Slicks are Aero Bars Are Not Recommended on New Course

SkiToSea · Site Admin Joined: 05 Dec 2007 Posts: 68

New Mountain Bike Course Description

The course is a mix of many things...and reminds me of various courses I've raced around the world. It will be a very challenging course for all riders though not overly technical. It will have some very challenging sections where some people might be walking. I have to reiterate that this is a true mountain bike course... Rigid bikes, arrow bars and slicks won't get you to the finish line.

An ideal bike would be a super light cross country full suspension rig (with lockouts) or a hardtail or a 29'er...running on an aggressive semi-slick tire.

The course has a little bit of everything: some mellow (and fast) greenway trials, quite a bit of mid-west style grassland riding, some urban assault pavement chasing, some classic northwest sections of mud, ladders and single track, and, my favorite... a little taste of Costa Rica over railroad ties mixed with some good northwest mud and handlebar grabbing saplings.

Volunteers Needed
See link:
http://www.skitosea.com/content/about/s2s_mtn_bike_volunteers.asp

So please help us make this course happen. The more bodies we get the smoother and safer this course will be for all of us. And remember, most riders who do the Ski to Sea are not racers, they are locals who love to have fun and maybe riding this in a carrot costume. Get a preview of the course by helping to volunteer.

This course is a work in progress and we will be making changes for the next couple of years as new access is negotiated, but this is a great start. So bear with us, help us out and we'll keep making this thing happen.

So we'll see you at an upcoming trail party...and then again or race weekend.

And a little plug, next Saturday, May 9 is the Silver Lake Trials. A
7 and 22 mile road TT course (in 2010 we'll be adding mtn bike, canoe, kayak and running). Go to www.RIDE542.com for more info.

Cheers,
Charlie Heggem
Norka Recreation: Designers of the new Mountain Bike Course for the Ski to Sea Race.

www.RIDE542.com
Charlie@NorKaRecreation.com

jimmythefly · Joined: 12 Nov 2008 Posts: 5 Location: Seattle

Nice, thanks for the summary of the course.

I've got everything but the "super light" covered, and that refers both to my bike and me!

Any advice on gearing? I've currently got a 30/44 double, but if there's a grinding hill maybe I'll wish I had a triple installed? I can bring some tools and parts with me to make the swap after I test-ride the course, but the less I have to do of that the better.