new drivetrain. Nice bike! I've been doing a lot of maintenance lately too but I've been surprised at how little I've needed to change. I've ridden all through winter and my bike has put up with a lot of abuse from mud and rain and constant washing. I bought a new BB since it was on sale and was going to take off my old one, but when I took off the cranks and gave the bearings a clean and a test, they're still absolutely perfect. I haven't even touched it in 2 years, I'm super impressed! Now I've just got a spare BB for when (if ever) I need to replace. I got my wheels serviced yesterday as well, first time in 2 years and the front hubs didn't need any work at all. The rear hubs got new bearings but the rims are still fine and the front only needed a slight true. I'm also getting my fork serviced, as well as my frame and shock soon but I doubt there will be much work needed on any of them. I gave my frame bearings a check a few weeks ago and there's no grit or play in them either. 2 years on and running strong. I have a deadline of end of June to get all my servicing done because I'm off to the Alps for the first time (first time in summer anyway) in July for two weeks and I can't wait. One week in Morzine doing park and lift access riding and the next in Les Arcs on a guided week doing high alpine riding. It's going to be so good.
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Apr 18, 2023 08:30
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jamal posted:
Bike is looking real nice. I'm wanting to upgrade, but feeling stubborn about sticking with a hardtail, this beautiful bike has given me a lot to think about though. My rear hub was slippin' and giving it a good scrub and lube has it feeling very nice afterwards. I love my 100mm XC bike, but have taken it to a few bike parks and now realize how sketch it is over tech at full speed. I've got GAS real bad for a Ragley Big Al or Kona Honzo, but I don't really know if my local terrain can justify moving in that direction. Trails here are mostly flat with very short and punchy climbs and descents, usually ~600ft elevation over ten miles. Locals recommend staying under 130mm and get something that climbs well.  Currently on a 2012 Scott Scale Elite 29, 100mm Rockshox Reba, 135mm QR Chris King hubs, Stans Flow rims. Weighs about 24lbs and climbs very well. Love the wheels and hubs but sad I couldn't move them to a modern bike. Struggling to decide whether it's worth $2k to purchase something modern that can handle downhill better.
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Apr 18, 2023 15:32
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I'm getting back into mountain biking and just picked up a Rockhopper Expert 29. My job has turned out to be much more sedentary than I expected so I need to get some exercise. I forgot how much i enjoy biking. I have no delusions about ever entering a race. I'm also considering a gravel bike, as there's a great paved/gravel trail near my house. Guess I'll pop into that thread as well. He'll, last time I bought a bike gravel bikes didn't even exist.
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Apr 19, 2023 05:27
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You just bought the best type of gravel bike
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Apr 19, 2023 06:09
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I was weak and bought a $49 gravel frame today 
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Apr 19, 2023 06:47
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praxis posted:I'm getting back into mountain biking and just picked up a Rockhopper Expert 29. My job has turned out to be much more sedentary than I expected so I need to get some exercise. I forgot how much i enjoy biking. I have no delusions about ever entering a race. I'm also considering a gravel bike, as there's a great paved/gravel trail near my house. Guess I'll pop into that thread as well. He'll, last time I bought a bike gravel bikes didn't even exist. Congrats! That bike looks like a ton of fun and a perfect re-introduction. Where you mentioned the thing about entering a race - think of races as bike celebrations basically, everyone is basically there to have a good time and talk about biking and make friends etc. I wouldn't think of it like what you see at the very top level. You can look back in this thread (or the racing thread) and see lots of what I'm referring to. It's not something I would think of as a goal when you start a sport but I think it's not worth totally discounting.
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Apr 19, 2023 06:50
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vikingstrike posted:You just bought the best type of gravel bike VelociBacon posted:Congrats! That bike looks like a ton of fun and a perfect re-introduction. Where you mentioned the thing about entering a race - think of races as bike celebrations basically, everyone is basically there to have a good time and talk about biking and make friends etc. I wouldn't think of it like what you see at the very top level. You can look back in this thread (or the racing thread) and see lots of what I'm referring to. It's not something I would think of as a goal when you start a sport but I think it's not worth totally discounting. Thanks! I'll be reading back through this thread and who knows, maybe I'll decide to try a race. I know they have them at a nearby state park on a trail I've ridden many times.
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Apr 19, 2023 08:14
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Nice thing about a gravel bike is they can handle road riding without too bad a speed penalty. Going to be faster and, IMO, more comfortable on the road than a hard tail. While still being good on dirt roads and easy single track.
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Apr 19, 2023 13:44
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^100% I tell new cyclists that a gravel bike is the best of both worlds, on and off road. (As opposed to the bike style they're usually asking for advice on buying, a hybrid.) A proper hardtail MTB tho? Always good to have in the quiver. Just not the best single bike solution for most folks.
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Apr 19, 2023 17:41
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I don’t know, I think if you’re into MTB at all a hardtail is the best choice for one’s only bike. When I had only a hardtail everything was OK. Commuting was a little slower but whatever, I’d take the car if I didn’t have the time to spare. And on the plus side, I could go anywhere: ATV trails, doubletrack, singletrack. It does everything well enough, and I would find far more limitations with a gravel bike.
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Apr 19, 2023 17:50
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I was mostly joking, but in all seriousness, I think it depends on what "gravel" means when you use it. For dirt road riding, drop bar bike with wider tires will be better, for sure. If you're doing mixed rides with actual singletrack, I'm not sure a hardtail is a much worse choice. I also think underbiking is fun up to a point and I'd rather be on a MTB past that.
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Apr 19, 2023 18:02
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Nohearum posted:I was weak and bought a $49 gravel frame today $49????? That seems basically impossible.
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Apr 19, 2023 18:12
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spwrozek posted:$49????? That seems basically impossible. The-house.com/framed bikes are shuttering and they have the basswood alloy frame for $98, take50 gives 50% off right now
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Apr 19, 2023 20:40
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FireTora posted:The-house.com/framed bikes are shuttering and they have the basswood alloy frame for $98, take50 gives 50% off right now Seems that coupon code works site wide, you can get the $2k fat bike frame they have left for about $275 after sale and coupon.
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Apr 19, 2023 22:11
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drat, nice job.
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Apr 19, 2023 22:30
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Yeah, they've been picked pretty clean over the last 2 months. They had a 70% off coupon last week but they killed it with what was probably their last 'restock' of poo poo they needed to off load. Some people on mtbr have placed a dozen+ orders since December on wheels and poo poo
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Apr 19, 2023 22:38
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Somewhat kicking myself for waiting to pull the trigger since the forks sold out while I was deciding. Might have found one on craigslist that works but the steerer tube length is cutting it close.
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Apr 19, 2023 22:42
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Finally got out on the new bike tonight to do intervals with the jr team. It goes uphill good. hei hei goes downhill better though. weird fizik 3d printed saddle ok, not great, but maybe i need to mess with the position a little. 760 bars compared to 800s on the hei hei pretty noticable. tempted to cut those down to like 780 so it's less of a difference. Haven't measured/compared reach, saddle, setback, handlebar drop between the two but it's all fairly close just from my initial setup. Lockout is a little finicky and I think i need to tighten the cable up a bit. Damper has less LSC than the fit 4 in the 34sc and that's noticeable- kind of have to use the lockout to pedal hard. Need to go up a couple psi as well I think. Don't really notice the isospeed. Tires measure a touch over 2.3 (labeled 2.4, on a 29mm rim) and I ran them at 20/21. Roll fairly fast, grip ok. Seems like pirelli's version of the aspen, which I've never tried but almost bought numerous times over the years. Weighed 21lbs 8oz before I put those matchy bottle cages on. First xc race in like two weeks and I'm definitely bringing this. Felt so good cranking on it with the fork locked out up the ~4min climb we were doing laps on. Hei hei is pretty decent with the revavled shock and xc tires but it's still not this. jamal fucked around with this message at 05:38 on Apr 20, 2023 |
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Apr 20, 2023 03:26
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Nohearum posted:I was weak and bought a $49 gravel frame today Post some pics when you get it. I also bought it, along with the gravel wheels for dirt cheap and some other bits. Figure I can flip it worst case
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Apr 20, 2023 13:37
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I'm gonna be an mtb guy now
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Apr 20, 2023 16:55
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Literally Lewis Hamilton posted:Post some pics when you get it. I also bought it, along with the gravel wheels for dirt cheap and some other bits. Figure I can flip it worst case Let me know if you decide to not keep the wheels
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Apr 20, 2023 18:21
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HenryJLittlefinger posted:I'm gonna be an mtb guy now Great looking bike, what is it?
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Apr 20, 2023 19:41
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VelociBacon posted:Great looking bike, what is it? 2023 Cannondale Habit 4
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Apr 20, 2023 19:48
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Anyone gonna go see the Sea Otter Classic? Tomorrow the enduro group is doing the slalom, always a cool event. I am not ready for the slalom.
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Apr 20, 2023 20:12
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Pro tip - don't get a 2x1 caught in your spokes, it doesn't work out well! Luckily it was slow on a fireroad rather than going downhill but it was a ride ender for sure. Thank god I only need to replace the valve!
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Apr 21, 2023 08:56
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32 (or 28) spoke holes and the 2x1 chose that location. I would have played the lottery that night.
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Apr 21, 2023 14:10
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Literally Lewis Hamilton posted:Post some pics when you get it. I also bought it, along with the gravel wheels for dirt cheap and some other bits. Figure I can flip it worst case Product listing explicitly said no fork but it came with one anyway as a bonus (and thru axles). Also shown is the gravel wheels. WTB i23 rims. One issue is the fork is 12mm thru axle and the front hub is 15mm thru axle. Might have to source a different wheel if I can't find converters. 
Nohearum fucked around with this message at 22:25 on Apr 21, 2023 |
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Apr 21, 2023 21:28
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vikingstrike posted:I was mostly joking, but in all seriousness, I think it depends on what "gravel" means when you use it. For dirt road riding, drop bar bike with wider tires will be better, for sure. If you're doing mixed rides with actual singletrack, I'm not sure a hardtail is a much worse choice. I also think underbiking is fun up to a point and I'd rather be on a MTB past that. Yeah, for me, a gravel bike is the ideal single bike. YMMV. And out of the six working bikes I have right now, my HT by far has gotten the least amount of use in the last 12 months. One icy commute to work and one mtb ride when my Pivot Switchblade was out of commission. It did not spark joy. Going to sell my HT and get a FS XC race bike later in the season. Spec Epic, maybe. Planning on doing the Little Sugar MTB race in Oct and the Austin Rattler race in Nov. Hopefully getting into the Leadville 100 next year. Have a friend that wants to do it.
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Apr 21, 2023 22:42
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dema posted:Yeah, for me, a gravel bike is the ideal single bike. YMMV. I absolutely love FS XC bike out here. I have a Blur TR and it's fantastic for mixed route riding in the foothills. I also have a hardtail and don't think it's a great fit for the area. Last I touched it was on White Rim and even then I'd rather ride the Blur.
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Apr 21, 2023 22:52
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I’m sorry but I can’t let a matching Taco and bike go unappreciated. Well done.
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Apr 23, 2023 13:04
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