29er Crosscountry, what's the best configuration?

Yep. I've ridden with 110s too, but I decided they were too bad for
uphills and for long downhills.

Basically 150s make it like a fast muni. 125s make it like a very very
fast muni with a bit less control.

I started on 110s on my 29er, so when I moved up to the 125s it felt
incredibly easy to ride.

Joe


--
joemarshall - dumb blonde
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I gave it a try last night on the actual race course.

Over the years I've done this course many many on a MB and many times
more
recently on my 24 x 3 MUni. I can MUni all but the absolute worst parts.
Soft
and Smooth ride, but slow. The approx speed of a trail jogger.

I don't have an airguage for this valve (presta I think--The
non-standard US
version), so borrowed a nearby MBr's pump/guage. I pumped up to 40 psi.
Turns
out I had been riding in the mid 20s. This explains the folding tire
problem
when coming off curbs or roots etc (and soft ride). At 40 psi the little
bumps
were much more challenging. (And there are 1,000,000 little tufts of
grass and
divots and roots and pockmarks and loopdiloos on the 6 mile course)
Every
bump required concentration and recovery. I'm just not relaxed yet at
that
pressure. Practice will help.

In the technical section (singletrack, switchbacks, trees, roots, up and

downhills) I must've UPDd 2 dozen times. Uphill rapidly becomes more and
more
difficult with length of hill. All but the smallest roots took me down.
(Strategy
during race is to anticipate this and hop off and run just before
UPD)(UPD use
up an alarming amount of energy)

The last 40% of the race course comes out of the woods and is open
singletrack then gravel road. Here I flew. The 125s and the bigger wheel
made up for
lost time. Didn't pass any riders, but easily overtook several runners
who had
passed me in the woods. (Sweet)

I was much more tired than my MUni rides because of trying to power up
some
hills and slow myself on some downhills. MUCH more leg strength needed
to crank
up a hill. But mostly tired from all those UPDs and remounts, I think.

However, I shaved 1/3 off my time around the course! No
question that the 29r is the choice for the race.

The 150s are ordered (from the carphone)(ain't technology great?) and I
might
try 35 psi to lessen some of the jarring. I think the 150s will give me
more
torque for ups and braking torque for the downs. The 150/35 text run
will be
after Monday (projected crank arrival day). I'll let you know how it
goes.


--
Memphis Mud - Student of GrandMaster 2T

Mantra: Avoid Hitting Tailbone...Avoid Hitting Tailbone...
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Memphis Mud wrote:
*The 150s are ordered (from the carphone)...*
Okay. How many of us have uni.com on speed dial?


--
willfcc - I always wear my helmet.

http://www.unicyclist.com/gallery/albun56

Will

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CUT THROUGH THE NEWSGROUP BSJAGUR'S
HERE-------thats because he asked about 150's compared to 125's...


That was unpleasant.


--
teachndad - The Munieer

Rod Wylie

You don't have to be a fantastic hero to do certain things -- to
compete. You can be just an ordinary chap, sufficiently motivated to
reach challenging goals. - Sir Edmund Hillary

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teachndad wrote:
*By Jagur:

CUT THROUGH THE NEWSGROUP BSJAGUR'S COMMENT
HERE-------thats because he asked about 150's compared to 125's...
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------




------------------------------------------------------------
That was unpleasant. *


i hate posting though the google newsgroup,but when unicyclist.com is
down i have no choice.

it was unpleasant for me too.


--
jagur - Random Unicyclist

---------------------------------------------------
-searching for the real one wheel deal,the one that wont but will...
all i ask is one rotation,on this vision of singular creation...-[image:
http://newserver.unicyclist.com/gall...x_flipped.gif]
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Still sounds like you might want to give 140s a try as well. A little
more speed, at the cost of some power, might be a good combo for your
race.

I was riding 140s on my Coker to work until recently switching to 125s.
The 140s just felt so big, with my feet making too large a circle. It's
different for MUni, but in a race I think the speed should get higher
priority than control on the third of the trail that's technical. Just
something to consider.

For tire pressure, of course it's impossible to offer more than
suggested numbers. The bottom line is to keep your rim off the ground.
That depends on many things, not the least of which will be that you'll
be tired in the actual race, so your technique will not be as good as
during a leisurely ride.


--
johnfoss - Now riding to work

John Foss
the Uni-Cyclone
www.unicycling.com
________________

"Where's my kids?" -- Amy Drummond
"Where's my unicycle?" -- Andy Cotter
spoken one right after the other, mostly to themselves, at NAUCC 2003

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I am significantly more exhausted at the end of the speedy ride than on
the 24 x 3 MUni.

With the 125s, I'm spent. With the 150s, I'm really pooped but still
have a little juice.

The two MB races that are coming up are a Duathlon and a Triathlon. So
I've got to have speed AND energy for other elements.

Sept 7: Triathlon
Swim 300 meters, Mountain [Uni] 5 miles, run 2.5 miles

Oct 5: Duathlon
Run 3 miles, Mountain [Uni] 6.5 miles, run 1 mile

Oh, my god! That's THIS SUNDAY!!!


--
Memphis Mud - Student of GrandMaster 2T

Mantra: Avoid Hitting Tailbone...Avoid Hitting Tailbone...
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Hey Memphis,

Good luck with your race. The only way to know the correct gear ratio
to use is to pre-ride the course- it sounds like you have it worked out
nicely

Have fun.


--
GizmoDuck - Cokernut

"I'll be there with bells on!"
Tony on the NZUni weekend

"right thats it im dressing up like a woman!"
James on the NZuni weekend

"If not for a weird inner ear condition that prevents me from crossing
the equator, I'd be there too."
JJuggle- the most original excuse not to attend the NZUni weekend

"At least if someone hurts themselves, Ken should be able to fix them up
with brain surgery on the spot if he brings a scalpel and some
bandages."
Rowan- on my surgical skills
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In article ,
Memphis Mud wrote:
)
)I am significantly more exhausted at the end of the speedy ride than on
)the 24 x 3 MUni.
)
)With the 125s, I'm spent. With the 150s, I'm really pooped but still
)have a little juice.
)
)The two MB races that are coming up are a Duathlon and a Triathlon. So
)I've got to have speed AND energy for other elements.
)
)Sept 7: Triathlon
)Swim 300 meters, Mountain [Uni] 5 miles, run 2.5 miles
)
)Oct 5: Duathlon
)Run 3 miles, Mountain [Uni] 6.5 miles, run 1 mile

You should swim backstroke, and walk on your hands for the running portion.
-Tom