Why don't more ride early evening?

[Mike Jacoubowsky]

As things wind down a bit with shorter summer (actually fall) days and a
realization that I can't ditch the family every Sunday for an all-day ride
somewhere, I've taken to doing the "family thing" (church, chores, time with
the kids, that sort of thing) at the start of the day, which pretty much
kills prime riding time. The temptation is to just give up on the idea of
getting in a nice bike ride, but the past couple of weeks I've decided,
fairly late in the day, that there was still time to get out there.

And what a great time to ride! Leaving at 3pm you can still get in a 3-hour
ride, and, at least in the SF Bay Area, the weather's really nice at that
time of day, and it seems like there are fewer cars out on the road. And
there's something about the lighting you get when the sun's not overhead
that makes everything just pop out at you. Not to mention watching the sun
descend over the ocean from Skyline (Highway 35).

The question is, why does it seem like I'm the only cyclist out there? When
I ride in the mornings, I see a zillion other cyclists, but very, very few
in the late afternoons. If you've never ridden a late afternoon ride at
this time of the year, I highly recommend that you do. But do it quickly;
the sun's at just the right angle now, and it's still warm enough to ride
without all manner of cold-weather gear.

--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles
www.ChainReactionBicycles.com

[John Michaels]

Hey, Mike, you are spoiling our secret. Let them freeze in the morning.
I actually saw quite a few folks out today as I rode between 3 and 6:30.

Mike Jacoubowsky wrote:

> As things wind down a bit with shorter summer (actually fall) days and a
> realization that I can't ditch the family every Sunday for an all-day ride
> somewhere, I've taken to doing the "family thing" (church, chores, time with
> the kids, that sort of thing) at the start of the day, which pretty much
> kills prime riding time. The temptation is to just give up on the idea of
> getting in a nice bike ride, but the past couple of weeks I've decided,
> fairly late in the day, that there was still time to get out there.
>
> And what a great time to ride! Leaving at 3pm you can still get in a 3-hour
> ride, and, at least in the SF Bay Area, the weather's really nice at that
> time of day, and it seems like there are fewer cars out on the road. And
> there's something about the lighting you get when the sun's not overhead
> that makes everything just pop out at you. Not to mention watching the sun
> descend over the ocean from Skyline (Highway 35).
>
> The question is, why does it seem like I'm the only cyclist out there? When
> I ride in the mornings, I see a zillion other cyclists, but very, very few
> in the late afternoons. If you've never ridden a late afternoon ride at
> this time of the year, I highly recommend that you do. But do it quickly;
> the sun's at just the right angle now, and it's still warm enough to ride
> without all manner of cold-weather gear.
>
> --Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles
> www.ChainReactionBicycles.com
>
>
>

[John Michaels]

Hey, Mike, you are spoiling our secret. Let them freeze in the morning.
I actually saw quite a few folks out today as I rode between 3 and 6:30.

Mike Jacoubowsky wrote:

> As things wind down a bit with shorter summer (actually fall) days and a
> realization that I can't ditch the family every Sunday for an all-day ride
> somewhere, I've taken to doing the "family thing" (church, chores, time with
> the kids, that sort of thing) at the start of the day, which pretty much
> kills prime riding time. The temptation is to just give up on the idea of
> getting in a nice bike ride, but the past couple of weeks I've decided,
> fairly late in the day, that there was still time to get out there.
>
> And what a great time to ride! Leaving at 3pm you can still get in a 3-hour
> ride, and, at least in the SF Bay Area, the weather's really nice at that
> time of day, and it seems like there are fewer cars out on the road. And
> there's something about the lighting you get when the sun's not overhead
> that makes everything just pop out at you. Not to mention watching the sun
> descend over the ocean from Skyline (Highway 35).
>
> The question is, why does it seem like I'm the only cyclist out there? When
> I ride in the mornings, I see a zillion other cyclists, but very, very few
> in the late afternoons. If you've never ridden a late afternoon ride at
> this time of the year, I highly recommend that you do. But do it quickly;
> the sun's at just the right angle now, and it's still warm enough to ride
> without all manner of cold-weather gear.
>
> --Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles
> www.ChainReactionBicycles.com
>
>
>

[John Michaels]

Hey, Mike, you are spoiling our secret. Let them freeze in the morning.
I actually saw quite a few folks out today as I rode between 3 and 6:30.

Mike Jacoubowsky wrote:

> As things wind down a bit with shorter summer (actually fall) days and a
> realization that I can't ditch the family every Sunday for an all-day ride
> somewhere, I've taken to doing the "family thing" (church, chores, time with
> the kids, that sort of thing) at the start of the day, which pretty much
> kills prime riding time. The temptation is to just give up on the idea of
> getting in a nice bike ride, but the past couple of weeks I've decided,
> fairly late in the day, that there was still time to get out there.
>
> And what a great time to ride! Leaving at 3pm you can still get in a 3-hour
> ride, and, at least in the SF Bay Area, the weather's really nice at that
> time of day, and it seems like there are fewer cars out on the road. And
> there's something about the lighting you get when the sun's not overhead
> that makes everything just pop out at you. Not to mention watching the sun
> descend over the ocean from Skyline (Highway 35).
>
> The question is, why does it seem like I'm the only cyclist out there? When
> I ride in the mornings, I see a zillion other cyclists, but very, very few
> in the late afternoons. If you've never ridden a late afternoon ride at
> this time of the year, I highly recommend that you do. But do it quickly;
> the sun's at just the right angle now, and it's still warm enough to ride
> without all manner of cold-weather gear.
>
> --Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles
> www.ChainReactionBicycles.com
>
>
>

[Tim McNamara]

I almost always ride in late afternoon Monday through Friday because
it's easier than trying to get out before work. I tend to start
riding late morning to midday on the weekends because I am too lazy to
get out of bed for a bike ride at 7:0) AM on a weekend.

[Tim McNamara]

I almost always ride in late afternoon Monday through Friday because
it's easier than trying to get out before work. I tend to start
riding late morning to midday on the weekends because I am too lazy to
get out of bed for a bike ride at 7:0) AM on a weekend.

[Tim McNamara]

I almost always ride in late afternoon Monday through Friday because
it's easier than trying to get out before work. I tend to start
riding late morning to midday on the weekends because I am too lazy to
get out of bed for a bike ride at 7:0) AM on a weekend.

[Mike Jacoubowsky]

> _ You should try it in June, July and August. I don't know why,
> but it seems like the number of people out and about near Sand
> Hill has dropped dramatically in the last couple weeks.

I've noticed that myself. It's not as if the weather isn't still great for
riding, but maybe that's the problem around here... maybe (some) people get
bored of riding after a while, and need a break.

I cannot relate to such thinking, by the way. I ride year-round, every
Tuesday & Thursday morning, regardless of the weather. Makes for some
interesting rides sometimes! Realistically, I get in maybe 20
seriously-rainy rides/year. Which reminds me that it's time to get out the
rain bike and make sure it's rideable again, darn. I don't mind riding in
the rain, but I do mind riding the rain bike. Just nowhere near as fun as
my 5900.

--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles
www.ChainReactionBicycles.com

[Mike Jacoubowsky]

> _ You should try it in June, July and August. I don't know why,
> but it seems like the number of people out and about near Sand
> Hill has dropped dramatically in the last couple weeks.

I've noticed that myself. It's not as if the weather isn't still great for
riding, but maybe that's the problem around here... maybe (some) people get
bored of riding after a while, and need a break.

I cannot relate to such thinking, by the way. I ride year-round, every
Tuesday & Thursday morning, regardless of the weather. Makes for some
interesting rides sometimes! Realistically, I get in maybe 20
seriously-rainy rides/year. Which reminds me that it's time to get out the
rain bike and make sure it's rideable again, darn. I don't mind riding in
the rain, but I do mind riding the rain bike. Just nowhere near as fun as
my 5900.

--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles
www.ChainReactionBicycles.com

[Mike Jacoubowsky]

> _ You should try it in June, July and August. I don't know why,
> but it seems like the number of people out and about near Sand
> Hill has dropped dramatically in the last couple weeks.

I've noticed that myself. It's not as if the weather isn't still great for
riding, but maybe that's the problem around here... maybe (some) people get
bored of riding after a while, and need a break.

I cannot relate to such thinking, by the way. I ride year-round, every
Tuesday & Thursday morning, regardless of the weather. Makes for some
interesting rides sometimes! Realistically, I get in maybe 20
seriously-rainy rides/year. Which reminds me that it's time to get out the
rain bike and make sure it's rideable again, darn. I don't mind riding in
the rain, but I do mind riding the rain bike. Just nowhere near as fun as
my 5900.

--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles
www.ChainReactionBicycles.com

[Booker C. Bense]

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----

In article >,
Mike Jacoubowsky > wrote:

> Realistically, I get in maybe 20
>seriously-rainy rides/year. Which reminds me that it's time to get out the
>rain bike and make sure it's rideable again, darn. I don't mind riding in
>the rain, but I do mind riding the rain bike. Just nowhere near as fun as
>my 5900.
>

_ Why can't you ride a carbon bike in the rain? No room for fenders or
what?

_ Sneak a Poprad off the shop floor and get some mud in your
teeth. I look forward to the rain and mud...

_ Booker C. Bense

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[Booker C. Bense]

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----

In article >,
Mike Jacoubowsky > wrote:

> Realistically, I get in maybe 20
>seriously-rainy rides/year. Which reminds me that it's time to get out the
>rain bike and make sure it's rideable again, darn. I don't mind riding in
>the rain, but I do mind riding the rain bike. Just nowhere near as fun as
>my 5900.
>

_ Why can't you ride a carbon bike in the rain? No room for fenders or
what?

_ Sneak a Poprad off the shop floor and get some mud in your
teeth. I look forward to the rain and mud...

_ Booker C. Bense

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[Booker C. Bense]

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----

In article >,
Mike Jacoubowsky > wrote:

> Realistically, I get in maybe 20
>seriously-rainy rides/year. Which reminds me that it's time to get out the
>rain bike and make sure it's rideable again, darn. I don't mind riding in
>the rain, but I do mind riding the rain bike. Just nowhere near as fun as
>my 5900.
>

_ Why can't you ride a carbon bike in the rain? No room for fenders or
what?

_ Sneak a Poprad off the shop floor and get some mud in your
teeth. I look forward to the rain and mud...

_ Booker C. Bense

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[Matt O'Toole]

Mike Jacoubowsky wrote:

> As things wind down a bit with shorter summer (actually fall) days
> and a realization that I can't ditch the family every Sunday for an
> all-day ride somewhere, I've taken to doing the "family thing"
> (church, chores, time with the kids, that sort of thing) at the start
> of the day, which pretty much kills prime riding time. The
> temptation is to just give up on the idea of getting in a nice bike
> ride, but the past couple of weeks I've decided, fairly late in the
> day, that there was still time to get out there.
>
> And what a great time to ride! Leaving at 3pm you can still get in a
> 3-hour ride, and, at least in the SF Bay Area, the weather's really
> nice at that time of day, and it seems like there are fewer cars out
> on the road. And there's something about the lighting you get when
> the sun's not overhead that makes everything just pop out at you.
> Not to mention watching the sun descend over the ocean from Skyline
> (Highway 35).
>
> The question is, why does it seem like I'm the only cyclist out
> there? When I ride in the mornings, I see a zillion other cyclists,
> but very, very few in the late afternoons. If you've never ridden a
> late afternoon ride at this time of the year, I highly recommend that
> you do. But do it quickly; the sun's at just the right angle now,
> and it's still warm enough to ride without all manner of cold-weather
> gear.

Good question, Mike. That's always been my ride time -- just before sundown.
In fact many of my MTB rides used to end in the dark.

It's just a good time of day for me, both physically and mentally. Not to
mention work schedule. I get more out of it physically because I'm so much less
stiff than I am in the morning. Also, it helps relieve the stress that's built
up during the day, leaving me fresh for an evening of more work. :-)

One thing to watch out for is riding commuter roads into a setting sun.
Harried, inattentive drivers with sun in their eyes can be a serious hazard.
This time of year, another hazard is getting caught out (mechanical breakdown,
etc.) with temperatures dropping, and not enough clothes on.

Other than that, it works for me. Speaking of which, I'm going riding -- it's
two hours until sunset.

Matt O.

[Matt O'Toole]

Mike Jacoubowsky wrote:

> As things wind down a bit with shorter summer (actually fall) days
> and a realization that I can't ditch the family every Sunday for an
> all-day ride somewhere, I've taken to doing the "family thing"
> (church, chores, time with the kids, that sort of thing) at the start
> of the day, which pretty much kills prime riding time. The
> temptation is to just give up on the idea of getting in a nice bike
> ride, but the past couple of weeks I've decided, fairly late in the
> day, that there was still time to get out there.
>
> And what a great time to ride! Leaving at 3pm you can still get in a
> 3-hour ride, and, at least in the SF Bay Area, the weather's really
> nice at that time of day, and it seems like there are fewer cars out
> on the road. And there's something about the lighting you get when
> the sun's not overhead that makes everything just pop out at you.
> Not to mention watching the sun descend over the ocean from Skyline
> (Highway 35).
>
> The question is, why does it seem like I'm the only cyclist out
> there? When I ride in the mornings, I see a zillion other cyclists,
> but very, very few in the late afternoons. If you've never ridden a
> late afternoon ride at this time of the year, I highly recommend that
> you do. But do it quickly; the sun's at just the right angle now,
> and it's still warm enough to ride without all manner of cold-weather
> gear.

Good question, Mike. That's always been my ride time -- just before sundown.
In fact many of my MTB rides used to end in the dark.

It's just a good time of day for me, both physically and mentally. Not to
mention work schedule. I get more out of it physically because I'm so much less
stiff than I am in the morning. Also, it helps relieve the stress that's built
up during the day, leaving me fresh for an evening of more work. :-)

One thing to watch out for is riding commuter roads into a setting sun.
Harried, inattentive drivers with sun in their eyes can be a serious hazard.
This time of year, another hazard is getting caught out (mechanical breakdown,
etc.) with temperatures dropping, and not enough clothes on.

Other than that, it works for me. Speaking of which, I'm going riding -- it's
two hours until sunset.

Matt O.

[Matt O'Toole]

Mike Jacoubowsky wrote:

> As things wind down a bit with shorter summer (actually fall) days
> and a realization that I can't ditch the family every Sunday for an
> all-day ride somewhere, I've taken to doing the "family thing"
> (church, chores, time with the kids, that sort of thing) at the start
> of the day, which pretty much kills prime riding time. The
> temptation is to just give up on the idea of getting in a nice bike
> ride, but the past couple of weeks I've decided, fairly late in the
> day, that there was still time to get out there.
>
> And what a great time to ride! Leaving at 3pm you can still get in a
> 3-hour ride, and, at least in the SF Bay Area, the weather's really
> nice at that time of day, and it seems like there are fewer cars out
> on the road. And there's something about the lighting you get when
> the sun's not overhead that makes everything just pop out at you.
> Not to mention watching the sun descend over the ocean from Skyline
> (Highway 35).
>
> The question is, why does it seem like I'm the only cyclist out
> there? When I ride in the mornings, I see a zillion other cyclists,
> but very, very few in the late afternoons. If you've never ridden a
> late afternoon ride at this time of the year, I highly recommend that
> you do. But do it quickly; the sun's at just the right angle now,
> and it's still warm enough to ride without all manner of cold-weather
> gear.

Good question, Mike. That's always been my ride time -- just before sundown.
In fact many of my MTB rides used to end in the dark.

It's just a good time of day for me, both physically and mentally. Not to
mention work schedule. I get more out of it physically because I'm so much less
stiff than I am in the morning. Also, it helps relieve the stress that's built
up during the day, leaving me fresh for an evening of more work. :-)

One thing to watch out for is riding commuter roads into a setting sun.
Harried, inattentive drivers with sun in their eyes can be a serious hazard.
This time of year, another hazard is getting caught out (mechanical breakdown,
etc.) with temperatures dropping, and not enough clothes on.

Other than that, it works for me. Speaking of which, I'm going riding -- it's
two hours until sunset.

Matt O.

[Mike Jacoubowsky/Chain Reaction Bicycles]

> _ Why can't you ride a carbon bike in the rain? No room for fenders or
> what?

My 5900 works quite well with the SKS "Blade" fenders, but there's so much
cleanup involved after a serious rain ride, and there's no question that
your drivetrain (and most other parts) wears out a whole lot faster than in
dry conditions. Given the choice of wearing out cheaper parts on a cheaper
bike during less-than-ideal conditions, it makes sense to leave the 5900 at
home.
>
> _ Sneak a Poprad off the shop floor and get some mud in your
> teeth. I look forward to the rain and mud...

I seriously considered that (actually, I was going to use the TREK X0 cross
bike), but then I got to thinking about my '72 Cinelli sitting in the
garage, gathering dust, accumulating rust, and generally feeling neglected &
sad. Hadn't been ridden in over 15 years. So I fixed that up as my rain
bike. Almost all stock equipment from the 70s (Nuovo Record front & rear
derailleurs & shifters and hubs, but modern clincher rims instead of Fiamme
Reds or Yellows). It's kinda fun to get out on it, but the appeal of retro
is dramatically over-rated. It doesn't perform nearly as well as a modern
bike. Brakes & shifting, in particular, suffer greatly in comparison.
Truth be told, I did install a dual-pivot front brake so I had some stopping
power in the rain (the originals were Weinmann 500s).

--Mike Jacoubowsky
Chain Reaction Bicycles
www.ChainReaction.com
IMBA, BikesBelong, NBDA member

[Mike Jacoubowsky/Chain Reaction Bicycles]

> _ Why can't you ride a carbon bike in the rain? No room for fenders or
> what?

My 5900 works quite well with the SKS "Blade" fenders, but there's so much
cleanup involved after a serious rain ride, and there's no question that
your drivetrain (and most other parts) wears out a whole lot faster than in
dry conditions. Given the choice of wearing out cheaper parts on a cheaper
bike during less-than-ideal conditions, it makes sense to leave the 5900 at
home.
>
> _ Sneak a Poprad off the shop floor and get some mud in your
> teeth. I look forward to the rain and mud...

I seriously considered that (actually, I was going to use the TREK X0 cross
bike), but then I got to thinking about my '72 Cinelli sitting in the
garage, gathering dust, accumulating rust, and generally feeling neglected &
sad. Hadn't been ridden in over 15 years. So I fixed that up as my rain
bike. Almost all stock equipment from the 70s (Nuovo Record front & rear
derailleurs & shifters and hubs, but modern clincher rims instead of Fiamme
Reds or Yellows). It's kinda fun to get out on it, but the appeal of retro
is dramatically over-rated. It doesn't perform nearly as well as a modern
bike. Brakes & shifting, in particular, suffer greatly in comparison.
Truth be told, I did install a dual-pivot front brake so I had some stopping
power in the rain (the originals were Weinmann 500s).

--Mike Jacoubowsky
Chain Reaction Bicycles
www.ChainReaction.com
IMBA, BikesBelong, NBDA member

[Mike Jacoubowsky/Chain Reaction Bicycles]

> _ Why can't you ride a carbon bike in the rain? No room for fenders or
> what?

My 5900 works quite well with the SKS "Blade" fenders, but there's so much
cleanup involved after a serious rain ride, and there's no question that
your drivetrain (and most other parts) wears out a whole lot faster than in
dry conditions. Given the choice of wearing out cheaper parts on a cheaper
bike during less-than-ideal conditions, it makes sense to leave the 5900 at
home.
>
> _ Sneak a Poprad off the shop floor and get some mud in your
> teeth. I look forward to the rain and mud...

I seriously considered that (actually, I was going to use the TREK X0 cross
bike), but then I got to thinking about my '72 Cinelli sitting in the
garage, gathering dust, accumulating rust, and generally feeling neglected &
sad. Hadn't been ridden in over 15 years. So I fixed that up as my rain
bike. Almost all stock equipment from the 70s (Nuovo Record front & rear
derailleurs & shifters and hubs, but modern clincher rims instead of Fiamme
Reds or Yellows). It's kinda fun to get out on it, but the appeal of retro
is dramatically over-rated. It doesn't perform nearly as well as a modern
bike. Brakes & shifting, in particular, suffer greatly in comparison.
Truth be told, I did install a dual-pivot front brake so I had some stopping
power in the rain (the originals were Weinmann 500s).

--Mike Jacoubowsky
Chain Reaction Bicycles
www.ChainReaction.com
IMBA, BikesBelong, NBDA member

[Dan]

I don't often ride in the evenings because that is when I relax and do
family time. I also teach two evenings a week. Sat and Sun mornings are for
longer rides. I am self-employed and work at home as much as possible so my
weekday rides tend to be short, 30 to 45 min, mid-morning, hill climbing
quickies after the kids are off to school.

Speaking of not seeing any riders, as part of today's ride I went up Barnard
Road here in Morgan Hill. A good climb for a mid-morning quickie. I call it
"Barnyard Road" for the sometimes smelly sheep pen at the bottom. The climb
itself is only 0.65 miles but gains 420 ft for a solid 12% average. The
inside track on the corners approaches 20%. I have never encountered another
cyclist on this hill although I know others who ride it.

I have never seen another cyclist on Jackson Oaks Drive (0.59 mi, 350 ft,
11%) although again I know others who have climbed it.

I often see bikes on Thomas Grade (.94 mi, 410 ft, 8%+).

Jackson Oaks Drive is at the top of Thomas Grade and linking the two is a
pretty good chug. Sometimes I do all three.

[Dan]

I don't often ride in the evenings because that is when I relax and do
family time. I also teach two evenings a week. Sat and Sun mornings are for
longer rides. I am self-employed and work at home as much as possible so my
weekday rides tend to be short, 30 to 45 min, mid-morning, hill climbing
quickies after the kids are off to school.

Speaking of not seeing any riders, as part of today's ride I went up Barnard
Road here in Morgan Hill. A good climb for a mid-morning quickie. I call it
"Barnyard Road" for the sometimes smelly sheep pen at the bottom. The climb
itself is only 0.65 miles but gains 420 ft for a solid 12% average. The
inside track on the corners approaches 20%. I have never encountered another
cyclist on this hill although I know others who ride it.

I have never seen another cyclist on Jackson Oaks Drive (0.59 mi, 350 ft,
11%) although again I know others who have climbed it.

I often see bikes on Thomas Grade (.94 mi, 410 ft, 8%+).

Jackson Oaks Drive is at the top of Thomas Grade and linking the two is a
pretty good chug. Sometimes I do all three.

[Dan]

I don't often ride in the evenings because that is when I relax and do
family time. I also teach two evenings a week. Sat and Sun mornings are for
longer rides. I am self-employed and work at home as much as possible so my
weekday rides tend to be short, 30 to 45 min, mid-morning, hill climbing
quickies after the kids are off to school.

Speaking of not seeing any riders, as part of today's ride I went up Barnard
Road here in Morgan Hill. A good climb for a mid-morning quickie. I call it
"Barnyard Road" for the sometimes smelly sheep pen at the bottom. The climb
itself is only 0.65 miles but gains 420 ft for a solid 12% average. The
inside track on the corners approaches 20%. I have never encountered another
cyclist on this hill although I know others who ride it.

I have never seen another cyclist on Jackson Oaks Drive (0.59 mi, 350 ft,
11%) although again I know others who have climbed it.

I often see bikes on Thomas Grade (.94 mi, 410 ft, 8%+).

Jackson Oaks Drive is at the top of Thomas Grade and linking the two is a
pretty good chug. Sometimes I do all three.

[Raptor]

A recent study (no attribution here, I just heard about it somewhere or
other) indicated that afternoon and early evening is the "best" time to
work out. Heart rate is usually lower, body temperature higher,
metabolism fully warmed up. Of course, the best time to get exercise for
most people is whenever you like exercising.

I've never been much of a morning person myself. It makes the typical
supported century ride or race kind of a PITA.

I headed out on the Slickrock Trail about 3 PM one January 30th a few
years ago. Thanks to snow on the trail's north-facing slopes, I lost the
trail and narrowly dodged spending a frosty night in the desert. I got
back to the hotel just as it started turning from dusk to dark after
humping my bike up thousands of feet of vertical, 100 feet at a time.

I haven't completely figured this out about myself yet, but I actually
prefer going out at 2-3 PM in the afternoon in the middle of Summer.
Something about wanting the full measure of what Mother Nature has to
offer me.

--
--
Lynn Wallace http://www.xmission.com/~lawall
"We should not march into Baghdad. ... Assigning young soldiers to
a fruitless hunt for a securely entrenched dictator and condemning
them to fight in what would be an unwinnable urban guerilla war, it
could only plunge that part of the world into ever greater
instability." George Bush Sr. in his 1998 book "A World Transformed"

[Raptor]

A recent study (no attribution here, I just heard about it somewhere or
other) indicated that afternoon and early evening is the "best" time to
work out. Heart rate is usually lower, body temperature higher,
metabolism fully warmed up. Of course, the best time to get exercise for
most people is whenever you like exercising.

I've never been much of a morning person myself. It makes the typical
supported century ride or race kind of a PITA.

I headed out on the Slickrock Trail about 3 PM one January 30th a few
years ago. Thanks to snow on the trail's north-facing slopes, I lost the
trail and narrowly dodged spending a frosty night in the desert. I got
back to the hotel just as it started turning from dusk to dark after
humping my bike up thousands of feet of vertical, 100 feet at a time.

I haven't completely figured this out about myself yet, but I actually
prefer going out at 2-3 PM in the afternoon in the middle of Summer.
Something about wanting the full measure of what Mother Nature has to
offer me.

--
--
Lynn Wallace http://www.xmission.com/~lawall
"We should not march into Baghdad. ... Assigning young soldiers to
a fruitless hunt for a securely entrenched dictator and condemning
them to fight in what would be an unwinnable urban guerilla war, it
could only plunge that part of the world into ever greater
instability." George Bush Sr. in his 1998 book "A World Transformed"

[Raptor]

A recent study (no attribution here, I just heard about it somewhere or
other) indicated that afternoon and early evening is the "best" time to
work out. Heart rate is usually lower, body temperature higher,
metabolism fully warmed up. Of course, the best time to get exercise for
most people is whenever you like exercising.

I've never been much of a morning person myself. It makes the typical
supported century ride or race kind of a PITA.

I headed out on the Slickrock Trail about 3 PM one January 30th a few
years ago. Thanks to snow on the trail's north-facing slopes, I lost the
trail and narrowly dodged spending a frosty night in the desert. I got
back to the hotel just as it started turning from dusk to dark after
humping my bike up thousands of feet of vertical, 100 feet at a time.

I haven't completely figured this out about myself yet, but I actually
prefer going out at 2-3 PM in the afternoon in the middle of Summer.
Something about wanting the full measure of what Mother Nature has to
offer me.

--
--
Lynn Wallace http://www.xmission.com/~lawall
"We should not march into Baghdad. ... Assigning young soldiers to
a fruitless hunt for a securely entrenched dictator and condemning
them to fight in what would be an unwinnable urban guerilla war, it
could only plunge that part of the world into ever greater
instability." George Bush Sr. in his 1998 book "A World Transformed"

[Tom Nakashima]

Probably best to ask this question on Oct. 31.
-tom

[Tom Nakashima]

Probably best to ask this question on Oct. 31.
-tom

[Tom Nakashima]

Probably best to ask this question on Oct. 31.
-tom

[Rick Warner]

Raptor > wrote in message >...


> I haven't completely figured this out about myself yet, but I actually
> prefer going out at 2-3 PM in the afternoon in the middle of Summer.
> Something about wanting the full measure of what Mother Nature has to
> offer me.

Ahhh, but Mother Nature is much more alive at dawn and dusk. I go
out in the early AM on 3-4 weekdays/week, usually doing 20-35 miles in
the local hills. In the past year I have had close approaches to deer
probably 50 or 60 times, coyotes at least a dozen times, bobcats a
couple of times, and countless views of birds including watching two
pairs of Red-Shouldered Hawks raising broods from building of nest to
teaching the young to hunt over the local hills. Mother Nature is
napping in the middle of the day, so you see very little of her on
mid-day rides.

- rick

[Rick Warner]

Raptor > wrote in message >...


> I haven't completely figured this out about myself yet, but I actually
> prefer going out at 2-3 PM in the afternoon in the middle of Summer.
> Something about wanting the full measure of what Mother Nature has to
> offer me.

Ahhh, but Mother Nature is much more alive at dawn and dusk. I go
out in the early AM on 3-4 weekdays/week, usually doing 20-35 miles in
the local hills. In the past year I have had close approaches to deer
probably 50 or 60 times, coyotes at least a dozen times, bobcats a
couple of times, and countless views of birds including watching two
pairs of Red-Shouldered Hawks raising broods from building of nest to
teaching the young to hunt over the local hills. Mother Nature is
napping in the middle of the day, so you see very little of her on
mid-day rides.

- rick

[Rick Warner]

Raptor > wrote in message >...


> I haven't completely figured this out about myself yet, but I actually
> prefer going out at 2-3 PM in the afternoon in the middle of Summer.
> Something about wanting the full measure of what Mother Nature has to
> offer me.

Ahhh, but Mother Nature is much more alive at dawn and dusk. I go
out in the early AM on 3-4 weekdays/week, usually doing 20-35 miles in
the local hills. In the past year I have had close approaches to deer
probably 50 or 60 times, coyotes at least a dozen times, bobcats a
couple of times, and countless views of birds including watching two
pairs of Red-Shouldered Hawks raising broods from building of nest to
teaching the young to hunt over the local hills. Mother Nature is
napping in the middle of the day, so you see very little of her on
mid-day rides.

- rick

[Mike Jacoubowsky/Chain Reaction Bicycles]

> Ahhh, but Mother Nature is much more alive at dawn and dusk. I go
> out in the early AM on 3-4 weekdays/week, usually doing 20-35 miles in
> the local hills. In the past year I have had close approaches to deer
> probably 50 or 60 times, coyotes at least a dozen times, bobcats a
> couple of times, and countless views of birds including watching two
> pairs of Red-Shouldered Hawks raising broods from building of nest to
> teaching the young to hunt over the local hills. Mother Nature is
> napping in the middle of the day, so you see very little of her on
> mid-day rides.

Saw not one, but two Foxes last week on Skyline (Highway 35). Very unusual
to see a Fox on our ride; Coyotes are reasonably common in comparison, and
we'll usually see a Bobcat about once a year. But Foxes at most once every
five years or so.

And then there's the "perimeter dog" on Skyline, about half a mile south of
King's Mtn, on the east side. He goes right up to the very edge of a cliff
to bark at us, maybe 60 feet up, with his front paws pushing a bit of dirt
over the side. He'll actually run along the very edge while he's barking at
us. I've often told him to come down and fight like a real dog, even yelled
"jump", but he hasn't taken me up on the offer yet...

--Mike Jacoubowsky
Chain Reaction Bicycles
www.ChainReaction.com
IMBA, BikesBelong, NBDA member

"Rick Warner" > wrote in message
om...
> Raptor > wrote in message
> >...
>
>
>> I haven't completely figured this out about myself yet, but I actually
>> prefer going out at 2-3 PM in the afternoon in the middle of Summer.
>> Something about wanting the full measure of what Mother Nature has to
>> offer me.
>
> Ahhh, but Mother Nature is much more alive at dawn and dusk. I go
> out in the early AM on 3-4 weekdays/week, usually doing 20-35 miles in
> the local hills. In the past year I have had close approaches to deer
> probably 50 or 60 times, coyotes at least a dozen times, bobcats a
> couple of times, and countless views of birds including watching two
> pairs of Red-Shouldered Hawks raising broods from building of nest to
> teaching the young to hunt over the local hills. Mother Nature is
> napping in the middle of the day, so you see very little of her on
> mid-day rides.
>
> - rick

[Mike Jacoubowsky/Chain Reaction Bicycles]

> Ahhh, but Mother Nature is much more alive at dawn and dusk. I go
> out in the early AM on 3-4 weekdays/week, usually doing 20-35 miles in
> the local hills. In the past year I have had close approaches to deer
> probably 50 or 60 times, coyotes at least a dozen times, bobcats a
> couple of times, and countless views of birds including watching two
> pairs of Red-Shouldered Hawks raising broods from building of nest to
> teaching the young to hunt over the local hills. Mother Nature is
> napping in the middle of the day, so you see very little of her on
> mid-day rides.

Saw not one, but two Foxes last week on Skyline (Highway 35). Very unusual
to see a Fox on our ride; Coyotes are reasonably common in comparison, and
we'll usually see a Bobcat about once a year. But Foxes at most once every
five years or so.

And then there's the "perimeter dog" on Skyline, about half a mile south of
King's Mtn, on the east side. He goes right up to the very edge of a cliff
to bark at us, maybe 60 feet up, with his front paws pushing a bit of dirt
over the side. He'll actually run along the very edge while he's barking at
us. I've often told him to come down and fight like a real dog, even yelled
"jump", but he hasn't taken me up on the offer yet...

--Mike Jacoubowsky
Chain Reaction Bicycles
www.ChainReaction.com
IMBA, BikesBelong, NBDA member

"Rick Warner" > wrote in message
om...
> Raptor > wrote in message
> >...
>
>
>> I haven't completely figured this out about myself yet, but I actually
>> prefer going out at 2-3 PM in the afternoon in the middle of Summer.
>> Something about wanting the full measure of what Mother Nature has to
>> offer me.
>
> Ahhh, but Mother Nature is much more alive at dawn and dusk. I go
> out in the early AM on 3-4 weekdays/week, usually doing 20-35 miles in
> the local hills. In the past year I have had close approaches to deer
> probably 50 or 60 times, coyotes at least a dozen times, bobcats a
> couple of times, and countless views of birds including watching two
> pairs of Red-Shouldered Hawks raising broods from building of nest to
> teaching the young to hunt over the local hills. Mother Nature is
> napping in the middle of the day, so you see very little of her on
> mid-day rides.
>
> - rick

[Mike Jacoubowsky/Chain Reaction Bicycles]

> Ahhh, but Mother Nature is much more alive at dawn and dusk. I go
> out in the early AM on 3-4 weekdays/week, usually doing 20-35 miles in
> the local hills. In the past year I have had close approaches to deer
> probably 50 or 60 times, coyotes at least a dozen times, bobcats a
> couple of times, and countless views of birds including watching two
> pairs of Red-Shouldered Hawks raising broods from building of nest to
> teaching the young to hunt over the local hills. Mother Nature is
> napping in the middle of the day, so you see very little of her on
> mid-day rides.

Saw not one, but two Foxes last week on Skyline (Highway 35). Very unusual
to see a Fox on our ride; Coyotes are reasonably common in comparison, and
we'll usually see a Bobcat about once a year. But Foxes at most once every
five years or so.

And then there's the "perimeter dog" on Skyline, about half a mile south of
King's Mtn, on the east side. He goes right up to the very edge of a cliff
to bark at us, maybe 60 feet up, with his front paws pushing a bit of dirt
over the side. He'll actually run along the very edge while he's barking at
us. I've often told him to come down and fight like a real dog, even yelled
"jump", but he hasn't taken me up on the offer yet...

--Mike Jacoubowsky
Chain Reaction Bicycles
www.ChainReaction.com
IMBA, BikesBelong, NBDA member

"Rick Warner" > wrote in message
om...
> Raptor > wrote in message
> >...
>
>
>> I haven't completely figured this out about myself yet, but I actually
>> prefer going out at 2-3 PM in the afternoon in the middle of Summer.
>> Something about wanting the full measure of what Mother Nature has to
>> offer me.
>
> Ahhh, but Mother Nature is much more alive at dawn and dusk. I go
> out in the early AM on 3-4 weekdays/week, usually doing 20-35 miles in
> the local hills. In the past year I have had close approaches to deer
> probably 50 or 60 times, coyotes at least a dozen times, bobcats a
> couple of times, and countless views of birds including watching two
> pairs of Red-Shouldered Hawks raising broods from building of nest to
> teaching the young to hunt over the local hills. Mother Nature is
> napping in the middle of the day, so you see very little of her on
> mid-day rides.
>
> - rick

[Terry Morse]

Mike Jacoubowsky wrote:

> Saw not one, but two Foxes last week on Skyline (Highway 35). Very unusual
> to see a Fox on our ride; Coyotes are reasonably common in comparison, and
> we'll usually see a Bobcat about once a year. But Foxes at most once every
> five years or so.

I saw a Fox at the Everest Challenge, while I was sitting on the
ground at the finish and drinking my icy cold Pepsi:

http://www.dotsiecowden.net/

--
terry morse Palo Alto, CA http://bike.terrymorse.com/

[Terry Morse]

Mike Jacoubowsky wrote:

> Saw not one, but two Foxes last week on Skyline (Highway 35). Very unusual
> to see a Fox on our ride; Coyotes are reasonably common in comparison, and
> we'll usually see a Bobcat about once a year. But Foxes at most once every
> five years or so.

I saw a Fox at the Everest Challenge, while I was sitting on the
ground at the finish and drinking my icy cold Pepsi:

http://www.dotsiecowden.net/

--
terry morse Palo Alto, CA http://bike.terrymorse.com/

[Terry Morse]

Mike Jacoubowsky wrote:

> Saw not one, but two Foxes last week on Skyline (Highway 35). Very unusual
> to see a Fox on our ride; Coyotes are reasonably common in comparison, and
> we'll usually see a Bobcat about once a year. But Foxes at most once every
> five years or so.

I saw a Fox at the Everest Challenge, while I was sitting on the
ground at the finish and drinking my icy cold Pepsi:

http://www.dotsiecowden.net/

--
terry morse Palo Alto, CA http://bike.terrymorse.com/

[Badger_South]

On Wed, 13 Oct 2004 19:49:18 -0700, Terry Morse > wrote:

>Mike Jacoubowsky wrote:
>
>> Saw not one, but two Foxes last week on Skyline (Highway 35). Very unusual
>> to see a Fox on our ride; Coyotes are reasonably common in comparison, and
>> we'll usually see a Bobcat about once a year. But Foxes at most once every
>> five years or so.
>
>I saw a Fox at the Everest Challenge, while I was sitting on the
>ground at the finish and drinking my icy cold Pepsi:
>
>http://www.dotsiecowden.net/

Hey how about a 'ride report' on the Everest Challenge? Did it meet your
expectations? Full details, please! <g>

-B

[Badger_South]

On Wed, 13 Oct 2004 19:49:18 -0700, Terry Morse > wrote:

>Mike Jacoubowsky wrote:
>
>> Saw not one, but two Foxes last week on Skyline (Highway 35). Very unusual
>> to see a Fox on our ride; Coyotes are reasonably common in comparison, and
>> we'll usually see a Bobcat about once a year. But Foxes at most once every
>> five years or so.
>
>I saw a Fox at the Everest Challenge, while I was sitting on the
>ground at the finish and drinking my icy cold Pepsi:
>
>http://www.dotsiecowden.net/

Hey how about a 'ride report' on the Everest Challenge? Did it meet your
expectations? Full details, please! <g>

-B

[Badger_South]

On Wed, 13 Oct 2004 19:49:18 -0700, Terry Morse > wrote:

>Mike Jacoubowsky wrote:
>
>> Saw not one, but two Foxes last week on Skyline (Highway 35). Very unusual
>> to see a Fox on our ride; Coyotes are reasonably common in comparison, and
>> we'll usually see a Bobcat about once a year. But Foxes at most once every
>> five years or so.
>
>I saw a Fox at the Everest Challenge, while I was sitting on the
>ground at the finish and drinking my icy cold Pepsi:
>
>http://www.dotsiecowden.net/

Hey how about a 'ride report' on the Everest Challenge? Did it meet your
expectations? Full details, please! <g>

-B

[Terry Morse]

Badger_South wrote:

> Hey how about a 'ride report' on the Everest Challenge? Did it
> meet your expectations? Full details, please! <g>

Okay. The Everest Challenge was very fun. The suffering was limited
to the last few minutes of the final climbs, and I didn't have any
crises. Within about 15 minutes of finishing, I was already forming
fond memories of the event. The weather was thankfully mild, so we
didn't have to suffer the infamous heat of the Owens Valley. It
actually got down to 36F on the first day. That was a bit chilly,
but it didn't last long.

My goal was to be within the cutoff times for the pro/cat12 group,
which was 18 hours. My "clock time" was 14:03:42, bike time was
13:40:09. I guess that's pretty decent, but the winning time was an
amazing 10:42.

I caught up with James at the top of the first climb, and we rode
together the rest of the time. I pulled him through one flat
section, since he was feeling the effects of the altitude without
having acclimated. He still did his patented ride off the front in
the last few K, but I just kept my pace going to the finish, coming
in a couple of minutes behind James each day. My legs didn't have
enough oomph to do anything entertaining, any way. I did as much
spinning as I could, making extensive use of that little chainring
I was glad to have. I'm sure that helped spare my legs for as long
as possible.

The pros started about 45 minutes after us, and the first pro
(Chris Walker, wearing the stars and strips of his national
champion jersey) caught us a little over 4 hours into the ride both
days. I took some comfort in noticing that he was breathing hard
when he whizzed by. I rode a nice, comfortable, zone 3 pace,
hydrated/fueled religiously, and thankfully there was no repeat of
the Kaiser incident (where I had to lie on the ground for an hour).

James was excellent company, as we chatted about a whole host of
topics. James and I finished 1 and 2 overall in the public
category, so we both won our age groups. But just to put that in
perspective, we were about as fast as the fastest pro woman.

Lloyd rode very strong both days, too. On day 1, he finished about
20 minutes behind us. On day 2, we took it a little easier on the
second climb, then Lloyd caught us at the top and disappeared into
the distance on the descent. He was nowhere to be seen at the
bottom, as we turned onto the big climb to the Bristlecone Pine
Forest. We were several minutes into the climb, and still there was
no sight of Lloyd. This started to make James nervous, since Lloyd
was in James' age group. We picked up the pace to try to reel him
in, but we never saw him. It turns out we had been chasing a
phantom Lloyd. The real Lloyd had stopped at the bottom to fetch a
Mountain Dew from his car. Even so, he finished just a handful of
minutes behind us. Sneaky devil.

Sadly, Sue DNFed the first day, within about a mile from the
finish. She had been cramping up on the final climb and decided to
bag it, rather than possibly jeapordize her health. Later that
evening, we took her to the hospital because she was experiencing
symptoms like she had when she rode the Hamilton Challenge loop
(backwards) with me the other day. They gave her an IV and released
her, and then she was fine.

It was a little weird starting in the dark both days, but it stayed
dark for only the first few minutes. The support was great, the aid
stations were well staffed, friendly, and helpful. We were one of
the first riders to arrive at each aid station, so the volunteers
all seemed happy to see us. They had HEED drinks and Clif Shots,
which is all I consumed until the finish. At the mountain top
finishes, they had cold sodas, munchies, and burritos. We spent an
hour or more at the finishes, waiting for our buddies to arrive.
Lounging in the sun at 10,000 feet in the Bristlecone Pine Forest
was a treat.

I dedicated my ride to Jim Mills, who rode Everest last year and
convinced me to try it this year. Sadly, Jim was killed in a
cycling accident a few months ago. I wanted to point to the heavens
as a tribute when I crossed the finish line, but I was occupied
with telling the judge my number and forgot. We sat on the ground
and raised our soda cans to Jim, instead. We all miss you, Jim.

The race results:

http://www.everestchallenge.com/EC04results.htm

Some photos I took before and after the race:

http://bike.terrymorse.com/evchall0409/index.html

-- terry morse Palo Alto, CA http://bike.terrymorse.com/

[Terry Morse]

Badger_South wrote:

> Hey how about a 'ride report' on the Everest Challenge? Did it
> meet your expectations? Full details, please! <g>

Okay. The Everest Challenge was very fun. The suffering was limited
to the last few minutes of the final climbs, and I didn't have any
crises. Within about 15 minutes of finishing, I was already forming
fond memories of the event. The weather was thankfully mild, so we
didn't have to suffer the infamous heat of the Owens Valley. It
actually got down to 36F on the first day. That was a bit chilly,
but it didn't last long.

My goal was to be within the cutoff times for the pro/cat12 group,
which was 18 hours. My "clock time" was 14:03:42, bike time was
13:40:09. I guess that's pretty decent, but the winning time was an
amazing 10:42.

I caught up with James at the top of the first climb, and we rode
together the rest of the time. I pulled him through one flat
section, since he was feeling the effects of the altitude without
having acclimated. He still did his patented ride off the front in
the last few K, but I just kept my pace going to the finish, coming
in a couple of minutes behind James each day. My legs didn't have
enough oomph to do anything entertaining, any way. I did as much
spinning as I could, making extensive use of that little chainring
I was glad to have. I'm sure that helped spare my legs for as long
as possible.

The pros started about 45 minutes after us, and the first pro
(Chris Walker, wearing the stars and strips of his national
champion jersey) caught us a little over 4 hours into the ride both
days. I took some comfort in noticing that he was breathing hard
when he whizzed by. I rode a nice, comfortable, zone 3 pace,
hydrated/fueled religiously, and thankfully there was no repeat of
the Kaiser incident (where I had to lie on the ground for an hour).

James was excellent company, as we chatted about a whole host of
topics. James and I finished 1 and 2 overall in the public
category, so we both won our age groups. But just to put that in
perspective, we were about as fast as the fastest pro woman.

Lloyd rode very strong both days, too. On day 1, he finished about
20 minutes behind us. On day 2, we took it a little easier on the
second climb, then Lloyd caught us at the top and disappeared into
the distance on the descent. He was nowhere to be seen at the
bottom, as we turned onto the big climb to the Bristlecone Pine
Forest. We were several minutes into the climb, and still there was
no sight of Lloyd. This started to make James nervous, since Lloyd
was in James' age group. We picked up the pace to try to reel him
in, but we never saw him. It turns out we had been chasing a
phantom Lloyd. The real Lloyd had stopped at the bottom to fetch a
Mountain Dew from his car. Even so, he finished just a handful of
minutes behind us. Sneaky devil.

Sadly, Sue DNFed the first day, within about a mile from the
finish. She had been cramping up on the final climb and decided to
bag it, rather than possibly jeapordize her health. Later that
evening, we took her to the hospital because she was experiencing
symptoms like she had when she rode the Hamilton Challenge loop
(backwards) with me the other day. They gave her an IV and released
her, and then she was fine.

It was a little weird starting in the dark both days, but it stayed
dark for only the first few minutes. The support was great, the aid
stations were well staffed, friendly, and helpful. We were one of
the first riders to arrive at each aid station, so the volunteers
all seemed happy to see us. They had HEED drinks and Clif Shots,
which is all I consumed until the finish. At the mountain top
finishes, they had cold sodas, munchies, and burritos. We spent an
hour or more at the finishes, waiting for our buddies to arrive.
Lounging in the sun at 10,000 feet in the Bristlecone Pine Forest
was a treat.

I dedicated my ride to Jim Mills, who rode Everest last year and
convinced me to try it this year. Sadly, Jim was killed in a
cycling accident a few months ago. I wanted to point to the heavens
as a tribute when I crossed the finish line, but I was occupied
with telling the judge my number and forgot. We sat on the ground
and raised our soda cans to Jim, instead. We all miss you, Jim.

The race results:

http://www.everestchallenge.com/EC04results.htm

Some photos I took before and after the race:

http://bike.terrymorse.com/evchall0409/index.html

-- terry morse Palo Alto, CA http://bike.terrymorse.com/

[Terry Morse]

Badger_South wrote:

> Hey how about a 'ride report' on the Everest Challenge? Did it
> meet your expectations? Full details, please! <g>

Okay. The Everest Challenge was very fun. The suffering was limited
to the last few minutes of the final climbs, and I didn't have any
crises. Within about 15 minutes of finishing, I was already forming
fond memories of the event. The weather was thankfully mild, so we
didn't have to suffer the infamous heat of the Owens Valley. It
actually got down to 36F on the first day. That was a bit chilly,
but it didn't last long.

My goal was to be within the cutoff times for the pro/cat12 group,
which was 18 hours. My "clock time" was 14:03:42, bike time was
13:40:09. I guess that's pretty decent, but the winning time was an
amazing 10:42.

I caught up with James at the top of the first climb, and we rode
together the rest of the time. I pulled him through one flat
section, since he was feeling the effects of the altitude without
having acclimated. He still did his patented ride off the front in
the last few K, but I just kept my pace going to the finish, coming
in a couple of minutes behind James each day. My legs didn't have
enough oomph to do anything entertaining, any way. I did as much
spinning as I could, making extensive use of that little chainring
I was glad to have. I'm sure that helped spare my legs for as long
as possible.

The pros started about 45 minutes after us, and the first pro
(Chris Walker, wearing the stars and strips of his national
champion jersey) caught us a little over 4 hours into the ride both
days. I took some comfort in noticing that he was breathing hard
when he whizzed by. I rode a nice, comfortable, zone 3 pace,
hydrated/fueled religiously, and thankfully there was no repeat of
the Kaiser incident (where I had to lie on the ground for an hour).

James was excellent company, as we chatted about a whole host of
topics. James and I finished 1 and 2 overall in the public
category, so we both won our age groups. But just to put that in
perspective, we were about as fast as the fastest pro woman.

Lloyd rode very strong both days, too. On day 1, he finished about
20 minutes behind us. On day 2, we took it a little easier on the
second climb, then Lloyd caught us at the top and disappeared into
the distance on the descent. He was nowhere to be seen at the
bottom, as we turned onto the big climb to the Bristlecone Pine
Forest. We were several minutes into the climb, and still there was
no sight of Lloyd. This started to make James nervous, since Lloyd
was in James' age group. We picked up the pace to try to reel him
in, but we never saw him. It turns out we had been chasing a
phantom Lloyd. The real Lloyd had stopped at the bottom to fetch a
Mountain Dew from his car. Even so, he finished just a handful of
minutes behind us. Sneaky devil.

Sadly, Sue DNFed the first day, within about a mile from the
finish. She had been cramping up on the final climb and decided to
bag it, rather than possibly jeapordize her health. Later that
evening, we took her to the hospital because she was experiencing
symptoms like she had when she rode the Hamilton Challenge loop
(backwards) with me the other day. They gave her an IV and released
her, and then she was fine.

It was a little weird starting in the dark both days, but it stayed
dark for only the first few minutes. The support was great, the aid
stations were well staffed, friendly, and helpful. We were one of
the first riders to arrive at each aid station, so the volunteers
all seemed happy to see us. They had HEED drinks and Clif Shots,
which is all I consumed until the finish. At the mountain top
finishes, they had cold sodas, munchies, and burritos. We spent an
hour or more at the finishes, waiting for our buddies to arrive.
Lounging in the sun at 10,000 feet in the Bristlecone Pine Forest
was a treat.

I dedicated my ride to Jim Mills, who rode Everest last year and
convinced me to try it this year. Sadly, Jim was killed in a
cycling accident a few months ago. I wanted to point to the heavens
as a tribute when I crossed the finish line, but I was occupied
with telling the judge my number and forgot. We sat on the ground
and raised our soda cans to Jim, instead. We all miss you, Jim.

The race results:

http://www.everestchallenge.com/EC04results.htm

Some photos I took before and after the race:

http://bike.terrymorse.com/evchall0409/index.html

-- terry morse Palo Alto, CA http://bike.terrymorse.com/

[Badger_South]

On Thu, 14 Oct 2004 11:55:32 -0700, Terry Morse > wrote:

>Badger_South wrote:
>
>> Hey how about a 'ride report' on the Everest Challenge? Did it
>> meet your expectations? Full details, please! <g>
>
>Okay.

Wow, talk about 'ask...receive'!

>The Everest Challenge was very fun. The suffering was limited
>to the last few minutes of the final climbs, and I didn't have any
>crises. Within about 15 minutes of finishing, I was already forming
>fond memories of the event. The weather was thankfully mild, so we
>didn't have to suffer the infamous heat of the Owens Valley. It
>actually got down to 36F on the first day. That was a bit chilly,
>but it didn't last long.

Sounds -very- memorable.

>My goal was to be within the cutoff times for the pro/cat12 group,
>which was 18 hours. My "clock time" was 14:03:42, bike time was
>13:40:09. I guess that's pretty decent, but the winning time was an
>amazing 10:42.
>
>I caught up with James at the top of the first climb, and we rode
>together the rest of the time. I pulled him through one flat
>section, since he was feeling the effects of the altitude without
>having acclimated. He still did his patented ride off the front in
>the last few K, but I just kept my pace going to the finish, coming
>in a couple of minutes behind James each day. My legs didn't have
>enough oomph to do anything entertaining, any way.

Not enough tapering?

>I did as much spinning as I could, making extensive use of that little
>chainring I was glad to have. I'm sure that helped spare my legs for
>as long as possible.
>
>The pros started about 45 minutes after us, and the first pro
>(Chris Walker, wearing the stars and strips of his national
>champion jersey) caught us a little over 4 hours into the ride both
>days. I took some comfort in noticing that he was breathing hard
>when he whizzed by. I rode a nice, comfortable, zone 3 pace,
>hydrated/fueled religiously, and thankfully there was no repeat of
>the Kaiser incident (where I had to lie on the ground for an hour).
>
>James was excellent company, as we chatted about a whole host of
>topics. James and I finished 1 and 2 overall in the public
>category, so we both won our age groups. But just to put that in
>perspective, we were about as fast as the fastest pro woman.

Dotsie C. 13:54:16

>Lloyd rode very strong both days, too. On day 1, he finished about
>20 minutes behind us. On day 2, we took it a little easier on the
>second climb, then Lloyd caught us at the top and disappeared into
>the distance on the descent. He was nowhere to be seen at the
>bottom, as we turned onto the big climb to the Bristlecone Pine
>Forest. We were several minutes into the climb, and still there was
>no sight of Lloyd. This started to make James nervous, since Lloyd
>was in James' age group. We picked up the pace to try to reel him
>in, but we never saw him. It turns out we had been chasing a
>phantom Lloyd. The real Lloyd had stopped at the bottom to fetch a
>Mountain Dew from his car. Even so, he finished just a handful of
>minutes behind us. Sneaky devil.
>
>Sadly, Sue DNFed the first day, within about a mile from the
>finish. She had been cramping up on the final climb and decided to
>bag it, rather than possibly jeapordize her health. Later that
>evening, we took her to the hospital because she was experiencing
>symptoms like she had when she rode the Hamilton Challenge loop
>(backwards) with me the other day. They gave her an IV and released
>her, and then she was fine.
>
>It was a little weird starting in the dark both days, but it stayed
>dark for only the first few minutes. The support was great, the aid
>stations were well staffed, friendly, and helpful. We were one of
>the first riders to arrive at each aid station, so the volunteers
>all seemed happy to see us. They had HEED drinks and Clif Shots,
>which is all I consumed until the finish. At the mountain top
>finishes, they had cold sodas, munchies, and burritos. We spent an

Very courageous with the burrito eating, imo. ;-D

>hour or more at the finishes, waiting for our buddies to arrive.
>Lounging in the sun at 10,000 feet in the Bristlecone Pine Forest
>was a treat.

Guess so. Thanks for putting up pics on your web page.

>I dedicated my ride to Jim Mills, who rode Everest last year and
>convinced me to try it this year. Sadly, Jim was killed in a
>cycling accident a few months ago. I wanted to point to the heavens
>as a tribute when I crossed the finish line, but I was occupied
>with telling the judge my number and forgot. We sat on the ground
>and raised our soda cans to Jim, instead. We all miss you, Jim.
>
>The race results:
>
>http://www.everestchallenge.com/EC04results.htm
>
>Some photos I took before and after the race:
>
>http://bike.terrymorse.com/evchall0409/index.html

Great job. Thanks for the great post.

-B

>
>-- terry morse Palo Alto, CA http://bike.terrymorse.com/

[Badger_South]

On Thu, 14 Oct 2004 11:55:32 -0700, Terry Morse > wrote:

>Badger_South wrote:
>
>> Hey how about a 'ride report' on the Everest Challenge? Did it
>> meet your expectations? Full details, please! <g>
>
>Okay.

Wow, talk about 'ask...receive'!

>The Everest Challenge was very fun. The suffering was limited
>to the last few minutes of the final climbs, and I didn't have any
>crises. Within about 15 minutes of finishing, I was already forming
>fond memories of the event. The weather was thankfully mild, so we
>didn't have to suffer the infamous heat of the Owens Valley. It
>actually got down to 36F on the first day. That was a bit chilly,
>but it didn't last long.

Sounds -very- memorable.

>My goal was to be within the cutoff times for the pro/cat12 group,
>which was 18 hours. My "clock time" was 14:03:42, bike time was
>13:40:09. I guess that's pretty decent, but the winning time was an
>amazing 10:42.
>
>I caught up with James at the top of the first climb, and we rode
>together the rest of the time. I pulled him through one flat
>section, since he was feeling the effects of the altitude without
>having acclimated. He still did his patented ride off the front in
>the last few K, but I just kept my pace going to the finish, coming
>in a couple of minutes behind James each day. My legs didn't have
>enough oomph to do anything entertaining, any way.

Not enough tapering?

>I did as much spinning as I could, making extensive use of that little
>chainring I was glad to have. I'm sure that helped spare my legs for
>as long as possible.
>
>The pros started about 45 minutes after us, and the first pro
>(Chris Walker, wearing the stars and strips of his national
>champion jersey) caught us a little over 4 hours into the ride both
>days. I took some comfort in noticing that he was breathing hard
>when he whizzed by. I rode a nice, comfortable, zone 3 pace,
>hydrated/fueled religiously, and thankfully there was no repeat of
>the Kaiser incident (where I had to lie on the ground for an hour).
>
>James was excellent company, as we chatted about a whole host of
>topics. James and I finished 1 and 2 overall in the public
>category, so we both won our age groups. But just to put that in
>perspective, we were about as fast as the fastest pro woman.

Dotsie C. 13:54:16

>Lloyd rode very strong both days, too. On day 1, he finished about
>20 minutes behind us. On day 2, we took it a little easier on the
>second climb, then Lloyd caught us at the top and disappeared into
>the distance on the descent. He was nowhere to be seen at the
>bottom, as we turned onto the big climb to the Bristlecone Pine
>Forest. We were several minutes into the climb, and still there was
>no sight of Lloyd. This started to make James nervous, since Lloyd
>was in James' age group. We picked up the pace to try to reel him
>in, but we never saw him. It turns out we had been chasing a
>phantom Lloyd. The real Lloyd had stopped at the bottom to fetch a
>Mountain Dew from his car. Even so, he finished just a handful of
>minutes behind us. Sneaky devil.
>
>Sadly, Sue DNFed the first day, within about a mile from the
>finish. She had been cramping up on the final climb and decided to
>bag it, rather than possibly jeapordize her health. Later that
>evening, we took her to the hospital because she was experiencing
>symptoms like she had when she rode the Hamilton Challenge loop
>(backwards) with me the other day. They gave her an IV and released
>her, and then she was fine.
>
>It was a little weird starting in the dark both days, but it stayed
>dark for only the first few minutes. The support was great, the aid
>stations were well staffed, friendly, and helpful. We were one of
>the first riders to arrive at each aid station, so the volunteers
>all seemed happy to see us. They had HEED drinks and Clif Shots,
>which is all I consumed until the finish. At the mountain top
>finishes, they had cold sodas, munchies, and burritos. We spent an

Very courageous with the burrito eating, imo. ;-D

>hour or more at the finishes, waiting for our buddies to arrive.
>Lounging in the sun at 10,000 feet in the Bristlecone Pine Forest
>was a treat.

Guess so. Thanks for putting up pics on your web page.

>I dedicated my ride to Jim Mills, who rode Everest last year and
>convinced me to try it this year. Sadly, Jim was killed in a
>cycling accident a few months ago. I wanted to point to the heavens
>as a tribute when I crossed the finish line, but I was occupied
>with telling the judge my number and forgot. We sat on the ground
>and raised our soda cans to Jim, instead. We all miss you, Jim.
>
>The race results:
>
>http://www.everestchallenge.com/EC04results.htm
>
>Some photos I took before and after the race:
>
>http://bike.terrymorse.com/evchall0409/index.html

Great job. Thanks for the great post.

-B

>
>-- terry morse Palo Alto, CA http://bike.terrymorse.com/

[Badger_South]

On Thu, 14 Oct 2004 11:55:32 -0700, Terry Morse > wrote:

>Badger_South wrote:
>
>> Hey how about a 'ride report' on the Everest Challenge? Did it
>> meet your expectations? Full details, please! <g>
>
>Okay.

Wow, talk about 'ask...receive'!

>The Everest Challenge was very fun. The suffering was limited
>to the last few minutes of the final climbs, and I didn't have any
>crises. Within about 15 minutes of finishing, I was already forming
>fond memories of the event. The weather was thankfully mild, so we
>didn't have to suffer the infamous heat of the Owens Valley. It
>actually got down to 36F on the first day. That was a bit chilly,
>but it didn't last long.

Sounds -very- memorable.

>My goal was to be within the cutoff times for the pro/cat12 group,
>which was 18 hours. My "clock time" was 14:03:42, bike time was
>13:40:09. I guess that's pretty decent, but the winning time was an
>amazing 10:42.
>
>I caught up with James at the top of the first climb, and we rode
>together the rest of the time. I pulled him through one flat
>section, since he was feeling the effects of the altitude without
>having acclimated. He still did his patented ride off the front in
>the last few K, but I just kept my pace going to the finish, coming
>in a couple of minutes behind James each day. My legs didn't have
>enough oomph to do anything entertaining, any way.

Not enough tapering?

>I did as much spinning as I could, making extensive use of that little
>chainring I was glad to have. I'm sure that helped spare my legs for
>as long as possible.
>
>The pros started about 45 minutes after us, and the first pro
>(Chris Walker, wearing the stars and strips of his national
>champion jersey) caught us a little over 4 hours into the ride both
>days. I took some comfort in noticing that he was breathing hard
>when he whizzed by. I rode a nice, comfortable, zone 3 pace,
>hydrated/fueled religiously, and thankfully there was no repeat of
>the Kaiser incident (where I had to lie on the ground for an hour).
>
>James was excellent company, as we chatted about a whole host of
>topics. James and I finished 1 and 2 overall in the public
>category, so we both won our age groups. But just to put that in
>perspective, we were about as fast as the fastest pro woman.

Dotsie C. 13:54:16

>Lloyd rode very strong both days, too. On day 1, he finished about
>20 minutes behind us. On day 2, we took it a little easier on the
>second climb, then Lloyd caught us at the top and disappeared into
>the distance on the descent. He was nowhere to be seen at the
>bottom, as we turned onto the big climb to the Bristlecone Pine
>Forest. We were several minutes into the climb, and still there was
>no sight of Lloyd. This started to make James nervous, since Lloyd
>was in James' age group. We picked up the pace to try to reel him
>in, but we never saw him. It turns out we had been chasing a
>phantom Lloyd. The real Lloyd had stopped at the bottom to fetch a
>Mountain Dew from his car. Even so, he finished just a handful of
>minutes behind us. Sneaky devil.
>
>Sadly, Sue DNFed the first day, within about a mile from the
>finish. She had been cramping up on the final climb and decided to
>bag it, rather than possibly jeapordize her health. Later that
>evening, we took her to the hospital because she was experiencing
>symptoms like she had when she rode the Hamilton Challenge loop
>(backwards) with me the other day. They gave her an IV and released
>her, and then she was fine.
>
>It was a little weird starting in the dark both days, but it stayed
>dark for only the first few minutes. The support was great, the aid
>stations were well staffed, friendly, and helpful. We were one of
>the first riders to arrive at each aid station, so the volunteers
>all seemed happy to see us. They had HEED drinks and Clif Shots,
>which is all I consumed until the finish. At the mountain top
>finishes, they had cold sodas, munchies, and burritos. We spent an

Very courageous with the burrito eating, imo. ;-D

>hour or more at the finishes, waiting for our buddies to arrive.
>Lounging in the sun at 10,000 feet in the Bristlecone Pine Forest
>was a treat.

Guess so. Thanks for putting up pics on your web page.

>I dedicated my ride to Jim Mills, who rode Everest last year and
>convinced me to try it this year. Sadly, Jim was killed in a
>cycling accident a few months ago. I wanted to point to the heavens
>as a tribute when I crossed the finish line, but I was occupied
>with telling the judge my number and forgot. We sat on the ground
>and raised our soda cans to Jim, instead. We all miss you, Jim.
>
>The race results:
>
>http://www.everestchallenge.com/EC04results.htm
>
>Some photos I took before and after the race:
>
>http://bike.terrymorse.com/evchall0409/index.html

Great job. Thanks for the great post.

-B

>
>-- terry morse Palo Alto, CA http://bike.terrymorse.com/

[Rick Warner]

On Wed, 13 Oct 2004 19:49:18 -0700, Terry Morse >
wrote:

>Mike Jacoubowsky wrote:
>
>> Saw not one, but two Foxes last week on Skyline (Highway 35). Very unusual
>> to see a Fox on our ride; Coyotes are reasonably common in comparison, and
>> we'll usually see a Bobcat about once a year. But Foxes at most once every
>> five years or so.
>
>I saw a Fox at the Everest Challenge, while I was sitting on the
>ground at the finish and drinking my icy cold Pepsi:
>
>http://www.dotsiecowden.net/

Sheesh, Terry, I am slow. When I read this at work yesterday I
thought 'geez, there is no mention of wildlife', and went back to
earning my pay. Then this morning it hit me that you saw a fox of
genus Homo, not Vulpes or Urocyon. Doh!

Bicycling had a piece on her a few months ago. They had a
semi-salacious attention getting photo, her in the T-Mobile jersey
with matching bikini bottom. But the article was interesting, how she
overcame personal issues by taking up cycling and racing ... and that
was only like 3 years ago or something. A bit of an over-achiever
type, and it sounds like she hammered to do the same at the Everest
Challenge.

As an aside, with the EC over, how close are you to the 200 vertical
miles?

- rick

[Rick Warner]

On Wed, 13 Oct 2004 19:49:18 -0700, Terry Morse >
wrote:

>Mike Jacoubowsky wrote:
>
>> Saw not one, but two Foxes last week on Skyline (Highway 35). Very unusual
>> to see a Fox on our ride; Coyotes are reasonably common in comparison, and
>> we'll usually see a Bobcat about once a year. But Foxes at most once every
>> five years or so.
>
>I saw a Fox at the Everest Challenge, while I was sitting on the
>ground at the finish and drinking my icy cold Pepsi:
>
>http://www.dotsiecowden.net/

Sheesh, Terry, I am slow. When I read this at work yesterday I
thought 'geez, there is no mention of wildlife', and went back to
earning my pay. Then this morning it hit me that you saw a fox of
genus Homo, not Vulpes or Urocyon. Doh!

Bicycling had a piece on her a few months ago. They had a
semi-salacious attention getting photo, her in the T-Mobile jersey
with matching bikini bottom. But the article was interesting, how she
overcame personal issues by taking up cycling and racing ... and that
was only like 3 years ago or something. A bit of an over-achiever
type, and it sounds like she hammered to do the same at the Everest
Challenge.

As an aside, with the EC over, how close are you to the 200 vertical
miles?

- rick

[Rick Warner]

On Wed, 13 Oct 2004 19:49:18 -0700, Terry Morse >
wrote:

>Mike Jacoubowsky wrote:
>
>> Saw not one, but two Foxes last week on Skyline (Highway 35). Very unusual
>> to see a Fox on our ride; Coyotes are reasonably common in comparison, and
>> we'll usually see a Bobcat about once a year. But Foxes at most once every
>> five years or so.
>
>I saw a Fox at the Everest Challenge, while I was sitting on the
>ground at the finish and drinking my icy cold Pepsi:
>
>http://www.dotsiecowden.net/

Sheesh, Terry, I am slow. When I read this at work yesterday I
thought 'geez, there is no mention of wildlife', and went back to
earning my pay. Then this morning it hit me that you saw a fox of
genus Homo, not Vulpes or Urocyon. Doh!

Bicycling had a piece on her a few months ago. They had a
semi-salacious attention getting photo, her in the T-Mobile jersey
with matching bikini bottom. But the article was interesting, how she
overcame personal issues by taking up cycling and racing ... and that
was only like 3 years ago or something. A bit of an over-achiever
type, and it sounds like she hammered to do the same at the Everest
Challenge.

As an aside, with the EC over, how close are you to the 200 vertical
miles?

- rick

[Rick Warner]

On Thu, 14 Oct 2004 01:09:39 GMT, "Mike Jacoubowsky/Chain Reaction
Bicycles" > wrote:

>> Ahhh, but Mother Nature is much more alive at dawn and dusk. I go
>> out in the early AM on 3-4 weekdays/week, usually doing 20-35 miles in
>> the local hills. In the past year I have had close approaches to deer
>> probably 50 or 60 times, coyotes at least a dozen times, bobcats a
>> couple of times, and countless views of birds including watching two
>> pairs of Red-Shouldered Hawks raising broods from building of nest to
>> teaching the young to hunt over the local hills. Mother Nature is
>> napping in the middle of the day, so you see very little of her on
>> mid-day rides.
>
>Saw not one, but two Foxes last week on Skyline (Highway 35). Very unusual
>to see a Fox on our ride; Coyotes are reasonably common in comparison, and
>we'll usually see a Bobcat about once a year. But Foxes at most once every
>five years or so.

Yea, foxes are bit more nocturnal. Don't see them much, just like you
don't see many raccoons or opossums out in the daylight. Occasional,
but rarely seen.

>And then there's the "perimeter dog" on Skyline, about half a mile south of
>King's Mtn, on the east side. He goes right up to the very edge of a cliff
>to bark at us, maybe 60 feet up, with his front paws pushing a bit of dirt
>over the side. He'll actually run along the very edge while he's barking at
>us. I've often told him to come down and fight like a real dog, even yelled
>"jump", but he hasn't taken me up on the offer yet...

He can surprise folks; my SO thought he was coming after her a year or
so ago. Not as bad as the dog on the trail in Tuscany that was
nipping our heels, but still got startled.

- rick

[Rick Warner]

On Thu, 14 Oct 2004 01:09:39 GMT, "Mike Jacoubowsky/Chain Reaction
Bicycles" > wrote:

>> Ahhh, but Mother Nature is much more alive at dawn and dusk. I go
>> out in the early AM on 3-4 weekdays/week, usually doing 20-35 miles in
>> the local hills. In the past year I have had close approaches to deer
>> probably 50 or 60 times, coyotes at least a dozen times, bobcats a
>> couple of times, and countless views of birds including watching two
>> pairs of Red-Shouldered Hawks raising broods from building of nest to
>> teaching the young to hunt over the local hills. Mother Nature is
>> napping in the middle of the day, so you see very little of her on
>> mid-day rides.
>
>Saw not one, but two Foxes last week on Skyline (Highway 35). Very unusual
>to see a Fox on our ride; Coyotes are reasonably common in comparison, and
>we'll usually see a Bobcat about once a year. But Foxes at most once every
>five years or so.

Yea, foxes are bit more nocturnal. Don't see them much, just like you
don't see many raccoons or opossums out in the daylight. Occasional,
but rarely seen.

>And then there's the "perimeter dog" on Skyline, about half a mile south of
>King's Mtn, on the east side. He goes right up to the very edge of a cliff
>to bark at us, maybe 60 feet up, with his front paws pushing a bit of dirt
>over the side. He'll actually run along the very edge while he's barking at
>us. I've often told him to come down and fight like a real dog, even yelled
>"jump", but he hasn't taken me up on the offer yet...

He can surprise folks; my SO thought he was coming after her a year or
so ago. Not as bad as the dog on the trail in Tuscany that was
nipping our heels, but still got startled.

- rick

[Rick Warner]

On Thu, 14 Oct 2004 01:09:39 GMT, "Mike Jacoubowsky/Chain Reaction
Bicycles" > wrote:

>> Ahhh, but Mother Nature is much more alive at dawn and dusk. I go
>> out in the early AM on 3-4 weekdays/week, usually doing 20-35 miles in
>> the local hills. In the past year I have had close approaches to deer
>> probably 50 or 60 times, coyotes at least a dozen times, bobcats a
>> couple of times, and countless views of birds including watching two
>> pairs of Red-Shouldered Hawks raising broods from building of nest to
>> teaching the young to hunt over the local hills. Mother Nature is
>> napping in the middle of the day, so you see very little of her on
>> mid-day rides.
>
>Saw not one, but two Foxes last week on Skyline (Highway 35). Very unusual
>to see a Fox on our ride; Coyotes are reasonably common in comparison, and
>we'll usually see a Bobcat about once a year. But Foxes at most once every
>five years or so.

Yea, foxes are bit more nocturnal. Don't see them much, just like you
don't see many raccoons or opossums out in the daylight. Occasional,
but rarely seen.

>And then there's the "perimeter dog" on Skyline, about half a mile south of
>King's Mtn, on the east side. He goes right up to the very edge of a cliff
>to bark at us, maybe 60 feet up, with his front paws pushing a bit of dirt
>over the side. He'll actually run along the very edge while he's barking at
>us. I've often told him to come down and fight like a real dog, even yelled
>"jump", but he hasn't taken me up on the offer yet...

He can surprise folks; my SO thought he was coming after her a year or
so ago. Not as bad as the dog on the trail in Tuscany that was
nipping our heels, but still got startled.

- rick

[Terry Morse]

Rick Warner wrote:

> As an aside, with the EC over, how close are you to the 200 vertical
> miles?

64,801 feet to go. Unless the weather turns really bad, that should
be easy to complete.

--
terry morse Palo Alto, CA http://bike.terrymorse.com/

[Terry Morse]

Rick Warner wrote:

> As an aside, with the EC over, how close are you to the 200 vertical
> miles?

64,801 feet to go. Unless the weather turns really bad, that should
be easy to complete.

--
terry morse Palo Alto, CA http://bike.terrymorse.com/

[Terry Morse]

Rick Warner wrote:

> As an aside, with the EC over, how close are you to the 200 vertical
> miles?

64,801 feet to go. Unless the weather turns really bad, that should
be easy to complete.

--
terry morse Palo Alto, CA http://bike.terrymorse.com/

[Chuck Anderson]

Terry Morse wrote:

>Rick Warner wrote:
>
>
>
>>As an aside, with the EC over, how close are you to the 200 vertical
>>miles?
>>
>>
>
>64,801 feet to go. Unless the weather turns really bad, that should
>be easy to complete.
>
>--
>terry morse Palo Alto, CA http://bike.terrymorse.com/
>
>
Wish my Cateye Altimeter hadn't flaked out on me. I let the battery wear
down too far and my total miles and elevation gain (went way up), so I
don't know what I have. (And there is NO way to reset the stoopid thing).

I've focused on mountain rides this last year and rarely headed out into
the plains (although that still means ~1500 ft of climbing when I do),
so I have been wondering what my elevation gain has been this year.

It's nowhere near 200 miles (I assume you're trying to do that in 1
year). I've certainly averaged 5,000 feet a week this year (minus 6
weeks off with a broken collarbone) - and probably more (last week I did
over 10,000 ft.), but I guess that would only come out to be ~50 miles
in a year. (5,000 x 52 = 260,000 ft = ~49 miles).

Four times as much climbing next year? Yikes. Don't think I could manage
that. I could shoot for 100 vertical miles next year. I've gotten so
used to mountain rides that when I ride in the plains now, I get bored.
It's not so much easier, I just like all the changes of scenery and
riding conditions in the mountains - the serenity to be had there -
getting away from it all ....... ....... and I love descents.

--
*****************************
Chuck Anderson • Boulder, CO
http://www.CycleTourist.com
Integrity is obvious.
The lack of it is common.
*****************************

[Chuck Anderson]

Terry Morse wrote:

>Rick Warner wrote:
>
>
>
>>As an aside, with the EC over, how close are you to the 200 vertical
>>miles?
>>
>>
>
>64,801 feet to go. Unless the weather turns really bad, that should
>be easy to complete.
>
>--
>terry morse Palo Alto, CA http://bike.terrymorse.com/
>
>
Wish my Cateye Altimeter hadn't flaked out on me. I let the battery wear
down too far and my total miles and elevation gain (went way up), so I
don't know what I have. (And there is NO way to reset the stoopid thing).

I've focused on mountain rides this last year and rarely headed out into
the plains (although that still means ~1500 ft of climbing when I do),
so I have been wondering what my elevation gain has been this year.

It's nowhere near 200 miles (I assume you're trying to do that in 1
year). I've certainly averaged 5,000 feet a week this year (minus 6
weeks off with a broken collarbone) - and probably more (last week I did
over 10,000 ft.), but I guess that would only come out to be ~50 miles
in a year. (5,000 x 52 = 260,000 ft = ~49 miles).

Four times as much climbing next year? Yikes. Don't think I could manage
that. I could shoot for 100 vertical miles next year. I've gotten so
used to mountain rides that when I ride in the plains now, I get bored.
It's not so much easier, I just like all the changes of scenery and
riding conditions in the mountains - the serenity to be had there -
getting away from it all ....... ....... and I love descents.

--
*****************************
Chuck Anderson • Boulder, CO
http://www.CycleTourist.com
Integrity is obvious.
The lack of it is common.
*****************************

[Chuck Anderson]

Terry Morse wrote:

>Rick Warner wrote:
>
>
>
>>As an aside, with the EC over, how close are you to the 200 vertical
>>miles?
>>
>>
>
>64,801 feet to go. Unless the weather turns really bad, that should
>be easy to complete.
>
>--
>terry morse Palo Alto, CA http://bike.terrymorse.com/
>
>
Wish my Cateye Altimeter hadn't flaked out on me. I let the battery wear
down too far and my total miles and elevation gain (went way up), so I
don't know what I have. (And there is NO way to reset the stoopid thing).

I've focused on mountain rides this last year and rarely headed out into
the plains (although that still means ~1500 ft of climbing when I do),
so I have been wondering what my elevation gain has been this year.

It's nowhere near 200 miles (I assume you're trying to do that in 1
year). I've certainly averaged 5,000 feet a week this year (minus 6
weeks off with a broken collarbone) - and probably more (last week I did
over 10,000 ft.), but I guess that would only come out to be ~50 miles
in a year. (5,000 x 52 = 260,000 ft = ~49 miles).

Four times as much climbing next year? Yikes. Don't think I could manage
that. I could shoot for 100 vertical miles next year. I've gotten so
used to mountain rides that when I ride in the plains now, I get bored.
It's not so much easier, I just like all the changes of scenery and
riding conditions in the mountains - the serenity to be had there -
getting away from it all ....... ....... and I love descents.

--
*****************************
Chuck Anderson • Boulder, CO
http://www.CycleTourist.com
Integrity is obvious.
The lack of it is common.
*****************************

[Terry Morse]

Chuck Anderson wrote:

> Four times as much climbing next year? Yikes. Don't think I could manage
> that. I could shoot for 100 vertical miles next year. I've gotten so
> used to mountain rides that when I ride in the plains now, I get bored.
> It's not so much easier, I just like all the changes of scenery and
> riding conditions in the mountains - the serenity to be had there -
> getting away from it all ....... ....... and I love descents.

In retrospect, logging all that vertical hasn't been that difficult.
It just means that all my routes have been hilly routes. I've logged
30-45K weekly during the Summer, maybe half that in the Spring and
Fall.

Now that it's almost over, I'm glad I set such a goal. But I'll be
happy when I meet my target of 200 vertical miles and the pressure
is off.
--
terry morse Palo Alto, CA http://bike.terrymorse.com/

[Terry Morse]

Chuck Anderson wrote:

> Four times as much climbing next year? Yikes. Don't think I could manage
> that. I could shoot for 100 vertical miles next year. I've gotten so
> used to mountain rides that when I ride in the plains now, I get bored.
> It's not so much easier, I just like all the changes of scenery and
> riding conditions in the mountains - the serenity to be had there -
> getting away from it all ....... ....... and I love descents.

In retrospect, logging all that vertical hasn't been that difficult.
It just means that all my routes have been hilly routes. I've logged
30-45K weekly during the Summer, maybe half that in the Spring and
Fall.

Now that it's almost over, I'm glad I set such a goal. But I'll be
happy when I meet my target of 200 vertical miles and the pressure
is off.
--
terry morse Palo Alto, CA http://bike.terrymorse.com/

[Terry Morse]

Chuck Anderson wrote:

> Four times as much climbing next year? Yikes. Don't think I could manage
> that. I could shoot for 100 vertical miles next year. I've gotten so
> used to mountain rides that when I ride in the plains now, I get bored.
> It's not so much easier, I just like all the changes of scenery and
> riding conditions in the mountains - the serenity to be had there -
> getting away from it all ....... ....... and I love descents.

In retrospect, logging all that vertical hasn't been that difficult.
It just means that all my routes have been hilly routes. I've logged
30-45K weekly during the Summer, maybe half that in the Spring and
Fall.

Now that it's almost over, I'm glad I set such a goal. But I'll be
happy when I meet my target of 200 vertical miles and the pressure
is off.
--
terry morse Palo Alto, CA http://bike.terrymorse.com/

[Mike Jacoubowsky/Chain Reaction Bicycles]

> 64,801 feet to go. Unless the weather turns really bad, that should
> be easy to complete.

> Now that it's almost over, I'm glad I set such a goal. But I'll be
> happy when I meet my target of 200 vertical miles and the pressure
> is off.

Just think, if it wasn't for an idiotic comment I made some time ago, you'd
only have 8,801 feet to go... something you could do in your sleep!

--Mike Jacoubowsky
Chain Reaction Bicycles
www.ChainReaction.com
IMBA, BikesBelong, NBDA member

"Terry Morse" > wrote in message
...
> Chuck Anderson wrote:
>
>> Four times as much climbing next year? Yikes. Don't think I could manage
>> that. I could shoot for 100 vertical miles next year. I've gotten so
>> used to mountain rides that when I ride in the plains now, I get bored.
>> It's not so much easier, I just like all the changes of scenery and
>> riding conditions in the mountains - the serenity to be had there -
>> getting away from it all ....... ....... and I love descents.
>
> In retrospect, logging all that vertical hasn't been that difficult.
> It just means that all my routes have been hilly routes. I've logged
> 30-45K weekly during the Summer, maybe half that in the Spring and
> Fall.
>
> Now that it's almost over, I'm glad I set such a goal. But I'll be
> happy when I meet my target of 200 vertical miles and the pressure
> is off.
> --
> terry morse Palo Alto, CA http://bike.terrymorse.com/

[Mike Jacoubowsky/Chain Reaction Bicycles]

> 64,801 feet to go. Unless the weather turns really bad, that should
> be easy to complete.

> Now that it's almost over, I'm glad I set such a goal. But I'll be
> happy when I meet my target of 200 vertical miles and the pressure
> is off.

Just think, if it wasn't for an idiotic comment I made some time ago, you'd
only have 8,801 feet to go... something you could do in your sleep!

--Mike Jacoubowsky
Chain Reaction Bicycles
www.ChainReaction.com
IMBA, BikesBelong, NBDA member

"Terry Morse" > wrote in message
...
> Chuck Anderson wrote:
>
>> Four times as much climbing next year? Yikes. Don't think I could manage
>> that. I could shoot for 100 vertical miles next year. I've gotten so
>> used to mountain rides that when I ride in the plains now, I get bored.
>> It's not so much easier, I just like all the changes of scenery and
>> riding conditions in the mountains - the serenity to be had there -
>> getting away from it all ....... ....... and I love descents.
>
> In retrospect, logging all that vertical hasn't been that difficult.
> It just means that all my routes have been hilly routes. I've logged
> 30-45K weekly during the Summer, maybe half that in the Spring and
> Fall.
>
> Now that it's almost over, I'm glad I set such a goal. But I'll be
> happy when I meet my target of 200 vertical miles and the pressure
> is off.
> --
> terry morse Palo Alto, CA http://bike.terrymorse.com/

[Mike Jacoubowsky/Chain Reaction Bicycles]

> 64,801 feet to go. Unless the weather turns really bad, that should
> be easy to complete.

> Now that it's almost over, I'm glad I set such a goal. But I'll be
> happy when I meet my target of 200 vertical miles and the pressure
> is off.

Just think, if it wasn't for an idiotic comment I made some time ago, you'd
only have 8,801 feet to go... something you could do in your sleep!

--Mike Jacoubowsky
Chain Reaction Bicycles
www.ChainReaction.com
IMBA, BikesBelong, NBDA member

"Terry Morse" > wrote in message
...
> Chuck Anderson wrote:
>
>> Four times as much climbing next year? Yikes. Don't think I could manage
>> that. I could shoot for 100 vertical miles next year. I've gotten so
>> used to mountain rides that when I ride in the plains now, I get bored.
>> It's not so much easier, I just like all the changes of scenery and
>> riding conditions in the mountains - the serenity to be had there -
>> getting away from it all ....... ....... and I love descents.
>
> In retrospect, logging all that vertical hasn't been that difficult.
> It just means that all my routes have been hilly routes. I've logged
> 30-45K weekly during the Summer, maybe half that in the Spring and
> Fall.
>
> Now that it's almost over, I'm glad I set such a goal. But I'll be
> happy when I meet my target of 200 vertical miles and the pressure
> is off.
> --
> terry morse Palo Alto, CA http://bike.terrymorse.com/

[Terry Morse]

Mike Jacoubowsky wrote:

> Terry Morse wrote:
> > Now that it's almost over, I'm glad I set such a goal. But I'll be
> > happy when I meet my target of 200 vertical miles and the pressure
> > is off.
>
> Just think, if it wasn't for an idiotic comment I made some time ago, you'd
> only have 8,801 feet to go... something you could do in your sleep!

Well, thanks to you, at least I'll have something to keep me
occupied for the next few weeks.
--
terry morse Palo Alto, CA http://bike.terrymorse.com/

[Terry Morse]

Mike Jacoubowsky wrote:

> Terry Morse wrote:
> > Now that it's almost over, I'm glad I set such a goal. But I'll be
> > happy when I meet my target of 200 vertical miles and the pressure
> > is off.
>
> Just think, if it wasn't for an idiotic comment I made some time ago, you'd
> only have 8,801 feet to go... something you could do in your sleep!

Well, thanks to you, at least I'll have something to keep me
occupied for the next few weeks.
--
terry morse Palo Alto, CA http://bike.terrymorse.com/

[Terry Morse]

Mike Jacoubowsky wrote:

> Terry Morse wrote:
> > Now that it's almost over, I'm glad I set such a goal. But I'll be
> > happy when I meet my target of 200 vertical miles and the pressure
> > is off.
>
> Just think, if it wasn't for an idiotic comment I made some time ago, you'd
> only have 8,801 feet to go... something you could do in your sleep!

Well, thanks to you, at least I'll have something to keep me
occupied for the next few weeks.
--
terry morse Palo Alto, CA http://bike.terrymorse.com/

[Mike Jacoubowsky]

>> Terry Morse wrote:
>> > Now that it's almost over, I'm glad I set such a goal. But I'll be
>> > happy when I meet my target of 200 vertical miles and the pressure
>> > is off.
>>
>> Just think, if it wasn't for an idiotic comment I made some time ago,
>> you'd
>> only have 8,801 feet to go... something you could do in your sleep!
>
> Well, thanks to you, at least I'll have something to keep me
> occupied for the next few weeks.

We might be doing Sonora Pass again the weekend following this... if the
weather is OK (might be some fresh snow!). Unfortunately, it's only 8k or
so of climbing (although it sure feels like a lot more).

--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles
www.ChainReactionBicycles.com

[Mike Jacoubowsky]

>> Terry Morse wrote:
>> > Now that it's almost over, I'm glad I set such a goal. But I'll be
>> > happy when I meet my target of 200 vertical miles and the pressure
>> > is off.
>>
>> Just think, if it wasn't for an idiotic comment I made some time ago,
>> you'd
>> only have 8,801 feet to go... something you could do in your sleep!
>
> Well, thanks to you, at least I'll have something to keep me
> occupied for the next few weeks.

We might be doing Sonora Pass again the weekend following this... if the
weather is OK (might be some fresh snow!). Unfortunately, it's only 8k or
so of climbing (although it sure feels like a lot more).

--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles
www.ChainReactionBicycles.com

[Mike Jacoubowsky]

>> Terry Morse wrote:
>> > Now that it's almost over, I'm glad I set such a goal. But I'll be
>> > happy when I meet my target of 200 vertical miles and the pressure
>> > is off.
>>
>> Just think, if it wasn't for an idiotic comment I made some time ago,
>> you'd
>> only have 8,801 feet to go... something you could do in your sleep!
>
> Well, thanks to you, at least I'll have something to keep me
> occupied for the next few weeks.

We might be doing Sonora Pass again the weekend following this... if the
weather is OK (might be some fresh snow!). Unfortunately, it's only 8k or
so of climbing (although it sure feels like a lot more).

--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles
www.ChainReactionBicycles.com

[Terry Morse]

In article >,
"Mike Jacoubowsky" > wrote:

> We might be doing Sonora Pass again the weekend following this... if the
> weather is OK (might be some fresh snow!). Unfortunately, it's only 8k or
> so of climbing (although it sure feels like a lot more).

That sounds very enticing. I haven't done Sonora Pass this year, and
my wife's away for the weekend. Let me know if you decide to do it.I
have a couple of riding buddies who have been wanting to do Sonora
Pass for some time, too.
--
terry

[Terry Morse]

In article >,
"Mike Jacoubowsky" > wrote:

> We might be doing Sonora Pass again the weekend following this... if the
> weather is OK (might be some fresh snow!). Unfortunately, it's only 8k or
> so of climbing (although it sure feels like a lot more).

That sounds very enticing. I haven't done Sonora Pass this year, and
my wife's away for the weekend. Let me know if you decide to do it.I
have a couple of riding buddies who have been wanting to do Sonora
Pass for some time, too.
--
terry

[Terry Morse]

In article >,
"Mike Jacoubowsky" > wrote:

> We might be doing Sonora Pass again the weekend following this... if the
> weather is OK (might be some fresh snow!). Unfortunately, it's only 8k or
> so of climbing (although it sure feels like a lot more).

That sounds very enticing. I haven't done Sonora Pass this year, and
my wife's away for the weekend. Let me know if you decide to do it.I
have a couple of riding buddies who have been wanting to do Sonora
Pass for some time, too.
--
terry

[Mike Latondresse]

"Mike Jacoubowsky" > wrote in
m:

>>> Terry Morse wrote:
>>> > Now that it's almost over, I'm glad I set such a goal. But
>>> > I'll be happy when I meet my target of 200 vertical miles and
>>> > the pressure is off.
>>>
>>> Just think, if it wasn't for an idiotic comment I made some time
>>> ago, you'd
>>> only have 8,801 feet to go... something you could do in your
>>> sleep!
>>
>> Well, thanks to you, at least I'll have something to keep me
>> occupied for the next few weeks.
>
> We might be doing Sonora Pass again the weekend following this...
> if the weather is OK (might be some fresh snow!). Unfortunately,
> it's only 8k or so of climbing (although it sure feels like a lot
> more).
>
Hey I am impressed with 8k of climbing, seeing Ventoux for example is
only 1900m Sonora is 4x as much. My local hills are all under 1500m.

[Mike Latondresse]

"Mike Jacoubowsky" > wrote in
m:

>>> Terry Morse wrote:
>>> > Now that it's almost over, I'm glad I set such a goal. But
>>> > I'll be happy when I meet my target of 200 vertical miles and
>>> > the pressure is off.
>>>
>>> Just think, if it wasn't for an idiotic comment I made some time
>>> ago, you'd
>>> only have 8,801 feet to go... something you could do in your
>>> sleep!
>>
>> Well, thanks to you, at least I'll have something to keep me
>> occupied for the next few weeks.
>
> We might be doing Sonora Pass again the weekend following this...
> if the weather is OK (might be some fresh snow!). Unfortunately,
> it's only 8k or so of climbing (although it sure feels like a lot
> more).
>
Hey I am impressed with 8k of climbing, seeing Ventoux for example is
only 1900m Sonora is 4x as much. My local hills are all under 1500m.

[Mike Latondresse]

"Mike Jacoubowsky" > wrote in
m:

>>> Terry Morse wrote:
>>> > Now that it's almost over, I'm glad I set such a goal. But
>>> > I'll be happy when I meet my target of 200 vertical miles and
>>> > the pressure is off.
>>>
>>> Just think, if it wasn't for an idiotic comment I made some time
>>> ago, you'd
>>> only have 8,801 feet to go... something you could do in your
>>> sleep!
>>
>> Well, thanks to you, at least I'll have something to keep me
>> occupied for the next few weeks.
>
> We might be doing Sonora Pass again the weekend following this...
> if the weather is OK (might be some fresh snow!). Unfortunately,
> it's only 8k or so of climbing (although it sure feels like a lot
> more).
>
Hey I am impressed with 8k of climbing, seeing Ventoux for example is
only 1900m Sonora is 4x as much. My local hills are all under 1500m.

[Badger_South]

On Thu, 14 Oct 2004 11:55:32 -0700, Terry Morse > wrote:

>Badger_South wrote:
>
>> Hey how about a 'ride report' on the Everest Challenge? Did it
>> meet your expectations? Full details, please! <g>
>
>Okay. The Everest Challenge was very fun. The suffering was limited
>to the last few minutes of the final climbs, and I didn't have any
>crises. Within about 15 minutes of finishing, I was already forming
>fond memories of the event. The weather was thankfully mild, so we
>didn't have to suffer the infamous heat of the Owens Valley. It
>actually got down to 36F on the first day. That was a bit chilly,
>but it didn't last long.
>
>My goal was to be within the cutoff times for the pro/cat12 group,
>which was 18 hours. My "clock time" was 14:03:42, bike time was
>13:40:09. I guess that's pretty decent, but the winning time was an
>amazing 10:42.

Hey Terry, I've been looking over the EC page and saw your name up on the
winner's board. Do you get a medal or something as your cat winner? At any
rate, the t-shirts look, uh incredible! ;-D This is the only "fun ride"
event I've even seen that does that, but you can sure see why.

So at 86 miles day one and 122 miles day two you still had a pretty fast av
speed. (tempting to list them in the journal as km/hr, though, eh?) Looking
at the last few km of climb on the final peak (17%!), I can't even imagine
what that looks like, and not sure one could capture it in a picture.

Guess it put a little dent in the ole 200 vert totals for the year, though,
eh?

-B

[Badger_South]

On Thu, 14 Oct 2004 11:55:32 -0700, Terry Morse > wrote:

>Badger_South wrote:
>
>> Hey how about a 'ride report' on the Everest Challenge? Did it
>> meet your expectations? Full details, please! <g>
>
>Okay. The Everest Challenge was very fun. The suffering was limited
>to the last few minutes of the final climbs, and I didn't have any
>crises. Within about 15 minutes of finishing, I was already forming
>fond memories of the event. The weather was thankfully mild, so we
>didn't have to suffer the infamous heat of the Owens Valley. It
>actually got down to 36F on the first day. That was a bit chilly,
>but it didn't last long.
>
>My goal was to be within the cutoff times for the pro/cat12 group,
>which was 18 hours. My "clock time" was 14:03:42, bike time was
>13:40:09. I guess that's pretty decent, but the winning time was an
>amazing 10:42.

Hey Terry, I've been looking over the EC page and saw your name up on the
winner's board. Do you get a medal or something as your cat winner? At any
rate, the t-shirts look, uh incredible! ;-D This is the only "fun ride"
event I've even seen that does that, but you can sure see why.

So at 86 miles day one and 122 miles day two you still had a pretty fast av
speed. (tempting to list them in the journal as km/hr, though, eh?) Looking
at the last few km of climb on the final peak (17%!), I can't even imagine
what that looks like, and not sure one could capture it in a picture.

Guess it put a little dent in the ole 200 vert totals for the year, though,
eh?

-B

[Badger_South]

On Thu, 14 Oct 2004 11:55:32 -0700, Terry Morse > wrote:

>Badger_South wrote:
>
>> Hey how about a 'ride report' on the Everest Challenge? Did it
>> meet your expectations? Full details, please! <g>
>
>Okay. The Everest Challenge was very fun. The suffering was limited
>to the last few minutes of the final climbs, and I didn't have any
>crises. Within about 15 minutes of finishing, I was already forming
>fond memories of the event. The weather was thankfully mild, so we
>didn't have to suffer the infamous heat of the Owens Valley. It
>actually got down to 36F on the first day. That was a bit chilly,
>but it didn't last long.
>
>My goal was to be within the cutoff times for the pro/cat12 group,
>which was 18 hours. My "clock time" was 14:03:42, bike time was
>13:40:09. I guess that's pretty decent, but the winning time was an
>amazing 10:42.

Hey Terry, I've been looking over the EC page and saw your name up on the
winner's board. Do you get a medal or something as your cat winner? At any
rate, the t-shirts look, uh incredible! ;-D This is the only "fun ride"
event I've even seen that does that, but you can sure see why.

So at 86 miles day one and 122 miles day two you still had a pretty fast av
speed. (tempting to list them in the journal as km/hr, though, eh?) Looking
at the last few km of climb on the final peak (17%!), I can't even imagine
what that looks like, and not sure one could capture it in a picture.

Guess it put a little dent in the ole 200 vert totals for the year, though,
eh?

-B

[Terry Morse]

Mike Latondresse wrote:

> Hey I am impressed with 8k of climbing, seeing Ventoux for example is
> only 1900m Sonora is 4x as much. My local hills are all under 1500m.

Sonora Pass is 8k /feet/ of climbing -- but only if you do an
over-and-back ride. About 5k on the front side and 3k on the back
side (roughly).
--
terry morse Palo Alto, CA http://bike.terrymorse.com/

[Terry Morse]

Mike Latondresse wrote:

> Hey I am impressed with 8k of climbing, seeing Ventoux for example is
> only 1900m Sonora is 4x as much. My local hills are all under 1500m.

Sonora Pass is 8k /feet/ of climbing -- but only if you do an
over-and-back ride. About 5k on the front side and 3k on the back
side (roughly).
--
terry morse Palo Alto, CA http://bike.terrymorse.com/

[Terry Morse]

Mike Latondresse wrote:

> Hey I am impressed with 8k of climbing, seeing Ventoux for example is
> only 1900m Sonora is 4x as much. My local hills are all under 1500m.

Sonora Pass is 8k /feet/ of climbing -- but only if you do an
over-and-back ride. About 5k on the front side and 3k on the back
side (roughly).
--
terry morse Palo Alto, CA http://bike.terrymorse.com/

[Terry Morse]

Badger_South wrote:

> Hey Terry, I've been looking over the EC page and saw your name up on the
> winner's board. Do you get a medal or something as your cat winner?

I got a free EC jersey, which is pretty cool looking:

http://bike.terrymorse.com/imgs/ecjersey.jpg

I had already bought one before the race, so now I have two. No
medal or certificate, though. The Everest Challenge organizer said
he sent my name into Voler, so I can order a CA State Champion
jersey from them if I want one:

http://tinyurl.com/6v5nh

But I don't think I'll buy it. I'd feel weird wearing it. That's a
serious "racer dude bragging rights" jersey, and I'm not a racer
dude. My wife wants me to get one, any way. Maybe I'll just get it
and stick it in a drawer, pulling it out for Halloween.

> So at 86 miles day one and 122 miles day two you still had a pretty fast av
> speed.

Bike computer says 14.2 mph day 1, 13.0 mph day 2. Day 1 had 116 ft.
of climbing per mile, day 2 had 141 ft/mile.

> Looking
> at the last few km of climb on the final peak (17%!), I can't even imagine
> what that looks like, and not sure one could capture it in a picture.

That was one of the only bits that was not very fun. The 17% grade
came at the end of a 17-mile climb, which had some long sections
that were pretty steep in their own right. The legs had little left
to give when they hit that 17%. I caught and passed a couple of the
pro/1/2 riders on that climb, which was kind of fun. They were in
worse shape than I was. Lots of riders limped over the finish,
complaining of cramps.

> Guess it put a little dent in the ole 200 vert totals for the year, though,
> eh?

Yeah, every little bit helps. My total for that week was 42,000'.
Not the highest for the year, but pretty close. 61,701' left to go,
a couple of week's worth (if the weather holds out). It'll be a
relief to have that one wrapped up.

Overall, it was a great experience in a great location. Several of
my riding buddies, amle and female, want to do it next year.
--
terry morse Palo Alto, CA http://bike.terrymorse.com/

[Terry Morse]

Badger_South wrote:

> Hey Terry, I've been looking over the EC page and saw your name up on the
> winner's board. Do you get a medal or something as your cat winner?

I got a free EC jersey, which is pretty cool looking:

http://bike.terrymorse.com/imgs/ecjersey.jpg

I had already bought one before the race, so now I have two. No
medal or certificate, though. The Everest Challenge organizer said
he sent my name into Voler, so I can order a CA State Champion
jersey from them if I want one:

http://tinyurl.com/6v5nh

But I don't think I'll buy it. I'd feel weird wearing it. That's a
serious "racer dude bragging rights" jersey, and I'm not a racer
dude. My wife wants me to get one, any way. Maybe I'll just get it
and stick it in a drawer, pulling it out for Halloween.

> So at 86 miles day one and 122 miles day two you still had a pretty fast av
> speed.

Bike computer says 14.2 mph day 1, 13.0 mph day 2. Day 1 had 116 ft.
of climbing per mile, day 2 had 141 ft/mile.

> Looking
> at the last few km of climb on the final peak (17%!), I can't even imagine
> what that looks like, and not sure one could capture it in a picture.

That was one of the only bits that was not very fun. The 17% grade
came at the end of a 17-mile climb, which had some long sections
that were pretty steep in their own right. The legs had little left
to give when they hit that 17%. I caught and passed a couple of the
pro/1/2 riders on that climb, which was kind of fun. They were in
worse shape than I was. Lots of riders limped over the finish,
complaining of cramps.

> Guess it put a little dent in the ole 200 vert totals for the year, though,
> eh?

Yeah, every little bit helps. My total for that week was 42,000'.
Not the highest for the year, but pretty close. 61,701' left to go,
a couple of week's worth (if the weather holds out). It'll be a
relief to have that one wrapped up.

Overall, it was a great experience in a great location. Several of
my riding buddies, amle and female, want to do it next year.
--
terry morse Palo Alto, CA http://bike.terrymorse.com/

[Terry Morse]

Badger_South wrote:

> Hey Terry, I've been looking over the EC page and saw your name up on the
> winner's board. Do you get a medal or something as your cat winner?

I got a free EC jersey, which is pretty cool looking:

http://bike.terrymorse.com/imgs/ecjersey.jpg

I had already bought one before the race, so now I have two. No
medal or certificate, though. The Everest Challenge organizer said
he sent my name into Voler, so I can order a CA State Champion
jersey from them if I want one:

http://tinyurl.com/6v5nh

But I don't think I'll buy it. I'd feel weird wearing it. That's a
serious "racer dude bragging rights" jersey, and I'm not a racer
dude. My wife wants me to get one, any way. Maybe I'll just get it
and stick it in a drawer, pulling it out for Halloween.

> So at 86 miles day one and 122 miles day two you still had a pretty fast av
> speed.

Bike computer says 14.2 mph day 1, 13.0 mph day 2. Day 1 had 116 ft.
of climbing per mile, day 2 had 141 ft/mile.

> Looking
> at the last few km of climb on the final peak (17%!), I can't even imagine
> what that looks like, and not sure one could capture it in a picture.

That was one of the only bits that was not very fun. The 17% grade
came at the end of a 17-mile climb, which had some long sections
that were pretty steep in their own right. The legs had little left
to give when they hit that 17%. I caught and passed a couple of the
pro/1/2 riders on that climb, which was kind of fun. They were in
worse shape than I was. Lots of riders limped over the finish,
complaining of cramps.

> Guess it put a little dent in the ole 200 vert totals for the year, though,
> eh?

Yeah, every little bit helps. My total for that week was 42,000'.
Not the highest for the year, but pretty close. 61,701' left to go,
a couple of week's worth (if the weather holds out). It'll be a
relief to have that one wrapped up.

Overall, it was a great experience in a great location. Several of
my riding buddies, amle and female, want to do it next year.
--
terry morse Palo Alto, CA http://bike.terrymorse.com/

[Mike Jacoubowsky]

> Hey I am impressed with 8k of climbing, seeing Ventoux for example is
> only 1900m Sonora is 4x as much. My local hills are all under 1500m.

8k feet for Sonora Pass includes climbing it from both sides, with endpoints
at Dardanelle on the West and 395 on the east.

In terms of nastiness, Sonora Pass is *much* steeper... unbelievably
steep... but, thankfully, for fairly short stretches. It never lets you
take it for granted, but its varying nature is a welcome relief to the
monotonous, never-changing grade that Ventoux presents from just past Bedoin
up to, what is it, Chalet Reyard? Until you come out of the trees, Ventoux
is not a pretty climb. Sonora Pass, on the other hand, affords
continuously-spectacular views.

--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles
www.ChainReactionBicycles.com


"Mike Latondresse" > wrote in message
...
> "Mike Jacoubowsky" > wrote in
> m:
>
>>>> Terry Morse wrote:
>>>> > Now that it's almost over, I'm glad I set such a goal. But
>>>> > I'll be happy when I meet my target of 200 vertical miles and
>>>> > the pressure is off.
>>>>
>>>> Just think, if it wasn't for an idiotic comment I made some time
>>>> ago, you'd
>>>> only have 8,801 feet to go... something you could do in your
>>>> sleep!
>>>
>>> Well, thanks to you, at least I'll have something to keep me
>>> occupied for the next few weeks.
>>
>> We might be doing Sonora Pass again the weekend following this...
>> if the weather is OK (might be some fresh snow!). Unfortunately,
>> it's only 8k or so of climbing (although it sure feels like a lot
>> more).
>>
> Hey I am impressed with 8k of climbing, seeing Ventoux for example is
> only 1900m Sonora is 4x as much. My local hills are all under 1500m.

[Mike Jacoubowsky]

> Hey I am impressed with 8k of climbing, seeing Ventoux for example is
> only 1900m Sonora is 4x as much. My local hills are all under 1500m.

8k feet for Sonora Pass includes climbing it from both sides, with endpoints
at Dardanelle on the West and 395 on the east.

In terms of nastiness, Sonora Pass is *much* steeper... unbelievably
steep... but, thankfully, for fairly short stretches. It never lets you
take it for granted, but its varying nature is a welcome relief to the
monotonous, never-changing grade that Ventoux presents from just past Bedoin
up to, what is it, Chalet Reyard? Until you come out of the trees, Ventoux
is not a pretty climb. Sonora Pass, on the other hand, affords
continuously-spectacular views.

--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles
www.ChainReactionBicycles.com


"Mike Latondresse" > wrote in message
...
> "Mike Jacoubowsky" > wrote in
> m:
>
>>>> Terry Morse wrote:
>>>> > Now that it's almost over, I'm glad I set such a goal. But
>>>> > I'll be happy when I meet my target of 200 vertical miles and
>>>> > the pressure is off.
>>>>
>>>> Just think, if it wasn't for an idiotic comment I made some time
>>>> ago, you'd
>>>> only have 8,801 feet to go... something you could do in your
>>>> sleep!
>>>
>>> Well, thanks to you, at least I'll have something to keep me
>>> occupied for the next few weeks.
>>
>> We might be doing Sonora Pass again the weekend following this...
>> if the weather is OK (might be some fresh snow!). Unfortunately,
>> it's only 8k or so of climbing (although it sure feels like a lot
>> more).
>>
> Hey I am impressed with 8k of climbing, seeing Ventoux for example is
> only 1900m Sonora is 4x as much. My local hills are all under 1500m.

[Mike Jacoubowsky]

> Hey I am impressed with 8k of climbing, seeing Ventoux for example is
> only 1900m Sonora is 4x as much. My local hills are all under 1500m.

8k feet for Sonora Pass includes climbing it from both sides, with endpoints
at Dardanelle on the West and 395 on the east.

In terms of nastiness, Sonora Pass is *much* steeper... unbelievably
steep... but, thankfully, for fairly short stretches. It never lets you
take it for granted, but its varying nature is a welcome relief to the
monotonous, never-changing grade that Ventoux presents from just past Bedoin
up to, what is it, Chalet Reyard? Until you come out of the trees, Ventoux
is not a pretty climb. Sonora Pass, on the other hand, affords
continuously-spectacular views.

--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles
www.ChainReactionBicycles.com


"Mike Latondresse" > wrote in message
...
> "Mike Jacoubowsky" > wrote in
> m:
>
>>>> Terry Morse wrote:
>>>> > Now that it's almost over, I'm glad I set such a goal. But
>>>> > I'll be happy when I meet my target of 200 vertical miles and
>>>> > the pressure is off.
>>>>
>>>> Just think, if it wasn't for an idiotic comment I made some time
>>>> ago, you'd
>>>> only have 8,801 feet to go... something you could do in your
>>>> sleep!
>>>
>>> Well, thanks to you, at least I'll have something to keep me
>>> occupied for the next few weeks.
>>
>> We might be doing Sonora Pass again the weekend following this...
>> if the weather is OK (might be some fresh snow!). Unfortunately,
>> it's only 8k or so of climbing (although it sure feels like a lot
>> more).
>>
> Hey I am impressed with 8k of climbing, seeing Ventoux for example is
> only 1900m Sonora is 4x as much. My local hills are all under 1500m.

[Chris Neary]

>I was wondering how long Patterson Pass road would remain a cyclist's
>secret. Darn. Still, one heck of a nice weekend ride; I've never found
>much traffic on it on a Sunday. Same goes for Corral Hollow or Altamont
>Pass.

All three are great weekend rides, but have been overun by commuters during
the week.

Up until 5 years ago or so I would ride these roads occasionally after work,
but you couldn't pay me to do so now.


Chris Neary


"Science, freedom, beauty, adventure: what more could
you ask of life? Bicycling combined all the elements I
loved" - Adapted from a quotation by Charles Lindbergh

[Chris Neary]

>I was wondering how long Patterson Pass road would remain a cyclist's
>secret. Darn. Still, one heck of a nice weekend ride; I've never found
>much traffic on it on a Sunday. Same goes for Corral Hollow or Altamont
>Pass.

All three are great weekend rides, but have been overun by commuters during
the week.

Up until 5 years ago or so I would ride these roads occasionally after work,
but you couldn't pay me to do so now.


Chris Neary


"Science, freedom, beauty, adventure: what more could
you ask of life? Bicycling combined all the elements I
loved" - Adapted from a quotation by Charles Lindbergh

[Chris Neary]

>I was wondering how long Patterson Pass road would remain a cyclist's
>secret. Darn. Still, one heck of a nice weekend ride; I've never found
>much traffic on it on a Sunday. Same goes for Corral Hollow or Altamont
>Pass.

All three are great weekend rides, but have been overun by commuters during
the week.

Up until 5 years ago or so I would ride these roads occasionally after work,
but you couldn't pay me to do so now.


Chris Neary


"Science, freedom, beauty, adventure: what more could
you ask of life? Bicycling combined all the elements I
loved" - Adapted from a quotation by Charles Lindbergh

[Steve Juniper]

For real nastiness how about the Furnace Creek 508? 508 miles and 35,000
feet of climbing. Far too much for me, but my weekly riding partner is a a
participant at age 71. He started at 7 this morning and hopes to finish
before dark tomorrow (Sunday) night.
(http://www.adventurecorps.com/webcast/2004fc/index.html)
--
Steve Juniper

"...we should always worry about the soul of a nation that regards war
with childish delight."

-- Anthony Swofford --

"Mike Jacoubowsky" > wrote in message
m...
> Hey I am impressed with 8k of climbing, seeing Ventoux for example is
> only 1900m Sonora is 4x as much. My local hills are all under 1500m.

8k feet for Sonora Pass includes climbing it from both sides, with endpoints
at Dardanelle on the West and 395 on the east.

In terms of nastiness, Sonora Pass is *much* steeper... unbelievably
steep... but, thankfully, for fairly short stretches. It never lets you
take it for granted, but its varying nature is a welcome relief to the
monotonous, never-changing grade that Ventoux presents from just past Bedoin
up to, what is it, Chalet Reyard? Until you come out of the trees, Ventoux
is not a pretty climb. Sonora Pass, on the other hand, affords
continuously-spectacular views.

--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles
www.ChainReactionBicycles.com


"Mike Latondresse" > wrote in message
...
> "Mike Jacoubowsky" > wrote in
> m:
>
>>>> Terry Morse wrote:
>>>> > Now that it's almost over, I'm glad I set such a goal. But
>>>> > I'll be happy when I meet my target of 200 vertical miles and
>>>> > the pressure is off.
>>>>
>>>> Just think, if it wasn't for an idiotic comment I made some time
>>>> ago, you'd
>>>> only have 8,801 feet to go... something you could do in your
>>>> sleep!
>>>
>>> Well, thanks to you, at least I'll have something to keep me
>>> occupied for the next few weeks.
>>
>> We might be doing Sonora Pass again the weekend following this...
>> if the weather is OK (might be some fresh snow!). Unfortunately,
>> it's only 8k or so of climbing (although it sure feels like a lot
>> more).
>>
> Hey I am impressed with 8k of climbing, seeing Ventoux for example is
> only 1900m Sonora is 4x as much. My local hills are all under 1500m.

[Steve Juniper]

For real nastiness how about the Furnace Creek 508? 508 miles and 35,000
feet of climbing. Far too much for me, but my weekly riding partner is a a
participant at age 71. He started at 7 this morning and hopes to finish
before dark tomorrow (Sunday) night.
(http://www.adventurecorps.com/webcast/2004fc/index.html)
--
Steve Juniper

"...we should always worry about the soul of a nation that regards war
with childish delight."

-- Anthony Swofford --

"Mike Jacoubowsky" > wrote in message
m...
> Hey I am impressed with 8k of climbing, seeing Ventoux for example is
> only 1900m Sonora is 4x as much. My local hills are all under 1500m.

8k feet for Sonora Pass includes climbing it from both sides, with endpoints
at Dardanelle on the West and 395 on the east.

In terms of nastiness, Sonora Pass is *much* steeper... unbelievably
steep... but, thankfully, for fairly short stretches. It never lets you
take it for granted, but its varying nature is a welcome relief to the
monotonous, never-changing grade that Ventoux presents from just past Bedoin
up to, what is it, Chalet Reyard? Until you come out of the trees, Ventoux
is not a pretty climb. Sonora Pass, on the other hand, affords
continuously-spectacular views.

--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles
www.ChainReactionBicycles.com


"Mike Latondresse" > wrote in message
...
> "Mike Jacoubowsky" > wrote in
> m:
>
>>>> Terry Morse wrote:
>>>> > Now that it's almost over, I'm glad I set such a goal. But
>>>> > I'll be happy when I meet my target of 200 vertical miles and
>>>> > the pressure is off.
>>>>
>>>> Just think, if it wasn't for an idiotic comment I made some time
>>>> ago, you'd
>>>> only have 8,801 feet to go... something you could do in your
>>>> sleep!
>>>
>>> Well, thanks to you, at least I'll have something to keep me
>>> occupied for the next few weeks.
>>
>> We might be doing Sonora Pass again the weekend following this...
>> if the weather is OK (might be some fresh snow!). Unfortunately,
>> it's only 8k or so of climbing (although it sure feels like a lot
>> more).
>>
> Hey I am impressed with 8k of climbing, seeing Ventoux for example is
> only 1900m Sonora is 4x as much. My local hills are all under 1500m.

[Steve Juniper]

For real nastiness how about the Furnace Creek 508? 508 miles and 35,000
feet of climbing. Far too much for me, but my weekly riding partner is a a
participant at age 71. He started at 7 this morning and hopes to finish
before dark tomorrow (Sunday) night.
(http://www.adventurecorps.com/webcast/2004fc/index.html)
--
Steve Juniper

"...we should always worry about the soul of a nation that regards war
with childish delight."

-- Anthony Swofford --

"Mike Jacoubowsky" > wrote in message
m...
> Hey I am impressed with 8k of climbing, seeing Ventoux for example is
> only 1900m Sonora is 4x as much. My local hills are all under 1500m.

8k feet for Sonora Pass includes climbing it from both sides, with endpoints
at Dardanelle on the West and 395 on the east.

In terms of nastiness, Sonora Pass is *much* steeper... unbelievably
steep... but, thankfully, for fairly short stretches. It never lets you
take it for granted, but its varying nature is a welcome relief to the
monotonous, never-changing grade that Ventoux presents from just past Bedoin
up to, what is it, Chalet Reyard? Until you come out of the trees, Ventoux
is not a pretty climb. Sonora Pass, on the other hand, affords
continuously-spectacular views.

--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles
www.ChainReactionBicycles.com


"Mike Latondresse" > wrote in message
...
> "Mike Jacoubowsky" > wrote in
> m:
>
>>>> Terry Morse wrote:
>>>> > Now that it's almost over, I'm glad I set such a goal. But
>>>> > I'll be happy when I meet my target of 200 vertical miles and
>>>> > the pressure is off.
>>>>
>>>> Just think, if it wasn't for an idiotic comment I made some time
>>>> ago, you'd
>>>> only have 8,801 feet to go... something you could do in your
>>>> sleep!
>>>
>>> Well, thanks to you, at least I'll have something to keep me
>>> occupied for the next few weeks.
>>
>> We might be doing Sonora Pass again the weekend following this...
>> if the weather is OK (might be some fresh snow!). Unfortunately,
>> it's only 8k or so of climbing (although it sure feels like a lot
>> more).
>>
> Hey I am impressed with 8k of climbing, seeing Ventoux for example is
> only 1900m Sonora is 4x as much. My local hills are all under 1500m.

[Badger South]

On Sat, 16 Oct 2004 19:08:49 -0700, Terry Morse > wrote:

>Badger_South wrote:
>
>> Hey Terry, I've been looking over the EC page and saw your name up on the
>> winner's board. Do you get a medal or something as your cat winner?
>
>I got a free EC jersey, which is pretty cool looking:
>
>http://bike.terrymorse.com/imgs/ecjersey.jpg
>
>I had already bought one before the race, so now I have two. No
>medal or certificate, though. The Everest Challenge organizer said
>he sent my name into Voler, so I can order a CA State Champion
>jersey from them if I want one:
>
>http://tinyurl.com/6v5nh
>
>But I don't think I'll buy it. I'd feel weird wearing it. That's a
>serious "racer dude bragging rights" jersey, and I'm not a racer
>dude. My wife wants me to get one, any way. Maybe I'll just get it
>and stick it in a drawer, pulling it out for Halloween.

Hah, yeah, you don't buy one of those to wear, silly. You buy to put in
your scrapbook, or hang on the wall of your den, along with the printout of
your finish stats from the EC. You definitely deserve it, though I can see
why you wouldn't want to be seen riding with the words "Champion"
emblazened down the sides, heh-heh; though it's true, it's a bit tacky. But
you've certainly attained mythic status around here - remember, you didn't
just -ride- the EC, you got freakin' first place in your Cat! That's beyond
awesome.

>> So at 86 miles day one and 122 miles day two you still had a pretty fast av
>> speed.
>
>Bike computer says 14.2 mph day 1, 13.0 mph day 2. Day 1 had 116 ft.
>of climbing per mile, day 2 had 141 ft/mile.

Thanks for the info. I'm trying to guess your gear ratios - did you exceed
the site recommendations?

>> Looking
>> at the last few km of climb on the final peak (17%!), I can't even imagine
>> what that looks like, and not sure one could capture it in a picture.
>
>That was one of the only bits that was not very fun. The 17% grade
>came at the end of a 17-mile climb, which had some long sections
>that were pretty steep in their own right. The legs had little left
>to give when they hit that 17%. I caught and passed a couple of the
>pro/1/2 riders on that climb, which was kind of fun. They were in
>worse shape than I was. Lots of riders limped over the finish,
>complaining of cramps.

That's pretty cool. I can only imagine. You definitely put in the work.

>> Guess it put a little dent in the ole 200 vert totals for the year, though,
>> eh?
>
>Yeah, every little bit helps. My total for that week was 42,000'.
>Not the highest for the year, but pretty close. 61,701' left to go,
>a couple of week's worth (if the weather holds out). It'll be a
>relief to have that one wrapped up.
>
>Overall, it was a great experience in a great location. Several of
>my riding buddies, amle and female, want to do it next year.

I'm sure they're green with envy... which actually approximates what their
color after the last climb will be, eh?

-B

[Badger South]

On Sat, 16 Oct 2004 19:08:49 -0700, Terry Morse > wrote:

>Badger_South wrote:
>
>> Hey Terry, I've been looking over the EC page and saw your name up on the
>> winner's board. Do you get a medal or something as your cat winner?
>
>I got a free EC jersey, which is pretty cool looking:
>
>http://bike.terrymorse.com/imgs/ecjersey.jpg
>
>I had already bought one before the race, so now I have two. No
>medal or certificate, though. The Everest Challenge organizer said
>he sent my name into Voler, so I can order a CA State Champion
>jersey from them if I want one:
>
>http://tinyurl.com/6v5nh
>
>But I don't think I'll buy it. I'd feel weird wearing it. That's a
>serious "racer dude bragging rights" jersey, and I'm not a racer
>dude. My wife wants me to get one, any way. Maybe I'll just get it
>and stick it in a drawer, pulling it out for Halloween.

Hah, yeah, you don't buy one of those to wear, silly. You buy to put in
your scrapbook, or hang on the wall of your den, along with the printout of
your finish stats from the EC. You definitely deserve it, though I can see
why you wouldn't want to be seen riding with the words "Champion"
emblazened down the sides, heh-heh; though it's true, it's a bit tacky. But
you've certainly attained mythic status around here - remember, you didn't
just -ride- the EC, you got freakin' first place in your Cat! That's beyond
awesome.

>> So at 86 miles day one and 122 miles day two you still had a pretty fast av
>> speed.
>
>Bike computer says 14.2 mph day 1, 13.0 mph day 2. Day 1 had 116 ft.
>of climbing per mile, day 2 had 141 ft/mile.

Thanks for the info. I'm trying to guess your gear ratios - did you exceed
the site recommendations?

>> Looking
>> at the last few km of climb on the final peak (17%!), I can't even imagine
>> what that looks like, and not sure one could capture it in a picture.
>
>That was one of the only bits that was not very fun. The 17% grade
>came at the end of a 17-mile climb, which had some long sections
>that were pretty steep in their own right. The legs had little left
>to give when they hit that 17%. I caught and passed a couple of the
>pro/1/2 riders on that climb, which was kind of fun. They were in
>worse shape than I was. Lots of riders limped over the finish,
>complaining of cramps.

That's pretty cool. I can only imagine. You definitely put in the work.

>> Guess it put a little dent in the ole 200 vert totals for the year, though,
>> eh?
>
>Yeah, every little bit helps. My total for that week was 42,000'.
>Not the highest for the year, but pretty close. 61,701' left to go,
>a couple of week's worth (if the weather holds out). It'll be a
>relief to have that one wrapped up.
>
>Overall, it was a great experience in a great location. Several of
>my riding buddies, amle and female, want to do it next year.

I'm sure they're green with envy... which actually approximates what their
color after the last climb will be, eh?

-B

[Badger South]

On Sat, 16 Oct 2004 19:08:49 -0700, Terry Morse > wrote:

>Badger_South wrote:
>
>> Hey Terry, I've been looking over the EC page and saw your name up on the
>> winner's board. Do you get a medal or something as your cat winner?
>
>I got a free EC jersey, which is pretty cool looking:
>
>http://bike.terrymorse.com/imgs/ecjersey.jpg
>
>I had already bought one before the race, so now I have two. No
>medal or certificate, though. The Everest Challenge organizer said
>he sent my name into Voler, so I can order a CA State Champion
>jersey from them if I want one:
>
>http://tinyurl.com/6v5nh
>
>But I don't think I'll buy it. I'd feel weird wearing it. That's a
>serious "racer dude bragging rights" jersey, and I'm not a racer
>dude. My wife wants me to get one, any way. Maybe I'll just get it
>and stick it in a drawer, pulling it out for Halloween.

Hah, yeah, you don't buy one of those to wear, silly. You buy to put in
your scrapbook, or hang on the wall of your den, along with the printout of
your finish stats from the EC. You definitely deserve it, though I can see
why you wouldn't want to be seen riding with the words "Champion"
emblazened down the sides, heh-heh; though it's true, it's a bit tacky. But
you've certainly attained mythic status around here - remember, you didn't
just -ride- the EC, you got freakin' first place in your Cat! That's beyond
awesome.

>> So at 86 miles day one and 122 miles day two you still had a pretty fast av
>> speed.
>
>Bike computer says 14.2 mph day 1, 13.0 mph day 2. Day 1 had 116 ft.
>of climbing per mile, day 2 had 141 ft/mile.

Thanks for the info. I'm trying to guess your gear ratios - did you exceed
the site recommendations?

>> Looking
>> at the last few km of climb on the final peak (17%!), I can't even imagine
>> what that looks like, and not sure one could capture it in a picture.
>
>That was one of the only bits that was not very fun. The 17% grade
>came at the end of a 17-mile climb, which had some long sections
>that were pretty steep in their own right. The legs had little left
>to give when they hit that 17%. I caught and passed a couple of the
>pro/1/2 riders on that climb, which was kind of fun. They were in
>worse shape than I was. Lots of riders limped over the finish,
>complaining of cramps.

That's pretty cool. I can only imagine. You definitely put in the work.

>> Guess it put a little dent in the ole 200 vert totals for the year, though,
>> eh?
>
>Yeah, every little bit helps. My total for that week was 42,000'.
>Not the highest for the year, but pretty close. 61,701' left to go,
>a couple of week's worth (if the weather holds out). It'll be a
>relief to have that one wrapped up.
>
>Overall, it was a great experience in a great location. Several of
>my riding buddies, amle and female, want to do it next year.

I'm sure they're green with envy... which actually approximates what their
color after the last climb will be, eh?

-B

[Terry Morse]

Badger South wrote:

> Hah, yeah, you don't buy one of those to wear, silly. You buy to put in
> your scrapbook, or hang on the wall of your den, along with the printout of
> your finish stats from the EC. You definitely deserve it, though I can see
> why you wouldn't want to be seen riding with the words "Champion"
> emblazened down the sides, heh-heh; though it's true, it's a bit tacky. But
> you've certainly attained mythic status around here - remember, you didn't
> just -ride- the EC, you got freakin' first place in your Cat! That's beyond
> awesome.

Thanks, but the "public race" wasn't a very tough field. I could
have won the Cat 5 if I had entered, but I would have gotten
slaughtered by the Cat 4 and Masters 45 winners.

> Thanks for the info. I'm trying to guess your gear ratios - did you exceed
> the site recommendations?

I used a 42/27 (41") gear most of the time, dropping down to a 30/21
(38") for the long climbs. Towards the end of the last climbs, I
dropped down to 30/24 (33").

Now some of the folks are considering the Mt. Evans climb for next
year. It's a toughie, but it's pretty short:

http://www.bicyclerace.com/coursemap.htm

--
terry morse Palo Alto, CA http://bike.terrymorse.com/

[Terry Morse]

Badger South wrote:

> Hah, yeah, you don't buy one of those to wear, silly. You buy to put in
> your scrapbook, or hang on the wall of your den, along with the printout of
> your finish stats from the EC. You definitely deserve it, though I can see
> why you wouldn't want to be seen riding with the words "Champion"
> emblazened down the sides, heh-heh; though it's true, it's a bit tacky. But
> you've certainly attained mythic status around here - remember, you didn't
> just -ride- the EC, you got freakin' first place in your Cat! That's beyond
> awesome.

Thanks, but the "public race" wasn't a very tough field. I could
have won the Cat 5 if I had entered, but I would have gotten
slaughtered by the Cat 4 and Masters 45 winners.

> Thanks for the info. I'm trying to guess your gear ratios - did you exceed
> the site recommendations?

I used a 42/27 (41") gear most of the time, dropping down to a 30/21
(38") for the long climbs. Towards the end of the last climbs, I
dropped down to 30/24 (33").

Now some of the folks are considering the Mt. Evans climb for next
year. It's a toughie, but it's pretty short:

http://www.bicyclerace.com/coursemap.htm

--
terry morse Palo Alto, CA http://bike.terrymorse.com/

[Terry Morse]

Badger South wrote:

> Hah, yeah, you don't buy one of those to wear, silly. You buy to put in
> your scrapbook, or hang on the wall of your den, along with the printout of
> your finish stats from the EC. You definitely deserve it, though I can see
> why you wouldn't want to be seen riding with the words "Champion"
> emblazened down the sides, heh-heh; though it's true, it's a bit tacky. But
> you've certainly attained mythic status around here - remember, you didn't
> just -ride- the EC, you got freakin' first place in your Cat! That's beyond
> awesome.

Thanks, but the "public race" wasn't a very tough field. I could
have won the Cat 5 if I had entered, but I would have gotten
slaughtered by the Cat 4 and Masters 45 winners.

> Thanks for the info. I'm trying to guess your gear ratios - did you exceed
> the site recommendations?

I used a 42/27 (41") gear most of the time, dropping down to a 30/21
(38") for the long climbs. Towards the end of the last climbs, I
dropped down to 30/24 (33").

Now some of the folks are considering the Mt. Evans climb for next
year. It's a toughie, but it's pretty short:

http://www.bicyclerace.com/coursemap.htm

--
terry morse Palo Alto, CA http://bike.terrymorse.com/

[Chris Neary]

>> Hah, yeah, you don't buy one of those to wear, silly. You buy to put in
>> your scrapbook, or hang on the wall of your den, along with the printout of
>> your finish stats from the EC. You definitely deserve it, though I can see
>> why you wouldn't want to be seen riding with the words "Champion"
>> emblazened down the sides, heh-heh; though it's true, it's a bit tacky. But
>> you've certainly attained mythic status around here - remember, you didn't
>> just -ride- the EC, you got freakin' first place in your Cat! That's beyond
>> awesome.
>
>Thanks, but the "public race" wasn't a very tough field. I could
>have won the Cat 5 if I had entered, but I would have gotten
>slaughtered by the Cat 4 and Masters 45 winners.

In general, category-graded championships are controversial, with some being
in favor of the concept and others finding them rather meaningless for the
reasons Terry mentions.

Congratulations on great ride, Terry.


Chris Neary


"Science, freedom, beauty, adventure: what more could
you ask of life? Bicycling combined all the elements I
loved" - Adapted from a quotation by Charles Lindbergh

[Chris Neary]

>> Hah, yeah, you don't buy one of those to wear, silly. You buy to put in
>> your scrapbook, or hang on the wall of your den, along with the printout of
>> your finish stats from the EC. You definitely deserve it, though I can see
>> why you wouldn't want to be seen riding with the words "Champion"
>> emblazened down the sides, heh-heh; though it's true, it's a bit tacky. But
>> you've certainly attained mythic status around here - remember, you didn't
>> just -ride- the EC, you got freakin' first place in your Cat! That's beyond
>> awesome.
>
>Thanks, but the "public race" wasn't a very tough field. I could
>have won the Cat 5 if I had entered, but I would have gotten
>slaughtered by the Cat 4 and Masters 45 winners.

In general, category-graded championships are controversial, with some being
in favor of the concept and others finding them rather meaningless for the
reasons Terry mentions.

Congratulations on great ride, Terry.


Chris Neary


"Science, freedom, beauty, adventure: what more could
you ask of life? Bicycling combined all the elements I
loved" - Adapted from a quotation by Charles Lindbergh

[Chris Neary]

>> Hah, yeah, you don't buy one of those to wear, silly. You buy to put in
>> your scrapbook, or hang on the wall of your den, along with the printout of
>> your finish stats from the EC. You definitely deserve it, though I can see
>> why you wouldn't want to be seen riding with the words "Champion"
>> emblazened down the sides, heh-heh; though it's true, it's a bit tacky. But
>> you've certainly attained mythic status around here - remember, you didn't
>> just -ride- the EC, you got freakin' first place in your Cat! That's beyond
>> awesome.
>
>Thanks, but the "public race" wasn't a very tough field. I could
>have won the Cat 5 if I had entered, but I would have gotten
>slaughtered by the Cat 4 and Masters 45 winners.

In general, category-graded championships are controversial, with some being
in favor of the concept and others finding them rather meaningless for the
reasons Terry mentions.

Congratulations on great ride, Terry.


Chris Neary


"Science, freedom, beauty, adventure: what more could
you ask of life? Bicycling combined all the elements I
loved" - Adapted from a quotation by Charles Lindbergh

[SlowRider]

> I'd much rather ride in the afternoon or evening but here in southern
> california the air pollution is so bad that I'm forced to ride when I'm
> still half asleep.

Most of my favorite rides here in Colorado involve roads that get
damned busy most days after ~8AM. For that reason, most of my rides
start around 6AM. I LOVE riding in the early morning anyway. I love
the feeling that I'm out enjoying myself and the rest of the world is
still just waking up. In the rural areas, it's a great time to see
wildlife.

However, I have to say that evening rides in the summertime are not to
be missed either. I love the way the mountains look near sunset, and
the traffic is usually reasonable after ~7PM.

JR

[SlowRider]

> I'd much rather ride in the afternoon or evening but here in southern
> california the air pollution is so bad that I'm forced to ride when I'm
> still half asleep.

Most of my favorite rides here in Colorado involve roads that get
damned busy most days after ~8AM. For that reason, most of my rides
start around 6AM. I LOVE riding in the early morning anyway. I love
the feeling that I'm out enjoying myself and the rest of the world is
still just waking up. In the rural areas, it's a great time to see
wildlife.

However, I have to say that evening rides in the summertime are not to
be missed either. I love the way the mountains look near sunset, and
the traffic is usually reasonable after ~7PM.

JR

[SlowRider]

> I'd much rather ride in the afternoon or evening but here in southern
> california the air pollution is so bad that I'm forced to ride when I'm
> still half asleep.

Most of my favorite rides here in Colorado involve roads that get
damned busy most days after ~8AM. For that reason, most of my rides
start around 6AM. I LOVE riding in the early morning anyway. I love
the feeling that I'm out enjoying myself and the rest of the world is
still just waking up. In the rural areas, it's a great time to see
wildlife.

However, I have to say that evening rides in the summertime are not to
be missed either. I love the way the mountains look near sunset, and
the traffic is usually reasonable after ~7PM.

JR

[gds]

(SlowRider) wrote in message >...
> > I'd much rather ride in the afternoon or evening but here in southern
> > california the air pollution is so bad that I'm forced to ride when I'm
> > still half asleep.
>
> Most of my favorite rides here in Colorado involve roads that get
> damned busy most days after ~8AM. For that reason, most of my rides
> start around 6AM. I LOVE riding in the early morning anyway. I love
> the feeling that I'm out enjoying myself and the rest of the world is
> still just waking up. In the rural areas, it's a great time to see
> wildlife.
>
> However, I have to say that evening rides in the summertime are not to
> be missed either. I love the way the mountains look near sunset, and
> the traffic is usually reasonable after ~7PM.
>
> JR


And just to add my observation that motorists seem to be much clamer
in the morning. I rarely encounter agressive drivers early in the a.m.
But in the afternoon/evening rush hour there is a lot of agression out
there.
And living in southern Arizona the fact is that for about 7 mos. per
year the afternnons are too hot for a long ride. In the desert the
daily temp varies as much as 40 degrees F. Of course in the winter it
is cold (by our standards) before the sun warms us up. Then I like to
ride in late morning.

[gds]

(SlowRider) wrote in message >...
> > I'd much rather ride in the afternoon or evening but here in southern
> > california the air pollution is so bad that I'm forced to ride when I'm
> > still half asleep.
>
> Most of my favorite rides here in Colorado involve roads that get
> damned busy most days after ~8AM. For that reason, most of my rides
> start around 6AM. I LOVE riding in the early morning anyway. I love
> the feeling that I'm out enjoying myself and the rest of the world is
> still just waking up. In the rural areas, it's a great time to see
> wildlife.
>
> However, I have to say that evening rides in the summertime are not to
> be missed either. I love the way the mountains look near sunset, and
> the traffic is usually reasonable after ~7PM.
>
> JR


And just to add my observation that motorists seem to be much clamer
in the morning. I rarely encounter agressive drivers early in the a.m.
But in the afternoon/evening rush hour there is a lot of agression out
there.
And living in southern Arizona the fact is that for about 7 mos. per
year the afternnons are too hot for a long ride. In the desert the
daily temp varies as much as 40 degrees F. Of course in the winter it
is cold (by our standards) before the sun warms us up. Then I like to
ride in late morning.

[gds]

(SlowRider) wrote in message >...
> > I'd much rather ride in the afternoon or evening but here in southern
> > california the air pollution is so bad that I'm forced to ride when I'm
> > still half asleep.
>
> Most of my favorite rides here in Colorado involve roads that get
> damned busy most days after ~8AM. For that reason, most of my rides
> start around 6AM. I LOVE riding in the early morning anyway. I love
> the feeling that I'm out enjoying myself and the rest of the world is
> still just waking up. In the rural areas, it's a great time to see
> wildlife.
>
> However, I have to say that evening rides in the summertime are not to
> be missed either. I love the way the mountains look near sunset, and
> the traffic is usually reasonable after ~7PM.
>
> JR


And just to add my observation that motorists seem to be much clamer
in the morning. I rarely encounter agressive drivers early in the a.m.
But in the afternoon/evening rush hour there is a lot of agression out
there.
And living in southern Arizona the fact is that for about 7 mos. per
year the afternnons are too hot for a long ride. In the desert the
daily temp varies as much as 40 degrees F. Of course in the winter it
is cold (by our standards) before the sun warms us up. Then I like to
ride in late morning.

[Eric Murray]

In article >,
gds > wrote:

>And just to add my observation that motorists seem to be much clamer
>in the morning.


Nearly all of my encounters with seafood behind the wheel happen before 9am.


Eric (who rides in the morning so work doesn't interfere with riding)

[Eric Murray]

In article >,
gds > wrote:

>And just to add my observation that motorists seem to be much clamer
>in the morning.


Nearly all of my encounters with seafood behind the wheel happen before 9am.


Eric (who rides in the morning so work doesn't interfere with riding)

[Eric Murray]

In article >,
gds > wrote:

>And just to add my observation that motorists seem to be much clamer
>in the morning.


Nearly all of my encounters with seafood behind the wheel happen before 9am.


Eric (who rides in the morning so work doesn't interfere with riding)

[Morgan Fletcher]

I ride early evening and also mornings 3-4 times a week. I get most of my
riding during my ~20-mile commute, each way. Riding home from work in June
at 6:30 is delightful. Riding home in January in 6:30 can be nice, but I do
get tired of riding in the dark! It is sometimes hard to leave work, tired,
and throw a leg over a bike. Good lights make my winter commute possible,
and I have a nice quiet route that's half canyon roads and half
suburbia. Most of the suburbia section can be done on bike paths. I'm
pretty lucky that way. My route is Montclair (Oakland, Northern California)
to Walnut Creek and back.

What still surprises me after two years of doing this commute is how few
cyclists I see! I see lots of cars. The majority of bikes I see are in the
first canyon-roads segment of the commute, Oakland-Moraga. There is also a
definite friendliness gradient among the drivers, Oakland - Walnut
Creek. They are much friendlier the nearer I am to Oakland. They're less
friendly as I get to Walnut Creek. I see a lot of wildlife in the
canyons. During the winter the long steady climbs up dark canyon roads and
the sound of rushing water from the nearby streams is perfect for
meditative riding. By the time I get home I've had an hour of quiet time to
just think and ride. (and 1000' of climbing) I like it.

Morgan
--
Morgan Fletcher, US citizen?
Oakland, CA Vote on November 2nd!

[Morgan Fletcher]

I ride early evening and also mornings 3-4 times a week. I get most of my
riding during my ~20-mile commute, each way. Riding home from work in June
at 6:30 is delightful. Riding home in January in 6:30 can be nice, but I do
get tired of riding in the dark! It is sometimes hard to leave work, tired,
and throw a leg over a bike. Good lights make my winter commute possible,
and I have a nice quiet route that's half canyon roads and half
suburbia. Most of the suburbia section can be done on bike paths. I'm
pretty lucky that way. My route is Montclair (Oakland, Northern California)
to Walnut Creek and back.

What still surprises me after two years of doing this commute is how few
cyclists I see! I see lots of cars. The majority of bikes I see are in the
first canyon-roads segment of the commute, Oakland-Moraga. There is also a
definite friendliness gradient among the drivers, Oakland - Walnut
Creek. They are much friendlier the nearer I am to Oakland. They're less
friendly as I get to Walnut Creek. I see a lot of wildlife in the
canyons. During the winter the long steady climbs up dark canyon roads and
the sound of rushing water from the nearby streams is perfect for
meditative riding. By the time I get home I've had an hour of quiet time to
just think and ride. (and 1000' of climbing) I like it.

Morgan
--
Morgan Fletcher, US citizen?
Oakland, CA Vote on November 2nd!

[Morgan Fletcher]

I ride early evening and also mornings 3-4 times a week. I get most of my
riding during my ~20-mile commute, each way. Riding home from work in June
at 6:30 is delightful. Riding home in January in 6:30 can be nice, but I do
get tired of riding in the dark! It is sometimes hard to leave work, tired,
and throw a leg over a bike. Good lights make my winter commute possible,
and I have a nice quiet route that's half canyon roads and half
suburbia. Most of the suburbia section can be done on bike paths. I'm
pretty lucky that way. My route is Montclair (Oakland, Northern California)
to Walnut Creek and back.

What still surprises me after two years of doing this commute is how few
cyclists I see! I see lots of cars. The majority of bikes I see are in the
first canyon-roads segment of the commute, Oakland-Moraga. There is also a
definite friendliness gradient among the drivers, Oakland - Walnut
Creek. They are much friendlier the nearer I am to Oakland. They're less
friendly as I get to Walnut Creek. I see a lot of wildlife in the
canyons. During the winter the long steady climbs up dark canyon roads and
the sound of rushing water from the nearby streams is perfect for
meditative riding. By the time I get home I've had an hour of quiet time to
just think and ride. (and 1000' of climbing) I like it.

Morgan
--
Morgan Fletcher, US citizen?
Oakland, CA Vote on November 2nd!