100K of Barton Creek Greenbelt - ATX100K Six-Pack Series #5

The ATX100K endurance series continues with venue number five, 100K of The Barton Creek Greenbelt!!

www.ATX100K.com

IT'S FREE to enter!

This will be a multiple lap (21-31 miles per) event to include the best, most harrowing trails Barton Creek has to offer. The route will be more than half solid intermediate with several miles of white-knuckle "O' My God I'm Gonna Die" gnar per lap. Did I mention the climbing? There will be lots of climbing, perhaps more than 6,000' all told.

This will likely go down as one of the most grueling, dangerous, but satisfying rides of the series. The BCGB is Mecca for Texas Mtn Biking. It's where it all started.

Disclaimer: As mentioned above, some of the route (1-3 miles) will be super scary black-diamond; not in terms of huge drops or ledges (of which there are a small amount but that are walk-able), but rather in terms of trials-type maneuvering at low speeds on some cliff exposures, on off-camber, on steep descents/ascents, and most through cheese-grater rock-gardens. If you have any doubts, attend some pre-rides before committing to the 100k. You can walk some of the truly nasty stuff, but if you walk all of the difficult sections, you may need 16+ hours to finish the 100k.

THE ROUTE IS NOT YET FINALIZED, but it will include 99% of the main trail, and a huge sampling of the toughest back country. It will include three water stops per lap; two at the 360 main entrance, and one at Zilker Park.

Pre-rides will be announced as we get closer to the event. The route will NOT be officially marked, so if you miss the pre-rides, you better stay on the wheel of someone slower than you so you do not get lost. We will strive to provide maps and hopefully GPX files to the entrants when the route is made final. We hope to be able to mark the route with flour, but no promises.

The start time is TENTATIVELY set at sunrise, but this may change. We will try to start as early as possible to take advantage of the cooler morning temperatures. It will be a graduated start to avoid riders clumping up in huge crashes at the first hill section (as entertaining as that might be to spectators).

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What to Bring:

This event, like the others is grassroots and self-supported. That's why it is free to enter. There are no "feed" stations and we may or may not have vendors on site to assist with maintenance and repairs. With that in mind, some of the things you need to bring are as follows:

Any bike or bikes you can finish the distance on. There is no stipulation that your steed has to be a "mountain bike", only that it is 100% human powered by you. Bring a back-up bike if you want. Be prepared for lots of sharp rocks, ledges, steep climbs, and exposed trail. Full suspension and low gears for climbing are recommended. Water, and lots of it. Expect to burn through four to eight gallons. You may have to ride 4-5 hours and 24+ miles between water-stops by our route, but if its super hot, you will burn 100oz of water in way less than 24 miles easy. Have a plan for how to haul extra water You are responsible for your own water intake. Zilker has a water fountain if that helps. Electrolytes and whatever other nutritional solutions you need. These are long laps, so you may need to plan to carry stuff with you. You are responsible for your own nutrition. Helmet, gloves, sunscreen, and any other protective gear you feel you need. Shin/knee and elbow pads may be handy on some sections. You are responsible for your own safety. Tools, extra tubes, extra derailleur hanger, extra chain links, etc... Whatever you need to keep your bike(s) operational. You are responsible for your own repairs. Unless racing mountain-bikes is your day job and you will clear this course in under 8 hours, have a lighting solution ready as you may be out past dark. You are responsible for getting yourself off trail. Anything you might need for first aid. There will be no EMS on station, no first-aid tent, etc. We will have a bail-out line to leave messages on if you do not finish, but otherwise you tend your own wounds and organize your own 911 rescues. You may want to team up with friends for this one. It will be a doozy.

Riders will sign waivers accepting complete responsibility for themselves.

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What's in it for you:

Finish a single 100k event, volunteer for a day, or rack up 200k total across all six venues and you will be eligible to purchase a commemorative jersey.

Top three male and top three female finishers at BCGB get a small token to remember their day with.

Can't ride 100K? Don't fret. This series is about fitness, mind-set, and pushing your limits. Come out and turn as many miles of the 62 that you can, push yourself to your limit, and whether you plan to do half a lap or the full 100k, finish with the satisfaction that you completed your goal.

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Other stuff:

Be prepared to provide a GPS record of your effort in order to get credit if you are a top three finisher (or stay on the wheel of someone with GPS the whole race), have abnormal lap times that might indicate course cutting, or if you are seen cutting course.

Other updates will be made to this listing as we get closer.