Training Log Archive: PGIn the 1 days ending Sep 22, 2017:
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Friday Sep 22, 2017 #
2 PM
biking - dark blue bike 1:51:36 14.1 mi (7:55 / mi) +1716ft 7:06 / mi
ahr:120 max:153 weight:137lbs
Well, this ride ended up different than expected.
I was tired from yesterday, but also intrigued by experiences this week on some rough stuff and how it seemed my blue bike (an "adventure" bike, good tires, decent low gear, disc brakes, but no shocks) was handling much better than I remember my mountain bike doing.
So I thought I would ride a loop I've ridden a few times on the MTB, and see how I did in places where I knew I'd had trouble.
Didn't want to start by climbing right up Claybrook, so I looped around by the Town Park and then headed up North Mt and then over to the gate at the start of the jeep road going up Mt. Toby. Did that whole section rather well, no falls, no need to get off, not really even close to not making anything. The blue bike really is better.
And meanwhile I had some time to think about Phil's attempt to goad me into trying the ride up the jeep trail to the top. Far from the first time for such behavior, on his part and also on mine. :-)
This time I figured I was smart enough to not take the bait, not getting hurt the main priority, but I was still intrigued. Most of the jeep trail is stuff I can handle, or at least I thought I could, but I didn't think I could get up the steep section lower down (a little after the Power Line Power Climb starts), and I was sure I couldn't get up the steep and rocky section up towards the top (after the hairpin).
But I thought, I'm here, let's just go try the first steep section. Or at least let's take a look at it, see how steep it really is.
So I rode over to it, and it looked steep, but also pretty short, and I thought I could get up it. And so up I went, and the tires kept their grip, and with the use of a few of my daily reserve of extra watts, the next thing I knew I was up.
Well, shit, now I had to keep going. The middle section is just a long slog, rocky in places, OK in places. Legs were getting tired. Finally got to the base of the last steep. Maybe a couple of hundred yards long. But the lower part is full of loose rock, with no line that offered much hope of success.
Started anyway, got 10 or 20 yards, it was quickly clear I wasn't going to get much farther, managed to unclip and get a foot down without taking a tumble. Rather pleased with myself.
Except now, well, while I was slogging up the middle section I'd had time to think, and plenty of time to look at my watch, and I knew Phil had taken 35:xx (without hauling an extra 23 pounds of bike like I was, though he does seem to be hauling 14 extra pounds around his middle). And my time seemed to be shaping up such that even with a hike-a-bike I could still get inside 35. But I couldn't dawdle.
And so hike-ab-bike it was. Took about ten steps for my butt to complain, but in the heat of competition you ignore such things. Partway up the steep section it looked like the rest was something I could ride, but I didn't want to press my luck. Eventually hopped back on and pretty soon was at the fire tower, 32;22, very pleased.
And then back down, shocks would have been really nice. Hard on the brakes most of the time and bouncing all over the place and not really enjoying it. 17:52.
The rest of the intended loop to get back home has a bunch more rough stuff, but I said the hell with it, came back very happily on the roads, downhill or a tailwind all the way.
I was tired from yesterday, but also intrigued by experiences this week on some rough stuff and how it seemed my blue bike (an "adventure" bike, good tires, decent low gear, disc brakes, but no shocks) was handling much better than I remember my mountain bike doing.
So I thought I would ride a loop I've ridden a few times on the MTB, and see how I did in places where I knew I'd had trouble.
Didn't want to start by climbing right up Claybrook, so I looped around by the Town Park and then headed up North Mt and then over to the gate at the start of the jeep road going up Mt. Toby. Did that whole section rather well, no falls, no need to get off, not really even close to not making anything. The blue bike really is better.
And meanwhile I had some time to think about Phil's attempt to goad me into trying the ride up the jeep trail to the top. Far from the first time for such behavior, on his part and also on mine. :-)
This time I figured I was smart enough to not take the bait, not getting hurt the main priority, but I was still intrigued. Most of the jeep trail is stuff I can handle, or at least I thought I could, but I didn't think I could get up the steep section lower down (a little after the Power Line Power Climb starts), and I was sure I couldn't get up the steep and rocky section up towards the top (after the hairpin).
But I thought, I'm here, let's just go try the first steep section. Or at least let's take a look at it, see how steep it really is.
So I rode over to it, and it looked steep, but also pretty short, and I thought I could get up it. And so up I went, and the tires kept their grip, and with the use of a few of my daily reserve of extra watts, the next thing I knew I was up.
Well, shit, now I had to keep going. The middle section is just a long slog, rocky in places, OK in places. Legs were getting tired. Finally got to the base of the last steep. Maybe a couple of hundred yards long. But the lower part is full of loose rock, with no line that offered much hope of success.
Started anyway, got 10 or 20 yards, it was quickly clear I wasn't going to get much farther, managed to unclip and get a foot down without taking a tumble. Rather pleased with myself.
Except now, well, while I was slogging up the middle section I'd had time to think, and plenty of time to look at my watch, and I knew Phil had taken 35:xx (without hauling an extra 23 pounds of bike like I was, though he does seem to be hauling 14 extra pounds around his middle). And my time seemed to be shaping up such that even with a hike-a-bike I could still get inside 35. But I couldn't dawdle.
And so hike-ab-bike it was. Took about ten steps for my butt to complain, but in the heat of competition you ignore such things. Partway up the steep section it looked like the rest was something I could ride, but I didn't want to press my luck. Eventually hopped back on and pretty soon was at the fire tower, 32;22, very pleased.
And then back down, shocks would have been really nice. Hard on the brakes most of the time and bouncing all over the place and not really enjoying it. 17:52.
The rest of the intended loop to get back home has a bunch more rough stuff, but I said the hell with it, came back very happily on the roads, downhill or a tailwind all the way.
C • Toby 4