Sunday, May 27, 2012

The calm before the storm

I had my last long ride before next weekend's Dirty Kanza 200, a nice 80 miler with some big hills in the middle, temps in the lower 90s and a heat index in the high 90s to just over 100F. It was a good ride, but the heat did take a little bit out of me at points. I'm as prepared as I can be, and, barring anything unexpected, I am confident that I'll meet my goals for the race.

As far as my ride goes, here is how it will be set up

  • Salsa La Cruz (36/46 up front, 12-27 10 speed in the back)
  • Ultrega front / Dura Ace rear derailers. 105 brifters. 
  • Stronglight Pulsion carbon crankset 
  • Avid BB7 road disc brakes
  • Stans ZTR Crest 29er rims with Schwalbe Marathon Mondial HS tires (tubeless)
  • Revelate Tangle frame bag
  • Profile T3+ aero bars
  • Profile seatpost water bottle mount.
  • Garmin 800
Other than maybe the crankset, nothing particularly exotic. All of it has a bunch of miles on it and has been extremely dependable during the last few months of training rides. The weather forecast is currently looking pretty mild compared to normal years, so I'm hoping 4 bottles per segment is enough.

The rest of this week is mostly 90 minute easy rides and one short set of intervals so that the motor doesn't forget what it's supposed to do this weekend. I'm looking forward to spending some time with my friends Dennis and Adam on the trip down and back, as well as meeting up with some people that I haven't seen in a couple of years. Talking with friends old and new is the highlight of these events for me. A weekend with like-minded folks is always good for the head and the soul. 


4 comments:

Ari said...

Good luck Steve. Hope you get a chance to take some photos. Stay hydrated and don't wear black.
Ari

MG said...

The La Cruz will serve you well. It knows that area well, and it sounds like you are well prepared. I'm looking forward to a great adventure with you, my friend!

See you soon,
MG

intheways said...

How did the Mondials work tubeless for you?

Steve Fuller said...

The Mondials were absolutely flawless. They rolled fast, and helped absorb any rough spots in the roads. I had no issues with grip. I ran them around 50 - 55 PSI.