Now that I have your attention, I add my disclaimer: in my many tours, these companies stand out as providing excellent service and tremendous cycling experiences. I haven't included those that did not exceed expectations, nor have I taken all of the tours available. These are merely my opinions.
Highest on my list is Velo View Bike Tours. They specialize in five day rides, sometimes with an extra cycling adventure if you come a day early or arrive early on the meeting day. Shannon Burke has picked some spectacularly scenic spots in Colorado, New Mexico, California Wine Country, and Texas Big Bend. Also Virginia, Carolina, and Kentucky rides provide superior cycling venues. Most of the rides include strenuous climbing, but that is moderated by his willingness to tailor the experience to the individual, so if you need to sag in or hitch a ride to the top, just let him know. Shannon rides with the group, which is usually limited to a maximum of eight riders. The wine country rides are more gentle in nature. Also featured are "bike retreats." Long week-ends, three days of cycling. When not doing the tours, they offer day-trips in the Texas Hill Country. For the locals, or for someone coming to Ausin on business and wanting to get in a workout, these are great.
The most difficult, by far, bike tour I've taken was with Black Bear Adventures. Paul Wood specializes in touring the Blue Ridge Parkway, although his other signature tour is the Natchez Trace. His motto "Vacations Designed for the Avid Cyclist" is somewhat misleading. If you want to do the Blue Ridge Parkway (and you should, this is an A++ ride) you must be in really good shape. It isn't necessary to be able to challenge Chris Froome, but definitely be above average. Paul also limits his group to a manageable size. He also will do private/custom rides or offer guiding services.
Next on my list is Bike Adventures. They specialize in tours in Europe, but are based in England. I did the E2E ride and was quite pleased, although there has been a change of ownership since my adventure. They offer a wide variety of tours at a very reasonable price.
If you have read either of my books, you know that for anyone wishing to experience Le Tour de France, you should look no further than Marty Jemison. The rides, the experiences behind the scenes with the pros, the food and wine.... I can't come up with sufficient superlatives (read my book if you want more depth).
Now, if you want to go coast to coast... Who hasn't dreamed of doing this? Again, first read Bicycle Journeys with Jerry, then click on America By Bicycle. Going coast to coast is difficult enough just to cycle. Let ABB do the logistics, they take really good care of you. They pick the best, safest routes, provide van and sweep support, good hotels. Their guides are the best.
One more thing, please don't send me any comments on this post, positive or negative.
Sunday, March 27, 2016
Wednesday, March 2, 2016
ON BEING A POOR PROSELYTIZER
I've known for years that I'm a poor sales person. Whatever that guy is who can sell ice to an Eskimo (I know, Inuit), I'm the exact opposite. Every now and then I give it a shot, and while not a disaster, it certainly brings me back to reality. In retirement I moved to authoring two books on my cycling adventures. Truthfully, the intention was 1) Give me something to do; and 2) Try to convince people to take cycling vacations. I have a website and I have a blog. With few notable exceptions, my exhortations have fallen on deaf ears. You can lead a horse to water.....
But fear not, I will continue to put in my two cents worth whenever I can. In my first book I describe myself as "experienced" rather than "an expert." I'll stick with that. My first cycling "priority" are tours or vacations. But I like time trials. And I'll throw in a road race every now and then for the training.
So what is the reason for this post? After my race this weekend, I turned to my spread sheet for an up-date. And tonight my granddaughter posted on Facebook something about displaying your (running) medals. Well, thanks to a recent Christmas gift, I have a place to display my medals. I've written many times that medals are more a sign of how well your training and health are rather than glorifying your racing prowess. Especially as one matures (read: gets old). I can no longer keep up with the fast guys, and have a difficult time with the intermediates on our club rides. Of course, most of them are twenty to thirty years younger than me. But, back to my spread sheet.
Most of my races are five year age divisions, so I'm against guys my own age. It isn't the same as Cat 3,4, or 5. The talent pool is thin and gets thinner as I get older. So take these stats with a grain of salt: Since 2004, my inaugural year of not seeing a podium, I've had 107 races and placed 1st in 27; 2nd in 36; and 3rd in 21. In 23 I finished off the podium. Broken down differently: 75 time trials, garnering 24, 29, 14 1st, 2nd, and 3rd places respectively. I only missed the podium 8 times (two of which were at Nationals). I've done 30 road races with 3, 7, 7, podiums, and 13 misses. I found out the hard way to stay out of criteriums, getting pulled rather quickly (but not last) in the only two I entered.
If you are over 50, you might want to check out TSGA.org (Senior Games). There aren't as many in Texas as there were ten years ago, but we still have fun. It isn't nearly as serious as USAC, although the competitiveness is still there. And a few folks even allow a 70+ category, although as far as USAC is concerned we are lumped in with the 60+ guys. There are lots of guys faster than me, they just don't come out and race. And, for cycling vacations, check out Velo View Bike Tours.
But fear not, I will continue to put in my two cents worth whenever I can. In my first book I describe myself as "experienced" rather than "an expert." I'll stick with that. My first cycling "priority" are tours or vacations. But I like time trials. And I'll throw in a road race every now and then for the training.
So what is the reason for this post? After my race this weekend, I turned to my spread sheet for an up-date. And tonight my granddaughter posted on Facebook something about displaying your (running) medals. Well, thanks to a recent Christmas gift, I have a place to display my medals. I've written many times that medals are more a sign of how well your training and health are rather than glorifying your racing prowess. Especially as one matures (read: gets old). I can no longer keep up with the fast guys, and have a difficult time with the intermediates on our club rides. Of course, most of them are twenty to thirty years younger than me. But, back to my spread sheet.
Most of my races are five year age divisions, so I'm against guys my own age. It isn't the same as Cat 3,4, or 5. The talent pool is thin and gets thinner as I get older. So take these stats with a grain of salt: Since 2004, my inaugural year of not seeing a podium, I've had 107 races and placed 1st in 27; 2nd in 36; and 3rd in 21. In 23 I finished off the podium. Broken down differently: 75 time trials, garnering 24, 29, 14 1st, 2nd, and 3rd places respectively. I only missed the podium 8 times (two of which were at Nationals). I've done 30 road races with 3, 7, 7, podiums, and 13 misses. I found out the hard way to stay out of criteriums, getting pulled rather quickly (but not last) in the only two I entered.
If you are over 50, you might want to check out TSGA.org (Senior Games). There aren't as many in Texas as there were ten years ago, but we still have fun. It isn't nearly as serious as USAC, although the competitiveness is still there. And a few folks even allow a 70+ category, although as far as USAC is concerned we are lumped in with the 60+ guys. There are lots of guys faster than me, they just don't come out and race. And, for cycling vacations, check out Velo View Bike Tours.
Monday, February 29, 2016
HEADS OR TAILS TIME TRIAL, BEAUMONT, 2016
The race was great. The story is what led up to my participation. To reiterate, last year was not a good year for racing in particular and cycling in general. My legs were just not working they way I thought they should and I imagined all sorts of things that could be wrong. Of course, the number one cure would be to put more miles on the bike and more race experience. If that didn't work, I would need to go to Plan B, as yet undetermined.
I had competed in the inaugural Heads or Tails Time Trial in 2014 and placed second in the 60+ age category. Since there were only two participants in it, a negative person would suggest I finished last. For Senior Games, the time trials are only 5k and 10k, so jumping up to 40k is quite a leap. In addition, coming in February, there were not a lot of miles put in using the TT position. Nevertheless, because I wanted the race miles, I signed up early and made plans to drive four and a half hours, through Houston on a Friday, to attend.
My hotel room had a 24 hour cancellation clause, and my plan: race Brazos Valley to ascertain my fitness, review the 10-day weather forecast, check the other entrants, then make a final decision. My legs did well, considering, on the 40k road race last week, and the weather forecast seemed perfect. But in checking the other entrants, I found me to be the slowest, on paper, of eight. My friend Clif, who came in 3rd overall in 2014 and also this year, has moved up to the 60+ category. Except for Dean, I was ten years older than everyone else, and they all had good racing results last year. I decided I really didn't want to race Dean for last place.
I cancelled the hotel reservation and prepared to email Dean to advise I wouldn't be going. Then he called me and said he thought he convinced the race director to open up a 70+ category. I wavered. Then I received an email from the race director confirming the category and would I like for him to move me into it (or stay in the 60+, duh). So, within a few hours I was in, out, and back in. It cost an additional $10 for the room since we received a super deal the first time.
Let me say a few words about Heads or Tails. They are super organized, run a great race, everyone especially friendly and helpful, and have a great venue, closing off MLK Boulevard so we have a 10k loop on concrete. Dean and I met at packet pickup, reviewed the course in the car, then had an early dinner at Olive Garden.
Something about old men. We returned to the hotel and since it was still early, checked out our bikes. I noticed a lack of bike computer and after checking the car, called home to verify that it was still where I left it. I won't even mention the water bottle sitting in the refrigerator. Well, that meant I didn't need to wear the heart-rate strap and would just monitor the body the old-fashioned way. Dean had a chuckle at my expense, but one must watch out for karma. It seems he brought his back racing wheel rather than the front. He brought two bikes, so it wasn't like he didn't have a good front wheel, just not his racing one. He uses a disc for time trials. Other than that, we were good to go.
We didn't want to arrive any later than 7am in order to get a good parking place. That meant waking up early, and not enjoying the hotel breakfast which started at 7:00 on the weekends. Not a problem, we brought nourishment. We pulled into the parking lot on time and had a great spot. Now, we had an hour and forty-five minutes to start time. We walked over to the start line to pick up our timing chips and were instructed on how to put them on the bikes, then returned to putter around and get the bikes ready.
I did minimal warm-up, maybe twenty minutes with some thirty-second sprints. Eventually, my time came. The sun came up at 6:45am and Dean went off at 8:45am, so it warmed nicely from 39 degrees to maybe the low 50's. I was in tights and arm warmers. Zero wind (practically unheard of in Beaumont). Could not have asked for a better day.
Dean had difficulty at the start and it didn't take long for me to make up the one-minute start difference and over-take him. My goal was to hold off Clif, who started twelve minutes ahead, from lapping me (He would pass me, I just didn't want him to do it twice). As best I can figure, because I didn't see him pass, he finished forty-four minutes after I started. I completed three laps in fifty-four minutes. Pook ding-fu!! But this is why I need more races. On the other hand, I was faster than fourteen younger men doing aero, and overall, 70th out of 113 who finished.
A few words about the race itself. It is mostly flat with some minor inclines that become more difficult to ascend in the last two laps. The outbound turn-around can be taken at speed, in the aerobars for the more adventurous. I was pretty consistent in the laps, the first being somewhat faster, and the third the slowest (as I protected from blowing up and not finishing well). Without the computer reading out my heart-rate, I probably lost a few seconds here and there, but the up-side is I finished and recovered quickly. My legs were fine, but my arms were killing me, especially during the race. Several times each lap I had to come off the aerobars just to give the arms a rest.
An aside: I forgot to stop by and drop off my timing chip, so proceeded to remove it myself. I had a Swiss Army knife in the car and used the can-opener blade to rip off the zip-ties. I slipped and sliced my left wrist. I had some first aid stuff in the car, so swabbed it down, put a compress on it and proceeded to the first-aid station, clutching the timing chips since the two stations were close together. When asked what happened, I replied that I was displeased with my finish time.... That brought a chuckle. Anyhow, I got bandaged up, refused an offer of stiches, turned in the timing chips (mine and Dean's), and returned to the hotel for a shower and departure.
Another four and a half hour drive, again navigating Houston traffic. Just because it was Saturday didn't mean the freeway was clear. Bah! I don't particularly like the driving distance, but the Heads or Tails is a really a first class venue. You should put it on your adgenda.
I had competed in the inaugural Heads or Tails Time Trial in 2014 and placed second in the 60+ age category. Since there were only two participants in it, a negative person would suggest I finished last. For Senior Games, the time trials are only 5k and 10k, so jumping up to 40k is quite a leap. In addition, coming in February, there were not a lot of miles put in using the TT position. Nevertheless, because I wanted the race miles, I signed up early and made plans to drive four and a half hours, through Houston on a Friday, to attend.
My hotel room had a 24 hour cancellation clause, and my plan: race Brazos Valley to ascertain my fitness, review the 10-day weather forecast, check the other entrants, then make a final decision. My legs did well, considering, on the 40k road race last week, and the weather forecast seemed perfect. But in checking the other entrants, I found me to be the slowest, on paper, of eight. My friend Clif, who came in 3rd overall in 2014 and also this year, has moved up to the 60+ category. Except for Dean, I was ten years older than everyone else, and they all had good racing results last year. I decided I really didn't want to race Dean for last place.
I cancelled the hotel reservation and prepared to email Dean to advise I wouldn't be going. Then he called me and said he thought he convinced the race director to open up a 70+ category. I wavered. Then I received an email from the race director confirming the category and would I like for him to move me into it (or stay in the 60+, duh). So, within a few hours I was in, out, and back in. It cost an additional $10 for the room since we received a super deal the first time.
Let me say a few words about Heads or Tails. They are super organized, run a great race, everyone especially friendly and helpful, and have a great venue, closing off MLK Boulevard so we have a 10k loop on concrete. Dean and I met at packet pickup, reviewed the course in the car, then had an early dinner at Olive Garden.
Something about old men. We returned to the hotel and since it was still early, checked out our bikes. I noticed a lack of bike computer and after checking the car, called home to verify that it was still where I left it. I won't even mention the water bottle sitting in the refrigerator. Well, that meant I didn't need to wear the heart-rate strap and would just monitor the body the old-fashioned way. Dean had a chuckle at my expense, but one must watch out for karma. It seems he brought his back racing wheel rather than the front. He brought two bikes, so it wasn't like he didn't have a good front wheel, just not his racing one. He uses a disc for time trials. Other than that, we were good to go.
We didn't want to arrive any later than 7am in order to get a good parking place. That meant waking up early, and not enjoying the hotel breakfast which started at 7:00 on the weekends. Not a problem, we brought nourishment. We pulled into the parking lot on time and had a great spot. Now, we had an hour and forty-five minutes to start time. We walked over to the start line to pick up our timing chips and were instructed on how to put them on the bikes, then returned to putter around and get the bikes ready.
I did minimal warm-up, maybe twenty minutes with some thirty-second sprints. Eventually, my time came. The sun came up at 6:45am and Dean went off at 8:45am, so it warmed nicely from 39 degrees to maybe the low 50's. I was in tights and arm warmers. Zero wind (practically unheard of in Beaumont). Could not have asked for a better day.
Dean had difficulty at the start and it didn't take long for me to make up the one-minute start difference and over-take him. My goal was to hold off Clif, who started twelve minutes ahead, from lapping me (He would pass me, I just didn't want him to do it twice). As best I can figure, because I didn't see him pass, he finished forty-four minutes after I started. I completed three laps in fifty-four minutes. Pook ding-fu!! But this is why I need more races. On the other hand, I was faster than fourteen younger men doing aero, and overall, 70th out of 113 who finished.
A few words about the race itself. It is mostly flat with some minor inclines that become more difficult to ascend in the last two laps. The outbound turn-around can be taken at speed, in the aerobars for the more adventurous. I was pretty consistent in the laps, the first being somewhat faster, and the third the slowest (as I protected from blowing up and not finishing well). Without the computer reading out my heart-rate, I probably lost a few seconds here and there, but the up-side is I finished and recovered quickly. My legs were fine, but my arms were killing me, especially during the race. Several times each lap I had to come off the aerobars just to give the arms a rest.
An aside: I forgot to stop by and drop off my timing chip, so proceeded to remove it myself. I had a Swiss Army knife in the car and used the can-opener blade to rip off the zip-ties. I slipped and sliced my left wrist. I had some first aid stuff in the car, so swabbed it down, put a compress on it and proceeded to the first-aid station, clutching the timing chips since the two stations were close together. When asked what happened, I replied that I was displeased with my finish time.... That brought a chuckle. Anyhow, I got bandaged up, refused an offer of stiches, turned in the timing chips (mine and Dean's), and returned to the hotel for a shower and departure.
Another four and a half hour drive, again navigating Houston traffic. Just because it was Saturday didn't mean the freeway was clear. Bah! I don't particularly like the driving distance, but the Heads or Tails is a really a first class venue. You should put it on your adgenda.
Sunday, February 28, 2016
Brazos Valley Senior Games, 2016
Once again this year we lucked out with the weather in February. The wind wasn't as stout as last year, but on Saturday morning, for the 5k time trial, it was enough to move us along the point-to-point course. Blue skies and a wind at our backs. I don't know why more people don't sign up to do this venue. The course is great. The 10k course is a simple rectangle, more or less, and for the road races of 20k and 40k, you just do multiple laps.
Saturday morning we started with the 5k time trial. My warm-up consisted of riding the 10k course at a mostly leisurely pace with a few sprints thrown in to get the heart-rate up. My friend and sometimes teammate, Tom Cole, started 30 seconds ahead of me. He finished 31 seconds ahead of me. One second! I did some retrospective on where I could have picked up two seconds, but didn't dwell on it much.
About an hour later we started the 10k time trial. Tom just did the 5k as a warm-up for the 20k road race which started shortly after the finish of the time trial, so I didn't have him as a carrot. Volunteer holders are sometimes an adventure, but we were quite lucky this year, she was very good. Still, ever since the incident several years ago where the holder didn't let go and I almost cramped on the first pedal stroke, I have been starting in the small ring for the first dozen strokes to bring it up to speed and cadence. This time my bike decided I needed to stay in the small ring. I shifted and nothing happened. Multiple times. This wasn't a complete disaster, in that while the road was flat, the wind was in my face for the first mile, so I just dropped down to the small cog (14, not the 12), and kept a good cadence. Once I turned the corner, the bike relented and let me shift up and I settled into a good rhythm.
Even though I felt as though I could have pushed harder, my time was good enough for first place. A slim field, but more people just need to show up. A more difficult test would come Sunday morning in the 40k road race. I don't particularly like road racing, but do it more for the training than anything.
Apparently a lot of folks feel the same way about the 40k, in that only fifteen people showed up to race. The race director just started all the men in one group, and the couple of women in another, just seconds behind. We fell into line at a reasonable pace, since we had the wind in our face. I noticed one woman had already bridged up to the guys. Deb took gold at Nationals (all four of her races) last year and frequently rides with the guys in order to go hard.
Anyhow, once we made the turn and had the wind at our backs, the pace picked up. I had a choice to make, hang with them and risk blowing up, or let them go and proceed at my own pace. There were only three of us in my age group, and both of the other guys are much faster in the finishing sprint. I opted to let them go. As it turned out, my Gruene teammate, Dean, and Deb hooked on with me and the three of us did a great job of rotating the whole route. The main peloton was only about thirty seconds ahead of us and we kept that distance through the entire first lap. On the second lap it had moved out to about forty-five seconds, and the third lap someone called out we were sixty-five seconds back. Not that it mattered to us, we were enjoying ourselves.
The last mile includes several small rollers, and Dean attacked. Deb hooked on, I waved good-by. I finished about ten seconds behind, standing and sprinting by myself, just to see what, if anything, I had left in the tank.
Dean and Deb won their respective gold and I accepted my bronze. I finished ahead of everyone who didn't show up to race (and a few others who did). Besides the three medals, I took away a growing confidence that my legs are on the way back to performing as they did two years ago. Last year was the pits. Next up, the Heads or Tails Time Trial in Beaumont.
Saturday morning we started with the 5k time trial. My warm-up consisted of riding the 10k course at a mostly leisurely pace with a few sprints thrown in to get the heart-rate up. My friend and sometimes teammate, Tom Cole, started 30 seconds ahead of me. He finished 31 seconds ahead of me. One second! I did some retrospective on where I could have picked up two seconds, but didn't dwell on it much.
About an hour later we started the 10k time trial. Tom just did the 5k as a warm-up for the 20k road race which started shortly after the finish of the time trial, so I didn't have him as a carrot. Volunteer holders are sometimes an adventure, but we were quite lucky this year, she was very good. Still, ever since the incident several years ago where the holder didn't let go and I almost cramped on the first pedal stroke, I have been starting in the small ring for the first dozen strokes to bring it up to speed and cadence. This time my bike decided I needed to stay in the small ring. I shifted and nothing happened. Multiple times. This wasn't a complete disaster, in that while the road was flat, the wind was in my face for the first mile, so I just dropped down to the small cog (14, not the 12), and kept a good cadence. Once I turned the corner, the bike relented and let me shift up and I settled into a good rhythm.
Even though I felt as though I could have pushed harder, my time was good enough for first place. A slim field, but more people just need to show up. A more difficult test would come Sunday morning in the 40k road race. I don't particularly like road racing, but do it more for the training than anything.
Apparently a lot of folks feel the same way about the 40k, in that only fifteen people showed up to race. The race director just started all the men in one group, and the couple of women in another, just seconds behind. We fell into line at a reasonable pace, since we had the wind in our face. I noticed one woman had already bridged up to the guys. Deb took gold at Nationals (all four of her races) last year and frequently rides with the guys in order to go hard.
Anyhow, once we made the turn and had the wind at our backs, the pace picked up. I had a choice to make, hang with them and risk blowing up, or let them go and proceed at my own pace. There were only three of us in my age group, and both of the other guys are much faster in the finishing sprint. I opted to let them go. As it turned out, my Gruene teammate, Dean, and Deb hooked on with me and the three of us did a great job of rotating the whole route. The main peloton was only about thirty seconds ahead of us and we kept that distance through the entire first lap. On the second lap it had moved out to about forty-five seconds, and the third lap someone called out we were sixty-five seconds back. Not that it mattered to us, we were enjoying ourselves.
The last mile includes several small rollers, and Dean attacked. Deb hooked on, I waved good-by. I finished about ten seconds behind, standing and sprinting by myself, just to see what, if anything, I had left in the tank.
Dean and Deb won their respective gold and I accepted my bronze. I finished ahead of everyone who didn't show up to race (and a few others who did). Besides the three medals, I took away a growing confidence that my legs are on the way back to performing as they did two years ago. Last year was the pits. Next up, the Heads or Tails Time Trial in Beaumont.
Wednesday, November 18, 2015
FORT DAVIS AND BIG BEND NATIONAL PARK
Earlier this year I participated (I'd use the word "raced" but that would be highly over-stated) in the Fort Davis Hammerfest. Apparently my system was so shocked I failed to post a blog on it. A short recap: Three races on the weekend, a hill race of sixteen miles, six of which are steep; then in the afternoon a race on "flat" roads (in my case it was slightly uphill against the wind), and on Sunday a forty-nine mile race with a lot of climbing. I was in with the 60+ folks, so got dropped early on both the Saturday races. On Sunday I was too pooped to start, so we cut it short and went home. We were a hundred or so miles north of the Big Bend, and it was still on my riding/seeing agenda. Enter Velo View Bike Tours.
Earlier this year I went to Colorado with Velo View (see post) and had a fine time, even if my cycling prowess was less than optimal. Shannon Burke offers a variety of quality bike tours, one of which includes Fort Davis and Big Bend National Park. This would be the best way for me to cross one more spectacularly scenic area of the country off my list.
This past Friday morning (7am) Shannon and Morgan (mechanic/driver) picked me up for the drive out to Fort Davis, about seven and a half hours. I joined Barry, with whom I'd ridden several years ago on Sunday rides. We stopped in Johnson City to pick up Sherri, husband Rich, and friend, Joe (from Cleveland) and continued on to Balmorhea for about an hour relaxation at the famous pool.
There we also met Dan, Hunter, and Robert, who drove themselves due to various logistics. This made for a nice group of eight riders plus Shannon who rode with us. Then it was on to Fort Davis and the very nice Veranda Inn.
What trip to Fort Davis would be complete without going to the McDonald Observatory? We had dinner at 5pm then loaded the van for the ride up. This is the same route as the Hammerfest morning race. Unfortunately, clouds rolled in and the outdoor Star Party had to be cancelled. We attended the informative indoor presentation.
Saturday morning we got down to business, although first we took a van ride out ten miles (mostly the "flat" Hammerfest race) since it really is quite boring, plus we already had fifty-nine miles of planned route. Even so, we still had fifteen minutes of slight uphill, then some downhill, all with a hefty headwind. Things got better once we made a right turn, and the first hour went by without too much damage. Then we had five miles of slight climb followed by five addtional miles of steeper pitches. Some nice downhill, then some rollers, and then we rolled up to the observatory. After a short break, the bravehearts took on the final climb to the telescope. I did not, opting for the van.
Photo op over, we enjoyed the downhill. Of course it was steep from the telescope, but most of the next seventeen miles was downhill. We enjoyed a late lunch at the Stone Village Market. They make great sandwiches (fresh) and one of us observed it was like a mini-Whole Foods. For dinner, after a short rest, we drove over to wander around Marfa (especially the Hotel Paisano), before having an excellent meal. The chef did a veggie plate for me, as the only vegan dish was the superb squash soup. We drove back to Ft. Davis and the other folks told me about a hard rain, but I slept through it.
Sunday after breakfast we rolled out and down to the Rio Grande Village Campground in Big Bend National Park, about a three hour drive. We had a packed lunch from Stone Village Market, consumed along the way. This was a mere thirty mile cycling jaunt. However, a review of the elevation graph shows a steady upward slope from 1869 to 5713 feet, followed by a short, steep downhill and rise into the Chisos Mountain Lodge.
The last five miles were brutal and I was in serious bonk. Shannon nursed me up the final pitch, and after a short stop, I wheeled on down and into the parking lot of the lodge. Upon reflection, while I was drinking my normal amount of water, it should have been double and should have included Nuun or Powerade (although I was chomping Shot Blocker gels and Clif bars). My body really, really didn't like the punishment I gave it.
After getting cleaned up and a short rest, I sought out the bar for a carbohydrate replacement drink. The restaurant had a great looking menu, which included a spinach-stuffed portobello for me (hold the cheese). Two additional porters and a fine meal ingested, and my body was beginning to forgive me. I had to pass up additional post-dinner exploring and rest.
Monday we started out with the one mile climb, back the way we came in yesterday. But then we had the screaming descent, with me maxing out at 45.2 mph. This was a very scenic riding day of forty-six miles or so. We continued on downhill or flat or slight grades, until two really steep climbs. The difference today was my Nuun infused water consumption, maybe three times normal. I used all my gears (28-28) and kept the heart-rate steady and managed to power my way up. We had a short stop at the top, then had our second screaming descent of the day. The wind had come up so I held the speed to 42 mph and held on to the handlebars for dear life, eschewing a tuck position until lower down. After that we meandered on down to the Santa Elena Canyon. At this point my computer ran out of juice and had to be shut down.
Tuesday morning was had a hike scheduled, but because of the cold front moving in, we discussed over breakfast whether or not it was a "go." I had dressed for the occasion, but would have been happy to forego the experience. But, hiked we did. It was cold and windy. But we hiked the Lost Mine Trail, 4.7 miles and almost 1,000 feet of altitude. The rising sun with brilliant blue, cloudless sky (the ones in the picture were moving away from us), provided excellent vistas. Of course, I have a few pictures, but they really don't capture the scene. It took a little over an hour going up, under an hour going down. We were especially grateful for our early trek, in that the trail became busy with hikers, including a bus-load of teenagers.
Then we drove home, stopping in Johnson City to eat dinner and say goodby to Rich, Sherri, and Joe. We arrived back in Austin about 7:30pm.
This trip is what my books are all about: short cycling vacations to incredible scenic areas and making it all palatable with good food and lodging and additional touristy stops. I can't say enough about Velo View and their tours. I don't think another bike company has Big Bend on their itinerary. Shannon makes it easy for you to say "yes" to going here. Added bonus: Shannon contorts his body on the bike and gets incredible pictures of his cyclists. Here are a few of his pictures, full complement at Velo View.
Earlier this year I went to Colorado with Velo View (see post) and had a fine time, even if my cycling prowess was less than optimal. Shannon Burke offers a variety of quality bike tours, one of which includes Fort Davis and Big Bend National Park. This would be the best way for me to cross one more spectacularly scenic area of the country off my list.
This past Friday morning (7am) Shannon and Morgan (mechanic/driver) picked me up for the drive out to Fort Davis, about seven and a half hours. I joined Barry, with whom I'd ridden several years ago on Sunday rides. We stopped in Johnson City to pick up Sherri, husband Rich, and friend, Joe (from Cleveland) and continued on to Balmorhea for about an hour relaxation at the famous pool.
What trip to Fort Davis would be complete without going to the McDonald Observatory? We had dinner at 5pm then loaded the van for the ride up. This is the same route as the Hammerfest morning race. Unfortunately, clouds rolled in and the outdoor Star Party had to be cancelled. We attended the informative indoor presentation.
Photo op over, we enjoyed the downhill. Of course it was steep from the telescope, but most of the next seventeen miles was downhill. We enjoyed a late lunch at the Stone Village Market. They make great sandwiches (fresh) and one of us observed it was like a mini-Whole Foods. For dinner, after a short rest, we drove over to wander around Marfa (especially the Hotel Paisano), before having an excellent meal. The chef did a veggie plate for me, as the only vegan dish was the superb squash soup. We drove back to Ft. Davis and the other folks told me about a hard rain, but I slept through it.
Sunday after breakfast we rolled out and down to the Rio Grande Village Campground in Big Bend National Park, about a three hour drive. We had a packed lunch from Stone Village Market, consumed along the way. This was a mere thirty mile cycling jaunt. However, a review of the elevation graph shows a steady upward slope from 1869 to 5713 feet, followed by a short, steep downhill and rise into the Chisos Mountain Lodge.
After getting cleaned up and a short rest, I sought out the bar for a carbohydrate replacement drink. The restaurant had a great looking menu, which included a spinach-stuffed portobello for me (hold the cheese). Two additional porters and a fine meal ingested, and my body was beginning to forgive me. I had to pass up additional post-dinner exploring and rest.
Monday we started out with the one mile climb, back the way we came in yesterday. But then we had the screaming descent, with me maxing out at 45.2 mph. This was a very scenic riding day of forty-six miles or so. We continued on downhill or flat or slight grades, until two really steep climbs. The difference today was my Nuun infused water consumption, maybe three times normal. I used all my gears (28-28) and kept the heart-rate steady and managed to power my way up. We had a short stop at the top, then had our second screaming descent of the day. The wind had come up so I held the speed to 42 mph and held on to the handlebars for dear life, eschewing a tuck position until lower down. After that we meandered on down to the Santa Elena Canyon. At this point my computer ran out of juice and had to be shut down.
Then we drove home, stopping in Johnson City to eat dinner and say goodby to Rich, Sherri, and Joe. We arrived back in Austin about 7:30pm.
This trip is what my books are all about: short cycling vacations to incredible scenic areas and making it all palatable with good food and lodging and additional touristy stops. I can't say enough about Velo View and their tours. I don't think another bike company has Big Bend on their itinerary. Shannon makes it easy for you to say "yes" to going here. Added bonus: Shannon contorts his body on the bike and gets incredible pictures of his cyclists. Here are a few of his pictures, full complement at Velo View.
Monday, September 28, 2015
FORT HOOD STATE ROAD RACE CHAMPIONSHIP 2015
Ok, it's official: I'm working harder and going slower. And have been all year. But now I have three year's of statistics to back me up. Bottom line on yesterday's race: came in 7th out of 8. However, to begin at the beginning.
What a gorgeous day for a race: low 90's (as opposed to high 90's), some hazy cloud cover, a light wind out of the northeast (into the wind for 16 miles, wind at my back left shoulder for 14 miles, at my back for 3). Fort Hood closed the road for the races. We had eight racers in our group (70+ males) and I knew seven of them. If I had been on form, I would have been racing for third, but realistically, I was racing for fifth.
The first hiccup came after I had just finished my warm-up: a thirty-minute delay, something to do with Army maneuvers being held. Not wanting to have his cyclists blasted by stray artillery, we waited. So much for the warm-up. And, the extra time allowed the temperature to rise another degree and the wind came up a bit. Thirty minutes later, off we went.
Knowing my form was off, my plan was to follow (suck wheels) as far as I could. The first four miles were generally downhill and we stayed together. The first hill is steep, and, as expected, Richard got a gap and left the rest of us. But I hung on Tom's wheel and four of us weren't too far back. After a short period of flat/down, Richard dropped back to us and we carried on to the next steep climb at eight miles. They lost me on that one. Actually it was a bit strange, they lost me on the lead up to the hill, I really didn't do too badly going up but never could close the gap.
I was sitting forth and without a wheel, really suffering in the wind even though the terrain now was rolling. My heart-rate was in zone five (90%+) and all I could do was wait for the turn at mile sixteen. Meanwhile, Fred, who struggles up the steep inclines (or just takes his time, I'm not sure), caught up to me and I grabbed his wheel and increased speed for a couple of miles until a slight grade dropped me. Then my Tour de Gruene partner, Dean, caught up. Unfortunately, it was on another up-grade, and I couldn't hang. These are grades that in the past I powered over in the big ring, but not this year. There were flats and downhills, so he was just hanging about 300 yards ahead, but I was on the rivet.
Mercifully, mile sixteen came and I had the wind at my back. Of course, it was also at everyone else's back. Just because we changed direction didn't mean we lost the hills. About this time Jaime came up and I sat on his wheel for a short period, before losing it on another incline. For the next ten miles, he was between a quarter-mile to a half-mile ahead, but generally within sight.
At thirty miles there is a sharp 8% hill, the right turn and another 8% incline. I could see Jaime was struggling. I kept a good cadence and started reeling him back. With 200 meters to go, I was about 20 meters behind and a good kick, which I still had, might have made a race of it. However, I see no benefit of sprinting for sixth place when I had abused my body for so long, so cruised in and immediately went into cool-down mode.
Apparently I didn't cool down enough, in that after getting off the bike I needed to stand still another couple of minutes to let the heart-rate stabilize. Anyhow, that was the race. Never saw the 8th place guy after the first hill.
Three years ago I averaged 19.3mph and spent eight minutes in zone 5. Two years ago I averaged 19.1mph and spent five minutes in zone 5. Last year I averaged 18.1mph and was in zone 5 for 34 minutes. This year it was 17.1 and a full hour in zone 5. Fourth place finisher is ten years older than me, fifth place is three years older. A revision in my training seems to be in order.
What a gorgeous day for a race: low 90's (as opposed to high 90's), some hazy cloud cover, a light wind out of the northeast (into the wind for 16 miles, wind at my back left shoulder for 14 miles, at my back for 3). Fort Hood closed the road for the races. We had eight racers in our group (70+ males) and I knew seven of them. If I had been on form, I would have been racing for third, but realistically, I was racing for fifth.
The first hiccup came after I had just finished my warm-up: a thirty-minute delay, something to do with Army maneuvers being held. Not wanting to have his cyclists blasted by stray artillery, we waited. So much for the warm-up. And, the extra time allowed the temperature to rise another degree and the wind came up a bit. Thirty minutes later, off we went.
Knowing my form was off, my plan was to follow (suck wheels) as far as I could. The first four miles were generally downhill and we stayed together. The first hill is steep, and, as expected, Richard got a gap and left the rest of us. But I hung on Tom's wheel and four of us weren't too far back. After a short period of flat/down, Richard dropped back to us and we carried on to the next steep climb at eight miles. They lost me on that one. Actually it was a bit strange, they lost me on the lead up to the hill, I really didn't do too badly going up but never could close the gap.
I was sitting forth and without a wheel, really suffering in the wind even though the terrain now was rolling. My heart-rate was in zone five (90%+) and all I could do was wait for the turn at mile sixteen. Meanwhile, Fred, who struggles up the steep inclines (or just takes his time, I'm not sure), caught up to me and I grabbed his wheel and increased speed for a couple of miles until a slight grade dropped me. Then my Tour de Gruene partner, Dean, caught up. Unfortunately, it was on another up-grade, and I couldn't hang. These are grades that in the past I powered over in the big ring, but not this year. There were flats and downhills, so he was just hanging about 300 yards ahead, but I was on the rivet.
Mercifully, mile sixteen came and I had the wind at my back. Of course, it was also at everyone else's back. Just because we changed direction didn't mean we lost the hills. About this time Jaime came up and I sat on his wheel for a short period, before losing it on another incline. For the next ten miles, he was between a quarter-mile to a half-mile ahead, but generally within sight.
At thirty miles there is a sharp 8% hill, the right turn and another 8% incline. I could see Jaime was struggling. I kept a good cadence and started reeling him back. With 200 meters to go, I was about 20 meters behind and a good kick, which I still had, might have made a race of it. However, I see no benefit of sprinting for sixth place when I had abused my body for so long, so cruised in and immediately went into cool-down mode.
Apparently I didn't cool down enough, in that after getting off the bike I needed to stand still another couple of minutes to let the heart-rate stabilize. Anyhow, that was the race. Never saw the 8th place guy after the first hill.
Three years ago I averaged 19.3mph and spent eight minutes in zone 5. Two years ago I averaged 19.1mph and spent five minutes in zone 5. Last year I averaged 18.1mph and was in zone 5 for 34 minutes. This year it was 17.1 and a full hour in zone 5. Fourth place finisher is ten years older than me, fifth place is three years older. A revision in my training seems to be in order.
Wednesday, September 16, 2015
COLORADO CYCLING
When I signed up to cycle in Colorado, I set very high expectations. Shannon Burke and Velo View Tours easily exceeded them. The weather exceeded them. Unfortunately, my body fell a little short. But, to paraphrase (i.e. butcher) an old saying: Even a bad day on the bike beats a good day at work.
Shannon specializes in short tours, so his Colorado base tour is three rides, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, with an optional Thursday ride. Four rides sounded good to me, so I arrived in Boulder Wednesday afternoon, had dinner with Shannon, and was ready to roll on Thursday.
Fellow Bicycle Sport Shop rider, Brian (now given the sobriquet "Flyin' Brian) and I met with Shannon on a gorgeous morning. We let the commuters get to work before starting out on several of the myriad bikepaths in and around Boulder. This network of paths should be the envy of any town wishing to encourage cycle-commuting. Anyway, we did a clockwise loop ending up at the foot of the famous Flagstaff climb. A quick photo stop then off we went. Boulder's elevation is 5,430 so altitude was already a factor in my lack of ability. Even so, I found a good gear and a tapped out a nice rythym at 75 rpm that held my heart-rate below the 90% level. All too soon, with an increase in the grade, I pushed over 90% with some ragged breathing. According to my Garmin, we started around 5,400 feet and I ended at 7,250. That was at a rest stop just before some heavy grade sections. Since I was already struggling, I saw no point in going further. Brian and Shannon continued on to the top while I took in the scenery.
When they returned, I mounted up and enjoyed a thrilling descent. I hadn't grabbed my brakes so hard since my coast-to-coast ride in 2001. The switch-backs required rapid slowing, then a few quick strokes to get back to speed. Once at the bottom, we continued down city streets back to the hotel. Shannon has this route at 33 miles and 3,850 feet of climbing. My computer had me at 27.4 miles and 2,625 feet. The temperature was in the mid-80s with very little breeze. We had a few hours to wander Boulder, however, given my exertion, I just rested. Later, we met our third rider, Gary, and went to dinner.
An interesting aside: all three of the cyclists are vegan (technically I'm on a plant-based diet which is slightly different, but just say vegan since most people are familiar with what that entails). Plus, Jeremy, Shannon's sag driver/helper for this ride, was vegan for ten years and still maintains a healthy diet. Therefore Shannon did some research and found us vegan-friendly restaurants to replace the ones he usually uses. Check-mark for Shannon. For the record, dinner was at Leaf
Our Friday ride started in Raymond, a 30-minute shuttle from the hotel. I opted to start without any cold-weather gear, a mistake. It would warm up, but I started out cold. I think the real blow was seeing brilliant sunshine just across the creek, about 30 yards away, while we went up the climb in deep shade. Thankfully, there was no wind. We were riding the Peak-to-Peak Highway (not a real highway, but a very popular cycling road), but would detour up to Brainard Lake, a very pretty little out of the way lake.
I suffered up the climbs, yesterday's Flagstaff having taken a toll, but did reasonably well all things considered. Brainard Lake is quite a jewel, at an altitude of 10,300 feet. Jeremy did a full-immersion dip in the chilly water (video available upon request). We cycled around the lake then prepared for the downhills, first down from the lake, then down into Nederland. The road from the lake was a bit rough, so speed was tempered. But once on the highway, we could let the wheels run. The speed limit on this section was 40mph, and a good, smooth shoulder. There were very few cars, so I did a lot of riding in the traffic lane. However, one white car came into view (rear-view mirror), so I moved over to let him pass. He first stalked me, then came up next but wouldn't pass. I sat up and eventually he got ahead of me, so I again moved into the traffic lane and stalked him (I would say tail-gated, but there was some distance between us). About this time Shannon passed on my right (he shouted "on your right" but since I'm deaf in the right ear, didn't hear him) and moved closer to the car. Then the car pulled away. My computer says I was only doing 36mph but it felt a lot faster. I suspect the driver just didn't want to exceed the speed limit, as shortly thereafter, the sheriff came past. In any case, this was a really fun descent. I had this ride at 31.4 miles and 3,763 feet of climbing (which is short, since we know 10,300 for the lake and my top was only 9,800).
We changed out of bike gear, then took the short drive to the Sundance Cafe for lunch, eating outside enjoying the sunshine and great weather. After lunch we drove to Vail and our accomodations at the Vail Mountain Lodge. Wow, what a place!
Once again, I found myself needing to rest rather than explore Vail. Once again, Shannon found us a vegan-friendly establishment for dinner. Friendly or not, they were pretty slow (or, relaxed), so we had plenty of time to rehash the day's ride.
The Saturday ride was from Vail to Breckenridge on mostly the bike path. Bike path or not, we are talking another 4,500 feet of climbing and another 10,000 foot summit. My lack of speed was beginning to wear on me. The one thing you don't want to do when cycling at altitude is "go into the red," that is, over-exert yourself. You can do this lower down and take a few seconds or so to recover, but with thin air, there is little or no recovery. Therefore I closely monitored my heart-rate and breathing. My energy-level was low. After a brief stop, and changing to a dry base layer, we hit the bike path for the descent into Copper Mountain. There was some sort of cycling event which included climbing from Copper Mountain. By the time we got on the path down, the only cyclists coming up were suffering: heads down, wobbling. We didn't dare blast by them for fear of an accident. Therefore, the descent was more muted than it could have been, but still a lot of fun. We continued down into Frisco for lunch. There was a festival going on here also, and Frisco was booming. The ever-resourceful Jeremy got us situated at the Butterhorn Bakery and Cafe. Still finding vegan meals.
After lunch we circumnavigated Dillon Lake and cycled up to Breckenridge. This last 22 miles includes several miles of more-than-I-wanted incline, short stop, a descent, then a more moderate grade to the finish. Rather than hold up the group, I opted to skip these first miles, do the descent and climb into town. It was on the descent that I hit 45mph on the road. No cars passed me. The rest of the way into town on the bike path was of the 1-2% variety. I ended up with 49.8 miles (out of 52) and 4,928 feet of climb. Our stay was at the Beaver Run Resort, another quality room. Or, rather, rooms. My suite included a jacuzzi tub, which I almost immediately utilized. Again, Shannon eschewed his normal eating establishment and found us one with suitable vegan dishes.
The Sunday ride was a short 15 mile climb up Mt. Evans. After a shuttle to Echo Lake, we started up. I got a headstart since I knew my pace would be slow. Still, for the first few miles, in the trees, I held steady. My pace was good, breathing ok, heart-rate within reason. Keep in mind we started at 10,000 feet and would top out over 14,000. We started with some breeze, but once I got above the tree line, it was quite strong. I overheard one person say 35mph. My breathing became labored and even on a slight grade with the now strong wind whipping at my back, I still couldn't push my smallest gear over 5mph. Several times the wind came from the side and pushed me several feet. It was time to call it a day, and with Jeremy parked just up the road, I packed it in with 4.8 miles and 1,452 feet of climbing. Brian had zero trouble, other than having to wait for Gary and Shannon on the cold and windy summit.
To sum up, Shannon has put together a terrific package of rides, restaurants, and resorts. He rides with the cyclists, and counsels and cajols as needed. Anyone considering doing a tour should check out his website. I'm already signed up for the Big Bend in November.
As for me, my enjoyment of this trip was somewhat tempered by my inability to keep up a decent pace. Given my history of climbing in Georgia (discounting the climbing done more than five years ago), and recent HHH ride, I was somewhat surprised with my lack of energy. Still, I had fun in the sun and can't wait for the next adventure.
Shannon specializes in short tours, so his Colorado base tour is three rides, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, with an optional Thursday ride. Four rides sounded good to me, so I arrived in Boulder Wednesday afternoon, had dinner with Shannon, and was ready to roll on Thursday.
Fellow Bicycle Sport Shop rider, Brian (now given the sobriquet "Flyin' Brian) and I met with Shannon on a gorgeous morning. We let the commuters get to work before starting out on several of the myriad bikepaths in and around Boulder. This network of paths should be the envy of any town wishing to encourage cycle-commuting. Anyway, we did a clockwise loop ending up at the foot of the famous Flagstaff climb. A quick photo stop then off we went. Boulder's elevation is 5,430 so altitude was already a factor in my lack of ability. Even so, I found a good gear and a tapped out a nice rythym at 75 rpm that held my heart-rate below the 90% level. All too soon, with an increase in the grade, I pushed over 90% with some ragged breathing. According to my Garmin, we started around 5,400 feet and I ended at 7,250. That was at a rest stop just before some heavy grade sections. Since I was already struggling, I saw no point in going further. Brian and Shannon continued on to the top while I took in the scenery.
When they returned, I mounted up and enjoyed a thrilling descent. I hadn't grabbed my brakes so hard since my coast-to-coast ride in 2001. The switch-backs required rapid slowing, then a few quick strokes to get back to speed. Once at the bottom, we continued down city streets back to the hotel. Shannon has this route at 33 miles and 3,850 feet of climbing. My computer had me at 27.4 miles and 2,625 feet. The temperature was in the mid-80s with very little breeze. We had a few hours to wander Boulder, however, given my exertion, I just rested. Later, we met our third rider, Gary, and went to dinner.An interesting aside: all three of the cyclists are vegan (technically I'm on a plant-based diet which is slightly different, but just say vegan since most people are familiar with what that entails). Plus, Jeremy, Shannon's sag driver/helper for this ride, was vegan for ten years and still maintains a healthy diet. Therefore Shannon did some research and found us vegan-friendly restaurants to replace the ones he usually uses. Check-mark for Shannon. For the record, dinner was at Leaf
Our Friday ride started in Raymond, a 30-minute shuttle from the hotel. I opted to start without any cold-weather gear, a mistake. It would warm up, but I started out cold. I think the real blow was seeing brilliant sunshine just across the creek, about 30 yards away, while we went up the climb in deep shade. Thankfully, there was no wind. We were riding the Peak-to-Peak Highway (not a real highway, but a very popular cycling road), but would detour up to Brainard Lake, a very pretty little out of the way lake. I suffered up the climbs, yesterday's Flagstaff having taken a toll, but did reasonably well all things considered. Brainard Lake is quite a jewel, at an altitude of 10,300 feet. Jeremy did a full-immersion dip in the chilly water (video available upon request). We cycled around the lake then prepared for the downhills, first down from the lake, then down into Nederland. The road from the lake was a bit rough, so speed was tempered. But once on the highway, we could let the wheels run. The speed limit on this section was 40mph, and a good, smooth shoulder. There were very few cars, so I did a lot of riding in the traffic lane. However, one white car came into view (rear-view mirror), so I moved over to let him pass. He first stalked me, then came up next but wouldn't pass. I sat up and eventually he got ahead of me, so I again moved into the traffic lane and stalked him (I would say tail-gated, but there was some distance between us). About this time Shannon passed on my right (he shouted "on your right" but since I'm deaf in the right ear, didn't hear him) and moved closer to the car. Then the car pulled away. My computer says I was only doing 36mph but it felt a lot faster. I suspect the driver just didn't want to exceed the speed limit, as shortly thereafter, the sheriff came past. In any case, this was a really fun descent. I had this ride at 31.4 miles and 3,763 feet of climbing (which is short, since we know 10,300 for the lake and my top was only 9,800).
We changed out of bike gear, then took the short drive to the Sundance Cafe for lunch, eating outside enjoying the sunshine and great weather. After lunch we drove to Vail and our accomodations at the Vail Mountain Lodge. Wow, what a place!
Once again, I found myself needing to rest rather than explore Vail. Once again, Shannon found us a vegan-friendly establishment for dinner. Friendly or not, they were pretty slow (or, relaxed), so we had plenty of time to rehash the day's ride.
The Saturday ride was from Vail to Breckenridge on mostly the bike path. Bike path or not, we are talking another 4,500 feet of climbing and another 10,000 foot summit. My lack of speed was beginning to wear on me. The one thing you don't want to do when cycling at altitude is "go into the red," that is, over-exert yourself. You can do this lower down and take a few seconds or so to recover, but with thin air, there is little or no recovery. Therefore I closely monitored my heart-rate and breathing. My energy-level was low. After a brief stop, and changing to a dry base layer, we hit the bike path for the descent into Copper Mountain. There was some sort of cycling event which included climbing from Copper Mountain. By the time we got on the path down, the only cyclists coming up were suffering: heads down, wobbling. We didn't dare blast by them for fear of an accident. Therefore, the descent was more muted than it could have been, but still a lot of fun. We continued down into Frisco for lunch. There was a festival going on here also, and Frisco was booming. The ever-resourceful Jeremy got us situated at the Butterhorn Bakery and Cafe. Still finding vegan meals.
After lunch we circumnavigated Dillon Lake and cycled up to Breckenridge. This last 22 miles includes several miles of more-than-I-wanted incline, short stop, a descent, then a more moderate grade to the finish. Rather than hold up the group, I opted to skip these first miles, do the descent and climb into town. It was on the descent that I hit 45mph on the road. No cars passed me. The rest of the way into town on the bike path was of the 1-2% variety. I ended up with 49.8 miles (out of 52) and 4,928 feet of climb. Our stay was at the Beaver Run Resort, another quality room. Or, rather, rooms. My suite included a jacuzzi tub, which I almost immediately utilized. Again, Shannon eschewed his normal eating establishment and found us one with suitable vegan dishes.
The Sunday ride was a short 15 mile climb up Mt. Evans. After a shuttle to Echo Lake, we started up. I got a headstart since I knew my pace would be slow. Still, for the first few miles, in the trees, I held steady. My pace was good, breathing ok, heart-rate within reason. Keep in mind we started at 10,000 feet and would top out over 14,000. We started with some breeze, but once I got above the tree line, it was quite strong. I overheard one person say 35mph. My breathing became labored and even on a slight grade with the now strong wind whipping at my back, I still couldn't push my smallest gear over 5mph. Several times the wind came from the side and pushed me several feet. It was time to call it a day, and with Jeremy parked just up the road, I packed it in with 4.8 miles and 1,452 feet of climbing. Brian had zero trouble, other than having to wait for Gary and Shannon on the cold and windy summit.To sum up, Shannon has put together a terrific package of rides, restaurants, and resorts. He rides with the cyclists, and counsels and cajols as needed. Anyone considering doing a tour should check out his website. I'm already signed up for the Big Bend in November.
As for me, my enjoyment of this trip was somewhat tempered by my inability to keep up a decent pace. Given my history of climbing in Georgia (discounting the climbing done more than five years ago), and recent HHH ride, I was somewhat surprised with my lack of energy. Still, I had fun in the sun and can't wait for the next adventure.
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