racing 400km on dirt roads (aka Rural Bike) - Road or MTB?
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Hi, I live in Argentina. There is a type of bike racing here called "rural bike" which are raced in
rural dirt roads. Don't know what it is called elsewhere. The course I will be riding is completely
flat and 400km long. Most people ride it on MTBs but I was wandering if a road bike would be better
over such a flat and long course. Last year I raced in the same place but only one lap (207km) and
finished 16 out of 120. I rode it on my MTB, chro-moly frame, no suspension, 1.5 slicks at 60psi,
road saddle (ouch!), Alivio/Deore group. There where many 30+ km sections which LOTS of dirt. On
those sections It was very hard to keep up with others, most riding 1.95 semi-slicks. As I see it, a
road bike would be lighter and faster in general but will I be forced to walk the dirt sections?
(It's pretty clear I have no experience at all with road bikes.) People wining this type of races
ride no suspension and slicks or semi slicks. All comments appreciated.
Mariano
ciclistaextremo@hotmail.com (Mariano) wrote in news:87b460e7.0307180648.2a2407e@posting.google.com:
> Hi, I live in Argentina. There is a type of bike racing here called "rural bike" which are raced
> in rural dirt roads. Don't know what it is called elsewhere. The course I will be riding is
> completely flat and 400km long. Most people ride it on MTBs but I was wandering if a road bike
> would be better over such a flat and long course. Last year I raced in the same place but only one
> lap (207km) and finished 16 out of 120. I rode it on my MTB, chro-moly frame, no suspension, 1.5
> slicks at 60psi, road saddle (ouch!), Alivio/Deore group. There where many 30+ km sections which
> LOTS of dirt. On those sections It was very hard to keep up with others, most riding 1.95
> semi-slicks. As I see it, a road bike would be lighter and faster in general but will I be forced
> to walk the dirt sections? (It's pretty clear I have no experience at all with road bikes.) People
> wining this type of races ride no suspension and slicks or semi slicks. All comments appreciated.
>
> Mariano
>
Mariano, Try a cyclocross bike. It has the best of both worlds: Knobby tires and cantelever brakes
from MTBs and the 700cc wheels, handlebars, and either bar end or STI shifters from road bikes. The
shifting cables are run along the top tube so they won't be damaged running underneath the downtube.
Some even have MTB style brake levers installed on the top of the handlebars.
You can get a very nice setup just to your liking.
- Boyd S.
"Mariano" <ciclistaextremo@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:87b460e7.0307180648.2a2407e@posting.google.com...
> Hi, I live in Argentina. There is a type of bike racing here called "rural bike" which are raced
> in rural dirt roads. Don't know what it is called elsewhere. The course I will be riding is
> completely flat and 400km long. Most people ride it on MTBs but I was wandering if a road bike
> would be better over such a flat and long course. Last year I raced in the same place but only one
> lap (207km) and finished 16 out of 120. I rode it on my MTB, chro-moly frame, no suspension, 1.5
> slicks at 60psi, road saddle (ouch!), Alivio/Deore group. There where many 30+ km sections which
> LOTS of dirt. On those sections It was very hard to keep up with others, most riding 1.95
> semi-slicks. As I see it, a road bike would be lighter and faster in general but will I be forced
> to walk the dirt sections? (It's pretty clear I have no experience at all with road bikes.) People
> wining this type of races ride no suspension and slicks or semi slicks. All comments appreciated.
400 km is a long way on what must be rough roads. Pneumatic tires provide some suspension, but as
tire pressure goes down, rolling resistance goes up. I would therefore tend to believe that a bike
with suspension (perhaps just a suspension seatpost and stem) and narrower tires inflated to higher
pressure would prove faster than a rigid bike with wider tires inflated to a lower pressure. (Of
course, at some point traction may become an issue, but since the course is flat I assume that
high-speed cornering is not a major issue?)
FWIW, I've done a hard ~8 hour ride on a dead-flat crushed granite trail (C&O canal, Maryland) that
I imagine is somewhat comparable to what you've described. I used a cyclocross bike with really wide
tires inflated to 75-90
psi, and the jouncing eventually got to me. In retrospect I wish I had run with lower pressure,
although that mighthave come at the cost of increased rolling resistance.
Andy Coggan
In article <87b460e7.0307180648.2a2407e@posting.google.com>, ciclistaextremo@hotmail.com
(Mariano) wrote:
> Hi, I live in Argentina. There is a type of bike racing here called "rural bike" which are raced
> in rural dirt roads. Don't know what it is called elsewhere. The course I will be riding is
> completely flat and 400km long. Most people ride it on MTBs but I was wandering if a road bike
> would be better over such a flat and long course. Last year I raced in the same place but only one
> lap (207km) and finished 16 out of 120. I rode it on my MTB, chro-moly frame, no suspension, 1.5
> slicks at 60psi, road saddle (ouch!), Alivio/Deore group. There where many 30+ km sections which
> LOTS of dirt. On those sections It was very hard to keep up with others, most riding 1.95
> semi-slicks. As I see it, a road bike would be lighter and faster in general but will I be forced
> to walk the dirt sections? (It's pretty clear I have no experience at all with road bikes.) People
> wining this type of races ride no suspension and slicks or semi slicks. All comments appreciated.
>
> Mariano
One possibility if allowed - Trek Y-Foil road frame (Y66 or Y77) with a Rock Shox Ruby fork and the
fattest tires that will fit the frame. While a hardtail, the geometry of the frame gives about a
8-10mm of travel, and the fork was designed for the Paris-Roubaix race. I've ridden the above setup
with 27c Armadillos on hardpack trails and only had problems when I hit a sandy patch or exposed
roots on a downhill.
For a race this long you'll want as many different hand positions as possible - drops with aero bars
attached offer this.
If the dirt sections have loose dirt, this setup will probably not work, as the tires fattest
possible tires will be too thin.
If there are any technical sections, this setup will probably not work, as the wheelbase is too
short and the road bars are not wide enough.
If there is any chance of a wet day, don't even think of the above setup
- short wheelbase bikes' handling sucks in a low traction environment.
Hope this helps, though I suspect that the cyclocross suggestion is a better fit.
Bob
ciclistaextremo@hotmail.com (Mariano) wrote in message
news:<87b460e7.0307180648.2a2407e@posting.google.com>...
> Hi, I live in Argentina. There is a type of bike racing here called "rural bike" which are raced
> in rural dirt roads. Don't know what it is called elsewhere. The course I will be riding is
> completely flat and 400km long. Most people ride it on MTBs but I was wandering if a road bike
> would be better over such a flat and long course. Last year I raced in the same place but only one
> lap (207km) and finished 16 out of 120. I rode it on my MTB, chro-moly frame, no suspension, 1.5
> slicks at 60psi, road saddle (ouch!), Alivio/Deore group. There where many 30+ km sections which
> LOTS of dirt. On those sections It was very hard to keep up with others, most riding 1.95
> semi-slicks. As I see it, a road bike would be lighter and faster in general but will I be forced
> to walk the dirt sections? (It's pretty clear I have no experience at all with road bikes.) People
> wining this type of races ride no suspension and slicks or semi slicks. All comments appreciated.
>
> Mariano
I would definitely recommend a cyclocross bike (a roadbike with 700C wheelsize and drop bar, but
with cantilever brakes and knobby tires). Sometimes they call it cross bike (don't get mixed up with
hybrid bike). It's a rocket!!!!! Iman
On 18 Jul 2003 07:48:05 -0700, ciclistaextremo@hotmail.com (Mariano) wrote:
>Hi, I live in Argentina. There is a type of bike racing here called "rural bike" which are raced in
>rural dirt roads. Don't know what it is called elsewhere. The course I will be riding is completely
>flat and 400km long. Most people ride it on MTBs but I was wandering if a road bike would be better
>over such a flat and long course. Last year I raced in the same place but only one lap (207km) and
>finished 16 out of 120. I rode it on my MTB, chro-moly frame, no suspension, 1.5 slicks at 60psi,
>road saddle (ouch!), Alivio/Deore group. There where many 30+ km sections which LOTS of dirt. On
>those sections It was very hard to keep up with others, most riding 1.95 semi-slicks. As I see it,
>a road bike would be lighter and faster in general but will I be forced to walk the dirt sections?
>(It's pretty clear I have no experience at all with road bikes.) People wining this type of races
>ride no suspension and slicks or semi slicks. All comments appreciated.
>
>Mariano
I would suggest a Softride road bike..I think the Solo would be best..it has a carbon beam and
suspension stem. Any slight weight penalty will be more that offset by the reduced fatigue and
increased efficiency the suspension supplies. You can use 30mm cyclocross tires, although I've found
the road has to get pretty soft before my 28mm tires dig in to much.
Sounds like fun. Good luck
Bob
MrBob <bobmaher@dontspamonme.nwuDOTTedu.dontspamonme> wrote in message
news:<bobmaher-09FE98.10245518072003@news.it.northwestern.edu>...
..
> If the dirt sections have loose dirt, this setup will probably not work, as the tires fattest
> possible tires will be too thin.
When I wrote dirt I meant very loose dirt. That's why my 1.5 slicks where too thin. I mean, it
was like thin loose dirt, like riding on sand roads. Maybe I am not explaining it very well
because my mother tongue is spanish. Anyway, using higher presssure tires with suspension seems
like a good way to gain speed. The reason most don't use suspension forks is weight and that you
loos some acceleration. This guys rode the 415 km in 19hs last year. I'm training to try and get
a top 10% position (I guess if I just finish I'll be top 10, since only 15 of 120 finished the
two laps last year)
In article <87b460e7.0307181421.2e80f4f6@posting.google.com>, ciclistaextremo@hotmail.com
(Mariano) wrote:
> MrBob <bobmaher@dontspamonme.nwuDOTTedu.dontspamonme> wrote in message
> news:<bobmaher-09FE98.10245518072003@news.it.northwestern.edu>...
>
> ..
> > If the dirt sections have loose dirt, this setup will probably not work, as the tires fattest
> > possible tires will be too thin.
>
> When I wrote dirt I meant very loose dirt. That's why my 1.5 slicks where too thin. I mean, it
> was like thin loose dirt, like riding on sand roads. Maybe I am not explaining it very well
> because my mother tongue is spanish. Anyway, using higher presssure tires with suspension seems
> like a good way to gain speed. The reason most don't use suspension forks is weight and that you
> loos some acceleration. This guys rode the 415 km in 19hs last year. I'm training to try and get
> a top 10% position (I guess if I just finish I'll be top 10, since only 15 of 120 finished the
> two laps last year)
The RockShox Ruby has a nice lockout feature, though many units are defective and don't lock well.
It becomes a tradeoff between an extra kilo or so, plus some slop during acceleration, with not
having your body as badly beaten over the 19 hours. In all but the first few hours you'll probably
be willing to trade some acceleration for comfort. A good part of the 90% that didn't finish
probably stopped because their bodies had been badly beaten.
I loved the ride with the Ruby, but I went back to my original fork when I started to do a lot of
road climbing - there was too much lateral slop in the fork for high speed corners on descents.
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