Thinking Outside the Box to Get on the Podium, Big Horn Gravel Bike Setup and Power Analysis

Just because a race is advertised as a "gravel race" does not necessarily mean that a gravel bike is the right bike for the job. At Big Horn gravel I had to think outside the box in terms of my pacing and bike setup to land on the podium.
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[@johnwpotter]

I'll be 74 in two weeks, and age matters a lot in endurance cycling. So, I adapted the Dylan Johnson strategy at Seattle to Portland (206 miles). While there is very little climbing in this event, it is along day, and it was quite a bit hotter than usual. Even with little climbing, the normalized power seems to matter a lot with my increasing age. Lots of riders went by me until the other side of the Lewis and Clark Bridge (about 150 miles) and then ... well ... I passed a lot of riders and had a really good day for someone my age. I always appreciate the way Dylan thinks about endurance cycling.

[@secretagent86]

Remarkable. Bravo

[@SeaCowsBeatLobsters]

I hope to be as fit as you at that age!

[@patbriggsmbr]

Age is no barrier. Live life, carp’e diem

[@gwmtnbiker]

did stp with you this year. no joke about the heat!

[@laggypirates]

Always amazed at the pros talking about casually holding what is my z6 power for multiple hours.

[@mikemazzantini6397]

Agreed, I can hold 300 watts for just over 4 minutes 🤣

[@marcdaniels9079]

Yup it’s mad 😮

[@joelx77]

300 watts was once only achievable for a couple minutes for me. Now I can do it for hours. But I still weigh 97kg... Lol

[@robertcatuara5118]

You and Vegan should do a colab race. He is all emotion and you are all data. The Odd Couple of gravel.

[@Tilemason1]

I love Tyler, sometimes he could be the odd couple when he's the only one in the room ❣️💪

[@brianmessemer2973]

It seems to me that they like and appreciate each other, which is really nice to see ❤

[@MountainBikeAdventures]

Tyler is a filmmaker 1st and racer 2nd. But still manages to kick ass in the epic races 😂

[@oldkayakdude]

Next thing you know he will start riding full suspension gravel bikes with flat bars! 😂

[@phenax1144]

Might actually be a good idea

[@SimonSegerberg]

Specialized Epic world cup pro and just adjust rear susp. On the fly with lower rebound 😂

[@ElonMuckX]

Next Hybrid: Fat Tire SE Bike w/Drops - Mountain Beast Mode!

[@jason200912]

The flat bars are too great of a disadvantage in aero

[@playmoreguitar5393]

Ah are you one of those that cant tell the difference between geometries? Leave people to ride what they want. Drop bars on a MTB are nothing revolutionary. Neither are flat bars on 'road' bikes. We call those commuters.. just ride your bike.

[@330_Crew]

I don’t compete anywhere near the level of Dylan, just some local MTB races in sport class. But his strategy in the race reminds me of my more simplistic strategy - “ride your own race”. I set my Garmin to alert when I creep into zone 4. I focus on not exceeding zone 4 unless I absolutely have to. I know I have a small number of matches I can burn in zone 5. I don’t care what others do or if they pass me. I ride my own race.

[@bgruber]

absolutely! it reminds me so hard on what my coach always tells me: don't start like a fool and don't finish like an wimp.

[@stigmaxxiii]

It's bold and badass that DJ does not restrict himself to the "norm", it's whatever it takes.

[@maskedmotorsdiy3575]

Saw you fly past in the Vegan's vid and was looking forward to your report.

[@durwoodhill2798]

Dylan once again demonstrates that elite level cycling requires a combination of exceptional intellectual and physical abilities. World Tour riders have "people" that do a lot of the "thinking" for them, not Dylan, he uses his smarts and his fitness to compete with (and be) the best of the best in his field: he does it all. Congrats on the podium Dylan, your "plan" along with your training paid off!!

[@stevenagy7152]

The Race Kings are the low rolling resistance king(s)!

[@jorgecuenca9175]

Thanks for sharing your race outcome and for being considered enough to include metric system data for us followers from overseas. Keep it up Dylan

[@johnmoe3781]

How can you say probably didn't belong on the podium because the strength of the competition?! You had a plan. It was the right plan. You stuck to that plan. YOU EARNED THAT SPOT ON THE PODIUM!

[@robbchastain3036]

Congrats on your podium, Dylan, you deserve it, what with all those charts and calculations and everything. And please blow our minds some more with those tire-resistance stats. We need the racer's edge so we can go faster than you and Tyler. And hopefully there was a vegan podium, too, with VC on the top step. 😀

[@cgmlcs]

This is my ideal gravel bike setup.

[@teok7735]

glad you mentioned the difference rolling resistance and aerodynamics have on speed depending on the course.

[@plixplux]

Super impressive, congrats on the podium! That bike looks super sweet btw =)

[@ronetele13]

Congrats Dylan. An honor to be one of your followees. Fun too!

[@graffix11us]

Must feel pretty good to have it go to plan like that!

[@mutleyadamsracing2684]

Good video DJ, had I not flatted and tore my sidewall off Id have beaten you more than likely. Grotts and Brunr gave me 45secs to fix the flat before they had to roll off. Was bad luck for me and Im happy it was you who took the podium spot dude! Back to Europe✌🏽

[@trroland1248]

Congratulations Dylan. I admire your scientific approach.

[@Tilemason1]

You just built John Tomac's Monstercrosser

[@RLucas82]

I would love to see Backward Cap Dylan bloopers someday 🤣 how do you keep a straight face saying the #### he says?

[@RageForSeven]

it was only a question of time before this happens, nice to see someone has tried it and succeeded, well done. Also your strategy to get "dropped" is very similar to the F1 strategies of the 80s when they used to run huge turbo on small engines. Top contenders would use their turbo as little as possible to save fuel and then hammer the last "part" of the race, maximizing everything and leave people in their dust thanks to better fuel / turbo / engine management.

[@brianmessemer2973]

Glad to see someone finding a link between gravel bicycle racing and 1000hp turbo era F1 👏😂 thank you this comment made my day. I love old F1. 1986 was the peak of F1 turbo awesomeness/insanity depending on how you look at it.

[@RageForSeven]

@@brianmessemer2973 thanks, i admit it is a bit far fetched, but somehow this comparison made sense when i wrote it!! and i do agree, 1L engine with a huge turbo doing 1000hp on nitro methanol engine was awesome!! Bring back p*rn moustaches in F1!!

[@brianmessemer2973]

@@RageForSeven 😂 right on 👍

[@DilbertMuc]

Good to see that you have included metric systems as well! Now I in Europe can understand what you are talking about and suddenly it all makes sense. Thanks and congrats to your 3rd place. Your power levels are insane... 😅

[@stevenlevitz8895]

Introducing…the Factor Frankenbike!

[@plixplux]

Infused with only the finest of cheetah blood

[@peterknight7880]

Excellent execution. Others may have had better power numbers, but that isn't the whole game. Well done. 👍

[@XCRiders]

Your videos, supply us with much relief from the cravings we have for quality cycling content! Love your channel ❤

[@blaze1148]

for* otherwise this comment is a diss 😆

[@jeffreythompson6282]

I run 2.2" race kings on my gravel bike when I do a rough ride (still ridged fork though). I can confirm they are fast. Transforms the feel of the bike, sooo much more confident in the dirt.

[@GerardEncabo]

You can't believe how much I enjoy your overthinking shit 🤓 Love your content, Dylan. Stay nerdy, stay funny

[@kenwall8003]

"Trade grass clippings " I'm dead ! 🤣🤣

[@darrelljones6864]

Great effort Dylan, well done on your 3rd place, enjoy your videos

[@tgoods5049]

Amazing result, Dylan! Your curiosity and willingness to step outside the box for bike setup and pacing really shined on this one!

[@Team81MTB]

Awesome strategy Dylan. Work smarter so you can work harder.

[@budycelyn]

i wonder how many of the "big hitters" will be following this strategy next year, seemed to work good at this race

[@andrewmcalister3462]

0:46 For once, backwards hat Dylan is right on the money. 😂

[@MaxApartin]

Awesome , Dylan

[@lordalfa600]

Very Team Sky style strategies when they started racing with power meters.

[@Rafael-vu2xn]

Congrats and thx for the video!

[@Jazzysoda]

Really enjoyed this vid D - they're always good but this one took the Geek Factor to a whole new level while still offering great footage and fun factor - glad you hit the podium!

[@towhee7472]

Great video, as usual!

[@GSmith215]

Awesome job !!

[@_xnk7257]

Great breakdown as usual!

[@dagondon]

Awesome! Congratulations.

[@mattcraven2546]

Congrats on the podium! Absolutely love all of the thought and planning that you put into your races!

[@gerrysecure5874]

Love this vid. Especially the pacing in altitude part. I prepare for alpine brevet with similar dist/climb and I was thinking about my pacing. What surprises me most is that even pro's and semi pro's seem to go by adrenaline and make this kind of errors routinely.

[@LuffLab]

Great job!! 🎉

[@NeonGrayEdits]

So cool when it all comes together. Nice work dude 🤙🏻. Great video btw.

[@kivriel2660]

Great video. Great result. Great strategy!

[@michaelstoecker4178]

Very interesting, and as usual very entertaining. Thanks, Dylan.

[@lenolenoleno]

Love the coverage of your race as always + tidbits of gear optimisation backed up with logic/facts. Congrats on the result. Hope your fantastic season continues!

[@lolbubs11111]

Congrats on the podium!

[@Jeffmcoyle]

Really great video. So awesome to be alone for the ride at the pointy end of the race. Great info and analysis.

[@airman8368]

Well done, Dylan.

[@bebopman5]

4:14, I remember reading an article that showed that a RaceKing at 2.2 size has less rolling resistance than a Gatorskin at 28, so I believe your logic here

[@mikewikstrom3416]

Great job in the race and I love the strategy and altitude analysis. I’m going to use this info for pacing at my first Leadville attempt this week.

[@mickelkobeck7376]

I've said it more than once....BHD deserves his own Channel

[@wi11ow13]

Love the videos of your racing, and love the explanation of how you implement your strategy. Thank you. 🤩👍🏻

[@ekimviewmaster5010]

Great work and strategy. Congrats...this looked like a beast of a course. 👍

[@quacker998]

Great job racing! And the bike is mint

[@alexprice5691]

As ever, thank you so much for your insights🙏 Love how you apply this divergent thinking to cycling.

[@michaelhotten752]

Another great deep dive into setup, planning, and execution. Looking forward to the Bike video and seeing you in Leadville.

[@GADonMc]

I’d like to hear about that bike setup.

[@eszterdomina]

Very useful! Learning a lot every time! Thank you very much and congratulations again 😊🎉🎉🎉

[@elliottsloan107]

Insightful advice 🖖

[@marshallalbritton9521]

Great video!!! Can’t believe you share all your secrets and plan so openly.

[@paddlestandingup]

Looking forward to the full build video on this one. Very interesting!

[@georgehugh3455]

Congratulations on the Podium finish, Dylan!! 👍

[@johannesgruber9050]

Congrats!

[@againthebegin]

This was your best work.

[@LeeLee-nc7xj]

I need that back ground in my life! As always, great video.

[@iShredder12]

Brilliant analysis! This directly translates to my experiences with RuleOfThree in Bentonville AR. 100mi of singletrack/gravel/tarmac. First 2 years done on a gravel bike, but setup a lightweight hardtail with the same raceking tires shown in this video. The transition to a MTB made the technical singletrack SO much more enjoyable! Once in a pace line of other riders, the road sections were not unbearable

[@aidan4811]

Great Job 👏

[@blaquaman1739]

I’m glad you made this video because I’ve been thinking about putting drop bars on a beach cruiser 🤔

[@jamescarlphotography4523]

Modern day Johnny T with drops and a fork on MTB frame. Congrats on the result!

[@Souzaphotos]

Love the bike and the strat... damn!

[@alolympic]

Good job. You absolutely nailed that one with your strategy. Proving it’s your brain that pushes the pedals. I run a carbon xc frame with the same tyres as you. But a rigid suspension corrected fork. You should try that set up next. Sane weight as a gravel bike.

[@kwaktak]

I’m not a racer by any stretch but I find this choice to be very interesting. I’m looking forward to the bike check video and will likely modify my own budget hardtail accordingly.

[@vadymvv]

Amazing how math wins a race, I mean almost. Very interesting analysis)

[@banjomechanic]

Congratulations on 3rd! And thanks for the sound advice. Discipline to stay within limits pays off! One of my bikes is an old Gary Fisher mountain bike with drop bars, all rigid, sram nx, but 26s still. Dope as hell to ride out on the gravel and great on the local mountain bike trails. Happy trails to you!

[@huges84]

I would think with these pie plate cassettes that your derailleur must be very close to the ground with those 26” wheels. Keep that in mind and be sure to ride with a spare derailleur hangar. Not hating, just saying. Enjoy the ride

[@Hwy929]

Loved the analysis and details on pacing. Just subscribed. Power meters are expensive. Can something similar be done with a HR monitor? The insert of lance and doping was too funny.

[@DaneKromer]

Another great video Dylan. Congrats and a great result! Something that isn’t accounted for in the rolling resistance test you referenced is the energy needed to accelerate a heavier tire countless times during an event. I’m glad you tested aerodynamics but I believe centripetal acceleration needs to be account for to get closer to real world conditions. What do you think?

[@JayRappa]

Excellent job on the strategy to limit your power. Good luck at Leadville, that race sounds rough

[@Mikadobiscuits]

Funny & informative video but your editing here was 👌

[@potgieterares]

Nice new background Dylan

[@anthonyharris483]

I converted my old 26er Titanium Diamondback Axis Pro to full 650b, drop bar, 1x setup, carbon fork, Vittoria Mezcal 2.1 tires, etc and it is awesome.

[@farrier53]

I totally agree with tour bike choice & set-up. I dont have a gravel bike, I ride a 2012 Scott Scale with 2X10spd (26-39) + 11-36 cassette. A regular FOX 32 XC 100MM fork. XX1 all'round work well with Red road shifters on drop bars. maxis Ikons 2.2 , Schwalbe Rocket Rons or cx tires, what ever is suitable for the course. Awesome racing machine !! Lighter than a gravel bike at 19lbs...

[@ElevationEveryWeekend]

I dig the setup! I took my Salsa Beargrease (yes, a carbon fat bike), added drop AND full aero bars, and 29x3” wheel/tire combo, and that bike is a dream on Colorado dirt, gravel, and light single track. It just eats miles with smiles! Def not a race setup though.

[@myfrequencies1912]

Sounds awesome!!!

[@brianmessemer2973]

8:46 got me good 😂 that photo of VC was meant for this BHD roast 🔥 I watched his video (🔥) last week and was looking forward to seeing your perspective. You’re a good teacher, the tire width/speed discussion was easy to understand 👍

[@brianmessemer2973]

Also congrats on the podium 🥉 that’s fantastic!

[@chasepalpatine170]

Will try this in the Chino Grinder in September

[@SchmitzJeanNoel]

Very interesting !

[@koreystephens]

0:56 Omg. Nederland Gravel 2022 was a mountain bike race for sure. It was insane.

[@steven871]

Congrats Dylan. Pacing wins it Would love to learn about your typical vegan meals and snacks

[@mjride4290]

Dylan, When will you add lawn trimmings to Beast Mode Rocket Fuel? Keep up the great content. Also, what camera are you using?

[@GG-si7fw]

If you could generat 3-6 watts more could you of particated in a sprint finish? Great race analysis and love the way you present the data

[@thomaspitcher2335]

good stuff

[@13opacus]

Cool bike👍

[@JibbaJabber]

Great result for a great strategy. So do you have some grass clippings recipes to trade? My fav is to take one scope grass clippings to one of hypergain max pro, Clover flavour. A great summer mix - tasting of cow pats and fox pee - mmm.

[@facingup1624]

I've been going with 4:1 grass clippings to dandelion leaves this year, with a bit of clover for flavour as well. Nothing to do with my yard having that exact makeup, I swear.

[@houckstar]

Sweet bike, Dylan. You ever take it off any sweet jumps?

[@mp.design]

Great video, great effort! Congrats! Really surprised how small the Wats penalty is for the extra tire width. I expected ~20W between 35mm and 45mm. What was the power output required for the 35kph? (to get a better idea of the % save)

[@veganpotterthevegan]

Those tires would definitely fit on my Grizl. I only have a redshift stem though. I do have a +650 hardtail with a Lauf Fork that I've been considering converting because I rarely ride the thing anymore

[@adamcoppock5018]

Awesome strategy! If you had done it on a gravel bike what tires would you have used?

[@gauthierperrod4958]

I really like your new background, maybe a bit much as I'm losing my focus looking at it 😂