Looking foward to the Super D (help appreciated)

**Crinkle** · 08-22-2006, 01:33 PM

Well, I am pumped for this. Doing the Super D at Keystone Climax in 2 weeks. My riding has been clicking lately. Don't tell my riding buddies, but I have been killing it on the descents. I barely know what brakes are for anymore besides just before the corner and to stop at the car in the parking log

Sounds like the course barely has any ups, is about 20 minutes of time for the pros to 40 minutes for the back end. The top is a bunch of flat into some rollers. I am riding in the 30+ sport class, since its my first race and my expectation aren't about placing, but just racing well. I haven't raced anything competitive in a LONG time.

few questions for the few experienced super D racers here:

are riders going to wear armor? my buddy who is doing this with me says he is wearing full face and leg armor, but i don't see the point, but i'll have it with me just in case. Is this going to slow me down, or a definite necessity?

I believe its a Lemans style start, so in my best interest to get out and crank it up on the flats to get in a good position to keep from getting stuck behind on the main descent? Or maintain a steady pace and pick them off further down the line?

**jibco** · 08-22-2006, 01:48 PM

In my experience, armor = courage. You will ride ballsout more comfortably.
Pick off as many people as you can before it funnels in. Being stuck behind a weenie really sucks.

How ruff is the course? I may be down. What date?

**brettf** · 08-22-2006, 01:51 PM

get in front as soon as you can and STAY in front.

**Crinkle** · 08-22-2006, 02:07 PM

http://www.cyclecyndicate.com/content/view/28/28/

race is saturday morning, practice is friday afternoon with a clinic for first time racers on friday that I plan on attending.

jibco, we to slow for you? we haven't seen you in a while

Z · 08-22-2006, 02:10 PM

Good luck Crink, im sure you'll kill it.

No advice for ya, but armor will definitely make you feel more confident/willing to push it more...

**Crinkle** · 08-22-2006, 02:15 PM

maybe I just don't have that switch that holds me back w/out armor. I'll have to try it with the armor, but I don't fell that I slow down because I don't have it on. (shrug) But i am talking about speed, not hucking

**jibco** · 08-22-2006, 02:20 PM

Originally Posted by Crinkle

http://www.cyclecyndicate.com/content/view/28/28/

race is saturday morning, practice is friday afternoon with a clinic for first time racers on friday that I plan on attending.

jibco, we to slow for you? we haven't seen you in a while

Blast, I'll be out of town.

No, that's not the case. I haven't seen any emails. You guys been out?

Thommy21 and I are working up a TR for the "24hrs in the sage" that we just did.

**Crinkle** · 08-22-2006, 02:24 PM

friggin nice, anxious to hear your experience as we are getting ready for WP 24 hr.

We are getting out a bunch this week, this afternoon WR, thursday day i am going epic during the day and other are doing thurs night, i'll get you back on the list.

**Ski Monkey** · 08-22-2006, 02:51 PM

Leg armor is a given for me in super d, sometimes arm guards. I've seen a pretty even split between xc helmets and full face. I like a xc helmet for super d since I feel like I can breathe better on the flats and uphills.

Try and get in front if you can on the start. My one lemans start however saw me sprint too fast and be too winded to be able to pass people on the flats on the top. Depending on the course, you may be able to pick them off further down the line. Brian Head has a great spot halfway down for picking people off or getting picked off that is a long wide access road.

**mtnbikerskierchick** · 08-22-2006, 09:08 PM

brettf is right, get a good start and try to stay in front. If you want to pass someone, make it very evident that you do, by basically verbally telling them.

Haven't seen too many people wearing much armor in most of the super-D races. Some do though. I wouldn't go full face though b/c you really do need to breathe and that can be difficult in a full face.

Sprint as hard as you can on the uphills or flat-pedaly sections. You will gain time there, and that's likely where you'll end up passing people. There will be uphills and flats, even though it may not seem like it.

I'll be there too

Look for the Tough Girls in pink

**pechelman** · 08-22-2006, 09:22 PM

Let me make one comment here about any racing in general.

"Test like you race"

If you want to wear armor or fullface or are even thinking about it in the race, I HIGHLY suggest you wear them now and everytime you train. You will know if it gets in the way, how it feels, sharp corners, breathing, how hot youll get, anything good or bad.

You will have the experience and know if it is something thats going to screw up your pedaling or vision, something you can deal with, or know what to do to adapt.

**flowtron** · 08-22-2006, 09:33 PM

I raced one Super D this season and probably won't do another until they do away with the le Mans starts. But you should give it a go and see what you think.
This will be a fun course, and I would do it if I didn't have to race Open class in a le Mans start. Anyhoo, I'd recommend your knee/shin pads and an open face helmet, for sure, no questions. With knee/shins you can bounce right bakc up from a washed corner, and with a full face you can breathe....and you will be breathing.
As for training type stuff, if it s the right time of day when you are riding...just pin the hell out of your Dh, attack the little climbs, attack on flats, recover on the downs...pumping is great way to recover and retain speed. See you up there that weekend...I'll probably be skidding in front of the Kona tent.
I like the braking techniques you described crinkle...thats good shit.

**Crinkle** · 08-22-2006, 10:10 PM

mucho good advice here. I'll take my knee/shin pads and wear them on my next ride. Jeeze flow, I didn't even think of breathing

I've built up a decent fitness level lately, so I think I'll be able to attack a bit on the top flats to put me in decent position. I am down with the Lemans style start, a la chinese downhill. I don't have the full face, i'll just wind up running my open xc helmet. My rides lately I have been thinking of how I would race if it was the SD, so I'm working on the mindset as well, like pechelman said. dood, i am getting pumped for this.

**Mr. Altagirl** · 08-23-2006, 07:21 AM

I usually wear leg armor and my regular Zen helmet for SuperD. I think it really depends on the course; if there are any sections that have any gnar in them, wear the armor just so you pin it through those sections (as you pass the Lycra guys). At the Deer Valley Norba, a bunch of us DH riders killed the Lycra guys and it was FUN. I only pick on them a little as the attitude at the start and during practice made me rub it in little. You are going to love this type of race, it kinda like racing against your buddies on Porcupine when everyone is flying. Zone out and focus on ALWAYS pushing, don't let up but try to be smooth in any rough sections. The climbs are where these races are won if there is any climbing. If the course is all down or flat, being smooth and fast in the turns gets it done. Do you have a gravity dropper yet? If you don't, you will after this race.

(We both have them on our trail bikes now and they make all the difference in Super D racing)

Good luck!

**Crinkle** · 08-31-2006, 05:22 PM

bumpage for the course map, looks like no ups, but 6 miles long

6 miles
Start is Jackstraw Road, top of mountain by cowboy-up.
Right on Girlscouts
Onto Suzie’s Cruz
Onto Mosquito Coast
Right on Jay Bird
Left on Ride On
Strait down Jackstraw Road
Left on Celtic Way
Onto Bluegrass
Left on Sleepy Hollow
Quick Jackstraw Road
Right onto Easy Street
Last stretch of River Run
Finish at the DH finish by gondola

**mtnbikerskierchick** · 08-31-2006, 10:21 PM

Thanks for the map Crink! Good luck to all maggots racing this weekend!!!!!!

**Ski Monkey** · 09-01-2006, 01:39 AM

Good luck racers and get after it!

Remember, go fast, take chances.

**homerjay** · 09-01-2006, 09:40 AM

Originally Posted by Ski Monkey

Remember, go fast, take chances.

That's good advice.

Seriously, it's only ~30 min? Go as fast as you possibly can, you can put up with anything for 30 min.

Best of luck!

**marshalolson** · 09-01-2006, 09:45 AM

crinkle - gimme a call after the race. stoked to hear how you do.

and you still owe me a ride

**Tap** · 09-01-2006, 09:49 AM

get out fast and go like hell

take like 3 goo's before you go

have a great time and kick ass, bro!

(put the iced adult malted beverages in the truck the night before)

**dogwonder** · 09-02-2006, 03:55 PM

It looks like there are a couple short climbs. I've only done the Super D at Mount Snow and that is only about a 7 minute race so your race will certainly ride differently.

My experience will just echo some of the advice above. IMHO, these things are won on the climbs. At Mount Snow, I've seen folks on trail bikes and DH bikes. The guys on the trail bikes mopped up; but that was the kind of course, a climb early on followed by twisty single track where it was damn tough to pass.

Gravity dropper (or the Maverick Speedball) is a HUGE advantage.

On a Leman's start, it's all about getting ahead early. Remember you are racing other racers, not the clock. You get behind somebody and it is in their best interest not to let you by. I wouldn't expect any favors.

Lastly, I didn't ride with armor or leg guards, just my XC helmet. I didn't wear my leg guards mostly because I wanted to have the least amount of resistance on the climb (and the course allowed for it). If the course isn't very technical, I would go as a minimilist.

Good luck, I wish they had more around here.

BTW, what kind of bike are you riding? I ride my Yeti 575.

**Crinkle** · 09-03-2006, 07:35 AM

Damn what an expereince!! It was wicked fun, but tougher than imagined. I went up on friday morning and stayed with some friends friday night. I got a few practice runs in on friday which was great fun and not so much practice. I took advantage of a free Super D clinic put on by Lee McCormack, a racing coach up in Keystone, I beleive he wrote some skills book about mtn biking. The clinic helped me in a few of my weak areas, like berms and setting up for corners ( go wider than the trail, who would have thunk it?)

The trail was wicked long, 6.4 miles with at least 200 yards to run to the bikes at the start. 3 uphills, one rythym section, one double and lots of roots, rocks and off camber corners. It you could pedal, it was awsomely fast. I ran my practice runs with knee/leg armor and it didn't seem to bother me or slow me down. The 575 got dialed in a bit with some suspension tweaks as well. I got rid of some of my jitters by running the trickier sections at what I considered race pace. My buddy that was with me thought that I had it dialed enough to stop worring about it.

Race day:

I haven't raced anything without a motor in a good long while, so I was a bit nervous and wishing that it was a time trial not a Lemans start. I worry more about other people around me than my own skills. And the dreaded fear of getting caught behind some slow poke on the singletrack and not getting to pass. Woke up early got some food and coffee going through the system. Got my race day lift pass and headed up for some practice. One practice run was enough, especially when I could feel a bit of the fatigue from hammering the day before, but it was well worked out by the end of the practice run.

Back up to the top. The staging area out front of the lodge. There were a lot of people. I got a chance to meet the famous MBSC in her bad ass "tough girl" jersey, we had a quick chat and talked briefly about the course, before I ran off to watch the Men's Open start. So much for the run seperating the competitors, they all wound up clustering and reaching thier bikes at the same time. One more heat 18-29 and there were still a lot of guys around with one heat to go. There wound up being 44 people in the Men's 30+ category. Sweet jesus, this is going to be ugly. A quick jog down to the start area, 2 minutes of sweet talk from the race official and we were off.

I tucked in behind some real tall guy that pulled me up the bikes (which were scattered everywhere). I reached my bike with about 7 people in front of me, but super winded from sprinting at almost 11,000 ft. In hind sight, I might have backed off in my run a little bit, since it took me a while to recover. Sucking wind deeply at that elevation, burnt my lungs a bit and i chocked down enough dust to fill a zip-lock bag. The bike was picked up and carried past 2 rows of bikes, thrown down and mounted as fast as I could muster. Off we went. People were raging, I wanted to rage but my O2 levels were not there yet. 3rd corner some guy was having and issue which sent him wide in the middle of the corner, sending me off the trail, as I had set up wide in the turn and was coming through with a lot of speed, this let a guy pass me

Little further down the trail my front tire washed out on a corner and a HUGE dab, where I had almost come to a complete stop and another guy squeaked by.

The course did not allow for much passing and the other racers were not very kosher about it at all. I wasn't trying to make friends up there and as much as my yelling protested, tight spandex guy would not get out of the way, as the gap was opening up in front of him and my lungs were on the way back. I tried to pinch him off on a few corners, but just couldn't swing it. A technical issues was getting the best of me as well, everytime I went into my big chainring, my rear cassette was ghost shifting when I put the power down, which screwed my "passing gear" So there were a few sections where I knew I had a lot more speed, but pansy guy was tapping his brakes, grrrrrr. I caught 2 guys on the climbs. There was one bad crash which bunched 5 of us up, the guy jumped back on his bike on tight singletrack and made 3 of us loose our momentum for the climb up. Unfortunately this is the way it continuted to the bottom, a group of 4 riders caught behind spandex guy.

At the finish, I was toast. I haven't been that winded in a long time, nor have I put out that kind of physcial effort in a long time. Fun for sure. There were several lessons learned for me, which makes me want to get out there and do it again. I might even try it for the whole season next year, but training is a must. So is a chain tensioner, as I derailed a lot during practice and somehow not during the race.

In the end, I was 9th out of 44. My time was about 24:45 for 6.4 miles and a 200 yrd run. To put it in perspective, the winner of the men's open finished just under 20 minutes, with about a 1 minute lead on 2nd place. There was probably about a 90 seconds that I left out there, from getting stuck behind slower riders/crashes/dabs. I could have done better, but that is my competitive nature speaking out and that is what next time is for. All in all not bad with NO previous race experience and trying a brand new format of racing. Thanks for all the advice and "online" support.

I didn't see MSBC finish, but she finished 7th in her class, with the XC race still to go today.

**dogwonder** · 09-03-2006, 08:35 AM

Nice write up. I remember how much that LeMans start kicked the crap out of me on race day as well. Nothing like running up hill at elevation in biking shoes.

9th out of 44 is freaking impressive, kudos.