Fifty Plus (50+) - Ahhh... I feel like I'm back. Finally.

Yeah, it was pretty amazing how fast I started to lose "it" from a week's vacation.
And coming home with a cold didn't help.
First day back, I did an easy hour on the trainer. I felt awful.
A couple days later as the cold began to pass -and with my ride with George looming less than a week away- I figured I'd better start getting some miles.
I got 6 miles in and they were hard, hard miles. Discouraging miles. Y'all said keep at it, the first day back is the hardest. OK, so I went out a couple days later and did 13 more. Better but still not great.
Then Sunday came and I did my 25 miles for the Breaking Away From Cancer miles.
I did it and not too badly. What I remembered as being hard 3 weeks earlier was hard at all, really.
But, then, what I remembered as being easy wasn't as easy as I remembered. Still, I felt pretty good.
I went out two days later and did a nice 20 mile ride and this past Saturday I headed back out for Golden Gate Park for the second time (it's funny, my friends ask: "Where did you start from?" I answer: "My house" and they say "You did????" They think I'm nuts). It's fun ride starting at 200 feet, dropping to 85 and then climbing to 600+ over 2.5 miles. Parts are quite steep and, yes, I do need a couple of "lung breaks" on the way up (you all know my story by now, I'm sure) but, most encouragingly, I'm doing it with 2 fewer rest stops than I've needed before. I've noticed that a lot lately... I don't stop as often as I used to :D. From 600 up, I drop all the way down to sea level over the next 5 miles. I'll be climbing that again on the way back home. It's not really that bad of a climb. I stopped a couple of times -mostly for red lights- but I'm not sure I really needed to. I was keeping a nice 65-75 rpm pace at about 6-7 mph, I guess. I didn't even need my "compound low" (32 front, 30 rear) except to get up the first climb out... not at all coming back. I'm glad it's there when I need it. I'm more glad that I don't need it that much. That last drop back down before I have to do the 85' to 200' climb home is a blast but a little scary - traveling along side cars moving at 55mph.

Here's the profile:
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So, it's not a 50 mile ride... only 25 but not without its challenges.
The nice thing is I feel like I'm fully back in shape again and ready to take it farther next time.

Welcome back.
Your mentioning Golden Gate Park reminded me of a concert show on PBS last weekend, the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival which was held there. It looked like a perfect place to see such a diverse bunch of great musicians. I especially enjoyed Doc Watson, Gillian Welch and the Subdudes - just to name three.

Welcome back.
Your mentioning Golden Gate Park reminded me of a concert show on PBS last weekend, the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival which was held there. It looked like a perfect place to see such a diverse bunch of great musicians. I especially enjoyed Doc Watson, Gillian Welch and the Subdudes - just to name three.

Well, hey, an off-topic response is better than no response at all.
I was just getting ready to delete this sucker, too

I rode right past the meadow on Saturday. We've gone to see the festival a few times and it was generally great. Had to give it up, though, when it outgrew itself. Went specifically to see Doc Watson two years ago and had to sit so far back that I couldn't hear him over the other stages that we were closer to. And all thse people who were there for a good time and had no clue who Doc Watson was... they were just there to party and socialize. They never stopped talking. Tried to go last year -early so we could get set up a little closer- and there was no where to park within 4 or 5 miles of the place. We gave up. Won't be going back.

Back on topic - I visited the bay area a few years back and was amazed at the number of people riding bicycles up the hill from the far end of the Golden Gate Bridge up to the old gun bunkers overlooking the bay. You have to have some serious climbing legs to ride in that area.

Well, as I've said many times, if you're going to ride here for any distance at all, you're going to have to deal with hills. I am slowly but surely working my up to those hills.

SKT
Had a similar situation to you last weekend. As you, and the older members know, I am a Mountain biker. But for the last 18Months I have been getting into road riding. Well last wekend I went mountain biking. Boy was that hard. Luckily I had a slower rider to stay with so my Cautious riding and lack of fitness did not show too much.

So for the first time in over a year- I went mountain biking. It was great. Still had the skill to get through the Mud. Still had the skill for some of the technical bits and as for hill climbing on mud and on the technical bits- I did manage to show the others how it should be done. But then there was the downside.I am not as fit as I used to be.Those long steep climbs hurt. That is where the lack of fitness showed. If you can't get up the hill quick enough- there is only one reason.

So the dilemna now. Do I go back to offroad to get my fitness back- or stay on the flat smooth stuff?

Will try to mix the two- but I am afraid that at present- I am preferring one of the two disciplines more than the other.

It looks like a great training ride. I have a serious climb like that on what used to be my regular training ride. I'm pretty sure I couldn't even get up it at this point.

It looks like a great training ride. I have a serious climb like that on what used to be my regular training ride. I'm pretty sure I couldn't even get up it at this point.

Yeah... well... maybe for some, right?
I don't think of it as a training ride, per se, as much as I do just a ride.
But, in the spirit of Nietzsche, that which does not kill me, makes me stronger.
Sounds like training to me ;)

Back on topic - I visited the bay area a few years back and was amazed at the number of people riding bicycles up the hill from the far end of the Golden Gate Bridge up to the old gun bunkers overlooking the bay. You have to have some serious climbing legs to ride in that area.

They used to say that women from San Francisco had the best legs due to walking up and down all the hills. ;)

Welcome back! I've been wondering how you are.

I want to measure that hill I rode on Saturday, the length and the grade. Roadfix -- do you know?

Yeah... well... maybe for some, right?
I don't think of it as a training ride, per se, as much as I do just a ride.
But, in the spirit of Nietzsche, that which does not kill me, makes me stronger.
Sounds like training to me ;)

Last year when I tried racing, I drove my mentor nuts by refusing to call my rides training, even though I would do the kinds of rides he suggested in the ways he suggested.
Just like when I played in a band I would never practice. I would play songs over and over, repeating the difficult parts until they became committed to memory, but I would never practice. :p

Welcome back! I've been wondering how you are.

I want to measure that hill I rode on Saturday, the length and the grade. Roadfix -- do you know?

Me? I'm fine... just fine. Your little story sure inspired me. I have a goal this year of riding a 1/2 century, my age, and a metric. With my birthday coming up in March, I'm wondering if I do have more in me than I believe? march could be a bit too soon but maybe, just maybe, it's exactly the right time.

I use a wonderful site 9which you can hook right into Google, http://www.heywhatsthat.com
It takes a wee bit of digging to find the exact link but there's all kinds of fascinating stuff to check out while you do

SKT
...So the dilemna now. Do I go back to offroad to get my fitness back- or stay on the flat smooth stuff?...

How can this be? Don't you need to be just as fit to ride the road as to ride mtb? Or is it different muscles?

How can this be? Don't you need to be just as fit to ride the road as to ride mtb? Or is it different muscles?

I am nowhere near the offroader that stapfam is but I can tell you that it's a whole 'nother workout than the road is

Me? I'm fine... just fine. Your little story sure inspired me. I have a goal this year of riding a 1/2 century, my age, and a metric. With my birthday coming up in March, I'm wondering if I do have more in me than I believe? march could be a bit too soon but maybe, just maybe, it's exactly the right time.

Sounds like the time is right to me. You always have more inside you than you believe. We're all our own worst critics. Trust in yourself, you have the ability to ride a little further than you did the last time, and then believe it. Never give up, never give in.

That's the only thing that kept me going in my last race, that I'm not a quitter, no matter how far behind I got. I can tell you're not a quitter, either, because you keep going back and doing it.

Just remember to post pics with your ride reports. ;)

Me? I'm fine... just fine. Your little story sure inspired me. I have a goal this year of riding a 1/2 century, my age, and a metric.

One of the "it doesn't make any sense" factoids of this forum is that I have ridden longer rides than you have. From reading accounts of your rides on difficult routes, up difficult hills, there is no question in my mind that you are a stronger rider than I. Faster too. More determined also.

So I'm expecting you to do all of the above.

How can this be? Don't you need to be just as fit to ride the road as to ride mtb? Or is it different muscles?

Different style of riding in a way. On the road- I go for hills. I am not a speed merchant and 20mph on the flat is probably with a tailwind- But I climb hills. Probably get 2,500 ft of climbing in over 10 miles of a 30 to 40 mile ride. 4 hills with about 600ft of climbing on each one. Those are the bits I enjoy.

Now on the MTB- I live about 6 miles from the Offroad 15% easy climb for about 1 mile. 15% for a mile on road is still a stiff climb. Now throw in the fact that the bike is 10lbs heavier- the terrain is loose and grip is not the best there is- and then there are other factors like knobbly tyres and the rough trail. Admittedly there is the lower gearing but you need that to get up the hill. Offroad climbs are tough- physically and on the body.

I can average 15 to 16 mph for a 60 mile ride on the road. Same distance and I will be lucky to get 11 mph offroad. At the end of a 60 on the road- I feel OK and I know I would be able to go further. Unless I have cut the speed a bit for the 60- That would be my limit offroad. And Yes- I do the occasional 100 miler offroad so I know How to pace myself for such an event.

OK- They are bikes- but I can asure you that Offroad riding is harder than road. If you want to prove it- Ride an MTB for a century ride and then do it on a road bike. The road bike is easier. Now throw in the offroad aswell and Mountain biking is hard.

And not only is mountain biking hard- the riders that do it competently- are harder still. Thats why I am changing over to road riding.

One of the "it doesn't make any sense" factoids of this forum is that I have ridden longer rides than you have. From reading accounts of your rides on difficult routes, up difficult hills, there is no question in my mind that you are a stronger rider than I. Faster too. More determined also.

So I'm expecting you to do all of the above.

Now, to be fair, I have done one 40 mile ride and a few 30+ but I don't know why I haven't tried a 50 yet.
Time, mostly, I guess. A 50 mile ride would keep me out longer than Mrs S might like me to be away.
Now, if I could get an earlier start, maybe... :lol:

The problem is that, at some point after 20 miles out or so, I have to start dealing with climbs that, quite frankly, scare me... so I turn around.

Now, to be fair, I have done one 40 mile ride and a few 30+ but I don't know why I haven't tried a 50 yet.
Time, mostly, I guess. A 50 mile ride would keep me out longer than Mrs S might like me to be away.
Now, if I could get an earlier start, maybe... :lol:

The problem is that, at some point after 20 miles out or so, I have to start dealing with climbs that, quite frankly, scare me... so I turn around.

All you have to do is get on the 40 and when you get to the "Flat" bits- Turn round an go back 5 miles- That will bring you up to the Mental barrier of the 50. That is all it is- Mental.

Once you have done a couple of 50's in this way- the next stage is just a longer route.

How can this be? Don't you need to be just as fit to ride the road as to ride mtb? Or is it different muscles?


I do a lot of road riding and MTB riding. There is no question that MTB riding is more intensely demanding and is much more likely to make me cross over into the kingdom od Anaerobia.;)

But on the other hand... Most of my MTB rides are between 1 and 2 hours long, occasionally up to 3 hours. That's about all I can handle before I'm ready to retire to the sofa to catch my breath and let my body start recovering from the abuse. On the road I am much more likely to ride for 4 or 5 hours, sometimes 6 or 8. That takes a different kind of effort, one that I don't think is any less demanding than a shorter, more intense MTB ride.

All you have to do is get on the 40 and when you get to the "Flat" bits- Turn round an go back 5 miles- That will bring you up to the Mental barrier of the 50. That is all it is- Mental.

Once you have done a couple of 50's in this way- the next stage is just a longer route.

Sure... and I've given that some thought as a workaround. I'm more of an "out-and-back" kind of guy as opposed to an "out-and-back-around-and back-again" kind of guy. When you loop back around, you're just seeing stuff you've already seen. I mean I'm a little tired of my regular after-work loop because I've seen it I've seen it I've seen it. I don't look around as much as I used to because it's just old scenery (doesn't stop me from riding it anyway, though... I mean, what's the alternative?). I suppose another idea is to take side trips. The 40 I did was pretty much 20 South/20 North... throw in some side roads and the miles will add up.

Now, to be fair, I have done one 40 mile ride and a few 30+ but I don't know why I haven't tried a 50 yet.

Now, see that is what I was talking about. I've done a 64 and four others of 40-45. But all of mine were on nearly flat courses, with no slope of more than around 2 degrees. You could have smoked me on all of them. I'm sure you burned much more energy on your 40 than I did on my 64.

...I'm a little tired of my regular after-work loop because I've seen it I've seen it I've seen it. I don't look around as much as I used to because it's just old scenery (doesn't stop me from riding it anyway, though... I mean, what's the alternative?). I suppose another idea is to take side trips. The 40 I did was pretty much 20 South/20 North... throw in some side roads and the miles will add up.

Side roads are the spice of life. I keep thinking I've ridden every road within 30 miles of my house, but I keep finding new roads evry now and then. I very rarely ride more than a mile on a main road. Just far enough to get to another side road.