Just last week i got the specialized Rockhopper Expert 29 and loving it!! Awesome shop too!! 👍

You have to prove yourself strong enough to do it and ita pretty expensive to do so that may be why

First do you have a good position on your bike ?

Good equipment +good bikefit+passion :)

What was it that you were looking for?

@@dmc_cat A sense of satisfaction. People set activity goals for different reasons. Sometimes those reasons are fuzzy even to the person setting the goals. At some point along the way, as you direct your will, as you struggle, as you endure, as you suffer, and as you accomplish part of your activity goal, you might have an epiphany -- the fuzzy reason becomes clear -- and you will realize the significance of that reason for your psyche. You might then come to terms with what you were actually subconsciously chasing and be satisfied that you've reached it or that it's not as important to you as you once thought. At that point, the purpose of the activity goal disappears. And very likely something more important to you become clear, and finishing the activity goal is no longer very important. Let me give you a scenario. Let's pretend that all your life your father beat you at basketball. He would never cut you any slack. He would play his best always. While you were a kid, he demolished you. While you were a teen and young adult, he stilled managed to beat you every single time. You felt subpar around him, like you could never satisfy him or be as successful as he was, and every loss pained you. One day, at age 40, you are playing him yet again, and this time the game is close. You are feeling strong, your skills are at their highest ever, and your dad is wilting. It's your ball. You're leading 9 to 6 in a game to 11. You know you can beat him. He's still out there giving it his all, imploring and challenging you to beat him, almost daring you. Then it dawns on you. Your father was hard and unrelenting on you because he's a true competitor and because he wanted to set an example to you to never relent and never give anything short of your full effort. You realize then that the man you are today -- strong, relentless, driven -- is because of the example your father set for you. You realize at that moment what a great man and father he has been to you. The game is now over. There is no point in finishing, because whatever reason you thought was driving you is no longer relevant. You have found some inner peace, a deeper appreciation of your own father, and beating him to 11 now seems almost meaningless. You stop the game, maybe complaining of cramps -- you have found what you were looking for.

@@penssuck6453 Great insights and example.

Figure an average is about 100cal/mile, so that’s 13,500 minimum. Given rise in elevation, temperatures changes and god knows what else the actual number is likely higher. The pace each runner runs at and ultimately the time he/she takes to complete the course are highly likely to be a significant contributing factor as well.

Think that was MOAB 240