Tires for "epic's" ?

I'd like to add another thought. You built up an enduro bike. If it was me I would put the toughest, gnarliest, stickiest, widest best rolling tire I could find on that beast. I would then cruise to the top of a climb and let it rip mowing down everything in my path knowing that I'm not going to slice a sidewall if I get within an inch of a rock. My bike is set up for what I like to do. Yeah I suffer a bit on the climbs but I'm still able to do 35 miles and 4000' without killing myself. I guess what I'm trying to say is just run what you want and condition yourself to do bigger rides.

Go Maxxis Minion DHF 2.3 at 925g and Minion SS 2.3 at 745g. If you need a little more traction up front go with a 2.5.

 

Yeah... Maybe we're all over thinking it. Ride what ya got. Just go farther and higher! I prefer the lighter setup now, but I did my first death marches on a bike that weighed 32 pounds with a Nevegal in the front. No way in hell would I run that now, but it worked at the time!

@dustyyoungblood - I see the stats that you consider an epic, but are you thinking of any specific routes? Something in the Santa Anas? I'm game... Let's ride.

 

Can I go too?????

 

First I am gonna try to knock out blackstar-motorway.
Second, a route to run lower Joplin. Both of which I have never done. I be reasonable and leave the 40-50 4K+ stuff till next season.

But I am just not there yet. I knocked out 18.9 miles sat, just over 2k super mellow grades and I was crawling back to my house. I'll get there, but as you can gather I am pretty frustrated with my fitness level.

 

I'd suggest tackling Motorway from the Maple Springs side first... It gives you the Motorway descent, but it's not as much of a ball buster to get there. Glad to tackle it with you when we can arrange.

 

You need to ride with me, young man!

 

I completely agree with starting from Maple Springs your first time, especially if you are building your fitness. If you haven't done much climbing in the Santa Anas, Maple Springs will be a good challenge, and I was surprised by how tough some of the climbs were going from 4 corners to Motorway the first time I tried it.

 

Is it possible that Intense/maxxis can play together with Foes/Onza? I never heard of such an odd couple. For sure though, I'd love to.

 

Keep riding that rad bike. The fitness will come.

 

Uh oh - bromance in the making. I'm afraid the 13 year age difference may keep us apart forever!

That said, I will be riding this weekend (hint hint, nudge nudge...)

How is this not about tires anymore?!!!

 

I had a moment of clarity today.
As I pedaled off to the ranch I soon realized I did not really have much in the brakes department. I had sprayed muc off bike protectant (which is a great product) everywhere after a wash. I meant to remove my brake pads first, but that ship sailed. Although I wiped my rotors with alcohol my pads must be saturated and the product contains teflon.

Once at the top of the peak I made a little mud slurry and pasted that in the pad/rotor interface. Hoping by the time I finished cactus DH the stuff will have burned off and we would be braking properly. After rolling the trail I still only had maybe 50% braking power. Arrrgh.

I was feeling so good today. So I let it loose the rest of the trail. I PR'd sleepy hollow and just kept jamming. At some point, while trying to slow with diminished brakes, my badass 2.4" Onza tires really came into play. I would have been dead with XC tires. I was using more of the trail then normal trying to apex corners offline, setting up off chamber, under steering, and dishing out every piece of body language I could muster. The tires saved me and made it fun today. Sure I could have limped back in slicks just fine, but who wants to do that.

I consider this skinny tire topic dead until I drop 30lbs. If I make it to sub 200lb and still complaining about climbing with 2.4's then i'll consider skinny tires once more.

 

Hallelujah! The man speaks my language!

 

I read his post last night, but didn't want to respond on the phone. I knew @herzalot would be happy he saved one! It sounds like @dustyyoungblood has discovered that his drive for the "DH Moment" far outweighs his desire for the "epic".

 

@dustyyoungblood Come with us some Sunday Morning. We do downhill epics upon occasion.

 

Lets just say that I slept on it, and have adjusted my goals. I am never going to be 10k climber.
BTW a "Fat guy epic" is as follows:
1. over 15 miles
2. over 2k climbing
3. Walking up 1 climb minimum
4. Wahoos afterwards

 

I have seen your starva, I'll be dropped on the first climb and never see you the rest of the day

 

Sounds like you are ready for Harding to San Juan Epic.....

1. 60 miles (over 15 miles)
2.10k' (over 2k climbing)
3. HAB up the Wall (we do it each time)
4. Tacos @ Los Primos (better than Wahoos)

 

I might hate you

 

Hey @dustyyoungblood you'd fit in with my pace. I tend to ride 10-15 miles usually at Oaks but get out and do some Black Star, Old Camp, San Juan type rides when I can as well. I ride a RIP9 with minimum 2.3" tires up front and rear.. I'll climb to the Doppler ball on my 2.5/2.3 minion combo without hesitation, gets me a good workout! I was getting in longer (for me) rides for a little while then life got in the way so I am going to be trying to work back up to 25 milish rides with 3k+ of climbing. I need to get out and do MS to Motorway myself so lemme know if you want company when you go.

 

.... You don't know that for sure.

 

I'll never understand the obsession with numbers. Just ride your bike and have fun. If chasing numbers is fun (it does not sound like it, dusty), then do it.

If you're having fun, you'll ride longer and harder, whether or not you ride farther and higher (and with a certain body weight). Net result is a great blower for the body and mind.

Maybe try some different gear when your tires are shot and you can find a deal. Manage expectations and keep an open mind for the breadth of what MTB offers.

PS: What HBK said. Smaller doesn't nec mean less durable. There is no trai or XC gear, just usage, as has been demonstrated.

 

For me it's not about the numbers.. I want to get out and do the 20+/3k+ mile rides occasionally because it's fun to be further out and challenge my body and then when my fitness is better from these longer rides my 1-2 hour rides from home to Oaks become more fun for me because I can ride harder. Totally get your point though and I am just speaking for my fat self!

 

I suppose people do like something tangible, so I do understand. "Ride all day" is prolly a little murky...

 

I disagree! Fat guy epics are nowhere near that big.

My fat guy epic rides were 5 miles long with 300 feet of climbing. I remember vividly when I jumped to 7 miles and rode "up" 2 miles of Arroyo Trabuco instead of down it. I took 100 ounces of water, sandwiches, tools, and let my wife know where I was going. I thought I was going to have a heart attack in the middle of the trail.

 

Mike always brings us back down to earth.

I am obsessed with numbers... Guilty as charged.

 

Data geeks can't explain it, and non data-geeks can't understand it. Never the twain shall meet.

I like looking back on my numbers to see if I'm maintaining, improving, or fading. But that's just me.

 

I know for sure I drank about 10% of the beer that I drank the previous time I rode the Divide. Other than that, I have only rough ideas of what I did for 40 days. For sure I rode and had fun every day, except one day I laid around, and that was still fun.

Sorry for the continental drift...

 

I know that so far in 2017 I have drunk more beers than the number of miles I have ridden. Changed diapers more times too..

 

The Sunday invitation is always open to anyone who likes to: ride, climb, descend, tease, be teased, have your balls busted like an egg being dropped from a counter-top, crash, occasionally cuss, and appreciate women on the trail... women welcome to join too. I ride with a great bunch of incredible athletes who grind me into the ground in every way shape and form. BUT the key to every ride every Sunday is that it is a bunch of dudes having a blast.

 

And this is precisely why I will never join you. Way too hardcore, way too fast and way too manly for my sorry ass. I like all of the trails you do, just not all at once on a (literally) break-neck pace.