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Post by dgaddis1 on Jan 7, 2013 18:37:47 GMT -5
Snake Question, is the February race generally warmer? Our vehicle temp showed 28 on Saturday & my feet AGREED, I felt like rubbing Ice on them to warm them up. Any advice to avoid cold feet? Thanks It will probably be a little warmer, but you never know. Will likely be wetter, this weekend was pretty dry. RE: Cold Feet: That's something I suffered with for a while. Once my toes get cold enough, they don't warm back up till after a while in the car, and that hurts. Wool socks, for sure. They continue to insulate even when wet. A pair of booties will help a lot, but you'll shred them before the series is over. They are water resistant, good at keeping spray/splashes off your toes, but won't do any good if you have to walk through puddle or creek. They're relatively inexpensive though. Folks have also put their foot in a plastic bag and duct taped the vents on the shoes. Those chemical foot/hand warmer packets - you can put them in the shoe on top of the toes, outside the sock. Best money I've ever spent on bike stuff was a pair of real winter shoes (Specialized Defrosters, but there are plenty of other brands as well). They are expensive, but they'll last WAY longer than booties. My pair are on their third season and show minimal wear, I hope to get at least three more out of them. They're wind and water proof, and my feet simply do not get cold any longer. I rode all the creeks at the Snake and not a drop of water made it to my feet. Only problem I've ever had with them was a year or two ago at the Snake, hit a bit rock in one of the creeks and the bike stopped, had to put a foot down, and the water was over the top of the shoe, so it filled with water. Once to the other side I had to take the shoe off and dump the water out. My foot stayed wet, but never got cold since the shoes kept the wind at bay.
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Post by tzeaser on Jan 8, 2013 22:01:47 GMT -5
Goretex socks over wool. Neoprene boots for the first half, leave them in a bag at SAG 1.
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Post by brianW on Jan 9, 2013 6:08:13 GMT -5
One thing to remember when using thick or multilayers of socks. A tight fit will reduce blood flow and your feet will get cold.
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Post by jp3 on Feb 1, 2013 16:48:44 GMT -5
Tomorrow is the second race of the 2013 Snake Time Trial. Good luck to all our local riders heading up to Dalton. Don't forget your cold weather gear, I think you are going to need it.
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Post by Angela on Feb 2, 2013 9:14:57 GMT -5
Looks like light drizzle in the morning - sun for a couple of hours - then some light snow - Wow. Our local crew is tough bunch though so they will do just fine!
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Post by dgaddis1 on Feb 2, 2013 17:47:06 GMT -5
Today was awesome but hard. I'll post a longer recap tomorrow...but here's a teaser:
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Post by dgaddis1 on Feb 3, 2013 11:23:10 GMT -5
Yesterday was Round 2 of the 2013 Snake season. This was proper Snake: muddy, sub freezing temps all day, snow, sleet, and rain. Brake rotors, derailleurs, bottles, and camelback hoses all froze over. Temps started at about 28°F and was supposed to warm up into the low 40's but it didnt get above freezing. The muddy double track and multiple crrek crossings would spray your bike down, and then the water would freeze. I lost front shifting pretty quickly because my front derailleur was a solid block of ice and I was stuck in the middle ring. On the big climb out of the half way point I decided I really wanted access to the little ring so stopped to free it up. I poured some gatorade out of my camelback on it and then pounded the ice off with a rock. Once I finally got the derailleur moving I tried to ride but the cranks just spun without moving the chain...then I noticed the little ring was totally encased in ice, the teeth weren't even sticking out at all. More rock chiseling and finally I had a working granny ring, which is where the chain stayed the rest of the day, because the derailleur and middle ring both quickly froze over. Once it started snowing and sticking I quit racing and just enjoyed being out there, the ridgeline was beautiful with the dusting of snow covering everything. It was a lot of fun, I took my time, enjoyed the scenery, and even took the time to stop and get some pics. Then it started sleeting, hard, and I prayed it wouldn't turn to rain, because that would have been truly miserable with temps that cold. Thankfully we only got a little misting of rain here and there but nothing major. I finished somewhere around five hours, slower than last time, but I felt great, no cramps, no mechanicals (other than freezing components) and I had a great time out there. I was glad when I was done though, it was coooold! Many of the other CSRA riders set new personal bests despite the tough weather conditions! Here's some pics: The bus ride to the starting line. Lots of excited, but nervous, folks. Froze up. Snowy. This guy had to of been cold haha The ridge was just awesome with the snow. The final rock garden. Look through the trees and you can see the radio towers, the sign that you're nearly done! The very top of the road that drops off the mtn down to the finish line. Icicles on Ted's rear fender. Frozen mud and bottle on Tom's bike.
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Post by beckyl on Feb 3, 2013 18:27:10 GMT -5
It was a real challenge yesterday with the freezing temps and slick surfaces. Amazing that a bunch of our local crew got PRs yesterday. Good job guys! I ended up a few minutes slower than Snake 1 and didn't have any mechanicals this time. I was in extreme self-preservation mode and had the chance to "pay it forward" for the dude who helped me pump up my tire in Snake 1. Ran into 3 dudes on the side of the trail who all needed help and I was happy to do so. Now that I'm warm and dry and the misery of the day is behind me I can say what a great day it was! I really love our mtn biking community!
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Post by poundcakejake on Feb 4, 2013 11:17:54 GMT -5
Saturday's Snake #2 was Awesome. My Favorite day of MTBing Ever. I feel sorry for anyone who missed it.
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Post by dgaddis1 on Feb 4, 2013 13:57:05 GMT -5
Agreed, it was awesome. I had fun After checking the results I was apparently only about 8mins slower than January. Looking forward to hitting it hard in March!
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Post by tzeaser on Feb 5, 2013 18:18:40 GMT -5
My goal for Snake #3 is to look a little happier in these pictures. I really was having fun. p.s. If you look closely at my helmet you can see the layer of ice on it!
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Post by beckyl on Feb 5, 2013 19:45:43 GMT -5
Great Snake pics guys! I think it's hilarious how everyone has this nice red glow about them. It was a bit chilly. ;o) Just washed the bikes this evening and I'm already getting antsy for the next race.
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Post by mhanna on Feb 5, 2013 20:41:10 GMT -5
Z, I think that look is called FOCUS, and it better be there on most sections of the Snake.
Those RegularJoe pictures were just awesome.
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Post by dgaddis1 on Feb 5, 2013 22:05:03 GMT -5
Great Snake pics guys! I think it's hilarious how everyone has this nice red glow about them. It was a bit chilly. ;o) Just washed the bikes this evening and I'm already getting antsy for the next race. LOL, I changed inside the convention center, when I pulled my jersey off my stomach was BRIGHT fire-engine red. Another layer of clothes would have been nice....especially on that long DH to the finish!
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Post by beckyl on Mar 3, 2013 11:31:22 GMT -5
Well, the 2013 Snake Gap Time Trials are on the books and we had a great showing from the CSRA with a bunch of folks rockin' it and getting belt buckles. I'm still recovering so this narrative will be short and I encourage everyone else who participated to share their experiences as well. It was the most challenging thing I have ever done in my life and I highly recommend it to anyone who likes to push their boundaries. It is not only physically but also mentally challenging, particularly when you can't feel your fingers or toes for over 4 hours due to the cold temps. The race promoters and volunteers are awesome, too. Overall, great times with good friends! Here's our Snake celebration dinner at Christo's Greek Restaurant in Marietta... Just a fraction of the buckles earned by CSRA riders...
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Post by Angela on Mar 3, 2013 17:12:44 GMT -5
Everyone looks so relaxed and refreshed at the celebration dinner, looks more like a before than after shot - you all are amazing!
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Post by dgaddis1 on Mar 3, 2013 19:01:19 GMT -5
Yup, it was a good Snake season this year. It was tough though, mother nature was kind last year, but this year not so much. I had a decent ride. No cramps, no mechanicals (other than some mud induced chain suck here and there), no real issues. Finished in 4:50something about 10mins slower than Feb, and about 20mins slower than my fastest ever time in January (when I was on the single speed.....). I was still recovering from being sick earlier in the week and didn't push as hard as I could have...I know I didn't push hard enough because I'm not sore or stiff at all today, don't even feel like I rode yesterday. Several folks had a great ride yesterday, Mark, Nevin, and Tom all set new personal bests, and the course was NOT fast this go around. When we went to bed on Friday night it was snowing. When we woke up it was still snowing. None stuck to the ground, but anything off the ground (trees, plants, etc) had a little coverage. The fist 17 miles were really wet, and all the double track was really muddy. Especially one section where the FS had done a burn, and scraped the woods road to make sure the fire was contained. That section of road was like riding in peanut butter. But, temps stayed above freezing all day, so it wasn't nearly as cold as the Feb. race and nothing on my bike froze in place this time. I think we brought about 12 or 13 belt buckles back to the CSRA this year! Super stoked to see so many local folks getting out and trying these hard rides and races. Wonder how many we'll bring back next year?? Here's a few more pics. Round 2 of the Snake was the final nail in the coffin for my old chain/cassette/middle ring. Shiny new parts installed before round three. They don't look like this anymore haha. Close up of the buckle. Catching a little air on the final descent coming into the half way point.
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Post by poundcakejake on Mar 4, 2013 20:03:35 GMT -5
Snake expirence is Brutally worth it ! Anyone know where to get a snake skin belt at, I have a new belt buckle !
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