What is a challenging road ride for you?

[lynnepin]

I just started biking this summer. My fiance bought himslef a Cannondale R7000 this spring, so I started riding with him on my cheapie Target mountain bike until I decided I liked it enought to get a real road bike of my own. So, about a month ago, I got a Trek Pilot 2.1. I love the bike, and I especially LOVE how much better and farther I can ride on it. So, that leads me to my question...what do you consider a challenging ride? How far do you go? How much of your ride is flat or has hills? I have been riding 20 miles pretty consistently at about 17 mph with mostly flat and some hills.

[petals]

So happy to find someone else with a Trek Pilot!! Mine was a gift from Hubbie this spring. I have enjoyed this bike it is awesome. I ride in the western Mountain region of Maine and along the coast. This bike climbs hill and mountains like no other!! It is a smooth ride (we have pot holes that can eat motorcycles never mind bicycles)!! The pilot rides along so smooth my teeth are no longer chipped from bump vibrations!!

Ok about a challenging ride. 35-50 mile ride on the weekend with lots of rolling hills at average speed of 13-15mph is a good challenge for me. Weeknights 20 miles fairly flat 1hr and 15 minutes before dark is a good challenge for me. If I can sneak in 1/2 day of riding during the week I like a good 40 mile ride with some steep hills.

I have never completed a century day event but would like to. I may try before my big 50 coming in less than 2 years!!

Pilot is not really fast downhill?? Think it may have to do with the weight. Prior bike Specialized Seqouia reached downhill at 41 mile per hour before I decided to grip the brakes. The Pilot top downhill this year 35 mile per hour. But what it loses in downhill it makes up for in uphill.

Ok enough about the Pilot!!!

[bcipam]

Long Distance ride in Southern Utah, the Colorado Rockies, Glacier Park. Anthing around 100 miles and 8500' + of climbing. Tough stuff. Check out an upcoming ride - The Spooktacular - either the Hideous or Horrible 100. See kernwheelmen.com.

[runnergirl]

I really wanted to try the pilot, but the bike shop said they couldn't get one in till August (this was in May) so I never got to try one.

A hard ride for me is A) a race, or B) a race effort group ride (40-50 miles with hills, 20-23mph avg, with sprints). I would like to be able to average that without drafting by spring, but at this point I'm just waiting to see what my genes are like.

[petals]

What did it take to get that speed. Did you practice alot on a trainer? Do you perform spin drills?

[runnergirl]

petals (great name, btw ),

No trainer yet, the weather here is fairly ridable year round. Spinning is still an off/on thing for me, I mash at a very high cadence (90-100) unless I think "spin, spin, circles, circles" in the back of my head. I ride 200 road miles a week, commute, and mt. bike a little (which I am soooo slow at), have a female ex-pro coach, a flexible schedule (grad school), and a supportive group of Pro/Cat 123 guys to ride with. My coach's current "base" training plan is 2 recovery, 1 sprint, 1 interval, 1 hill, 2 group rides (one at "race effort") a week.

When I started riding, 30 miles at 16mph was a HARD ride for me. The combination of higher milage and group riding were the keys for me. Trying to keep up pushes me waaay farther than I can push myself, it's also great for bike handling skills!

[petals]

WOW!!! That is alot of riding!

[frances]

i also just started biking this summer. around here, there is this road that is a 5.2 mile hill climb. i think the elevation is about a 1900 ft at the top. anyway, people around here climb it and they like to time themselves. sort of a way of gauging their fitness and progress.

when i first started, i think it took me an hour to go up. then it went to 55 min and now my best time a couple of weeks ago was 49 min.

it is really hard for me. i think some of the grades are around 12 -15 %. but it's a beautiful view when you get to the top -- vineyards and views!

oh, and coming down is fun but almost as much work as going up!

frances