The setup: Pugsley with 29er wheelset, WTB WWLT 2.55 tires, 40/30/20 x 11-36 gearing. Super happy with this setup throughout the ride. But then again it sounds like everybody was happy with their setups. We multiday enduro riders are an easliy satisfied group....
Bilgy tarptent and Warmlight down airmat in the front roll. Spare clothes, 30degree quilt, mummy bag liner, Bronners soap, tp, and contact solution in the seatbag. Rain jacket, rainmates, rain mitts, gloves, packtowel, 2spare tubes, pump, patch kit, spare brake pads, chain lube, rag, zip ties, tape, micro spray bottle of Repel, hand powered flashlight, cell phone charger, tarp stakes, and tarp poles in the frame bag. Camera, cell phone, spare batteries, sunscreen, and food in the gas tank.
The DIY rollchart holder(check it: www.rollcharts.org). The more ride reports I read the happier I was that I had it. Helped me keep track of what road and what mile I was at(my gps gives me this data as well as the track, but it was still a worthwhile redundancy). Never had to touch a cue sheet, just turn the knob, nothing got wet/lost/ect.
A little Hazel Green Americana.
Most of the group rolling towards the start.
Mister Joe Meiser.
The point of beginning is
to go.
Charlie chose to walk at least half the race so he posed without a bike.
Riding all day in 85degree heat? Ok, fellow Iowans, way to dress.
Giddyup, Drew. Another brave man on CX tires.
Where are those videos?
And there're off.
And we're off.
Catching the singlespeeders.
The Transylvania farmstead.
We are indeed wandering Wisconsin.
One of many, many, many long steep paved climbs.
Early gravel, I think.
yup.
More hilly pavement.
Islands in the Mississippi.
The railway car/boulder alert system. The tracks were just below the bluff, these fences were strung along the road to alert them of obstacles on the tracks.
The fences.
The overhanging rock.
Classic TransWisconsinAdventureTrail shot.
This is about where I realized that I had lost my touring companions.
A bit hilly.
Steeper than it looks.
Steep bastard of a hill to get here.
Looking damp.
and windy.
and steep.
Racing the rain.
leaving the windmill onto gravel.
The coast down into Gays Mills for food.
Still coasting.
Mosquito camp in Gays Mills.
The mills.
I can see where someone might have lost a Chevelle or two in one of voids on this road.
Still hilly.
Kickapoo. AKA the grassy cyclocross peice.
Big friggen cranes.
Spring.
Sand, mud, giant puddles, endless trees, and a whole lot of it.
Heading through the field toward the equestrian trails.
Equestrian trails, just like Shimek.
More grown over equestrian groove.
How appropriate.
Elroy/Sparta tunnel.
The light at the end of the tunnel.
More of the Elroy/Sparta TT.
Classic Sparta picture.
Sparta end of the tunnel.
On the Elroy end of the tunnel after doing some backtracking hoping to catch Steve.
big rock cut on a long climb after Sparta and before entering the atv trails.
Funky black water.
old mill to the left.
A balanced diet.
Old schoolhouse before crossing under the fourlane and starting into the "snowbike" atv section.
atv trails South of Black River Falls. All good.
Getting snowbikish.
Oh yea. Still riding.
atv trails a bit North of Hatfield
Cruising with Fuller.
Wee, more sand! And black flies!
I don't think he's smiling.
Not coasting either.
Sorry, no power, no turn.
"High impact zone"
Tracking by tire tread: Joe, Jeremy, Charlie, and Mike. We found the note.
Only seeing three tracks now.
Ok, we crossed the highway and now I only see Jeremy's tracks. huh?
lil puddle.
deep enough to get your shoes wet.
Before the storm.
The gravel got a bit damp on the way to Thorp.
Hurray for car washes next to gas station/McDonalds and hotels. A mecca of sorts.
Leaving Thorp solo.
Sausage.
"Follow the trail on the North East side of the property" umm, two gates, pasture, don't think so.
Stumpyard pasture.
I would hate to have to chase cattle through that.
Yay, national forest!
I can kinda see a trail.
ok. No tire tracks in here, but this is where the GPS track goes.
There's a bear in there.
Growing rocks.
Stuff that will likely be left at home next time: Contact solution, never had them out during the trip. Maybe a micro emerency bottle instead. Cable lock, ok Matthew, maybe it stays. Nuun caps, never used them on this trip. Maybe if I were using filtered/treated stream water. Mirror, had it for contacts, didn't use it. Bug head net, would have been in the way for fueling on the bike, otherwise I was in the tarptent. Nothing stops black flies. Hypnotic knickers, waterproof, but not nearly breathable enough. Underwear, flying free post ride was the only way. Long sleeve seersucker shirt, cotton, always wet.
Additions to the toolkit: micro crank extractor, Precision Phil Wood BB spindle alignment tool(rock) Needed additions: 2 set of brake pads instead of one(I rode the last half of the race with only a front brake. Didn't seem to matter much.)
