Pearl's Generic Talk

Yes run a gear that allows you to sit on all but the steepest hills. Get tired so much faster when you are standing and mashing everything. Especially with the longer distances in Cat2 vs 3 you will not want to waste your energy early. I find 9 out of 10 times when I come up on a guy who is standing every climb while I sit that he will fall off the pace and I will pass him very soon. See you out there 😀
 
jShort said:
I've never raced singlespeed, but I would think its much better to err on the safe side and go with an easy gear. I'd rather be spinning out on the fire roads then walking up a hill. Just my 2 sense. (That was intentional)
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I could probably clean enough hills on my current gearing, but I would be burning way too many matches way too fast. The gearing I have now is/was probably perfect for a Cat 3 race, but adding another lap adds a whole new wrench into what I am "used to".

map111158 said:
Yes run a gear that allows you to sit on all but the steepest hills. Get tired so much faster when you are standing and mashing everything. Especially with the longer distances in Cat2 vs 3 you will not want to waste your energy early. I find 9 out of 10 times when I come up on a guy who is standing every climb while I sit that he will fall off the pace and I will pass him very soon. See you out there 😀
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But aren't all you Cat 2 people going to be beasting it out on the fire roads? I feel as if I spin too much as it is already with the gearing I have. I guess it is a longer race so I don't need to burn more matches if someone is running away from me. My goal for my first Cat 2 race is to not DNF. If I beat one person I will be siked. We will stick to the first part of the goal first.

I'm going to say this and put on my flame jacket from the SS thugs, but racing makes me want to put gears on my bike.

See you out there? You mean I'll see you at the gatorade and bagel stand 25 minutes after you finish 😉
 
Then get gears. The aim is to be faster. This isn't figure skating. There are no style points.
 
stop it with all this geared talk, in cat 2 they have a class just for you (SS) and you get to go first what more do you need someone else to race it for you...😀
 
if i were racing SS in the H2H i'd run a 20T for pretty much all the races, especially if, as you mentioned, you want to sit in on the hills.

but remember you are on an SS...eventually, no matter what, you WILL be standing on the hills.
 
Norm said:
Gears or SS, you should race your age category, Pearl.
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For sure. I'd love to follow Dustin around and pretend its a group ride, but I don't know how long that would last.

mattybfat said:
stop it with all this geared talk, in cat 2 they have a class just for you (SS) and you get to go first what more do you need someone else to race it for you...😀
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Yes please, someone to pace and tell me where the roots and sketchy parts are 😉

Norm said:
Then get gears. The aim is to be faster. This isn't figure skating. There are no style points.
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Donations please! I weigh back in forth on these things. I see people fixing sheered offdeerhailuers, the things that change gears in the back and it makes my skin tingle. I can't fix that shit.

UtahJoe said:
I take it blue will be your first cat 2 SS race?
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Yes. I will probably race my age group since I won't get ripped by the old guys 😉



bonefishjake said:
if i were racing SS in the H2H i'd run a 20T for pretty much all the races, especially if, as you mentioned, you want to sit in on the hills.

but remember you are on an SS...eventually, no matter what, you WILL be standing on the hills.
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Oh yeah, I'm ready for that. I know it's coming. I feel like I bogged just before I should with the 19t, so I'm hoping that the 20t will make me clean some of these hills.
 
First cat 2 race, at blue, on an SS...Im bringing my flak jacket for this explosion!

atomic_bomb_vip_observers.jpg


atomic_bomb_explosion.jpg


🙂
 
pearl said:
Donations please! I weigh back in forth on these things. I see people fixing sheered offdeerhailuers, the things that change gears in the back and it makes my skin tingle. I can't fix that shit.
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It's a war wound, it happens. A good number of torched RDs are due to people doing things with the bike they shouldn't. This goes back to my text to you about riding smooth, and then riding smoother. You always need to err on the left side with rocks and such, for instance.

Sticks also happen, and that burns everyone. But you also need to recognize when a stick has jumped on and stop ASAFP. That also applies to non-geared bikes too, since those spokes will start pinging like an out of tune orchestra if you don't.

I've cooked 2 RDs in the years I've been riding. This year's was on a fire road at LM when I was done with my workout, just soft pedaling on the cool-down. The limit screw had apparently been set too close, and I shifted right up in the spokes. The first was several years ago at Allamuchy, the culprit being a stick on the white trail. That was also the same day I fell off a bridge when coasting my bike back to the car after that. Ah, memories.
 
pearl said:
Oh yeah, I'm ready for that. I know it's coming. I feel like I bogged just before I should with the 19t, so I'm hoping that the 20t will make me clean some of these hills.
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Not sure what the course will be like at blue this year. Speaking for myself, I know in 08 and 09, I would not have wanted to do it on an SS. Some nasty ass, busted, rocky fireroad climbs that are steep and long. Plus a good amount of techy stuff. If you haven't ridden blue before, make sure you do before this race. You might want to go with an even lower gear than a 20T.
 
utah...

Cut it out...Baby James just called me crying cause you are scaring him. I did blue with a 20t last year cat3 and almost died. Pay no attention to my 13th place finish cause it was mostly in part to a missing a turn and racing a guy 1/2mile the wrong way (would have been 5th or so). This year 32x19...F it
 
btw

Pearl, unfriend me on FB and delete my cell and AIM cause this is the only way I want to talk to you from now on (unless we're in person). K...thanks
 
Blue + Vuvuzela
Can I give someone the vuvuzela to cheer me on at blue? Im going to need it. I hope Mandi decides to race this too, sight unseen (like me). So I can cheer her on from beginning to end.

Dustins Intimidation factor
He is talking me up. I hope I don't let him down. I only hope to do half as good as the Capers did in his first Cat 2 appearance. Trying to follow dudes like RU Chris will be fun.

Stealing a page out of Fred's GarminConnect page
I'm going to ATTEMPT to do 2 or 3 Georgetown Hill Repeats today. I'm going to come from my crizzy (JimVreeland reference) and hit this, then cruise the canal to Mandis work. I think it's a total of only 25-30 miles. I want to try this twice this week and maybe twice next week.
 
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