Moab Day 3

Wow! I just got back from pre-riding the race course. It sure is different. If you like sand, rocks, rocks, lizards, rocks, rocks, boulders, big drops, and slickrock, you need to get your registration in for next year.

The course is 12 miles south of town. You head out of town on a highway for 12 miles, then you hit what the locals call a gravel road for 3 miles to the actual race itself. This is NOT a gravel road by midwest standards. You know how out in the country in the midwest you see road that have signs that say "Class B Road....Enter at own risk, minimum maintnence, etc"? Well, the road to the race site is WORST! I have to take my poor Mazda at a speedy 2 mph the whole way just not to rip the axles in half. When you finally get there, you come up on tent city.....and it is a city. Everything is trucked in....water, electricity, food, etc. The pit and expo area is about the size of my home town. If you live near CF/Waterloo, it's close to the size of Dike.....I kid you not. Anyway, my pit area is set up right next the the entrance to the SOLO pit area. I woul d like to go into the pit further, but you would need 4 wheel drive. One thing they don't tell you when to prepare for this race is you need to bring a rake. You have to clear out shrubage, and thorn bushes out of the way just to get to sand/dirt. Well, I barrowed a rake, and staked claim to my own little piece of heaven out in the desert.

As far as the course...... It rocks! There is nothing like it back home. If you want these conditions you have to come to Moab. The lap, according to my Cateye computer, is 12.5 miles. It starts out with gradual climbing through desert sand and small patches of slick rock. This goes on for a ways before you come up on more slickrock which looks like steps, and you have to pick your lines and hop up and over rocks. Next is hard pack sand road for a ways. Then you come up on some nasty rock ledges and drop offs. You just pick a line and hope the rocks don't give. Next up is more sandy roads and then the first major climb. The climb is similar to Look-Out Park Hill in CF, but in sand......Sweeeet! After than you get to go down hill...Weeeeeee! The downhill is on sand and it feels like your floating on air. You easily get up to 30+ mph. Next parts of the course are more sand road, slick rock, and the canyon. The canyon, which is what I call it, is a bunch of 3 foot rock drop offs. It goes way down, then you have to scale back up the side. Can you ride down and up this?? I can't! I supposed if I wanted to be in a wheelchair for the rest of my life I could huck the gap if I get enough speed. The rest of the course (5 miles or so) back to the finish is a blast. It's slickrock around a big rock structure, followed by big ring sand road and then a gradual climb. Once to the top its sand road back to the start/finish. This is a blast! Big ring and 30+ mph to the end of the lap.

This race WILL be tough. There are so many factors. The bike and body need to hold up to constant pounding. I am going to run 2.1 tires to take the "edge" off and to float on the sand. Hopefully I can make it through with out any mechanicals. There are many places to get flats, shred tires, and even brake a frame. I am just going to stay in cruise control and let the race unfold.

I had a chance to talk to Cameron Chambers after my prelap. He is pretty pumped. He got 2nd last year so i think that he thinks he is going to "own" this race. He's also going to be running 29's on this course. I believe this might be an advantage. From what I have gathered from 29er owners and how they handle, this course is ideal. And Squirrel if you are reading this.....Cameron says "Hi" back.

Well that's about it. I am going to wash up my cycling clothes and raise the feet up for the rest of the afternoon. At 3:00 local time I am going to head down and pick up my registration packet at the Moab Arts and Rec Center. If you have any questions about the course, just post a comment and I will reply back sometime today.

Attention Scott Cave......You are right in every way about the course. Thanks for the re-con work, and i know why you don't want to race this year.

Attention future 24 Hours of Moab Racers......bring a rake, and an offroad vehicle.

Stay tuned.......

I wonder what the Salsa Queen is up to?

Jeff Kerkove said at 12:28 PM :: ::