Fifty Plus (50+) - Events for the 50+ cyclist

Notice the title - will it be move proof?

Thought I would start this thread asking people what thier planned ride events are for the rest of the year. Lets set some riding goals folks!

I have three organized events that I am planning this year - A century ride sponsored by our local bike club the first weekend in Sept, The Ididaride in Aug and the Seagull Century in October. So far nothing big in July but I am looking for something close by.

There are a lot of club rides I will do this year as well but these are the ones that charge a specific fee and have sag support. These are the rides I have been training for - I am hoping for some others to pop into my schedule

My wife and I are riding in the "Old Kentucky Home Tour" in September. Two day ride from Louisville to Bardstown and return by the Louisville Bicycle Club - outstanding ride. Then we will be in Austria in October on a two week cycling vacation with the Vermont Bicycle Tour (VBT) company. This will be our second tour with the company. We did a two week tour in Ireland with VBT several years ago.

I took my "big" ride of the year a couple of weeks ago -- the Tour de Blast, up Mt. St. Helens -- and liked it so much I signed up for an even longer ride with more climbing, the High Pass Challenge, which is on September 7, starting in Packwood, Wa. (southeast of Mt. Rainier National Park).

It's 114 miles, 7500 feet of climbing, and is billed as a "strenuous mountain ride." It's a little more than I had planned to be able to do comfortably this year, but I've had a pretty good year so far. But if I'm not feeling like Superman by late August I might bail out...there are plenty of other organized rides in this area between now and mid-October.

Depending on my calendar and the weather I'll likely do another 3 or 4 organized metric centuries in addition to the High Pass Challenge.

I'm trying to get enough long rides in this summer that I feel up to the RAMROD next summer (Ride Around Mount Rainier in One Day; about 150 miles, with several long climbs).

I'm going to do the metric century at the Lentil Festival in August. http://www.lentilfest.com/

It'll be my longest ride and I can count it as 'Rode my age' for the year.

Well...I'm signed up for the Covered Bridge Metric Century (http://www.lancasterbikeclub.org/cbm.php) in Lancaster County, PA in mid August. Being a relative newby, I have never ridden any type of distance, so I figured that the metric century would be a good event to attempt before trying the Scenic Schuylkill Century (http://www.phillybikeclub.org/century.htm) which is an imperial century. (BTW - "Schuylkill" is the name of the river that runs through Philadelphia, and it is pronounced "skookle" - yo, I've lived here my whole life, so no makin' fun o' d'way I tawk, ok?)

I've been slowly increasing my mileage in an attempt to "train" for these two events. Last weekend I rode my age (53 miles). I was going to increase that by 15% this weekend and decided that it was close, so I extended my ride and actually went 63 miles for a completely unsupported metric century. I did 63 miles along the Schuylkill (there's that funky Dutch name again) River Trail and the Perkiomen Trail from Spring Mill to Green Lane Park and back in about 5 and a half hours. Anybody familiar with the area knows that the Perk is a gravel trail most of the way. I carried nothing but two water bottles (around here it's pronounced "wudder" and there are several places to refill along the way) and two clif bars.

Today I felt good enough to go back out on the SRT for another 28 miles. I really like this distance cycling! In fact I've been bitten so hard by the distance bug, I think I'll join the UMCA (http://www.ultracycling.com/index.html) and go for the "century a month" in 2009.

On the tandem: Marin Century and Napa Century in August, Tahoe Century in Sept., Foxy's Fall Century in Oct., ?? for Nov. and Dec. We'll compete in at least one Beat the Clock time trial, most likely in Sept. We don't know how many group rides we'll make because our schedules aren't always predictable.

On my half-bike: Esparto Time Trial, Dunnigan Hills Road Race, possibly Patterson Pass Road Race in August. Numerous training rides, perhaps some group rides, time permitting. I haven't looked past August because I haven't taken the time to do so. :o

Thanks for this thread -- I needed to step back and see what the rest of the summer looked like.

Not this summer, but next.

I want to complete an Aquabike, swimming 800 yards, along with a short 14 mile bike ride.

http://www.thetriway.com/

The bicycling I know I can do easily. My big challenge will be the swimming. I have never done any lap or distance swimming in my entire life, especially not in a cold reservoir. I just started some lap swimming this past December, and at first, one length of the pool doing the crawl nearly killed me. Now, I can do the crawl for about 45 minutes, but I need to rest between laps. I could do it floating on my back, but I think that misses the point, and the celebration pary would likely be over before I finished. However, it IS getting better, and I see the accomplishment of 800 yards as a BIG goal in my own fitness efforts.

So, this winter I shall be swimming a lot, bicycling when I can, and going to spinning classes. In desperation, I will use the trainer in my basement, if nothing else is available.

Racing:

Beat the Clock individual time trial (ITT)s July, August and September. The August ITT will be at the Hellyer Velodrome in San Jose. It should be totally cool to race TT bikes on the track.

July: Diamond Valley Road Race, NCNCA Masters Championship - This is a 44 mile road race in the Sierras on an 11 mile course with 1,000 feet of climbing per loop.

August: Esparto ITT and the Mount Tam Hill climb ITT. One of the California Cup road races exact race to be determined.

Starting in September and going through Thanksgiving, there is a series of hill climbs where one can race up one of the local mountains plus other famous climbs in the area. Last year we did 4 of these. We will probably do 3 or 4 depending on our schedule, but most definitely Mount Hamilton which features the 19 mile climb to the top at 4,400 feet on Thanksgiving morning.

Touring:

In October, we are traveling to Mallorca Spain to spend a week of cycling on a Santana Tour. Last year we toured Tuscany, Italy with Santana.

Thinking about the Dairyland Dare once again, possibly the Door County Century on Sept. and definitely the Tyraneafest ride in oct. all rides located in Wi..

Charles River Wheelmen's "Ride to the Clouds" which is a 100 miler that visits a mountain top and is not far from my home riding territory. Next Sunday!

A 100 mile ride through the White Mountains of NH, usually in September after some of the heavier tourist traffic has let up.

Someday I want to do RAGBRAI.

I'm also signed up for the Old Kentucky Home Tour in September. Other maybes include racing in the Otter Creek MTB race (as a first timer 50+er, I'm guaranteed to podium if I don't die), the Gaslight Festival of Jeffersontown, and the Harvest Homecoming Tour. I'm not sure I'm going to get an offical imperial century in this year.

Col. Allensworth (http://www.crankintimecycling.com/about_crankintime_allensworthbikeride3.html).

The only event ride I have ever done is the Hilly Hundred weekend in Indiana. Normally I work weekends when event rides occur, so if I want to do one of those rides I'll borrow a cue sheet and do the ride midweek sans rest stops and support.

I don't think about age when I decide on events. I am just back from Triple Bypass in Colorado, which is a tough ride at any age. For a hard, but not impossibly hard century, I highly recommend the Crater Lake Century, 7500 feet of total climbing but only one really long climb---and it is gorgeous, just stunningly beautiful. It's hard to get to Klamath Falls, OR, but worth the effort.

I've been toying with the idea of doing my first imperial century in October, the Outlaw trail 100 in Round Rock, Texas. We'll see.

Well, so far this year I've completed the Flying Wheels Summer Century. This weekend I completed for the 4th time the STP :) (Seattle to Portland Bicycle Classic (http://www.cascade.org/EandR/stp/index.cfm)), always in 2 days, next year I am planning for a 1 day finish.

My next event ride is the RSVP (Ride from Seattle to Vancouver (B.C.) and Party (http://www.cascade.org/EandR/rsvp/index.cfm)). Followed by the Kitsap Color Classic in October.

For the first time in more than a few years, I don't have any specific rides planned. My goal is to actually ride more and plan less. I'm actively trying to get back to that place where I was years ago... just jump on the bike and go. Thus far, it's been working out pretty well. I've got more mile and smiles in this year. I'm also fully aware that I'm doing this in reaction to a large amount of planning at work and on the home front that is wearing me out. But for those of you joyfully planning and riding in events I say YEAH, GO FOR IT.

Lots of great events people are signed up for. I just went back over my calendar and starting this weekend I have planned events almost every weekend through mid October. Most are 75 to 100 miles in length but 0ne is only 8.5 miles - however it is almost a steady 8% grade the whole way.

Will I run into anyone at the Seagull in October?

I'll be doing XOBA (Across Ohio Bike Adventure) starting this weekend. This will be my second year and I'm looking forward to it.

In August I'll be doing the "Almost Around Lake Erie" tour with friends. We have our own sag and will be riding around 60 miles each day. We know we won't get all the way around but it's a tour not a race:)

In September it's the Tour de Donut, Hancock Horizontal Hundred and the Mum Festival ride. These are all Ohio rides. I've never done the Tour de Donut but I think I can eat enough donuts to get a decent time for the 30 mile race:eek:

In October I'm thinking about the Hilly Hundred in Indiana. A friend has suggested we do a tour on the Allegheny Passage after I retire on the 7th. It would be a beautiful time of year for the ride. I'm just not sure I want to do another week long tour this year.

November and December will just be club rides weather permitting. The really cold weather doesn't come until January and February so I'm sure there will be plenty of riding since I'll be retired:love:

I did the Seattle to Portland Ride (STP) this weekend (204 miles) with my son and some of his friends. 126 miles the 1st day and the remainder on the 2nd day. I did well. I'll be able to collect SSI this summer if I wish. I can feel I worked out, however, no soreness today. Went to work just fine.

I am attempting the Six Gap ride in Georgia this year. 100 miles, the top 6 mountain passes in Ga. I expect it will really clean out the old pipes. I am hoping to make it all happen. Due to work requirements this year, I will not really have lots of time to train for it. I have ridden half of it before, the other half I will just have to tough out. Five or six hours of interesting times.

I had my first physical since 8th grade this year. After my stress test, I asked the doctor if I could push it. I have seen a heart rate of 191 this year already. When I asked how hard I could push, he said, " You can Kill Yourself". By the way, my doctor is a cyclist too. He understands.