I think half of the people I saw on this past race were riding CX type bikes and everyone else was on a mtb. I think it was the washboard sections that killed me. 35mm tires at any pressure are just not enough to float over that crap. 2" tires at 25 psi would have taken care of that, maybe even suspension. I saw at least two Cannondale Slates, which would have been perfect.
this photo makes it look easy, but the first few miles had several sand pits and the rest of the route had tons of washboard surfaces that slowed me down a lot.
I might try the next one on my mtb with ~2" tires, bar ends, and a rigid fork. there is no way I could get dirt drops to fit on my mountain bike and I don't think tires wider than 42mm would fit on my cx bike.
what's a tubeless-compatible 40-42mm tire with
a tight-fitting bead? it has to fit tight because I am using non-TLR rims with Gorilla tape.