Originally Posted by
MrClyde
OK, I might have bit off more than I can chew. I set out to pre-ride this on Saturday. Called it quits after reaching Baldy village the 2nd time. Pretty sure there were three reasons.
1. Too many miles in my legs during the week
2. The heat coming up GMR-GRR and not enough fluids
3. I'm too fat for this sport
To fix #1, I plan on taking a recovery week the week before the ride, with just some easy spinning rides. For # 2, I'm going to stop at every water stop even if it doesn't feel like I need it. For #3, I'm putting the 36T cassette on. I'm going to finish this thing.
For those that are asking, my Garmin "corrected" showed 9300 ft of climbing without the last section to the lifts.
I'm a bit worried myself. This coming Saturday, I'm planning on riding from the Village to the ski lifts, descending all the way down to the base of Mt. Baldy road, climbing back up to the village and then giving the ski lifts another whirl. If I survive that, I may add on a brief out-and-back stint on GRR to get in a little more mileage and climbing.
Depending on how it goes, I may consider monkeying with my cassette as well. So far, it's been fine. I have a Triple in front (52/42/30) and an (11-25) cassette. Are you guys joking about going with a 36T? I guess I'd rather have it and not use it than find myself walking up the ski lifts at the end--a distinct possibility. I'm not deluding myself that I'll achieve a good time, I'm looking to survive it and ride it without stopping except briefly at the aid stations. I have a 36T on my mtb.