In response to the Paris/Ancaster race in April, I did the race last
year ( 60km ) and it was a blast. Just so everyone is aware the race
is in April and the weather is unpredictable so be prepared for any
condition. Last year a half hour before the race was to start I
thought it was going to get called off because of the massive
thunderstorm and lighting but it ended about 20 mins before start
time and after that it was a mud fest from start to finish. If
anyone is interested in doing it, I recommend car pooling or two cars
that way one can be left in Paris and the other in Ancaster. Last
year we had a person drive our vehicle back to Ancaster which worked
out well. As for set up, what worked best for me was my trusty old
Gary Fisher hardtail with Continental Cross-Country tires
( size 26 by 1.5 ) at about 55-65 psi regardless what it says on the
side of the tire and a camel-bak for water because depending on the
conditions, your bottle will get caked in mud regardless of fenders
or not, and energy bars stuck on the inside of your shorts so you
don't have to reach around to your back pockets. As for getting
ready for the race I did med to high intensity road work on my
mountain bike and some trail work and some hills. I hope this helps
and I really recommend doing the race. It is allot of fun and allot
of interesting people.