Originally Posted by
bikemig
It would be "cheating" but it would be fun taking a "vintage" MTB on this ride. Old MTBs make ace gravel bikes with nice plush tires, cantilevers, and lots of gearing. Honestly as I look at that elevation profile, the idea of a vintage MTB starts to look more and more appealing,
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Definitely cheating, although a couple of guys were on them in '16 who had their MTBs 'grandfathered' in from previous rides when the rules weren't so exclusive. I remembered one guy who just blew past me on one washboardy downhill section. I was being a little cautious (not something I'm known for, when gravity is to my advantage) on my 32mm tires; I was getting bounced around a bit. He was riding cushy on huge tires and a suspension fork.
Overall, I think 35mm tries would be the sweet spot for me, at a little over 200lbs these days, but I might ride my '72 Nishiki Semi-Pro, which is already comfortably shod with 38's.
For 95% of this ride, fat knobby tires is just way overkill, IMO.