EvilTwin
08-05-2006, 06:33 PM
I did it... I just got back from my BikeIdaho trip, and it was awesome! 400 miles in the Idaho panhandle, riding rollers and hills and rail trails. I only started riding in March, and was somewhat apprehensive about this whole trip. My longest ride before this trip was 55 miles.
Day 1 was 90 miles, with a 5800 foot ***. elev. gain... I made it to the 2nd rest stop at 58 miles. My knee was hurting and clicking when stressed going uphill, so I decided to not push my luck on the first day.
Day 2 was 70 miles, with 3110 CEL. The elevation at mile 4 is 2530, at the 1st rest stop at mile 23 elev. was 4415. The next 1.5 miles consisted of an 8% grade to the top of Thompson Pass elev. 4852. From there it was a 9% downgrade!!!!! WOOHOO!!! A screaming downhill ride... The remainder of the day was gentle down or flat. I made it!!!!
Day 3 was an option day, so the girls rode to another small town nearby, and then rode the gondola up to Silver Mountain. The boys did a 54 mile loop which included a 3 mile 8% and 10% up grade after mile 35. NO THANKS. they had fun though.
Day 4 was 54 miles... flat along the Coeur d' Alene rail trail. Beautiful scenery, and wonderful riding... except for the headwind. I'll take hills aver a headwind anyday!
Day 5 we rode 42 miles... with a 3265 CEL. Rode highway 97 for awhile, traffic was not awful, but not great. Had a hard climb up an old road above the freeway, that turned into compact gravel for a 1 mile downhill.... scary on a road bike. Finished the ride along a beautiful path next to Lake Cd'A. It was a fun day!
Our last day was 61 miles back to Sandpoint.
I had such a sense of accomplishment when I finished... here I am at age 50, doing something like this that I never dreamed I would a year ago.... It was/is very hard to reenter into real life now....
Barb
Day 1 was 90 miles, with a 5800 foot ***. elev. gain... I made it to the 2nd rest stop at 58 miles. My knee was hurting and clicking when stressed going uphill, so I decided to not push my luck on the first day.
Day 2 was 70 miles, with 3110 CEL. The elevation at mile 4 is 2530, at the 1st rest stop at mile 23 elev. was 4415. The next 1.5 miles consisted of an 8% grade to the top of Thompson Pass elev. 4852. From there it was a 9% downgrade!!!!! WOOHOO!!! A screaming downhill ride... The remainder of the day was gentle down or flat. I made it!!!!
Day 3 was an option day, so the girls rode to another small town nearby, and then rode the gondola up to Silver Mountain. The boys did a 54 mile loop which included a 3 mile 8% and 10% up grade after mile 35. NO THANKS. they had fun though.
Day 4 was 54 miles... flat along the Coeur d' Alene rail trail. Beautiful scenery, and wonderful riding... except for the headwind. I'll take hills aver a headwind anyday!
Day 5 we rode 42 miles... with a 3265 CEL. Rode highway 97 for awhile, traffic was not awful, but not great. Had a hard climb up an old road above the freeway, that turned into compact gravel for a 1 mile downhill.... scary on a road bike. Finished the ride along a beautiful path next to Lake Cd'A. It was a fun day!
Our last day was 61 miles back to Sandpoint.
I had such a sense of accomplishment when I finished... here I am at age 50, doing something like this that I never dreamed I would a year ago.... It was/is very hard to reenter into real life now....
Barb