Tierra Bella Century?

[tealamb]

Hi all :)

I've lurked here for awhile, and decided that I need to knock it off, and just jump in and start posting!

I'm curious about the Tierra Bella in Gilroy (April 19th). I've never ridden it, and would love to get your opinions about it. I'm thinking about the metric, but I thinkin I'm going to have to kick up the training just a tad. ;) I did the Wine Country Metric last year, which was a great experience for my first organized/supported ride - it wasn't too hard, was absolutely beautiful, and had great food. So, I guess I'm wondering how this might compare. It appears that there's quite a bit more climbing involved, and fewer rest stops, but I'd love to hear from people who have actually done it.

Thanks!
Sarah

[tealamb]

Welp, against my better judgement, I went ahead and registered for the metric. This will definitely motivate me to ride more regularly!

My husband and I plan on doing increasingly longer rides on the weekends - I think this weekend we'll be going up Stevens Canyon to Mt. Eden (pausing for a moment at the memorial for Kristy and Matt), Pierce Rd to Mountain Winery, and then, getting lost in the maze of Saratoga burbs on the way home. At least this is what usually happens... ;) All in all, it should be about a 40 mile ride.

I've done some searches, and read some of the older threads about Tierra Bella, but I'm still interested in hearing any tales about previous years' rides, and any advice TE-ers may have, especially re: the ride up to Gilroy Hot Springs!

Sarah

[maillotpois]

Never done this ride - but welcome to TE!

:)

[jobob]

Hi Sarah (eek, not another Sarah!)

I've ridden the Tierra Bella metric once. I've also ridden essentially the same route a few more times since it's one of the 'graduation ride' routes for the ACTC Academy.

Here's my old post from that first Tierra Bella ride (skipping down memory lane ...woo woo):
http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showthread.php?p=7965

For what it's worth, I found the climb up to Gilroy Hot Springs moderately difficult for me that first time (it was also very warm out that day which didn't help), but it's since become much easier for me. :cool:

That was my second metric century, ever - my first being the Cinderella a couple of weeks earlier, which had much less climbing.

I don't think you'll have any trouble with it. And it's a very well supported ride, IMHO. Have fun!

[tealamb]

Thank you both, for your welcome, and for the information.

Jobob, thanks for pointing me to that thread. I'd missed it. Looks like the climb up to Gilroy Hot Springs is roughly comparable to the climb up OLH, except less steep? I've ridden OLH quite a few times, but not since last fall.

We'll be riding this with a group of guys we ride with pretty regularly, so it should be fun. I'm looking forward to it. I'll be sure to come back and post a ride report afterwards.

Thanks again. :)

[jobob]

ACTC has a pretty large database of Bay Area climbs (aka 'Billy Goats')

http://www.actc.org/billygoats/bgoats.php

The climb up Old La Honda from Portola Rd to Skyline Blvd is given a difficulty rating of 5 (ascends 1475 ft in 3.9 miles), while the Canada Loop, which includes the climb up to Gilroy Hot Springs, is given a difficulty rating of 4 (ascends 1020 ft in 17 miles).

It's all rather subjective, but hopefully encouraging. :cool:

[Ed to add: Take those ratings with a grain of salt. Sierra Road is also given a 5 in this database, which makes it in theory only as tough as OLH. Not !!! :p ]

[Veronica]

Was it Old La Honda that I rode with you Jo? Whatever it was, it was NOT as hard as Sierra.

V.

[jobob]

That's right V - on both counts.

[snapdragen]

jo - don't you think that if she can ride OLH, Gilroy Hot Springs should be a piece 'o cake?

///snap who hasn't ridden either.......:)

[jobob]

Hiya stranger! How you doing?

That was precisely why I said a few posts up that I didn't think she'd have any problem with it. :cool:

I just thought I'd throw in a bit more data to support my theory (tho that kind of backfired).

[melissam]

It's all rather subjective, but hopefully encouraging. :cool:

[Ed to add: Take those ratings with a grain of salt. Sierra Road is also given a 5 in this database, which makes it in theory only as tough as OLH. Not !!! :p ]

Jobob,

Thanks for the link to the climbing database, as well as your edit. Geez, I'm planning to climb OLH tomorrow for the first time ever. When I saw it was rated the same as Sierra, I started to have second thoughts. :eek:

-- Mel

[jobob]

No worries Mel, it's not remotely same.

Have fun, it's supposed to be lovely out tomorrow!

[melissam]

No worries Mel, it's not remotely same.

Have fun, it's supposed to be lovely out tomorrow!

Oh good, it'll be a piece of cake then! :)

I'd ask you where you're riding tomorrow, but that would be a total hijack of the thread, so I'm not gonna do it. ;)

[maillotpois]

No worries Mel, it's not remotely same.


FWIW, I completely agree.

[melissam]

FWIW, I completely agree.

Oh good, another vote of confidence! :D

I dunno, I'm looking at the climb stats of OLH and comparing them with some of the other climbs I know and love, and ... well, I'm starting to hyperventilate a bit when thinking about my big debut tomorrow.

OTOH, what do I have to worry about? I have a triple with a mountain cassette for crying out loud!

Yep, OLH will be a piece of cake. (How often do I have to tell myself that until it becomes true?)

-- Melissa (I think I can, I think I can...)

[jobob]

I'd ask you where you're riding tomorrow, but that would be a total hijack of the thread, so I'm not gonna do it. ;)


Here - more or less. (probably just the upper 2/3)
http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/East-Bay-200K-ver-99

[melissam]

No worries Mel, it's not remotely same.

Have fun, it's supposed to be lovely out tomorrow!

[Hijack ON]
I had a blast -- Old La Honda is gorgeous! My only regret is that I waited so long to ride it. I ended up doing the whole thing in my middle chain ring; I'd heard somewhere that it got really steep at the end, so I wanted to have the little chain ring in reserve in case I was suffering at the end.

Jobob, hope you a great time on your ride. You had a pretty long ride picked out!
[Hijack OFF]

Speaking of Tierra Bella, I'm considering doing the double metric. One of my riding buddies has a ticket for the double metric but will be out of town that weekend. Does anyone know what the double metric route is like?

-- Melissa

[jobob]

Does anyone know what the double metric route is like?

[wizeazz ON]

Uh, long? :D

[/wizeazz OFF]


Here be the route descriptions:

http://www.tierrabella.org/route.html

[jobob]

BTW, glad you enjoyed Old La Honda, Mel! :)

[snapdragen]

Now I'm really jealous. Mel used to be a bike potato like me. Now she's all ALC'd up and spinning up hills. :rolleyes::D:cool:

[melissam]

Now I'm really jealous. Mel used to be a bike potato like me. Now she's all ALC'd up and spinning up hills. :rolleyes::D:cool:

Snap, if anything, it should give you hope. I mean, if I can do it, anyone can do it! ;)

[Bike Goddess]

Melissm-

A couple of guys from our club went down to Morgan Hill and rode with some other folks on the newer version of the Tierra Bella. They say that there are some pretty stiff (18%) climbs out in the Henry Coe State Park area. Not terribly long, but still enough to give you a good work out. These guys aren't slackers- they are some of the best climbers in our group. I trust what they say is pretty darn accurate.

Just thought I'd warn you. :eek::eek::eek:

[melissam]

Melissm-

A couple of guys from our club went down to Morgan Hill and rode with some other folks on the newer version of the Tierra Bella. They say that there are some pretty stiff (18%) climbs out in the Henry Coe State Park area. Not terribly long, but still enough to give you a good work out. These guys aren't slackers- they are some of the best climbers in our group. I trust what they say is pretty darn accurate.

Just thought I'd warn you. :eek::eek::eek:

BG,

Thanks for the warning; as they say, forewarned is forearmed.

Gawd, 18% grades?! Enough to give me a good workout?! I'll say! Those are the kinds of grades that cause my heart rate to skyrocket and my stomach ... um ... to empty itself of its contents. :eek:

My-o-my-o-my-o-my-o-my, what have I gotten myself into?

Oh well, as MP says, it'll be fun. Uh huh.

-- Melissa

PS I do know that no one's holding a gun to my head and making me do this. I can either:
A. Bail on the ride entirely
B. Pick a shorter route
C. Walk up the 18% grades (the AIDS/Lifecycle folks call this "crosstraining")

[slinkedog]

Hey melissa... I think those 18% are for the hilly 100 mile route, not sure which one you signed up for!!

[melissam]

Hey Slinke -- haven't seen you posting on here in a coon's age!

I had my eye on the double metric. The "easier" option was going to be the century. But, um, I may end up doing the metric century. I guess it all depends on how I'm feeling in a couple of weekends.

I'm training for the AIDS/Lifecycle ride in June, so I've been trying to teach my body how to ride longer distances day after day. I know there's hills on the Ride, but I don't think there's anything with an 18% grade. We did Quadbuster a few weekends ago, and it certainly wasn't 18%.

So, I guess now I need to figure out which Tierra Bella route would best serve my training needs.

-- Melissa

[Bike Goddess]

As an ALC alumni I can tell you that there aren't a lot of "tough" hills. What you need is time in the saddle and back to back rides. What was tough for me (and I had 3000 miles on my pretraining rides before the ALC) was the back to back days. No rest days and even the shorter day turned out to be a hilly one.

Keep up your training and you will do fine!

[melissam]

As an ALC alumni I can tell you that there aren't a lot of "tough" hills. What you need is time in the saddle and back to back rides. What was tough for me (and I had 3000 miles on my pretraining rides before the ALC) was the back to back days. No rest days and even the shorter day turned out to be a hilly one.

Keep up your training and you will do fine!

[ThreadDrift = ON]

BG,

Yeah, Quadbuster didn't seem that tough. OTOH, we didn't have to climb it after 2 days of riding. Then there's the Evil Twins that I keep hearing about. Are they about the same difficulty as Quadbuster? Shorter & steeper? Longer?

I had Friday off, so I was able to do 3 back-to-back longish rides. While I wasn't as fresh on the second or third day, I wasn't exactly struggling either. I take that as a very good sign.

Any specific tips you can offer for riding longer distances on consecutive days?

Less than 2 months to go until Day 0!

[ThreadDrift = OFF]

Back to your regularly scheduled Tierra Bella thread. I'm still pondering which route I'll take. Prolly won't know until the day of the ride.

-- Melissa

[Bike Goddess]

The Evil Sisters are not hard at all! That's the ride from Paso Robles out to the ocean on Hwy 46. It's a gentle climb but you may run into some traffic since that's a main route to Cambria.

Great descent, but a bit chilly since you get over to the ocean and the cold ocean air.:( Even if it's warm when you leaver Paso, be sure to bring a good windbreaker and some leg or knee warmers.

By the last day, any hill is hard because by that time you are just ready to get finished. But lots of fun surprises on the rest stops to keep your spirits up which really does help!

Yeah, do Tierra Bella and then do another 85 mile ride the next day. :p:p:p

[melissam]

The Evil Sisters are not hard at all! That's the ride from Paso Robles out to the ocean on Hwy 46. It's a gentle climb but you may run into some traffic since that's a main route to Cambria.

Great descent, but a bit chilly since you get over to the ocean and the cold ocean air.:( Even if it's warm when you leaver Paso, be sure to bring a good windbreaker and some leg or knee warmers.

By the last day, any hill is hard because by that time you are just ready to get finished. But lots of fun surprises on the rest stops to keep your spirits up which really does help!

Yeah, do Tierra Bella and then do another 85 mile ride the next day. :p:p:p

Actually, the Primavera Century is the day after the Tierra Bella, so I am considering doing it as well.

My current thought is that the TB has the 18% grades on the Century and Double Metric. So why not do the Metric century at TB, then do the Full Century with Primavera.

Well, we'll see.

Oh, and I definitely planned to be well stocked for arm warmers, leg warmers, knee warmers, jackets, etc. A cold Mel is a very, very unhappy Mel. :(

[jobob]

My current thought is that the TB has the 18% grades on the Century and Double Metric. So why not do the Metric century at TB, then do the Full Century with Primavera.

Yikes! Who are you, and what have you done to Mel?!?!

:D

[melissam]

Yikes! Who are you, and what have you done to Mel?!?!

:D

Not to worry, Grasshopper. There's plenty of evidence that nothing has been done to Good Ol' Mel:

* I still don't like cold
* I still don't like to get up early
* I'm strongly considering not doing the rides with 18% grades: you of all people know my track record with steep ascents and Fig Newtons

[snapdragen]

Yikes! Who are you, and what have you done to Mel?!?!

:D

My thinking exactly! :cool:

Mel - you are going to kick some butt on ALC!

[melissam]

My thinking exactly! :cool:

Mel - you are going to kick some butt on ALC!

Boy I sure hope so! Actually, I just want to finish the ride (or week of riding) without feeling totally miserable.

[NYGIRL777]

Hey ladies....hope to see some of you out there. Maybe we can all ride together. I'm meeting with a bunch of the folks from the Northern California Bike Forums group (www.bikeforums.net) near registration at 7:30 -- most will have on the Northern Cali kit.......Look for us.........ride with us........swear and curse with us :eek: some are doing the metric century, most the century and maybe a few double metric takerss.........I'm doing the century unless someone slips me some ride enhancement drugs.......... :o

Asia

oh yeah is anyone doing Sea Otter the next day??

[melissam]

Hey ladies....hope to see some of you out there. Maybe we can all ride together. I'm meeting with a bunch of the folks from the Northern California Bike Forums group (www.bikeforums.net) near registration at 7:30 -- most will have on the Northern Cali kit.......Look for us.........ride with us........swear and curse with us :eek: some are doing the metric century, most the century and maybe a few double metric takerss.........I'm doing the century unless someone slips me some ride enhancement drugs.......... :o

Asia

oh yeah is anyone doing Sea Otter the next day??

Asia,

I'm leaning toward doing the century, but since I seem to change my mind on which route I'm going to attempt at least 3 times a day ...

I'll keep an eye out for your group -- always good to have someone to swear & curse with. ;)

-- Melissa

[NYGIRL777]

Asia,

I'm leaning toward doing the century, but since I seem to change my mind on which route I'm going to attempt at least 3 times a day ...

I'll keep an eye out for your group -- always good to have someone to swear & curse with. ;)

-- Melissa

yeahhhhhhhhh the more the merrier............. I know what you mean - I keep thinking 65 is really enough :D......then I switch to the century..........then I start thinking well if I do the century I may as well do the metric double :eek:.......then reality sets in and I switch back to the metric :o

[Bike Goddess]

If you all come upon yellow jackets with a grey swoosh please say hello. That's my bike club guys- Benicia Bicycle Club. They might be wearting argyle socks too.

They are doing the "hard" century- the one that goes out to Henry Coe State Park.

Have fun- hope you don't get too much wind down there. Stay warm, should be nice and coooool.

Looking foward to ride reports!:D:D:D

[melissam]

My Ride Report on the TB Century:

I opted to do the 100 mile route. I didn't see MYGIRL777 or her group, nor did I see Nancy's Benicia cycling group. But, as I was about to go into the check-in building, I ran into one of my co-workers, who tried to cajole me into doing the 200km with him. Right. He wanted to ride with me, but I think by the first rest stop it became apparent that our paces differed considerably. I encouraged him to go on ahead, and was relieved when he left so I could ride at the pace I needed to ride. Nice guy, just a lot faster than I am, and I kept feeling like I was holding him up.

The route sheet was spectacular; one of the best I've ever seen. It said things like "Go straight to jump to mile 59.4 if after 11:30 am." Or "Turn right to jump to mile 89.7 after 2:30 pm." In fact, the ACTC Cycling Club did a sensational job of putting on the event. Rest stops were well stocked -- they even had the PB&J sandwiches made for you! Volunteers were super nice and helpful. Another friend of mine from work was doing communication at the top of Henry Coe. The route was well marked with the requisite arrows.

The route was beautiful; it started off with rolling hills, which are my favorite. At about 35 miles, the fun began. We turned onto Thomas Grade, and the road went upward. About a mile later, we turned onto E. Dunne Ave., and the road got really serious about turning upward. Yikes. It pretty much stayed that way for the next 9 miles, and as Nancy (Bike Goddess) had warned some of the grades were really steep. In fact, my Garmin said 21% at times, but I decided that it overestimates. I also quit looking at the Garmin and just kept pedaling. If you want to look at something, look at the pretty views or scenery. Or look at how the cyclists up the road look kind of like Easter eggs in their brightly colored attire. Think of something, just not how hard or steep the hill is. Some folks were already jetting down the hill -- how did they get up there so fast?

Henry Coe rest stop was at the top of the hill. Unfortunately, it was windy as all get out up there, so I had a hard time staying warm. I ate some more PBJ and a potato and I forget what else, and decided to try my luck down the hill. It was an exciting downhill -- moderate traffic, narrow road, cyclists coming up (OK, struggling up the hill), steep enough grades that you really should modulate your brakes, some pot holes (especially at the top portion), cyclists passing you as they barrel down the hill. Yup, it got pretty crowded out there.

With Henry Coe out of the way, we rode for a bit in the greater metropolitan Gilroy area. Then it was time for a stint in the Gilroy Hot Springs. OK, after Henry Coe, the Hot Springs hills weren't that bad. But still, they could be challlenging. I found myself in my little chain ring for quite a bit of the time. Of course I made the excuse that I was pacing myself to last the 100 miles. Uh huh. :rolleyes:

Got to the last rest stop, where a very nice guy was taking pictures to put on the ACTC website. He made sure that he took everyone's picture at the rest stop, and made sure the lighting was optimal for the pics. They should be up in a few days -- it'll be fun to take a look. At that point, we had 25 miles left in the ride, and I started doing mental calculations to figure out what time I'd get back to Gavilan College.

After that, there were a few more rollers (but I was tired) then a nice downhill section that I thought of as free miles. Then we were back in the flats and oh-my-god, who turned up the wind?!? Then we turned right, and it got even worse. I was working hard to do 10mph. We'd turn left and get a slight break, then turn right again and be right back into the headwind. At that point, I was so wishing that I had one of those Star Trek transporter things. Criminy. I suck on flats in headwinds -- EVERYONE was passing me. And we just kept riding into the wind. Sometimes I'd be riding into the wind cursing it, when it would intensify for a few precious moments. GAH. At 10mph, I had about 2 more hours of this joy ahead of me. This was not how you want to feel about 85 miles into the ride. My mental gymnastics work pretty well to ignore hills, but I just can't seem to make it work for wind.

Thankfully, we made a left and only had to deal with a crosswind that tossed me around like a toy boat in the bay. Got to the end of the street, and I just KNEW we were going to have to turn right into the stupid wind. But no -- it was a left turn, and I got to enjoy a tailwind for the last 10 miles. Nice -- I was doing 23mph fairly effortlessly. Whew, at this rate, I'd be able to finish before they closed the course!

Got to Gavilan College -- the parking lot was a lot emptier than when I'd started the ride in the morning. But you know, I was just glad to be there!

How'd everyone else's ride go?

-- Melissa

[jobob]

Congrats Mel!!

I was thinking about you today as I watched the trees in my backard bend over in the wind.

I remember that flat stretch heading back to Gavilan College, which heads due west into the prevailing winds. It was a whupfest for me when I did the metric a few years back and the wind then was nothing like it was today. So great job !!

You're turning into a aminal, kiddo. :D

[melissam]

Thanks, Jobob! Yep, that stretch into the headwind was indeed a whupfest.

I just realized that this was my first 100 mile ride since I rode the Primavera Century with my brother back in 1994. :)

[jobob]

Woo-hoo! Pass the fig newtons! (or was it oreos?)

:D

[melissam]

Woo-hoo! Pass the fig newtons! (or was it oreos?)

:D

It was Fig Newtons. :o

[snapdragen]

Fig newtons and LemonDrops all around....eww. Maybe just the 'newtons tonight.

Yay Mel!

[melissam]

Hey Snap,

I was wondering if you were working the Tierra Bella. I kept my eye out for you, but obviously didn't see you.

Your club did a fantastic job on the event!

-- Mel

[Bike Goddess]

Thanks Melissm for the report. I too felt sorry for any cyclist out today in these nasty winds, which are, BTW still blowing strong up my way.

Congrats to you on a well done ride! If you can get through that ride, the ALC ride will seem like lemon drops! :p:p:p

[snapdragen]

Hey Snap,

I was wondering if you were working the Tierra Bella. I kept my eye out for you, but obviously didn't see you.

Your club did a fantastic job on the event!

-- Mel

I didn't work this year...I forgot to sign up. :o

[tealamb]

Well, I'm totally humbled after reading about Melissam's great ride (and perseverence!) on the century, but I promised a ride report, so, for what it's worth, here it is. :o

It was SO cold and windy when we got there! We had to wait while two in our group went to check in, and it was torture - I was kind of nervous, and anxious to get going, and, I was freezing. We finally got rolling, but I don't think I really warmed up until halfway through the climb up Gilroy Hot Springs. Speaking of which, I'm kind of surprised that people have compared it to Old La Honda, because IMHO, it's not even close. (I haven't ridden OLH in about a year, though, so take that with a grain of salt.) Still, it was a little longer than I expected, and was definitely a good climb.

After eating a bit (and not enough, as it turned out), and getting our picture taken at the rest stop at Gilroy Hot Springs, we pushed on. Our group really split up on the descent down Canada Rd. We have some pretty aggressive/confident descenders (is that a word?) but I'm pretty conservative, especially on roads I'm unfamiliar with. Even so, I got stuck behind someone even slower than me :eek: who was hanging out in the middle of the road, and with the car traffic, and other cyclists wizzing by, I didn't feel comfortable passing him. So I was on my own when I got down to the valley, and had to deal with the wind for the first time. It was pretty bad in the morning - I can't imagine what Melissam was dealing with in the afternoon! I just put my head down and slogged away for what seemed like forever, heading north right into the wind, and then turning west and getting buffeted by cross winds, and so on, and so on...

At one point, I found myself behind two other women. We weren't pacelining, but we were on a busy road with very little shoulder, and we were riding single file. After reading that thread here about drafting, I was really conscious of sucking uninvited on someone else's wheel and was trying to keep at least a bike's length behind them. I had to slow at one point because of something in the road, and all of a sudden, I heard a guy behind me bark, "SLOWING!" I looked behind me, and there was a line of at least 6 or 7 other cyclists behind me! I felt really uncomfortable, because I wasn't feeling strong enough to take the front, but I also felt like I couldn't gracefully get myself out of the line without causing problems because of the heavy traffic, and narrow shoulder. I slowed down just a bit, and I guess people got tired of my slow(er) pace, and they finally passed me.

I finally caught up to my DH and another guy in our group just as we started on the rollers leading up to Uvas reservoir, and by that time, (about mile 38?) I was hurting. My muscles were getting tight and kind of achy, which always happens after about 35 miles, and I could tell I was running out of gas. I kept thinking that the Uvas rest stop was coming right up, but it seemed like it took forever to get there. When we did, I was pretty out of it. I couldn't figure out where to put my bike, and I just kind of stood there in front of the racks, staring. My DH told me later that I actually asked him where I could put my bike. :rolleyes: It was weird. I was so thankful that they had PB&J, nutbreads, and trailmix, because even though I knew that I really needed to eat, most kinds of food didn't sound at all appealing, and those were things that I felt like I could get down without gagging. (I'm a weirdo, I know).

After that, the ride was a breeze, and I really started enjoying myself. The food that I'd eaten, and the Advil that I'd taken at Uvas kicked in, and I felt MUCH better. The last rest stop at Machado school was my favorite. Maybe it was just because I was feeling so much better, but the people seemed super friendly, the sun finally came out and I could take off my windbreaker, and they had a sweet pup named Cindy hanging out there, looking for treats under the food tables. She had her own name tag, and I found out from her owner that it was her fifth Tierra Bella!

It was only about 10 miles to the finish when we left Machado school, and I just seemed to feel stronger and stonger, even though the wind really started picking up. At one point, a crosswind almost knocked me over! I felt fantastic when we rolled back into the parking lot at Gavilan. I was actually wondering if I had it in me to do 40 more miles. Yeaaaah, right. I think it was just the euphoria at finishing!

I have to say that this was an extremely well-organized ride. Every single volunteer I encountered was friendly and helpful, and the food was excellent. And the scenery was beautiful. I was so impressed! This metric was definitely more challenging than the Wine Country we did last year. It seemed like there was a lot more climbing, definitely more wind, and, I guess, just the caliber of the average rider on this ride was higher than the Wine Country, based, from what I could tell, on the average pace.

Anyway, for all two of you who are still reading this novel, I just want to thank everyone who answered my call for more information about this ride. It was all very helpful, and I definitely appreciated it. This is a great community, with many caring and supportive members, and I hope to be able to contribute more as I get to be a stonger and more experienced rider!

Thanks again! (Oh, and Melissam? You totally rock, and I'd guess you're going to kick some major butt on the ALC ride this June!:))

[Bike Goddess]

Tealamb (Sarah #...) Thanks for your report. Great details and great reading.

I only have one question for you: Before you got to Uvas were you eating and drinking? You sound as though you had run out of fuel since you were doing much better after food.:):):)

[melissam]

Hey Sarah,

Good job on the Metric! I really enjoyed reading your ride report. That was a nice descent in the Hot Springs area, but a little hairy with all the riders and the traffic.

I agree with Bike Goddess -- it sounds like you had the classic bonking symptoms: feeling like you're out of gas, and general spaciness. I'm glad that re-fueling solved the problem for you.

-- Melissa

[kjay]

tealamb . . . I sure enjoyed reading your ride report, and am glad that you mentioned how great all the volunteers were. It's really a very well organized and supported ride. I rode the 36-mile route, which was plenty for me. I tend to baby myself.

[tealamb]

I only have one question for you: Before you got to Uvas were you eating and drinking? You sound as though you had run out of fuel since you were doing much better after food.:):):)

Nope! I ate at the Hot Springs rest stop, but not while on the bike before Uvas. And, after approximately eleventy-billion times of doing this exact same thing, do you think I'd learn my lesson about not eating = bonking?? AND, I even took a baggie of trailmix with me from the rest stop, OPENED it, and put it in my Bento right in front of me so that I could dip into it while riding. But did I? :rolleyes:
I guess I was just really concentrating, trying to deal with the wind and catch up to the rest of my group. I dunno. If you all have any hints as to how I can remind myself to eat, other than a complete brain transplant, I'm all ears.

Thanks for the kind words about all my blathering.:)

[jobob]

Hey Sarah -

I've done that too, many times. :o It's so easy to get caught up in the excitement/tension/whatever of the ride and forget to eat, even if food is within inches of your face. :rolleyes:

Often I'll say to myself "oh, it's only a few miles to the next stop, I'll eat there" which can wind up being a Big Mistake for me. It's amazing how fast the pre-bonk woozies can come on.

Veronica once mentioned a pretty good trick. If you have a computer or a watch with a timer, set it to beep every 15 minutes. Then have a small bite to eat and a swig of water or energy drink every time it beeps.

I've taken to using "liquid food' on my longer rides (~ 100K and more). I'm much more likely to get the calories I need at a fairly contant rate if I can swig them rather than munch them. I use a product called Spiz (http://www.spiz.net/) - after some trial & error I found it's more palatable to me than similar products such as Sustained Energy (http://www.hammernutrition.com/za/HNT?PAGE=PRODUCT&CAT=NUTRI&PROD.ID=4053&OMI=10103,10082,10047&AMI=10103&uir=product.category,NUTRI,Gels%20%26%20Fuels) and Perpetuem (http://www.hammernutrition.com/za/HNT?PAGE=PRODUCT&CAT=NUTRI&PROD.ID=4047&OMI=10103,10082,10047&AMI=10103&uir=product.category,NUTRI,Gels%20%26%20Fuels). But this is definitely a trial & error / personal preference sort of thing. I also have solid food for variety, but I rely mainly on the Spiz, and so far it's worked well.

Edited to add: For shorter rides, I use Cytomax, just like the Bike Goddess! ;) - I don't really need Spiz for the shorter rides.

Also over time you'll probably get to know your own personal warning cues for when you know you need to eat NOW or suffer the consequences. In my case, it's a drop in enery or feeling a little jittery or lightheaded. Now, hopefully during a ride I will have taken in calories regularly enough to not reach that point, but if I do, I know I have to tear into the paydays or shotblocks or whatever I happen to be carrying & wolf them down without delay.

[Bike Goddess]

I do Mt Diablo ride once a week. This has made me VERY conscious about eating as I have bonked a couple of times after the junction (I'll still keep going, but often it's a walk the last part:( ). Although the ride is tough, it's great training for eating and getting in shape.:D:D

So here's my suggestion- if you can't eat on the bike (I have a hard time with that one too) then be sure you have a sports drink that you can tolerate. Personally, I use Cytomax.

I drink religiously every 15 minutes (or so)as I ascend the mountain. When I get to the junction, I'll have part of a Lunabar (or something similar) and some energy gel (not my fav, but it works for me). I continue to drink my Cytomax as I ride the final 4.3 miles.

This has become the standard for my other rides as well. I find that taking small amounts of sports drink often keeps me going strong. After about 20 miles or so on a training ride, I'll stop and eat a bar or whatever.

The other part of this is eating a good breakfast before I leave the house. For me it's a soft boiled egg, tea (with 2% milk- my English background), and 1/2 of a cinammon bar.

If I have to get up early (4:00,5:00, whatever) then I'll at least get something in my system before I leave and then snack on the way to the ride. If there is food to be had at the beginnning of the ride, I'll have some and then not start my drinking routine until about an hour into the ride (assuming cool temps in the early morning). I don't eat a lot at rest stops, just mostly oranges, dried fruit and nuts. I will eat a little more at the lunch stop (salty foods plus 1/2 a sandwich). I've learned that eating small amounts frequently is easier on my system.

Now, if you are a long long distance rider (like Veronica and Maillotpois) the the issue of eating takes on another dimension. :eek::eek:

[melissam]

If anyone's interested, I recorded the Tierra Bella Century on my Garmin Edge 305. You can play back the ride by following this link:

http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/player/5454217

Personally, I like changing the map to Hybrid, and zooming in about 3 more levels.

Good Gravy, according to the data, I was climbing Henry Coe for about an hour and 45 minutes! Honestly, it didn't seem that long while I was doing it. Now the headwind part, that felt like 2 hours, but it was only 45 minutes. :rolleyes: