Test of Metal - late start and avoid all the schmucks?

I don't get this. My understanding is the test of metal is a gravel road and questionable single track race for roadies. If powerhouse plunge is a sampling of the "downhills", well meh. So, one should expect it is going to be a pedal fest and that you will be bottlenecked on any descents by people who are potentially walking their bikes downhill.

Granted, there are always people who excel at the entire race but unless you can get behind those people and stay with them, you likely won't have a clear shot on any of the descents.

My 2cents (coming from someone who has never actually done the race but only heard countless horror stories from dh friends.)

accurate description….frankly, the answer is always get faster at the climbing, it really does work! that, and do the test once and never again because of situation described above. Never really thought that race deserved the praise, pretty average overall imo, but the roadies love it……. :devil:

I don't get this. My understanding is the test of metal is a gravel road and questionable single track race for roadies. If powerhouse plunge is a sampling of the "downhills", well meh. So, one should expect it is going to be a pedal fest and that you will be bottlenecked on any descents by people who are potentially walking their bikes downhill.

Granted, there are always people who excel at the entire race but unless you can get behind those people and stay with them, you likely won't have a clear shot on any of the descents.

My 2cents (coming from someone who has never actually done the race but only heard countless horror stories from dh friends.)

i did it once when i was still dabbling in xc, and had reasonable climbing fitness. the early singletrack was still a shitshow despite a not terrible start. things did finally get spread out by the plunge, but still the fun bits didn't make up for the long climby bits and traffic jambs. i'd save the cash and just do a squamish epic. so many more great trails to ride than subjecting yourself to that cattle drive.

Over the years suspension bikes are more common/sorted, average skills have improved, and so much of the trail has been turned into modern flow or poodle path (and not left natural) that the bottle necks are not as bad as when little roots stopped some of the roadies in the first 50 overall up Jack's.
Robs and Cliffs Corners are now so much smoother, wider and bermed that even average riders are riding pretty fast, so even the faster downhillers are only being held up ~30 seconds, and if you are not a good pedaller I doubt you could sprint fast enough and long enough to pass anyone
No more straight line through roots, drops and chunder on Roller Coaster, so same as issues as Robs and Cliffs
and everything after is wide and smooth enough to the last part of the Plunge that you can pass almost everywhere, but you better still have a triple chain ring unless you can climb lava flow with a 38 tooth ring
Crampit Woods is so up and down that if you are not a good climber you will not have any momentum into the downs and will be relatively slow that even if a slow downhiller/faster climber lets you by, you will have trouble making the pass stick and will be wrecking the flow of the polite guy that let you by

why not just try to pace out your energy and improve your time to 4:15 or faster?

Maybe ask Julie Miller - I am sure she has a few tricks to avoid the bottlenecks.

Just looking to have a little more of a fun day than stare at the guy in front of me.

So anyone think this might work?

That's racing…..

I don't get this. My understanding is the test of metal is a gravel road and questionable single track race for roadies. If powerhouse plunge is a sampling of the "downhills", well meh. So, one should expect it is going to be a pedal fest and that you will be bottlenecked on any descents by people who are potentially walking their bikes downhill.

Granted, there are always people who excel at the entire race but unless you can get behind those people and stay with them, you likely won't have a clear shot on any of the descents.

My 2cents (coming from someone who has never actually done the race but only heard countless horror stories from dh friends.)

Nevermind the fact there's like 800 people in the race. Gearjammer or JABR have much better trails and less entrants. I just don't see the point of entering an xc race to not do an xc race.

Don't understand Mountain Bike racing one of the biggest draws of riding is getting away from people.

Don't understand Mountain Bike racing one of the biggest draws of riding is getting away from people.

Word.

cross bik?

I'm planning on riding the race from the finish to the start. Head on collision warning!

I've done it twice. Last time maybe 5 years ago just to reinforce why, when i did it maybe 12 years ago, I said never again.

Boring and annoying. Too many good trails to spend money to ride this race.

Despite a pretty quick start (absolutely exploded myself on the road to try to be in the front 50, knowing Jack's is like free recovery time), I was still holed up in a line on Jack's (ergo, recovery time).

The best part was on the Plunge, about 3rd or 4th switchback. Lycra-clad rider with glasses in helmet vents goes down on the corner and yells at me as I come up hot behind me "STOP! Stop! It's carbon!".

Awesome race. You should definitely do it.

Maybe ask Julie Miller - I am sure she has a few tricks to avoid the bottlenecks.

:lol: Forgot who she was at first.

The best part was on the Plunge, about 3rd or 4th switchback. Lycra-clad rider with glasses in helmet vents goes down on the corner and yells at me as I come up hot behind me "STOP! Stop! It's carbon!".

Hahaha I would trade a few beers for a YouTube video clip of this happening. Hilarious.

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