The Word of Dog

One ride left to make a final decision on the Breck Epic setup.  Pisgah, of course.

My route choice this time (again), so whatever I want.  Kangalangamangus, Togie, and Luther.  North Mills... a route with known knowns.

I decided to make a genuine, thoughtful feelings ride about running the Minion DHR II 3.0.  Worth it or not for what I wanna do in Breck?

There are three climbs that will make or break this for me.  Up Spencer from Wash Creek Rd.  Up Spencer from the Grassy Road of Death.  Up Trace from Spencer. 

If you're not from around here, that means nothing.

What I determined is that I need to be able to red line my motor to get this tire up some of the tech bits.  At a Pisgah elevation tho.  Not at 10,000+ feet.  As much as I love playing in the woods on this tire...

Damn it.

I can just imagine all these pitches in my head that took just a little extra to get up at Breck (I've been there six times, but have forgotten most of how bad it gets).  I just won't have the afterburners to do it with 1.5lbs more rotating weight (combined tires and wheels).

Kangalangamangus says it tastes good tho, so there's that.

Going outside of my wheelhouse a bit, it would be like lifting a Suzuki Samurai and putting on 33 Super Swampers but leaving the 1.3 liter, 63 hp motor fully stock... and running kerosene for fuel.  It's just not gonna get up the hill.   Might not even back down off the trailer.

So the bike is as it is now.  I'm gonna give it to someone else tomorrow night and then never see again until I get there?

Cue angelic music...

It is what it is.

Just about the lightest bike I could drag up a mountain and still have fun with going down the other side.  I did add a little crucial weight, but I doubt it's gonna slow me down.

More later, but I'm in the "lifestyle" class.  I've prepared my bike and packed my bags thusly.

I expect something close to the experience I had at TSE in May... but with slightly more heavy breathing.