Geof and I decided to test our climbing legs last weekend by riding the Bicycle for Life 200K up in Hot Springs, NC. 125 miles with an approximate elevation gain of over 10,000ft should be a good dry run for the rando bikes to see if Geof's rig is ready for Texas and if mine is do-able for the Taste of Carolina in September. I put a wide range SRAM cassette on the LeMond so I'd have a "bail-out gear" if I needed one. (I did!)
I met Geof at the camera shop and gave him a ride home, then we piled everything into his Honda Fit (great gas mileage) for the drive across the state. Amazing how much stuff you can fit into a Fit... As usual we got a bit of a late start, and then along the way we made a few stops: dinner, a grocery store, and yes- a Wal-Mart! I wasn't sure if Geof would even set foot inside one but he did ok, and I don't think the experience scarred him too badly. My $10 sleeping bag sure did come in handy, though! When we finally rolled into Hot Springs at 12:30am the sidewalks were rolled up and no one was around at the campground. We set up and crawled into our tents for a few hours' sleep, hoping that we'd be able to find someone in the morning and settle up for camping.
We got up at 5:30am and fixed coffee and breakfast, then started getting the bikes and gear ready for the ride. Before I knew it we ran out of time and it was just about 10 minutes till the ride was supposed to start at 7am! I high-tailed it over to the start and got my registration stuff taken care of. We saw that Chris and Annette Camm were there, but didn't know any of the other riders. I'm not sure what the exact number was, but probably 8-10 total.
The route starts in Hot Springs and immediately starts climbing. Most of the first 26 miles is uphill! Lee and Luke- 2 local Asheville guys took off from the gun, and Geof went with them. The rest of us followed, spread out on the climb and each of us spinning uphill at our own pace. I had to roll my armwarmers down and unzip my vest, the climbing was really warming me up. At the top of the first climb was Tony, ready to shoot a blackmail picture of each of us huffing and puffing our way over the summit. On the other side the vest was rezipped and the warmers pulled up as I tucked into a screaming descent in the cool morning air. On the way down we saw the Fléche riders climbing up to the end of their 360K route. Chapeau gentlemen!
After the descent we started climbing again, and I got together with Geof, Rick, Chris, and Annette for a great ride through beautiful mountain scenery:
At one point we came to a T-intersection with a stop sign, but we were a few miles early for the right turn indicated on the cue sheet. Still, the road sign said Big Laurel Rd, and our next turn was a right to remain on Big Laurel so we turned right. Turns out we were wrong. We climbed a mountain and descended the other side before we finally came upon a road sign that told us the road we were on was now called Walnut Creek. I was able to get a roaming cell signal and slowly load up maps on my iPhone to confirm that we were indeed off course, and by quite a lot. Chris, Annette, Geof, and I turned around and started back. Shortly we came upon Rick and he turned around and joined us. We had no idea what had happened to Lee and Luke, we had seen them make the wrong turn before us, but they never turned around. We climbed back over the mountain and descended again to the point where we had gotten off course. Note to self: I need to spend more time familiarizing myself with the route before a mountain brevet. We got 16 "bonus miles" and added about 2,000ft of climbing!
Back on course it was more uphill until we finally made it to the first control. Good thing, because I was out of water and needed a store badly. We refilled and got back on the road, which of course was headed uphill... After this climb we were given a bit of respite, with another screaming descent. On the way down we spotted Lee and Luke climbing up toward us, not sure how they got there but they were headed back toward the control. We kept riding through lovely rolling mountain scenery and eventually they caught us and slowed to our pace to join us. Soon we entered Asheville where there was once again cue sheet confusion. We trusted in the local's knowledge and went the way Lee and Luke said was correct, and after only a few more bonus miles we found control number 2 and restocked the fluids and snacks again. This time Chris and Annette turned around one of their signature short stops and left before us, we wouldn't see them again the rest of the ride.
The next section had us riding north along the French Broad River until we got to a road that would cross the river and let us turn south again. At this point Lee decided to leave the ride and head on home, he wasn't worried about RUSA credit anyway. Luke stayed with us, so it was him, Rick, Geof and me. We had more confusion when we reached the correct mileage for a right turn onto New Leicester Hwy, but the road was actually called Old Leicester. We turned anyway, but then were unable to find the next turn, a left onto Old Newfound Rd. Once again the iPhone came in handy, a quick check of the map showed that we could backtrack and get on New Leicester Hwy, then take it to Newfound Rd. Back on course again we soon found ourselves faced with another mountain to climb. It wasn't long before Geof and Luke were out of sight around the switchbacks and I was alone with the climb. This one was really hard for me. I needed food- by this time it was around 2pm and we hadn't stopped to eat any real food yet. I spent most of the climb in my bail-out gear (34/32!) spinning along at maybe 5mph. At one point I had to stop in some shade and rest for a minute. I had 2 shots of Hammer gel and half a Clif bar, 2 Endurolytes and lots of water then got back moving again. Just after the summit I came into the small town of Canton and spotted a convenience store. Sure enough, there were Geof and Luke looking about as tired as I felt. We had a nice, long stop and we were eventually joined by Rick as well.
Back on the road we made a few quick turns through town and then fought a mean headwind all the way to the penultimate control at Iron Duff. I was never able to keep up on the little climbs, then I would put out too much effort trying to bridge the gap and get back with Geof and Luke. At one point I made it back up to them, but then just couldn't keep up the pace and was soon dangling out in the wind again. Around this point I was also realizing that in my morning rush I had forgotten to apply sunscreen. The hunger, climbing fatigue, sunburn, and wind were really wearing me down. At the control store I had a long to-do list. Bought sunscreen, water, a snack, and a fizzy caffeine drink. Applied the sunscreen while conversating with a little old lady who was smoking a cigarette out on the bench. Filled my bottles, one with water and the other with Mountain Dew, and I was ready to go.
I had thought that the others would have been making a shorter stop than me, but they were still milling about. I was sure that the worst climbing was ahead of us- the climb up Betsy's Gap, and I figured that the guys would catch me and pass me by at some point, most likely before then. I went ahead and took off, telling them I'd wave as they passed me on the climb! I felt great on this section. Just like on previous rides, as soon as I get out by myself and start riding my own pace I do really well. I think that trying to push hard with the strong guys up the hills and trying to bridge the inevitable gaps is both physically and mentally exhausting. I probably go slower over the whole course from burning myself out like that in the first place. I know I've been in situations where I'm close to the dreaded bonk from riding like that, and I've barely been able to turn the pedals over. Now I was by myself, climbing in my own rhythm, and enjoying the scenery. There were quite a few big hills, and I kept wondering if I was starting the big climb but they would always turn out to be just really big hills.
When I hit the big climb there was no question this was it. Slowly but surely I ground my way up. Turn after turn I'd wonder if I would come around the curve to see the top- only to see more uphill and switchbacks. Still, it was gorgeous up here and there was very little traffic. The sunscreen had helped a bit with my sunburn, my skin didn't feel so hot anymore. I was reluctant to pour any water on my head to cool down, I figured I'd need to drink all that water! I even shot a little solo video:
When I finally got to the top I was surprised that I hadn't seen Geof and Luke. That was a long climb- probably 4 miles or more- and I was going up at about 5-6mph! Oh well, no time to worry about that, it was crazy descent time. I zipped up the jersey and took off. By this time I was really getting the hang of curvy descents on the LeMond. It's a different feel than the Specialized- not quite as twitchy. This descent was soooo much fun! I was sure I'd be picking bugs out of my teeth later from the ear-to-ear grin that was plastered across my face as I flew down the mountain I'd climbed so slowly for the last hour or so. Even when I was down off the mountain and in the valley I was still going downhill, so I was flying and making up for all the time I'd spent creeping along. I sped through the towns of Luck and Trust and then over one last little climb before arriving back in Hot Springs. I didn't see Tony anywhere, so I got my card signed at the Iron Horse and had a pleasant conversation with a gentleman from Durham about randonneuring. He's a cyclist too, and he sounded pretty interested! About 15 minutes after I arrived, in rolled Geof and Luke. Shortly after they showed up in rolled a Dart team that contained John P. and his ear-to-ear grin! We all stood around talking and taking pictures for awhile, then I headed back to camp for a shower. My time turned out to be 12 hours and 7 minutes- not too shabby considering 23 bonus miles in the mountains!
Monday, April 25, 2011
Monday, April 18, 2011
A Tornado-Free NCBC 300K
Randonneurs pay special attention to the weather forecast. Usually when it calls for rain or cold we just bundle up in wool and soldier on, but that was not to be the case for last weekend's NCBC 300K Brevet. A line of dangerous thunderstorms was bearing down on our area and had already produced tornadoes and damage west of us. Some discussion ensued about the safety of holding the ride anyway, and eventually RBA Al Johnson made the decision to postpone the brevet by one day. It turned out to be a VERY good decision as the Triangle area was hit with a reported 62 tornadoes on Saturday that led to over 20 deaths.
Sunday was a much better day, and about 20 riders lined up at the start. It was a tad cool, but we warmed up nicely as we left Morrisville as one big group. It was an easier initial pace than the 200K a couple weeks earlier. As we approached the Chatham County line I heard Martin behind me say "I guess since Jerry's not here nobody's going to go for the county line." I hadn't been paying attention, but since I had a reminder I jumped and took the "sprint" uncontested. I took advantage of the small gap that I had on the group to get my point & shoot out for a video.
The usual suspects who always push the pace seemed to be absent, but Annette kept speeding things up on the front as we approached Jordan Lake. I got on her wheel and soon I noticed that there were only a couple others with us. She pulled all the way across the lake and almost all the way to Lystra. I took over after she pulled off, but Lin passed me on the downhill so I got on his wheel. Once the road turned upward again I was back on the front, but before I knew it Tom passed me with no one on his wheel, so I jumped on it. I was getting pretty much a free ride to Jack Bennett with the front group! Once onto the climb on Jack Bennett I got into my climbing rhythm and found myself out front solo. I wasn't surprised though when Geof showed up to join me at the top, and there was a group of front runners just behind him.
We kept rolling and enjoyed the nice fresh asphalt of Andrews Store Rd. Shortly before we got to Frosty's Kim told me she'd forgotten to put any food in her pockets, it was all stashed in her seat bag. I rummaged around in my front bag and passed her a chocolate chip Clif bar. Always nice to have some good karma to cash in later! Up Chicken Bridge, Castle Rock/Old Switchboard, then past Lindley Mill and we were on the rollers to Snow Camp.
It was a short stop at the control at Snow Camp, but still the Camms took off before the rest of the pack. Then Tim left, saying he had a front tire going soft and hoping there would be a volunteer with a floor pump at Siler City. The rest of the group was leaving and Geof wasn't quite ready yet. I was kinda waiting, but didn't want to get dropped if he put the hammer down to bridge the gap, so I took off. I knew he had the ability to catch, so I was just worried that the group would get too much of a gap on me. I caught them in short order and it wasn't much longer before Geof was back in the fold.
At Siler City the Camms were almost ready to leave just as we arrived. I was still filling bottles when they took off, and I saw Tom go with them. Tim had replaced his leaky front tube and was ready to join the main group again. I went ahead and took off with a small group, knowing that some of the strong riders who weren't yet ready to go would catch us on the hills to Seagrove. If I want to have a good time on one of these brevets I have to minimize my time off the bike. Sure enough, the hills took their toll on me- Geof, Mike, and John caught us shortly. I got dropped on the way into Seagrove and was the last of this group to arrive at the control.
I needed a break and some solid food, so I ordered a ham & cheese and had a sit-down. Unfortunately that meant that everyone left except Mike and John. Great company to be in, but I didn't have a prayer of keeping up on the climbs. As we left Seagrove it was obvious that I couldn't maintain their pace uphill, so I intentionally let them go and settled into my own rhythm again. I pretty much resigned myself to the idea that the entire 2nd half of the brevet would be solo. As I was on the return I saw other riders coming in for about the first 10 miles. After that I was alone with the road, the bike, and the occasional car. I got back to Siler City and saw riders leaving the control as I got stopped by the light. Joel was volunteering and had set up in the parking lot with drinks and snacks, and Tim was there eating a sandwich at the back of Joel's truck. I didn't even get off the bike, just rolled up, got my card signed, grabbed a Rice Krispy treat, and continued on my way.
Still solo all the way back to Snow Camp, but when I arrived at the control there was Geof, Mike, and John. I took a little time here, replenished the fluids and ate a snack. We all left together, but once again I was having trouble finding my rhythm in the group. It seemed like I'd always have to brake on the downhills to keep from running into the wheels in front of me, but they'd get a gap on me on the uphill. Having done that before I knew it would only take a couple of those before I'd burn myself out trying to close those gaps after the uphill. I just started riding for myself, keeping a steady effort and maintaining my cadence. I got ahead of the others for awhile, but they would close the gap some on the uphills because they were putting out more effort than I was. Then on the flats they would soft pedal and downhills they would coast, while I maintained my steady effort and I'd pull further ahead. This went on for awhile until Geof caught up with me and passed on a hill. I didn't change anything- chasing him would blow me up, so I just kept going.
Mike came up to me and said hey were stopping for a nature break and asked if I wanted to wait and ride in with them. I hope he didn't think I was being anti-social, I just needed to keep my own rhythm going and not try to keep up with someone else's. They stopped and I kept going. A little while later they caught me and passed, and soon they were out of sight. I was passing Frosty's so I didn't have too far to go, but the pollen was really starting to bother me. I got that can't-breathe feeling and had to ease up even more. I decided that I'd stop at Andrews Store, and there were Mike and John also taking a break.
Once again they offered to ride in together and I tried to talk them out of it. Not only did I not want to slow them down, but I didn't want them to speed me up! I finally relented to the peer pressure to ride with the group, and they waited while I took a much needed break before we left together. Quite a few times in those last miles I was gapped off on a little incline, but they kept easing off and waiting for me. Nice folks. I would've understood if they'd gone on without me. We rolled into Alan's place at 7:52, just one minute after sunset! I did turn on my light, but just for safety so cars could see me. I was still wearing sunglasses. Alan had sodas and pizza for us, and a birthday cake for John. This year's time of 12:52 is 2 hours and 26 minutes faster than my time on this same course last year! Almost all of that time was made up at the controls!
Sunday was a much better day, and about 20 riders lined up at the start. It was a tad cool, but we warmed up nicely as we left Morrisville as one big group. It was an easier initial pace than the 200K a couple weeks earlier. As we approached the Chatham County line I heard Martin behind me say "I guess since Jerry's not here nobody's going to go for the county line." I hadn't been paying attention, but since I had a reminder I jumped and took the "sprint" uncontested. I took advantage of the small gap that I had on the group to get my point & shoot out for a video.
The usual suspects who always push the pace seemed to be absent, but Annette kept speeding things up on the front as we approached Jordan Lake. I got on her wheel and soon I noticed that there were only a couple others with us. She pulled all the way across the lake and almost all the way to Lystra. I took over after she pulled off, but Lin passed me on the downhill so I got on his wheel. Once the road turned upward again I was back on the front, but before I knew it Tom passed me with no one on his wheel, so I jumped on it. I was getting pretty much a free ride to Jack Bennett with the front group! Once onto the climb on Jack Bennett I got into my climbing rhythm and found myself out front solo. I wasn't surprised though when Geof showed up to join me at the top, and there was a group of front runners just behind him.
We kept rolling and enjoyed the nice fresh asphalt of Andrews Store Rd. Shortly before we got to Frosty's Kim told me she'd forgotten to put any food in her pockets, it was all stashed in her seat bag. I rummaged around in my front bag and passed her a chocolate chip Clif bar. Always nice to have some good karma to cash in later! Up Chicken Bridge, Castle Rock/Old Switchboard, then past Lindley Mill and we were on the rollers to Snow Camp.
It was a short stop at the control at Snow Camp, but still the Camms took off before the rest of the pack. Then Tim left, saying he had a front tire going soft and hoping there would be a volunteer with a floor pump at Siler City. The rest of the group was leaving and Geof wasn't quite ready yet. I was kinda waiting, but didn't want to get dropped if he put the hammer down to bridge the gap, so I took off. I knew he had the ability to catch, so I was just worried that the group would get too much of a gap on me. I caught them in short order and it wasn't much longer before Geof was back in the fold.
At Siler City the Camms were almost ready to leave just as we arrived. I was still filling bottles when they took off, and I saw Tom go with them. Tim had replaced his leaky front tube and was ready to join the main group again. I went ahead and took off with a small group, knowing that some of the strong riders who weren't yet ready to go would catch us on the hills to Seagrove. If I want to have a good time on one of these brevets I have to minimize my time off the bike. Sure enough, the hills took their toll on me- Geof, Mike, and John caught us shortly. I got dropped on the way into Seagrove and was the last of this group to arrive at the control.
I needed a break and some solid food, so I ordered a ham & cheese and had a sit-down. Unfortunately that meant that everyone left except Mike and John. Great company to be in, but I didn't have a prayer of keeping up on the climbs. As we left Seagrove it was obvious that I couldn't maintain their pace uphill, so I intentionally let them go and settled into my own rhythm again. I pretty much resigned myself to the idea that the entire 2nd half of the brevet would be solo. As I was on the return I saw other riders coming in for about the first 10 miles. After that I was alone with the road, the bike, and the occasional car. I got back to Siler City and saw riders leaving the control as I got stopped by the light. Joel was volunteering and had set up in the parking lot with drinks and snacks, and Tim was there eating a sandwich at the back of Joel's truck. I didn't even get off the bike, just rolled up, got my card signed, grabbed a Rice Krispy treat, and continued on my way.
Still solo all the way back to Snow Camp, but when I arrived at the control there was Geof, Mike, and John. I took a little time here, replenished the fluids and ate a snack. We all left together, but once again I was having trouble finding my rhythm in the group. It seemed like I'd always have to brake on the downhills to keep from running into the wheels in front of me, but they'd get a gap on me on the uphill. Having done that before I knew it would only take a couple of those before I'd burn myself out trying to close those gaps after the uphill. I just started riding for myself, keeping a steady effort and maintaining my cadence. I got ahead of the others for awhile, but they would close the gap some on the uphills because they were putting out more effort than I was. Then on the flats they would soft pedal and downhills they would coast, while I maintained my steady effort and I'd pull further ahead. This went on for awhile until Geof caught up with me and passed on a hill. I didn't change anything- chasing him would blow me up, so I just kept going.
Mike came up to me and said hey were stopping for a nature break and asked if I wanted to wait and ride in with them. I hope he didn't think I was being anti-social, I just needed to keep my own rhythm going and not try to keep up with someone else's. They stopped and I kept going. A little while later they caught me and passed, and soon they were out of sight. I was passing Frosty's so I didn't have too far to go, but the pollen was really starting to bother me. I got that can't-breathe feeling and had to ease up even more. I decided that I'd stop at Andrews Store, and there were Mike and John also taking a break.
Once again they offered to ride in together and I tried to talk them out of it. Not only did I not want to slow them down, but I didn't want them to speed me up! I finally relented to the peer pressure to ride with the group, and they waited while I took a much needed break before we left together. Quite a few times in those last miles I was gapped off on a little incline, but they kept easing off and waiting for me. Nice folks. I would've understood if they'd gone on without me. We rolled into Alan's place at 7:52, just one minute after sunset! I did turn on my light, but just for safety so cars could see me. I was still wearing sunglasses. Alan had sodas and pizza for us, and a birthday cake for John. This year's time of 12:52 is 2 hours and 26 minutes faster than my time on this same course last year! Almost all of that time was made up at the controls!
Monday, April 11, 2011
Triple Hump
Geof put out the word that he wanted to do some hill training to prepare for his Texas Rando Stampede 1200K ride, so I suggested the classic Triple Hump in Stokes County. I modified the route a bit, but kept the 3 major climbs: Sauratown Mountain, Pilot Mountain, and Hanging Rock. I've never attempted any serious climbs like this, so I was nervous. Would I even be able to do it?
I couldn't get to sleep Saturday night, my mind wouldn't stop fretting about the next day's climbing- not to mention the descending! One of the things people forget about riding mountains is that sure, the climbing is hard but the descending is more dangerous. I'd had about 2.5 hours of sleep when we left Cary early Sunday morning to meet David in the parking lot on top of Hanging Rock at about 9am. I brought the Specialized Allez instead of the LeMond rando bike- perhaps saving a pound and a half would make the difference between survival and utter failure. Geof brought Claire, his newly built custom randonneuse, and David was riding his Soma Stanyan.
It was chilly and foggy atop Hanging rock as we prepared to set off. I put on arm warmers, but elected to leave behind the jacket and knee warmers since I wasn't running a bike with bags to stash the layers once peeled. The forecast was for mid to high 70 degree highs later in the day. The ride starts with a screaming descent of Hanging Rock and it was COLD. Pretty sure all three of us were experiencing some shiver-induced speed wobble! Once down the mountain it was still cold and foggy, but at least we were traveling at a more reasonable rate of speed. A short ways down Moore Springs Rd. we passed a convenience store and noted their sign that advertised Hammer Nutrition products- made a mental note to stop on the way back before the final climb of the day. The ride over to Sauratown Mountain was chock full of "rollers." Of course, back here at home they would be classified as big hills! The climbing served to warm us up a bit, but inevitably we'd crest the hill and go speeding down the other side again.
Before we knew it we were at Sauratown Mountain, which on paper looked worse than it turned out to be. MapMyRide had it as a 5 mile climb with an average 4% grade, but that was taking into account the 2 miles leading up to the turn onto Sauratown Mtn Rd, so when we thought we were starting we only had 3 miles left to the top! Also this road is mostly straight, with only 2 big turns so it's easier to maintain a climbing rhythm. I kept Geof in sight for quite awhile, and in this fog that meant that he was probably within 50 or 100 feet of me! Eventually he gained enough of a gap that I lost sight of him, but when I suddenly broke out of the fog into bright sunlight near the summit I could see him just ahead. At the top he had maybe 2 or 3 minutes on me. David was just behind us. Climbing and sunshine had warmed us up so the layer peeling commenced, and everybody had a snack before we set off for the day's second screaming descent.
When we re-entered the fog on the way down Sauratown the temperature dropped drastically. I was wishing I still had my warmers on. My companions disappeared into the mist as my shivering caused me to have to slow down to avoid the wobbles. Thank goodness the organizers of the Three Mountain Madness had spray painted "SLOW" on the road just before the big curve because in this thick fog we couldn't see that far ahead! As I came around the curve I spotted Geof & David on the side of the road and I worried that something bad might have happened. It was hard to stop on such a steep slope, but when I got to them I discovered that it was just that Geof had flatted his rear tire. Turns out it was a cheap tube, and the heat from heavy braking caused a leak. He patched it while I held Claire so she wouldn't get too dirty and we continued on our way.
Flat #1
The first serious climb was behind us and I was very happy with my performance. I'd read about climbing and descending techniques, so I was just trying to find my rhythm and keep my heart rate from getting too high. It worked. Now we were on our way to climb Pilot Mountain. I've driven that road before- it's the quintessential mountain road with steep twists and turns and switchbacks. The kind of road that you drive up in 2nd gear and overheat your brakes on the way down. MapMyRide has it as a class 2 climb: 3 miles at an average 7.1% grade, and in that 3 miles you climb 1,100 feet! I've ridden centuries with less elevation gain than we were about to do in just a few miles.
The roads between Sauratown and Pilot were more of the same rollers, with at least one really good grinder thrown in for good measure. The chilly fog had been replaced by sunshine and warm temps, and the arm warmers came off again. As we approached Pilot Mountain I got away on a downhill and built up some speed, came around a bend and saw the Surry County line. Geof and David were way back, so I took the sprint without challenge. They were starting to catch up to me about the time I made the left turn into the park to start the climb, and I saw Geof stop to have a nature break. I thought I'd take the opportunity to get a bit of a gap since he'd most likely pass me very shortly on the climb anyway. The first bit wasn't bad at all, but then the grade really kicked in and I had to find my comfort zone again. I figured I could go a little harder than I did on the last climb, so I tried to keep my heart rate below 180 (about 90% for me.) I was running a compact crankset (50/34) and a 12-26 cassette, so pretty much the whole way up I was in a 34-26! I used all the tips and tricks I've read about; alternating sitting and standing, taking the outside line since it's not as steep, relaxing, and controlling my breathing. It all worked. It was very hard, but I never felt like I was pushing beyond my limits. At one point I saw Geof behind me but I didn't try to speed up or worry about getting caught, just kept riding my comfortable pace. I reached the parking lot at the summit and no one had caught me! As a matter of fact it was a little while before Geof came along, seems he had been having shifting problems and couldn't go all the way down to his lowest gear (not sure I would've even made it to the top with that issue!)
At the top & still smilin'!
We took pictures and posted status updates to Facebook from the top of the mountain and then started the descent. I went first, and on the very first turn I misjudged how tight the switchback was and "overcooked it" a bit, crossing the double-yellow and raising the pucker factor drastically. I think I was a bit timid on the next few turns because Geof and David were close behind me, so I got braver and started taking the turns with more gusto and built up a little lead on Geof. I didn't want to force him to brake too much and have the same overheating problems he had on Sauratown. Soon I could no longer see my companions in my mirror, and I was really getting the hang of this descending thing. When I reached the visitor center at the bottom I stopped for water and hoped Geof and David would see my bike parked there. Once my bottle was full they still hadn't arrived and I started to worry. When a minivan stopped on the way down to tell me that one of them was on the side of the road up there with a wheel off I was pretty sure Geof had flatted again. I waited a bit, but finally decided to ride back up to them so I could come back down again! Sure enough, everybody was fine but Geof's patch job couldn't take the heat from the braking and Claire had gone flat again.
Flat #2
He did another quickie patch job and we rode down to the visitor center, but the tire was flat again by the time we pulled in. Geof finally had to just put a brand new tube in it. It was a cheapie Kenda tube that kept going flat, probably a good lesson to learn before Texas...
Flat #3
Now that Claire could hold air again we got back on the road and hit a store in Pinnacle for liquids and snacks, then headed back along the rollers toward Hanging Rock. We were treated to fantastic views of Pilot and Sauratown Mountains and some really fun roads. Just before Hanging Rock we stopped at the convenience store and sampled their Hammer Nutrition products. Location, Location, Location! One quick right hand turn and we were back to climbing. This time Geof had a lead, so I was just happy to keep him in sight. There'd be no way to catch him since he would just speed up if he saw me coming. At first I tried to close the gap a bit, but it was definitely better to just find my own rhythm and get it done. There's no way to catch Geof on an uphill if he still has air in his tires.
At the top I wasn't too far behind, I still had him in sight when he turned into the parking lot. All in all I had a great day on the bike and found out that I can actually do this climbing stuff!
I couldn't get to sleep Saturday night, my mind wouldn't stop fretting about the next day's climbing- not to mention the descending! One of the things people forget about riding mountains is that sure, the climbing is hard but the descending is more dangerous. I'd had about 2.5 hours of sleep when we left Cary early Sunday morning to meet David in the parking lot on top of Hanging Rock at about 9am. I brought the Specialized Allez instead of the LeMond rando bike- perhaps saving a pound and a half would make the difference between survival and utter failure. Geof brought Claire, his newly built custom randonneuse, and David was riding his Soma Stanyan.
It was chilly and foggy atop Hanging rock as we prepared to set off. I put on arm warmers, but elected to leave behind the jacket and knee warmers since I wasn't running a bike with bags to stash the layers once peeled. The forecast was for mid to high 70 degree highs later in the day. The ride starts with a screaming descent of Hanging Rock and it was COLD. Pretty sure all three of us were experiencing some shiver-induced speed wobble! Once down the mountain it was still cold and foggy, but at least we were traveling at a more reasonable rate of speed. A short ways down Moore Springs Rd. we passed a convenience store and noted their sign that advertised Hammer Nutrition products- made a mental note to stop on the way back before the final climb of the day. The ride over to Sauratown Mountain was chock full of "rollers." Of course, back here at home they would be classified as big hills! The climbing served to warm us up a bit, but inevitably we'd crest the hill and go speeding down the other side again.
Before we knew it we were at Sauratown Mountain, which on paper looked worse than it turned out to be. MapMyRide had it as a 5 mile climb with an average 4% grade, but that was taking into account the 2 miles leading up to the turn onto Sauratown Mtn Rd, so when we thought we were starting we only had 3 miles left to the top! Also this road is mostly straight, with only 2 big turns so it's easier to maintain a climbing rhythm. I kept Geof in sight for quite awhile, and in this fog that meant that he was probably within 50 or 100 feet of me! Eventually he gained enough of a gap that I lost sight of him, but when I suddenly broke out of the fog into bright sunlight near the summit I could see him just ahead. At the top he had maybe 2 or 3 minutes on me. David was just behind us. Climbing and sunshine had warmed us up so the layer peeling commenced, and everybody had a snack before we set off for the day's second screaming descent.
When we re-entered the fog on the way down Sauratown the temperature dropped drastically. I was wishing I still had my warmers on. My companions disappeared into the mist as my shivering caused me to have to slow down to avoid the wobbles. Thank goodness the organizers of the Three Mountain Madness had spray painted "SLOW" on the road just before the big curve because in this thick fog we couldn't see that far ahead! As I came around the curve I spotted Geof & David on the side of the road and I worried that something bad might have happened. It was hard to stop on such a steep slope, but when I got to them I discovered that it was just that Geof had flatted his rear tire. Turns out it was a cheap tube, and the heat from heavy braking caused a leak. He patched it while I held Claire so she wouldn't get too dirty and we continued on our way.
Flat #1The first serious climb was behind us and I was very happy with my performance. I'd read about climbing and descending techniques, so I was just trying to find my rhythm and keep my heart rate from getting too high. It worked. Now we were on our way to climb Pilot Mountain. I've driven that road before- it's the quintessential mountain road with steep twists and turns and switchbacks. The kind of road that you drive up in 2nd gear and overheat your brakes on the way down. MapMyRide has it as a class 2 climb: 3 miles at an average 7.1% grade, and in that 3 miles you climb 1,100 feet! I've ridden centuries with less elevation gain than we were about to do in just a few miles.
The roads between Sauratown and Pilot were more of the same rollers, with at least one really good grinder thrown in for good measure. The chilly fog had been replaced by sunshine and warm temps, and the arm warmers came off again. As we approached Pilot Mountain I got away on a downhill and built up some speed, came around a bend and saw the Surry County line. Geof and David were way back, so I took the sprint without challenge. They were starting to catch up to me about the time I made the left turn into the park to start the climb, and I saw Geof stop to have a nature break. I thought I'd take the opportunity to get a bit of a gap since he'd most likely pass me very shortly on the climb anyway. The first bit wasn't bad at all, but then the grade really kicked in and I had to find my comfort zone again. I figured I could go a little harder than I did on the last climb, so I tried to keep my heart rate below 180 (about 90% for me.) I was running a compact crankset (50/34) and a 12-26 cassette, so pretty much the whole way up I was in a 34-26! I used all the tips and tricks I've read about; alternating sitting and standing, taking the outside line since it's not as steep, relaxing, and controlling my breathing. It all worked. It was very hard, but I never felt like I was pushing beyond my limits. At one point I saw Geof behind me but I didn't try to speed up or worry about getting caught, just kept riding my comfortable pace. I reached the parking lot at the summit and no one had caught me! As a matter of fact it was a little while before Geof came along, seems he had been having shifting problems and couldn't go all the way down to his lowest gear (not sure I would've even made it to the top with that issue!)
At the top & still smilin'!
Flat #2
Flat #3At the top I wasn't too far behind, I still had him in sight when he turned into the parking lot. All in all I had a great day on the bike and found out that I can actually do this climbing stuff!
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
NCBC 200K Morrisville -Siler City- Morrisville
I was looking forward to riding RBA Alan's 200k this year- I missed it last year due to work and started the series with the 300k. This year I've already completed a full series and an additional 600K, so I'm in pretty good "early season" form. I'm still trying to figure out what this "season" is that everybody talks about... ;)
One of my big goals this year is to enjoy the ride more- I spent most of last year suffering at the back of pacelines trying to hang on and eventually getting dropped, destined to ride solo from then on because the group had built up such a lead. My plan for this 200K was to ride in the front group until they started their hammerfest up the hills, then stick with the more reasonable paced riders. But that was not to be. A check of Weather Underground told me that we'd be fighting some wind out of the west on our route to Siler City- the hourly forecast showed it building in the morning to about a 15mph headwind by 11am, then into 20+mph in the afternoon. I modified my plan and decided it would be in my best interests to stick with the strongest riders until the turnaround, then ride the tailwinds back home.
The morning was cool- just below 40 degrees when we started, yet it was supposed to be in the 60's later in the day. I fitted my VO Campagne handlebar bag to my front rack but it was mostly empty, ready to receive my shed layers as the day warmed up. I stayed near the front on the way out of Morrisville- I'd been gapped off by the traffic lights in town on one of the brevets last year and I've learned my lesson. Once we were out on country roads I pulled out my camera and shot the obligatory group video.
This would be the first 200k for Bryan H. (fast Bryan.) He spent most of the morning talking with Geof, and I was sure they were hatching some sort of strategery... I had a chance to chat with Martin and John P. before we got to the hill on Jack Bennett Rd. that usually causes all sorts of splits in the pack. Surprisingly I went up Jack Bennett really well, and was still with the front group after the summit. I spent a little time talking with Fast Bryan and trying to convince him that I'd get dropped at some point, but he just didn't believe me.
I can't remember what caused the first real split, but I was in the 2nd group on the road and for some reason I decided to try to close the gap. Fast Bryan came with me, then passed me, but I just couldn't hold his wheel. Eventually I was swallowed by the group behind and everything came back together, so I'd burned some matchsticks uselessly. You'd think I'd know better by now...
A bit later there was another split on Lindley Mill Rd. as we were approaching a left turn, due west on Greensboro Chapel Hill Rd. I knew we'd be turning into a full-on headwind so once again I tried to close that gap, but a car pulled out from a driveway and got between my little group and the front runners. At the left turn stop sign the front group got through while we had to negotiate around the driver who had suddenly become timid and wouldn't go through the intersection. The combo of headwinds and the big rollers into Snow Camp meant that we wouldn't close the gap, so Geof, Fast Bryan, and myself rolled into the control just a bit behind the leaders.
I got the card signed and a Mountain Dew, and as I was shedding the first layers of the day I saw Tim rolling out solo. I said something to Geof, and he was back on his shiny new bike and on the road lickety-split. I chugged the rest of the Dew and took off after him, but now I was out there solo and trying to catch up. Bryan caught me and I hung onto his wheel as long as I could (man that guy is fast!) but soon I had to bridge the gap myself, and not nearly as effortlessly as it looked like Fast Bryan had! Eventually Geof, Bryan, and I were caught by some others from behind who had left Snow Camp shortly after us, but we never caught Tim.
This group was strong, the headwinds were picking up, and I was starting to run into my first real trouble of the day. Every time we'd hit an uphill roller the rest of the group would hammer and I couldn't keep up their pace. At the top I'd be faced with closing a gap in a headwind. At first the gaps were small, but this is a problem which compounds itself- the effort I put out on the uphills wasn't enough and the gaps would get a bit bigger each time. The effort I put out on the flats and downhills to bridge the gaps kept me from recovering and being able to keep up on the next hill. On one uphill just a few miles from Siler City my legs started to cramp. I'd been going too hard and now I had to gear down and spin and watch the group go. John O. passed me and I told him I was cramping- he offered to wait for me but I told him no- I really didn't know if I could spin through it or if I'd soon be writhing on the side of the road!
Turns out I was able to spin it out, and as I rolled into Siler City I saw that there had been another group that left Snow Camp first that Tim was chasing- now they were on the return trip and he was still on the chase. Joel was waiting in Siler with a fantastic spread of snacks and liquids, and I had every intention of making a long stop but a little voice in the back of my head kept suggesting that maybe I'd be able to keep up now that we'd have some help from the wind. I got back on the bike just in time to roll out with the same group that had dropped me on the way in.
I kept up over about 2 or 3 rollers, then the cramps came back. Once again I spun a low gear through the pain and the cramps subsided. I was able to ease my way back up to a reasonable speed, but I'd lost Geof and Bryan until Snow Camp. After the control I lost them again, but got caught up by another group and we were making good time. As we approached a left turn on Hwy 87 I saw Geof and Bryan stopped at the old gas station. I pulled off, but I should've just kept going. My little group went on down the road and I tried to catch them but just didn't have the gas to do it. Bryan passed me and caught the group, then Geof passed and caught them too. Soon I could see the pair of them out in front of the group and pulling away! Somewhere in here I noticed that I'd lost one of my gel flasks. I found out later that it had bounced out of my bag on a rough stretch and later was smashed by a car. What a waste of Hammer Apple Cinnamon... The handy pockets that face back toward the rider on the VO bag are just not big enough to buckle closed with a gel flask inside.
I was still thinking that I could possibly catch when I heard someone behind me call my name. I think it was Jerry- at least I could tell he was back there because his Cinnamon Girl is easy to spot. We were approaching Frosty's, and I thought perhaps one of them had picked up my flask. I stopped and waited for them, but no flask- they were just inviting me to join them for a rest stop at Frosty's! Funny how things work on a brevet. I was too dumb to know that the last thing I needed was to keep digging deep in my "suitcase of courage" (read with Phil Liggett accent) to try to catch up with the next group up the road. Far better to take a short break and ride with the next group! The only problem was that my legs started threatening to stiffen up while I was sitting inside Frosty's, so I got up to walk around a bit and get ready to go. Back on the road my new group included Jerry, Chris Camm, Tom F, Ricochet Robert, John O. and a few others. I took the opportunity to shoot another video.
We were getting some really intense wind now, and not always tailwinds! The predictions of 20+mph winds gusting even higher apparently had come true. Anytime the wind direction turned into a tailwind I took advantage of it and built up as much speed as I could. Eventually I had built up a little gap on my companions. Robert came across the gap and since I had some company I just kept doing my thing, tucking into the aero position when the wind was in my face and sitting up when it was at my back, letting my body act as a sail. Having the opportunity to set my own pace really let me get into the rhythm and I felt really good on this last leg of the ride. Robert kept telling me that he was out of gas, but he didn't appear to have any trouble keeping up...
Just as we were getting into Morrisville, Robert and I were caught by Chris and Jerry and the four of us rode in to Alan's house together for a time of 7:55. I was beat, but pretty satisfied with the ride overall. Still trying to put these lessons into practice: I should conserve more energy early on, perhaps I would have had enough to stick with my group those last few miles into Siler. And I should never stop with the really fast guys for a nature break, I don't have the speed to keep up with them!
One of my big goals this year is to enjoy the ride more- I spent most of last year suffering at the back of pacelines trying to hang on and eventually getting dropped, destined to ride solo from then on because the group had built up such a lead. My plan for this 200K was to ride in the front group until they started their hammerfest up the hills, then stick with the more reasonable paced riders. But that was not to be. A check of Weather Underground told me that we'd be fighting some wind out of the west on our route to Siler City- the hourly forecast showed it building in the morning to about a 15mph headwind by 11am, then into 20+mph in the afternoon. I modified my plan and decided it would be in my best interests to stick with the strongest riders until the turnaround, then ride the tailwinds back home.
The morning was cool- just below 40 degrees when we started, yet it was supposed to be in the 60's later in the day. I fitted my VO Campagne handlebar bag to my front rack but it was mostly empty, ready to receive my shed layers as the day warmed up. I stayed near the front on the way out of Morrisville- I'd been gapped off by the traffic lights in town on one of the brevets last year and I've learned my lesson. Once we were out on country roads I pulled out my camera and shot the obligatory group video.
This would be the first 200k for Bryan H. (fast Bryan.) He spent most of the morning talking with Geof, and I was sure they were hatching some sort of strategery... I had a chance to chat with Martin and John P. before we got to the hill on Jack Bennett Rd. that usually causes all sorts of splits in the pack. Surprisingly I went up Jack Bennett really well, and was still with the front group after the summit. I spent a little time talking with Fast Bryan and trying to convince him that I'd get dropped at some point, but he just didn't believe me.
I can't remember what caused the first real split, but I was in the 2nd group on the road and for some reason I decided to try to close the gap. Fast Bryan came with me, then passed me, but I just couldn't hold his wheel. Eventually I was swallowed by the group behind and everything came back together, so I'd burned some matchsticks uselessly. You'd think I'd know better by now...
A bit later there was another split on Lindley Mill Rd. as we were approaching a left turn, due west on Greensboro Chapel Hill Rd. I knew we'd be turning into a full-on headwind so once again I tried to close that gap, but a car pulled out from a driveway and got between my little group and the front runners. At the left turn stop sign the front group got through while we had to negotiate around the driver who had suddenly become timid and wouldn't go through the intersection. The combo of headwinds and the big rollers into Snow Camp meant that we wouldn't close the gap, so Geof, Fast Bryan, and myself rolled into the control just a bit behind the leaders.
I got the card signed and a Mountain Dew, and as I was shedding the first layers of the day I saw Tim rolling out solo. I said something to Geof, and he was back on his shiny new bike and on the road lickety-split. I chugged the rest of the Dew and took off after him, but now I was out there solo and trying to catch up. Bryan caught me and I hung onto his wheel as long as I could (man that guy is fast!) but soon I had to bridge the gap myself, and not nearly as effortlessly as it looked like Fast Bryan had! Eventually Geof, Bryan, and I were caught by some others from behind who had left Snow Camp shortly after us, but we never caught Tim.
This group was strong, the headwinds were picking up, and I was starting to run into my first real trouble of the day. Every time we'd hit an uphill roller the rest of the group would hammer and I couldn't keep up their pace. At the top I'd be faced with closing a gap in a headwind. At first the gaps were small, but this is a problem which compounds itself- the effort I put out on the uphills wasn't enough and the gaps would get a bit bigger each time. The effort I put out on the flats and downhills to bridge the gaps kept me from recovering and being able to keep up on the next hill. On one uphill just a few miles from Siler City my legs started to cramp. I'd been going too hard and now I had to gear down and spin and watch the group go. John O. passed me and I told him I was cramping- he offered to wait for me but I told him no- I really didn't know if I could spin through it or if I'd soon be writhing on the side of the road!
Turns out I was able to spin it out, and as I rolled into Siler City I saw that there had been another group that left Snow Camp first that Tim was chasing- now they were on the return trip and he was still on the chase. Joel was waiting in Siler with a fantastic spread of snacks and liquids, and I had every intention of making a long stop but a little voice in the back of my head kept suggesting that maybe I'd be able to keep up now that we'd have some help from the wind. I got back on the bike just in time to roll out with the same group that had dropped me on the way in.
I kept up over about 2 or 3 rollers, then the cramps came back. Once again I spun a low gear through the pain and the cramps subsided. I was able to ease my way back up to a reasonable speed, but I'd lost Geof and Bryan until Snow Camp. After the control I lost them again, but got caught up by another group and we were making good time. As we approached a left turn on Hwy 87 I saw Geof and Bryan stopped at the old gas station. I pulled off, but I should've just kept going. My little group went on down the road and I tried to catch them but just didn't have the gas to do it. Bryan passed me and caught the group, then Geof passed and caught them too. Soon I could see the pair of them out in front of the group and pulling away! Somewhere in here I noticed that I'd lost one of my gel flasks. I found out later that it had bounced out of my bag on a rough stretch and later was smashed by a car. What a waste of Hammer Apple Cinnamon... The handy pockets that face back toward the rider on the VO bag are just not big enough to buckle closed with a gel flask inside.
I was still thinking that I could possibly catch when I heard someone behind me call my name. I think it was Jerry- at least I could tell he was back there because his Cinnamon Girl is easy to spot. We were approaching Frosty's, and I thought perhaps one of them had picked up my flask. I stopped and waited for them, but no flask- they were just inviting me to join them for a rest stop at Frosty's! Funny how things work on a brevet. I was too dumb to know that the last thing I needed was to keep digging deep in my "suitcase of courage" (read with Phil Liggett accent) to try to catch up with the next group up the road. Far better to take a short break and ride with the next group! The only problem was that my legs started threatening to stiffen up while I was sitting inside Frosty's, so I got up to walk around a bit and get ready to go. Back on the road my new group included Jerry, Chris Camm, Tom F, Ricochet Robert, John O. and a few others. I took the opportunity to shoot another video.
We were getting some really intense wind now, and not always tailwinds! The predictions of 20+mph winds gusting even higher apparently had come true. Anytime the wind direction turned into a tailwind I took advantage of it and built up as much speed as I could. Eventually I had built up a little gap on my companions. Robert came across the gap and since I had some company I just kept doing my thing, tucking into the aero position when the wind was in my face and sitting up when it was at my back, letting my body act as a sail. Having the opportunity to set my own pace really let me get into the rhythm and I felt really good on this last leg of the ride. Robert kept telling me that he was out of gas, but he didn't appear to have any trouble keeping up...
Just as we were getting into Morrisville, Robert and I were caught by Chris and Jerry and the four of us rode in to Alan's house together for a time of 7:55. I was beat, but pretty satisfied with the ride overall. Still trying to put these lessons into practice: I should conserve more energy early on, perhaps I would have had enough to stick with my group those last few miles into Siler. And I should never stop with the really fast guys for a nature break, I don't have the speed to keep up with them!
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