Cycling is good for the brain.

[#18FAN]

I'm not as fast as I used to be. Age and less than consistent riding has slowed me.That said, I fully expect to get back to "hustling" bike sometime in the future. I was always known to be a very good climber for a big guy, and I was absolutely fearless on descents.

From the pace of your 53 miler today, I think you are more than ready for a century. A 100 miler too, not a 100K. Have you ever ridden one before?

Just on the off chance that you can and want to make a trip to Cali, I think Marin would be ideal. The Marin Century has always been my favorite century of all, and I've ridden over 50 centuries. The roads in Marin County are perfect, the scenery breathtaking (no pun intended), and the Marin crowd has always been a fast and racey group. That combination is right up my alley.

In reality, I'm good for the 100K at best, and even then that's going to be a challenge. I'm not in good shape right now and at age 72 I can't be foolish. The only thing I have going me at the moment is that I've have a lot power and endurance, plus the mental tenacity to keep riding even when I'm used up. "Riding wounded" as I describe it.

In my decades of riding centuries, double centuries, brevets, and PAC Tour (2x, 1,000 miles per week!), I've only had one DNF. That was in Colorado riding a 200K brevet (at the time a relatively easy distance for me). But this Cali boy rode unprepared for the weather and got caught in a freaking snow storm halfway through. My barely clothed, half frozen, ginger body was as red as a freshly cooked lobster! I was on the verge of hypothermia.

At any rate, @#18FAN, the time on your cyclometer tells me you're ready to rock. I think you'd ride Marin very well. Keep me in the loop.

Scott

https://www.marincyclists.com/content.aspx?page_id=22&club_id=525458&module_id=663686

Right yes I've ridden hundreds before just going in to make a fun day hopefully weather cooperate can't control that. I am 52 so yea 20 years younger but only been riding for about 12 years in the world of road biking that can be a beginner.
I generally do it for cardio fitness but it's something about the mental part people don't understand generally with people that just lift. I lift about every other day that I don't ride and ideally for me two days rest of the legs not total rest I may lift the day before is best for endurance rides for me.
I look up to many people and learn read and study alot on endurance rides my bike shop owner is the best endurance race rider in the country at 58 winning Race Across America in 9 days averaging 320 miles a day I respect him to no end and is so easy to learn from his discipline is relentless attitude but the most kind and humble guy you'll ever talk to.

Again I'm joining in maybe for little motivation for ya and maybe sounds like good time for the both of us heck maybe we could get others to join in whatever millage the can do.

 

[#18FAN]

If you want a real challenge @#18FAN, try this. 200 miles, 18,000 feet of climbing. A long day on the saddle. Savagely brutal. As much a mental challenge as it is physical. There are times you wonder what compels you do even do such a thing!

Scott

https://devilmountaindouble.godaddysites.com

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Good grief the millage alone but the climbing is brutal. That's pretty awesome
Can I ask the chain ring and cassette you were on

 

[ripcord]

Exercise is good!

Strolling is better than sofa surfing but not ideal

Now you can see my dilemma the last 30 days. Going NUTS

You're doing it again, Mr Freaky.

 

[slo town]

Good grief the millage alone but the climbing is brutal. That's pretty awesome
Can I ask the chain ring and cassette you were on

A 53/39 with 180 cranks and a 12-28 cassette; 9-speed Dura-Ace. At mile 160 when we hit the Sierra Road wall, I had to shoelace the road in order to climb it. 1,800 feet of climbing in just 3 miles - and we started that torturous climb at mile 160 when we'd already climbed over 14,000 feet!

Scott

 

[slo town]

I look up to many people and learn read and study alot on endurance rides my bike shop owner is the best endurance race rider in the country at 58 winning Race Across America in 9 days averaging 320 miles a day I respect him to no end and is so easy to learn from his discipline is relentless attitude but the most kind and humble guy you'll ever talk to.

With you being a Wisconsin resident, you've probably heard of Lon Haldeman and Susan Nortorangelo. They are the married couple who put on PAC Tour. Lon won RAAM twice, Susan once, and I think they still hold the DOUBLE transcontinental record on a tandem (crossed the entire continent, then turned around and rode back to where they started). Lon and Susan are wonderful people.

Scott

 

[slo town]

A 53/39 with 180 cranks and a 12-28 cassette; 9-speed Dura-Ace. At mile 160 when we hit the Sierra Road wall, I had to shoelace the road in order to climb it. 1,800 feet of climbing in just 3 miles - and we started that torturous climb at mile 160 when we'd already climbed over 14,000 feet!

Scott

And by "shoelace", that doesn't mean walking (The horror! I've never had to). Shoelacing is when you zig zag back and forth across the full width of the road, lengthening the distance in order to lessen the steepness.

The Sierra Road climb averaged 11% for three consecutive miles.

Scott

 

[Wheel]

The only place I've seen shoelacing (and pushing too, of all things) is at the Tour of the Catskills. I rode it last year with my oldest son and some friends, probably doing it again this August. https://ridewithgps.com/routes/36648283
That last climb is not pretty (I think part of it approaches 20%)
I might see if I can get the gang together and take a stab at your Devil Mountain ride !

 

[MRC01]

And by "shoelace", that doesn't mean walking (The horror! I've never had to). Shoelacing is when you zig zag back and forth across the full width of the road, lengthening the distance in order to lessen the steepness.

Yah, with modern gearing shoelacing should be a thing of the past. The lowest gear on my racing bike from the 80s was 42-21 = 2:1. I don't know how I made it up steep hills on that bike - I guess I was younger & stronger. The lowest gear on my modern road bike is 34-34 = 1:1. Even my old legs can make it up a 20+% grade with that ratio!

 

[slo town]

Yah, with modern gearing shoelacing should be a thing of the past. The lowest gear on my racing bike from the 80s was 42-21 = 2:1. I don't know how I made it up steep hills on that bike - I guess I was younger & stronger. The lowest gear on my modern road bike is 34-34 = 1:1. Even my old legs can make it up a 20+% grade with that ratio!

I'm such a cave man I still ride "classic" gearing, but now it's a 52/36, 180 cranks, and an 11-30 cassette. I've always been a good climber - and I'm not saying you aren't @MRC01!!! - I'm just one of those riders who can climb out of the saddle for long durations. Old style habits persist with me, on the bike at least.

Scott

 

[MRC01]

I'm such a cave man I still ride "classic" gearing, but now it's a 52/36, 180 cranks, and an 11-30 cassette. I've always been a good climber - and I'm not saying you aren't @MRC01!!! - I'm just one of those riders who can climb out of the saddle for long durations. Old style habits persist with me, on the bike at least.

36-30 or 1.2:1 is pretty low for the old school - doable. My prior road bike from 1999 was 39-25 or 1.56:1.

 

[slo town]

36-30 or 1.2:1 is pretty low for the old school - doable. My prior road bike from 1999 was 39-25 or 1.56:1.

My Saso has the 11-30 (medium cage rear derailleur), my Seven an 11-28 (short cage rear derailleur). Both are rim brake era. Several years ago I upgraded both of them from 10-speed Campy Record to 11-speed Dura-Ace, Campy Shamal Ultra wheels. Campy of that era had very limited cassette choices. I rode 53/39 with 12-26s (the lowest gear you could get), which at the time I was able to pull. But now at age 72 I think I'd stall on some of the climbs I ride.

I love talking bike stuff!

Scott

The two of them several years ago, still in Campy Record trim. The Saso has my winter Eurus wheelset on it. Full custom frames, both of them.

 

[MRC01]

I love talking bike stuff!
Scott

Be careful what you ask for - nerd alert! A front 36T chainring has a smaller BCD than was common in '99. My prior bike's 39T was the smallest you could get for the BCD that it had at that time. My current bike (a Fezzari Empire) came with the standard Ultegra R8020 having 34-50 in front and 11-34 rear. The 50 wasn't big enough for the downhills, I was spinning out by 40 mph, so I upped the front to a 52, so now it's 52-34. Shimano says this is a no-no since the FD can only handle 16T difference, which is why they make 52-36 and 50-34 but not 52-34. But Shimano's warning turns out to be unfounded. It shifts perfectly well with 34-52 up front and 11-34 in back. I think Shimano is being conservative, knowing that some bike shops don't know how to set up the FD properly, or maybe they do but they don't take the time to do it precisely.

Anyway, one of the best things about modern road bikes is they finally have the super low gearing you really want for the steep hills, yet with the same tall top gears we love from the old days. That alone made it worth getting a new bike, because it would have been impossible (or economically infeasible) to upgrade my prior bike to this setup.

 

[slo town]

Be careful what you ask for - nerd alert! A front 36T chainring has a smaller BCD than was common in '99. My prior bike's 39T was the smallest you could get for the BCD that it had at that time. My current bike (a Fezzari Empire) came with the standard Ultegra R8020 having 34-50 in front and 11-34 rear. The 50 wasn't big enough for the downhills, I was spinning out by 40 mph, so I upped the front to a 52, so now it's 52-34. Shimano says this is a no-no since the FD can only handle 16T difference, which is why they make 52-36 and 50-34 but not 52-34. But Shimano's warning turns out to be unfounded. It shifts perfectly well with 34-52 up front and 11-34 in back. I think Shimano is being conservative, knowing that some bike shops don't know how to set up the FD properly, or maybe they do but they don't take the time to do it precisely.

Anyway, one of the best things about modern road bikes is they finally have the super low gearing you really want for the steep hills, yet with the same tall top gears we love from the old days. That alone made it worth getting a new bike, because it would have been impossible (or economically infeasible) to upgrade my prior bike to this setup.

Very informative. You know you stuff. You and I would have fun riding together and enjoying some suds afterwards!

Scott

 

[MRC01]

The two of them several years ago, still in Campy Record trim. The Saso has my winter Eurus wheelset on it. Full custom frames, both of them.

View attachment 286288

I wish I had a photo of my racing bike from the 80s. I was poor and bought it used from a shop in Marin. Vitus 979 frame, Campy Super Record, with a Huret Jubilee rear derailleur. It had with Mavic E40 rims but they weren't strong enough so I built a new set of wheels on G40 rims with bladed spokes. I replaced its toe clip pedals with Aerolites (blast from the past) and drilled my shoes for the special cleat they used. I rode many miles, races and endurance rides on that bike (including the Davis Double) all over Marin, Napa and Lake Berryessa until I ended up selling it a few years later to make it through my senior year at UC Davis. I cried for a week straight after selling that bike. Yeah, 1st world problems, I know. But still...

BTW, I still have those old Mavic E40 rims. Decades ago when my brother died and I inherited his old bike (a Trek 12-speed from the 80s), I converted it into a "single-seed" with an internally geared 2-speed hub that does kick-back for shifting (no shifter or cable). To do that I had to rebuild the wheels anyway, so I used those old E40 rims I still had from college. Now it's "Franken-Bike", a suprisingly efficient and fast vintage bike and I still ride it every now & then. Pics or it didn't happen!

 

[slo town]

I wish I had a photo of my racing bike from the 80s. I was poor and bought it used from a shop in Marin. Vitus 979 frame, Campy Super Record, with a Huret Jubilee rear derailleur. It had with Mavic E40 rims but they weren't strong enough so I built a new set of wheels on G40 rims with bladed spokes. I replaced its toe clip pedals with Aerolites (blast from the past) and drilled my shoes for the special cleat they used. I rode many miles, races and endurance rides on that bike (including the Davis Double) all over Marin, Napa and Lake Berryessa until I ended up selling it a few years later to make it through my senior year at UC Davis. I cried for a week straight after selling that bike. Yeah, 1st world problems, I know. But still...

BTW, I still have those old Mavic E40 rims. Decades ago when my brother died and I inherited his old bike (a Trek 12-speed from the 80s), I converted it into a "single-seed" with an internally geared 2-speed hub that does kick-back for shifting (no shifter or cable). To do that I had to rebuild the wheels anyway, so I used those old E40 rims I still had from college. Now it's "Franken-Bike", a suprisingly efficient and fast vintage bike and I still ride it every now & then. Pics or it didn't happen!

View attachment 286293

View attachment 286294

UC Davis, eh? Congratulations!

Scott

 

[slo town]

Marin. My how time flies!

Scott

 

[slo town]

The only place I've seen shoelacing (and pushing too, of all things) is at the Tour of the Catskills. I rode it last year with my oldest son and some friends, probably doing it again this August. https://ridewithgps.com/routes/36648283
That last climb is not pretty (I think part of it approaches 20%)
I might see if I can get the gang together and take a stab at your Devil Mountain ride !

Sorry, I missed your reply earlier. That's an interesting ride profile. First 20 miles look faaaasst.

Being a Cali boy, it would be a real treat to ride some new territory like that. When I road PAC Tour in 1996 we rode through the DEEP south, all on remote county roads. Felt like we were in a far away country somewhere. Mississippi was like riding through Jurassic Park.

If you are properly trained for long distances, try getting your riding tribe together and riding Devil Mountain. It'll be like nothing you've ever experienced. It'll go down as one of your most memorable "notches on the bed post".

I just looked, the final 150 yard ascent at the very summit of Mt. Diablo is a continuous 16% climb. And when you reach the top - gasping and with your quads glowing orange - you only have another 185 miles to go, with another 15,500 feet yet to climb. Ugh!

Scott

 

[slo town]

Y'all:

I rode Laguna Seca Raceway in Monterey yesterday. They have a half dozen Wednesdays over the course of the summer that are "Community Events" where cyclists can ride the track from 17:30 to 19:00. This was the first time I've ever done it. I estimate there were about 125 other cyclists there, 2/3s of them E-bikes.

Riding the course was more difficult than I expected. Dang! The majority of the distance is climbing. While this might not make sense, descending the Corkscrew is steep so you lose elevation over a very short distance.

Even after putting in 6 laps I couldn't get the left hand turn apex right at bottom of the Corkscrew because it's got a subtle and deceptive double apex that tightens up on the second apex. Every single time I went in too hot on the wrong line into the second apex, the first time causing me to momentarily consider going wide and riding off into the gravel. I got better at it during the next 5 laps but never truly got it right. Having watched cars race this track since 1967, I now realize why the cars take such a wide entry into this corner. Until now that never made sense to me.

Also too, if you look closely at my ride data you'll see it says I hit a max speed of 27.2 mph. This isn't correct. My son rode with me and his max speed "tell tailed" at something over 40, and I was going as fast as he was on that section.

The climb up to the Corkscrew was stiff. Most of it was 8% to 10%, but midway through the climb it spiked to 16% for 50 to 75 yards. This is where I suffered most because not only am I out of shape and "hauling a lot of beef", but seeing the 25 or so hardcore looking roadies riding human powered bikes, all of them young guys, they were riding what looked like 36 tooth rear cassettes. Mine is a 28 tooth. While they spun up the hill I was climbing out of the saddle, crushing the pedals at a low cadence. In this sense, my gearing is a relic of the past and was doing me no favors.

I'm glad I did the ride but the fact that is was more difficult than I expected makes me question my decision to ride Marin on August 2nd. I let myself go to seed over the last year. I just started riding this past Memorial Day weekend. I'm not sure I'll have the proper conditioning come August 2nd.

First, I don't want to give my 72 year old body a heart attack and second, I don't want to turn Marin into a suffer fest. Add to that the fact that Marin is a 5 hour drive (each way), requiring me to stay at a hotel for two nights (pricey), I'm just not sure it's worth the trouble with where my conditioning is at this point.

Here's my ride data. The colors on the track indicate heart rate, red being a higher heart rate obviously. Also too, I meandered around the paddock on my bike after finishing the ride. Doing this added about 3 or 4 minutes of slow, non-track time to my total. In other words I was a bit faster on the track than the total time indicates (you can see the meandering in my heart rate data, how it tapers way off at the end).

All and all, a great time, but at the same time a bit of a wake up call. I'm confident I can still "get there" but it's going to take awhile. Even I'm my younger years I never went from "nothing" to "good form" in just two months. Trying to do that at age 72 is setting myself up for failure.

Scott

 

[slo town]

A few screenshots from my GoPro. First picture is the climb to the Corkscrew, a steady 10% grade with a 16% quad nuking section. Other pictures show how steep the Corkscrew is. In the last picture I am once again positioned wrong going into the corner, about 40+ mph. I should be way to the outside. And that's me in the white helmet, just in case you didn't know. LOL.

Scott

 

[_Will_]

A few screenshots from my GoPro. First picture is the climb to the Corkscrew, a steady 10% grade with a 16% quad nuking section. Other pictures show how steep the Corkscrew is. In the last picture I am once again positioned wrong going into the corner, about 40+ mph. I should be way to the outside. And that's me in the white helmet, just in case you didn't know. LOL.

Scott

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You ever come up on a slower rider and want to pull a Rossi by passing them in the gravel?