Barry set a personal record today on Hauser Road of 5:54. More importantly he's letting Whitney know not to rest on his 5:52 laurels.
It's a little unfair to taunt Whitney while he's injured, but all is fair in biking.
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Sunday, May 27, 2012
Burn 24 Recap
Barry and I did the Burn 24 Hour Mtn Bike Challenge/Race this holiday weekend. This was my first venture into any type of mtn bike racing and it was really nice to have Barry to show me the ropes. This weekend was hot to say the least and temps hovered around 90-degrees. I think around 400 people signed up for the race. Barry and I did the race as a duo. Ann, Payton, Jordan, and Emmett stayed the entire weekend and camped with us. Lisa and her mom came to see us Saturday and brought much needed supplies. Barry and I both had tents and canopys. With everyone helping us and aiding us in dealing with the heat we were set to go.
The race started at noon Saturday with the sun baking us. It was a Lemans start and I ran for Barry. With Dark Mtn being a single track course with a ton of climbing Barry told me not to run too hard d/t a log jam of cyclists the first lap. After I completed the run Barry set off for 2 laps of the course. I got ready and once Barry completed his first 2 laps I took off for 2 laps of my own. We traded off and each did 2 laps twice bringing our total to 8 laps with dark sitting in. Barry went for another 2 laps and brought his total to 6 for Saturday. I put on my lights and went and did one more lap to bring my total to 5 for Saturday. I had a lot of shifting issues and my rear derailuer was not perfomring very well. Mike of Cycle Therapy fixed it the best he could with the tools he had. I was shot from having 3 gears and my back/arms were super tired. We decided to rest and try to sleep for the remainder of the night. I do not have the handling and mtn biking skills to do much night riding so I was very happy to rest. The laps we did at night were my favorite of the whole event. It was sureal to ride the majority of the course alone and then come into the camp area and see all the tents with lights on. I tried to sleep but Emmett kept me up most of the night - he did not like all the people around our tent with lights. I think I slept 2 hours. I can't imagine how hard it is to do Burn solo. Having Barry there was awesome and having Ann/the kids was great! Ann was amazing giving Barry and I frozen towels, smoothies, food, etc. The kids helped out so much and we had a wonderful team.
Sunday morning we woke up early and I went first. I didn't sleep the previous night and I was hurting from Saturday. I have never done more than 30 miles on a mtn bike before this event. I did two laps and was completely shot after that. Barry took off and did another two laps. Heading into 11am Sunday we had a total of 15 laps (Barry had 8 and I did 7). We were sitting in 5th place as a team. Come to find out Matt Ryan (Alex's brother) had a team and they were close to us. Barry was nervous they were going to catch us and kept checking the standings. Time ending up running out and Matt's team was shot - we hung on for 5th!!!
The weekend was great and I can't express how thankful I am for Ann, the kids, and Barry. Also, a
a huge thank you to Lisa and her mom. We got to see Mike of CycleTherapy, the Saddle Block team, Dwayne Hunter and his crew, etc. It was a great event and something to check off the bucket list. Now time to rest...
Thursday, May 24, 2012
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Friday, May 11, 2012
2012 Chattanooga, TN - 3 State 3 Mountain Review
This past weekend was my annual journey to the place I like to call Chattanooga, TN. You all know my affinity for my former home and anytime I have any excuse whatsoever to head down that way, I'm going. So last year's ride ended up being 90 miles because the route had to be changed because of the April tornadoes that swept through the area. Honestly, last year I felt kind of guilty riding my bike through those areas because people were still picking up the pieces from the storms. While we were passing through people were still cutting tree limbs of downed trees in their yards while we cyclist were riding by at our leisure.
At last year's ride I was feeling great and was ready to take on the ride. Unfortunately due to the storms 2 of the 3 mainstay climbs (Sand Mountain and Burkhalter) were taken out. Instead of going up the Alabama side of Sand Mountain we headed up the TN side and from what I remember it was more challenging than the normal route that we did this year. On those climbs last year I felt great and was hoping that this year I would feel close to the same.
The riders got word in Mid April that one of the bridges was being destroyed and that an alternate route had been planned for 2012. The one climb that was taken out was a favorite of mine......Suck Creek. Suck Creek is not hard. It's such a nice climb that I wish we had one like it around here close by. All the way to the top it is about 5 miles with a nice average grade of 5% with no steep pitches, but when you get done you still feel like you did something because you can go as fast as you want. It's always a good start to the ride. When I was in Chattanooga it was a regular on my ride schedule and was easily accessible from home. Suck Creek was only about 5 miles from my house. With Suck Creek out of the picture it was replaced by Aetna Mountain.
Saturday morning was looking perfect for a ride. Compared to last year it was a little warmer which was perfect for me. Last year I had to put on some layers at the start, but this year felt like a summer morning ride. All together there were over 2000 riders that took part in some form or another..25, 62, 90 and the 100 miler. I hooked up with 6 people that I had ridden with in High Point that I met through a mutual friend at work. It's always nice to ride with people rather than solo. The start of this years ride was opposite of previous years due to the route change and like all the years past it was well marshaled by the police and volunteers alike. There is no ride that compares to this ride when it comes to logistics of lights and intersections for the cyclist. It sure it nice to have these guys on your side when you are passing by on the bike, but I sure wouldn't want to be at the wheel of a car when 2000 bikes come through. On this particular day in Chattanooga bikes and cops rule the road. When you come to the finish they have an entire lane dedicated to the cyclist coming back into town blocked off by cones and there was not one single light where we had to stop. The police manned each intersection and between cyclist they would let cars go, but the second they saw a cyclist they put the squelch on the cars.
The ride start was uneventful and at rides like this there really is no reason to warm up because well you have quite a while to work your way through traffic and just enjoy the ride. Lots of people like to race these things, but to me that's what races are for. These rides are about seeing other cyclist and just being out there and enjoying the ride. Don't get me wrong it's still fun to hammer sometimes and see what you can do on the climbs, but overall it's just fun. The first climb of the day was Aetna and it looked a little more challenging on paper, but when it was all said and done it wasn't until we reached Sand Mountain that we realized we had already done it. I guess that was because it was more of a rolling climb compared to the other 2 big ones of the day that just go up. About 1.5 hours into the ride the sun had turned to fog and then the fog to rain just in time to start our journey up Sand Mountain. It wasn't exactly a downpour, but it was rain after all and it lasted for a good 45 minutes to an hour. Sand Mountain is in Alabama and it is pretty challenging with some steep pitches and a few switchbacks thrown in for fun. The road leading to the climb was the closest thing that Alabama has to Paris-Roubaix meaning the roads weren't exactly in the best shape, but it is the only way there. I just tucked in behind the Fabian Cancellara of our group and enjoyed the ride. My legs were feeling really good on this particular day, but until the first good climb of the day was underway I wouldn't be really sure how they felt. When the road turned upward I could tell it was going to be a good day on the climbing front. I just wish some of you guys were there to partake in some of the fun. When you get to the top of Sand Mountain you are usually rewarded with a great view which was not the case on Saturday. More like, "let's skip the foggy view and see if we can outrun this rain".
I'm going to fast forward because this is taking way longer than I had planned. The final climb of the day is Burkhalter Gap. For the first time there was going to be a King of the Hill timed climb. I had been looking forward to this for some time to see how I would stack up against the others. Burkhalter is no joke, it's about 2-2.5 miles of 6-8% grade with the last little bit peaking around 18%. I was ready to go when I made the left turn onto the road. I passed over the timing ramp and all the way up I was turning myself inside out to get the best time that I could possibly get. The climb comes around mile 86 so when you get done there is not much riding left to do. I felt absolutely incredible climbing that hill until it came to the last part with the 18% grade. All I could do at that point was lower my head and not look at the finish and just keep pedaling knowing it would be over soon. That's exactly what I did. I felt like I put in a really good time and was pleased. I didn't time it on my Cateye because I was doing strava and it was going to record on the chip.
After the ride was over I was excited to see how I compared to everyone else's time. The email came through on Sunday and I opened my email and followed the link to the King and Queen of the mountain to see where I stood............not top 50, not top 100, not top 400, not top 700......hmmmmm surely I wasn't that slow. Lo and behold the stupid chip didn't record my time. After looking at the list of over 2000 people who had finished I found my name around 2250. It had recorded my start time in the morning and my FINISH time on the climb. After a few emails with the timing chip people I was able to work out an official time for me because luckily the people that I was riding with had their START times recorded. He took an average of their time crossing the line for my start time of the climb. Only problem with this was that I stopped at a rest stop at the bottom of the climb to reload on powerade and they continued on while I stopped. I caught and passed them on the climb so I knew the amount of time I had put into them, but not the amount of time that I was stopped so I will never know my true time. I am happy that it at least recorded my finish time so I could get a time. My unofficial official climb time was 18:13 so when you guys GO TO CHATTANOOGA with us next year we will have a benchmark.
Amy and I made a long weekend out of it. As soon as I crossed the finish line I bid my farewell to the people I was riding with skipping the post ride meal and beverages and headed to the hotel room to shower up for the rest of the day activities..... Eat, Aquarium, murder mystery theatre......sleep on Saturday night......wake up for a morning ride........Southern Belle riverboat cruise, Eat at CheeBurger, CheeBurger, IMAX 3D(into the arctic), Hunter Museum back to the room for a brief hiatus. Rode our bikes downtown to eat at "The Good Dog"(awesome hotdogs), and then a bicycle cruise on the river walk, followed by a ride back to the hotel.......sleep, get up and head back to Winston via Ocoee river and Nantahala River. Due to the electric shuttle we didn't even have to move the car from Saturday to Monday. Good times Join us next year.
At last year's ride I was feeling great and was ready to take on the ride. Unfortunately due to the storms 2 of the 3 mainstay climbs (Sand Mountain and Burkhalter) were taken out. Instead of going up the Alabama side of Sand Mountain we headed up the TN side and from what I remember it was more challenging than the normal route that we did this year. On those climbs last year I felt great and was hoping that this year I would feel close to the same.
The riders got word in Mid April that one of the bridges was being destroyed and that an alternate route had been planned for 2012. The one climb that was taken out was a favorite of mine......Suck Creek. Suck Creek is not hard. It's such a nice climb that I wish we had one like it around here close by. All the way to the top it is about 5 miles with a nice average grade of 5% with no steep pitches, but when you get done you still feel like you did something because you can go as fast as you want. It's always a good start to the ride. When I was in Chattanooga it was a regular on my ride schedule and was easily accessible from home. Suck Creek was only about 5 miles from my house. With Suck Creek out of the picture it was replaced by Aetna Mountain.
Saturday morning was looking perfect for a ride. Compared to last year it was a little warmer which was perfect for me. Last year I had to put on some layers at the start, but this year felt like a summer morning ride. All together there were over 2000 riders that took part in some form or another..25, 62, 90 and the 100 miler. I hooked up with 6 people that I had ridden with in High Point that I met through a mutual friend at work. It's always nice to ride with people rather than solo. The start of this years ride was opposite of previous years due to the route change and like all the years past it was well marshaled by the police and volunteers alike. There is no ride that compares to this ride when it comes to logistics of lights and intersections for the cyclist. It sure it nice to have these guys on your side when you are passing by on the bike, but I sure wouldn't want to be at the wheel of a car when 2000 bikes come through. On this particular day in Chattanooga bikes and cops rule the road. When you come to the finish they have an entire lane dedicated to the cyclist coming back into town blocked off by cones and there was not one single light where we had to stop. The police manned each intersection and between cyclist they would let cars go, but the second they saw a cyclist they put the squelch on the cars.
The ride start was uneventful and at rides like this there really is no reason to warm up because well you have quite a while to work your way through traffic and just enjoy the ride. Lots of people like to race these things, but to me that's what races are for. These rides are about seeing other cyclist and just being out there and enjoying the ride. Don't get me wrong it's still fun to hammer sometimes and see what you can do on the climbs, but overall it's just fun. The first climb of the day was Aetna and it looked a little more challenging on paper, but when it was all said and done it wasn't until we reached Sand Mountain that we realized we had already done it. I guess that was because it was more of a rolling climb compared to the other 2 big ones of the day that just go up. About 1.5 hours into the ride the sun had turned to fog and then the fog to rain just in time to start our journey up Sand Mountain. It wasn't exactly a downpour, but it was rain after all and it lasted for a good 45 minutes to an hour. Sand Mountain is in Alabama and it is pretty challenging with some steep pitches and a few switchbacks thrown in for fun. The road leading to the climb was the closest thing that Alabama has to Paris-Roubaix meaning the roads weren't exactly in the best shape, but it is the only way there. I just tucked in behind the Fabian Cancellara of our group and enjoyed the ride. My legs were feeling really good on this particular day, but until the first good climb of the day was underway I wouldn't be really sure how they felt. When the road turned upward I could tell it was going to be a good day on the climbing front. I just wish some of you guys were there to partake in some of the fun. When you get to the top of Sand Mountain you are usually rewarded with a great view which was not the case on Saturday. More like, "let's skip the foggy view and see if we can outrun this rain".
I'm going to fast forward because this is taking way longer than I had planned. The final climb of the day is Burkhalter Gap. For the first time there was going to be a King of the Hill timed climb. I had been looking forward to this for some time to see how I would stack up against the others. Burkhalter is no joke, it's about 2-2.5 miles of 6-8% grade with the last little bit peaking around 18%. I was ready to go when I made the left turn onto the road. I passed over the timing ramp and all the way up I was turning myself inside out to get the best time that I could possibly get. The climb comes around mile 86 so when you get done there is not much riding left to do. I felt absolutely incredible climbing that hill until it came to the last part with the 18% grade. All I could do at that point was lower my head and not look at the finish and just keep pedaling knowing it would be over soon. That's exactly what I did. I felt like I put in a really good time and was pleased. I didn't time it on my Cateye because I was doing strava and it was going to record on the chip.
After the ride was over I was excited to see how I compared to everyone else's time. The email came through on Sunday and I opened my email and followed the link to the King and Queen of the mountain to see where I stood............not top 50, not top 100, not top 400, not top 700......hmmmmm surely I wasn't that slow. Lo and behold the stupid chip didn't record my time. After looking at the list of over 2000 people who had finished I found my name around 2250. It had recorded my start time in the morning and my FINISH time on the climb. After a few emails with the timing chip people I was able to work out an official time for me because luckily the people that I was riding with had their START times recorded. He took an average of their time crossing the line for my start time of the climb. Only problem with this was that I stopped at a rest stop at the bottom of the climb to reload on powerade and they continued on while I stopped. I caught and passed them on the climb so I knew the amount of time I had put into them, but not the amount of time that I was stopped so I will never know my true time. I am happy that it at least recorded my finish time so I could get a time. My unofficial official climb time was 18:13 so when you guys GO TO CHATTANOOGA with us next year we will have a benchmark.
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| Some Riverboat action |
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| That is Cannon Equipment in the background, my former Employer when I was in Chattanooga. Unfortunately, it is closing shop in August for good after more than 100 years. |
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| Me in front of a sculpture outside the hunter museum along the river walk. |
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| Amy in front of the sculpture outside the hunter museum along the sidewalk. |
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| Me when I crossed the line at the top of the climb, proof that my timing band was still there. |
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| Aquarium, penguin exhibit |
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| Shark cage |
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| Jelly fish |
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| I love the frogs |
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| Not sure if he was stuck or not. |
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| The Delta Queen. Very nice to look at, but not such a good place to spend the night. We know from past experience. |
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| Hunter museum from the water. |
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| The riverfront and the aquarium in the background from the water. |
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| Bridge heading to the Hunter Museum |
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| Inside the Hunter Museum |
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| Ocoee River |
Saturday, May 5, 2012
Strava FAIL
I did the 3 state 3 mountain today in Chattanooga. Right before the start I initiated Strava........or so I thought. 78 miles in I found out it hadn't started. Of all the rides that I have done this year that is the one I wanted to track. Oh well. Full report to come Tuesday.
Friday, May 4, 2012
Rides Around Wilkes (RAW)
Anyone hitting up RAW tomorrow? I'm going up solo but meeting our buddy Brian Porter. Aiming to for the 60 mile route. Holla!
E
E
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Ride for Shalom
Saturday May 19th is the Ride for Shalom. The ride benefits the Shalom Project and is headed by Dr. Steve Bissette (my family doctor and huge cyclist). The Shalom Project supports a free health clinic for persons who cannot afford health care, a food pantry, and the kids Cafe.
The ride leaves Brookstown UMC on Yadkinville Rd. There are 20, 40, and 60 mile options. Ann I did it last year and the ride was beautiful. Dr Bisette is hoping to get 80-90 cyclists this year. Please spread the word and come if you can. The ride is well supported and on beautiful roads. You can ride to the church on Yadkinville Road and then hit up the ride.
Check out theshalomproject.org.
Hope to see you all there. I am gonna try and hit up the 60 mile option. Let me know.
Chancey
Saturday, April 28, 2012
CLM Model
Since we couldn't get Mitchell to do it I talked Ann into modeling. She looks beautiful and the kits look great. Can't wait to try them out Monday.
Sunday, April 22, 2012
More Mule Hell...
The folks from SWVAC once again conjured up a strikingly beautiful and challenging route for the 2012 edition of the Mule Hell - Roubaix ride. Designed as a charity event to support the Family Resource Center in Wytheville, VA, the ride attracts all types of riders, from casual cruisers to Cat 2 fellas warming up for a race later in the evening.
Weather was the big question mark, with most weather centers giving a good chance of rain at some point in the day but with not real assurances as to when. Part of me hoped for a little wetness to add some extra mystique to the day, but as the sun remained bright and warm for most of the ride, I generated my own humidity.
About 45 folks lined up, including Chancey and Ann. It was really nice to see fellow CLMers at the start line. Turns out the sag support vehicle didn't show, and after a nice race volunteer gave 45 men her phone number (hubba hubba) encouraging us to call if we needed anything, it was time to go.
Unlike last year, this year seemed to start off with some spicy riding. Heading out Hwy 11, the SWVAC manned the front and kept it reasonable, but when a few of these other chaps took pulls, it got a little more hectic. Nearing our first turn at mile 8, I was finishing my pull and breathing pretty hard. As SOON as we made the left, I was passed on all sides like I was sitting still by 5 guys. Looking back, no one was there and I quickly realized I had a decision to make: Peg it and get back on with the speedsters or lay back.
I checked the HR monitor: 185 bpm. I made inquiry to the legs while the gap inched wider: Nope.
I kept the boys in sight for a few miles, but we all know how that goes. Time to regroup and ride steady.
A few miles later, I noticed a shadowy figure slowly closing the gap. I eased up and greeted Tony from SWVAC. He too was laid to waste by the early attacks and we agreed to work together. Our pace picked up considerably and we traded solid pulls for about 30 miles along amazingly beautiful valley roads and small rollers. I met Tony last year at MH-R and learned that he was then coming back from a terrible bike crash that resulted in several broken ribs and a punctured lung. He showed no signs of reduced pulmonary functions during our time together this year. We were cookin'.
This is Mule Hell - Roubaix after all, so you know gravel had to be involved. Promptly at mile 30, we took a right off of Hwy 21 and onto Chaney Branch. This gravel section started off with a flat to rolling flavor but slow and surely tilted upward. Tony pointed ahead to a large ridge and said, "We're going over that." I braced myself.
Even without a lot of riding in my legs, I can generally do hills at a decent pace. Here, and on gravel (another place I feel pretty comfy), Tony and I slid apart as we neared the top. A short gravel descent later (dodging a few dogs along the way) and I found myself solo again. There was a long and fast paved downhill to the next gravel (Greasy Creek Rd.) section and where I decided to put the hammer down. I continually looked back to see if Tony was sliding up, as he tended to be faster on the flats, but to no avail. I figured then it would be just me so I decided to make a good effort out of it.
The last 8 miles contain some steep but short hills, as Chancey mentioned, and Berea Rd. is the worst. It presents itself just after Greasy Creek, so most folks are already in the red from bombing the gravel. The view fromt top is worth it, however. After doing my best paper boy impression, it was DOWN into the valley and zipping back toward Wytheville. A long climb into town marks the last main section before winding through a neighborhood and finally Hwy 11, the same road we used at the start. I wasn't feeling much pain by this time, as the taste of the finish tends to wipe the palate clean.
I ended up 6th and around 2 hrs 17 min. It was great to ride with these guys again and I absolutely suggest we do this one again in the future. Big kudos to Ann for tackling her first real mountain-y ride and tossing in some gravel for good measure. It was tough this year with Boone - Roubaix on the same weekend, but a packed cycling calendar is a nice problem for us to have.
Weather was the big question mark, with most weather centers giving a good chance of rain at some point in the day but with not real assurances as to when. Part of me hoped for a little wetness to add some extra mystique to the day, but as the sun remained bright and warm for most of the ride, I generated my own humidity.
About 45 folks lined up, including Chancey and Ann. It was really nice to see fellow CLMers at the start line. Turns out the sag support vehicle didn't show, and after a nice race volunteer gave 45 men her phone number (hubba hubba) encouraging us to call if we needed anything, it was time to go.
Unlike last year, this year seemed to start off with some spicy riding. Heading out Hwy 11, the SWVAC manned the front and kept it reasonable, but when a few of these other chaps took pulls, it got a little more hectic. Nearing our first turn at mile 8, I was finishing my pull and breathing pretty hard. As SOON as we made the left, I was passed on all sides like I was sitting still by 5 guys. Looking back, no one was there and I quickly realized I had a decision to make: Peg it and get back on with the speedsters or lay back.
I checked the HR monitor: 185 bpm. I made inquiry to the legs while the gap inched wider: Nope.
I kept the boys in sight for a few miles, but we all know how that goes. Time to regroup and ride steady.
A few miles later, I noticed a shadowy figure slowly closing the gap. I eased up and greeted Tony from SWVAC. He too was laid to waste by the early attacks and we agreed to work together. Our pace picked up considerably and we traded solid pulls for about 30 miles along amazingly beautiful valley roads and small rollers. I met Tony last year at MH-R and learned that he was then coming back from a terrible bike crash that resulted in several broken ribs and a punctured lung. He showed no signs of reduced pulmonary functions during our time together this year. We were cookin'.
This is Mule Hell - Roubaix after all, so you know gravel had to be involved. Promptly at mile 30, we took a right off of Hwy 21 and onto Chaney Branch. This gravel section started off with a flat to rolling flavor but slow and surely tilted upward. Tony pointed ahead to a large ridge and said, "We're going over that." I braced myself.
Even without a lot of riding in my legs, I can generally do hills at a decent pace. Here, and on gravel (another place I feel pretty comfy), Tony and I slid apart as we neared the top. A short gravel descent later (dodging a few dogs along the way) and I found myself solo again. There was a long and fast paved downhill to the next gravel (Greasy Creek Rd.) section and where I decided to put the hammer down. I continually looked back to see if Tony was sliding up, as he tended to be faster on the flats, but to no avail. I figured then it would be just me so I decided to make a good effort out of it.
The last 8 miles contain some steep but short hills, as Chancey mentioned, and Berea Rd. is the worst. It presents itself just after Greasy Creek, so most folks are already in the red from bombing the gravel. The view fromt top is worth it, however. After doing my best paper boy impression, it was DOWN into the valley and zipping back toward Wytheville. A long climb into town marks the last main section before winding through a neighborhood and finally Hwy 11, the same road we used at the start. I wasn't feeling much pain by this time, as the taste of the finish tends to wipe the palate clean.
I ended up 6th and around 2 hrs 17 min. It was great to ride with these guys again and I absolutely suggest we do this one again in the future. Big kudos to Ann for tackling her first real mountain-y ride and tossing in some gravel for good measure. It was tough this year with Boone - Roubaix on the same weekend, but a packed cycling calendar is a nice problem for us to have.
Saturday, April 21, 2012
Mule Hell Recap
Ann and I met Erich, Jill, and Fischer in Wytheville, VA today for the Mule Hell Roubaix. Not sure how many people toed the line but it was a fairly small turnout (? weather). The ride took off at 9am and Erich stayed with the lead group. Ann and I made our way to the back and decided to make a day of it and just enjoy the ride. Ann has never really ridden in the mountians and this was her first time with a road bike on gravel. I think Ann was the only female to do the long ride. The course was great and the scenery was amazing. The mountains were awesome and we followed a creek a large portion of the ride. There were two gravel sections with the first major climb being the first gravel section. It was 1.5-2 miles and named "Pickle Mountain". My garmin said it was between 6-8% gradient for the majority of the climb. Strava listed it was a Cat 4 climb. That long and steep of a climb on gravel was challenging but a blast. The gravel in the Wytheville area was much more friendly than the Boone area. After that climb we had one more gravel section but not much climbing noted with it. There was a road name Berea Rd that had some beastly climbs. Ann did well and continued to pedal away. I must admit I need to do a better job pulling her and being more encouraging. We stopped a couple of times and enjoyed the ride. The weather held off and only sprinkled a little toward the end. Once we were back we saw Erich, Jill, and the ever-happy Fischer. The event was well run and we had a blast. The T-shirts are sweet and the food was great. Hope to return next year.
Now time for Chinese food and bike cleaning....
Now time for Chinese food and bike cleaning....
Thursday, April 19, 2012
CHOICES, CHOICES
Not sure what I am going to do yet. The weather is shaping up to be a little better for Saturday now. As of 11:13 the weather looks better for a Boone Roubaix start instead of Mule Hell. That could all change by tomorrow. Good thing is that it doesn't look like it will be a downpour.
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Mule-Hell Update
Got a little bit of unofficial news on the ride for Sat. Mileage will be low 40's with first gravel section at mile 30: A 1.5 mile climb called Pickle Mtn. That's all I got for now...
Monday, April 16, 2012
MNRR Recap
Met the fellas at South Fork tonight around 5:30pm. Whitney, Erich, Mitch, Barry, myself, and special guest Wade "The Blade" showed up for the ride. Jim Martin started the ride but we aren't sure where Jim got to after he received a phone call (hope you are well Jim). We did a retro loop and hit up the following hills: 1st, Summit, Broad St, Beuna Vista, and Reynolda. We went through WFU and headed down Polo. Polo Rd is newly paved and the pavement is great! We hit up Peacehaven to finish off the ride and I think Whitney won the sprint. There was a LOT of wind and we had a head wind on Polo and Peacehaven. All in all, we had a blast and the weather was great. Looking forward to Mule-Hell Saturday but the weather is looking iffy.
Sunday, April 15, 2012
Mule Hell - Roubaix: What I can remember from last year...
Really looking forward to riding this event on Saturday with the CLM! Here are a few things I can remember about last year's event, for those making the trip this year:
1. The SWVAC folks are super nice, laid back cyclists. It's not a high-strung event but there is the feel of a classic-style ride.
2. The start felt like a neutral roll out for the first 7 miles or so, until we turned off the main road. After that there were some accelerations but no real attacks, just a general increase in the pace and a steady roll.
3. I think the first gravel section was around mile 18 and was up and down, finishing with good climb. The SWVAC held up brielfly to assess and make sure folks were getting help if they'd flatted, etc., so it wasn't 100% gas the whole time.
4. Speaking of flats, roll your toughest set of smoothies but definitely not cross tires. The overwhelming majority of the ride is pavement. Pack spares and CO2.
5. The ride is not timed nor are finishing spots tracked, so the finish was a quick lead out and the local SWVAC guys sprinted like we would on Country Club.
6. Here's my Garmin link from last year. They shorted the course just a bit last year due to some road issues, but I hear it'll be back up to 48 this year. http://connect.garmin.com/activity/89290691
7. They had awesome food afterwards (BBQ, etc.) so plan to chow down.
So who's in?? Remember, the charitable cause is a local domestic violence shelter AND a few of these guys came down to support the Doubleshot. We really can't lose by going up and getting in a good ride in the hill of Virginia.
1. The SWVAC folks are super nice, laid back cyclists. It's not a high-strung event but there is the feel of a classic-style ride.
2. The start felt like a neutral roll out for the first 7 miles or so, until we turned off the main road. After that there were some accelerations but no real attacks, just a general increase in the pace and a steady roll.
3. I think the first gravel section was around mile 18 and was up and down, finishing with good climb. The SWVAC held up brielfly to assess and make sure folks were getting help if they'd flatted, etc., so it wasn't 100% gas the whole time.
4. Speaking of flats, roll your toughest set of smoothies but definitely not cross tires. The overwhelming majority of the ride is pavement. Pack spares and CO2.
5. The ride is not timed nor are finishing spots tracked, so the finish was a quick lead out and the local SWVAC guys sprinted like we would on Country Club.
6. Here's my Garmin link from last year. They shorted the course just a bit last year due to some road issues, but I hear it'll be back up to 48 this year. http://connect.garmin.com/activity/89290691
7. They had awesome food afterwards (BBQ, etc.) so plan to chow down.
So who's in?? Remember, the charitable cause is a local domestic violence shelter AND a few of these guys came down to support the Doubleshot. We really can't lose by going up and getting in a good ride in the hill of Virginia.
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