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you girls are so funny!!!
I am right there with you on the downhills...scary!!! :)
I think I was lucky with my average on the Cambria ride.
I think I am right around 13 mph?, but its all good.
I just remind myself it is not a race, and lets just have FUN!! Right??
the Supported rides are a great way to train, you get used to the rest stops, and all that. I am addicted now!!
This forum is great!!!
Karen :)
i LOVE organized rides! i swear i'm the queen of them! lol! we spend so much money, not only on the rides themselves (and we have to pay double.... 2 riders! *gasp*)... but gas to get there! we've done 12 organized rides so far this year... and have at least 6 more on the calendar for the rest of the year! http://www.smileycons.com/img/emotions/227.gif
heck.... we bought our MDX so that our bikes were secure IN a vehicle for post-organized ride shopping! lol!
i like them cuz you get the SAG stops.. and i have an excuse to eat stuff that i won't buy for myself! (i.e. rice krispie treats... muffins.... cheeze its... etc etc etc!) it also gives me a goal (if i just set out to ride 60 or 100 miles around here... it's too easy to quit and go home when you run out of water or something... even when the plan is to go home to REFILL and GO BACK OUT!) on oranized rides... i'm out and HAVE to finish riding in order to get back to the start/finish!
i get to ride in areas i wouldn't otherwise ride in... cuz i don't know the area! they give me a map.. and sometimes even mark the road (although not always!!) i'd have NEVER driven to malibu just to ride my bike... but now it's one of my favorite areas to do organized rides!! i'm even becoming familiar with several of the roads!
OH... and after the majority of them..... we get to stop at either tommy's.... in-n-out..... or BJ's on the way home! YUM!
OK guys here's the deal - I'm slow up hills - my slowest ever was 2.3 miles per hour. Can you imagine? And yes I stayed upright - as long as the pedal moves forward you stay upright. I struggle up hills all the time - WHY? All for the love of a good downhill and that's how I make up speed. Fastest downhill - 55 mph, during the Mammoth Century. Slowed way down when I realized my contacts would most likely flip out of my eyes due to the wind. PS: I would like to see an average speed for everyone of at least 15 mph. This tends to be a fast century, especially in the beginning. Usually out to Bates road, I paceline at about 20 - 22 mph for the first 20 miles. Not saying I would do that this time, just saying its not hard. It's flat and there's a tail wind.
Anyway what I'm trying to say is there are ways to make up speed and downhill is one. Someone like Brandy can make time up hills, well I'll catch her going down. Just the way it works. If the downhills freak you out well walking is allowed but plan on making up time traveling uphill. It all works out in the wash.
What I would like to see is us all starting around 7 which is early enough. 6:30 is really too early and you won't have alot of other riders out there for support. I started my first CB century at 8:30 and still got in in decent time. This century won't take all that long - just trust me. Most Century riders leave around 7 - 7:30, alot even at 8. I have some fast friends who most likely won't leave until 10 (and they will still get in before me - just wrong!).
Get a good night's sleep, take your time in the morning and let's all meet up and ride together.
BWAH HA HA HA HA! uhm.... ok... YOU all go ahead and get 15 mph..... last year i did the double metric at 13.7.... and i haven't increased in ANY of my other rides so far this year... as a matter of fact... i've dropped a . or 2!Quote:
Originally Posted by bcipam
i'll be leaving at 6:30 or as soon as i get registered... pam is right... there aren't a lot of other riders out there that early... or at least not on the double part! (and there were some icky scary looking parts on the bike path.. but the century doesn't go in that direction!) hubby stayed with me last year til the 1st rest stop.. when there were more people catching me... thus more peeps on the course!
15 mph! i'm still laughing! but then.... i think there's more climbing on the double part! (my polar last year recorded 7,230 for the 128 miles! 9 hours 23 minutes ride time!) hopefully i'll see some of you at some point when the routes come together! (i saw BC68 last year!)
all this worry about a ride that is still 2 months away! i'm gonna worry about this weekend first! maybe i won't want to do another double metric after this weekend! that's a LOT of hours on the bike!
(and pam.... 55 mph downhill!!!! *GASP* my comfort limit is 40!!!!!)
Actually my downhill comfort limit is also 40 mph. Have you ever done th Sierra Century in September out of Mammoth? Seems like your type of ride. After struggling for miles and miles and miles up steep, forever long hills there is the descent towards Crowley Lake. I was just so relieved no more big hills when I started down I just enjoyed the breeze until I noticed my contact blurring. I checked my speedometer and realized I had hit 55 mph! YIKES! All sorts of things popped into my head and fear prevailed I slowed waaaaaaaayyy down (probably to 40mph)! Beautiful ride. Would love someday to do it again.
Cali - you and your double centuries are a whole other thing but I think it fairly easy for the gals to maintain 15mph on the century. There is enough flat and downhill to make up the time and distance even with sags and pacing. And if riding with groups of people (another reason to leave after 7) and the adrenaline of a first century... I bet I'm the one trying to catch up.
I am also of the belief that a century is not a "cruise" ride. You gotta be serious about your performance. I don't expect anyone to act like a racer but it's not like you can expect to ride slow and be chatty for 100 miles and still finish while dinner is waiting. Sag stops - good for chatting - riding - need to be serious. Although my thing with sags - get in get out - no hanging around. Think about pedal stroke, cadance, breathing, nutrition etc. Not trying to scare off anyone but a century is a serious distance. Need to think about time and finishing well. If everyone gets in some training should be no problem.
oh pam... double METRICS! i don't do double centuries! nope! not me! too long in the saddle!
i'm with you on the SAG stops... i do NOT like to stop for long periods of time! heck... i even get irritated when i have to wait too long for a porta potty! i eat some at the stops (i.e. orange slices)... but usually.. if they have portable food (rice krispie treats.. muffins... crackers.. cookies... etc) ... i'll take it with me and eat while riding! i've never understood the people that literally lay around at rest stops! :eek: not me! i get too stiff and don't want to get back on the bike!
hmmmmm i have a different, maybe take on centuries.... i agree... i'm not out racing! not fast enough for that! but i, personally, think i go a tad bit slower... especially in the beginning... cuz i don't want to tire myself out too soon!! (there are some "hot shot racer types" that go balls to the wall.. and then can't even finish the whole 100! even palm springs! and i'm not talking crashing... i mean this guy didn't finish cuz it appears he burnt himself out too soon!) i've always "taken my time" to a point.... i don't ride along and chat (99% of my riding is done alone).... but i don't push my limits either!
i'll have to go back and look at some of my other century times... (i keep trying to tell you gals i'm NOT fast but no one wants to believe me!)
i'm still in awe of the 55! the fastes i ever recall going... and that wasn't 55! it was somewhere in the 40's and FREAKED me out.. was at the top of GMR... descending into the village! EGADS! ya... you get some "thoughts" eh????
hmmmmmm i now know you you remind me of!
my hubby! he never just lets me ride! lol! he is always "coaching" me! (not saying that's bad! cuz he's like you... trying to helpful and teach me!)Quote:
Think about pedal stroke, cadance, breathing, nutrition etc.
i think a century can be fun... especially a first century! in fact... i think is very important that a first century be fun so you'll want to do more! but i'm a fun rider and not a "racer" rider!
i agree that adreneline or happiness at doing a first century... or whatever.... will be high and help! i remember after doing my first... i wasn't even tired at the end!! i coulda kept riding on more cuz i was so excited at having completed a century!!
I'm pretty new around here, but I'm going to be doing the Cool Breeze. I'd love to hook up with ya'll. I'll be making the trek south from Sacramento!Quote:
Originally Posted by caligurl
me (and hubby) errrrrr.... caligurl!
tprevost
brandy
bcipam
honorary TE member: wayne!
nina r messina
redhot3368
tiffanie
green machine
IndyGal
who else?
(getting to be quite the large group!)
As the date grows closer we will have to come up with some plan of meeting up with everyone before and after.
For the century riders I suggest we plan on meeting around 6:45 - 7a and push off shortly thereafter. For Cali - the doublemetric superbiker and everyone doing the regular metric we need to meet up after. Probably best way is to plan on checking in with each other via cell phones around 3pm. Us century and metric rider might still be riding so if you metric folks need to go we'll catch up with you on the next ride.
Okay, okay, I've gotta make a disclaimer here... there is NO way I'm committing to an average 15mph pace for 100 miles. I don't want the pressure of holding anyone up on the ride, it will completely ruin my first century. I may decide to keep w/my plan to leave as early as possible and let everyone catch up to me and perhaps then, after I'm warmed up, I'll try to keep up.
We'll see though, depending on how things go between now and then! AND, Pam, see... I knew you could go really slow with those grannies you have! ;) AND, 55mph is just plain crazy woman! I would be scared outa my mind!!! 'specially since I'm part of the white knuckle club! ;)
T~
ps. and IndyGal! Glad you're coming, looking forward to meeting you!
tracy.... ride YOUR ride! that's the best advice i can give you! my first century was tour de palm springs... so relatively flat..... i rode it by myself (hubby did his own ride!)
i just peddled along... at MY pace! every once in a while i'd try to keep up with someone.... and if they dropped me... i'd just keep peddling!
i did come across a couple on a tandem after the first rest stop after lunch.... i tried my BEST to keep up with them.... i'd do pretty good... they'd drop me (not obnoxiously... just they were faster)... then they'd catch a light and i'd catch up! this helped me got faster then i would have on my own.... but i still didn't over-exert....
i had been riding 7 months at the time... so i was NOT fast....
but... in pam's defense... i did just go back and look... and i did ride that century at 15.7 mph average! i've got 3215 elevation listed..... i don't know cool breeze's elevation for the century.... but if it's around 3000-3500... 15 is doable...
BUT.... if you don't want to commit to 15 mph... then again... ride YOUR ride! your first century will always be your first... you will ALWAYS rememer it... and i want it to be FUN FUN FUN for you! so if you think you need to go at a slower pace... by all means... do so! cuz on your first.. there are NO TIME LIMITS! the IMPORTANT thing is to FINISH! if you need to rest... rest... the important thing is to FINISH!
once you do a century and realize you CAN do it... then you can put more goals... but for your first... the goal is to finish! no matter how slow and how long you rest...
(and i have NO DOUBT you WILL finish!) (and i'll bet you end up doing 15 mph after all!)
Thanks Caligurl!
You are so awesome! That rides doesn't seem to have so much elevation gain but since I don't know the route, I'll want to be conservative in my pace.
I have no doubt that I'll finish; of course, it might not be pretty! ;) I just don't want to be miserable, plain and simple! Maybe I will do better than I expect as far as pace is concerned but I don't want to commit when I don't know the route.
I will be there the night before so I'll be well rested and up bright and early! Maybe I'll even get another dinner out of my old broker up there! ;) (you know Cali, the one who refuses to wear a helmet :eek: )
Again, thank you for your encouragement! You have no idea how much I appreciate it!!! :D
Trac'
ahhhhhh! you have an advantage over me then! i don't think i've even done a century (or organized metric) on a really good night's sleep! lol! but that's cuz we have to get up in the middle of the night to get there! (for cool breeze i think we have to get up at 12:30! yes... that's 30 min after midnight! GASP! i hope brie appreciates that i refuse to kennel her! :cool:Quote:
Originally Posted by tprevost
I'm sure she does.... as she's eating her birthday steak and cake! :D
Plus, I need all the advantages I can get!!! ;) A good nights sleep is one that is probably a little helpful, just tell DH to drive by himself and you come w/me the night before!!! I'm sure he would appreciate that!!! hee hee hee!
T~
I'm signed up for the Cool Breeze century too.
It'll be my second century - my first was Cruisin the Conejo. I was so uncertain that I was going to be able to finish that ride that I didn't really tell anyone about it. My longest ride before that one was 70 miles, so I tried to keep it at a pretty easy pace in order to get through. I ended up with a 15.1 mph average.
Sometimes I'm guilty of going out too fast, but as I am doing longer events now, I'm getting better at pacing.