Fifty Plus (50+) - Are you nuts!

I have now started the more intense part of my training - getting ready for those perfect century rides coming up in about 2 months. Last night I got serious about hill climbing after reading Friels book - the section on strength training. I took on Lake Desolation - not once but twice! Here is a link to the course and elevation provile - bikeroutetoaster (http://www.bikeroutetoaster.com/Course.aspx?course=13032) - 4.9 miles - 1125 ft of climbing. The first shot up I stayed out of the third chain ring and averaged 9.5mph, the second time up I also stayed in the middle chain ring and also kept the 25 tooth cog in reserve. Don't know what the average was as I did not reset it when I came down after the first time. On the descent I hit 43mph :eek:

I am going to try top make this a weekly event. I must be hooked or at least nuts!

Is your helmet rated for 43 mph crashes?

When (if) you hit the ground with your head, the impact is the result of falling 5 feet or so vertically, regardless of your ground speed. The only time your ground speed would affect the impact would be if you slid into a tree before you slowed down via skin/road friction.

Have crashed at 38mph on single bike; helmet was fine. Left shoulder wasn't.
Crashed mid-30s on a tandem on descent; pretzled front wheel. Stoker: bad roadrash from head to toe (including black eye). Pilot: huge hematoma on right hip, rolling over the front bars. Both helmets were fine. Have desended at 53 mph on tandem in Arizona's White Mountains.
Are you nuts?! N-a-a-a-a-h . . . .

Welcome to the asylum. I'm happy to learn there's another 50+ who enjoys the hills.

And they're coming to take me away, ha-ha....

If you climb like me- Then get more speed on the Downhill. Its the only way I can catch the rest of the group.

Welcome to the asylum. I'm happy to learn there's another 50+ who enjoys the hills.

And they're coming to take me away, ha-ha....

I like hills.......................I just like them in the opposit direction from you...:D

Of course you're nuts, we all are...that's why we're here. :twitchy:

Not at all nuts on the climbing. Admirable in my book.

The descent? Maybe. If you hear a small voice asking if you might want to apply a bit of braking, listen.

When I looked down to see the speedometer at 43 I had already started to tap the breaks. I haven't check the GPS to see what it recorded as the top speed.

But I must be nuts because today - per my training plan I was supposed to do a 20 mile moderate pace ride - sort of a recovery ride. It had been raining but there was a break in the rain so I took the mountain bike out and started to ride - after 5 min into the ride it started raining again - I never stopped and just got totally soaked, but I got the ride in as planned.

I consider that sane.:thumb:

Hills have an up side and a down side. The up side is bombing down the hills.

Thas a great looking clmb. Cat3 maybe? I was out this weekend both days with a couple of friiends, both younger than I (seems as if everyone i ride with is younger than me!). 35 miles on Saturday and 45 on Sunday, both ride involved some fair climbs and being out and backs, some long fast descents as well. I topped out at 48.2 on Saturday coming down from Eldora ski area. Then on sunday, with my friends ahead of me, I looked down and saw the speedo at 47.3. the road was rough with a lot of potholes and broken areas and I just thought "this is not a race. Hanging on for dear life is not fun right now."
I applied some brakes and got it down into the mid 30's and voila! fun again. I could look around me at some of my favorite Colorado scenery, my eyes stopped tearing up. We bunched up again in Nederland and hammered the climbs back to the house.
I need to work on my descending. I've been more conscious of falls since I took one a little over 3 weeks ago at @28mph. No damages and pure operator error, but its put that voice in my head that makes me more conscious of just how fast I'm descending. One thing, it helps a LOT knowing that the bike under me is TDF worthy and less likely to blow up due to poor construction, downgraded components etc.

Welcome to the asylum. I'm happy to learn there's another 50+ who enjoys the hills.

And they're coming to take me away, ha-ha....

Are you serious? This was my Saturday:
http://home.comcast.net/~96omi/Alemany.jpg

Not quite in the same class, maybe, but I make up for it by sheer repetition
And on two down hill stretches I hit 39 and 41MPH.
And loved it.

If you can't do that, why bother to climb at all?

We got nothing like that in Michigan, but when I did Bike Ride Around Tennessee a few years back, the first day had two big climbs. The first one was 5 miles at 8% average grade, the second was 6 miles of 8% but with a mile of 12% in the middle. Coasting down the backside of the hills at 50+ mph was great, going up was not so great.

edit: I just checked my BRAT ride report. The first day featured two 5-mile climbs at 8%. The second day had the 6-mile climb with the 12% section in the middle.

I am going to try top make this a weekly event. I must be hooked or at least nuts!

Both... But ain't it grand?