2009 Cycling

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2009 cycling scoreboard

Monday,  10/19/09  08:07 PM

Last weekend I completed my fifth double century of the year, but it was also my eleventh ultra century (rides of more than 100 miles).  Yes, sorry but I have to keep score: ride date distance climbing   riding time note PCH Rando 200K 1/10/09 124 mi 3,000' 7:07 Solvang Double 3/28/09 200 mi 7,200' 10:38 triple crown 1/5 Mulholland Challenge 4/11/09 109 mi 12,000' 6:56 grand slam 1/4, KOM 1/3 Breathless Agony 5/2/09 114 mi 12,300' 6:00 KOM 2/3 Heartbreak Double 5/23/09 202 mi 15,500'   triple crown 2/5, grand slam 2/4, KOM 3/3 Eastern Sierra Double 6/6/09 200 mi 12,000' 14:30 triple crown 3/5, grand slam 3/4 Grand Tour Double 6/27/09 200 mi 8,500'   triple crown 4/5 Death Ride 7/11/09 129 mi 15,000' 10:00   Cool Breeze 200K 8/16/09 128 mi 8,500'   Furnace Creek 508 10/3/09 508 mi 35,000'   (DNF'ed at about 300 mi) Solvang Autumn Double 10/17/09 200 mi 10,300'   triple crown 5/5, grand slam 4/4 Who's counting?  Me :) And I'm keeping score in another way too; here's what my top tube looks like now: (click to enbiggen) Wonder what it will look like next year?

 

double quintuple double

Sunday,  10/18/09  05:09 PM

Yesterday I rode the Solvang Autumn Double, giving me five count 'em one two three four five double centuries for the year.  And so this was the second year in a row I joined the California Triple Crown Thousand Mile club, having ridden at least 1,000 miles worth of double centuries in one year.  Yay me! This ride was *not* easy, although I have to admit after riding the 508 a couple of weeks ago, I took it kind of lightly.  My biggest problem was "cycling hotfoot"; for some reason (I think worn out shoes) my feet become sore and my toes go numb on these long rides.  It has kind of happened before, and happened pretty majorly in the 508, but it was a huge problem for me yesterday.  I kept stopping and taking off my shoes and massaging my toes; needless to say, I did not post the best time.  However I did finish and overall it was a good ride. Some pictures: early morning peloton yes that is David Goggins at the right first climb of the day, of many; so far, so good incredible beauty and solitude amid the slumbering vines I think this is some of that Santa Maria Pinot, warming up before being picked climbing Perfumo Canyon (whew!) an incredible view with Morro Bay's famous rock in the background Guadalupe and heading for home the reflective tape on my bike says "I rode the 508" :) big smile as the end is near another year with 1,000+ miles in double centuries A couple of really cool things happened.  First, as a 508 rider you become known by your totem, and several people recognized me and called be "Rocky", and I found I had a bunch of new friends in the ultra peloton.  That was really nice.  I had a nice chat with "Butterfly" (Andi Ramer) and she introduced me to "King Cobra" (David Goggins).  Maybe you've heard of David; he's a Marine and ultra-marathon runner, and does a lot of fund raising for the children of servicemen and women killed in combat.  He's also an amazing athlete, and finished about fifteenth in the 508.  So I discovered while talking with him that he has an Atrial Septal Defect, a little hole between the two upper chambers of his heart, just like my daughter Megan had before it was surgically repaired.  We had a nice conversation about that (before he dropped me on the first climb :) Later in the ride I paced through a flat section with a couple on a tandem.  So I don't know if you know, but tandems are really fast in the flat; they do suffer on climbs, but can really power along.  Drafting behind them at 35mph through the grapes was quite amazing, knowing that if I ever lost contact I'd never be able to get back on. The climb up Perfumo Canyon was really something; I found myself literally zig-zagging back and forth across the road to keep moving, I don't think I've done that on a ride before.  Must have been at least 15% for a couple of miles.  At the top we were rewarded with an amazing view of the coast including Morro Bay rock, before heading South back toward Solvang. And so ends (I think) another year of ultracycling; it is possible I'll do another this year, but I have no current plans.  Take some time to relax and watch sports (and work and travel!), and then it's on to next year!

 

no joy in Badwater

Monday,  10/05/09  02:59 PM

Well, I didn't make it.  No shame, but I am disappointed. Sunday morning at 7:30am, as I was fighting a 30mph headwind in Badwater, after having battled it all night, I dropped out of the Furnace Creek 508.  I was about 20 miles from the base of the Salsberry grade, which meant another four hours of spinning in 1st gear at 5mph, and I couldn't handle it.  I might have been up for it physically, but my head gave out.  I began looking for reasons to stop instead of reasons to continue. I was very nervous when the ride began, very conscious that I had never done anything like this before, and very aware of everyone's advice to take it easy.  I did.  The first leg to California City featured some climbing and some headwinds, but it was steady on, and I felt good.  It sure is wonderful having a support vehicle right there with bottles and food and everything.  The second leg to Trona featured a little more climbing, and some tailwinds (yay!), and again it was steady on, and I felt really good.  The third leg from Trona to Furnace Creek had three distinct parts: In the first, through the Panamint Valley, I was flying with a beautiful tailwind.  We were well ahead of schedule, I was feeling strong, and ready for the climb up to Townes Pass.  At the turn to start the climb we passed the 200 mile mark, and I was amazed; I had done 200 miles in 12 hours elapsed, my best ever, and that was taking it easy! The second part was the climb up Townes, and the descent down the back.  The climb was nasty, with a crosswind / headwind / tailwind / wind.  About 13 miles at about 8%, but the wind was the main factor; a couple of times I blew into the shoulder.  I started cramping a little, because I stopped drinking, because I needed both hands on the bars just to keep my bike on the road.  But I made it!  And felt great, because "it was all downhill from there".  Riight.  The descent down the back to Stovepipe Wells was awesome, a beautiful full moon lit up the valley, and although there was some crosswind it was smooth sailing.  We hit Stovepipe about four hours ahead of schedule, and I still felt great. The third part was when reality set in.  It is just 25 miles from Stovepipe Wells to Furnace Creek, a flat road, good surface, should have taken about 1 1/2 hours.  But it was directly into the teeth of a stiff headwind.  On that flat road I was averaging 5-6mph, I must tell you it was harder than the climb up to Townes Pass.  It took me four hours to reach Furnace Creek, and I was exhausted.  We had planned to sleep there and we did, hoping the wind would die down. So then leg four.  I woke up, ate a little, and was pleased to note the wind had [apparently] settled down.  We took off for Badwater, and bam! the wind hit again.  Big time headwind, 30mph gusts, blowing sand, tumbleweeds, you name it.  It was 40 miles from Furnace Creek to Salsberry grade, and at 5mph that was going to take me eight hours.  What seemed on paper to be a mild little cruise through Death Valley became a nightmare.  After four hours we reached Badwater, my head exploded, and I couldn't take it anymore.  Maybe next year I'll be mentally ready. I want to thank my most excellent crew captain, Joani, who did an amazing job of supporting me, she was a veteran of two previous 508s, and her experience and calm demeanor were perfect.  I also want to thank Greg, the other half of my stellar crew, for his yeoman work.  In addition to filling bottles and reading maps he also took a bunch of pictures which I have yet to edit; stay tuned for those... So this year there was no joy in Badwater.  But wait 'till next year!

 

Furnace Creek 508, here I come!

Thursday,  10/01/09  11:00 PM

I am delighted to report that in addition to my experienced crew captain Joani, I have now added Greg to my team, and yay I can ride!  Whew.  And OMG, now what?  All week I have not allowed myself to get excited, because I was not sure I'd be able to ride.  Now suddenly I'm going to do it, and I'm excited and scared and worried all at once. If you're new here, I'm talking about the Furnace Creek 508.  A 508 mile cycling race through Death Valley, in which you have 48 hours to finish.  For some it truly is a race, but for me, it is an adventure.  If I finish, I win. Well first things first, make the [long] list of things I'll need to bring, read as much as possible, eat, drink, make a plan, and then... go for it!  It is better to have loved and lost, then never to have loved...  and infinitely better to have raced and dropped out, than never to have ridden.  Although it might not feel that way on Saturday night. You might wonder, if you're doing one of these long rides, what do you do?  It is amazingly not-boring.  There are always things to see - you see a lot on a bike at 18mph that you miss in a car at 70mph.  And you can think - cycling is great for thinking.  And you can listen to music!  I will certainly be Powered by Chickenfoot! So I start at 0700 on Saturday, checkpoint one is California City, checkpoint two is Trona, and by Saturday night I should be climbing the incredible Townes Pass into Death Valley.  Check point three is - ta da - Furnace Creek, where I should be in the wee hours of Sunday morning.  At that point I plan to sleep, get about 3-4 hours.  Then it is up the Salsberry grade to Shoshone, checkpoint four, and then Baker checkpoint five.  That should be mid-afternoon Sunday.  Then the endless climb up to Kelso, checkpoint six, descend through the desert to Amboy, checkpoint seven, into the evening.  And the final false flat to Twentynine Palms, and the finish, late late Sunday night aka early Monday. Please keep your fXf! You may follow my progress here... See you Monday night, same blog channel :)

 

son of death ride

Sunday,  08/23/09  12:04 PM

In a couple of weeks I'm going to ride a relatively new event called Son of Death Ride, which has the motto "that which doesn't kill us, makes us stronger".  Nice.  This ride is also billed as the toughest one day ride in the U.S.  So be it.  Here's the ride profile, it is out and back, for a total of 138 miles and - gasp! - 17,352 feet: That first climb is from 3,500' to 9,000' in 16 miles, which works out to about 7%.  Ouch.  At that summit you'll be 16 miles into the ride, with 122 miles left, and already toast.  I'm looking forward to it already.

 

my next bike

Monday,  08/17/09  10:09 PM

I have found my next bike.  It is made out of wood, by Renovo, and you tell me this isn't gorgeous: Stiff, light, smooth riding...  a perfect frame.  And you know this is going to turn heads wherever you go...  I cannot wait to get one.  I finally have found the right "next bike".  [ via Inhabitat ]

 

Cool Breeze 200K

Sunday,  08/16/09  05:31 PM

Wrapping up a maniacal couple of weeks, yesterday I rode the Cool Breeze Double Metric Century (200K).  It was a super ride with great SAG, plenty of climbing (the DM had 8,542’), some nice descents, and amazing scenery.  the route: Ventura / Ojai / Montecito / Goleta / Santa Barbara / Carpinteria / Ventura 128 miles, 8,542 feet Adding to the fun, I rode with a group from my club, the Conejo Valley Cyclists.  It's always more fun to ride with other people, especially nice people you know :)  I've posted a gallery of pictures here: Cool Breeze 200K And here's a sampling for your viewing pleasure: CVC paceline heads West from Ojai the view from the top of Casitas Pass is stunning lots of up and down in the hills behind Santa Barbara Hope Ranch is one of my favorite places anywhere I 'hope' to be able to live here someday... still smiling - love riding in this area, and the weather was perfect my next house :) Rincon Beach - what a great place for a rest stop The trip through Hope Ranch was worth the ride all by itself – what an amazing area – and then you had the Ojai Valley, Lake Casitas, Montecito, Santa Barbara, and a beautiful ride down the beach to finish it off.  Thank you to the Channel Islands Bicycle Club for organizing such a nice event. another super century, and another sticker for the top tube :)

 

revisiting 1984

Sunday,  08/16/09  11:09 AM

The other day I remembered 1984, the 25th anniversary of the XXIII Olympiad (dum dum dum) held in Los Angeles, which to this day is held up as a shining example of what the Olympics should be, for the host city as well as the participating countries and the athletes.  So I thought about that, and I had a beautiful day, and I felt like doing a longish ride, and so... I revisited 1984, in a manner of speaking.  I did a ride from Santa Paul through Ojai and out to Lake Casitas - scene of the Olympic rowing events and my strongest memory, as I was able to watch some of the competition there - and over to the coast at Ventura and looped back to Santa Paula again, about 52 miles.  And I took pictures! the route: Santa Paula / Ojai / Lake Casitas / Ventura / Santa Paula: 52 miles at the overlook into the Ojai Valley made it! - Welcome to Lake Casitas ... there it is ... beautiful open water ... behind the shells, a poster for the LA84 foundation 1984 Rowing Venue, XXIII Olympiad the starting line was here, but now just remains a memory the way we were - what it looked like in 1984 It was a great ride, and a great way to revisit 1984.  I had goose bumps standing there on a barren shore, looking out over empty water, remembering the pageantry and excitement and the noise and the vision of boats flying over the lake.  I remember the finality, the feeling that the athletes had worked so hard for so long for this moment, and win or lose it would all be over for them in a few hours.  History was written, lives were changed.  Including mine.  I hope can revisit 1984 again in another 25 years, stay tuned!

 

Tour de France 2009

Sunday,  07/26/09  09:36 PM

This post contains all my 2009 Tour de France posts, in chronological order, including the Grand Depart in Monaco, the Sprints dominated by Mark Cavendish, the team time trial where Astana laid the foundation for success (and Lance Armstrong missed yellow by 0:00.2), the Pyrenees, which didn't make much of a selection but provided beautiful scenery, the transitional week where Rinaldo Nocentini held yellow (and George Hincapie missed yellow by 0:05), and the Alps, featuring epic battles between Alberto Contador, Andy Schleck, and Lance, the decisive time trial around Lake Annecy, and the final showdown on Mont Ventoux.  Sprinkled in are Franco Pellizotti's great early climbing which won him King of the Mountains, and Thor Hushovd's consistent sprinting and gallant charge across the Alps to secure the green jersery. all Tour de France 2009 posts Enjoy!

 

Death Rider

Sunday,  07/12/09  02:22 AM

Whew.  Yesterday I rode the Death Ride up in Markleeville, South of Lake Tahoe.  It was impossible.  It didn’t snow so I can’t say it was worse than the Eastern Sierra Double, and I didn’t get lost in the dark and add 40 miles, so I can’t say it was worse than the Heartbreak Double, but it was brutal.  Hotter and much windier than last year, and had a rainstorm on the final climb like last year (although it did not hail).  I was toast and barely finished.  However I did and I’m proud of myself; I think about 3,000 riders started, and about 1,000 finished all five passes :) 129 miles, 5 passes, 15,000' of climbing -plus- heat and wind on the 8%+ climb up to Monitor Pass -plus- a rainstorm on the 12 mile climb up to Carson Pass -equals- one Death Rider who was pretty happy to finish and sign the ride poster how many passes did I climb today? Well now it's over and I can rest and recuperate and brag about it.  The best part :)

 

Oops, I'm doing it again

Sunday,  06/28/09  06:47 PM

Remember last year, I was going to ride in this incredible ultra-century, the Furnace Creek 508?  Yep that's 508 miles, starting in Valencia, going up through Death Valley, and then looping back through the desert to end in 29 Palms... all within 48 hours.  I had done a comprehensive recon and everything... but then a couple of weeks before I got really sick and couldn't ride. Well, I'm going to try again. I just submitted my entry, mark your calendar, it's October 3-5.  I'm excited and scared.  Stay tuned for more...

 

Grand Tour Double

Sunday,  06/28/09  11:15 AM

Greetings... I'm a bit tired and more than a bit sore today, after having completed the Grand Tour Double yesterday.  It wasn't as tough as the Heartbreak, and wasn't nearly as tough as the Eastern Sierra (for one thing, it didn't snow :) but there's no such thing as an easy double, and with 8,500' of climbing, this one was not easy.  Compounding the difficulty, I was tired (once again, failed to get enough sleep the night before) and sad (still carrying the loss of Smokey) and just I don't know blah.  But I did it - yay, me! - and I have the pictures to prove it: http://pics.eichhorns.com/pics.cgi?A090627-GrandTourDouble There were a few high points, first, since this ride goes right by my house, I was able to do a pit stop mid-race and say "hi" to Shirley and the dogs, and I pretty much knew every inch of every road.  I flatted twice so I was able to perfect my fast-tube-change technique.  And I was so sore that I spent the second half of the ride out of the saddle most of the time, so I got some great exercise (how many times are your arms more sore from a ride than your legs?) the route - Malibu / Port Hueneme / Thousand Oaks / Simi Valley / Moorpark / Santa Paula / Ojai / Carpinteria / Ventura / Port Hueneme / Malibu - a grand tour indeed early morning fog shrouds Mugu rock always photogenic Grimes Canyon Lake Casitas this got a smile out of me at 135 miles an impromptu jazz band added to the flavor of the post-ride chili :) Next up - the Death Ride (dum dum dum) - on July 11 (yikes, that's in two weeks)...

 

snow day

Sunday,  06/07/09  10:06 AM

Yesterday I did the ride from hell, honestly the hardest I’ve ever done.  It was the Eastern Sierra Double, which starts in Bishop, CA, and normally goes North from there to Mammoth Lakes, June Lake, and Mono Lake, before heading over to the Nevada border at Benton via the Sagehen Summit.  I say normally because this year there was snow forecast for Mono Lake and Sagehen, so instead of sending us North, they sent us South into the White mountains toward Death Valley, up and over Mount Waucoba, a nice little 7,500’ peak.  And guess what?  It snowed!  I have never been so cold.  And the descent down the backside was maximally scary because the road was all icy.  At the bottom my arms just about fell off from braking the whole way down.  Then we had to turn around and climb back up, over 12 miles at 7%.  My legs were not happy with me.  Finally we descended back down in Owens Valley, took a deep breath, and were just halfway through the ride.  The second half featured a little 80 mile out and back up to Benton on the Nevada border into a stiff 20mph headwind.  Brrr and Grrr.  It was horrible.  Anyway I did it – yay me – and now I can brag about it. The (re)route; start in Bishop [center], head south over Mount Waucoba (white outline indicates snow at summit), descend wet scary road into valley (yellow outline), turn around and ascend again (12 miles at 7%+), descend back to Owens Valley and up to Bishop [center], ride up route 6 to Benton (orange outline indicates 20mph headwind), ascend climb to Benton Hot Springs, and finally cruise back 40 miles downhill with tailwind (whew). I have posted a bunch of pictures here if you're interested: http://pics.eichhorns.com/pics.cgi?A090606-EasternSierraDouble I like to say every bad thing that happens is a good story afterward, this was definitely a bad thing (or at least, a really hard thing), and now that it's over I guess it makes for a good story.  I sure was one happy guy when I finished: In chest-beating mode I will note that 150 riders started while only 50 finished, and I did it in a respectable 14:30.  Finishing this ride meant I completed the Planet Ultra Grand Slam (yay me) along with only 9 other riders, and it is also my third double century of the year, which means I've completed the California Triple Crown again. All these awards are designed to encourage the extreme masochism that these rides require... so why do we do them?  Why do I do them?  Enjoying the exercise and the chance to view amazing scenery is part of it, and hanging out with a little fraternity of fellow riders is another, but I think at core it has to do with the way it makes me feel about myself.  I like knowing I can do these rides, and I carry the knowledge around with me like a little jewel, to be taken out periodically and savored.  Next up?  The Grand Tour Double, in three weeks, and then in mid July the Death Ride (dum dum dum).  Stay tuned.

 

Heartbreak Double

Sunday,  05/24/09  12:43 PM

Yesterday I successfully completed the Heartbreak Double Century, 202 miles and 15,500' of climbing.  Whew.  And actually I got lost at the end, blundering about in the dark, so I actually rode over 210 miles.  It was a really hard ride, but beautiful and really fun (now that it's over :)  The middle hundred miles are the Heartbreak Hundred, the third-leg of Plant Ultra's King of the Mountains competition, and I had previously ridden the Mulholland Challenge and the Breathless Agony, so I completed the KOM successfully.  Can't wait to see where I ended up, I was in 21st overall after the first two... I took a bunch of pictures yesterday, they are posted here for your viewing pleasure... http://www.eichhorns.com/pics.cgi?A090523-HeartbreakDouble Here's the route: And here's a happy rider at the finish: Next up, the comparatively mild Ojai Valley Century next weekend...

 

breathless agony

Saturday,  05/02/09  08:51 PM

I rode the appropriately named Breathless Agony century today, 114 miles with 12,000' of climbing and an 8,400' summit.  Whew.  There is one stretch of 11 miles called Damnation Alley where you climb 3,000', I think that might be the hardest climb I've ever done.  But it is a beautifully organized ride with a great burrito lunch at the end, great SAG, and the views and riding is first class. Highly recommended if you ever want to test yourself :) I posted a bunch of pictures in case you're interested: http://pics.eichhorns.com/pics.cgi?A090502-BreathlessAgony This guy is everpresent on this ride: PS let the record show my time to the summit was 6:00.  Respectable :)

 

Wildflower; 4:58 (!)

Sunday,  04/26/09  02:55 PM

Yesterday I rode the Wildflower Century, in Creston (East of Paso Robles), and I am delighted to report that I finished in 4:58.  This is the first time I've broken 5 hours for a century and I am quite pleased with myself :)  It was an "easy" century, 103 miles with about 6,500' of climbing overall and no big climbs or scary descents, but I am amazed that I was able to break 5 hours because there were no pacelines.  This is a relaxed ride, thousands of riders participate but most just show up for the beautiful day (it was nice) and the amazing scenery (it was amazing).  There were a lot of families, a lot of older riders, a lot of women, and a fair number of spectators.  Not to mention, there are 75-mile and 50-mile options, and many took them.  There wasn't a peloton of hard-core riders grouped at the start like usual, and I just never found fast riders to pace with.  I always figured if I broke 5 hours it would be as part of a strong group (kind of like my 10:38 in the Solvang Double), but on this ride I set my own pace the whole way with no drafting. Some pictures, of course, for your viewing pleasure: early morning beauty among the rolling ranchland this is an area you never think about, with vast estates in the middle of nowhere... not a car to be seen - the road surface was a bit rough, though meadows of wildflowers, the signature of this ride just beautiful...  mile after mile of peaceful meadows filled with flowers spring lambs!  how cute!  they took no notice of cyclists flying by... checkpoint 2 - 56 miles - the century riders merged with the 75- and 50-mile groups halfway...  56 miles in 3:12, no idea yet I had a chance to break 5 hours mile after mile of flat empty road - perfect for powering along... gliding through vineyards - Paso Robles wine country - Chardonnay, I think checkpoint 3 aka lunch - 72 miles - the bike parking area a lot of expensive hardware on display my 10-year old Kestrel is now regarded as a 'classic' by some :) walked over to check out this little league field just as I got here, my iPod selected John Fogerty's Centerfield I don't expect you to believe me but that's what happened looked in the outfield and was almost surprised not to see Shoeless Joe :) "Put me in coach, I'm ready to play..." final "climb" of the day - I powered up it at 18+ mph, feeling strong I passed one slow-moving group and a guy yelled "car back" as I blew by them that was pretty funny final descent into Creston; about 15 miles to go, and now I have the 5 hour mark in my sights I was not careful on this descent, sorry about the blurry picture but I was doing 40mph... 4:58:52 - 103 miles, 6500'.  Yay. Well that was pretty cool - a great ride on a beautiful day, amazing scenery, and I broke 5 hours. But no peace for the wicked (me), because next weekend brings the Breathless Agony, an appropriately named ultra century with 114 miles, 12,000' of climbing, and the summit is at 8,443' high above Big Bear Lake.  This will be no walk in the park, and I will be riding to finish, not to set a personal best :)

 

Mulholland Challenge, whew

Saturday,  04/11/09  08:05 PM

Today I competed in the aptly named Mulholland Challenge.  109 miles, 12,000', whew.  I can honestly say this was the hardest century I have ever ridden, not one section was flat.  Just eating and drinking were a challenge since you were either climbing painfully or descending furiously at all times.  My entire body feels like rubber. Even typing feels weird, like my fingers are not under control. Here's the route map (click to enbiggen): The ride took place in the Santa Monica Mountains, my local stomping ground (the red circle at the center top is my house).  To orient you this area is NorthWest of L.A, the area surrounding Malibu.  That long road which runs East/West through the Mountains is Mulholland, familiar to some of you from my daily ride pictures; it gives the ride its name.  You will notice that 100% of this ride was in the mountains.  That purple circle in the middle is the famous Rockstore climb. See that orange circle towards the lower left, on the stretch from H back to G?  That is Decker canyon, again familiar to some of you from my daily ride descriptions.  The ride reached point H on PCH at the 80 mile mark, and we had to climb Decker; it is a tough ascent at any time, 4 miles at 10%, but after 80 hard miles it was impossible.  I think I averaged about 4mph for those 4 miles, and honestly questioned whether I'd make it.  In the end it took me 6:56 - definitely not my fastest century :) Point B: up with the sun, Malibu Canyon at PCH Point C: early morning on PCH, turning onto Topanga Canyon Point D: cresting Old Topanga Stretch D-E: Mulholland at Las Virgines Canyon Stretch D-E: climbing the Rockstore grade (the purple circle) Stretch D-E: view of Westlake Village from Yerba Buena  Point E: descending Deer Creek (15%+) Stretch E-F: the Pacific Coast Highway... Point F: climbing Mulholland Point G: checkpoint at fire station on Decker Canyon Stretch G-H: view of the coast while descending Encinal Canyon (after reaching the coast, will climb Decker at orange circle; sorry, no pictures of that!) Stretch H-A: the Rockstore itself, after descending the grade (the purple circle, this time in the easy direction) Point A: at the finish!  Everyone stretches out and relaxes...  whew! So as you know I had planned to ride the Midnight Express ride tonight, 50 miles at midnight.  That is not going to happen.  I may not be able to move at midnight, let alone ride 50 miles!  It is time for eating and relaxing...  and later, sleeping...

 

Solvang Double! (in 10:38)

Sunday,  03/29/09  10:05 AM

Good morning!  I know you all eagerly scanned your feed readers this morning to find out how my ride in the Solvang Double went yesterday...  it went great.  A perfect beautiful day for riding...  rode the first 100 miles in 5:15, which would have been my best Century ever, and the entire 200 in 10:38, which is my best time for a Double. I flirted with cramping at about 170 miles but figured out the key: salt!  I had some string cheese just as things were turning pear-shaped and felt instantly better.  Glad I now know. Some pictures: rolling hills East of Santa Ynez, as the sun rises... early morning paceline overlooking Foxen winery at Sisquoc checkpoint, with wonderful-smelling farmland in the background I was happier than I look :) lots of beautiful grazing land East of Santa Maria near Bull Canyon at the Morro Bay checkpoint, with the famous rock and wonderful little harbour salt flats Northwest of Guadalupe yay I made it!  two hundred miles... I must confess I'm feeling quite pleased with myself...  I knocked 20 minutes off my time in this ride last year, and [I think] have a handle on the cramping that plagued me in the Century two weeks ago. Next up: The Mulholland Challenge, a mere century but with 12,000' of climbing (!), in the Santa Monica mountains, and that night, the Midnight Express, a 50-mile ride in the hills above La Cañada.  Stay tuned...

 

mega bonk

Saturday,  03/14/09  05:19 PM

Today I rode in the Solvang Century, and I bonked cramped seized everything - my worst day on a bike.  I managed to finish, but just barely.  And the worst of it is, I have no idea what happened.  I ate well yesterday, had a good breakfast, drank a lot, but I must have done or not done something...  I started with the lead group and for the first 50 miles hung with them nicely, and felt pretty strong actually.  I figure I was in about 20th - out of 4,500 riders!  (I hasten to point out I would not have finished 20th; there are a lot of fast riders who would have kicked past me at the end.) This picture was taken at 55 miles in...  before it all went pear-shaped... Just after this I began getting little crampy twinges, which got progressively worse.  A little later my power output began waning, and I was unceremoniously dropped by the lead pack.  By 75 miles I was a mess, with just about every muscle in my body cramping.  My progress slowed to a crawl as a steady progression of riders passed me.  At one point I stopped entirely, disabled by cramps, and I couldn't even stretch them out because my entire leg had seized up.  I seriously questioned whether I could finish; in the last 20 miles the Solvang century features a long steady climb and two sharp hills. I went into the day thinking maybe I could break 5 hours of riding time (a 20mph average) and I was just behind that when my mega-bonk hit.  I ended up at 5:46; those last 20 miles took me an hour and a half =O.  I think I finished around 400th. Well so be it; onward.  I would love to figure out what happened, but I may never know... P.S. You might be wondering how my trusty ol' Kestrel did, in the wake of its disaster recovery.  So - it was excellent.  I didn't notice any difference, in fact, I was about halfway through the ride before it even occured to me to think about it. [Update: (next day)...  I slept like a stone for 10 hours last night.  I think I was just exhausted.  I got three hours the night before this ride, and had been stressed and not sleeping for several days beforehand.  Memo to self: get enough sleep.  Not exactly a breakthough observation...]

 

weird disaster recovery!

Sunday,  03/01/09  09:05 AM

I have some fantastic news to report: I have officially recovered from my weird disaster!    check out this repair - new dropout was machined and bonded back into the stays looks really good    the axle alignment is perfect and we have a spiffy new derailleur    a happy Kestrel, ready for the next double century! Yesterday afternoon I did a great ride up Decker, down Mulholland, up Encinal, and back down Decker.  On my Kestrel.  Which has been repaired.  Successfully.  And most excellently.  YAY. You will perhaps recall, about six weeks ago I ran over a coat hanger which nearly destroyed my trusty 9-year-old Kestrel road bike.  This prompted me to begin dreamin' Orca (getting a new bike), and I contemplated whether it was lust or love.  I then spent a week test riding new bikes, including a Cervélo, a Pinarello, a Felt and another Pinarello, and then ultimately decided it was lust and not love (i.e. I did not get a new bike). In the meantime I found RoadRunner Velo, a shop which said they could repair my Kestrel, and mailed off my bike to them.  And through blogging met Brenda Lyons, area rep for Kestrel, who introduced me to Kestrel's new bikes and got me thinking about buying one of them.  Turns out Kestrel are sponsoring the Rock Racing pro cycling team, who would be competing the in Tour of California, and I had a chance to oogle the new bikes (which are not available to consumers yet) while watching the Solvang Time Trials.  And somewhere in there I had a first date with an Orca, which didn't go as well as I'd hoped. Time will tell whether this repair is truly as strong and stiff as the original, but the early returns are really positive.  The bike felt exactly the way I remembered.  In fact in the course of riding so many other bikes I've become more aware of the various ways bikes differ, and I must tell you it was really great to be back on my bike.  The Kestrel has a soft fork, which makes for a cushy ride, and yet the bottom bracket and stays are stiff, which makes it accelerate quickly.  And it is light, so it is a great climber.  I really appreciate this machine. One thing I did notice: my time trial bars make for a really heavy handlebar; the steering [now] feels sluggish.  Perhaps it is time for a nice integrated carbon handlebar / TT bar setup.  It would be cool and way cheaper than a new bike :) So - I have my bike back, and I've learned a lot.  (And had a lot to blog about.)  And the story isn't quite finished, because there are still those new Kestrel RT900s coming out, and I plan to stay in touch with Brenda and ride one as soon as I can.  Who knows...  In the meantime I am excited; there is a 400K next weekend and yes I am planning to ride...  stay tuned! [Update Sunday 3/1/09: So I rode the bike again today, and really I have to say this repair is perfect.  The bike feels exactly the same, and the craftsmanship is wonderful; you have to look really close to even notice something was done.  And nobody who didn't know could ever tell that the dropout is not original equipment.  My hat is fully off to Edgar Chavez and his team at RoadRunner Velo!]

 

at the tour: Palomar Mountain!

Sunday,  02/22/09  10:35 PM

Today I visited the final stage of the Amgen Tour of California, which started in Rancho Bernardo and finished in Escondido, passing over mighty Mount Palomar in the process.  In all my time watching professional cycling races this might have been the best, even including the Vuelta stages in Spain. My day began early as I drove all the way around the back way to Lake Henshaw, parked, rode up the South Grade of Mount Palomar (took me an hour), stationed myself at the top, watched the riders come up the hill (took them 30 minutes), cheered as Jens Voigt and Levi crested the climb in first with a break of eight, then watched the peloton come through (over the course of about ten minutes), then rode down the East Grade of Palomar following the peloton back to Lake Henshaw, then got in my car and drove around the back way to Escondido, then parked just in time to run to the finish area and watch the race finish as Franck Schleck won.  And then hung around for the podium ceremony etc (watched on a jumbotron) and oogled the cool bikes and pretty girls. I took a bunch of pictures, please find them here: 2009 Amgen Tour of California, stage 8, Palomar mountain And following are some selected ones, for your viewing pleasure...  (click each to enbiggen) approaching Palomar from the back - because 76 will be closed my base - Lake Henshaw Resort the South Grade is closed!... ... but not for bikes - up we go! crowds line the entire route the higher we go, the thicker the crowds at 4,000' - just 1,200 left :) the views of the valley below are stunning snow - yikes! and even a snowman in a Livestrong jersey the KOM summit (not the top however) massive crowds - an amazing scene yay me! - at the KOM line and here's the real top of Palomar... plenty of snow at the top - and it is cold an amazing panorama from San Diego to Oceanside the Coronados, San Clemente Island, and Catalina are all visible (this one you really have to click to enbiggen) the peloton rides up the valley floor! there's a breakaway with eight riders they are charging up the hill at amazing speed the break reaches the summit four Saxo riders have Levi Leipheimer isolated, but he's right there up and over - four Saxos, Levi, a Liquigas rider, George Hincapie, and two Garmins Christian Vandevelde leads a chase group which includes Lance Armstrong the peloton is shattered and dribbles over the top Mr. Floyd Landis' group I was hoping he'd attached on his mountain, but he didn't have it I'm descending with the peloton! they soon drop me, but it was cool (and watch out for that snow runoff) descend to Lake Henshaw, hop in the car, take the back way to Escondido and here I am at the finishing corner! the finish line is a zoo! the stage results flash up on the jumbotron congratulations to Frank Schleck and Vincenzo Nibali almost won another Lance and Levi celebrate Levi wins his third consecutive Amgen Tour of California, pretty impressive and Lance is baack! And so Franck Schleck wins the stage, and Levi wins the GC overall for the third consecutive year.  This was by all accounts the most difficult, strongest, best attended Amgen Tour of the four, with strong momentum carrying it into next year.  What will we see?  Who knows.  I've even heard talk of making it two weeks - now that would be cool. One thing I really want to go back and mention is Floyd Landis.  Yeah, it was cool to see him back in the peloton, and yeah, he hasn't ridden competitively for two+ years and was a bit off form, and yeah, he definitely didn't have the strongest team.  But don't forget for one minute he is riding on an artificial hip!  I mean, how cool is that?  For a professional athlete to be in competition at the top of his sport with an artificial hip is amazing. All in all it was an amazing experience.  I've spent the last three days in full-on "cycling mode", I need to go back to normal now :)

 

at the Tour: Solvang Time Trial!

Friday,  02/20/09  09:52 PM

Today my friend Peter and I visited the Amgen Tour of California - the Solvang Time Trial.  Wow, how awesome! We had a great time, hung out in the town for a while, oogled the Kestrels used by the Rock Racing team, checked out the start house, and then rode the course, and stationed ourselves on the famous tight turn at Baseline and Refugio, and took pictures of all the riders as they came around the corner.  In a new innovation we chalked a ruler on the street and measured how wide each of the riders took the turn :)  After watching all the riders come through, we rode back into town just in time to watch Levi Leipheimer (the last rider since he was in first place) finish, winning the stage and extending his lead.  Then we hung out amongst all the vendor booths and checked out new bikes, hardware, riding clothes, and the various attractive representatives :)  A wonderful day! I took a bunch of pictures, please find them here: 2009 Amgen Tour of California, stage 6, Solvang Time Trial And following are some selected ones, for your viewing pleasure...  (click each to enbiggen): The streets fill up in the town of Solvang The Rock Racing compound Kestrel RT800s (not to be confused with RT900s) Man I really like these bikes.  I really really like them.  Really. In the starthouse, ready to go... Out on the course, the weather is PERFECT The fans are ready (OMG how cute) The sharp corner of Baseline and Refugio, where we were stationed and remembering my friend Daniel Jacoby who passed away from cancer in 2004 And we're under way! Freddy Rodriguez has a flat tire, but after a quick change, he's off... Floyd Landis is back!  (NB 2006 TOC winner) A huge crowd has gathered for the final riders David Zabriske, US TT champion, finished 2nd Lance Armstrong - the one and only Michael Rogers finished 3rd on the day Levi Leipheimer, started in yellow and won to extend his lead! The final scoreboard - Chris Horner "won" with the widest turn :) The finish line - with Levi on the podium A beautiful Orbea Orca - in red A Garmin Felt A Rabobank Giant me and the Liquigas girls All in all a pretty great day!  And so tomorrow we have stage 7, a reprise of last year's classic which finishes at the Rose Bowl, and then Sunday, stage 8 including the magnificent climb up Palomar mountain.  I intend to be there at the top - stay tuned!

 

the coldest ride

Saturday,  02/14/09  10:38 AM

Yesterday afternoon I rode the coldest ride I've ever ridden.  I started at about 4:00, and it was already cold, but by the time I'd finished two hours later it was literally freezing. the Decker wall - that's 18%, baby Mulholland and Encinal - the meeting of the ways top of Encinal - high point and cold point that's 35o baby, brrr... Why do I do this?  Why does anyone?  Who knows?

 

riding Palomar

Saturday,  01/31/09  11:17 PM

Today was probably the most beautiful in the history of time.  My friend, colleague, and fellow cyclist Peter Rogan, based in London, flew out for Aperio's annual sales meeting, which meant we did our annual pilgrimage up Mount Palomar.  We began at Lake Henshaw, rode the 10 miles to the base of the South Grade, and then blew up the hill;  3,000' at 7% with 23 switchbacks up to 5,500', just like Alpe d'Huez.  We had chili at Mother's (of course), visited the most excellent Palomar Observatory (of course), and then descended the beautiful East Grade back down to Lake Henshaw.  Overall about 40 miles and about 4,000' of climbing, and as I said on a perfect day. Not only is this an excellent ride, but it will be featured in the upcoming Tour of California, as the biggest baddest climb in the middle of the final stage.  Should be a great spectating opportunity; yes of course I will be there, stay tuned. Some pics from the ride: Peter is ready - Mount Palomar awaits... The start of the South Grade climb.  7% for 7 miles.  No breaks. 2/3 of the way...  the climb goes on and on and on... Amazing views on a perfect day - the Coronado Islands can be seen! Made it!  at Mother's...  we are here on the Tour of California stage map. Yes, there was snow on the backside, despite 75o sun on the front! Same as it ever was - the Palomar Observatory.  Love it.

 

2009 California cycling schedule

Sunday,  01/18/09  10:08 PM

I just received an email from Chuck Bramwell, the über-meister of the California Triple Crown, and the 2009 schedule of events has been posted.  Those are all Double Centuries, there is also a smattering of Centuries and Ultra-Centuries.  So in the public interest, here is...  (the yellow divider is "now"; I actually rode the events in green above this line, and I intend to ride the events in green below the line.) The 2009 California cycling calendar updated 10/18/09 date event distance elevation location 01/10/09 PCH Randos 200K Brevet 124 3,000 Ventura 01/17/09 Stagecoach Century 100 4,700 Ocotillo 01/24/08 Janus Century day 1+2 2 x 100 Thousand Oaks 02/07/08 PCH Randos 300K Brevet 185 7,200 Ventura 02/08/09 Breakaway from cancer 50 Thousand Oaks 02/21/09 Camino Real Double*+ 200 8,800 Irvine 02/28/09 Death Valley Spring Double* 200 9,000 Death Valley 03/14/09 Solvang Spring Century 100 5,000 Solvang 03/28/09 Solvang Spring Double*+ 200 7,200 Solvang 04/04/09 Spring Stagecoach Century 100 4,700 Ocotillo 04/11/09 Mulholland Double*+ 200 16,470 Calabasas 04/11/09 Mulholland Challenge** 109 12,000 Calabasas 04/11/09 Midnight Express 50 7,000 Acton 04/18/09 Devil Mountain Double* 200 18,600 San Ramon 04/25/08 SLOBC Wildflower Ride 100 6,500 San Luis Obispo 05/02/09 Breathless Agony** 114 12,000 Redlands 05/09/09 Cruising the Conejo 100 6,000 Thousand Oaks 05/09/09 Central Coast Double* 200 14,000 Paso Robles 05/16/09 Encinitas Bicycle Tour 103   Encinitas 05/16/09 Davis Double* 200 8,400 Davis 05/23/09 Heartbreak Double*+ 202 15,500 Palmdale 05/23/09 Heartbreak Hundred** 100 8,500 Palmdale (part of Double) 05/30/09 Ojai Valley Century 100 5,000 Ojai 06/06/09 Eastern Sierra Double*+ 200 12,000 Bishop 06/13/09 Alta Alpina Challenge* 200 20,300 Markleeville 06/20/09 Terrible Two Double* 200 16,480 Sebastopol 06/27/09 Grand Tour Double* 200 8,500 Malibu 07/11/09 Death Ride 129 15,000 Markleeville 08/01/09 Mount Tam Double* 200 14,500 San Rafael 08/15/09 Cool Breeze Double Metric 128 8,500 Ventura 09/05/09 Son of Death Ride 132 19,000 Ridgecrest 09/12/09 High Sierra Century 100 5,500 Mammoth 09/12/09 Everest Challenge 2 - 206 29,000 Bishop 09/19/09 Knoxville Double* 200 12,600 Vacaville 09/26/09 White Mountain Double* 200 10,700 Bishop 09/27/09 Lighthouse Century 100 4,700 San Luis Obispo 10/03/09 Furnace Creek 508 2 - 508 35,000 Valencia - Twentynine Palms 10/03/09 Angeles Crest Century 100 11,000 La Canada 10/03/09 Hemet Double* 200 7,800 Hemet 10/10/09 Bass Lass Powerhouse Double* 200 11,700 Clovis 10/17/09 Solvang Autumn Double*+ 200 10,300 Solvang 10/18/09 New Moon Century 100 6,500 Oak Park 10/24/09 Death Valley Fall Double* 200 9,100 Death Valley   11/07/09 Borrego Ordeal Double* 200 14,900 Anza Borrego 11/14/09 Solvang Fall Century 100 4,900 Solvang * - part of California Triple Crown series (need three or five) - currently have five - did it!... ** - part of King of the Mountains series (need all three) - and got all of them! *+ - part of Grand Slam series (need four) - currently have five- did it!... You're welcome!  I will try to keep this up-to-date, if you have additions or corrections, please let me know...

 

riding the Stagecoach

Saturday,  01/17/09  08:30 PM

More cylo-blogging; today I rode in the Stagecoach Century in Ocotillo, CA.  (That's East of San Diego, in the desert near Mexico.)  It was a wonderful event, if any of you ever want to try it I totally recommend it.  Great organization, good SAG everywhere, and a really nice ride surrounded by desert beauty.  Oh, and the weather was perfect, thanks to the organizers for arranging that! I have to give a HUGE thank you to Peter Simons for the loan of his wonderful Trek Madone; in the wake of my weird disaster I am temporarily bikeless.  The more I ride it the more getting a new bike is getting mental traction :) The Stagecoach Century is an out-and-back, so you can pick your distance; some people did 26 miles (turnaround at 13 mile stop), some 50 miles (turnaround at 25), some 90, and some 100.  There’s 4,700’ of climbing if you go the distance.  There were about 1,000 people total but it never felt crowded. the route profile - steady up on the way out, steady down back And here for your viewing pleasure, some pictures from the ride... mile 1: sun just up over Imperial Highway, 100 miles to go mile 10: blasting along the desert at 26mph mile 20: I pick up a nice paceline mile 40: cresting a climb (wild descent to follow!) mile 50: at the turnaround with my impromptu team mile 65: heading back down as riders still coming up mile 97: at the finish! Overall it took me 5:30 of riding time and 5:45 elapsed.  I think I was around the 12th to finish, yay me.  That is the first time I've ever ridden a century in under 6 hours elapsed; must have been the pacelines I was able to join and the stops I didn't make :) I have to relate a particularly delicious moment.  Towards the end I'm riding in a paceline with eight other riders, all strong, we're flying along, and at 15 miles to go we get to the last climb (see the route profile above).  It's about 500' at about 8%, enough to blow up the paceline.  A few guys attack and go up the road, the rest of us settle into a climbing pace.  I find my rhythm and start grinding people down.  One by one I move through my pack, and then pick up each of the attackers.  I get to the summit with a decent lead, and now we have 10 miles downhill to the finish.  Can I hang on?  I descend madly and power along the final straight into Ocotillo, and beat the next guy in by over two minutes.  It was great. And so now I can watch football tomorrow, and eat to my heart's content...

 

dreamin' Orca

Thursday,  01/15/09  03:13 PM

So in the wake of my weird disaster I am pursuing having my Kestrel EMS 200 repaired, and that might be possible, but I am also bike shopping (!) and find myself dreamin' Orca: Isn't it beautiful?  This is the Orbea Orca, a 15.4lb carbon bike, with top of the line Shimano Dura Ace components, Mavic Ksyrium wheels, the works...   (specs at right)  ... oh and did I mention it's beautiful...  you don't see too many of these on the road.  And Samuel Sanchez won the Beijing gold medal on one of these, it is a serious performance bike. Is this love or am I dreamin', is this the one, that I've been searching for?

 

my weird disaster

Monday,  01/12/09  09:53 PM

I had a weird disaster today; a stray coat hanger may have destroyed my bike =O  Pull up a chair and grab a cold one, and I'll tell the tale... So there I was, near the end of one of my usual rides, a little 28-mile jaunt around Thousand Oaks, and I'm cruising around 20mph, and I run over a coat hanger.  (Actually I thought it was a stick.)  I hear it sort of banging around in my back wheel, and suddenly the back wheel stops spinning.  I fishtail to a stop, look down, and see that my rear derailleur has torn off the back of the bike, and is now dangling from the chain just behind my bottom bracket.  Closer inspection reveals the coat hanger wrapped around my back axle, inside the chain, and also intertwined with the chain and the derailleur.  Must have gotten sucked in there in just the wrong way so as to cause maximum damage.  What a freak accident, I could run over that same coat hanger 1,000 times and not have anything happen.  Weird. So I had to be rescued by my daughter Jordan - the bike was not capable of forward movement :( - and once I got home it took me 45 minutes to cut the coat hanger free and assess the damage.  The derailleur is most likely irreparable (see pic at left), too bad, since it is original equipment on this 10-year-old bike, and has seen about 40,000 miles, but not a disaster.  The really bad thing is that the back tang of the frame to which the derailleur attaches is badly mangled (see pic above).  The tang is a piece of aluminum which is bonded into the frame, and I'm afraid the frame itself will have to be repaired to replace the tang.  That means carbon fiber work. The rest of the rig seems to have survived; the wheel is undamaged, the cassette looks okay, and the chain looks okay (although it was tweaked rather severely and I'll probably replace it when I replace the derailleur).  But I no longer have a working bike, and the frame repair is going to be expensive and time consuming if it can even be done.  Worst case, I may be looking at buying a whole new bike.  Yuck. Not only would buying a new bike be expensive, but I love my bike.  Oh well, it is what it is... stay tuned for updates.  And watch out for coat hangers on the road! [Update: Well, all's well that ends well; this story has a happy ending, and there's a lot to it; please click through to weird disaster recovery for links to all of it...]

 

PCH 200K

Sunday,  01/11/09  10:51 AM

Yesterday I rode the PCH Randonneurs 200K, kicking off the riding season.  It was a flat course, started in Ventura and down the coast to Malibu and back, and then up the coast to Montecito and back.  In the morning it was super windy, making things a bit "interesting", but the wind died off during the day and it ended up being gorgeous. mile 15: sunrise over Mugu rock mile 20: Pacific scene mile 35: first turnaround: Starbucks at Trancas Canyon mile 40: self-portrait mile 45: this place will host 100s of bikers later mile 50: Team Astana out for a training ride! mile 75: Ventura checkpoint; feeling good mile 90: surf's up: California in January mile 110: the freeway in Carpinteria mile 125: Rincon Beach For the record it took me 7:07 riding time for 125 miles (200K), an average of 17.5mph; not bad considering the wind.  Oh, and I finished third!  (Two guys on recumbants beat me; I never even saw them.) Next up: The Stagecoach Century in Ocotillo, next weekend.  Should be fun...

 

cycle log

Friday,  01/02/09  08:18 PM

I didn't ride yesterday; too busy eating and partying and watching football, but in 2008 overall I did manage 206 rides for a total of 7,577 miles.  That's an average of 37 miles per ride, and 146 miles per week.  Yay, me. Looked at another way, that's about ten hours of riding per week, which is about 7,000 calories, or about 1,000 calories per day... I'm pretty sure I could never get that much exercise any other way.  I had to find something I liked to do - anyway - and in so doing trick myself into getting a workout.  Cycling is not for everyone, some people like to run, or swim, or whatever...  one thing for sure, it beats walking to the 'fridge :)