Breck B68 - feedback

gabbard said:

Can anyone give me any feedback or reviews of the Breck B68? Course fun/quality level, support, etc. Thinking about doing it this year.

Steve

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I have raced the event twice....plan to be back this year.

Fun? Extremely!

Quality? Encompasses everything that is CO high country riding. Techy singletrack, dirt roads, rip'n fast singletrack, big lung searing climbs, etc.

Support? Yep. You get 1 aid station on each loop....plus you get to go by your pit at the start finish. The B68 uses loops 2 and 3 from the 3 loop Breck 100

The B68 is a great alternative to bleeding out your eyes for the 100 miler

What Jeff said...raced it last year for the first time, some incredible single track. The 68 is the 2nd loops of the 100 course, basically the best part of the 100.

Great support, awesome party afterward, highly recommended.

Just pay attention for the arrows

So here's the standard question...Which bike?

I have a 26lb 29er FS and a 21.5lb Carbon 29er HT. I have the horses for courses thing covered but I have never ridden any of the trails near there and with it being an 8 hour drive, I'd rather not have to bring two bikes. Opinions?

edit: I'll be doing the 100

Silentfoe said:

So here's the standard question...Which bike?

I have a 26lb 29er FS and a 21.5lb Carbon 29er HT. I have the horses for courses thing covered but I have never ridden any of the trails near there and with it being an 8 hour drive, I'd rather not have to bring two bikes. Opinions?

edit: I'll be doing the 100

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29er. That's what I'll be riding but its all I ride

I think there are enough road sections in the course that would give an advantage to the 29er, but it would depend on your riding style. There is a LOT of climbing and IMO the descents aren't technical enough to warrant a full suspension.

I guess I'll see you at the starting line!

Uh, thanks. They are both 29ers. So, hard tail then?

Silentfoe said:

Uh, thanks. They are both 29ers. So, hard tail then?

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I think the 26lbs threw him off. I haven't done the 100 but plan to this year. Last year I rode a lot of the trails in Breck on my epic marathon 29er and the year before rode them on an Alma 29er hard tail. I enjoyed myself more on the full suspension than the hard tail. After a 9,10,11 hour day my 40 year old bones thank me for having the rear cushion. But ultimately go with the one that feels right in the weeks leading up to the event. Trust your gut instinct and you'll be fine with either one as long as you are committed to that bike and don't second guess your decision.
See you at the line.

Silentfoe said:

Uh, thanks. They are both 29ers. So, hard tail then?

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I'm in the same predicament as you.
I did the B68 on my hardtail steel 29er (23+ lbs) last year and I would race it again this year at Breck in a heartbeat, but I picked up a Titus RX29er frame late last summer and built it up fairly light (considering it's 6.25 lbs frame weight) to be about a lbs heavier than my HT at approx 24.5 lbs. I'm split right now on which bike for Breck this year, but leaning towards the Titus (only because I converted the HT to a singlespeed and may not switch it back to geared)

Just my 2 cents...but if it were me and I had both your bikes I would ride the Scott no question with the 21.5 lbs (congrats on this BTW...helluva light build!) vs 26 lbs FS bike weight difference. The course has some tech ST and is a little rough at times (loop 2 more than loop 3), but I'd take the additional beating of the HT anyday with that 4.5 lbs difference.

I ran a carbon hardtail....26er. DT Swiss carbon wheels with Continental Mountain King 2.2 set up tubeless with Stans. 100mm fork. Will/would do the same in 2011.

Thanks for the solid advice all. I will bring the HT then. It should be just over a half pound lighter by then with new wheels so that will help a bit. I did the PCP2P on the FS last year and I was definitely feeling the weight at the end although the squish helped. Just not sure it offset anything. As a heads up, I would absolutely do that course on a HT in the future.

Support - ok, but

Plan to be self sufficient, just in case. A couple of issues side tracked a few last year.

The first support station on the first loop of the 68 was out of water at one point, at a time where waiting could have caused you to miss the cut off.

Also, the guy who was supposed to staff the Como station apparently thought the race was on Sunday and didn't show. They did get someone there though...

But, otherwise a great race and no doubt the miscues will be rectified for this year, and I'm planning to return.

norty_mtb said:

I think the 26lbs threw him off. I haven't done the 100 but plan to this year. Last year I rode a lot of the trails in Breck on my epic marathon 29er and the year before rode them on an Alma 29er hard tail. I enjoyed myself more on the full suspension than the hard tail. After a 9,10,11 hour day my 40 year old bones thank me for having the rear cushion. But ultimately go with the one that feels right in the weeks leading up to the event. Trust your gut instinct and you'll be fine with either one as long as you are committed to that bike and don't second guess your decision.
See you at the line.

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DOH! yah hardtail I wasn't even drinking when I responded, I swear!

More than one aid station ran out of water last year. And my buddy who finished about 20th in the 68 was the first person supported in Como by the late arriving aid station. I think they ran out of water the year before at a few stations as well.
That said, I raced the 32 last year and plan on racing the 68, but I will have my wife at aid stations for support or I will be riding with a camelback with enough to get through a empty aid station. It's a great course.

I raced the SS women's 100 last year, and it was my most favorite course ever. I needed water at the 2nd loop aid station that was out and ended up just stopping at a golf course water fountain not too far up the road.