Velo Exploration

The White Rim Trail – Single day ride unsupported

5-10-08

112 miles
9:43:23
Ave speed 11.5 mph
200 oz of water- 20 oz left upon return
Redline Monocog single speed 34×18 gearing

Early spring 2008 was spent wondering weather or not I could do this ride in a day. This would be my longest ride to date and would be my first real desert riding experience. There were a lot of unknowns. I finally reached the conclusion that I should attempt the loop and that I shouldn’t have too much trouble completing it. Time to get excited! I set a date and that was that.

Training went well with good weather through the early and late spring in Boulder. I was able to get the mileage I thought I needed and trained exclusively on the Monocog so as to really get used to the bike. I spent a lot of time thinking about my gear, especially how I would carry enough water to do the loop unsupported.

I decided to ride with a Jandd frame bag. In it I would fit a log narrow 30oz water bottle and a hell of a lot of Redvines. I would carry three big bottles on the bike. Two in the normal cages and one in a cage zip tied to the seat post. A 100oz bladder in my pack would get me up to the 200oz that I figured would be a conservative bet. This amount worked well as I finished with about 20 oz to spare. The weather was pretty mild though with the high only reaching 85 or so and a light breeze all day. I got lucky.

As far as other gear goes I probably over packed but such is my way on these big rides. Temps at 5:30 am were cold so I started with knee warmers and my Montbell U.L. Thermawrap Jacket. This was soon stowed as temps started to rise. I carried light rain pants and a jacket to round out my “oh shit” clothing. Everything was stowed in the Osprey Stratos 24. This is hands down the best pack for riding I have ever used. It is super stable and holds a full 100 oz bladder very well. Food consisted of a lot of Gu gels, some sort of chocolate protein bars sent by a worried mother, Redvines and beef jerky (a crucial and perfect combo), some fruit leather, an almond butter and banana sandwich and a small can of Starbucks double shot. I definitely had plenty of calories for the ride and made it back with some extra food. I could have gone a lot lighter. All part of the learning process.

The Bike. The most important piece of gear. My exclusive mountainbike is a Redline Moncog 29er with a rigid Zion fork. I have built the bike up with an assortment of parts I have ran for years and have total confidence in. For this ride I decided on 32×18 gearing. I knew it would be a little rough on the Hogback climb but I would rather push up one short climb than be under geared on the long flat rim sections. I ended up being happy with the choice and would use the same gearing on this route again. Tires were WTB Exi Wolf 2.3 front and rear. I ran them somewhere around 50 psi. which was a little harsh on some sections but I fund this to be a pretty good all around pressure for the route. I am not a big fan of stopping to air up or down. I ran the cockpit pretty compact with a short stem. This gave me nice upright position which my back appreciates. Barends allowed me to stretch out when needed and provided leverage for the steep sections. As usual this rig worked perfectly without any complaining or mechanicals. Not even a flat. My seldom needed but always carried tool kit consists of a Topeak Alien, Topeak mini pump. Small open ended wrench to get the rear wheel off, patch kit, extra chain links and two tubes (for this ride).