29er and P2A Preparation

On Thursday I wanted to test out the new Opus Avro 29er and make a decision whether to use it or the Jamis Coda Elite for the Paris to Ancaster Race next week. I like the Jamis for rail-trails and it's fast on pavement. But, it feels unstable in single-track, even with the knobby cyclocross tires that I use for the wet/winter commuting and trail riding. The Opus has big advantages for off-road on the stability issue and for stopping while the only downside I could see was pavement and rail-trails. I am guessing that I will lose some time on pavement and rail-trails with the Opus.

It had rained heavy for the last few days so the ground and trails would be wet and descents would be more technical. Being a novice to off-road riding, this was definitely an experience! And it was fun going down the single-track on the steep inclines. I got my fair share of mud on my face, in my hair and some even in my mouth.

I took off from the University of Windsor and headed down Sandwich Street to Malden Park. I did the big gravel road climb and spent about 30 minutes in the park exploring the trails and single-track--some of which looked fairly grown over. From there it was a quick ride to Springarden where there was some more single-track to explore. I spent about 15 minutes exploring these and then headed over to the California Ave forest path/rail-trail to Cabana. Zoomed west on Cabana from there to Devon Woods with an average speed of approximately 43 kph (had a little wind!). Devon Woods was more trails and then I headed up Parent to the Riverside and back to the University. My total ride was 34 km in 80 minutes. Not too bad considering the red lights and stops and my hesitation with doing the off-road stuff.

My conclusion is to use the Opus 29er for the Paris to Ancaster Race. I like the stability on the single-track that it provides over the Jamis and I figure I can just pound out the difference on the pavement with a net increase in speed.