Best Endurance MTB Races

**CommanderBaker** · 05-17-2006, 04:13 PM

My panties are getting all bunched up in anticipation of some long mountian bike races.

I've been in a couple of emm and was wondering if anybody had any thoughts on the best and toughest endurance races.

I've raced in the Creampuff, the Endurance 100, and Brianhead 100, as well as some 24 hour races.

Creampuff is the most fun - pure single track joy, some of the easiest 16-18K of climbing you will find, incredible deep northwest woods, out back feeling.

The Endurance 100 is certainly the most demanding and difficult. 18K of climbing, almost all awesome single track, techical, gruelling.

Brianhead is just plain classic mountain biking - 100 miles of intermittent single track, with lots of beater atv trail, dirt road, and 4wd road mixed in.

**Crinkle** · 05-17-2006, 04:18 PM

http://www.leadvilletrail100.com/

probably got to be in the top 5, since all of the race is above 9K in elevation

**Rippinsick** · 05-17-2006, 04:27 PM

Montezuma's Revenge may challenge you a bit.

www.montezumasrevenge.com

BLOODSWEATSTEEL · 05-17-2006, 04:29 PM

Originally Posted by Crinkle

http://www.leadvilletrail100.com/

probably got to be in the top 5, since all of the race is above 9K in elevation

That's a severe asskicker. They keep sending me the entry forms and every year it crosses my mind. Sadly, I've decided that my balls just aren't big enough.

**homerjay** · 05-17-2006, 04:32 PM

I've heard great things about the Laramie Enduro (70-ish miles).

Leadville ain't so bad, from what I hear.

Is Park City really that miserable? I was thinking about it....maybe I could just wuss out and do the 100K.

**nick > jesus** · 05-17-2006, 04:33 PM

I don't know know how hard it is, since i have never raced it, but i have worked the Laramie Enduro 111 a few times.

**CommanderBaker** · 05-17-2006, 04:43 PM

I need to do the Enduro one year. I like that country alot in Wyoming

.

Leadville is a classic, and I should do that one too since I love them mountains so, but I really love single track...

Park City is pretty nasty

but that is part of the fun. You might give the 50 mile or 100K race a shot if you are not sure about it. I did the 50 mile last year and it was still fyuggin grueling. Religon is found though after 50-60 miles

.

Originally Posted by homerjay

I've heard great things about the Laramie Enduro (70-ish miles).

Leadville ain't so bad, from what I hear.

Is Park City really that miserable? I was thinking about it....maybe I could just wuss out and do the 100K.

**homerjay** · 05-17-2006, 04:51 PM

Problem with Leadville is you have to register in January or something.

I did my first 100mile race last summer and felt great until about mi. 75 or so. Then......yeah, let's just say it was painful.

Z · 05-17-2006, 04:55 PM

This one time I rode to campus to hand in a paper at 8am with the most raging hangover of my life. I swear it was the most grueling mile i've ever gone. Fucking sidewalk was burl that day I tell ya.

**ja_surf** · 05-17-2006, 04:59 PM

Considering trying the Durango MTB 100 next year

http://www.gravityplay.com/MTB100/index2.htm

**CommanderBaker** · 05-17-2006, 05:01 PM

Originally Posted by Z

This one time I rode to campus to hand in a paper at 8am with the most raging hangover of my life. I swear it was the most grueling mile i've ever gone. Fucking sidewalk was burl that day I tell ya.

What - you think you bad

Try doing that in Gunny when it is 30 below

Good job though on getting that paper in

**CommanderBaker** · 05-17-2006, 05:04 PM

Originally Posted by ja_surf

Considering trying the Durango MTB 100 next year

http://www.gravityplay.com/MTB100/index2.htm

Yes this one is on my list - it looks like a whole lotta fun!

**Rontele** · 05-17-2006, 07:00 PM

How does an average Joe or mere mortal train for an event like this?!

**Lynx** · 05-17-2006, 07:14 PM

rontele: lots of time in the saddle

i did a 24hr race with some friends and two of their husbands decided to do it solo. They say the most important thing is not how far you ride in training, but more the time spent on the bike.

Though, i think both of them took a REALLY long nap sometime during the night and didn't ride too much the next morning. But they are mortals afterall, not those solo super freaks.

and speaking of 24hours races, has anyone done the 24hour race in Moab? I'd love to hear some beta on that one.

**Lynx** · 05-17-2006, 07:30 PM

oh yeah, and i did The Mountaineer in Upstate NY (though, it's not actually a race). It's one of the 5 rides offered by the Highlander Cycle Tour (the original ride being a century road ride with 11k ft of climbing)
http://www.highlandercycletour.com/mountaineer.htm

I don't know if it compares to anything mentioned above cause i'm no super human, but it was awesome. 40km (i don't know why they measure this in Km when the road rides during the same day are all in miles, so i guess it's about 25 miles, which makes it not sound like such an endurance ride anymore, but whatevs) and 7k of vert. Though climbing the last climb to worden hill was super brutal for me. Though I'm sure I'd handle it a lot better these days.

Super fun riding though, it even rained on us off and on all day. lots of single track, just a few roads to connect some of the loop, a few bridges, a lot of beautiful east coast forest, a meadow or two, some techy EC descents, and that last downhill in the ski resort would have been a lot more fun if i wasn't so worked.

**nick > jesus** · 05-17-2006, 08:46 PM

Originally Posted by Lynx

and speaking of 24hours races, has anyone done the 24hour race in Moab? I'd love to hear some beta on that one.

Talk to Adam, if i am not mistaken his rather frightening father did that one.

**Hugh Jass** · 05-17-2006, 09:20 PM

Originally Posted by Z

This one time I rode to campus to hand in a paper at 8am with the most raging hangover of my life. I swear it was the most grueling mile i've ever gone. Fucking sidewalk was burl that day I tell ya.

This thread is about super-bad-ass-ultra-tough-guys who are way harder than you and your mile of sidewalk. So keep your pansy low-VO2max comments to yourself, pussy.

**Hugh Jass** · 05-17-2006, 09:31 PM

I did the Creampuff 3x before I retired, and IMO that is the best race going. Nasty bit of climbing, ridiculous singletrack descending, great folks and atmosphere, and the best post-race dinner ever. I had an entire side of king salmon one year. Shiggy is the muthagrabbin' mang.

I've been led to believe that the Leadville100 is basically a road race. I have no interest.

I've done 24-hr races at Moab, Tahoe, and the old Donner course. Lynx - honestly I don't think the Moab course is all that. Couple technical sections, lots of sand and baby-heads, not alot of vert per lap. Plus you breathe red dust for 24 hours, regardless of where you choose to camp. Perty country, but the venue and course is nowhere near as cool as other Moab stuff. I'd go back for a riding vacation before I did that race again.

I'm not so intrigued by long races made up of short laps anymore. Big point to points, or at least really big laps are alot more interesting. Just one fellas opinion. Fun thread.

**Long Duck Dong** · 05-17-2006, 09:43 PM

I'm an endurance noob, but I rode the E50 in Park City last july and learned a lot. What I found really interesting was that the biggest obstacle to success was not necessarily fitness, but just knowing how to ride for that length of time. What I mean is that I rode a lot of training rides of 25-30 miles with lots of vert, and got to the point where I felt strong and fit. But I would hammer those practice rides hard and fast, and wouldn't really need to stop and eat much because they weren't that long. Well, at the 25-30 mile mark in the actual race, my body wanted to stop and eat, a lot. By that time, eating Gu was too late. I was pretty bonked out. So, I took it real slow, ate a lot, and got my strength back and finished the race. But I lost a buttload of time.

So, this year, I'm doing all 3 E races (12 hours of round valley, 100 mile relay with some friends, and 100k solo in August.) I'm hoping to be a little bit fitter this year than I was last year, but mostly I'm hoping to be smarter. Eat when you aren't hungry! All the time! And I'm definitely going to try to do some 40+ mile training rides.

If anyone else out there is doing any of the E100 series this summer, and wants to get out for some long days, lemme know.

Edit: The 24 hours of Soldier Hollow race is pretty new, and obviously close by to a lot of folks in Northern Utah. From what I hear, its a lot more low-key than the 24-hours of Moab, and probably a good choice for aspiring endurance geeks (like me). Anyone interested in putting together a team?

**utsnowgirl** · 05-17-2006, 09:50 PM

Originally Posted by Lynx

and speaking of 24hours races, has anyone done the 24hour race in Moab? I'd love to hear some beta on that one.

We did the 24 hrs of Moab last fall, but entered in the "Just for Fun" category and did it mostly for the fundraising part of it. The behind the rocks trail is a lot of sand, and I probably wouldn't ride it for fun. I'd be into doing the race competitively one day if I got my ass in shape and had a decent light system. Being there and hanging out was super fun. It's pretty amazing how the desert turns into a makeshift little city during the race. Good times for sure.

**Lynx** · 05-17-2006, 09:52 PM

hmm...not a fan of sand......when and where is this soldier hollow race?

**Long Duck Dong** · 05-17-2006, 09:58 PM

http://www.24hoursofsoldierhollow.com/

September 9th and 10th. Its at the Soldier Hollow Olympic site up in Midway. I don't know the exact loop, but theres a ton of trails/potential loops up there.

Each lap is 13 miles and 2000 feet of vert climbed. Burly.