In 4 days I head west for some much needed vacation/work/play in Jackson Hole, WY. I’ve been out there for the past 5 summers and know some phemomenal mountain biking trails that I’ve regularly visited. This will be the first summer that I’ll be tackling any of it on my uni, and I’ve got a few concerns. One of them is mileage. What kind of an average speed can I expect to achieve over the course of a fairly demanding (will probably walk some sections) 12 mile ride, roughly 1/3 uphill, 2/3 downhill. I’ve got a fairly good aerobic condition going, when I ride my coker I average around 10-11mph in a 13 mile ride (albeit nothing like the terrain I’ll be riding out west).
The other question, are there understood rules and techniques when you get to sections with deeply rutted singletrack with shoulder high wildflowers on both sides? I remember a couple sections like this and wonder if the best plan of attack is to try to find a crown on one side or the other, or just walk…because I think the cranks would catch the sides (sections I would just coast down on a MTB).
…off topic, but a big BRAVO to you in your playing of “Pictures at an Exhibition” at Chautauqua on Tuesday. That’s my favorite piece of all and it sounded excellent!
Thanks!! It was fun to get a chance to play there…that was the first time I’ve been to Chautauqua, and to see the grounds atop my unicycle (with great company, thanks to you) was a real treat. Tell everybody at the bike shop I said hello. Next summer if you’re there and I get another playing opportunity, we’ll ride again.
When riding muni, if your route offers two options on a generally flat track, take the higher one. You will appreciate those extra few inches of height if you get into difficulties: it’s easier to drop a few inches down onto an easier bit of trail than to clamber up out of a rut.
When riding a longish distance, be selective about your route. if you splash through every mud bath and take every sandpit head-on, you will lose rhythm and tire yourself.
When riding off road, allow75% of your road speed for generally rough ground, and 50% for tough stuff - but what is tough depends on your level of ability. It’s subjective.
On the Pashley MUni 26 x 2.3 with 150 mm cranks, on a tough ride through the forest, over 12 - 15 miles, I’d probably average only 5 mph. But that is such a rough estimate as to be almost useless to you.
I’d do around about the same speed as Mikefule, maybe a bit less on my standard 24" Muni. it’s not about speed anyway, it’s about enjoyment. However it is nice to let someone know when to expect you back, so there’s a soothing bath & cold beer waiting for you.
It’s impossible to estimate the riding time necessary for an unknown trail for an unknown rider. But I’d plan on 3 to 4 hours for the ride. That will give you enough time to enjoy the views and enjoy the ride.
There’s a 11 mile ride that I like. It involves about 1100 feet climbing on a logging road, 1000 feet down on rocky and rooty singletrack, about 1.5 miles of logging road along a contour, then 2 miles of singletrack. It takes me a little under 2.5 hours when I’m pushing it but that gives no time to look at the views or rest. 3 hours gives time to look at some of the views. More than 3 hours and it starts to feel like a leisurely ride. At a race pace I’m sure that ride could be done in under 2 hours by someone like Kris Holm. No way will I ever break the 2 hour barrier on that ride.
So 3 to 4 hours is probably a safe estimate for a 12 mile ride. If the downhill can be ridden fast enough you may finish in under 3 hours.
Very helpful words. Since I’m a newcomer to muni and generally lean in favor of taking in the scenery over making great time, I will probably leave 4-5 hours for my first try at it. I can bring a cellphone and call if I surprise myself. I actually think that this trail (Cache Creek/Game Creek in Jackson, WY) is going to give me plenty of tests. Evil-nick, I have a 70 oz. bladder in the Camelbak, so I’ll probably fill an extra one and stick it in cargo pocket of the pack. How much did you bring when you ran out? Mikefule, the high road logic looks so simple…but I probably would’ve struggled through a few miles before “getting it”…thanks. John Childs, do you get the climbing and descending figures from maps or a computer of some sort? I’m going to be interested in having the stats for this ride to estimate future ones. mikepenton, I’m with you on the enjoyment theme…the place we’re staying has a hot tub and a nice big fridge.
I’m eager for all the info I can glean, so thanks and bring it on.
I used a GPS and topo maps. The ride I described is here and there is a map link at the bottom. MTB trail guide books can also give you general numbers for elevation gain and ride distance.
The problem with a GPS is that you need a clear view of the sky. Thick trees can block the sky enough that you lose satellite lock. Then the GPS is forced to guess and estimate. For the ride I mentioned I lost satellite lock on the singletrack because of the tree cover. The singletrack trails on that map were made based on very intermittent satellite locks and are a guess at best.
Jackson Hole is a fun and beautiful place. I rode through Jackson Hole when I did a cross-country bike ride. I suffered on the climb (going from West to East) because my leg cramped up. My bike didn’t have a triple so I had to suffer up the climb with a bum leg and the high gears. I made it and was able to top 55 mph on the way down to Jackson Hole. Wheee! Sometime I want to do that climb on my Coker.
One thing I remember from that climb is that a yellow Lamborghini Diablo passed us going up the climb. It looked and sounded really good.
I ran out yesterday and it was NOT fun