worldtraveller

I am still wondering if I still need a drop bag . for this upcoming event.

Doing a MTB event of a 99 miles in Minnesota. Combination of pave road, dirt road, trails etc etc

would take over 6 to 7 hours

We are allowed to leave a drop bag at mid way

but there are about 5 to 6 aid stations on this course
which water, sport drinks, fig newtons and power bars are provided

Would a drop bag be a waste of time and space.
as i plan to have several bits of food in my back pocket for this event

suggestions please, of what u would all do?

Homeyba

That's a short ride but if they are offering I'd take advantage. Throw some food in there that you don't need to carry and and spare parts/clothes that you might want to have "just in case." I always take advantage of drop bags when they are offered. Anything I don't have to carry with me is always a bonus.

rogerstg

It might be handy if the temp varies widely from cold to hot during the ride. It gives the opportunity to ditch some heavier clothes instead of carrying them.

Hairy Hands

I think its a waste of time and effort. 6 or 7 hrs on the bike? Multiple food and water stops along the way? No way would I bring any extra crap in a drop bag for a ride that short.

Savagewolf

If it's free, then go for it. You aren't carrying any extra weight while riding, so no loss in performance. At the very worst, you just don't use the drop bag. You never know with a ride...maybe a set of clothing, your favorite cycling food, extra tube or whatever may come in handy.

Savagewolf

All that being said, on a normal ride (then again I only do pavement right now) I normally try to pack as light as I can.

StephenH

If it was free and minimal bother, I'd put some clothes and spare parts and tools I didn't choose to haul on the bike. There's usually a lot of crap that you "might" need, but don't carry because you don't want to pedal an extra 50 lbs all over, and that's what drop bags are for.

rudetay

Are you a professional mountain bike racer?

If not, that time range is very optimistic. In NEU events the winner generally comes in around 6.5 hours. With most riders finishing around the 9.5-10 hour mark.

People that are saying this is a short ride have obviously never done an ultra MTB race before. The difficulty is on par with a fast 400k or more, with technical requirements on top of that. You'll need to have enough in the tank to possibly descend a difficult rock garden after 90 miles of hard riding or climb up a steep switchbacking climb with loose dirt and roots, etc at mile 80.

How you use the drop bags also depends on how fast you're going. The fast guys will have a set of full bottles in each bag, as the volunteers will pull them out before they arrive at the stop, so they can just grab the full bottles and go without having to wait at all. If you don't mind standing around for a few minutes to fill your bottles, eat a bit, and grab some extra to throw in your pockets, you might not need much in the bags.

If you have any specific dietary needs for long rides, include that in the drop bags in case they don't have it.

Also remember you probably don't have to pick up the bag, generally they'll deliver them back to the finish after. So, you can always throw an extra tube or gloves or something in the bag, and if you don't need it, just ignore it and ride.

max-a-mill

yeah i'd throw some emergency equipment in there. extra tube(s), CO2, lube, spare tire, extra electrolytes.. whatever you might need but probably won't.

if you like what they are serving at the rest stops i wouldn't worry about food or drink mix.

but yeah depending on the road to trail ratio of this thing 6 hours might be a kind of a optimistic time estimate unless your FAST. then again if it is 50% or more paved maybe not. in a true offroad 100 mile race the winners usually take like 6-7 or so hours even on the easier courses.

oh yeah, fresh gloves! sometimes that is like a little bit of heaven.

Oldairhead 

In my experience a dirt century will take most riders between 9 and 12 hours depending on the difficulty of the course. Your biggest challange will be to stay hydrated so a Camelback is a must. If you have a Camelback and aid stations available then I personally wouldn't send a drop bag.

max-a-mill

not really, if your decently fast and the course isn't really technical i'd bet most people can make 20 miles on two bottles pretty easily? getting any/all weight off your back is nice since it will be bouncing around for 100 miles otherwise.

then again brining a camelback would be nice if is gonna be real hot or if you just like having lots of water just in case.