First off Death Valley in the spring is amazing. The snow-covered peaks in the distance and the wildflowers were beautiful.

I started in the second wave at 6:10 AM from Furnace Creek. The first 35 miles were uneventful. I was riding with a nice group and the weather was great. At about 35 or 40 miles picked up a significant headwind and it stayed with me the rest of the day. Stopped at a rest stop at mile 45 to replenish water and headed out again sans pack. It was pretty much steady climbing and headwinds up to the Shoshone turn around. Some more climbing and the prospect of a tailwind lay ahead as I returned the way I came. Unfortunately by the time I descended Jubilee Pass the wind had shifted and I staring down 75 miles with a headwind up to Stovepipe Wells. Luckily, this was the first significant ride with a Powertap so I played around with that quite a bit. 11 mph at 200 watts on flat ground is mindnumbing. I pretty much put my head down with a couple stops to refill until Furnace Creek at mile 150. I almost quit there because a hot shower and food would have been so nice but I persevered and away to Stovepipe Wells I went. I never thought I would get there. My mind started wander and I started thinking about how strange it is to climb up to sea level. Mercifully, I arrived at the turnaround, had a Coke, and headed back on a sugar and caffeine high. Averaged about 21 mph over that last 25 and had a finishing "sprint" of 593 watts. I was 13th at Stovepipe Wells but two recumbents flew by me and I only passed one other rider on the way back for 14th overall and a time of 13 hours 19 minutes. I was shooting for 12 hours but that may have been a little optimistic for my first double. I now really want to do the Fall Double up there.

Some Stats:
My garmin was only half charged for some reason so I didn't take it along.
Ride Time: 12:33
Total Time: 13:19
Work: 8537 kJ
Distance 197.31
Average Power: 190 watts
Average speed: 15.8 mph

and a time of 13 hours 19 minutes. I was shooting for 12 hours but that may have been a little optimistic for my first double. I now really want to do the Fall Double up there.

Sounds like you could have made it easily without that wind. How many riders did they get for the double? How was the food at the rest stops?

Sounds like you could have made it easily without that wind. How many riders did they get for the double? How was the food at the rest stops?


Most of the people on this list (http://www.adventurecorps.com/dvspring/2008roster.html)were in for the double. The food was very similar to Planet Ultra events. Of course I don't have much of an apetite so I survived on Heed and Perpetuem.

:beer: Fantastic job!!!! Congrats! I think your time is awesome, especially given the winds. I've heard how tough that ride can be. Great job on your first double! :)

:beer: Fantastic job!!!! Congrats! I think your time is awesome, especially given the winds. I've heard how tough that ride can be. Great job on your first double! :)

Thank you:o

Too bad I couldn't get up early enough this morning to drive down for the bagel ride. Those bagels looked really good

Thank you:o

Too bad I couldn't get up early enough this morning to drive down for the bagel ride. Those bagels looked really good

You are more than welcome to join on the next one. ;)

Good job!!!! How was the food after the ride? The year i did it there was no food after the ride available anywhere, had to wait until 6 AM the next morning to get anything. Oh, I had a couple of Clif bars.

There was pizza and Subway at the finish. The store and restaurant was still open as well.

There was pizza and Subway at the finish. The store and restaurant was still open as well.

Lucky, like i said when I was there everything was closed and no food was available. I haven't been back.

I did the century, and might have more to say later, but I'd add that the food and support were really first rate.

Cold water, Hammer products (HEED, Sustained Energy, many flavored gels, Endurolytes), fruit, PBJ, clif bars, various other snackies. There were Subways/sodas at the 88mile point for the Century folks (135-ish for the double people?). Support staff were very friendly, and ran things well.

I too had NO appetite for solid food, so the subs were wasted on me... I'm not sure if it was just the heat and grindingly slow miles that got to my gut, or the (new to me) Endurolytes electrolyte replacement caps, or some combination of factors. I was told that the supplements can be nauseating to some people.

All I can say at this point is that Death Valley is an amazing place, but headwinds just really, really suck. Or blows. Or pushes. Whatever... The 5-mile downhill from Jubilee pass was quite awesome. Quite an experience!

My computer said:
104.94 miles
7hr. 44min. ride time
13.55 mph average
8hr. 24min. total time

Reminds me of this joke: "What does the snail traveling on the back of the tortoise say?"














"Wheeeeeee!"

;)

Oh, and everyone who did any of it, especially the double, gets mad props and respect from me. Good job, Entropy! :beer:

Hadn't heard from folks I know about the ride this year, but reading this I guess the Spring ride continues to live up to its reputation of being the one where winds are MUCH more considerable factor than on the Fall event. I've done the Fall double twice. DVNP is a really fantastic place to ride a bike.

No photos, anyone?

I didn't get a chance to take any but I did find one of me. I think this is near Badwater. There are a lot of pictures here (http://www.adventurecorps.com/deathvalley/2008/2008springresults.html) How did your friend Mario fare?
http://www.inyoultra.com/1DVDCS08W/IMG_7349_edited-1.jpg

Just precious. :D

http://www.adventurecorps.com/deathvalley/2008/2008dvspringshow1/images/DSC05690.jpg

I too had NO appetite for solid food, so the subs were wasted on me... I'm not sure if it was just the heat and grindingly slow miles that got to my gut, or the (new to me) Endurolytes electrolyte replacement caps, or some combination of factors. I was told that the supplements can be nauseating to some people.


That would be me. I tried those capsules on one double metric. I was feeling nauseous that last 40 or so miles (that was fun), and after the ride I "lost my lunch". I couldn't eat or drink much, needless to say the lack of recovery foods put a hurting on my for a few days. Now I just have a couple salt bagels the day before long rides. Works for me.

Enough of that though, great job out there!

Just precious. :D

http://www.adventurecorps.com/deathvalley/2008/2008dvspringshow1/images/DSC05690.jpg

+1,000,000 Wow, what a great shot.

Just precious. :D


Hey, Vance, did Sarah do the double?

Hey, Vance, did Sarah do the double?

No, the single. I think she did pretty good. All the women on that wed ride have been getting really strong.

No, the single. I think she did pretty good. All the women on that wed ride have been getting really strong.

Uh...Sarah has always been amazingly strong. :rolleyes::D

Results and photos are in. http://www.adventurecorps.com/deathvalley/2008/2008springresults.html

One goofy pic of me, from my camera, at the turnaround:

http://www.bikeforums.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=66616&stc=1&d=1204790900

The descent back down to the sag stop was more than five miles of fantastic downhill. Such a great feeling!