[wahoo1]

Everyone,

I need advice for the Whiskey 50 geared race coming up in a couple of months.

I’ve never ridden Prescott trails and want to be sure that my racing mount can handle the trails.

Ideally, I would ride my Titus Fireline Exogrid 29er with 100mm Reba fork. My tire choice are Maxxis Crossmark tires. I’ve ridden these tires all around Colorado and Utah with no problems. It weighs in at about 23 pounds with pedals.

I also have an Ibis Mojo SL with a Fox 36 fork and more aggressive tires. I could also get some Small Block 8s or Crossmarks and put them on this bike. The bike weighs about 26.5 pounds with pedals and the tire swap.

For some reason, I’m much faster on the Titus except on technical stuff, even with the weights so close.

How technical are the trails on the Whiskey 50?? Can the Crossmarks handle them??

Should I ride the Titus or the Ibis??

For those in Colorado, I rode the Kenosha Pass to Breckenridge ride with the Titus and didn’t have any problems, except for the rare section that I would have liked the extra squish.

 

[jbbikerider]

I'm in the same boat as you. Either ride will be my Form Cycles hardtail, Moots Mootx YBB or a soon to be completed Generic Cycles Softail 29er. From speaking to racers and watching videos, it seems a hardtail would be more that capable to handle the race. I'm leaning toward my Form. See you there.

 

[jms]

Hardtail

Hardtail all the way.

There's lots of pavement @ the start and finish, and the descent and climb in and out of Skull Valley is a fairly smooth fire road. I used a Nobby Nic front and Race King rear combination [tubeless] on my Kish 29er last year.

Have fun and best destiny!

 

[azmtb31]

I agree
you will want a hard tail for sure. Mostly hard packed dirt roads with some knarly singletrack but not enough to justify FS.

 

[mojavehanna]

What tires? I was originally considering Crossmarks but now I am leaning towards 29er Small Block 8's front and rear.

 

[hoosker]

Not sure what advice to give on tires, but this is definitely a hard tail course. The first big descent might be a little smoother with FS but it is mostly water bar drops, nothing a hard tail can't handle.

 

[jms]

Something more robust

What tires? I was originally considering Crossmarks but now I am leaning towards 29er Small Block 8's front and rear.

There are some rocky sections/casing killers on that course. I'd use something with a heavier sidewall than a SB8. You might consider something like a WTB Prowler or Snakeskin Schwalbe Nobby Nic or Racing Ralph up front, with a Maxxis EXO Ikon, Conti Raceking, WTB Nano on the rear. I used a Nobby Nic front/Raceking rear combination last year and was satisfied with the combination.

 

[can't get right]

I would nix the SB 8's for the front, I just think that tire blows as a FT.
I rode it last year SS rigid, WTB Wierwolf front and a Maxxis Crossmark in the rear with zero problems. If you have any kind of handling skills I would not fear the sidewall issue.

 

[af73]

@can't get right, what ss gearing would you suggest for the Whiskey? I'm coming from Utah with 32X20 gearing for the wasatch range in PC.

 

[iknowclint]

I think a 20 would be good,(I rode geared last year due to a mechanical on my SS) the guy i rode with, I think went really big and did 34x22, he finished in under 4:30 and liked his gear.

 

[can't get right]

@can't get right, what ss gearing would you suggest for the Whiskey? I'm coming from Utah with 32X20 gearing for the wasatch range in PC.

I rode a 32x19 but the last 4 miles of that 15 mile climb had me rethinking my choice.