Bikesport Ann Arbor Tri/Du : Official Thread (Page 2)

Anyone NOT doing this race, we're a little lean so far on volunteers for the bike course so far.  If you want to help out, PM for details. 

You can't miss the entry spot to the trail, it's basically directly across from the entrance to the Half Moon Beach area.  I used to run there quite abit and the only thing I can't recall off hand is the area near Pickeral Lake that heads off the Crooked Lake Trail and heads towards the #2 aid station.  But if you don't see that the Crooked Lake Trail will get you back fine too.  If you go out during this nice weekend there will be plenty of MTB'ers out there and they can hopefully lead you the right way if needed.

Okay, so me and Eric and Coop did the bike course yesterday while everyone else in the world was doing Hawk Island.  Here are some (okay, many) thoughts about the course:

Hankerd is pretty terrible...okay, really terrible, but it only lasts for about 2 miles.  It was tough yesterday because the shadows from the trees were making it tough to see all the patching on the road, so be careful on the downhills with your speed.  This whole stretch is rolling hills...one moderately tough climb. 

North Territorial is great...nice smooth pavement and flat.  Same with Hadley...some nice downhills here, so get in your big gear and cruise, because this is pretty much the last good pavement you'll see! 

Careful at the 2 corners at Unidilla...this is where a guy had to get hospitalized after a bad spill last year on race day.  If the roads are wet, take the turn slowly.

Once you hit Doyle, the road is good for a couple minutes, then it gets really bad.  There are a couple spots from here until the end of the course where the road is really chewed up at the very bottom of a downhill, so be ready to get out of aero and stand up a little on the pedals.  There are a couple more good climbs here, one going around a bend.  It pretty much is the same condition all the way back into the park. 

There was also quite a bit of loose gravel on the park road going into and out of transition, so take those corners carefully.

Eric (my Eric) and I did the run afterwards and here are some more thoughts:

The trail was sandier than I remember, especially in the first mile...I ended up with quite a bit in my shoes and got a pretty bad blister on one foot - don't forget to bodyglide your feet!

There are only 2 really big hills (in my opinion).  The one mega hill that's between miles 1 & 2, and then another series of climbs right after you hop back on the Silver Lake Trl from Silver Hill Rd.

The overgrowth wasn't too bad to me (but I'm only 5'5"), and there was only one downed tree in the beginning.  The trail was actually in good shape!  If it is wet on race day, you'll want to watch out for the black plastic stuff that they use (for erosion control?) on a lot of the hills on the second half. 

There are less roots than I remembered, but quite a bit of loose rocks, and it seemed like they were always on the downhills, so watch your footing.

I remembered this from last year and confirmed it yesterday, but the 3 & 4 mile markers (spray painted on trees) are off.  They both come too early.  Last year, I remember thinking that the last mile took forever!  So don't worry if your second mile split seems fast and your fifth seems long.  Just know that right before you turn from the dirt rd. onto Hankerd is where the 4th mile marker should be.  Then there's a gradual slow climb on Hankerd before you turn back into the park and it's a fast downhill to the finish.

Whew...hope that helps anyone that's racing and hasn't been out that way yet this year!