My Most Recent Ride 2010 (Part III of the series)

Re: My Most Recent Ride - 2010

Today was the Avita Water Black Bear tour., which goes between the towns of Grayling and Oscoda Michigan. Although most cyclists treat it as a race. We had GPS timing this year! Anyway, I'm not up to a full century event this year, so Chris and I teamed up for a relay, which the organizers refer to as the "McKinley Route." It's identical to the full route, with a hand-off at the town of McKinley. I wanted to see how close to 4:00 we could get.

With ten cyclists starting every minute beginning at 8:00 am, minute 18 was full of lowracers, highracers, and streamliners, including Chris on his NoCom. Chris did the first 55 miles, while I drove ahead to McKinley and waited.

It was later than I expected when the leaders came charging through. First a tandem, then a couple of small packs. The largest pack was about 20 bikes. With 170 bikes in front of him, I didn't expect Chris to be out front. What surprised me was that he was ahead of all the other recumbents except for Dave Johnson in Great White (streamliner) and Bill "the Cannon" Hannon in his F-40.

Chris rolled in and I took off! I rounded the first curve at 25 mph... and discovered a new hill! Ugh! That was a 17 mph slog, but at least I passed 3 bikes right off the bat. Then I got up to speed and was cruising at 26-27 mph. More bikes fell behind me. I turned south and got a long shallow downhill. I took it at 28-30 mph, passing several groups of cyclists on the way. Near the bottom I passed 5 more bikes. Three were riding together. They chased me up the first serious hill, which although relatively small at 150 feet, was a good 8-10% grade. And I only have a double on my M5. About 2/3 up, the three uprights re-passed me. I sucked in behind the last one and drafted him up the rest of the grade. I immediately passed him at the top. Then I passed the second one. The first one was doing about 28 mph when I blew by him at 38 mph on the downhill, ringing my handlebar bell! That was the last I saw of them.

Following that downhill, there was about a mile of uphill into the town of Glennie, followed by a bit more climbing on the way out of town. Then came THE downhill. I was holding 39 mph for about 2 miles. The roller after that I topped at 24 mph, then settled in at 27 mph until the bridge over the AuSable River and the climb back out of the valley. I hit 41 mph on the downhill. The hill was 200 feet, but the grade was less than the other hill. I took it at 17 mph and passed two more uprights.

Onto River Road, the final leg, and mostly flat. I was still doing 26 mph, although I went a bit faster as cars passed me and I got a draft from them. It was time to kick *ss and chew bubblegum, and I hadn't packed any gum! A small group led by a tandem fell victim, then a whole team wearing Kodak kits. I was also passing a constant dribble of guys who'd gotten dropped by the lead pack. Areobars, tricked out time trial bikes, it didn't matter; nobody could hold me off. The final downhill off the plateau (such that it was) was another 40 mph run. By then, the off-shore wind was starting to be felt, and slowed me to the point it was hard to hold 25 mph. I shifted between 6th and 7th in my big ring, alternating between spinning uncomfortably and pushing uncomfortably.

Due to taking a different road in the middle of the course, the finish got moved up about a mile, and I almost missed it. I wanted to crank it up and do 35 past the gates, but by the time I saw it, I only had room to get up to 30 mph. Even then, the timing strips almost sent me airborne. I was so tired, I fell over when I stopped. Chris was already there, and we checked our time.

THREE FIFTY-NINE!!!

Even better, my average was 25.79 mph. Woo Hoo! Results will probably be posted on the Black Bear website in a few days.
http://www.grayling-area.com/blackbear2010/


I wish I had some video, but my camera refused to turn on.

 

Re: My Most Recent Ride - 2010

Crazy strong riding there John, way to go!

 

Re: My Most Recent Ride - 2010

John!!! I am going to call you "The Bullet" from now on!!!

 

Re: My Most Recent Ride - 2010

I'll just grin and dance a jig. I love the phrase "fell victim"...that is just cool.

 

Re: My Most Recent Ride - 2010

Heh heh! "Fell victim" fits. I broke up a couple of groups because someone saw me coming and everybody would put their heads down and start hammering more. All they accomplished was to start dropping the weaker riders of the group until only the group's stud was left. Then I'd pass him, too. Some of the singles were pretty funny to see. They'd look back, then turn around and hammer. 30 seconds later, they'd look back again - (oops, he's closer!), then turn around and hammer some more. I poseur-passed a few - sped up and made sure I was nose-breathing as I went past, while their tongues were hanging out and sweat dripped off their noses.

Oh, and the results are now up:
http://www.grayling-area.com/blackbear2010/
Links to the results page, by category and overall, are 2/3 of the way down.

 

Re: My Most Recent Ride - 2010

Congratulations! I looked at the elevation chart, what a great ride for a bent. What 60 or 70 miles of rollers with a negative elevation gain. What Fun.

I was having a nice easy ride with a few friends Sunday when another bone-head on a DF on his aerobars is suddenly on my elbow telling me to "watch it" as he comes even with me. I took a bit of offense to that chased him down quickly and as he exited a series of S turns sitting just behind and to his right (as he was on the left of the biketrail) I said "You know its just nice to let people know you are coming before you are on them."

He waggled over the trail for a second and just stared at me. There is a nice short climb from that point that gradually gets up to about 6% over 1/2 a mile. "Want to sprint to the top?" He mumbled something about working on speed pacing. I just shrugged, jumped it up to 30 and held it until just shy of the crest. He had dropped WAY back, I slowed and turned around at the top then cruised back down smiling at him as I waited for my group.

 

Re: My Most Recent Ride - 2010

that is just so much fun to read....probably more fun for you to actually do:s5:

 

Re: My Most Recent Ride - 2010

You're right, Ward, the course is almost perfect for doing a personal best century. There were only a couple of hills that were large enough to even inconvenience us, and my partner rigged it so I got them! His job was to tear up the road; and although he didn't do too badly, (yeah, as if 24+ could be 'bad'...) I sort of expected him to do better. He's younger and stronger than me, and he's an animal on that NoCom.

 

Re: My Most Recent Ride - 2010

Yeah, I am an animal on my bent too... but my animal is a snail!!!

 

Re: My Most Recent Ride - 2010

I can't even stay with Jon! He drops me like nothing flat.

 

Re: My Most Recent Ride - 2010

Being off the bike for 6 weeks took its toll on my body. But, I'm doing what I can. Not organized rides but Wednesday I needed a haircut badly so rode there and back (30 miles). I was lighter on the way home but faced a light breeze.

Yesterday had doctor appointment so again took the bike (24 miles). Well, my purse was lighter on the way home...

While my speed will not compare with Ward or John, I still had a good time and saved some gas too.

 

Re: My Most Recent Ride - 2010

Keep knocking those miles down Dennis, but hurry, isn't winter just a month or so away

Rode a quick 37 miles and met up with my wife who rode with me for 32 more. We took our time and really enjoyed the day until it got hot around 11. I managed to keep the greyhound brain at bay the few times we were passed, a few of the regular's I see were surprised I think that I didn't give chase.

 

Re: My Most Recent Ride - 2010

Have been trying to get back into the groove since doc gave me the OK about 3 weeks ago. Finding it difficult. Surgery/heat/humidity/rain/work/<other excuses>. Bottom line is I'm trying to simply get motivated. 220 miles in 3 weeks is not so great, but over half of that has been in the past 6 days.

Today's Ride #742 (since 3/1/03) started about 2pm. By the time I got back to the car and 37 miles I was totally whacked. Worn out. Getting concerned that the 3A's are flagging (Age, Ability, Ambition). But it was already 90 deg. and the dewpoint 75 deg. at the beginning. Was 95 deg. by mid-afternoon, so I hope it was a combo of previous days' rides added to the oppressive weather. Have admiration for Ward and you guys that ride in this kind of weather; yours is even worse and only a couple of hours south of us.

Destination today was to get some close-up pics of the new solar energy farm just west of Strawberry Plains. This impressive acreage of huge areas of flat solar panels can generate a full megawatt! This was state-funded and is one of only a handful in Tennessee, so far.

On the bright side, I've finally cracked the 1,000 mile barrier for the year; had 1,000 last year by June 1, but didn't take 6 weeks off recuping from surgery. Now only a few hundred short of 20,000 miles AU (After Uprights; essentially a lifetime number).

Dave

 

Re: My Most Recent Ride - 2010

Hey Ward, the leaves are already beginning to turn color! It won't be long. The heating season begins next month too. I have lots of fuel on hand for it though. In fact, right now there is a neighbor hauling wood away from our place. It is good dry wood and he is taking enough for his winter needs and it won't hurt us a bit as we have enough cut for 6-7 years!


Dave, those 3 A's do tend to take a toll. Although I was off the bike for 6 weeks it was nothing like why you did but it still ruins one's conditioning. My 34+ miles yesterday was actually my longest ride so far this year. Wow, I never thought I'd be able to say that. I should be riding hundred milers and not 25 milers...

 

Re: My Most Recent Ride - 2010

I forgot to post about my ride late Saturday. It was really humid but cool. I normally ride earlier in the day but was busy so did not go out until probably 7:00. I told the wife I'd not be gone long.

About 3 miles from home I was coming to a corner where I had planned on turning and from the opposite direction there was a young lad on a bike and he turned the corner before I got there. He did wave so he was friendly. When I got to the corner and turned he turned around to see me so he took off. I caught him rather quickly and he was surprised! Then I left him in the dust! A strange happening indeed for me.

On the way back home, fortunately I was not riding very fast (my normal type of riding) on a narrow road and suddenly a deer ran out of the Woods...and stopped right in front of me. I had to hit the brakes and she took off out of there then like she had been shot! lol I wonder what that would have been like to hit her...

Then just 1/2 mile before home a fawn ran across the road ahead of me. I figured there would be a doe and possibley another fawn. Sure enough, a doe crossed. There was a jeep coming from the opposite way and maybe they hadn't seen the fawn so did not slow and it was really close. I though for sure they would hit that doe but fortunately she made it okay.

Some interesting things sometimes happens while riding the bike.