Rest Days

After the Colorado Springs USCUP I was a little tired. Couldnt really get recovered. Then after putting in a big weekend topped off with a 5 hour ride on Sunday in the 95 deg heat it was determined I needed a few days off. (if you have a jersey with mesh panels, the sun burns through them.) So after no riding for 3 straight days for the first time since December Im hoping I am recovered and the watts are back. There are a few weeks before heading back to altitude in Sol Vista which is supposed to have some 15-20 climbs so Im going to need every watt possible. I would say that ive gotten a lot of things done around the house on these 3 days, but I havent. I have barely gotten off the couch. We did go see Angels & Demons, which was pretty good except the hippies behind us wouldnt shut up, forcing us to move seats in the middle of the movie, then the dancing popcorn came on the screen before the movie was over.

A lot of the MTB magazines have been doing 29er vs. 26er articles lately. Ive got both so I can compare them as well. Both mine are built basically the same. The 26er is 19lbs with heavy tires. The 29er is 22lbs with light tires. I would say that 90% of the time I would rather race the 26er than the 29er. I would also say that 99% of the time I would rather ride the 29er than the 26er. My 26er still has the numberplate and dirt on it from Colorado a few weeks ago because I rarely ride it other than racing. The 29er is much smoother and more comfortable to ride. The 26er is so much lighter and the smaller wheels make it go uphill much easier. Its also much easier to throw around. I had forgotten how hard the big wheels are to wheelie and bunnyhop. I originally thought the 29er was a replacement for a hardtail 26er, this is not the case. Its just a different bike for a different course, much like a fully vs. a hardtail. Pretty generally I would choose the 26er for races west of Kansas. I would choose full suspension 26er for the East coast. The 29er is definitely at its best in the Midwest where the climbs are short and there are a fair amount of rocky sections. However, I think the small wheels are fine for most midwestern courses, and if they arent, Im usually wishing for full suspension anyways. That said... Im heading to the RiverTrail on the 3D.