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But to return to the topic at hand, looks like there is still a long, long section without water, from the beginning of the alternate to Wamsutter.70 miles from Diagnus Well to Wamsutter doesn't seem insurmountable to me. Is there something that I am missing? I hope to ride that section next year. I'm gathering all of the information that I can. 2 gallons of water for an overnight trip from the well to Wamsutter. Is that correct? What was the distance before from the well to A&M reservoir?
There is no doubt in my mind that there is exponentially more hand wringing about tire choice for gravel racing than all other disciplines of cycling combined. Tire choice will make or break your ride. Kansas gravel is generally composed of limestone and flint. Flint can be sharper than steel and will make short work of thin tires.
I opted to run Clement’s brand new X’Plor MSO 700x40mm tire. Gravel is an unpredictable and ever-changing surface; I find it hard to conceive of any tire that would allow one to “rail turns” on a gravel road. The X’Plor’s round shape, and consistently spaced, low-profile tread make for a tire that rolls fast and is extremely predictable. I ran 42psi in the front and 45psi in the rear.
I also opted to run them tubeless on a pair of Rolf Ralos 29er wheels. I’m sure Clement does not recommend this (it’s my job to try these things and occasionally make poor decisions so you don’t have to). They seated with a floor pump and held air with three scoops of NoTubes sealant. X’Plor MSO has a supple, 120tpi casing, my pair weigh approximately 430 grams, and carried me across miles of flint-strewn roads without any issues. I’m sold.
The Rolf Ralos wheelset rolls on White Industries hubs laced to what are essentially NoTubes Arch rims drilled for Rolf’s paired spokes. On my mountain bike I found this wheelset to flex more than I like, but for long gravel rides I appreciated the compliance.
I used this tire in the 2013 Dirty Kanza 200, and it performed flawlessly. I set it up tubeless, and ran it at 37 pounds of pressure, as a front tire. I used Caffelatex sealant, and successfully finished with zero flats in the Flint Hills of Kansas. Great control in the gravel. Good comfort with the wide 40mm tire size. This tire is not listed as a tubeless tire, so I would guess that it completely voids your warranty and you are on your own if you run tubeless like I did.
QuoteDuring actual rain, fenders do very little as you are getting wet from above, not below
Water from the sky is clean. Water that splashes up from the road, not so much. I was on a group ride on a rainy, muddy road. I was the only one with fenders. We all got wet, but I was the only one that didn't have a muddy streak down the center of the back of my jersey.
I'm loving my SKS.
Which model do you have? I'm using 32mm tires and most of theirs targeted to touring seem to start at 35mm
- Tim
