It's been a bit hazy lately but still can't beat riding on trails that just happen to be on the way to your destination.
It's cooler up high...sort of.
Note to self: Next time you try to put off buying a sleeveless jersey, don't. Remember there is a reason you want one. It's called JULY!
Anyway more riding led to more eating. Marni and I stopped at a bakery mid ride the next day and stole my emergency $5 for cookies. Yum.
Huh, lookie there. I'm stuffing my face again on another ride. It's still hot. 2Epic, I don't know how you do it at 110! I went through 2 bottles an hour the other day which is tough to do without a hydration pack.
Mike! So glad to have you back.
Erik smiling as always.
Today Marni and I rode up to Boulder and stopped mid ride for lunch at Murphy's. I could really get into touring between places to eat. Then we rode home, dodging storms and enjoying light rain. Now I'm hiding out in the basement working on the computer and flipping between Ace of Cakes and Deadliest Catch.This weekend I'm off to get some (more) intensity up in Winter Park with a XC race and a super D. My strategy for the super D? Don't get hurt before the CTR! Speaking of which, CTR is going to be a climbfest and I'm excited. The GPS track I made doesn't have a huge number of points so the mileage is low (really about 530) but navigation is generally easy so I just wanted a sanity check and the detours well marked. I took 32x16 gearing on the Divide but this will be a different story. I'm thinking 32x18, 34x20 or 36x22?
Big thanks to TomP by the way, looks like I'll be at the Vapor Trail in September.
7 comments:
I talk to the bears often, usually very loudly, and I always say the same thing... "Hey bear! Hey stupid bear! If you're over there, stay over there."
It's not strange to talk to the animals. I think it's respectful. Seems like I'm always talking to the prarie dogs on High Plains on my morning commute telling them to 'hurry up!' so i don't hit em as they scurry across the trail to dive in their holes.
Holy freaking smoke, I have never seen an elevation profile of the *whole* CTR! I'm no SSer, but I would say take your lowest case gearing (36x22) and then take it a few notches lower...
I spent most of my time in granny or 1 up. (22x34/30). Jefe had an even lower gearing with his Rohloff, and I was jealous that last day. Not many flat spots on the CT, and the steeps can be steep!
If you can just barely ride the 1st part of seg. 2 coming up from the S. Platte river, I'd say that's about right!
BTW, I may be pleading with you to run the pre-race Q&A if Sheryl goes into Labor that morning...
Jill-I'm usually much nicer to the bears! "Please let me pass safely Mr.Bear, thank you!" and "I already met your Canadian friends and they're cool so I don't have to meet you too. Please stay in the woooooooooods."
Stefan - No worries on the meeting, just let me know what you want me to cover if Sheryl goes into labor. As to the gearing, it's a constant struggle. If you go too low then it's that much easier to spin out when it's loose. Too hard and you walk that much more. Such is the life of a SSer...
I'm not an endurance racer or rider. Just love to ride. I recently purchased a monocog flight and absolutely love it.
Do you have any suggestions on gearing? Based on what I've read above, it's seems to be a matter of experimentation.
I don't live in the mountains.
Be careful with those bears!
hey. found your blog through searching westminster twitter peeps. your are a rider, too. bonus. enjoying your blog.
btw - my first big bike purchase in 1984? can you guess. Trek 560! vive le suntour components!
twitter - johnincolorado
John - Nice! Always fun to meet more Westy people. It's a great place to ride IMO.
Vito - If you've got a 29er and it's relatively flat but offroad, I'd say 32x18 or 32x20 is a good place to start. If you're talking 26er, subtract 2 teeth from the back. I have run everything from 40x16 to 36x22 and most of the stuff inbetween but my "usual" gear offroad on a 26er is 36x20 and for pavement it's around 36x16.
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