2016 CTR Planning

[IanMac]

Thanks to all for the forum contributions - great resource for rookie and non-US riders. On my way to Denver - I'm in for the group start, aiming to finish and complete the triple crown challenge for 2016.
I'm not fast so was wondering if carrying 2 days food would cover the longer sections between supply points?

Good luck everyone.

[Woodland]

I'm not fast so was wondering if carrying 2 days food would cover the longer sections between supply points?

IanMac - if you're not so fast, than probably not the Princeton Hot Springs to Silverton section. Of course, all depends on how many calories, how much you need, how many miles you cover a day. You're talking a good, rugged, remote 180 miles with nadda. Of course, you can drop into Lake City - and I mean, drop! - if you really need to.

And - keep in mind, Mt. Princeton is the last resort before that long stretch. The City Market in BV is your last good resupply before Silverton. Hit Mt. Princeton if you need a few last minute items. I didn't mean to imply that you fully restock at Mt. Princeton.

[Yogi the Barry]

@Woodland,
CTR 2012, first day, after having been pinned-down on the Kenosha side of Georgia Pass for about an hour, I finally make it over Georgia and descend down below treeline, just in time to setup my tarp before another round of storms comes rolling thru. Long story short, I've never had lightning strike that close to me. Usually it's flash-bang, between the light and sound. That time the sound came before the "L" in "flash". The lightning seemed brighter than daylight and for a surprisingly long time. Nothing like lying under a tarp, getting pelted by hail and rain, having never felt that helpless and wanting to just snap my fingers and transport the hell out of there. I had three series of storms roll thru that night, about every 90 minutes, and the last one was the crescendo which I will never forget. What topped off the evening was while pretending to sleep for a couple hours, after the storms quit rolling thru, it was oh so quiet by then, I was startled by the sound of a tree snapping and then the slow-motion snap, crackle, pop of many limbs as it crashed into other trees on the way to the ground, what felt like less than a hundred feet away. No wind when it happened. Gravity? The causality of the lightning strike? A sign to get the flip out of there? My palms sweat just thinking about that night...
-B

Ha, sorry Barry - but I've done my fair share of time huddled under a tree in the dark listening to the heavens trying to pound me into the ground!
It's only fair that us spectators get a good show.  
I'm just fooling. ...

[Woodland]

@Woodland,
CTR 2012, first day, after having been pinned-down on the Kenosha side of Georgia Pass for about an hour....My palms sweat just thinking about that night...
-B

Exact same night I was referring to   I slept on the East side. I still remember the feeling of the hail pelting me through my bivy, and trying to stem the flood as it came through the mesh opening in my MSR ac bivy. Ah man...I'll remember that night forever.

[Yogi the Barry]

@Woodland,
Guess I'm cluttering up the thread here, but surviving that night makes us part of a brotherhood.
My wife says it was like I had PTSD afterwards...
-B

Exact same night I was referring to  I slept on the East side.

[mtnbound]

IanMac, Woodland is right.  I don't know what you consider fast, but if you are expecting a time frame of at least 5 days for the entire CTR, then you will want more than 2 days supply from BV to Silverton, likely 3 days worth of food (or even possibly 4 if you are expecting to be in the 8+ day range for the entire CTR).  

It is worth noting that when resupplying in BV (best place is the City Market), it is best to have a food list prepared ahead of time.  When you are numb from riding, it is easy to be overwhelmed in the store and not know what to buy and you end up getting crap you won't eat/not get enough food or get too much food (i.e. try to count calories ahead of time to know what you need).  Plus, it can be a time suck in the store if you don't know what you are looking for and just wander around.  Of course, you can change your list when you get to BV if some items don't sound good anymore but that is easier to do when you already have a list prepared.

Anyway, good luck on your CTR (and triple crown challenge)!!!

[GeorgeHD]

I just converted to a 1x11 set up with a 32T ring up front, wondering what people run on the CT?  Would 28T be preferred?

[Woodland]

I just converted to a 1x11 set up with a 32T ring up front, wondering what people run on the CT?  Would 28T be preferred?

You certainly wouldn't be wishing you had that 32T ring! Awful lot of climbing out there. I ran a 28T, but I only had a 1x9

[Bob Loblaw]

I'm running 1x11 with 26T on a 29er. For me, 32t would be WAY too tall,, but you may be stronger

[Yogi the Barry]

@GeorgeHD,
How timely. This morning I pulled off my crank and swapped my normal 22T stainless steel granny ring for my bikepacking 21T titanium ring. Yes, I'm old school and still run a 10-spd double. That makes my bottom gear a 21T chainring with a 36T cassette. This 1.7:1 ratio would equate to a 24.5T chainring if you had a 42T as your largest 11-spd cassette cog. But maybe you have swapped in a 50T or have the new Eagle?
The large ring in my double is a 32T, which could be larger [having an 11T as my smallest rear cog], but I only spin-out on a few descent miles or on flats with a big tailwind.
Having such low gearing just means less HAB for my old knees. There is sooo much HAB for me in the CTR. I think one of the Back-of-the-Pack guys calculated his HAB total was over 50 miles on the CTR course. I do know that I will be riding miles and miles at 2.7-3.0 mph in that 21/36 granny gear. But YMMV.

I just converted to a 1x11 set up with a 32T ring up front, wondering what people run on the CT?  Would 28T be preferred?

[T.Ray]

Off with the 32 and on with the 28.1X11.

[GeorgeHD]

So it sounds like it's more of a decision between 28T and 26T than if 32 is the right size.  Thanks, y'all. 

[mandivided]

I try to either eat just before big resupply stores OR, go in, grab a few quick recharge items (coke, sandwich, etc), get those down and get the brain rebooted into safe mode, THEN I go in for the grocery shopping.

...When you are numb from riding, it is easy to be overwhelmed in the store and not know what to buy and you end up getting crap you won't eat/not get enough food or get too much food (i.e. try to count calories ahead of time to know what you need).  Plus, it can be a time suck in the store if you don't know what you are looking for and just wander around...

[danwiz]

So it sounds like it's more of a decision between 28T and 26T than if 32 is the right size.  Thanks, y'all. 

you wanna do either a 26 or 28....no more than that

[Johnny_mtb]

FWIW I did the same as Yogi the Barry in 2015 and hiked way less then 2013. 21x36 on my 29er (6 day finisher)

[Yogi the Barry]

Re: Shopping Sprees...
And I'll add that in 2012... after showering at the [BV] laundromat, going into Eddyline and inhaling a monster pizza and a pint, I then went shopping at the City Market. All happy, and with my glycogen level maxed, it seems my brain overestimated the pile of food in my shopping cart. I guestimated about 3500 calories too high. Guess having taken calculus didn't help with simple addition. The result, I didn't have enough food to make it to Silverton without Apple and a food donation from another competitor. I made this same full-belly mistake in Silverton, after an all you can eat breakfast, and had to bail before Hotel Draw. The bitter lesson learned: I  now do the simple math, with a pen and pad, to add up the calories I'll need when shopping. Eyeballing a pile of food is not accurate enough. My 3-cents...

I try to either eat just before big resupply stores OR, go in, grab a few quick recharge items (coke, sandwich, etc), get those down and get the brain rebooted into safe mode, THEN I go in for the grocery shopping.

[rocky rode]

Looking for a ride to Denver-

I'm hiking the CO Trail this summer as opposed to riding it.  I'm in Del Norte (about 45 minutes east of Wolf Creek) and hoping to get a ride to Waterton Canyon. Saturday will work fine for me. If any D-go folks are heading over I'd be glad to share gas money and driving. Text or email.  Thanks!!!

Gary Blakley
719 849-8183
gcblakley AT gmail

[iambarnard]

I've spent the last 5 days out there. The trail is dry and loose. Took off race kings and mounted x kings. Just back from 3 day out and back. Now mounting Trail Kings.

[brassnipples]

I just finished the route with a 1x11 (10-42) on a 30 tooth chainring on a 29x3 tire, a 28 or 26 tooth ring would have been better but 30 wasn't terrible. I'm not sure if I could have ridden more with a smaller ring but it would have been nice to have a couple of granny range gears to choose from.

We ran into boblabla out on the trail on the Georgia pass climb, good luck on the race this year! Our trip went great, weather and luck seemed to be on our side most of the way.

[Bob Loblaw]

brassnipples! Thanks man, glad to hear you guys had a nice ride. Hopefully we get some of that good weather. We've seen some intense storms on the Front Range the last couple days.