2017 AZTR300/750 Race Discussion Thread

[ScottM]

You are right, the weather is highly variable in the spring.  No guarantees, and there are always hot period in March.  But there is still something to the average temp, which does trend upward through April.

I like the idea of earlier, but if it's a normal or high snow year, it'll mean snow detours and such for the 750, which isn't always such a bad thing, I suppose.  90% of the route (not including the north rim here) seems to be rideable even in early April.

[Adam Alphabet]

.....I like the idea of earlier, but if it's a normal or high snow year, it'll mean snow detours and such for the 750, which isn't always such a bad thing, I suppose.  90% of the route (not including the north rim here) seems to be rideable even in early April.

I don't know.. I personally don't want to race an asterisked route. One of the reasons I switched from the big show this year to the 300 was all the talk of reroutes and the potential of canyon closures due to work in the day etc... Of course not all factors can be accounted for but I think the date should be chosen to give the 750er's the best chance to ride the full race route without detours.
The 300's can pretty much go whenever as the likelihood of closures (due to snow, not fire!) are far less.

[ScottM]

The asterisk usually only matters for records, and those are not all that well defined, either.

But, you have a good point.  It's been an unresolved question since the inception of the 750 -- should the date be chosen to maximize full course potential, or give everyone (750's included) a better chance at making it through the southern half of the state?  I can't really say a clear vision of what's 'best' has ever formed in my head.  That's why generally I just try to maximize moonlight in April.  2018 won't be the first year that the full moon has been awkwardly placed, though, so that strategy is not, shall we say, 'bomber.'

[Adam Alphabet]

The asterisk usually only matters for records, and those are not all that well defined, either.

But, you have a good point.  It's been an unresolved question since the inception of the 750 -- should the date be chosen to maximize full course potential, or give everyone (750's included) a better chance at making it through the southern half of the state?  I can't really say a clear vision of what's 'best' has ever formed in my head.  That's why generally I just try to maximize moonlight in April.  2018 won't be the first year that the full moon has been awkwardly placed, though, so that strategy is not, shall we say, 'bomber.'

Maybe asterisk wasn't the best word choice, but personally I want to challenge the 'full' route as closely possible. Plus twirling away on a road detour on a single speed sucks!

Of the two you describe above I lean more towards the 'maximize full course potential' option. But I fully appreciate the dilemma between the two.