Paris to Ancaster Trial Condition

[macming]

It's getting sooo close, enough to get me excited anyways. So I'm wondering how the trail conditions would be. My buddy at the LBS said they've had the highest water level for a while, so he expects it to be really muddy.

Did anyone close by ride those trails yet? It'd be nice to have a conditions update.

Thanks!

Ming

[mtbmeister]

It's getting sooo close, enough to get me excited anyways. So I'm wondering how the trail conditions would be. My buddy at the LBS said they've had the highest water level for a while, so he expects it to be really muddy.

Did anyone close by ride those trails yet? It'd be nice to have a conditions update.

Thanks!

Ming

There's so little trail riding in this "roadiefest" that you may not need to worry about it. The rail trail, gravel road, and roads will surely be dry after this week of warmer weather.

[rkj__]

Many of the rail trail/crushed gravel type trails are still wet, and some shaded areas still have a small amount of snow covering them. Days like today can go a long way in drying up the trails exposed to the sun though.


rkj__ in Ancaster

[garage monster]

I actually rode parts of the route last night and there's patchy snow but otherwise, anything gravel is good to go. In fact, it was a LOT firmer than I expected.

[somnambulant]

I'm hoping the conditions are more Tour of Pelham and less Icebreaker. Considering the geography and the fact that it's supposed to be mild and dry all this week, I'm guessing I'll be right. In fact, it might be drier than ToP was. There'll probably still be some soupy sections, as usual, but I don't think it's going to be as bad as I feared about a month ago.

[norm]

I did a Ancaster Rail Trail ride last Thursday. I checked out the "mud slide" and Martins side Rd. Brutal....the worst i've seen it. Both are going to be a Hike-a-bike in most spots. I know this week is calling for nice weather, but its stil going to be a mud fest. I dont think it can get any worst....

[somnambulant]

Well, the mud slide is usually a hike-a-bike anyway, I would imagine. This is only my 2nd time doing the race, but while things were generally pretty dry last year that section was still pretty much peanut-butter. Plus there was enough foot-traffic to pretty much force you to dismount anyway. Nothing wrong with a little mud! I just don't want to have to walk for half the time like it felt like I did last weekend.

[McGyver29er]

Last year was awesome. I only remember one spot other than the mud slide that was mushy.
I'd think this year will be pretty close to the same. Maybe a few more soft spots but for the most part pretty fast.

B.T.W. Does anyone know who registered in the 60kSingle Speed cat. as Cookie Monster?
Who ever it is will be riding in the 2nd wave. Unless the furry guy is in possession of a valid U.C.I. racing licence.

I am thinking of wearing some sort of getup. This is after all a cross race.
Doesn't that mean it is okay to wear a dress. As in cross dressing race. There should be a prize for the fastest dress or skirt.
Check out these videos I found on the web. @ www.hanskellner.com under videos. the one with the record player on it rocks.
It sure looks like fun.

See ya all there.

[McGyver29er]

Looks like it could be a little soggy.
It'll make it interesting that's for sure.
Hopefully it's not too wet. I want to mount my camera on my bucket.

Has anyone been out on parts of the race course lately?

I think we are going to get our # plates n stuff tomorrow so maybe we can bring bikes and check out the last part. I'll post if we do.

good luck to all if I don't see ya there.

[CptSydor]

I was speaking to one of the organizers the other day, apparently he was riding the course this week and it is the driest he can recall. I'm sure there will be some soggy parts, but in general, the hamilton area is very dry for this time of year.

[VernDog]

Very dry and fast this year indeed. only real muddy are was the powerline mudslide, which was no problem to ride this year, i cleaned the whole section, no problem.
rather windy this year to out in the open sections in the second half though.
still a great race, Lots of cross bikes this year compared to last year. time to recover/rest up for o-cup 1

[norm]

Very dry and fast this year indeed.

Yeah, it was great conditions this year. I did the St.George start and found it to be a really good location for the start of a race.

On a side note, just after Harrisburg we(as in at least 100 riders from both races)made a wrong turn. Once someone had figured it out we had to pass the riders in the back. It was a great day for racing though.......

[VernDog]

wrong turn can't be that bad...considering what else happened to a friend of mine, and I think heard this happened to about 8 others, theirs bike where not on the way to paris, somehow the trucks got switched, and the 8 or so bikes that "were" on the truck to go to paris, ended up in harrisburg/st.george start, that sucks...

[ddakin]

Congrats to everyone who did the race. I couldn't race for various reasons, but I was thinking about all you who did when I woke up to bright sunshine this morning! Great day for a race eh?

By the way, did any of you drive through Burlington around 4:30pm today? I saw someone with what looked like a Misfit with the moustache bars on the roof going in the Toronto-bound lanes as I was heading home from Brampton to Niagara.

[norm]

Thats brutal. I can see the promoter doing away with the trucks. I remember one year the truck got stuck under a bridge. Another year, I got my bike after the race had started. I realize its volunteers, but it just seems to be a headache. It seems to be organizing nightmare.