First real CX bike experience

Friday afternoon I received a group email from Scott L (You think I know enough Scott's yet?) asking if anyone was interested in riding some trails on CX bikes.  Uhhhhh, yeah!!!!  All in!

We agreed to meet up in South Prairie at 8:30 am, then ride out towards Fairfax bridge.  It was not the most beautiful morning, it was cold, wet, and cold, but I was very excited.  You could liken my excitement to that of a child waiting for his birthday.

Scott and I hit a few small trails before getting to Carbondao, where we then transitioned to a long trail that took us towards Fairfax Bridge.  This being my first experience not on the road, I was unsure what to expect.  I A-B-S-O-L-U-T-E-L-Y loved it.  I had the time of my life, and cannot wait to do it again.

The trail we were on took us past an old structure, that Scott told me was an old dynamite storage house.  It was very neat to see, all the wood was gone and only stone remained.  It had also become overgrown with bushes and trees.  So, what do you do when you see a structure like that...Duh, use it to go to the bathroom.

At some point, we hit some good CX cycling...There were rocks, logs, water, and mud.  I learned that mud is so much easier to crash on, compared to grass and asphalt.  At one point, my left side was completely covered with mud!  I was very pleased with myself, and could not have been happier.  I also manage to crash and fall into some bushes.

We also road down to an old camp.  There are no houses, nor footprints of the houses.  However, there was a big open field.  After riding through the field, Scott asked if I thought I could ride up a hill.  I said I could try, but waited for him to give it a shot.  If this hill did not have a grade of at least 45%, then I would be wiling to eat mud...wait, I ate lots of mud on this ride.  Scott, gave it a good effort, but after about 5-10 ft up the hill he crashed.  We then ran up the hill with our bikes on our shoulders.

We road for a while longer, experiencing some rain, hail and sleet, before deciding to turn around.  It was at this point that I realized I was VERY VERY VERY cold.  I also realized that I had not eaten while on the ride, and thus was having even more trouble warming up.  It also did not help that I was covered in 38 degree water and mud.

Scott was the ultimate trooper, and kept by my side through the walking, slow riding, complaining, near crying, and my almost succumbing to the oh so warm fetal position.  Ok, most of that is true, but I did not come close to crying...maybe!

We finally made it back to to Wilkeson and I told Scott I was going to do the least manly thing ever...I called Bella to come and get me.  I thought I could go into the one breakfast restaurant, but it was closed.  I thought that since it was 11 am I might be able to go into the bar, but it too was closed.  I then went into the "corner store" and promptly found out that they had no bathroom, nor did they have any hot water.

The lady working was kind enough to offer me my least favorite beverage...Coffee.  I hate the smell of coffee, and find the taste even worse.  I can honestly say that I have consumed coffee 1-2 times in my life.  While waiting for Bella, I consumed the offered coffee.  It might have been the worst stuff ever.  I would guess that it was 2 years old, burnt, and HOT!!! 

I slowly drank the disgusting brew, while my body shook so hard I thought I would fall over.  My fingers, as the thawed, hurt so bad I really did want to cry.  Slowly I warmed, some, and Bella appeared.  She wrapped me in a blanket, not to keep me warm but to keep her precious car clean, and drove me home.

What an almost epic ride, and a total blast.  Hopefully Scott will give me another chance.

Ride to Sunrise

Today my teammate Brent and I rode to Sunrise.  No not to see "THE" sunrise, but rode to Sunrise on Mount Rainier.  This is always an amazing ride, with lots of climbing, some good switchbacks, and tremendous views.

Brent and I agreed to meet at my house, difficult for me, at 7 am, and then drive to Greenwater.  Brent did a great job holding up his end of the agreement, and pulled into my driveway at 7 sharp.  I quickly loaded up my bike, gear, food for an army, and water.

The night before, I considered pumping my tires but decided to wait until the morning.  I always bring my pump, and top of my tires just before the ride starts.  I asked Brent if he was going to want me to bring my  pump, and he said yes...Guess what I forgot to put in his truck two minutes later.  Yes, the pump.  Luckily for me, my tires had a good bit of air...Brent, not so much, but he did have enough to still have a good ride.

Once we began our ride, both Brent and I wondered if we would see many cyclists.  Then we remembered that this weekend was the STP (Seattle to Portand).  The STP has about 10,000 cyclists participate in the ride.  Some of the cyclists choose to do the 200+ mile ride in one day, while most prefer to do the ride in two days.

I have often been asked if I want to do the ride.  I always say no, and I have two reasons why.

1 - I was finally convinced in Feb. 2010 and began training in earnest.  One month later I was hit by a car, broke my neck, had a severe TBI, and lost over 6 months of memories!  (accident part 1  and  accident part 2)

2 - While there are a lot of avid cyclists that participate in the STP, there are 10 times more that are totally inexperienced and borderline dangerous to others on the road.

We did not see one cyclist between Greenwater and the Crystal Mt turn off.  From there to the Mt. Rainier turn off, we saw 2 or 3.  I was really beginning to think we were the only ones not participating in the STP.  Once through the gate for Mt. Rainier, we began to see some cyclists descending from Sunrise.

The climb to Sunrise, from the park entrance, is about 14 miles...straight up!  This is after having a gradual climb from Greenwater to the Crystal Mt. turn off (14ish miles), and then about 4-5 miles of climbing to get to the park entrance.

Once we started the climbing, to Sunrise, Brent and I shared the workload, but I took the lead for the majority of the time.  This had nothing to do with Brent's ability to climb, rather it was about me.  There are different types of climbers, and I am the type that likes to settle into a rhythm and do the pacing.  I like to think of myself as a super domestique...work till I pop, and then let the big man take over.  Brent being the nice guy, and smart, decided to let me do what I do best, WORK on the front.

About halfway up the climb, Brent was following my wheel and I decided to send a message that I Would like some help on the front.  I bet you are wondering "Rod, what was the message, and how did you send it?"  Easy, I let his front wheel hit my rear wheel.  This does nothing to me, but usually would result in Brent crashing.  However, Brent is an expert bike handler, avoided crashing, and then apologized to me for not paying attention...Such a nice guy!!!  Actually, I had no intent of that happening.  Brent was looking behind him to see if cars were coming up from behind, I was swinging wide for a sharp, steep turn, and the stars aligned for up to hit wheels.


Brent and I kept working, climbing, working, climbing, working, climbing, until I knew the last switchback was upon us.  From there the grade of the road became less steep, and it was a straight shot to Sunrise.  I powered through the turn and opened the gap on Brent.  I always forget that this part of the climb is not easy at 3%, and is still about 3 miles long.  Eventually we finished off the climb. 

Once in the parking lot, we sat for a few minutes outside before moving into the old lodge.  There Brent ordered some food, and we chatted with another cyclist.  After refueling, re-hydrating, and using the facilities, we made plans for the fast descent back to the main highway.

Before getting on our bikes, we decided to take some pictures.  Me being the serious person I am, made sure everything was legit and perfect.  We then found an unsuspecting man who ended up taking at least 4,132 pictures of us...He was really nice and accommodating.

Brent and I started the fast descent, and he quickly decided to stop us for another photo op.  Good thing too, the picture had me and Mt. Rainier...I know what you are thinking, and yes the picture would have been better without me :)

We quickly resumed our descent, and I was carving turns like a warm knife through butter.  I might have slowed to less than 25 mph one time for an extremely sharp hairpin turn.  Each time we approached a sharp turn I would signal Brent, so that I could open a gap.  The last thing I wanted was Brent on top of me if I misjudged a turn and went down.

After one such turn, I looked over my shoulder and did not see Brent.  I could not slow very fast, I was going 42 mph, and was in a slightly technical portion of the descent.  Eventually I was able to come to a near stop , and still no Brent.  Reluctantly I turned around and started climbing.  Turns out Brent flatted in the middle of a hairpin turn...NOT GOOD.

After changing his tube, we were back on the move and working back towards Greenwater.  From Sunrise back to Greenwater, 34 miles, I would guess that we did not go slower than 23 mph.  That was even fighting a growing head wind, which was really moving the trees by the time we made into Greenwater.

Once in Greenwater, Brent and I loaded up the bikes and drove into Buckley.  We both agreed that we were due an adult beverage at the local beverage stop...Hello Elk Head Brewery!  The day was great, the company was great, and the ride was a blast.

North Carolina...That's a wrap!

I finished my North Carolina trip with two more rides.

Ride #1...I will call this the no sense of direction ride.

I knew I had a longish ride planned, so I did not want to start by going up hill from the get go.  This was definitely the correct decision!  There was plenty of climbing, and almost nothing flat on the route.

If you remember from a previous post, I was having shifting issues, well everything came to a head on this ride.  I quickly discovered that the bike would not shift into the big ring, which meant I would spin out around 23 mph.  You might think this is not a major issue, but I like to build speed and power into climbs.  This makes the start of a climb a little bit easier.  I also like to power down descents and hit high speeds...There is no real reason for that, other than it is a lot of fun.  Even with all the climbing, a 37 mile ride becomes very long when you cannot access your big ring!

While on the ride I was able to take in the beauty of Lake Glenville.  Surrounding the lake are beautiful HUGE homes and lots of rolling hills.  There were also lots of people enjoying the cool waters, while I was "suffering" in the heat an humidity at a brisk pace of 20 mph (on flats), 12 mph (on climbs), and 35 mph (on descents).

About halfway around the lake I was surprised to find quite the climb.  Actually the climb was not really that, but it was pretty cool.  Why?  Because I was able to ride over the Eastern Continental Divide.  After the Eastern Continental Divide, I continued to ride around Lake Glenville taking in the sights, sounds, and smells of the good ole south.

I was getting to the point where I needed to turn around and head for home.  Sense I am directionally challenged, I did not realize I was actually close to my final destination, so I turned around and round the same route home...check out how close I was

black line shows how close I was to home...Oh well.

Once back to Trillium, I still had the hard climb to my Dad's house...OUCH!  All said, the ride was great, hard, and fun.

Ride #2...the hurt locker

This ride consisted of me torturing myself for an hour and a half, with 3,251 ft of climbing.  It was not the most exciting ride as I just did short loops around my Dad's development.  There were some exciting parts though.  Since I did the same ride my first day (one more loop this time) I was more familiar with the descents.  As a result, I was able to go faster each time though the hairpin turns. 

I really enjoyed my time in North Carolina.  I was able to see family, celebrate my grandfather's 90th birthday, and get in some good riding with extremely steep hills.  I hope to go back and ride again in the near future.

North Carolina...Part 3

Sunday, July 1st, we finally headed for the Blue Ridge Mountains.  I was excited, as we were about to leave 100 F heat and get the temperatures down to the low 90's, and eventually into the 80's.  What's not to like about that?  I was also eager to test my legs on the hills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, because I knew they would be different from what I normally experience.

We arrived at our destination around 2 pm and I eagerly unloaded my bike.  I was like a child at Christmas...I was dressed in exactly 2.132 seconds, and on my bike in another 0.321 seconds.  If you are not good with math, I was out the door and riding in exactly 2.453 seconds.  That is pretty amazing, and I figure that is a world record of some sort!

The first thing I experienced was climbing.  I did not get a flat section to warm up on, instead I was instantly going up at about 8%...Ouch.  Luckily for me, this was near the end of the climb I was about to do 3 times.  At the top of the climb there is a FAST descent, with some sweet hair pin turns.  I took those slow the first time, but with each pass I gained confidence and speed.  At the bottom of the descent is a nice road with rolling hills, then I would turn left and start the climb.

There is not much to say about the main road, but there is a lot to say about the climb.  Strava told me the climb averages at 10.2%, and I suppose that is correct.  However, there is a very short steep down hill about a third of the way up the climb. (note: upon further review, that was not part of the designated climb).  If you remove that down hill section, I would bet my bottom dollar (which happens to be my only dollar...good thing too) that the climb would average around 12-13%.  Yes you read that ride.

There were some places on the climb that were consistently over 20%.  I noticed 30% in one of the turns, and a few spots that registered 26%.  This climb was so steep that I really had to use the handle bars for leverage while pedaling.  If I was not careful, and I am not, I would lift the front wheel off the ground.  This is not a good feeling, so I chose to do most of that section standing,.

After that section the climb became easy, and the gradient hovered around 5-6%.  I know exactly what you are thinking, but trust me, 5-6% feels flat after the previous section.  The respite was short lived as the gradients quickly went over 8% again.  The held that way to the top, where I would take the descent and do everything again.

The first time through the climb was AWESOME!  I loved feeling the burn in my legs and lungs, seeing my HR climb higher and higher, feeling my legs start to lose power, and mostly the sense of accomplishment of cresting the beast.  The second time through the climb was LESS awesome...I started to think "this sucks a bit."  I also thought, "am I nuts doing this?"  Do not forget this one too, "it is really hot outside, and these water bottles are weighing me down."  The third time through the climb I just kept thinking, "this is my last time, and I promise to never do something this stupid again!"

I made sure to ride up to the top of the climb, which is past the turn off to my Dad's place.  As I descended from the top of the climb, I noticed my Dad and Bella walking out to take pictures of me.  The did not get the good stuff, me suffering, but they did still get a nice picture.

descending...is way more steep than it appears

There are two more parts to this adventure, yes I know you are thinking "how long can Rod milk this trip?"  Well, I can do this for a long time, but I won't.  I promise not to disappoint with the next two posts, and as a hint...my direction disorder comes into play as well as mechanical issues.

See you tomorrow

North Carolina...Part 2

The previous nights celebrations went a little longer than expected, I ate way more food than I thought possible, and consumed a couple of scotches...Oh well, I only had to be up at 5:30.

When the alarm went off, I had to gather my bearings.  I could not figure out where I was, what time it was, and only barely remembered my name... I hate waking up in new surroundings.  I did know one thing, and that was I had a bike ride with my cousin's husband. 

I quickly got up, silently moved around the hotel room like a ninja assassin, gathered my gear, and got dressed.  I then wheeled my bike to the elevator, went to the lobby, and out to the car.  It was warm, HUMID, and still very dark.  The hotel employee's looked at me as if I were a total freak, but I know the truth is they are the freaks and I am normal.

I expertly put the bike on the bike rack, secured the bike on the bike rack, and familiarized myself with my father's supersized SUV.  Everything was going to plan, the navigation system was running, and I should get to Phil's place in no time flat...Whaaaa, Whaaaa, Warning, Warning, Danger Will Robertson...

What the heck was that awful sound?  I stopped backing up, pulled forward, and got out of the SUV.  I immediately noticed the entire parking lot behind the SUV was completely empty, it was still pitch black, and someone decided to park a jet black Lincoln Town Car directly behind the SUV.  That person had about 250 spots to choose from, and he chose to park directly behind a supersized SUV that had a bike rack mounted on its rear...Not a good start!

I provided the hotel my contact information, and proceeded to carefully drive over to Phil's.  From his house, we rode through some really nice areas of Charlotte.  My favorite was the "Booty Loop."  Yes, I just said Booty Loop.  Yes, Phil told me it was actually called the Booty Loop.  No, I will not share what images and thoughts went through my mind.

The ride was not too exciting, but I did get to chat with Phil.  We had a good time, covered about 25 miles, and noticed there were some small issues beginning to show with my rental bike.  I had a good time, and was now excited to golf in 106 F heat.

North Carolina...Part 1

I was lucky enough to travel to North Carolina for my grandfather's 90th birthday.  This allowed me to see many of my extended family, and have an opportunity to ride in an area that I have never ridden.  Since you could not care less about my family, I will focus on the riding...You are welcome.

Shortly after arriving my father picked Bella and me up from the airport.  My sister was going to land about an hour later, so me made the plan to head over to Queen City Cycles in Charlotte.  Turns out that the bike shop did not open at 10, so we went back to the airport, picked up my sister, dropped stuff off at the hotel, and then went back to Queen City Cycles.

I immediately noticed the shop was nice and clean.  I then noticed that I was not greeted and had to try and identify who worked at the shop.  Once that was taken care of, I was excited to get my rental bike.  The employee wheeled my bike to me, it was a Pinarello FP Quatro with Sram.  I have never ridden with a Sram drive train, but I knew it would not be difficult to adapt.

I have never rented a bike before, but I did have some expectations on how it would go...

1 - Bike would be clean...Damn, cross that off the list as the bike was not clean.
2 - Drive train would be clean...Nope, looks like it was last cleaned 3 months ago.
3 - Quick bike fit...Check saddle height and fore/aft positioning.  Nahhhh, why do that, slap the thing on and send me out the door.

After leaving the bike shop it was off to the hotel and the first evenings activities.  I was also excited that the next day would be my first day on the bike.  The plan was get up early, beat the 100+ temperatures, ride with my cousin's husband, play 18 holes of golf, and finally celebrate my grandfather's birthday.

Sorry, I have been away...

To all my amazing followers, thanks mom, I have been away enjoying the heat and humidity of the South, and will be back at the end of the week.  Until that time, I am not going to be updating the blog...other than this post.

Upcoming posts will talk about golfing in 105 F heat, renting a bike and the expectations one should have, riding in the mountains of North Carolina, and how to travel with your wife without losing your cool when packing.

I hope everyone is enjoying the Tour De France.