Fifty Plus (50+) - Had a great ride today... did I say I love my LeMond?

I've been thinking about this all week, my first Saturday 'home" ride with the Reno. I set out to do 20 miles -I've only done 20 at home once before- did 26. I had at least 5 more in me. Those are the highlights. It was one of those days that remind me of why I live on the Bay Area Coast... sunny, clear but with a pretty stiff breeze coming in off the water (supposed to be an OFFshore flow today... I don't know where that went) but not too bad.

Had some good climbs. I know these might not sound like much for some of you but, for me, they’re all strides to longer uphill distance. I did some “aero tucks” downhill and hit 37+ mph.
That was fun.

Here are some shots.

This is a look down my 11% climb home. I never go down this hill… only up. It's only 600' but I'm feeling it at the top
http://home.comcast.net/~96omi/006.jpg

This is the view down the other side of the hill I live on. This is the way I go down.
At the bottom, I usually hit ~27mph. I turn left and head ¾ west toward the Pacific.
http://home.comcast.net/~96omi/007.jpg

This is a view down a nice, long, slightly downhill run. Coming back, of course, it’s a nice long, slightly UPhill run.
http://home.comcast.net/~96omi/008.jpg

Pacifica is a string of coastal valleys This cove and Mori Point is a couple of valleys south of me.
http://home.comcast.net/~96omi/012.jpg
I stop here for a moment to gear up for…

…this 1/4 8% climb up to...
http://home.comcast.net/~96omi/011.jpg

…this view. The prize. Linda Mar Bay. We’ll come back to this.
http://home.comcast.net/~96omi/014.jpg

So, I’ve ridden around. I always take a little “helmet off” break at the Linda Mar seawall and watch the surfers. And the girls. Chomp down my fig bars and start heading home. It was a short break today, I was really chomping at the bit to ride. I have two ways to go. I can take the highway back up –a 1/3rd mile 8% climb or, if you look above that, you see the other climb. Runs for a ½ mile averaging 6.5% with a 10% start. That's the one I took. I just find my pace and off I go. Sure I was only “spinning” between 65-70rpm at 6 mph but it works for me. This climb was easier than it’s ever been. A road bike really does make a difference. I’m looking forward to my 2 mile 6-7% climb out of town now. Looking forward to it? What’s wrong with me?
http://home.comcast.net/~96omi/016.jpg

Made it to the top. This is a shot back down to where I took the picture above. Pretty high up.
http://home.comcast.net/~96omi/017.jpg

And then I turned to look back down at what I just came up. It looks steeper than I thought.
But, what the heck, I went back down and turned right back up the highway. All this and I still went up the 11% stretch up to my house. I was going about 5 ½ mph but it was straight up with my HR running 10-12 bpm less than it has been up that same climb. Progress is great, innit?
http://home.comcast.net/~96omi/018.jpg

And lastly, here’s a shot in the woods from last week’s inaugural ride. I stopped here for a little lunch and waited for my BP to come back up again.
http://home.comcast.net/~96omi/001.jpg

Somethings going wrong here. Every picture show a hill and you still get out and taker the steeper route where you have got a choice. Your are turning into a roadie and it is not what I came to expect from you. So when do you start training for the metric? Shouldn't be too long at this rate before you are up for it.

Gorgeous pics! I can almost smell the ocean (and it's 200 miles away!). Looks like a great place to ride!

Not fair. Who's going to take pictures of gravel and mud from the New England woods in the face of this onslaught of surf and sun. 15 miles on Gravel and fresh rock in the wet areas yesterday and I felt like I had the !@##$ beat out of me. Perhaps it is time to build a full suspension MTB

This is why I take my road bike to Cape Cod.

Very cool. Love the pictures.

Took my camera with me yesterday but just couldn't bring myself to take any pictures. Kentucky has it's own charm. Nothing like lunching at the A&W at Half Moon Bay, mind you. We passed under one of those railroad trestles that make you feel in da boonies even if you're only twenty miles from downtown. That was nice.

I've noticed the more road riding I do the more hills I search out. Why is that? All I do when I'm climbing is whine and moan the whole time. It is cool to plug the Garmin into MotionBased and see what you've conquered, OTOH.

Nice pics and description. I know that area slightly. Gotta go. We're off on our own little Sierra Mtn hill climb. A 7 mile climb at a moderate (mostly) slope. It's the coming back down that's great. Swoopy, no traffic. 45+ mph.

Not fair. Who's going to take pictures of gravel and mud from the New England woods in the face of this onslaught of surf and sun. 15 miles on Gravel and fresh rock in the wet areas yesterday and I felt like I had the !@##$ beat out of me. Perhaps it is time to build a full suspension MTB

This is why I take my road bike to Cape Cod.

Who wants to see pics of Tarmac disapearing into the distance- Not me. Give me a pic of a Gnarly rooted uphill section at 15% and I would love it. Mind you sea and sand is nice too.

Beautiful place to ride. You'll need to build up to centuries and beyond just so you can ride through more of it!

Great pictures! I need to come out and do a ride there:)

Looks like a beautiful area to be out on the roads. Hills are our friends!!

No their not. That's just sick!

Great photos, SaiKaiTai, but I guess I have different friends than jppe.

Beautiful man, just beautiful. Thanks for showing us where you ride, you're very fortunate to have that scenery. All I got is Ozarks and more Ozarks, guess I need to take a few shots one of these days myself. There's this one place, up high, that when I look to the East, I swear if I squint a little I can see surf too....

I've never been to California, (I've never been anywhere, actually) so I must rely on stuff like this to take me there. Thanks, SKT, I like your enthusiasm. Keep those pics coming.

I've been thinking about this all week, my first Saturday 'home" ride with the Reno. I set out to do 20 miles -I've only done 20 at home once before- did 26. I had at least 5 more in me.

Had some good climbs. I know these might not sound like much for some of you but, for me, they’re all strides to longer uphill distance. I did some “aero tucks” downhill and hit 37+ mph.
That was fun.

So, I’ve ridden around. I always take a little “helmet off” break at the Linda Mar seawall and watch the surfers. And the girls. Chomp down my fig bars and start heading home. It was a short break today, I was really chomping at the bit to ride. I have two ways to go. I can take the highway back up –a 1/3rd mile 8% climb or, if you look above that, you see the other climb. Runs for a ½ mile averaging 6.5% with a 10% start. That's the one I took. I just find my pace and off I go. Sure I was only “spinning” between 65-70rpm at 6 mph but it works for me. This climb was easier than it’s ever been. A road bike really does make a difference. I’m looking forward to my 2 mile 6-7% climb out of town now. Looking forward to it? What’s wrong with me?

And then I turned to look back down at what I just came up. It looks steeper than I thought.
But, what the heck, I went back down and turned right back up the highway. All this and I still went up the 11% stretch up to my house. I was going about 5 ½ mph but it was straight up with my HR running 10-12 bpm less than it has been up that same climb. Progress is great, innit?


SKT, if you listen very carefully, you can hear the rustle of Spandex in the distance....
I'm guessing inside of 3 months. Oh sure, I hear you saying "oh no, not me"--that's what I used to say. Then I saw a documentary(on the Discovery Channel, I think) about bike/rider aerodynamics that explained the "aero penalty" for, believe it or not, baggy clothing rippling in the wind/air resistance. I forget what the percentage was, but it was significant enough that I got myself a jersey to replace the T shirts I'd been wearing and a pair of bib shorts (but both logo free, mind you!). What's even weirder is that now I look at myself in the mirror in that stuff and think "hey, I look pretty good for an old guy". Don't say I didn't warn you.....

Where is the fog? That can't really be Pacifica without fog!

Where is the fog? That can't really be Pacifica without fog!
Ah, but that's our little secret ;)
(should be coming in tomorrow per the reports. Winter here doesn't begin until late May - early June)


if you listen very carefully, you can hear the rustle of Spandex in the distance.... I wear spandex under my baggies... that's about as close as I'll get

I wear spandex under my baggies... that's about as close as I'll get

I'm sure somewhere in the owner's manual it says "no baggies" on the Lemond:D :D

I'm sure somewhere in the owner's manual it says "no baggies" on the Lemond:D :D

I know, I know... :(

Doesn't wearing baggies void any road bike warranty? I'm pretty sure I saw something about that somewhere on teh internets.

3 to 2 he's going to be shaving his legs before the year's out.

I'm with you SKT. Don't let the spandex crowd get to you.

Baggies are the new spandex. Wear them with pride.

Form follows function. Lycra shorts exist for a functional reason. Baggies compromise that function for the sake of form (or modesty). Up to a point, it is not a bad compromise, but when your rides are measured in hours, not minutes, it stops making sense.

Just to make sure I have my terminology straight, the baggies cover the lycra. I mean, I do ride with spandex and a chamois but the loose outer layer covers it up. So far, for my 2 hour jaunts it's been OK.

Meanwhile, tonight a .9 mile 8% grade is calling me. I need to measure myself against it and what I did on Saturday. I figure if I keep my snail's pace (65-70rpm and ~5mph) I might have a chance to do what I've never done before. I sure can't wait to see the cardio on Thursday.

There's an evolution noobs go through regarding lycra.
1. I won't wear lycra. Lycra is for sissy Frenchmen. Never.
2. There's nothing wrong with a good pair of cut-off jeans for bike riding.
3. OK, those sores are a bit painful. I'll get baggies. But no plain lycra.
4. These baggies are sure chaffing my chubby little thighs. Maybe I'll try lycra. But I'll wear it only in the woods. Never on the road.
5. Lycra really isn't so bad. If I get the shorts with bibs, it'll work like a girdle and make me look sleeker in front of the 25 y/o ladies. Won't that be cool?
6. I mow my yard in my lycra bike shorts because I bet the neighbor ladies think it's sexy.
7. Gotta go, I'm going to shave my legs now. What do you all think of the Gillette Venus................?

There's an evolution noobs go through regarding lycra.
1. I won't wear lycra. Lycra is for sissy Frenchmen. Never.
2. There's nothing wrong with a good pair of cut-off jeans for bike riding.
3. OK, those sores are a bit painful. I'll get baggies. But no plain lycra.
4. These baggies are sure chaffing my chubby little thighs. Maybe I'll try lycra. But I'll wear it only in the woods. Never on the road.
5. Lycra really isn't so bad. If I get the shorts with bibs, it'll work like a girdle and make me look sleeker in front of the 25 y/o ladies. Won't that be cool?
6. I mow my yard in my lycra bike shorts because I bet the neighbor ladies think it's sexy.
7. Gotta go, I'm going to shave my legs now. What do you all think of the Gillette Venus................?

Have to admit that when I started, the first ride was in a pair of shorts- Second ride was in lycra and every ride since. At one time- I got a pair of mountain bike baggies. I had never felt so uncomfortable on a bike as on that ride. The baggies added weight and the legs were leaden. The sweat build up was horrendous- even with the Chamois liner. I kept snagging on the nose of the saddle so quick restarts were not on the cards. And the chaffing on the thighs kept me off the bike for a week.

So SKT- You have lycra shorts. Wait until it is dark and put the lights on the bike and just ride with the lycra. It makes a big difference.

And- First job on getting back from a ride on Sundays is to Mow the lawn- In lycra and riding top. Saves water by only having one shower instead of 2.