Muni-only race, Albany NY, 26 Sept 2010

General
1

Announcing an off-road race open to unicycles only.

FORMAT
This will be a 2hr race around a 3-4 mile lap course. Most laps in shortest time wins. If you cross the finish line at 1:59 you can go out for a final lap (or not). Race will start at 10am on Sunday 26 Sept. This format is great for a mixed crowd of skills, beginners can have fun with one or two laps while advanced riders can gun it for 5 or 6. [categories? Lets see how many entrants we get first]

COURSE
The race will be held at the mountain bike trails at Central Park, Schenectady NY. These are awesome trails for muni, ‘semi-technical’, as the MTB’ers call them. It’s a great mix of terrain including flowey single track, logs to hop over, boardwalks to ride, and lots of short but steep hills. We will announce the final course route later, but will aim for a 3-4 mile lap that will take the fastest riders ~30min to cover.
The course also has one large jump and two

that will be optional parts of the race route. All of the obstacles on the course are ‘doable’ on a uni, all have been cleared at least once by at least one uni, but never all in the same lap (let that be a challenge to you). However, the course also has lots of open sections that even beginner muni riders can enjoy. A ‘something for everyone’ route, perfect for this race.
I have ridden this course on a 24, 29, and 36, so most any size wheel is possible here. The 36er was not optimal on the steep hills, had to walk it up, and so is probably not the ideal ride. The 29er is faster for the flowy sections, the 24 might be better for getting over some of the logs.

FEE
This is a no-frills race, there will be no prizes, no goodie bags, no cost to use the trails - so no charge for this stuff. If we go for insurance there will be a small charge for that.

WHAT ABOUT SATURDAY?
The race is close enough to NYC and Boston area that those riders might decide to just come up Sunday morning. Other riders may decide to come up the night before. For those folks, we will have group muni ride on another set of great trails nearby in the Albany Pine Bush Preserve. We’ll meet at 4:30 at the trailhead (165 Willow Street, 12084). Any riders driving in Saturday can meet us there, if you’re running late call me (518-859-5235) and I can ride back to bring you to the good trails (sunset is 7pm). We’ll offer some spaghetti, burgers, and beer at my house after the fun ride (3 Warren St, 12203)

ACCOMMODATION
Steveyo and I have large enough yards to accommodate a few tents, first come first serve (I can even offer the tent). Otherwise, plenty of cheap hotels in the Albany area.

DIRECTIONS to race here

UPDATES: follow this thread

WHO’S COMING?

  1. Roland
  2. Steveyo
Who has completed a 100 mile ride?
2

Premo is in on the niner! I’d like to ride on Saturday also!

3

Announcing an off-road race open to unicycles only.

WHO’S COMING?

  1. Roland (Albany)
  2. Steveyo (Albany)
  3. Mark Premo (Burlington)
  4. Pat Ferri (Chatham)
4

WHO’S COMING?

  1. Roland (Albany)
  2. Steveyo (Albany)
  3. Mark Premo (Burlington)
  4. Pat Ferri (Chatham, Probable)
  5. Jim Owen (Probable)
5

“Probable” ? Hell, I’m probable, too.

6

WHO’S COMING?

  1. Roland (Albany)
  2. Steveyo (Albany)
  3. Mark Premo (Burlington)
  4. Pat Ferri (Chatham, Probable)
  5. Jim Owen (Probable)
  6. Tysen Sherry (White Plains)
7

I was hoping to make it out to this event, but it conflicts with a local event I’m doing that weekend. Sorry Roland.

8

WHO’S COMING?

  1. Roland (Albany)
  2. Steveyo (Albany)
  3. Mark Premo (Burlington)
  4. Pat Ferri (Chatham, Probable)
  5. Jim Owen (Probable)
  6. Tysen Sherry (White Plains)
  7. Buzz W. (Rochester)
9

Course Set

Steve, Adam and I had a nice ride out on the Central Park course today. The full lap possible is around 5-6 miles but we’ll cut a shorter route for the muni race. Here’s the 3.2 mile lap we’ll do. Cuts a bit of the length, but keeps most of the fun features.
-Ro

GPS route: Garmin Connect

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10

I found this video of Central Park Schenectady.
Are these the skinnies we’ll see on the course?
I recognize the tree at 3:15 as the one shown in your video.

Looks like some of you Albany riders joined in on this race a few years ago:

11

There’s a few places with 100+ ft long mud-bridges and skinnies, and a couple 40+ ft long log skinnies/North Shore-ish combo features.

Also, that place on the map Roland marked as rooty is seriously rooty. I think it has been cleaned on a muni just once. (by Ro himself)

12

Sounds like the kind of features I’d like to stop and play at.
It will be frustrating to have to hurry through them.
But maybe some of us can go back if we have time and energy.

13

Yep, those vids are from the course. There are two built-up lots to ride, neither are ‘officially’ on the course, but one is right by the start/finish line so easy to play on. The big jump is on the course, although there is a side-go-around that is a bit slower. There are also some new skinny board-walk sections that are super fun.

Come over before then if you want to check it out. We ride out there regularly, and, actually, they are having Tuesday evening MTB races out there all of August (630pm).

Ro

14

im not sure, sound awesome but idk if i can handle it with no brakes / being fat and outshape

anyone from owsego-ish area going ?

15

Riding without brakes is no problem, the hills are short. You could always end at one lap if you were toasted.
ro

16

WHO’S COMING?
1. Roland (Albany)
2. Steveyo (Albany)
3. Mark Premo (Burlington)
4. Pat Ferri (Chatham, Probable)
5. Jim Owen (Probable)
6. Tysen Sherry (White Plains)
7. Buzz W. (Rochester)
8.Jason Kahn (nyc area)
9. Brad Stratton (Albany)
10.

17

Put me in as a probable. It would be nice to ride with someone else for a change. I’ll do a little extra practice so hopefully I won’t suck.

Roland, I met you at Moon Lake around Thanksgiving one of these years. It was a while back so you probably wouldn’t remember me. Is it about 3.5 hours from this area?

18

Chriffer, where are you?

19

In Wilkes-Barre, PA. The internet estimated that 3.5 hour time. Roland might know more accurately than that. Watching the videos now I better practice some more skinnies.

20

Hi Chriffer - I can make the trip in 3hrs from Hanover Township. Would be great to have you join the crew up here, or, meet up back at Moon some future holiday. I’ll probably be back down for Thanksgiving.
Ro