12-Week Training Timeline • Race-Day Checklists • Packing List
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“One climb particularly stood out; a rutted, fairly steep muddy trail with snaking stands of water through an active logging area. I could see a clearing just beyond the first turn, and was determined not to get off and push.”
— Logging Area Climb
“The first 25 miles included a few miles of fun singletrack, complete with boulder rides! I love technical riding fully loaded, and this was one of the few sections of the course where I felt competent and 'at home,' just riding for fun!”
— Nicolet National Forest Singletrack
Race-Specific Training Focus:
Distance: 192 mi
Elevation: 8,000 ft
Location: Laona, WI to Crystal Falls, MI
Signature Challenge: Managing 8-10 hours of solo darkness riding through remote Northwoods forest while fighting sleep deprivation, cold, and psychological isolation with zero external support.
Establish aerobic foundation. 70-85% volume in Z1-{{Z2}}. {{CTL}} rising steadily (+5-8/wk in loading weeks, netting about +10/month after recovery weeks). {{TSB}} slightly negative (-5 to -15). Week 4 = recovery week (60% volume). Feels boring but doable—you should finish most rides feeling like you could do more.
Layer intensity, develop race-specific fitness. 60-70% Z1-Z2, 30-40% Z3-Z6. Two to three quality sessions per week. The magic happens here: deliberately dig a fatigue hole ({{TSB}} goes to -25), recover just enough, then dig another hole. This is where fitness sharpens.
Shed fatigue, maintain sharpness. Volume drops 30-50%. Intensity stays high but duration decreases. Week 11: {{TSB}} rises to +5 to +10. Week 12: TSB targets +15 to +25 for race day. Fitness doesn't improve—the goal is to remove the fatigue layer so you can express the fitness you've built.
Crystal Bear is what happens when bikepacking meets gravel racing in the Northwoods—darkness, sandy sections, and 192 miles of self-reliant suffering.
The Crystal Bear isn't about who's fastest. It's about who can hold it together when every external factor—darkness, cold, loneliness, sleep deprivation—is screaming to quit. This is overnight bikepacking racing at its purest: 192 miles of self-supported Northwoods gravel where you'll spend 8-10 hours riding solo through pitch-black forest with nothing but your headlight and your own thoughts. The terrain itself isn't brutal—8,000 feet over 192 miles is moderate climbing—but the format is the challenge. You'll fight sandy sections that kill momentum. You'll navigate stream crossings at 2 AM when your brain is mush. You'll stop to eat and start shivering within 5 minutes from overnight cold. And you'll do it all alone, with resupply points 40-60 miles apart and spotty cell service. This isn't a race for your first ultra-endurance event. It's for riders who've done the long stuff and are ready to test themselves against isolation and darkness. If you finish, you'll have earned something real. If you DNF, you'll learn exactly where your mental limits are. Either way, you won't forget it.
Two-day self-supported navigation through Nicolet National Forest and Ottawa National Forest where riders traverse the "stark contrasting beauty of Spread Eagle Barrens" and ride abandoned logging railroad spurs. B&E's Trees noted "there is nothing I haven't been able to get out of.
194 miles through "ridiculously beautiful trilliums in bloom" along abandoned railroad spurs and active logging areas creates pure Northwoods adventure.
Historical weather data shows average highs of 70°F and lows of 48°F, with a 43% chance of rain on any given day. B&E's Trees woke Day 2 to "rain fly soaked through and leaking on my forehead" then experienced "Rain. Pedal. Sun. Pedal. Hail. Pedal.
Respected niche event in ultra-endurance bikepacking community known for genuine adventure, self-supported format, and mental/physical challenge of overnight wilderness riding. (est. 2015)
The Crystal Bear rewards riders who value internal challenge over external validation. If you need crowds, aid every 15 miles, or competitive racing atmosphere, skip it. If you want to discover what you're capable of when stripped of all support systems and forced to navigate 192 miles of dark, cold wilderness alone, this is your test. The suffering is psychological as much as physical. Budget 20-30 hours and bring redundant everything.
Expected Race-Day Conditions:
Climate: Unpredictable May Northwoods weather with cold overnight temperatures
Key Challenges: Overnight cold (30-45°F) requires warm gear and cold management when stopped, Rain and mud common in May spring conditions, Black flies and mosquitoes emerging—intense at stops
60-90 minutes Z2 endurance. Keep legs moving, nothing hard. Optional: 3 × 1 min Z4 to keep neuromuscular system awake.
45-60 minutes Z2. Maybe 2 × 3 min G Spot if you're feeling restless. Don't go hard.
Rest day or 30-45 minutes very easy spin. The last hard workout was 4-5 days ago. Everything now is just maintenance.
45-60 minutes Z2. Include 3-5 × 30 seconds Z5-Z6 (openers to keep legs sharp). Last real ride before race.
Travel day (if traveling) or rest day. Optional 30-minute easy spin if legs feel heavy.
30-45 minutes Z2 with 3 × 1 min Z4 openers. Course preview if racing Sunday. No heroics.
20-30 minutes very easy spin or complete rest. Do what's worked for you previously.
Tire Setup (Northwoods rolling gravel with sandy sections and overnight navigation challenge):
Reviewed Picks for This Course:
Top tire pick: Vittoria Terreno Wet 40mm ($79.99) — See full analysis →
Climate Gear (Unpredictable May Northwoods weather with cold overnight temperatures):
Drivetrain: Chain clean and lubed. Shifting smooth across all gears. No chain slip under power.
Tires: Tubeless sealant fresh. Tire pressure set for race conditions. Check for cuts, sidewall damage.
Cockpit: Computer charged and mounted. Bottles/cages secure. Bento box organized.
Wheels: Thru-axles tight. No spoke issues. Hubs spin smoothly.
Don't: Install new chain race week. Change tire pressure drastically. Add new untested equipment.
Essentials: Spare tube (even if tubeless), tire plugs, CO2 cartridges (2-3) or mini pump, multi-tool with chain breaker, quick link, tire levers.
Nutrition: Gels, bars, chews—whatever you practiced with. Bottle with sports drink pre-mixed. Extra water bottle.
Other: Sunscreen, chamois cream, arm warmers/vest, rain jacket (if forecast), extra base layer.
Race essentials: Bib number and pins, race chip, ID and emergency contact info.
Crystal Bear Start Time: Saturday 7:00-9:00 AM (finish when you arrive). Set your alarm for 6:00 AM.
Wake up. Coffee if you normally drink it (not the time to change habits). Breakfast: 100-150g carbs, minimal fat, minimal fiber. Oatmeal with banana and honey, bagel with jam, or white rice with a pinch of salt.
Start sipping sports drink. Begin hydrating and topping off fuel. Apply chamois cream and sunscreen.
Arrive at start area. Check in, use porta-potty. Get your head right.
Light warmup ride: 10-15 minutes easy spinning. Wake up the legs.
Final gear check: bottles filled and secured, nutrition in pockets, tire pressure verified, drivetrain sounds good. Run through your performance statements mentally.
Openers near the start: 2-3 x 30 seconds at race effort with easy spinning between. Gets HR up, legs awake, reminds body what fast feels like.
Roll to start line. Find your position. Deep breath.
6-2-7 breathing if anxious. You're ready. Trust your training.
Your Fueling Math (192 miles): At ~10mph, expect ~19.2 hours on course. Survival pace — palatability and GI tolerance are the limiters — target 30-50g carbs/hour (576-960g total, or 23-38 gels).
Carb targets scale with duration: shorter races burn more carbs per hour at race intensity, while ultra-distance events shift toward fat oxidation and GI tolerance becomes the limiter (Jeukendrup 2014, van Loon et al.).
Enter your details for a complete race fueling plan — carbs, hydration, sodium, and an hour-by-hour strategy.
Your numbers are the easy part.
Hitting them at race intensity is a trained skill — gut training over 4-6 weeks, bottle logistics, heat adjustments when the plan meets the weather. The custom training plan builds your fueling protocol into the actual training weeks, so race day is a rehearsal, not an experiment.
BUILD MY PLAN — FUELING INCLUDEDGet race-day tips in your inbox
What Riders Say About Conditions: Historical weather data shows average highs of 70°F and lows of 48°F, with a 43% chance of rain on any given day. B&E's Trees woke Day 2 to "rain fly soaked through and leaking on my forehead" then experienced "Rain. Pedal. Sun. Pedal. Hail. Pedal.
Plan your fueling around these conditions — heat and humidity increase fluid and sodium demands significantly.
Aid Stations: None. Self-supported format. Resupply at small-town gas stations (40-60 mi gaps).
2-3g carbs/kg bodyweight. Low fat, low fiber. Familiar foods only. 500ml water with meal.
One gel (24g carbs) with 200ml water. Tops off blood glucose.
Focus on pacing, positioning, settling in. Sip on drink. Heart rate is spiking, gut blood flow is reduced.
First gel or equivalent (24g carbs). Start your fueling clock. Hydrate consistently.
Consume carbs consistently by the clock. Target rate depends on race duration: 80-100g/hr for races under 4 hours, 60-80g/hr for 4-8 hour events, 50-70g/hr for 8-12 hours, and 40-60g/hr for ultra events (12+ hours). At lower intensities fat becomes your primary fuel and GI tolerance is the limiter. Set a timer. Your brain will be stupid. It will forget to eat.
Practice eating real food on easy rides. Start with 40-50g carbs per hour, mostly solid. Build tolerance gradually. SGLT1 transporters can double in 2 weeks of consistent gut training (GSSI).
Increase toward your race-day target rate. Mix of liquids and solids. Practice eating at tempo pace. Your gut adapts to what you train it for.
Hit your race-day target rate (see duration-scaled targets in your prep kit). Race nutrition only (gels, drink, bars you'll use on race day). Practice at race pace. For ultra events (12+ hours), include savory and mixed-macro foods alongside gels.
Stick with what worked in training. No new products. Trust your gut (literally).
Known Suffering Zones:
Budget Planning:
Entry Fee: ~$75
Cost of Trip: Moderate (3/5)
Nearest Airport: GRB (Green Bay) - 1.5hr south of Laona start. MQT (Marquette) - 2hr east of Crystal Falls finish. Rental car mandatory.
GRB (Green Bay) - 1.5hr south of Laona start. MQT (Marquette) - 2hr east of Crystal Falls finish. Rental car mandatory.
Pre-race: Laona, WI has limited motels; Rhinelander, WI (30 min south) has more options. Post-race: Crystal Falls, MI has small motels; Iron Mountain, MI (20 min south) has more options. Camping available at area campgrounds. Point-to-point format requires lodging at both ends or shuttle coordination.
Day before or race morning at Laona start location. Verify with organizer.
Small-town gas stations for resupply during race (40-60 mi gaps). Verify open hours—rural areas close early. Bring cash. Pre/post-race: Rhinelander and Iron Mountain have grocery/restaurant options.
Spin in Z1 after crossing the finish line. Let heart rate drop gradually. Stopping abruptly causes blood to pool in your legs.
20-30g protein, 60-100g carbs, 500-750ml fluid with electrolytes. Chocolate milk, protein shake with banana, or whatever the finish line has.
You lost 1-4 liters of fluid. Drink 500-1000ml within the first hour. Add electrolytes. If pee is dark yellow by evening, keep drinking.
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