Shameless Begging

[Python]

OK... I don't and can't "do" RAIN... (location, location, location...)

but...

I need to say something...
I need to reiterate what some of the other women have said...


If you have a bike and want to ride it...
If you like to ride so much than soon after you finish a ride you start thinking about the next one...
If you like to talk about bikes... or about your cycling ventures...
If you commute, or race, or tootle, or cyclocross, or go off-road...
If you know that "drops" are a noun not an adjective
If you know that a "stem" holds your handlebars, not a flower
If you know that a post isn't part of a fence, it has a saddle on it - and that saddle does not fit on a horse...
If you have a bike and you ride it...

You ARE a real cyclist...
PERIOD

Enough self-deprecation ladies, we are cyclists, all with different interests, goals and intentions... but we are def cyclists... REAL cyclists...

Absolutely

[Mr. Bloom]

Wow, I'm shocked at the elevation assent...guess it doesn't seem that way in a car!

I agree with all that's been said...I think you should train well and go for it!

[Veronica]

Wow, I'm shocked at the elevation assent...guess it doesn't seem that way in a car!

That is REALLY flat.

Flat is hard because you never get a break.

V.

[Mr. Bloom]

That is REALLY flat.

I agree...what I should have said was I don't recall ever seeing a hill in Central Indiana....I thought it was totally flat

[Veronica]

I can imagine how you wouldn't see it as a hill in the car. I don't think any ride is truly flat.

__________________________________________________



V.

[Mr. Bloom]

In the metric century yesterday, SilverSon and I had 2,800 ft of climbing in about 1/3 the distance. To me, while a couple of the hills seemed tough, they were only about 3% grades, and the difficulty came from the fact that I was going slow for SilverSon.

Seeing this, I'm wondering if we could shoot for RAIN this year????!?!?!?!?

[susan.wells]

Seeing this, I'm wondering if we could shoot for RAIN this year????!?!?!?!?

If you can ride 100 miles without undue stress, then I'd say go for it! The average grade is 1%. I don't consider myself a climber. You do see the hills but overall it is still flat with no steep sections. As Veronica indicates ... you get no breaks due to this ... which is why I said in my original post that it is an exercise in pacing and nutrition. It is very easy to hammer at the start but 100 miles later you still have 60 miles to go and you're spent. It would be a great learning experience. I would recommend that you have your own support crew. My husband does support and he loves it. He calls us all psycho-cyclists!

Susan

[BadgerGirl]

Way to go Hoosier! I haven't gotten the courage to do any bike get-together, besides the rides out of the bike shop. Last week, the leader of the local shop ride decided we should go to Jamestown, Colorado from Boulder.(approx. 3600 foot elevation gain) Instantly, I became nervous because I knew what kind of climb that entailed...needless to say, I didn't make it...partly because of mind and partly because my legs felt like concrete! I decided to take the rolling hills ride and went 30 miles elsewhere by myself. I was bummed at first, but I decided I could ride by myself and have fun too. My challege became trying to beat the riders, who were going to Jamestown, back to the shop.

This past week, we went on the same ride. Fear and dread occurred again, but I decided I would try to make it farther then I did last week. I blew my own expectations away! That is what it is all about...suprising yourself, challenging yourself. You are a REAL biker if you have a helmet, bike, and desire. And by the end of the summer, bicycle tight tan lines too!

I look forward to hear all of your sucess stories; there will be plenty, so be prepared!