mx_599

have any of you done a 24 hour solo race? i was thinking about doing one but wanted prep advice. i think it's mostly common sense but still wanted advice.

nutrition i am not worried about.

lighting:

well, i have lights, but i am thinking i would have to invest in a whole different set up. i have dinotte. they are not the fastest to swap out new batteries with. these solo guys must have to buy multiple battery packs so they can have a fresh one each lap of the night.

any tips? anything special you do with tire set-up?

mx

theextremist04

Bring spare everything. Bring more food than you need, bring lots of variety. Bring a friend. Bring spare clothes- clean clothes make a huge difference. Don't worry about the speed of changing out batteries- I guarantee you won't want to ride the entire time. A short nap would be extremely good. Preride the course.

mx_599

i agree about the batteries...i am not at the level where it would matter. however, if i am having a good run through the dark hours, i don't want to futz around with batteries that are a pain to strap on. i will have to investigate the water bottle type i think.

extra clothes good idea. i think i can recruit someone to help. i know the course well, it is near my place.

thanks

mx

theextremist04

Make sure to bring someone that knows what they're doing- you won't be thinking straight 12 hours in. And Niterider has a good system- they have a stem/frame mount that has a single velcro strap.

Zan

intense. good luck.

if it's wet, get extra socks and/or gloves. i've ridden with wet shorts and wet shirt, but i hate it when my hands + feet are wet.

clear lens sunglasses for when it's dark out.

rankin116

Cocaine? Meth?

ca7erham

Know how to convert your bike into a SS, but I'd assume you could do that. Just out of curiosity, which race are you looking to do?

mx_599

it should be dry in arizona.

the glasses is another good point though....which is a pain in the %@$. i don't wear contacts and i think i should have a little bit more than my regular glasses, although they might work.

Rx sun glasses with clear or night type lens will not be cheap

mx

mx_599

i will bring someone who is coherent.

i will check those lights. i am thinking i want a bottle battery type

mx

mx_599

should i take these before or after caffeine pills?

mx

mx_599

i should be good with most mechanical problems. i can see not having a good light to do some work in the pitch black could be a problem. probably should bring some type of "small" led light for doing repairs

there are two races nearly in my backyard...about 5 min down the road in fountain hills, az. they are at McDowell mtn park. one is a 12hr daytime ride and the other is a 24 hr.

they are not big time national races like the moab one this weekend

mx

Zan

d'oh!

you might lose points on style, but you could just pick up a cheap pair of "goggles". get a pair of safety glasses or something. besides, it's night time - no one will see .

rb07

May be redundant with "bring extra everything" but extra tubes and probably even extra tires. Also, an extra powerlink and chain links.

In a 6/12 hour race this weekend (I did the 6 solo) I saw people with torn sidewalls, stuck presta valves after getting a flat, broken chains, etc. On my second lap a guy passed me who had triple flatted on his first lap -- not a great start! It was pretty amazing the number of mechanicals on the first lap (even the first 4 miles of the first lap!).

And +1 to having other people there that are not racing.

mx_599

but do you really think i need to carry any more than i already do? we come around to the pits every 10 miles. i guess if bad things happen on trail i don't want to ruin entire event. i should never really be more than a 5 mile hike away!

mx

rb07

Carry it all and take pictures...

Not saying you need to carry all that, just have some of it available in your pit area. Things like powerlinks, chain tool, etc. should all be with you. I thought I had a powerlink to give a guy during this race, but found I only had the extra links, which obviously didn't help. And the presta ring that was stuck probably needed some pilers to get out! While I don't think I'll necessarily carry things specifically for this, it did make me aware of various things that could go wrong.

The race did have bike patrol out and about which I'm sure had to help many people.

Have you done a 12 hour before? I want to work my way up to a 12/24, but I think I'm still over a year from that! (May do a 12 hour team next year, though)

mx_599

thanks for advice. i will prep some of that stuff

mx

ca7erham

I had the same experience at a 6 hour race I did in August. Bunch of people with flat tires, broken chains and torn side walls. The course that we raced had no rocks other than some pea gravel and people were still slicing tires, so I cant even imagine how it would be in an area with more rocks. Like he said bring spare everything. But if you really dont want to, at least bring spare chains, tubes and tires. I ended up giving a guy my spare chain because he went through the one he arrived with on the bike, then the one he had as a spare, so he had to use mine (he was running minimal chain with a short cage RD).
Edit: even if you are going SS still bring a chain. There was a guy who crashed and broke the chain on a branch. And if you are going geared bring a bunch of RD hangers.

Everest

You could get a pair that use RX inserts rather than lenses. That way you wouldn't have to buy multiple pairs of rx lenses but could just swap out standard lenses for different conditions.

mx_599

this is true. the race is coming up...i will probably just use reg glasses. i have used them many times, even at higher speeds on the road without problem. i should be okay with them.

i really need a new check-up. i don't want to spend any money on Rx'ed stuff until i get checked again.

mx

ProFail

Are you kidding?


Make an 80/20 cocaine/caffeine mix. Make 20 kilos or so and down it in a week. If you point out that the lethal dose of caffeine (let alone coke) is 8g/kilo of body mass, you're just not ready to race a 24HS.

Zan

oh now i understand what you were talking about in terms of lenses. i don't have prescription eyewear - i don't think that way.

i meant sunglasses without the tint, without the prescription. i call the pieces in the sunglasses lenses too.

mx_599

is this the ratio that works best for you?

mx

mx_599

yeah, it sucks with sports. maybe i'll try that new corrective laser stuffs i hear about

mx

mx_599

okay, i guess it was time to put up or shut up.

i put up.

November 8th, 24 hours. i am entered. non-refundable.

i am screwed.

course is about 10 miles. i do it all the freaking time. best time is roughly 55 min. not sure how to attack this.

maybe pace myself at 1.5 to 2 hours per lap?? i would think i could do this for awhile.

now i am scared

mx

ca7erham

Coco is quite pricey these days. Last time I checked it was around 110$ per gram when bought in bulk (over 100 kilos).