Ride

Huge group gathered for this one. We’ve jammed the Riverview park full… Roll out in waves, we get to see the properly-fast long-route group flying down 267 in a big rush of energy. We follow, stretching up Highway 89 out of Truckee. Right away these new Schwalbes feel effortless like road slicks. Have to remind myself to stay out of the legs, hopeful for feeling stronger later.

Early steady patient climb up Hobart. Plenty of grip and agility, fully confident in the spicy fast sections. The group is still pretty tight, need to take the long view and leave some space, negotiate the lane-hopping impatient ones. Saw some gnarly crashes off to the sides keeping the support crew busy which really sharpens the focus on keeping some distance, reading the terrain. There are loads of little surprises embedded in the surface.

Cottonwood to Lemon Canyon a peach of a road, that velvety brown sugar fast and grippy. Say “Hi” to Bovine Brian and his cows at the aid station, then we tilt down Bear Valley’s wild gravel descent. Those rolling woohoo wigglers of the first half are a riot. Deep gravel on the rapid lower half requires some balanced dexterity.

The aptly-named 9 mile climb looms out Smithneck from Loyalton. Patience. Looks like there was a fire through here since last year, the forest charred and cleared, activity-trail workout equipment ruined.

Drank a lot but still got hot and dry out there. Felt far warmer than 85º ish heat soak on the long gravel arcs around the reservoirs… Stampede, Prosser… Each of these Truckee rides feel like they get too long at the end. There’s Overland Trail’s martian dust landscape to trawl through before suffering up Glenshire’s grind. And still that funky, desolate wander toward the Airport before getting back to the park.

Generally pretty swift ‘moderate’ pace, more or less the same moving time as last year but felt much better. Some pauses here and there until Jay got his dragging brakes sorted. Schwalbe G One R Pro’s were so fast, plush and perfectly grippy (only a little out-gunned by the deep floaty loose gravel on the sketchy-fast Bear descent – need to go bigger). This was solid, let’s do that again.

Gear notes:

• Schwalbe G One R Pro felt like a cheat code unlock. So rapid. Grippy, plush. And rapid. Beautifully damped, responsive; whole different feel on bumpy stuff relative to the stiff plodding of the Maxxis Ramblers. Tires aren’t just about volume or weight or tread. Same size, same weight, very similar grip but completely different ride.
• Chain fell off a few times on the rapid Grizzly gravel downhill and cut up my new Force crank. As a long-time Shimano guy, I’m still disappointed by SRAM’s drivetrain with its “relaxed” chain retention and frequently coggy shifts.