I am buying new tires for the Iceman. Any recomendations?

I am buying new tires for the Iceman. Any recomendations?


I would shoot for a tire that does great in sandy conditions, as that what the course is. I run the Panaracer Mach SS up front and a Conti Explorer on the rear, I use Stans also so I can run a lower psi to get more traction and better rolling resistance. I would check with you LBS and the tire review on this site. The Mach SS cuts a great line through the sand, I'm not sure if it's still available though. You could also ask on the MMBA website, I'm very sure there are a lot of people that will give you some ideas.

Good luck

Gripshift

those conti expolorers are near perfect if it's dry, but if it's icy or snowy, you'll wish you had something different, like a firecracker pro XC or bonty jones. I prerode the course last week w/ cjsbike and it was more sandy than usual.

I rode the Iceman about 6 years ago (the year that Tinker won it) and it was very sandy that year also, with not much mud or snow. I ran a Specialized Team Control on the front which worked great but I made a mistake on the rear tire due to anticipating more mud, I ran a Conti XC 1.9. After a couple miles through the sand, I was wishing for a larger volume rear tire.

That being said, I would suggest large volume front and rear, with lower than normal pressure. Here are some suggestions: Geax Sedona 2.25, Geax Sturdy 2.25, Schwalbe Fat Albert or King Jim, Hutchinson Scorpion 2.3, Kenda Blue Groove or Nevagal in one of their bigger sizes, WTB Motoraptor 2.4.

Some of these tires might not fit in the rear depending on your frame. Check Shiggy's site for widths and measure your frame first.

Hey all, First I need to give a quick shout out to SARGE!!! Hey, I'm finally here. But on the tire issue, I need to disagree, the Iceman is not a technical race, you don't need to worry as much about traction as rolling resistance and weight. The key is that in a couple of weeks the course will be frozen and fast. If you are worried about traction, slow down on those three tight corners, and spin to win on the other 26 miles. I ran the old Maxxis wormdrives last year. They were a wonderfully light semi-slick (430g) and I pumped them way up ( 50 psi). The lighter and smaller rolling resistance, the better. This year I will be running either the Wormdrives again or the Hutchinson Python Airlight.

It's more sandy than usual!!! - DOH! :eek: My quads are already burning and my chain is already grinding just sitting there!!
MichiganClydesdale - please keep us updated on the conditions, I'm assuming your from the area if you prerode the course??

hope your not trying to mislead the guy? I highly doubt that the ground will be anywhere near frozen in under two weeks!!! I'm putting my money on just plain sandy, and possibly wet and cold, but we'll see, you never know in MI, but right now its in the mid 50's in the UP, and supposed to rain for the next 8 days straight, no snow. ;)
I personally am running the highest volume tires I own, and will fit my frame/fork- I will want the float when it comes to trudging throught the sand.
btw- Conti Explorers are actually pretty small tires, I have some of those and the Vertical Pros too, but the Vertical Pro 2.3's are the same size as my Kenda BlueGroove2.1's!! - placing the explorer more like a 2.0, or even 1.95!

I live near Kalkaska, so the iceman course is practically my backyard. We got rained out of a preride last Saturday, 'cuz I wasn't hip to a repeat of the prior weeks' sandy-grind. Lots of leaves are falling now, and the course is firming up in the hard spots, but still pretty sandy in spots. Nothing like 3 years ago when Island Lake Rd,near the midpoint, was a beach.

Bottom line...the course is 95% hardpack, with some really soft spots of sand in bad places, like at the bottom of Williamsburg Rd hill. Run good hardpack tires, but keep 'em high air-volume like 2.0 or better. Bring on the Iceman!!

D

Hey Michigan Clydesdale, I think I was out there with you on that pre-ride. I was out there on the 16th w/ a friend pre-riding. 20 mph winds w/ rain and sleet. What a great day for a pre-ride. I wasn't trying to mis-lead anyone on the tire choice, it may just come down to riding style and preference. A light semi-slick tire will give you the low rolling resistance for 95% of the trail. For those 5% or less of sand: "spin to win". and you can fly right through it as long as you keep your weight off the front end and 'let it roll'. On my pre-ride, it was "VERY" damp and the sand was nice and firm. I'm pre-riding it again this weekend, I'll keep this post updated....

thanks for the updates. So, how are the climbs on the course???- mostly long and shallow or short and steep, many sandy climbs? What about dh's?? I know the course isn't tech at all, but just wondering some details like elevation change, etc. Any info would be much appreciated. :D

Overall, there's an small elevation drop from Kalkaska to Traverse City. There's some hill in the first 10 miles of the race, but nothing really of signficance. The area around "steve's secret" about 6 miles in, is a long shallow singletrack climb. After you cross Williamsburg road, at the 16 mile mark, hills start rolling in the VASA system. There's some climbs in those last 10 miles, but they're mostly in rolling sections where you can carry some momentum. Most of the sand is in flats areas, some at the base of hills, but no sandy climbs. A short steep wood-chipped hill near the end will have a lot of people walking. Some people have compared the O2S soft rock course to the iceman...there's some similarity, but the iceman is much tougher w/ more hill.

I have to disagree with the Floydmeister on the semi-slicks. I'm still amazed he made it through the snow and ice last year without any wipe-outs... or did he. My personal preference for the Iceman would either be a Conti Explorer on the front and a Conti Escape on the rear (or was it the other way around?). Another good thrifty choice would be the Panaracer Fire XC pro. Semi slicks... ha, ha, ha!!!

Sarge you are right, the Conti-s are a great choice for a ride in the woods. But if you want to drop time ( What about 5 minutes or so?), the lighter weight and lower resistance semi's are the way to do it. You just need decide what you are looking for.

Too bad you aren't coming back up for the race...

Rotational mass is the key. I'll take an extra lb. on the bike any day over a lb. worth of tire or rim.

Floydmeister - it must have been the overdose of Inervit, not the tires. I wish I had a better comback to your 5 minute comment. It still boggles my mind, but I suppose you beat me fair and square, punk. Good luck this year.

What might a typical average joe time be for the Iceman course??? - and what about winning times for he last few years?

I finished O2S soft rock on around 1:56, and was pretty beat - I think this was around 28mi, but for the Mountain Chase I only got 2:26 for 24mi, but it was a much harder course, and I think for Copper Harbor Fat Tire I was around 1:25 for only 12mi. I'm just a beginner (those are my only races), but I think I can hopefully finish this course no problem, although I'm putting my money on rather slowly because I suck at keeping a fast cadence on the long straight shallow two-track climbs (not much of a roadie), I excel in more technical sections, and it sounds like there is a lack of this element to the course. Either way I'm excited ot race and see what it's all about. ;)

BikeSatori,

2 hours is the epiphany as far as times go. This will be my 4th year racing and 4th year of the Iceman. The last 3 years I rode Sport class (25-29), generally speaking in order to get top ten you would need a time somewhere around the 2 hour mark. The first couple years I was around the 2:14~2:40 mark. The key will be when you start. If you are in the beginner group or the older 35 and up age groupsin sport, your biggest problem will be passing on the trail. I was fortunate last year and beat my buddy sarge and a lot of other people, but I also passed people from the group in front of me starting about 1/4 mi into it.(they started 5 min. ahead?). Just make sure you pass as many people as you can, when you can. It generally gets pretty backed-up at the entrance to the first singletrack section "Tornado Alley" (3-4 miles into it)and the further back you start, the more it gets backed-up. All in All I wouldn't worry about it for the first year. It's a great race and I've only met nice people both on the trail and afterwards. It's a good mix of purely race and fun riders.

Floydmeister - thanks for the info. yeah, I'm not really gonna go out there and try to run everybody over, but I think passing is fun. I know what you mean about the starts though. At O2S this year I got to the start late (I'm not a morning person) and started way in the back. It seemed like I was still passing 12 yr old kids after like mile 15!!! They must've started way up there, or there were a group of wonder kids there?!?
So they line everybody up according to class at Iceman?- because the other races I've done just had a mass start w/ a few requests for the front. In that case, I will be in the back again, because I think I'm in beginner, no worries though. ;) Depending on how bad my cadence sucks that day on the flats, I'm gonna shoot for around 2:15-2:20, although this is a very rough estimate, as I've never ridden the course before, so we'll see.

Hey Bike,

You may have already checked it out, but the official site, www.iceman.com has great info including archived results. If you do 2:15, you will win your beginner class. If you have riding experience, sport class might be better for you...fewer people to pass as they wipe out or walk. Either way, it should be fun again this year. Let's hope for dry weather. :)

Floydmeister, Thanks for rubbing it in, punk. :)

Hey Sarge, that last 5 minute comment wasn't for you, but since you mentioned it...( I'll let you beat me if you come back...I'll even buy your beer! )

Bike,

They start people off by classification and then buy age and then start them every 5 minutes. Pro/elite, expert, sport, beginner. and then youngest to oldest in each group. The later you start, inherently, the more people in front of you. About the middle age group in the sport class, the single track sections start to get backed-up. That was my only point on the passing.

WEEKEND PRE-RIDE!

The course if beautiful and of course still damp due to all the rain we've had. The sand is definitely there but was stiff in most cases. There is a cut-off for the "unclimbable" hill about mile 15ish, off to the left. It brings you out and around. The left turn "Y" in the road (a mile or so before you ride along the power lines through the pines) is pretty soft and sandy. Looks like a road crew came in and did some work. Course is in great shape and ready to be ridden. They had started the finish while we were there, much wider and passable this year.

There is a cut-off for the "unclimbable" hill about mile 15ish, off to the left. It brings you out and around. The left turn "Y" in the road (a mile or so before you ride along the power lines through the pines) is pretty soft and sandy. Looks like a road crew came in and did some work. Course is in great shape and ready to be ridden. They had started the finish while we were there, much wider and passable this year.

Floyd,
The only "unclimbable" hill I can think of is right at the 9-mile mark (steep and deep sand). Is there a cut-off for that one?? I rode the course a few weeks ago and can't think of the spot you are talking about.
I did notice the road work you talked about - lots of new woodchips making it very soft.

Floyd,
The only "unclimbable" hill I can think of is right at the 9-mile mark (steep and deep sand). Is there a cut-off for that one?? I rode the course a few weeks ago and can't think of the spot you are talking about.
I did notice the road work you talked about - lots of new woodchips making it very soft.

Ah there are no "unclimbable hills at the Iceman". Pedal harder..
;)

Craig,

It may be the same one. I'm trying to remember the entry into that hill...I want to say that you opened up into a hilly field and then turned right up into it last year. and Yes it was very sandy at the bottom and got steeper on the way up. What I do remember from this weekend is that on the back side there is a sweet turning downhill...

I guess that's the advantage of the pre-ride, I'll remember it when I see it. Other than that...I'm lost.

I have to agree with Gripshift. I like the way you think... ride. Floydmaestro, try pedaling your a$$ off to get up the hills, dude. I managed to make it up all the hills last year in that snow... with a 2x9. They'll be easy with that granny gear you've got. :D

Man, I bet the course will be ravaged and super soft by the time I get to hit it. Beginners don't go until 10:55 in my age group. I really don't know if I should go sport or not, as I'm not in the greatest shape, and this is my first year racing (only 3 under my belt). :confused:
Anybody know if I can change my class to sport at the packet pick-up???
Looks like it's gonna be a wet one this year! :D

Sarge you know I started walking that hill from the top of the previous one, but when I got to the top, I still couldn't find you.....Conservation of momentum and energy :D By the way walking a half mile of the course isn't that fun! And still 5 minutes, what happened to you? :)

Bike,
I think it may be too late to change now, but you best bet is to go to the Iceman web site and ask. I just heard the other day that they stopped doing person to person transfers, but you still may be able to change class. I wouldn't worry about it if you can't. It is still a great experience, you'll just make more friends

I'm bummed I won't be able to join you for the Iceman this year, but I'll be calling for updates. I was wondering what the weather prediction is like for this weekend? Hopefully the weather will be nice, but part of the thrill of the Iceman is the possibility for adverse conditions. You just don't know for northern Michigan in November. Go get 'em Floyd!!! Don't be afraid to speak up if anyone gets in your way, buddy!!! Good luck to all participants and have a fun ride.