Webster and Whiting 29er

I can't remember ever riding my 29er at Webster Park and Whiting.  I'm always trying to conquer the the hills and I figured my 24 is going to give me an advantage for that.  But after riding my 29er before and during the Singlespeed-a-Palooza race, I got accustomed to its speed.  My 24 has a geared hub, so it can be fast, but I only engage the high gear on longer stretches of relatively flat trail.  It has been seeming too slow in the non-technical areas where I don't Schlumpf.

So today I chose my single-speed 29er and rode at Webster and Whiting.  As expected, I appreciated its speed on most trails.  And on trails where I normally would have shifted my geared 24 into high gear, I didn't miss anything.  Unfortunately my climbing ability on the steepest hills took a hit and I failed on most of them.

This is the plight of the modern muni rider.  Wheel size and gearing.  If only these could vary while riding.  The Schlumpf gives us a high gear, but that's only good in a handful of situations.

I may be going to another race soon, and I'm thinking the ungeared 29er would be my choice.  I'll miss my smaller wheel for climbing, but I think it will be the best compromise.  Race details to follow.

I enjoyed today's ride.  It was in the 50's and was threatening to rain but only sprinkled.  The trails were still just as muddy in places as a week ago, because it has been raining most of the week.