N24HC 2016
- Thread starter LarryOz
- Start date
Eric Winn
Zen MBB Master
Larry, you might contemplate on how you want to manage your rider tag.
Typically, the upright folks safety pin the tag to their backs. For you, this can work but you'll need to exercise some care since you will be laying on it.
My first N24HC, I was using a Brain Box and just pinned it to the top. My second N24HC I was running with my wind shadow/quiver rack so I just pinned the tag to my back only at the tops of my shoulders and just tried to be careful when I sat back and raised up from the seat. This way, when I sat up and leaned forwarded the person punching your ticket can just lift the bottom of the tag away from your back to punch the appropriate spot with their hole punch. Later, they will tear part of it off.
Worked ok except during my wipe out on a Wood School Road downhill stretch when my drink tube wasn't secured and started flopping into my back wheel. One safety pin held, the other tore but I didn't lose the tag but rode carefully to the next checkpoint before re-pinning the lose corner (after duck taping my rather large road rash...). I had trouble keeping the tag under my back and it kept slipping out and flapping around by the one pinned corner.
I recommend you get to the start area early so you can grab a spot in the very front to avoid being held back by the slow and crowded spin-up. There isn't much room during the start through the school's roadway out through their bus barn.
Have fun. The rollers on the 24 mile loop are a hoot!
Typically, the upright folks safety pin the tag to their backs. For you, this can work but you'll need to exercise some care since you will be laying on it.
My first N24HC, I was using a Brain Box and just pinned it to the top. My second N24HC I was running with my wind shadow/quiver rack so I just pinned the tag to my back only at the tops of my shoulders and just tried to be careful when I sat back and raised up from the seat. This way, when I sat up and leaned forwarded the person punching your ticket can just lift the bottom of the tag away from your back to punch the appropriate spot with their hole punch. Later, they will tear part of it off.
Worked ok except during my wipe out on a Wood School Road downhill stretch when my drink tube wasn't secured and started flopping into my back wheel. One safety pin held, the other tore but I didn't lose the tag but rode carefully to the next checkpoint before re-pinning the lose corner (after duck taping my rather large road rash...). I had trouble keeping the tag under my back and it kept slipping out and flapping around by the one pinned corner.
I recommend you get to the start area early so you can grab a spot in the very front to avoid being held back by the slow and crowded spin-up. There isn't much room during the start through the school's roadway out through their bus barn.
Have fun. The rollers on the 24 mile loop are a hoot!
LarryOz
Cruzeum Curator & Sigma Wrangler
Thanks Eric,
All great advice!
How big is this tag?
Do you think they will let me pin it to the side of my Quiver (where my last event number is "pinned"?
I had heard there where some pretty good hills on the 1st loop - what where they like?
It also looks like there is a "goofy" little checkpoint (#5) on the 24 mile loop (probably to stop anyone from cutting out part of the loop by turning left just north of the check point).
I had heard that check point was really hard to get in and out of on a recumbent. Any recollections?
Thanks again for all the sage advice!
For right now the weather looks to be almost perfect, and even a full moon at night with only 10% sky cover. Hope it stays that way - I might now even need my night-visor goggles!
Eric Winn
Zen MBB Master
Thanks Eric,
All great advice!
How big is this tag?
Do you think they will let me pin it to the side of my Quiver (where my last event number is "pinned"?
I had heard there where some pretty good hills on the 1st loop - what where they like?
It also looks like there is a "goofy" little checkpoint (#5) on the 24 mile loop (probably to stop anyone from cutting out part of the loop by turning left just north of the check point).
I had heard that check point was really hard to get in and out of on a recumbent. Any recollections?
Thanks again for all the sage advice!
For right now the weather looks to be almost perfect, and even a full moon at night with only 10% sky cover. Hope it stays that way - I might now even need my night-visor goggles!
Tag size. There are numbered blocks around the edges and a tear-off strip on the bottom IIRC. The people manning the checkpoints will use a hole punch to punch a hole in the correct numbered block to keep track of your progress.
If I remember correctly, when you get to the night time loop they tear off the bottom strip and turn that in for your other loops progress and continue punching holes in the remaining rider tag. In other words it is a lot bigger than the side of your quiver so it will be troublesome to put it there.
Here is a tag fastened on top of the rear bag:
Punching a progress hole at a checkpoint:
I didn't really find the hills on the long loop all that challenging. There are some rollers in the 24 mile loop that you can attack really well on a recumbent - e.g. once you work to crest the first climb you can continue to accelerate on the downhills and build enough momentum coming up each successive hill that you can really fly through there. This is my favorite part of the course. I saw a lot of the upright guys just coasting on the downhills but then they had to really slog up the climbs. Joseph can tell you more too.
The 24 mile loop checkpoint (CP#5) from my two times was a private residence with a circular drive. I never had any problems with it with my Vendetta. It can get crowded depending on your timing. If you are in the lead group, probably not so much.
Referring to this map: http://www.n24hc.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/2016-Rider-Map.pdf
Loop #1 Map:
CP#1 is in a large school parking lot to your left as you approach it. Lots of room. Depart left and a pretty quick right to stay on the course
CP#2 is at an old stone church that will be on your right after a sharp right uphill turn. Parking lot is small. Road usually crowded with vehicles there to meet their riders as the church parking lot isn't big enough.
CP#3 is the Delton Library. Larger parking lot again but if a lot of cars can get cramped. Exit right and quick left at a traffic light. Car/truck traffic can be difficult to dodge depending on your timing.
CP#4 is the start/finish checkpoint at T-K Middle School. Lots of room there and a circular drive to spread riders out as they are coming in and exiting the checkpoint.
Loop #2 Map:
CP#5 looks to be the same private residence with circular drive.
I highly recommend driving the full route ahead of time if you have the time. There are some turns that are tricky to spot. My first year the road markings were pretty faded. Better the second year. It will take some time to drive it.
This is from when I drove the long loop in 2013. I missed the turn onto Poorman Rd from Struwin Rd at around the 70.75 mile point.
https://ridewithgps.com/trips/1465720
The last time I did it in 2014, several riders missed turns in the village of Freeport because the marking were really hard to see and the route had changed from prior years. Here is me on my bike: https://ridewithgps.com/trips/2835179 If you zoom in to about the 17 to 18 mile mark you can see where I went from about 42.5 mph down to 0.0 mph in about a tenth of a mile. This is where I crashed when my drink tube was trying to get into my rear wheel.
I ended up only doing 165 miles because my crash apparently loosened up my right bar end shifter and after spending about 2 hours trying to fix it I called it a night.
-Eric
Rick Youngblood
CarbonCraft Master
Hey Larry, good luck this weekend, and don't weigh the V, you don't want to know
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LarryOz
Cruzeum Curator & Sigma Wrangler
Thanks Rick - Yeah all that stuff really adds up (especially the secret stuff!)Hey Larry, good luck this weekend, and don't weigh the V, you don't want to know
Rick Youngblood
CarbonCraft Master
I take it the event is flat?! So it shouldn't matter. The only thing I'm worried about is once you're up to speed, those tiny rim brakes aren't going to stop you, but that's the point right
?!
JOSEPHWEISSERT
Zen MBB Master
My advise: don't drink the water. The water at one checkpoint was so bad, it tasted like pool water after a bunch of kids had their way with it. My options were 1) get dehydrated, or 2) suck it up. Bleck!
LarryOz
Cruzeum Curator & Sigma Wrangler
Not really flat - not like Washington, NC - which has about 20' of climbing for each 26 mile loop - frying pan flat!I take it the event is flat?! So it shouldn't matter. The only thing I'm worried about is once you're up to speed, those tiny rim brakes aren't going to stop you, but that's the point right
N24Hc route has 3360' climbing in the first 122 miles, then 575' every 24 mile loop, then 118' every 7.6 mile loop. So, the night will be less climbing so that is nicer.
First 200 miles will have 5085' climbing
First 300 miles will have 7385' climbing
First 400 miles will have 8919' climbing
Eric - how about the roads - are they pretty ruff - what tire pressure would you recommend. I am riding Pro One tubeless and current keep 95psi in them.
ratz
Wielder of the Rubber Mallet
If you dont have train tracks to contend with I was running 90psi up front and 85psi on back with 700x25c this post weekend. Handling was good; speed and rolling was good. but it might be late in the game to make a change.
JOSEPHWEISSERT
Zen MBB Master
Will someone be providing updates of the N24HC on the CruzBike facebook page?
ratz
Wielder of the Rubber Mallet
Great question
Maria and Lucia will be on RAAM in the support crew still. So the only way that happens is if @Jim Parker is around and not working and can post like he did for Calvins or may be he has another delegate.
The usual protocol (that just sort of evolved) is email me or text me; You can get the info in a PM from me directly. Then Give the number and email to people on your support crew with camera phones. Send pictures to me I will post them here as fast as I can for the cronies and regulars. (when I'm not also on the bike).
I'll forward them to Jim and then it just a matter of his ability and time to get them on facebook. (No I didn't check with them, but that's how it happened last time for calvins under similar circumstancs) I have planned my big mile ride for Sunday this weekend so that I'm here at home all day Saturday to be picture guy. Right now the weather gods have smiled on my plan.
The biggest challenge is always getting someone to just send me the pics. We seem to usually get 1 or 2 people with phones willing to help do this.
JOSEPHWEISSERT
Zen MBB Master
Big L and I will have to find someone willing to send you pictures. Maybe Kevin's wife would be willing. I'm assuming she will be there.
Eric Winn
Zen MBB Master
From my measly 165 miles in 2014: Elevation: + 7338 / - 7358 ftI take it the event is flat?! So it shouldn't matter. The only thing I'm worried about is once you're up to speed, those tiny rim brakes aren't going to stop you, but that's the point right
Roads then were mostly pretty good with a few spots with some really bad pot holes but these were on the long loop. The night time loop is all really good from when I last did it. Intersection are floodlit with police giving cyclist priority all night long.
I don't recall any train track crossings. I have a set on my usual workout route. I'm running 23mm with about 100 psi but I've also ridden them down to maybe 85ish at times. Tires are rated for 120 psi.
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JOSEPHWEISSERT
Zen MBB Master
Weather forecast for Saturday: sunny, high of 91, low of 62, light winds.
RojoRacing
Donut Powered Wise-guy
If the road is bumpy or chip sealed then a lower psi will let the tire conform to the changes in the road surface easier allowing for smoother fast rolling.
Imagine a monster truck running up a 10" street curb at 20 mph with 3 psi in the tires. The tire would deflect right over the change in height and the trucks body would smoothly continue forward. The same thing with 50 psi in the tires would have the truck bouncing up a bit which isn't smooth and that bounce saps a tiny bit of speed. I know that's a super exaggerated example but it gets the point across. Rough asphalt is like riding over millions of micro curbs and a lower pressure will roll through them faster and smoother.
Now if the road was velodrome smooth then air up all you want but when have public roads ever been that smooth right?
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SamP
Guru
Check the article referenced in this thread about tire pressure and rolling resistance on non-smooth surfaces.
