Gran Fondo Ellensburg 2016, Part I

Training. Since Gran Fondo Leavenworth three weeks ago, my training has been good. I had a good recovery week,  then a solid 13hr week with an strong V02 Max interval session and a 5+ hr long ride. This week I've taken it easy, riding about 5 hours in total, with two threshold efforts of 15 - 20 min. The sensations have been good. I took Thursday and Friday off, and road about 90 very easy minutes on Saturday, trying out the new tires. I weighed in at 146 pounds and my morning pulse has been good, a little lower than typical. So, I should be good to go!

Goal. Every ride is different. GF Ellensburg 2015 was great - I liked the terrain and rhythm. What will GF Ellensburg offer this year? 

For the first part, I'd like to stay with a fast group and avoid the wind. I'll try to save as much energy as possible. Once on the climb, I'll try to get to my threshold and stay there. Last year I road a 34x28T and at a couple of points that gear was ridiculously hard and, alas, standing on the peddles basically didn't work because my tires kept slipping. I don't have a 34x28T this year. Hopefully, I won't miss it! Instead, my gears of choice for the climb will be a 34x32T or a 34x25T. I'll work them and try to find a good rhythm. For the middle part, from mile 44 to 55, I'll respect the terrain - go hard on the small climbs and bumps, recover on the downhills. I'll ride the downhills conservatively and try to negotiate the washboard efficiently and safely. I find washboard hard to ride. The edge between control and loosing control comes and goes quickly and unexpectedly. I find it fairly scary. As best as possible I'll keep the momentum going. Concentrate. Concentrate. Concentrate. Last year the climb at mile 55 was difficult because the gravel was very loose and it was steep in places. This year, my goal is to stay focussed and positive no matter how I feel and I'll try to ride efficiently on this climb, knowing that it will be very hard in places. I'll ride the downhill conservatively, well within my limits, as it is often steep and twisty. Once back on the road, I'll go with the terrain, and focus on momentum. The last 3 miles of big, deep, loose gravel on the John Wayne Pioneer Trail will be fun! 

If I can ride the last 30 miles hard, and be safe throughout the day, I'll be satisfied. If I can ride efficiently and strongly with other riders I'll be super satisfied. Based on 2015 results, if I can break 6 hours, I just might just get within 10% of the winner. So, what will the day offer? We'll see. I'll ride with focus and élan. The legs and the Super Course should go just fine. 

Tires. I wanted to experiment with higher tire pressures. For Gran Fondo Leavenworth,  riding tubeless, on Specialized Trigger 38 mm, I went with 37 psi in front and back. So, in an experiment, I pumped the tires up to 60 psi. My goal was to see how that pressure would be, planning to back off the pressure as I fiddled around. I learned a couple of things. 

Cut Tire. Cut on my Specialized Trigger 38 mm front tire, with about 700 Miles. Probably best to not ride in tubeless mode with such a cut.

First, with 60 psi, the back tire expanded so that the clearance between the tire and the frame was more like 0.5 mm instead of 1.5 - 2.0 mm. That was just too close! When standing on the peddles I could easily flex the back wheel so the tire hit the frame. Not good. Disappointing. Did this happen because the tire stretched after about 700 miles? Could I put 60 psi into a new tire and not have it stretch? Once stretched -- if that is what is happening -- is the tire always stretched? To answer such questions, we're back to very careful measuring and experimentation, an ongoing theme with the Super Course. 

Second, I knew that the front tire had a cut in it, a fairly deep cut that I was keeping my eye on. And, wouldn't you know, after 5 miles of riding at 60 psi that cut blew out. Hiss. Hissing.  Hiss. Not a good sound. As I was rolling along sealant started to spew out, all over me, my glasses, the bicycle, and the front rim. What to do? I had to get to work, so I kept riding and after about 1/2 mile the sealant worked and the hissing stopped. When I got home after work, 8 hours and 20 miles later, I checked the tire pressure. It was 20 psi. Just a note: When your rims are covered in sealant the brakes make a terrible squeaking sound and grip unpredictably - a fairly scary situation! 

So that was all fascinating. I spoke with a mechanic at Woodenville Bicycle and he said both discoveries are well known with the Trigger tires. He also told me that after about 1,000 miles the little center knobs - the fine filing part - wear out and the tires just don't work as well. A thousand miles? That's not a lot! I estimate that I've ridden the tires about 700 miles.

So, I decided to buy a pair of Specialized Trigger 33 mm tires. I'll plan to put 40 psi in the front and 45 psi in the back and see how those pressures feel, and fiddle a bit. I would like to do some more experimentation but there's not really sufficient time. I'll need to remember - especially on the downhills - that 33 mm tires are not 38 mm tires.

I wish I had a more objective way of deciding what tire pressure to go with. In any case, given the amount of smooth road on Gran Fondo Ellensburg, I think these tires will be a good compromise.

What to do with the cut tire? I gather you can repair tubeless tires; so, I'll give that a whirl and perhaps use the tire with a tube for commuting and training. In any case, I won't be using a repaired tubeless tire in the Vicious Cycle Gran Fondos anytime soon.