Going Long and Hard.

Steve Vai

Endurance Guy: Tolerates most of us.
Braap. Surprisingly, was able to start last, almost 1.5 hours back, ride through the entire field, run FTD, and set a new course record. Without gears and with tired legs. These are good signs of proper fitness level heading into the race held in the state formerly known as Kansas.

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Steve Vai

Endurance Guy: Tolerates most of us.
42x16. A little spinny at times but it's the smallest freewheel I can run on this hub and White rings are $$$
 

Steve Vai

Endurance Guy: Tolerates most of us.
Kansas or NJ?

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Realized after getting back on this bike that I hate flared bars. So I swapped them for ones that are not after work.

I also realized none of my frame bags fit this bike so I need to figure some poop out. I need to walk the line of bringing nothing, and also bringing everything I'll need for a 350 mile self-supported ride.

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ChrisG

Unapologetic Lifer for Rock and Roll
42x16. A little spinny at times but it's the smallest freewheel I can run on this hub and White rings are $$$
I think that's a terrific all-around gear; I ran that exact combo on my fixed gear for years. Now set up with a 44x17, which is essentially the same gear inches.

A real question: Why a freewheel and not fixed for these central/southern Jersey routes? Do you think being able to coast saves some legs?
 

Steve Vai

Endurance Guy: Tolerates most of us.
I have it set-up free for up here where I can't spin fast enough on the descents and need to coast, I do have a 15t Fixed cog that probably would've been perfect.
 

Steve Vai

Endurance Guy: Tolerates most of us.
So yeah, these tires are dope. I don't quite understand how something with so many knobs is so much smoother and faster than a Gravel King, but they are. I really like the standard 43c Gravel King SK but absolutely hate how the Plus version rides. Like brutally stiff. These are still supple with the Endurance casing. Like magic.

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Steve Vai

Endurance Guy: Tolerates most of us.
It's not an MK5 with a ton of parts thrown at it doe.

I should probably sell it soon as I'm already at 35k miles. That's about the half-life of a VW.

I did my first motor at 38k. At the point the car was bone stock minus coilovers.
 

Steve Vai

Endurance Guy: Tolerates most of us.
Easy 40 before work to test the new bars. This is something I should've done long ago but I really wanted to buy into the whole flared bar trend. Being that I also went to a 44 from a 42, I need to shorten the stem by 10mm.

Going to set the bike up with fork cages and mount my eTrex to test during this weekend's 200k. I also have a Shutter Precision hub coming to lace into my 303s. Mostly because I need more light than the P-Tec puts out and need to race through the night.

Still not 100% on gearing. The route profiles are all over the place in different mapping programs. Everywhere from 11k - 18k. Might be worth figuring out a dingle cog just in case. I've been on a 40x18 with 700x48 tires and a 40x17 with 43c. Generally gets me around 16mph average around Bedminster, which is usually 800ish feet per 10 miles. Kansas is around 400-450.

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Steve Vai

Endurance Guy: Tolerates most of us.
Fin. This was a good test. Obviously the gearing is a tad tall for this route but I wanted to see if it was doable. I had to walk 2 climbs that were about 12 or 13 percent. Not terrible. Legs never shut down, no cramping or anything. I might run a smaller tire. I've watched so many YouTube videos and no one has ridden anything over a 43c.

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