I read ME's post in about the Stagecoach cold weather and bragging rights. Thought that would be a good topic with interesting repies! So here is my story. Some of the other riders that visit this forum will remember the ride.
30 degrees and pouring rain while descending GMR says it all, but I will add more!:D..I don't remember who exactly organized the ride on another forum. Might have been me but I know OCRRick invited his Rebels along for the ride as well. It was in April and had no idea it would rain. It was dark and foggy on the climb. No biggie, had been several times. We had a big group of riders that met at the lodge. It got really cold so we were in the lodge hugging the fire. Just then it started POURING rain!
There was one girl (Paula) about 95 lbs and 5 feet tall. Small lil thing with nothing more than short shorts and a tank top. Most of the riders headed back across GRR, a few down Baldy Rd. Paula headed up GRR as she was alone at this point and I had Gina driving the truck as support. We were doing fine but couldn't see squat. Riders shot ahead as they were desparate to get back. I hung back with the last couple of riders. One was the funniest loudest guys imagineable but he wasn't funny that day, to me anyways!:D
So about 5 miles in it really begins to pour. Poor Paula doesn't have a chance against the cold so I stop Gina and load up Paula and her bike. So now it's only me and the guy Levon after the stop. Rain is pouring and the water running across GRR like a river. I see the mtns are soaked now so I tell Gina to take the truck back to Baldy Rd then meet us at the end. I was worried that she might ge caught in a landslide. The gate at Lil and Big GMR was closed, so she'd have to make her way back in the rain one more time. I was afraid for her so I sent her back and figured Levon and I could make it on the bikes.
We made our way back but at the 8 mile gate, I was super cold. I had a vest but no jacket. Levon had the works, *******!:P...I was so cold I could not talk, my face wouldn't move and I could not smile at his stupid jokes. Later I couldn't move my cheeks to talk. He kept asking me to sing with him. Kept telling me jokes while saying,"C'mon Mr. Beanz, entertain me". At this point I wanted to kill him.
About 3 miles from the bottom, my bike began to shake. I thought it was the headset so I stopped to check it. Then realized it wasn't the bike, it was me! I couldn't stop shaking so I jumped on my bike and headed down. At this point I was really scared. I felt like I wanted to lay down and fall asleep on the side of the road. I managed to keep my eyes open making my way back to the where Gina was waiting with the truck. Now that I think about it, it was prolly the adrenaline keeping me alive in the freezing cold. Adrenaline produced while listening to the guy's stupid jokes. I think he actually did me a favor!:P
I quickly loaded up the bike, jumped in the truck turned on the heater and said ,"DRIVE!". I had an extra shirt and a jersey somewhere in the truck. I told Gina to hand them to me as my body was violently shaking. She said,"I'm sorry but I gave them to Paula cause she was soaked.", then ducked! She handed the bag to me and sure enough, everything was soaking wet and cold.:mad:
That was the longest 30 minute drive home I ever had. I took a hot shower then finally calmed down. We drove west across along the foothills as we headed out to grab a bite to eat. It was about an hour after we got off of GMR. I looked up at the mountain only to see it was covered in snow!:eek:
That's my story and I'm sticking to it!:D
thomson
11-21-07, 11:58 AM
My coldest was descending Mt Pinos in the snow. No jacket and no gloves. (no brains?)
Mr. Beanz
11-21-07, 12:01 PM
My coldest was descending Mt Pinos in the snow. No jacket and no gloves. (no brains?)
Gotta be 50 words or more, so my story is still better!:D...Did I mention that in the OP?:p
SunFlower
11-21-07, 12:08 PM
I used to ride my bike every morning from downtown missoula to the university. Its only about 2 miles but one morning was -7 degrees. Any colder than that and I got a ride.
bitingduck
11-21-07, 12:10 PM
Pfft. 30 F is warm.
I commuted year round by bike in Minneapolis for 6 years. My coldest ride is about -40 F (ambient, not wind chill, probably about -70 F with wind chill, but if you don't have any exposed skin it doesn't matter). More than once, usually in the middle of the night. Plenty of times in freezing rain, on ice, in deep snow, whatever. We had to bike out to go shopping the day after the Halloween snowstorm (36" of snow, then an hour break on the 1st, then another 12" so it didn't count as a single 48" snowfall). There was no food in the house, so we went out and got stuff to cook, and plenty of flour to make bread (it's easier to get it home without the air in it, and add the air at home). We helped push a lot of stuck cars over the next few days in that one-- with a bike you just pick it up and carry it. The snow got compacted into a thick layer of ice that developed its own potholes in the spring before it melted around April.
Now I'm a wuss californian and if it's cloudy I think twice...
Last year on day 2 of the AYH christmas trip we ran into intense freezing rain/sleet going over Sunrise Highway, and it got worse as we got lower, which is pretty unusual. We finally gave up about 10 miles outside of Julian and hitched a ride.
thomson
11-21-07, 12:11 PM
Gotta be 50 words or more, so my story is still better!:D...Did I mention that in the OP?:p
I lost my fingers due to frostbite so cannot type 50 words. But your story is still better, it comes alive, people can relive it. Mine is just a boring recap.
jsigone
11-21-07, 12:21 PM
mine was on last yr's Baldy Century Challenge. I don't have rain gear, bought a rain jacket just before the ride. Started at the same place, down right poured on us in Pomona, I never riden in rain that hard before or at least on the roade. Front tire was hovering above the water and brakes didn't work. Made it to the base of GMR soaked, only dry part was my jersey under my jacket. My shoes were still filled with water with my feet near frozen. This was my first climb up big GMR, it was tough road, tougher that I was cold. Got to the gate and it was dry up there. I was in the last group, Fixer and Extort was there. Fixer was on his fixie and sagged in the car 1/3 through GRR. Extort took off since my climbing pace was a crawl and I was extremely slow.
There I was all alone, wet, frozen. I couldn't feel my hands or feet. Felt like hours but finally got to the DH part near the end of GRR but the sign and it was strightright down pure. As I was going down the steep grade to baldy village the rain got harder and harder. I couldn't see jack and brakes didn't seem to work on that 10%+ grade. Got to the village frozen, sat next to the fire, soaked. Others had changed into spare clothes they put in the sag car, I didn't know anything of course and didn't have extra clothes. From there I was forced to sag back, missed the DH off Baldy and the ride back to the cars. It took nearly 30 minutes with the heater on for me to get feeling in my toes again. That was one of my worst days on a bike.
Mr. Beanz
11-21-07, 12:48 PM
I lost my fingers due to frostbite so cannot type 50 words.
You're doing a pretty good job on the tire change there!:D
Mr. Beanz
11-21-07, 12:51 PM
I know the feeling Jeff! GRR is crazy in the rain. I couldn't see cause my glasses were rained up. I'd slide them down then the rain would sting my eyeballs. Couldn't do anymore than 16 on the dh or I'd get even colder. It poured the entire 21 mile descent. At the end of the ride, my brakes were gone, front and rear!
Vireo
11-21-07, 02:02 PM
Not my coldest ride ever but most recent experience. I rode my bike to the start of the Stagecoach Century 2007. I traversed a few mountain passes before the drop into El Centro. All the makings of an epic ride 155 miles, over 11k of climbing, freezing rain and snow from 4000ft elevation to over 5,000 ft. The next day I did the Stagecoach Century and while it was cold and windy in some sections I was relieved that it wasn't as cold as my ride out to the event.
Oh and I just remembered the 300km I did in 2006 here is the ride report (http://http://www.epictrain.com/2006_300km_ride_report.html)
jpconrad
11-21-07, 02:13 PM
The first day of Everest Challenge this year was pretty cold, and riding at 9000 ft into blowing snow was pretty interesting.
The descent was even colder.
MarkAJ
11-21-07, 02:52 PM
I can not be sure which one was worse.
Stagecoach 2007 when I was so cold my feet turned red.
http://www.meyerowitz.net/stagecoach2007/photos/photo72.jpg
Solvang 2006 when my shoes filled with cold rain water after the hail storm.
http://www.meyerowitz.net/solvang06/photos/photo31.jpg
curiouskid55
11-21-07, 03:05 PM
It was foggy the other day when I got up, so I let it clear up before I dared to venture outside.
magicant
11-21-07, 03:10 PM
Same day you guys were doing Stagecoach, I rode Little T over to Santa Clarita and was heading on to Acton and up to Angeles Crest. The snow on the ground and 21 degree temperature I saw when I looked at the weather report in Acton (thank you cell phone internet) made me stop in SC and head to the train station.
Does it count as a cold ride if I wussed out after 30 miles? Coming down Sand Canyon at 30mph in the wind and mid-20s was the coldest I had been since leaving Wisconsin 19 years ago.
MarkAJ
11-21-07, 03:10 PM
I rode last Sunday from Burbank to the SFVBC ride. I started out at 7am. Fog like you could not believe. At some points I could not see more than 20 feet ahead. There was so much moisture in the fog my riding glasses became useless and had to be removed.
MarkAJ
11-21-07, 03:12 PM
Same day you guys were doing Stagecoach, I rode Little T over to Santa Clarita and was heading on to Acton and up to Angeles Crest. The snow on the ground and 21 degree temperature I saw when I looked at the weather report in Acton (thank you cell phone internet) made me stop in SC and head to the train station.
Does it count as a cold ride if I wussed out after 30 miles? Coming down Sand Canyon at 30mph in the wind and mid-20s was the coldest I had been since leaving Wisconsin 19 years ago.
It qualifies! I hate being cold.
1955
11-21-07, 03:13 PM
The first liars don't stand a chance on this one.:D
magicant
11-21-07, 03:19 PM
It qualifies! I hate being cold.
Now the memories are coming back -- I had so many layers on (FIVE on top and 2 on the bottom), but my toes and face were still ready to fall off. Coming downhill, I actually felt the cold even on my chest with 5 layers on. After that weekend, I went out and bought toe covers (had never needed them before) and a ninja mask for my face. Of course, no ride was ever that cold again.
And the winds going up Little T were unbelievable that day. It's always a bit breezy up there, but I was being pushed sideways against my will. Badly. To the point that I was hugging the center line for fear of being blown off the edge.
Mr. Beanz
11-21-07, 03:23 PM
I can not be sure which one was worse.
Stagecoach 2007 when I was so cold my feet turned red.
http://www.meyerowitz.net/stagecoach2007/photos/photo72.jpg
Wow Man, the doctor did a good job of saving yer feet!:D
herbm
11-21-07, 03:25 PM
Wow Man, the doctor did a good job of saving yer feet!:D
He doenst have feet anymore...we just screwing him onto the pedals!
Mr. Beanz
11-21-07, 03:42 PM
He doenst have feet anymore...we just screwing him onto the pedals!
I thought he was walking kinda funny last time I saw you guys. But I just thought......, oh nevermind!:D
merider1
11-21-07, 03:49 PM
My coldest/worst/biggest-brag-right ride was not Stagecoach. I actually felt fine except for my freezing fingers. My coldest, most dangerous, miserable ride ever was the 2006 Solvang Century. First there was lightening and freezing air, then it rained for about 35 miles in the morning cold. I got drenched to the core, was riding with men who were hammering without stopping, my heart rate was off the charts, I was shaking uncontrollably, my face was pelted with marble-sized hail and torrential rain (at times, I could barely see three feet in front of me and just prayed I didn't crash into the wheel in front of mine) and was terrified beyond belief. I know I shouldn't admit this, but I peed my bike tights that morning (they were already soaked) as there was no way I was stopping and being left out there without the boys and, no, I did not have my HID and, yes, we were in traffic (several cars crashed off the side of the same road we were riding).
Around mile 35 or so, it cleared up and the sun came out, but it never warmed up and my clothes never dried. At the end of that ride, while changing in the bathroom stall, I had to lean up against the wall for a few minutes so as not to black out (I felt so dizzy, the stall spun) and my knees and elbows (???) killed me for about two weeks after.
I will never, ever, ever, ever, ever ride like that again. My ass will stop, get sagged back, and I'll spend the rest of the afternoon drinking cocoa (with a little sumthin-sumthin in it). :D
Mr. Beanz
11-21-07, 03:56 PM
I know I shouldn't admit this, but I peed my bike tights that morning (they were already soaked) :D
If it was that cold, you prolly had smoke coming out from behind you (to put it nicely:p).
The guys were more than likely looking at you thinking, "dam she's fast"!:D
merider1
11-21-07, 04:00 PM
If it was that cold, you prolly had smoke coming out from behind you (to put it nicely:p).
The guys were more than likely looking at you thinking, "dam she's fast"!:D
Actually, I was riding with the Colavita guys. And I doubt those boys would have left me as they are the sweetest group of men. They also took care of me in that they would look for me and wait if I did drop off a wheel. One of the lead guys (Gary) kept saying, "Bring it on! Mother Nature, Bring it on!" I blamed him after the ride for the weather we then got slammed with. But as miserable as that experience was, it has given me bragging rights and I couldn't have gone through it with a better group of great guys (if any of you get a chance to ride with the Colvita guys in Simi, you'll really enjoy it. They are fast, fast, but a great group.) :o
Sci-Fi
11-21-07, 05:27 PM
Don't know if this counts, but riding in tule fog near Visalia is scary, wet and cold. Lights, blinkies, or whatnot can't be seen until they are right up on your rear end and hope the cross traffic stops or sees you in time. Here's what it looks like:
http://img150.imageshack.us/img150/6812/73257387baf7c493c5yf4.jpg
nesdog
11-21-07, 05:58 PM
This is relatively minor and has absolutely no bragging rights. When I rode the 2006 Cruising the Conejo course, the fog was horrible and there was such a low cloud ceiling that it was drizzling. It wasn't cold out though. I could not see worth a darn and as I wear prescription sunglasses, removing them was not an option. I was trying to peer over the top of the frames which wasn't any better!
Cimbed up Rock Store and then the visibility on the descent down Encinal dropped to about 50'. Try wiping off your glasses while squinting through the cloud and doing a 2 mile drop, and then hearing other riders behind you wanting to go faster! Gawd, this sucked. I came so close to bailing on this ride and just heading home.