General Cycling Discussion - I beat Lance Armstrong in a training ride so badly that I was banned from racing!

OK, so it's not true, but at least now I have everyone's attention! I was just wondering, what do you rate as your greatest cycling achievement of all time? Maybe it was a particular ride you did, maybe you commuted everyday for 20 years, maybe you had a mechanical failure in the middle of nowhere and devised an entirely new way to fix it.

Let's hear it!

Mine was a ride I did last December on my MTB. In a day I rode 249km at 26.2km/h. It was one of those days where I just felt like I could go forever, until my hands started getting sore and I went home.

That is all.

Chris

Hi Chris,

That's kinda cool, I have those days sometimes that I feel I could ride forever..

I'd have to say that my greatest achievement was back in 1992, when I was part of a four man team in the South of England MTB championships...

I started really well, up in the top 10, and managed to keep that spot right up until the last lap, when I was overtaken by a few of the guys behind me. My best mate unfortunately dropped out, but he was cheering me on to the finish. I ended up 11th in the end, but the feeling of being up there with the leaders still gives me a smile today...

Rich

Mine is kind of funny but what the hay.My greatest achievment on a bicycle happened a few years ago. We had this red 9 gallon air compressor tank that had to be refilled, and it was back when my fam only had one car( and it was at my dads work).So the only resort was for me to carry the tank to the gas station and refill it. Huh, so there I went,little ole' me on my bike with a big red air tank!!!!

Originally posted by fubar5
Mine is kind of funny but what the hay.My greatest achievment on a bicycle happened a few years ago. We had this red 9 gallon air compressor tank that had to be refilled, and it was back when my fam only had one car( and it was at my dads work).So the only resort was for me to carry the tank to the gas station and refill it. Huh, so there I went,little ole' me on my bike with a big red air tank!!!!

Those who say you can't carry anything on a bike should be taking note!!! :D

Chris

Originally posted by Chris L


Those who say you can't carry anything on a bike should be taking note!!! :D

Chris

Well after that my fate was sealed.I told my mom I could carry anuthing on a bike,and she took me at my word. I've carried gallons of milk,buckets of lego's,pizza,pepsi,Ice cream,kids, tools,a few lawn tools,books. At some point I got smart and started using a back-pack, no hands was a little scary,and the cops on base get kinda mad.

My greatest cycling achievement was riding the alpine loop on my mountain bike, when i was 18. This is a road ride, that gains some 4500 feet in just 15 miles, the total loop is ~45 miles. Its an amazingly long and hard ride, and a full suspension 28 pound bike makes it even harder.

Matt, thats awesome, I once picked up a pizza on my bike, its not easy to bike with a pizza box, i couldnt imagin riding with a 10 pound air tank without a trailor :)

All the goodies were kinda on one side of the pizza by the time I got home.

Well, when I read the first post where fubar mentioned carrying pizza I thought I'd ask what's the best way. Then I read the next posts and I guess my question's been answered. No best way, huh?

Just make sure you carry it flat, not on its side.I don't think there is really a good way. unlees you have a milk crate on your bike and the pizza will fit inside.Or you could get frozen pizza,and then you could fix the goodies. The problem I had was the wind. I tried to carry ithe pizza kinda like the waiters do, you know, on your palm about shoulder hieght. The wind almost took it when I did that.So I put it(the pizza box) against my bicep and and put pressure on it with my hand (I don't know it that makes sense). That worked a couple times.

Guess I'll just have to eat in, or wait till I develop the Jon-O-Matic Pedal-A-Pizza MTB rack.

I'll be your first buyer when you invent it Jon.

Where there's a will...There IS A WAY!

Bungee cord that sucker (pizza box) flat onto the rear rack!

NOTHING stands between me and Pizza!!! :D

I don't think anything stands between pizza and most men.I've only met one person in my life that didn't like pizza,I thought he was a nut.

FUBAR5 --have u tried adjusting the tension on your clipless pedals? LOL!!!! ride long and prosper. Stan

Originally posted by AlphaGeek

NOTHING stands between me and Pizza!!! :D
Mmmmmmmmm Pizzaaaa...
http://members.home.net/dirtgrinder/drool.gif

Originally posted by fubar5
I don't think anything stands between pizza and most men.I've only met one person in my life that didn't like pizza,I thought he was a nut.
If he didn't like pizza, he probably was a nut. Sorry--not politically correct. Make that, "he probably was mentally disadvantaged." Or pizza-challenged.

On a more serious note, fubar: how do you like your clipless pedals by now, really? I'll bet you haven't fallen once.

Dirtgrinder: Where the h*ll did you get a picture of me when I still had all my hair?!

Originally posted by JonR


Dirtgrinder: Where the h*ll did you get a picture of me when I still had all my hair?!
I just put "JonR" and "pizza" in a search engine and up she popped! :D

Originally posted by JonR

On a more serious note, fubar: how do you like your clipless pedals by now, really? I'll bet you haven't fallen once.


If this question is in reference to my signature"help!!! I'm clipped in and I can't get out!!!", I actually haven't gotten my shoes yet,all my money is tied up right now;) .I just put that as my signature becasue I thought it was funny,and it also has the secrect message,"yahoo!now I get to ride forever!". I will be getting my shoes in about 2 weeks.

Originally posted by fubar5

I will be getting my shoes in about 2 weeks.
With 0=bored and 10=thrilled, I predict you will experience about a 9.8.

Originally posted by fubar5


I will be getting my shoes in about 2 weeks.

You know Fubar, a REAL man would just bolt a pair of shoes to his pedals! :D
Man, that's scary just to think about...

Originally posted by Dirtgrinder


You know Fubar, a REAL man would just bolt a pair of shoes to his pedals! :D
Man, that's scary just to think about...
Yeah, but a real REAL man would have cleats implanted in the soles of his feet! :D

You guys are nuts.:D

Mine was overtaking a car around the outside of a bend on a narrow descent doing about 50mph, and surviving.

Or getting my top speed of 56mph in a rain soaked descent.

Or getting 3rd in my first ever race

Or winning a triathalon 2nd time out.

I'de have to say for me the thing I can look back on and say, "damn, that was crazy" was when I rode 60 miles. Up a mountain from below sea level the gain must have been a good 5k feet. My friend and I were on our mountain bikes and his dad that came with us had to give up and ride in the car with his mom and sister before we reached the camp site. It was about 80 degrees outside and no trees for shade so we were roasting. We think his dad got heat stroke. On some of the longer stops waiting for his dad to recover we would go find trails to explore. We never got to ride back down because after camping and such the weather turned to rain and it was too dangerous to ride that road in the rain. I think I was 15 or 16. Now it's hard to find anyone to go on a short ride with me much less a grand adventure. *stares off into space* Those were the days. That same summer we rode 128 miles in the pouring rain to his grandparents house to arrive at 8PM and get up at 5 AM the next day to pick oysters for 12 hours. We also rode the Seattle to Portland ride that summer. A tall skinny kid on a bike with 2 inch slicks get's a lot of looks on that ride when he passes people on roadbikes.

I rode From Spokane to the top of Snoqualamie Pass, ( both Washington State), in the wintertime, (well over 200 miles) . I had a road bike, a cruiser with studded tires and a very low gear for the hills and snow, and a trailer for my gear. It took me six days, riding in snow half the way, camping out and made the mistake of wieghing my gear at a truck scale in in Ellensburg, (230 pounds), for some reason it was much harder after that. I had planned to ride all of the way to Seattle to look for work. When I got to the top of the pass I had been on the road for six days, it was two days before Christmass, was snowing very hard and getting dark, I had $20 left, saddle sores, cracked skin on my hands, had not showered for two days, had rubbed a hole in the rear tire of my road bike trailing behind the trailer, my bad knees were sore, and I didn't know how or where I was going to camp. So.. I said a prayer , 30 seconds later a fella pulled up in a van and asked, "Is this something you really need to do? and offered me a ride. I refused it explaining that this could be my only only chance to do something no one had done before, and I'd be kicking myself for the rest of my life if I ddin't ride all of the way. I got back on the bike rode a bit, and thought, "very interesting" and said another prayer, immediatley a pickup pulled over and another gent got aout and said; Did you know you back is completley white? I just couldn't go by without offering you a ride". I told him the same thing as the other guy, and He said; "I just heard on the radio the pass is closed and I have a four wheel drive". I thought to myself; " I don't want to be like the guy in the "Flood Joke". About amile later the cars were sliding all over the road including where I would have been riding. He dropped me at my Sister's house about 3 hours later and I've been kicking myself, once in awhile, ever since.
If you'd like some stories from, or info the trip let me know...
Ride Smarter,
Pat

I remember winning my first race at about eight years old in a yearly race my home town puts on.

Before the race I dismantled my Schwin Stingray, sanded the frame and repainted it. I remember my old man talking about wind drag, so I wanted it smooth. I repacked all the bearings and was good to go.

I was so syked out by the time the gun went off that I about spun the tires on the rims.

I still have that trophy in my mom's garage somewhere.