Kettle Weekend

[adhd-tv]

I was not race ready this weekend but definitely wanted to ride dirt but could not make a day trip drive... so I went up to Kettle on Saturday with Stephen B and we stayed south at Muir and rode the blue loop which was 100% open and in awesome shape... then we rode a white loop and a brown loop and packed up as we had time constraints... this was my first time riding the RSS there so I wasn't sure how to gear my bike so I left it as is and turned out to be just fine.  Got home Saturday and was still excited from the day that I decided to back back Sunday with no time constraints... this time went up with Ridinillini and we got a full monty plus 1 extra full blue loop for just over 40 miles.  They have done a ton of work up at Emma and the outer green loop is really fun with a lot of new sections and reroutes... there are some technical sections and some very twisty sections that flow really nice.  Those that enjoyed the 3 back to back brutal gravel climbs, they are back and man are they tough... could only clean the second one without walking.  They have installed a few bridges over the areas that seemed to drain the worst which is exactly what Palos needs (problem is you have to consider the horses where Kettle does not)... they have more skinnies and log features littered all over... the connector coming back from Emma is still some of the best singletrack up there.  Their skills area is coming along quite nicely and I had fun warming up on that stuff.  For those of us in the North, this is the best legal singletrack within the area and often for us up North it is just as quick if not quicker to get to Kettle than to Palos or other systems to the South.  Trail Pass and Parking Pass are required: Daily NonResident Trail Pass is $4 and Daily NonResident Parking Pass is $10... annual Trail Pass is $20 and annual Parking Pass is $35 so all you need to do is go up 4 times and the passes pay for themselves... PLUS the passes are good for any state park in WI.  I plan on playing hooky at least 1 day this week to ride 100% singletrack again... this is a great option whilst waiting for Palos to dry up.

[100% dundee]

got my sticker and pass in Jan.  plan on heading up monday next week. Riding up there on a SS is way fun, especially when you get into your flow mode! Helps that my in-laws door is 15 min. from the trail head.

[BigE610]

what gearing do you use for up there.

[sommerfliesby]

34 x 16 on a 29er and I cleaned everything but some of the switchbacks on Emma.

[adhd-tv]

34 x 16 on a 29er and I cleaned everything but some of the switchbacks on Emma.

Same here, 34x16... the only thing I couldn't clean at Emma were those 3 back2back gravel climbs, stupid tires would not grip once out of the saddle.

[BigE610]

thanks guys. I have 32 x 18 right now. Its stock but i wasnt sure what to try out when i upgrade.

[ridingillini]

thanks guys. I have 32 x 18 right now. Its stock but i wasnt sure what to try out when i upgrade.

While I've only ridden a singlespeed once, I would think that 32 x 18 is a much more appropriate gear for a 29er at Kettle.  When I look at my 2:52:29 full monty on May 8, I see the following breakdown:

8:27 at speeds between 0 and 4 mph (including all moments when I was stopped)
37:11 at speeds between 4 and 8 mph
1:14:18 at speeds between 8 and 12 mph
41:12 at speeds between 12 and 16 mph
5:44 at speeds between 16 and 20 mph
0:23 at speeds in excess of 20 mph

[mo50177]

When you push those gears that are a little too big for the trails you are riding that is when you get the best gains. I feel if I spin out with an easy gear then I gain nothing from the ride. But that is just me, every single speeder will have there own opinion.