Southern California - Death Valley Spring Century - Ride Report and Pix

That moonlight ride sounds really nice. Might have to do that. Do hotels in lone pine go for 190 a night? :) Do phone calls cost 3 bucks for about 3 minutes (no cell phones work of course).... :)

That could be a nice ride. Just need to make sure no ones blasting along the road late at night. If we have the CHP there it should be safe.

The route has little to no shoulder. If you came in the road from Loan Pine, it's that road, except on the way back you end up going to Olancha, then back to the 190.

Light-wise, I'm not sure how stringent they're going to be, but I'll have the Moab and the MiNewt for backup.

Light-wise, I'm not sure how stringent they're going to be, but I'll have the Moab and the MiNewt for backup.


planet ultra is UBER strict about lighting and reflective gear!

Is DV your new home away from home? At this rate it could be cost effective to buy a house out there!

I used to go out there frequently when I was younger, it's a place I've always enjoyed, although in the past I always camped or stayed outside the park. I'm not sure if I'm going to stay at the Ranch, again, although I didn't find the rooms to be that bad, you are paying for location. I did intend to stay at the Inn, but the only room I could get was 290 a night and had no view.

I am thinking of staying a little longer next time, I want to try and ride up over Emigrant Pass. :D

The route has little to no shoulder. If you came in the road from Loan Pine, it's that road, except on the way back you end up going to Olancha, then back to the 190.

Light-wise, I'm not sure how stringent they're going to be, but I'll have the Moab and the MiNewt for backup.

I did take that road to and from the valley so I saw it and it looked really nice. I just think the road was pretty narrow and I just realized I will need to buy a new light since my nightrider flight does not last long enough for that ride!

I would enjoy doing it but i will have to see how things pan out.

We did our Death Valley Ride with the same group a couple of years ago. The year we did it, the north terminus was Scotty's Castle. When we got up there, at that elevation, the sunshine turned to scattered Snow flurries. It was cold. Only time, I've ever had snow fall on my helmet.
Still, it was one of my favorite tours, ever. Great country.thanks for the pics.

We did our Death Valley Ride with the same group a couple of years ago. The year we did it, the north terminus was Scotty's Castle. When we got up there, at that elevation, the sunshine turned to scattered Snow flurries. It was cold. Only time, I've ever had snow fall on my helmet.
Still, it was one of my favorite tours, ever. Great country.thanks for the pics.


The fall ride still goes to Scotty's Castle, hopefully it won't be as cold this year as it was when you rode it. :)

Then again, it would make it memorable...

the moonlight ride that planet ultra does is amazing. i did it the first year and had a great time(crazy winds not withstanding...). rooms in lone pine are way cheaper. the route goes out o the "welcome to DV" sign then you head back to this little turn off that heads towards olancha(home of crystal geiser water), turn around and retrace yer steps to ye olde turn off, then back to lone pine...it sounds kind of lame is actually quite nice! plus you only need a room for one night as you can drive up on saturday afternoon(about three hours from LA). only bummer this year is that its the same day as the lighthouse up in SLO and i havent missed that one on a looooong time.....

and i had my hid with me but did most of the ride with a little wussy AA light, the moon is pretty bright out there....

the moonlight ride that planet ultra does is amazing. i did it the first year and had a great time(crazy winds not withstanding...). rooms in lone pine are way cheaper. the route goes out o the "welcome to DV" sign then you head back to this little turn off that heads towards olancha(home of crystal geiser water), turn around and retrace yer steps to ye olde turn off, then back to lone pine...it sounds kind of lame is actually quite nice! plus you only need a room for one night as you can drive up on saturday afternoon(about three hours from LA). only bummer this year is that its the same day as the lighthouse up in SLO and i havent missed that one on a looooong time.....

and i had my hid with me but did most of the ride with a little wussy AA light, the moon is pretty bright out there....

Whats the lighthouse and is SLO San Louis Obispo? A ride up that way would be beautiful I imagine.

Anyone ever done the Lake Tahoe Century? A ride in my favorite place in California would be amazing if a group went up for the ride. It is a serious drive though....

lighthouse is a ride that goes from SLO(yup, san luis obispo!) up past hearst castle to piedras blancas and back, truly amazing!!! its usually the last weekend in september.

Anyone ever done the Lake Tahoe Century? A ride in my favorite place in California would be amazing if a group went up for the ride. It is a serious drive though....

I would LOVE to do the LT Century - drive or no drive. I was going to do it last year but had a fallen out with the friend who asked me to join. But getting a group together would be great! :D

Ride pics have been posted on http://www.adventurecorps.com/deathvalley/index.html ...

I made it in many of them..

http://www.adventurecorps.com/deathvalley/2007/2007dvspringshow5/images/P3030224.jpg



MarkAJ at the top of Jubilee Pass

http://www.adventurecorps.com/deathvalley/2007/2007dvspringshow4/images/DSC01021.jpg

John, Eric and myself

http://www.adventurecorps.com/deathvalley/2007/2007dvspringshow5/images/P3030202.jpg

John

http://www.adventurecorps.com/deathvalley/2007/2007dvspringshow5/images/P3030225.jpg

Anyone ever done the Lake Tahoe Century? A ride in my favorite place in California would be amazing if a group went up for the ride. It is a serious drive though....

I did the lake tahoe century 2 years ago and it surely ranks up there as one of my all time favorite centuries. The route takes you clockwise around the lake and includes a out and back towards Truckee to make it 100 miles total. The views of the lake are of course spectacular and there are a few climbs thrown in to make it a reasonable challenge. Support was great and the ride gets a pretty large turnout. Plan to go back someday, but there are just so many other rides/trips to do.

DEATH VALLEY 105 Ride Report

I thought I would start out with my pre-hydration regimen days before the ride. But I can not remember back that far. So I will start at the new beginning, the Thursday night at home after work. (All the names have been changed to keep their privacy. My Wife will be known as Mary Jane, our dog Belle will be known as Can, my riding partner Steve will be known as Tie and his wife Carole will be Miss Stick.)

Being this is my birthday month I informed Mary Jane that she needed to treat me nice. (With a little come on.) She barked back, “I ALWAYS TREAT YOU NICE!” (And she does!) I went to sleep. No treats. I have a big day ahead. I have to get up early for my drive to Pahrump, NV. Pahrump is a place where things go to dry up and die. Unlike Death Valley, Pahrump allows human beings to perform this feat. Tie and Miss Stick, long time friends of Mary Jane and I have retired there. From there it is a one hour drive to Furnace Creek. I have a riding partner and a free place to lodge. At this time I will point out that Tie is 5 years older than me and I have been subscribing to AARP for over 5 years. Tie is a hell of a rider and can climb.

I have asked Mary Jane to go out to breakfast with me and I will drop her off at the house on the way out. She wants badly to go, but must stay with Can. Sadly, Can is on borrowed time. (I love that dog. 13-Yr old female German shepherd.) I have packed just about everything the night before so getting out the door with Mary Jane for breakfast is the only trick. We go to Harry’s Place in Burbank. You know it is good because all the Burbank retirees are eating there. Mary Jane checks me off: Do you have your bike? Did you get the money I laid out? What are you wearing? What route are you taking? Actually, I am glad she asked about the bike. I pay so much attention to details I could easily have left without it. Yes, and clothes. I tell her I am taking the 210 to the 15. She replies, I knew you were going that way. It is easy for you to remember instead of taking the 5 to the 14 to Victorville to the 15 which she believes is shorter. I am directionally challenged and she is worrying about me making it alone. I will miss her on this junket but I will be in control of which lane I am in and the radio. She is living large at home with the remote on her side with me gone!

Being this is not my first time to Pahrump I know my gas stop is in Yermo. Get off on Ghost Town Road. You will also see advertisements for Peggy Sue’s 50s Diner. Don’t bother. Good gas prices and Boxy Jack lives there if you’re hungry. I gas up for $2.81 a gallon. The best gas price is usually at the Vegas Gas Truck Stop not the ARCO. I visit the men’s room. The wall mounted urinals have been installed by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s little brother. In other words, if your inseam is less than 30 inches you are going to feel cold porcelain. Yermo must be where the expression pissing up stream came from.

It is cold and windy in Yermo, but I have to go. I love my cruise control and use it as much as possible. It is windy on the 15 in the RH lane so I stay in the LH lane. My mind is wandering all over so to stay alert I start counting those bumps that divide the lanes and all the passengers I see with their feet up on the dashboard with no shoes. This works for a few hours. I see a big truck ahead with a sign “Long haul drivers wanted”. I start to think if I should haul something when I see more truck lights flashing ahead; it is a “double wide” home caravanning up 15. (Is this interesting, you bet!) The roof shingles are already being torn off by the wind. Somebody is not going to be a happy home owner. Now I see 11 miles to Baker, my turn off. I am there and the giant thermometer is at 58 and it is windy. I punch it up going out of Baker and I am soon in sight of the Shoneshone International Airport wind sock. It is full, unlike the airport parking lot. Now a right hand turn and 27 miles to Pahrump.

I arrive safely at Tie’s and am allowed to park in the garage. I unpack and lunch is served. I am informed we are going out to dinner to carbo load. There are no LBS in Pahrump and I have hauled in four tubes and a tire for Tie or he would not have been able to ride. He is most grateful. He proceeds to get his bike in order. I can not stand it and have to install my new saddle that arrived to late for any test rides. I put in on. My saddle for over a year has started to give me saddle sores. What is up with that?

(Start segue)
I did some research on the BF looking into butt lubes in the hope I could mitigate my current condition. On the over 50’s forum I found a response from two who had tested some over the shelf products telling everyone not to go buy expense lubes. They recommend either Vagisil or Preparation-H. Having rectified the latter some ten years earlier I know I have some Preparation-H. I pack it.
(End segue)

Tie and I have to eat early because we are going to drive into Furnace Creek to register at 6:30pm. Out to dinner we go. Di Martino’s (775-751-4777) was a clean place. I can say that. I prefer meat lasagna but all cheese is okay. We return Miss Stick to the house and proceed to registration. Tie drives fast and on the back roads there is nothing but tall Jack rabbits anyway. We check in easily when Tie sees a rider he knows from riding in Palmdale. He says hello and tells me that this guy does nothing but long distance riding. “He could start last and finish first and he is a nice guy.” I take one of the free Death Valley pins and left. I eyeball the potty house for the morning and we are out of there. Back at Tie’s I review my registration bag. It has my jersey and a good water bottle for future use and a number thingy with lots of safety pins. (Remember that baby bottle we got from The Tour de Palm Springs. That went into the recycle trash.) Wake up call at 5am so off to bed. I never have sleep problems, girls!! I can sleep anytime, anywhere.

I am up just before Tie and Miss Stick. (This is where I apply liberal amounts of Preparation-H before the bib goes on.) I consume a bowl of carbo cereal, berries and chocolate milk for breakfast. I am dressing in my summer gear with my BF jersey and arm warmers. 52 to start and high 70’s should be fine. With Tie driving we arrive in plenty of time for our 6:50am start.

Riders are lined up and they have just released a group of riders while I am off to the potty. Tie is waiting for me outside and we proceed to the start. We get our number thingy marked for the 6:50am start and pull up to the front. We are the front. Not too many decided to start late. We get the same start instructions we hear the others get. Every start is scheduled to the watch. I like this. We are cut loose with “Remember this is a ride not a race”. Tie and I loose the lead before we clear the driveway. Up an incline and a RH turn to Badwater, 17.5 miles. Slowly Tie and I gain on all the fast starts and pass most of them. We are about 7 miles out when we see the first flat. That was the only flat or mechanical breakdown I saw all day. We arrive at Badwater to hear my name, Mark. It’s a BFer and he knows the jersey. We introduce our selves and I take a group picture. I never see them again. Just as Tie and I are leaving the rest stop canopy blows off. This is not a good sign. We take off.

The DEATH VALLEY 105 is deceiving in that it looks flat but it is filled with rollers. As you ride on good surface you hug the mountains jumping in and out of the sun. Early the sun feels good, later the shade is welcomed. We are rolling eating up miles at 21-22 mph with little effort. I am well within my cadence. The wind is our friend. The roads are such that if you ride off the pavement you will go down. You can not afford to float off into the loose sand and gravel. We arrive at Ashford Mill feeling good. This rest stop is not as nice as Badwater, but a perfect location in that it is just before the Jubilee Pass. It has a connector road so the potties are out of the way of the water and it gives the roaming ambulance a parking place. Water, PBJ and a power bar and we go. (The following information comes from Tie’s and my cyclometers’.) It is a 7 mile climb. The Jubilee Pass climb starts at 2% and mounts to 6% with a 10% hiccup. We are not sure where that 10% was in the climb. Tie drops me on the climb. I am surprised to see so many walking bicycles and I discuss this with another rider as we climb. It is only now that I feel the heat of the day. I feel myself sweating so I begin to take in more water. My new rider buddy and I see another stopped and hanging over his top tube not looking so good. Like a duet we both tell him to take it easy and stay there until he feels right again. He can not return an answer but nods okay. We, really I, move slowly up the pass and come across another rider who is blowing chunks. I tell him not to move and I will get him help at the top rest stop. While PBJs, gel packs, water and the morning’s breakfast runs from his mouth he makes it known he is in agreement without speaking a word. He is done for the day! I now know why all the raisins were gone went I got to Ashford. At the top I get my number thingy marked which validates I have made the Century turnaround. I inform the staff a couple of riders back need help. I water up and head back down. I am on the way back, but the climb has hurt me. I realize why riders were not in a dropped position letting loose on the return down hill. It’s the wind! I am disappointed I can not let loose, but I am afraid of loosing control and the wind is holding me back anyway, I manage 32mph. I have not done something right, I feel more wasted than I should. I am thinking I should have used 100% de gave during the pre-hydration days. Reality is immediate, like being at Dodger Stadium setting behind someone on there second order of garlic fries. Wind and it is going to be hell. Tie and I estimated 10mph with gust of 20mph. My mind starts turning over thousands of thoughts, I have never ridden 35-40 miles in continuous head wind. I am going to SAG, I know it. I have worn the wrong jersey. If I did not wear the BF jersey no one would know. I am doomed. We start pedaling for Badwater, but the wind is so strong. I try to get small so I drop. Not much help. I will never see Tie again until the finish. I get sandblasted twice. The wind only carries sand if a vehicle or other biker stirs it up. This is startling when it happens, but does not happen again. I am alone now. Alone in the sun in the shade in the wind of DEATH VALLEY. My mind is working faster than my pedaling. I am thinking I could drown out here. I am below sea level.

Riders pass me one at a time. Riders pass me in small lined groups. I don’t have what I need to hang onto anyone’s wheel. I am alone until up ahead I see a yellow jersey. I am gaining on someone. I am about 600 feet away when I see another rider in blue gaining on me. I am now 400 feet away from yellow and blue is closing in. A roller and I fall back to 600 or 700 feet from yellow. Blue falls back too, and now there is a fourth rider behind blue. If I drown we all drown. I slowly close the gap on yellow, maybe 100 feet. It is a she and by the cottage cheese legs I know she is a subscriber to AARP. I have a companion. I get in behind her, but she is going so slow I have to work the brakes. I stay with her for some time and I tell her how the wind is killing me and I am not used to it. She acknowledges me. Rider in fourth position disappeared. Blue is still in sight, but losing ground. I notice yellow is packing two rear lights and a front light. I am thinking crap she is doing the double century why else would she have the lights. I don’t ask because I don’t want to embarrass myself. I decide to pull ahead. Without speaking I just crank it up to 9mph and yellow and blue disappear. I start playing games to stay motivated. I only need to get to Badwater. I will eat and all will be fine for the last 17 miles. I have to say I did not like the lunch stop being at some 85 miles into the ride. Too far before lunch! The road is relentless and the rollers have grown. I am on overload. I see SAG go by. I should have waived them down, but I can not. The dam jersey! Not long another SAG goes by. It looks filled. I am thinking I can not be a DNF. What time is it? I know it is much later than noon, lunch time. I need to get to Badwater and soon. Finally, before me in the near distance I see the Badwater white lake of salt. I am closing in on the lunch stop. I make it into Badwater and dismount my bike very near the food and drink. As I approached a girl said you look tired. I replied very tired. At that moment she took my arm and assisted me to a nice blue chair in the shade. Can I get you anything she asked? I asked for a cold coke. She presented me with the coke already opened. Do you want a sandwich? Yes. She presented me with a Subway sandwich. If you will take off your CamelBak I will fill it for you. At this point I did not know if I should tell her I am married or take her on. So I fall back, into the chair. “I will just sit here and rest thanks a lot”. Others who look as good as me are sitting around in some of the chairs too. Small talk pursues. One girl who just arrived announces she has recumbent butt. She had heard about it but never thought she would get it. I have no clue what this is. An older man does not speak until he looks at his heart rate monitor, only 10 beats to go. Additional riders show up and I give up my chair for them. I thank all the volunteers, fill up my CamelBak and cripple over to my bike. There I find two seniors (man and woman) preparing to mount a tandem. The woman has packed her outside right knee with ice. It is bulging out from her knickers’. The man tells her as she is dragging her right leg, I will get SAG and take the bike back. She flat out tells him to pound sand. He realized that was a big job in Death Valley so they proceeded to mount up as I rode away. I still feel like ****. It is after 2:30pm. Some 17 miles to go and the sun is still out but dropping. The temperature is dropping too. This is a good thing now. I could not handle any heat at this point in the ride.

I am alone again and my mind starts to play games. Games I need to stay focused. I am thinking if I can get to 100 miles I can SAG. I still did a century. No one will know. I suddenly realize I never peed at the lunch stop and now it was brothering me. Oh, I am a guy I can make it without relief. Bull, I am alone and I rationalize that there must be some bragging rights to pissing on Death Valley. I am all ready hurting why should I be uncomfortable. So I pull over and let it out just like a professional cyclist. Turn my front wheel left to gain maximum clearance and let it go. I am not stopped for more than 30 seconds. Any longer and I would not be able to continue. Without warning that tandem came whipping past me. All I got to see was the stoker and the damp spot where the ice melted. I continue to play mind games as the inches roll by. Rollers after rollers will it never end? Looking back I see yellow coming up fast. You know Miss double century. She flies past me and I never see her again, but not without saying, “the wind is still strong”. (Sand bagger!)

Finally I see the mirage of Furnace Creek lodge. It is so tiny. I still have a ways to go. Now a father and son team comes up on me. They are wearing matching Bicycle John’s jerseys. I saw them earlier in the ride too. His son could not be older than 14 years and is a strong rider. Dad is the one holding them back. I have not breathed through my nose in over 7 hours and this kid is chatting away while riding. He is killing me. They take the lead from me and I don’t even try to get on the wheels. But I stay close. I don’t like the idea of a 14 year old beating me to the finish. Because of traffic I catch up with these two in front of the Furnace Creek lodge at the final LH turn. The three of us make the turn together with me in back. Everyone steps it up being we are going down hill. They don’t drop the hammer. I see my opportunity to take this kid and finish ahead of him. I change into the big chain ring, drop, tuck and hammer. It’s a very short distance to the finish, but I catch them off guard and shoot pass both like a spit ball from a new straw. I get in ahead of them by about 12 seconds and am marked as such. I finished as one tired boy and hobbled over to Tie’s truck. He takes a few pictures of me as I approach. I brought a change of clothes for the one hour ride back, but was so tired I did not. On the way home Tie ran the AC in the truck as a barrier from me. A shower, BBQ filet mignon with salad, red wine and off to bed. It was over and done. I recorded just over 104 miles of riding with 4,516 feet of climbing. Not my best Century time at 9 hours 43 minutes, but with 49 riders finishing after me and 18 DNF (Did Not Finish) I can live with that.

I will spare you my journal entries for the return to Burbank. Just know I made it home safely to Mary Jane and Can. (I love them both.) BTW: Preparation-H works well as a lubricant. My saddle sores even diminished.

Good post Mark ! CONGRATS, YOU MADE IT! The wind was a challenge and you beat it.

The 13 year old and his father are my firends and yes the kid is a great rider. His dad was beat from the wind and had cramps since mile 54.

What doesn't kill you makes you stronger..... At least they say !

Great writeup, it makes me feel like I was there!

those are just fabulous pics! later.

great write up mark! true comedy!

Mark, I loved that report. :) Good job! Side note: Vagisil powder DOES work amazingly well. But due to the name, most men won't go near it. I talked a rider into using it a year or so ago and he thanked me profusely after trying it.

I thought I would start out with my pre-hydration regimen days before the ride. But I can not remember back that far. So I will start at the new beginning, the Thursday night at home after work. (All the names have been changed to keep their privacy. My Wife will be known as Mary Jane, our dog Belle will be known as Can, my riding partner Steve will be known as Tie and his wife Carole will be Miss Stick.)

Being this is my birthday month I informed Mary Jane that she needed to treat me nice. (With a little come on.) She barked back, “I ALWAYS TREAT YOU NICE!” (And she does!) I went to sleep. No treats. I have a big day ahead. I have to get up early for my drive to Pahrump, NV. Pahrump is a place where things go to dry up and die. Unlike Death Valley, Pahrump allows human beings to perform this feat. Tie and Miss Stick, long time friends of Mary Jane and I have retired there. From there it is a one hour drive to Furnace Creek. I have a riding partner and a free place to lodge. At this time I will point out that Tie is 5 years older than me and I have been subscribing to AARP for over 5 years. Tie is a hell of a rider and can climb.

I have asked Mary Jane to go out to breakfast with me and I will drop her off at the house on the way out. She wants badly to go, but must stay with Can. Sadly, Can is on borrowed time. (I love that dog. 13-Yr old female German shepherd.) I have packed just about everything the night before so getting out the door with Mary Jane for breakfast is the only trick. We go to Harry’s Place in Burbank. You know it is good because all the Burbank retirees are eating there. Mary Jane checks me off: Do you have your bike? Did you get the money I laid out? What are you wearing? What route are you taking? Actually, I am glad she asked about the bike. I pay so much attention to details I could easily have left without it. Yes, and clothes. I tell her I am taking the 210 to the 15. She replies, I knew you were going that way. It is easy for you to remember instead of taking the 5 to the 14 to Victorville to the 15 which she believes is shorter. I am directionally challenged and she is worrying about me making it alone. I will miss her on this junket but I will be in control of which lane I am in and the radio. She is living large at home with the remote on her side with me gone!

Being this is not my first time to Pahrump I know my gas stop is in Yermo. Get off on Ghost Town Road. You will also see advertisements for Peggy Sue’s 50s Diner. Don’t bother. Good gas prices and Boxy Jack lives there if you’re hungry. I gas up for $2.81 a gallon. The best gas price is usually at the Vegas Gas Truck Stop not the ARCO. I visit the men’s room. The wall mounted urinals have been installed by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s little brother. In other words, if your inseam is less than 30 inches you are going to feel cold porcelain. Yermo must be where the expression pissing up stream came from.

It is cold and windy in Yermo, but I have to go. I love my cruise control and use it as much as possible. It is windy on the 15 in the RH lane so I stay in the LH lane. My mind is wandering all over so to stay alert I start counting those bumps that divide the lanes and all the passengers I see with their feet up on the dashboard with no shoes. This works for a few hours. I see a big truck ahead with a sign “Long haul drivers wanted”. I start to think if I should haul something when I see more truck lights flashing ahead; it is a “double wide” home caravanning up 15. (Is this interesting, you bet!) The roof shingles are already being torn off by the wind. Somebody is not going to be a happy home owner. Now I see 11 miles to Baker, my turn off. I am there and the giant thermometer is at 58 and it is windy. I punch it up going out of Baker and I am soon in sight of the Shoneshone International Airport wind sock. It is full, unlike the airport parking lot. Now a right hand turn and 27 miles to Pahrump.

I arrive safely at Tie’s and am allowed to park in the garage. I unpack and lunch is served. I am informed we are going out to dinner to carbo load. There are no LBS in Pahrump and I have hauled in four tubes and a tire for Tie or he would not have been able to ride. He is most grateful. He proceeds to get his bike in order. I can not stand it and have to install my new saddle that arrived to late for any test rides. I put in on. My saddle for over a year has started to give me saddle sores. What is up with that?

(Start segue)
I did some research on the BF looking into butt lubes in the hope I could mitigate my current condition. On the over 50’s forum I found a response from two who had tested some over the shelf products telling everyone not to go buy expense lubes. They recommend either Vagisil or Preparation-H. Having rectified the latter some ten years earlier I know I have some Preparation-H. I pack it.
(End segue)

Tie and I have to eat early because we are going to drive into Furnace Creek to register at 6:30pm. Out to dinner we go. Di Martino’s (775-751-4777) was a clean place. I can say that. I prefer meat lasagna but all cheese is okay. We return Miss Stick to the house and proceed to registration. Tie drives fast and on the back roads there is nothing but tall Jack rabbits anyway. We check in easily when Tie sees a rider he knows from riding in Palmdale. He says hello and tells me that this guy does nothing but long distance riding. “He could start last and finish first and he is a nice guy.” I take one of the free Death Valley pins and left. I eyeball the potty house for the morning and we are out of there. Back at Tie’s I review my registration bag. It has my jersey and a good water bottle for future use and a number thingy with lots of safety pins. (Remember that baby bottle we got from The Tour de Palm Springs. That went into the recycle trash.) Wake up call at 5am so off to bed. I never have sleep problems, girls!! I can sleep anytime, anywhere.

I am up just before Tie and Miss Stick. (This is where I apply liberal amounts of Preparation-H before the bib goes on.) I consume a bowl of carbo cereal, berries and chocolate milk for breakfast. I am dressing in my summer gear with my BF jersey and arm warmers. 52 to start and high 70’s should be fine. With Tie driving we arrive in plenty of time for our 6:50am start.

Riders are lined up and they have just released a group of riders while I am off to the potty. Tie is waiting for me outside and we proceed to the start. We get our number thingy marked for the 6:50am start and pull up to the front. We are the front. Not too many decided to start late. We get the same start instructions we hear the others get. Every start is scheduled to the watch. I like this. We are cut loose with “Remember this is a ride not a race”. Tie and I loose the lead before we clear the driveway. Up an incline and a RH turn to Badwater, 17.5 miles. Slowly Tie and I gain on all the fast starts and pass most of them. We are about 7 miles out when we see the first flat. That was the only flat or mechanical breakdown I saw all day. We arrive at Badwater to hear my name, Mark. It’s a BFer and he knows the jersey. We introduce our selves and I take a group picture. I never see them again. Just as Tie and I are leaving the rest stop canopy blows off. This is not a good sign. We take off.

The DEATH VALLEY 105 is deceiving in that it looks flat but it is filled with rollers. As you ride on good surface you hug the mountains jumping in and out of the sun. Early the sun feels good, later the shade is welcomed. We are rolling eating up miles at 21-22 mph with little effort. I am well within my cadence. The wind is our friend. The roads are such that if you ride off the pavement you will go down. You can not afford to float off into the loose sand and gravel. We arrive at Ashford Mill feeling good. This rest stop is not as nice as Badwater, but a perfect location in that it is just before the Jubilee Pass. It has a connector road so the potties are out of the way of the water and it gives the roaming ambulance a parking place. Water, PBJ and a power bar and we go. (The following information comes from Tie’s and my cyclometers’.) It is a 7 mile climb. The Jubilee Pass climb starts at 2% and mounts to 6% with a 10% hiccup. We are not sure where that 10% was in the climb. Tie drops me on the climb. I am surprised to see so many walking bicycles and I discuss this with another rider as we climb. It is only now that I feel the heat of the day. I feel myself sweating so I begin to take in more water. My new rider buddy and I see another stopped and hanging over his top tube not looking so good. Like a duet we both tell him to take it easy and stay there until he feels right again. He can not return an answer but nods okay. We, really I, move slowly up the pass and come across another rider who is blowing chunks. I tell him not to move and I will get him help at the top rest stop. While PBJs, gel packs, water and the morning’s breakfast runs from his mouth he makes it known he is in agreement without speaking a word. He is done for the day! I now know why all the raisins were gone went I got to Ashford. At the top I get my number thingy marked which validates I have made the Century turnaround. I inform the staff a couple of riders back need help. I water up and head back down. I am on the way back, but the climb has hurt me. I realize why riders were not in a dropped position letting loose on the return down hill. It’s the wind! I am disappointed I can not let loose, but I am afraid of loosing control and the wind is holding me back anyway, I manage 32mph. I have not done something right, I feel more wasted than I should. I am thinking I should have used 100% de gave during the pre-hydration days. Reality is immediate, like being at Dodger Stadium setting behind someone on there second order of garlic fries. Wind and it is going to be hell. Tie and I estimated 10mph with gust of 20mph. My mind starts turning over thousands of thoughts, I have never ridden 35-40 miles in continuous head wind. I am going to SAG, I know it. I have worn the wrong jersey. If I did not wear the BF jersey no one would know. I am doomed. We start pedaling for Badwater, but the wind is so strong. I try to get small so I drop. Not much help. I will never see Tie again until the finish. I get sandblasted twice. The wind only carries sand if a vehicle or other biker stirs it up. This is startling when it happens, but does not happen again. I am alone now. Alone in the sun in the shade in the wind of DEATH VALLEY. My mind is working faster than my pedaling. I am thinking I could drown out here. I am below sea level.

Riders pass me one at a time. Riders pass me in small lined groups. I don’t have what I need to hang onto anyone’s wheel. I am alone until up ahead I see a yellow jersey. I am gaining on someone. I am about 600 feet away when I see another rider in blue gaining on me. I am now 400 feet away from yellow and blue is closing in. A roller and I fall back to 600 or 700 feet from yellow. Blue falls back too, and now there is a fourth rider behind blue. If I drown we all drown. I slowly close the gap on yellow, maybe 100 feet. It is a she and by the cottage cheese legs I know she is a subscriber to AARP. I have a companion. I get in behind her, but she is going so slow I have to work the brakes. I stay with her for some time and I tell her how the wind is killing me and I am not used to it. She acknowledges me. Rider in fourth position disappeared. Blue is still in sight, but losing ground. I notice yellow is packing two rear lights and a front light. I am thinking crap she is doing the double century why else would she have the lights. I don’t ask because I don’t want to embarrass myself. I decide to pull ahead. Without speaking I just crank it up to 9mph and yellow and blue disappear. I start playing games to stay motivated. I only need to get to Badwater. I will eat and all will be fine for the last 17 miles. I have to say I did not like the lunch stop being at some 85 miles into the ride. Too far before lunch! The road is relentless and the rollers have grown. I am on overload. I see SAG go by. I should have waived them down, but I can not. The dam jersey! Not long another SAG goes by. It looks filled. I am thinking I can not be a DNF. What time is it? I know it is much later than noon, lunch time. I need to get to Badwater and soon. Finally, before me in the near distance I see the Badwater white lake of salt. I am closing in on the lunch stop. I make it into Badwater and dismount my bike very near the food and drink. As I approached a girl said you look tired. I replied very tired. At that moment she took my arm and assisted me to a nice blue chair in the shade. Can I get you anything she asked? I asked for a cold coke. She presented me with the coke already opened. Do you want a sandwich? Yes. She presented me with a Subway sandwich. If you will take off your CamelBak I will fill it for you. At this point I did not know if I should tell her I am married or take her on. So I fall back, into the chair. “I will just sit here and rest thanks a lot”. Others who look as good as me are sitting around in some of the chairs too. Small talk pursues. One girl who just arrived announces she has recumbent butt. She had heard about it but never thought she would get it. I have no clue what this is. An older man does not speak until he looks at his heart rate monitor, only 10 beats to go. Additional riders show up and I give up my chair for them. I thank all the volunteers, fill up my CamelBak and cripple over to my bike. There I find two seniors (man and woman) preparing to mount a tandem. The woman has packed her outside right knee with ice. It is bulging out from her knickers’. The man tells her as she is dragging her right leg, I will get SAG and take the bike back. She flat out tells him to pound sand. He realized that was a big job in Death Valley so they proceeded to mount up as I rode away. I still feel like ****. It is after 2:30pm. Some 17 miles to go and the sun is still out but dropping. The temperature is dropping too. This is a good thing now. I could not handle any heat at this point in the ride.

I am alone again and my mind starts to play games. Games I need to stay focused. I am thinking if I can get to 100 miles I can SAG. I still did a century. No one will know. I suddenly realize I never peed at the lunch stop and now it was brothering me. Oh, I am a guy I can make it without relief. Bull, I am alone and I rationalize that there must be some bragging rights to pissing on Death Valley. I am all ready hurting why should I be uncomfortable. So I pull over and let it out just like a professional cyclist. Turn my front wheel left to gain maximum clearance and let it go. I am not stopped for more than 30 seconds. Any longer and I would not be able to continue. Without warning that tandem came whipping past me. All I got to see was the stoker and the damp spot where the ice melted. I continue to play mind games as the inches roll by. Rollers after rollers will it never end? Looking back I see yellow coming up fast. You know Miss double century. She flies past me and I never see her again, but not without saying, “the wind is still strong”. (Sand bagger!)

Finally I see the mirage of Furnace Creek lodge. It is so tiny. I still have a ways to go. Now a father and son team comes up on me. They are wearing matching Bicycle John’s jerseys. I saw them earlier in the ride too. His son could not be older than 14 years and is a strong rider. Dad is the one holding them back. I have not breathed through my nose in over 7 hours and this kid is chatting away while riding. He is killing me. They take the lead from me and I don’t even try to get on the wheels. But I stay close. I don’t like the idea of a 14 year old beating me to the finish. Because of traffic I catch up with these two in front of the Furnace Creek lodge at the final LH turn. The three of us make the turn together with me in back. Everyone steps it up being we are going down hill. They don’t drop the hammer. I see my opportunity to take this kid and finish ahead of him. I change into the big chain ring, drop, tuck and hammer. It’s a very short distance to the finish, but I catch them off guard and shoot pass both like a spit ball from a new straw. I get in ahead of them by about 12 seconds and am marked as such. I finished as one tired boy and hobbled over to Tie’s truck. He takes a few pictures of me as I approach. I brought a change of clothes for the one hour ride back, but was so tired I did not. On the way home Tie ran the AC in the truck as a barrier from me. A shower, BBQ filet mignon with salad, red wine and off to bed. It was over and done.

I will spare you my journal entries for the return to Burbank. Just know I made it home safely to Mary Jane and Can. (I love them both.) BTW: Preparation-H works well as a lubricant. My saddle sores even diminished.

That must be the best write up ever for a century and I feel that much better having read it. I now think maybe I am not so lame for having only done the 100 mile event and having found it very difficult.

Glad you finished and next time you will be stronger because of that battle. Half of that ride was just sheer dedication and clearly you came through on top!

Well done

The results are in:

http://www.adventurecorps.com/deathvalley/2007/2007springresults.html

Francis finished in 14. I think he beat his time at Butterfield. He's not human. :eek:

and brodsky DNF'd!!!! up is down and down is up!!!!

Wow... Considering the strong headwinds for 54 miles of the ride I think all the BF riders did a fantastic job !


no BF DNF's !

Great writeup, it makes me feel like I was there!


Uh, you were ;)

and brodsky DNF'd!!!!Did you read his Butterfield report? Anyway, he did add at the end that he DNF'd Death Valley.

and brodsky DNF'd!!!! up is down and down is up!!!!
I have only met Keith once (on Francis' ride in December), but I have ridden several times with his wife (awesome chick). From what I know about him, he is a very conscientious rider who listens to his body better than I ever would (I'd push myself until I was injured, which is stupid). I'm sure he had a very good reason to pull out of the ride.

Did you read his Butterfield report? Anyway, he did add at the end that he DNF'd Death Valley.


not yet..is it in ME's butterfield section???

not yet..is it in ME's butterfield section???
It is, Bill, at the bottom of his report about three or so posts up (or down depending on how you have your post views set up.) :)

Death Valley: The Pain

After my successful ride at Butterfield, I was high on my horse and figured I was a shoo-in to repeat at Death Valley on March 3rd. The course is different than the one in the fall, it heads south and then east to Shonshone out 75 miles and back to the start at mile 150. The course then heads north 24 miles to Stovepipe Wells and back for 197 miles total. The bulk of the climbing on the ride starts at mile 45 and ends at mile 102. The remainder of the course is never flat, just 140 miles of desert rollers, usually a type of course on which I perform well. Between mile 45 and 102 there are climbs of 4.7, 8.7, 6.2, 0.9, and 4.7 miles totalling 5900 feet of climbing. This is where the ride is won or lost.

The forecast was a high of 80 degrees with light winds, which is great since the course wraps back on itself and any tailwind can become a nasty headwind. I signed Sarah up for the Death Valley Century ( the 100 mile version) and Mario Ramirez was also on hand to do the double. Mario and I have been training to get his time under 13 hours for doubles and he has made great progress. We drove up separately on Friday and met to sightsee in Death Valley. We toured Scotty's Castle and the Uhebebe Crater and made the mistake, in my opinion, of climbing down the crater and back up again. It's only a 1/2 mile climb each way, but it goes down 500 feet on a steep trail that is all loose gravel. I felt it in my legs and complained all the way down. Anyhow, the ride started at 6 am for Mario and I, and if you look at the Adventure Corps results page for the ride and look at the first picture you can see Mario and I standing at the front before the start. I'm wearing my trademark, impossible to miss King of the Mountains jersey and I look lit up like a Christmas tree in the photo. Mario is wearing a California Triple Crown jersey with the California bear emblazoned on the front. The ride starts with a quick 200 ft climb to a right turn to Badwater, the lowest point in North America. I took off to the front immediately and pushed the pace up the hill to break off the slower riders and when we turned right we were down to 8 riders off the front. The course rolls up and down for the next 45 miles which makes it hard to drop any more riders and we ended up with 7 left all the way to rest stop 2 at mile 45. I would have preferred a smaller group of 4 or 5, because when there are more than 5, there is a lot of jockeying for position, attempted breaks, and just general testosterone awareness. As a result, instead of a smooth group working together, you get an everyone for themselves surging mass of individualism. This can be tiring and fast.

We encountered some strong crosswinds about 15-20 miles out and tried riding in an echelon. Normally a group rides a paceline with each rider directly behind one another about 6-12 inches apart to break the wind, and each rider takes turns at the front. In a echelon, each rider moves to the right or left and pulls up one foot or more so that all wheels are crossed, a potentially dangerous way to ride. The wind was from the left, so we each pulled to the right of the rider in front and moved up to break the wind. When you have 7 riders and a narrow road, all the riders cannot fit in the echelon, because you run out of road eventually. As a byproduct of this situation, after doing a pull at the front, you move to the back and the last rider is not wind protected, so you are in essence doing two consecutive pulls, also a tiring proposition. Due to the number of riders and the wind, no one seemed to get much rest and after skipping the first rest stop we pulled into the second rest stop at Ashford Mills at mile 45. I only know who 5 of the 7 riders were. Eric Wilson (previous winner of the ride), Wade Baker (3rd place at Butterfield and Death Valley Fall), Keith Laird ( tie 1st place- Solvang Autumn), and Nathan Berg ( 1st double ride). All the named riders, except Nathan and myself, are veteran riders of this course and the Furnace Creek 508, and know every inch of this course well. The numbers to here are 22.6 mph --2 hours ride time-- 1200 feet of climbing. Awfully fast for a double.

As we approached the rest stop I was under the impression we were all stopping together and then continuing on. Keith Laird and Eric Wilson, who are good buddies, kept going and Wade Baker took off about 30 seconds later. I used the facilities and left about 2 minutes behind. I wasn't concerned about being behind since I knew I can outclimb each of the riders ahead of me. In fact I took 3 minutes on Wade on only a 3-mile climb just two weeks ago, and we were starting what is essentially a 14 mile climb. As a started up the climb I noticed that I was not gaining on Wade and I could not even see Eric and Keith. My legs felt fine, but I wasn't going as fast as I'm capable up the hill. After several miles, I noticed that not only wasn't I catching Wade, I was falling behind, and it seemed as if the 3 guys behind me were gaining. After peaking Jubilee Pass, the 4.7 mile hill, there is a one mile downhill and I could see Wade about 1/2 mile ahead. The 8.7 mile climb up to Salsberry Pass began with me looking over my shoulder as I was concerned I would be caught from behind, something that just doesn't seem to happen to me on long climbs. I also noticed that the feeling in my legs was worsening and I was feeling quite a lot of discomfort in my quads, a muscle soreness perhaps. I never saw Wade again on the climb and it seemed that despite my difficulties climbing, the 3 guys behind me didn't seem to be gaining any ground anymore. I kept trying to go faster up the hill, I stood, I sat, I pushed a bigger gear, and I spun, all to no avail. There was a stiff 10-20 mph headwind and all I could manage was 9.0 mph on a hill that I should be able to climb at 13-15 mph with no wind. As I neared the finish of mile 7 on the climb, a fast moving rider appeared in my rear view mirror. He was standing and flying up the hill and taunted me as he passed by saying "You have too many gears. I'll see you on the downhill". I sped up to see how fast he was going and he was standing into the wind at 12.0 mph riding a fixed gear bike. I have never, ever been passed on a hill by someone on a fixed gear bike, very impressive. A fixed gear bike is a bike with only one speed and no freewheel, therefore the rider has to never stop pedaling, ever. There are actually 3 speeds on a fixed gear, sitting, standing, and stopped. As a consequence, a "fixie" rider has to go downhill slower than traditional bikes, as there is no coasting. His name was Terry Lentz and I passed him on the downhill into Shoshone and was about 3 minutes ahead of him into the rest stop. Since this is an out an back course, I saw Eric, Keith, and Wade riding back one mile from the rest stop, that put me 2 miles and a rest stop behind, or about 8 minutes back. I stopped for about 2 1/2 minutes and counted 17 ants (that is to see if Steve Peters is reading this story). Terry and the 2 unnamed guys following me pulled in as I left. I figured if I could solve my climbing problems I would still have a chance to catch up, but seeing all three of them together severely limited my chances. The numbers 73.4 miles-- 18.0mph-- 4 hr 5min-- 5100 feet of climbing

End Part One--I have to get to work now, I'll finish this evening after work.

Keith
----- Original Message -----

Death Valley: The Pain Part 2- The Finale

We left our hero at the 74.3 mile mark in Shoshone a mere 8 minutes back of the leaders and in 4th place with around 12 miles of climbing and 14.4 miles of descending until he hits the rollers for the final 92 miles of the ride. As I said before, this ride will be won or lost on the climb and so far it wasn't looking good. I remembered that there were a lot of headwinds/crosswinds on the descent from Salsberry Pass and I could definitely feel the tailwind as I ascended the 1st climb. With the tailwind and the slight grade of 3-4% I should have been riding at above 14 mph, but was only going around 10mph and my quads felt extremely sore and touchy. Every time I tried to pedal harder or faster my legs yelled back, hell no. After only about 3 miles of the climb my body was ready to turn around, ride back to Shoshone and quit. I did in fact, turn around to do just that and I saw Mr Fixie come flying past me as I turned around. I went down about 100 feet and turned back around and continued up the hill as I watched Terry moving off quickly into the distance. The climb was straight away and I could see him for awhile, as we reached the crest of the 1st hill there is a slight downhill for around 1-1/2 miles and I hit the gas as hard as I could and managed to get up to 27 mph for about 1/2 a mile and cut the gap to around 15-20 seconds behind Terry. I felt that I was getting my second wind and I decided it was time to catch him and follow him up the hill. As the hill started up I took everything I had and tried to cut the gap for all of 30 seconds before my speed dropped to below 9 mph and I was barely turning the cranks again. The pain was something different than I have felt on the bike, my legs, in particular, my quads would not let me use the power that I rely on to excel at cycling. I felt like a fish flopping around on the deck of a ship trying to swim, but nothing was working.

During this whole time I was keeping an eye out for my buddies Mario and Francis. Francis Ignacio is a guy that Vertical Bob introduced to me, as he has completed the 508 race. Francis put on the Tour de Francis in December for a bunch of his friends from the Adobo cycling club. The ride went from Castaic Lake, up Lake Hughes, out through Lake Elizabeth and Three Points, with a final destination at Quail Lake. 98 miles with 9250 feet of climbing, a hard but fantastically fun ride. I enjoyed every minute of the ride, even the 47 degree temperature at Quail Lake. Mario passed me at about the 8.5 mile mark on my way back, so he was 17 miles back and Francis was a couple miles behind Mario. Mario was probably only about 1hr 15 min behind at this point and on schedule. Mario and Francis said hi and then a 3rd guy who looked familiar yelled hello as well, I found out later it was Matt Turgeon, the second place finisher from the Butterfield ride. Turns out he was taking his wife on her 1st double and he was riding a single speed ( which means he can coast). Seeing all my friends raised my spirits briefly, yet the pain in my legs reminded me I was having an awful time on the bike and about 1 1/2 mile into the climb I turned around again to ride back to
Shoshone. I changed my mind quickly as I realized I could climb 4 more miles with a tailwind and be 45 miles from the start line when I quit, or I could ride into a headwind for 9 miles and be 74 miles from the start line and quit. The prudent choice was to plug ahead, and who knows, maybe the legs would come alive. The climb was around 5% and had a decent tailwind, and yet I was having trouble maintaining 8 plus mph. The desert is still beautiful when you are miserable and slogging through it to no avail when you know it is just a matter of time until you quit. And yet in the back of your mind, the eternal optimist reminds you that there are plenty of times you've felt bad on a bike and made a comeback. But there was something different this time, I still can't quite put my finger on the it of it.

I finally reached the top of the climb and settled in for a screaming 8.7 mile descent. I figured that since I caught Terry on the downhill before, surely I would catch him on a 9 mile downhill. I never saw him again while I was on the bike. After the descent, there is a short 0.8 mile climb before the 2nd 4.7 mile descent and I prepared to power up the short incline and continue the downhilling. I was going 29--25--21--17--13--10--8--7 and oh my goodness I'm struggling up another hill. The sad fact is that the steepest climb on the whole ride is the last 0.2 miles of this climb and I think I might have actually been going backwards, I can't be sure, but I did reach the top and hit 40+ going down the other side. Of course my mood changed dramatically at this point as I realized I would, despite all my troubles, reach the 103 mile checkpoint in less than 5:45 minutes, the time I assured Sarah and Mario I would beat. I quickly figured out that at 21 mph over the last 92 miles with a couple of short stops, I could finish the remainder of the course in just over 4 1/2 hours bringing my total time to 10:15--10:25, below the 10:30 I was hoping for and the 2nd fastest time ever on the ride. Ever the optimist. But then I reached the last 3/4 mile of the descent as it turns from east/west to south/north and my 40mph speed dropped to 15mph on the downhill and plunged further to 11mph on the flat 1-1/2 ride to the rest stop. The struggle to get to the stop was epic, I literally wanted to just flop over on my side and go to sleep. I'm sure I could have finished the ride with my legs hurting or with a strong headwind, but with both, I knew I would never finish since I had to pass the start/finish line before completing the last 48 miles of the ride.

I arrived at the rest stop at mile 103-- 18.3 mph-- 5:43 total time--5:38 bike time-- 7100 feet of climbing and proclaimed to the volunteers that I was volunteering to help at the rest stop since I had no intention of riding any further. I asked them to radio the finish and ask Sarah to pick me up after she was finished with her 100 mile ride. Some support, all they did was laugh at me and good-naturedly rib me about my King Of The Mountains Jersey and how I should go catch the other guys if I was the King. I said I was staying right there and sitting in the chair if they didn't want me to help. After a couple of minutes, the 2 other guys from the original group of 7 arrived and due to my slight embarassment, I rode out with them to share the wind. We cruised along for about 3-1/2 miles until we hit a nice uphill roller and my legs started screaming once again. I pulled out of the line-up, turned around, and rode back to the rest stop again and guaranteed them I wasn' t leaving in anything other than a SAG vehicle, sat in a chair, and finished my tuna sandwich. The wife of another rider who had run a water stop on Salsberry climb had picked up her husband and she was gracious enough to give me a ride back to Furnace Creek. We talked along the way, and I pointed out each of the leading double riders as we passed them, although I didn't see Mr. Fixie anywhere. We passed Wade Baker first, and he was only about 20 yards behind Keith and Eric. If I had to guess, and I do, I would say I was 15-20 minutes behind tops. A time I think I could have overcome on an ordinary day, but not today.

I asked the lady (whose name I did not ask, what a moron) to drop me off when we caught up to Sarah, and we found her about 10 miles from the finish. I got out and rode the remainder with Sarah and helped her block the wind. She said she was having a good ride, but she hadn't found anyone to ride with. They were either too fast or too slow. We pulled into the finish at 2:05 and Sarah had a total time of 7:35, which placed her 11th overall and 2nd amongst the women riders. Kudos to Sarah, a fantastic ride my love.At the 150 mile mark, Eric was the 1st to arrive at 2:36, followed by Keith at 2:39, Terry at 2:46, and Wade at 2:50. I was a spectator now and I told Sarah and all who would listen that Mr Fixie would make up the 10 minutes and win. He arrived at 5:17pm in 1st with a total time of 11:17. Eric was 2nd in 11:21 and Wade was 3rd at 11:42. Keith Laird had an asthma attack with around 27 miles to go and had to be picked up by park rangers, apparently he is ok now.

What about Mario, he rolled in at 7:48pm with a total time of 13:48 and a bike time of 12:48 with an average of 15.4mph. If not for the high wind, Mario would certainly have gone under 13 hours, a highly commendable performance, and I do believe his best time yet on a double. Oh yeah, he also finished in 20 th place. Way to go, Mario, congratulations.

I'm not too disappointed with not finishing, as it is likely my fault for climbing down Uhebebe Crater, but to be sure I rolled up 169 miles and 13,000 feet of climbing on this Tuesday and Wednesday in my 39x13 gear. Why the 39x13, well Terry Lentz used a 48x16 gear (81 inches) to do his double and a 39x13 happens to also be an 81 inch gear. The riding wasn't easy but I climbed Stunt, Piuma, Fernwood, Mulholland, Topanga, and Old Topanga all in that one gear and my quads didn't hurt a bit. A 39x13 falls between a 53x17 and a 53x18 for comparisons sake. Until next time.

Keith "Fatboy" Brodsky