mikepro
Location: Bend, OR
Posts: 559
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« Reply #3 on: November 09, 2011, 09:39:32 AM » |
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As is the case with most of these types of questions, the answer is in part a question back to you: "what do you want to get out of the event, and/or what are your intentions?"
Are you going for top 10 GC finish and/or gunning for the win? Then, you probably don't want to spend time somewhere halfway through replacing a worn out drivetrain, which means start the race with something new(ish) and durable. Not just a chain, but setting yourself up with a drivetrain that works well, and is lightly broken in (which to me means anywhere from 100 to 500 miles). And you get to decide where the line between durable vs. lightweight is (example: the whole XT vs. XTR discussion).
Are you going for a good time, an adventure, and simply intend to finish no matter how long it takes? Then, you can bring whatever bike in whatever condition and enjoy the experience that comes to you along the way.
For perspective, at 2,700+ miles, the TDR/GDMBR is alot of miles. In my opinion, unless you ride the same bike everyday, it is really hard to get that many miles on a bike during normal everyday life. With a full time job, and family, I ride/train/race 2, 3, 4 times a week, sometimes as a 60 mile roundtrip commute, and it's a stretch to get 3,000 miles in a single calendar year. What I'm saying is, you might think that you've got a durable bike and components that have lasted 3 years, so they'll make it on the TDR/GDMBR ... but I caution that the TDR/GDMBR is a different beast entirely when it comes to mileage and wear/tear, and the reliable bike of 3 years will fall apart within the first week or 500 miles.
My personal experience is from starting the TDR in 2010 with a brand new off-the-shelf Fisher X-Caliber 29er, which I'd ridden approx. 3 miles prior to start, since I bought it 10 days before Grand Depart due to the fact that the bike I was intending to ride (and had put 500 training miles during the Spring) was stolen from my garage 2 weeks prior to GD. Well, almost completely "off the shelf", since I replaced the saddle, the pedals, and the tires. I was gunning for a sub-20 day finish. I finished in sub-22. How'd the bike do? 4 broken spokes (all in rear wheel) - 2 of which were replaced in Steamboat and 2 of which broke in 2nd half of race so I rode last 600 miles without them , new brake pads in Steamboat, one flat (rode tubes the whole way), one tire replaced in Steamboat due to gashed sidewall, and a loud creak under the saddle by the finish which turned out to be a cracked frame where the top tube meets the seat post tube. The frame was warranty replaced by Trek, who has since bought Gary Fisher. Drivetrain made it the whole way, but was pretty darn worn by the end. Saddle sores, on the other hand? - minimal.
So, my opinion: start with new tires (have fun picking them); figure out which you want to ride: tubes or tubeless; use a rigid fork for the GDMBR; start with a fairly new drivetrain; start with a strong wheel set (especially rear wheel); do the brake-pad/cable-stretch break-in ahead of time like others have said above; but MORE IMPORTANTLY, figure out your saddle and body position ahead of time. Get a 2D fit. Heck, get a 3D fit. When I scrambled to get a new rig 10-days prior to GD back in 2010, the first thing I did with the new rig was get the same saddle that I knew I wanted, and rushed into the local shop for another 2D fit. Then I dealt with the other components/stuff. In my mind, the 2 most important pieces of gear that need to get dialed in ahead of time, that not too many people talk about: 1.) your body fit/position/comfort, and 2.) your mental state (fortitude, sense of humor, sense of adventure, resolve, willingness to suffer, ability to figure shit out on the fly when you're totally bonked in the middle Montana riding in the mud under a thunderstorm)
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