NYCMTB.com

6thElement · Posted: Mon Jan 16, 2012 6:06 pm Post subject: 2012 Bearscat 50

Looks like we've got a good NYCMTB contingent signed up, not many spaces left now.

It's a long way off, but for those that did the race last year, was there a ride through pit area so you could stock up on sustinence for lap 2?
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Rolling on 29", 650b, 8.3" and 23mm

rogerracer · Posted: Mon Jan 16, 2012 11:56 pm Post subject:

yes there are two aid stations one by wear you park your car that is by the finish line and both stations had plenty of stuff to eat and drink .I am all sign up see you out there
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pain is temporary glory is for every

2omega9 · Bloomberg Joined: 27 Apr 2009 Posts: 58

mattny · Posted: Thu Apr 26, 2012 4:59 pm Post subject:

I just realized I did register for this -- yeah!

I see John, Chris K and Luis are registered too -- anyone else?

Matt

paso fino · Joined: 02 Oct 2009 Posts: 12 Location: LIC

Viking · Trump World Joined: 19 May 2008 Posts: 479 Location: LIC

me too

6thElement · Posted: Tue May 29, 2012 9:53 am Post subject:

Almost Bearscat time Cool

Banged up my knee yesterday but hoping to be good by Sunday. Fingers crossed the rain stays away and we have some cooler temperatures.
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Rolling on 29", 650b, 8.3" and 23mm

lushizzle · Posted: Fri Jun 01, 2012 8:20 pm Post subject:

What are we doing about carpooling? I have room for 1 more or 2 depending on which car I take.

6thElement · Posted: Sat Jun 02, 2012 8:47 am Post subject:

I'm riding in with Matt.
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Rolling on 29", 650b, 8.3" and 23mm

Viking · Trump World Joined: 19 May 2008 Posts: 479 Location: LIC

Luis, are you coming from LI or the City?

I was gonna pick up Stephane but if the three of us can fit in your car that's better. We live nearby each other too.

Viking · Trump World Joined: 19 May 2008 Posts: 479 Location: LIC

Carnage. Combination of form, weather and course probably put this race in the lead of brutal races I've done. Muddy rocks and roots or hub deep water/mud filled fire roads. High DNF rate where riders simply had enough or didn't make the cut-off times.

Didn't have any major issues or crashes, but definitely got banged up along the way and feel ten years older this morning. Rode on my own most of lap 1 as it got spread out pretty quickly, and did most of lap 2 with Steve from Overlook and we crossed the line together at 9th/10th place of 20 in SS. Just over 6 hours and 20 minutes of riding.

Good job racers!

Results are up
http://www.blackbearcycling.com/scat12/results.shtml

Dynastar · MetLife Joined: 05 Jan 2007 Posts: 115

DNF - 1 lap 3:50

My goal was just to finish, so I let the faster guys go and settled in mid-pack. Since I was with the masses, I kept getting stopped at all the technical sections. I was having trouble engaging the cleat (I later found a stick lodged in the cleat bed). So every time I remounted, and struggled with the cleat, a few guys would pass me.

Forgetting that this is a 50 mile race & we are only at mile 7 I made the decision to try and pass back a few people. I raced up the side of a rock garden section and smashed my rear derailleur on a rock.

I tried to do an emergency repair, but it was evident that the derailleur was shot and I was stuck in the 34. Knowing that my race was over I was going to bail at the mile 14 feed zone. But I was having fun, and made the drive, so I decided to finish the lap. I even contemplated going out for the second lap knowing I was going to get pulled at the time check, but that is when the rain started.

All-in-all I am happy. Even with a working derailleur I would have really suffered on the 2nd lap; and that is before the rain started. In addition, when I got home I found a 1 inch gash in my sidewall and the tube sticking out. So it was only a matter of time before my rear tire would have burst.
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Team NYCMTB-Peak BIkes

6thElement · Posted: Mon Jun 04, 2012 10:41 am Post subject:

Course was slick after rain this last week, large sections were just swamp with deep mud or water. Mud on all of the rocks made climbs much harder to clear. On my first lap I struggled to eat and was basically bonking for the second half of the first lap. A couple of dumb crashes also slowed me right down.

Then on the second lap the thunderstorms started, heavy rain and hail. But I was feeling much better and rode the course much better than the first lap, despite being slower.

Totally missed my 6 hour objective with 7h20 and 58th place, but a long way behind the 4h42m winner Surprised

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/185373433

Oh well, a good warmup for my first 100 mile race of the season in a couple of weeks.
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Rolling on 29", 650b, 8.3" and 23mm

Viking · Trump World Joined: 19 May 2008 Posts: 479 Location: LIC

Too bad Chris.

I flatted last year and decided to put a little extra air this year. No flats, but I was bouncing around way too much. Put a lot of energy into sloppy riding yesterday.

mattny · Posted: Mon Jun 04, 2012 12:39 pm Post subject:

Congrats to all who raced and the Black Bear Cycling for running a great event! All the registration, aid tents, drop bags, BBQ and results were handled really professionally and quickly. Each time I got to the aid station a volunteer already had my bag in hand and open for me - really nice!

I didn't know what to expect exactly from the Bearscat 50 - the only other long form races I've done are 6hrs of Cathedral Pines and the Darkhorse 40, which are each a lot less technical. I raced the Waway Spring Cleaning a few weeks ago which was only 11 miles and it really made me question the wisdom of 50 miles of similar terrain.

But even with hours and hours of racing to go, I think it is important to get off to a good start - If you're bottled up at the beginning, dismounting a lot and having to pass other riders in the first few miles will definitely eat up a lot of energy & momentum & probably several minutes of final time. So I lined up in about the second line and tried to keep a faster-than sustainable pace for the first few miles as the riders spread out, then I simmered down to what I hope to sustain, about 8mph average, aiming for 6 hrs overall. The rock gardens and mud were everywhere. I was riding with Luis for a while, and about halfway through the lap I led him straight into the middle of a mud puddle that was up to my knees, no joke! (You're welcome, Luis!) I made the first lap under 3 hrs, but my second lap was about 20 minutes slower, probably about 7 mph average. I just focused on section by section, drinking & eating at peaks, recovering on descents. Around 4.5 hrs I started getting some cramps in my hamstrings and forearms. A double-espresso gel and shot bloks seemed to help them go away in a few minutes. Miles 30-38 I felt really drained, looking forward to the aid station where I had a PB&J and refilled my bottles. Once I passed mile 40, I alternately thought "almost there!" and "will this ever end?" For the last 10 miles I rarely saw another rider, though I caught 1 near the end, and passed him as we got onto the final road section.

It was definitely the hardest race I've done. 6:13 was my time, for 32nd place.

raygun · Posted: Wed Jun 06, 2012 3:00 pm Post subject:

nice job guys, way to tough it out. sounds like I missed a doozy of a race. hail? really?!

GfromNY · Posted: Wed Jun 06, 2012 3:58 pm Post subject:

Nice job guys, congrats! Sounds like it was every bit as brutal (if not more) than last year...

6thElement · Posted: Wed Jun 06, 2012 9:36 pm Post subject:

2 hours after starting to clean my bike I'm still going. My rear derailleur doesn't spin freely anymore even after cleaning...
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Rolling on 29", 650b, 8.3" and 23mm

lushizzle · Posted: Thu Jun 07, 2012 9:20 pm Post subject:

Gotta agree that this was a tough mutha. I was ultimately happy with finishing considering last year I took a wrong turn and gotten finish the first lap before the cut off. I felt good the first lap averaging just approve 8mph, but at the very start of the first lap I started getting sloppy and felt weak. My average HR was 167 on the first lap and 147 on the second which took me 40 minutes longer to complete. I'm still searching for that endurance zone but even when you find it; it's hard to control with the excitement. Next race is next weekend at the Whiteface for the Leadville qualifier.

Dynastar · MetLife Joined: 05 Jan 2007 Posts: 115

Funny, I also pumped up my tires higher than normal and was bouncing all over the place. Once my derailleur broke, I figured I had nothing to lose with flats and decreased the pressure and had a much better ride.

I finally got to work on my bike last night & my derailleur is OK. However, my hanger is twisted like a pretzel. Luckily I have less bent spare.

I pulled my rear tire off and I have about 20 1/4 to 1/2 inch tears in the sidewall. I love Continental Race Kings, but their sidewalls are so thin they do not hold up to the East Coast rock gardens. I need to get race tires with thicker sidewalls that I can run tubeless.
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Team NYCMTB-Peak BIkes

6thElement · Posted: Fri Jun 08, 2012 9:34 am Post subject:

The bearing in the lower jockey was kaput, even removing the seals and soaking out all the crap couldn't rescue it. Luckily I had a broken lower jockey with a good bearing.
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Rolling on 29", 650b, 8.3" and 23mm