Southern California - Ride Around the Bear reports

Like it's posted in the other thread, WET, wet and more wet! Cold and foggy. For a while I couldn't see well enough to see those that whizzed by me! As soon as we hit the mtn, my calf cramped, enough to make me pull over for a few grunts on the side of the road.

I must be getting old cause I don't remember the ride being that tough! On the ride I had plenty of those thoughts, "what in the heck am I doing out here?". Oh well, I finished the ride. RIde time was 7:40 and total time 8:13. Yeah, I suck!

Grrlyrida, COMPLETED the RIDE like a true champion!
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AT the lunch stop at mile 50'ish! Finally somewhat clear but still cool
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C'mon, make up your mind! Warm at the bottom of Onyx but got cold again within a mile after I had already stripped the layers!
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Since the last time I did the Bear, 4 or 5 years ago, someone added in afew more climbs on the descent! Who in the........!!!!:mad:
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Did you get plenty to drink? That may be your issue. I only went through 1 bottle of Sustained Energy and 2 bottles of Perpetuem. I know I should have drank more, but just didn't seem to need it today.

I can't imagine doing this ride in 90 degree weather. The fog was a mixed blessing I think.

A little Cal-Mag and Zinc or your could try some E-Caps/Hammer Endurolytes to help with the Cramps..

This was my first time doing the bear, but I did a lot of training for this ride.

Started out at 7:30, and flatted by 7:45...not the best way to start the day. Anyways, I got to 330 and proceeded to fly up the mountain. I was a man on a mission. It felt great to break through the clouds, as I didn't bring any cold weather gear.

I started to hit the wall going up Onyx, probably paying for going so hard up the first climb. Onyx hurt...a lot. Coming down was not as fun as I expected. Since when were there climbs on a descent!?!? Anyways, I had fun and it looked like everyone else did too. I was riding solo for most of the ride, and still managed 6:05. Not bad first time out...next year with some more training and support the 5:28 record is mine.

Cool ride, weather and company. Great fun....Big Bear is such a fine looking place to ride.

8:44 finish (7:36 ride time)....geez it's hard to get out of some rest stops when people you want to yak with start pulling in.

Suffered a bit through the climbs from mile 24-45. Somehow I felt pretty strong up Onyx. I think the air/cold/rain was taking a toll on me early. When we got to 7000' I was feeling pretty light headed and thought I was going to have to stop. Figured it will pass and it did. Seeing the sun come up as we got near the lake was a relief - I was stoked after that. I really like the descent from Angelus Oaks and had a wild ride down and into Redlands.

Great organization from OCW...those folks put on a nice event. Looking forward to next year.

Good to see Beanz and Gina, Jimmy and the Rebels afterwards. Beanz you waz rolling man. That is one heavy duty climbing ride to be doing at 200+.:thumb:

Great job guys! And nice pix!

Damn! Alex & Deya killed that mountian. I rode from my home to Sylvan Park and hung out talking to some friends, when I left I went up the road and Alex and Deya were finishing and riding strong. I went up 38 and didn't see another rider for at least 20 minutes. I ended up going up and over Oak Glen and down the front side to Ramona Expressway over to Perris to visit with my sister.

Did you get plenty to drink? That may be your issue.
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Honestly I think it's my clock! I work at night and never get to bed till 3 am. So trying to go to sleep at midnight the night before the ride, then getting up at 3:45 is a big switch for this body! It's like trying to ride with vampire hours!:D

Great organization from OCW...those folks put on a nice event. Looking forward to next year.:

Now that you know the course, you could easily take of an hour!:thumb:


Good to see Beanz and Gina, Jimmy and the Rebels afterwards. Beanz you waz rolling man. That is one heavy duty climbing ride to be doing at 200+.:thumb:

228!:D..Felt like 300 with all the drizzle and fog!:mad:

I wanted to beat JimmyNH for once but dam, that dude was rolling bigtime. 7:!7 I think he said!:thumb:..I'd have to drop down to 125 to beat that!:p

Congrats......great job!!!

Way to go!!!

My ride was fine, except I was tired/slow on the first part. Least I had on my rain jacket! Places where I usually climb at 7 mph in my 39 x 27 I was down to 5 mph in my 30 x 25. Yikes.

Still tired from the Eastern Sierra Double last Sat. . . . did I mention that? Started early (just after 5:30) finished a lot past 1:00 for a total time of 7:40, i.e. pretty miserably slow. Yes, the dense fog was depressing, but the bright sun at Snow Summit was a joy!

Didn't dehydrate cause I used my Camelback, loved the drop down into Redlands and even Barton Flats didn't bother me. Spent too long at the checkpoints, but yes, those OCW folks are wonderful and they put on a great event.

After the ride I changed clothes, then ate the OCW dinner . . . looking around for Beanz or Andrew or Jimmy or Obie or anyone I knew. Nada. So I put the top down on the Miata and drove home! Great day overall, with just enough suffering to make me feel like I got my money's worth!

Rick / OCRR

Let me start off saying that the only thing I can compare this to was my ride up the Tourmalet and Hautacam for 91 miles. This ride makes T & H look like a recovery ride. There's no comparison. This was the hardest climb ever. The first 30 miles were brutal and couple that with rain and foggy condition..well yuck.:(

With that said, the scenery was beautiful, mountains dotted with pines, buttes jutting out of the terrain. There's is a lot of climbing with the most unsatisfying descent I've ever experienced. One of the best things about a climbing ride is exploring vistas not ordinarily seen on the flats and after all that climbing, attacking a fast, steep descent. You'll find a better descent on GMR, Angeles Crest or even Griffith Park's Mt. Hollywood. *sigh* I wish we coulda gone down the way we came up.

I rode with the same group throughout the ride. It's nice when you find people with similar riding abilities. I left a little before them at the lunch rest stop and expected them to pass me on onyx. After leaving the lunch stop, I started the long slog up onyx--the worse climb of the day for me. I was barely doing 4 mph. Thank god for my iphone, if I didn't have music, this would be interminable. So when I get to the onyx summit rest stop they inform me I'm the last person. I asked what happen to the other four?
"What other four?" I was the lanterne rouge. In the TdF the lanterne rouge is afforded all kinds of respect, receiving money for appearances, becoming a national celebrity cuz they finished without dropping out. One thing people know about me, if I make a commitment to climb a hill or do a ride, I'm gonna finish it. It could be snowing, a 20% grade--I'm gonna make it up that hill.

My experience was similar to a TdF lanterne rouge.
I got an escort from the three cute sweeper guys, at angelus oaks rest stop everyone stopped what they were doing and clapped and yelled 'atta girl' as I rode by. When I got to the park I've never experienced so much adulation from a ride in my life. I felt like a rock star.:D

My time was 11:05 with 9:55 actual riding. I was shooting for a 10 min time as I mentioned in the Bear Training thread. Stayed too long at the rest stops munching on fruit and talking. This is a great ride for anyone wanting a challenge, the vistas are gorgeous and the rest stops well stocked with plenty of fruit, snacks, friendly and encouraging OCW volunteers. Two caveats though, if you want to smell fresh mountain air, you're not gonna do it this time of year. The traffic is horrendous. You'll get a nostril full of diesel, exhaust and gasoline.With all the climbing the descent is unsatisfying it didn't really start until mile 83 and at one point I looked to my left at the mountains and pines and thought I was descending to Argeles Gazost in the Pyrenees. I had a wonderful time. Kudos to the OCW.:)

Awesome grrlyrida! Way to go!

Wow, grrly, I didn't know you were so tough! Great job!
Beanz, we expect you to finish and I think that's a great time.

All I can say is, outstanding effort and great job Beanz, Girrlyrida and Gina with the support. Congrats! And job well done. Way to go guys. Wonderful achivement. :thumb: You guys ROCK! That ride sounded super tough and you were able to tackle it and overcome. Not many can say that. Be proud of what you were able to accomplish. Way to go!

All I can say is, outstanding effort and great job Beanz, Girrlyrida and Gina with the support. Congrats! And job well done. Way to go guys. Wonderful achivement. :thumb: You guys ROCK! That ride sounded super tough and you were able to tackle it and overcome. Not many can say that. Be proud of what you were able to accomplish. Way to go!

Thanks! You can do it next year, Gina and I will drive support for you!:thumb:

Congratulations to all of you for finishing the ride, especially to Girrlyrida for her great accomplishment. We left at about 6:00 am and started to heavy drizzle 10 minutes into the ride! By the time we reached 330 the weather was even worse, it was very wet, foggy and cold, and we did most of the ride feeling extremely cold. As always the views around the lake and up in Big Bear were awesome. The guys at OCW always put a great event and all the people were very nice.

Congrats Girrlyrida. Nice to have finally met -- at least for a few minutes on that initial hill.

The results (http://www.ocw.org/bear/Bear2009/2009results.asp) are posted. I'm quite pleased with mine - 7:17, by far my best time of the 6 "Bears" I've done. The weather sucked, but that's about my only complaint. Well, apart from the fact that the ride is too long and tough for my liking. And I'm saying it for 6-th time - "No more Bear!". :D
It was great to see Obie, Beanz and some former forumites. I think I also saw girlyrida on the climb up Hwy 330 in the fog and rain. Great job girl! :thumb: I know Beanz is not very happy with his time, but he did better than his first Bear, and he hasn't gotten any younger since then. :D Rick also posted impressive time given that this was his "recovery ride" after the double he rode last week.
Now the best part is that I can take a break from cycling (and hills in particular), fatten myself a little, and do some work in the gym in an attempt to look good when drinking beer around the pool. :D

Congrats Girrlyrida. Nice to have finally met -- at least for a few minutes on that initial hill.


Let's get one thing straight!:mad:.....Grrlyrida does not have an "i" in her name!:p

Second of all, you missed a night of fine dining and entertainment. Ate at the Speghetti Factory the night before the ride. I still say G shoulda got the "Half and Half":D...The entertainment being a mad wife stand up, smacking the carp outta her hubby then flipping his pasta meal onto his chest. Surround sound enhanced by a couple of little sreaming kids!:eek:

Then off to a fabulous night of sleep at the wonderful Beaner Lodge!:D

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Little blurry but this is Grrly and her "I'm gonna kick some Bear Butt in the morning" pose!:D
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Awesome grrlyrida! Way to go!

You're next Mister!:thumb:

I'm quite pleased with mine - 7:17................. I know Beanz is not very happy with his time


SHUTTUP I HATE YOU!.....:mad:

I feel better now after viewing the results. Looks as if most riders were affected by the weather.....except JIMMY!:p

OK, I'm happy! This is only my 2nd century in 4 years, can't complain too much!:D...Just gotta love that Jimmy Dude!:thumb:

SHUTTUP I HATE YOU!.....:mad:

I feel better now after viewing the results. Looks as if most riders were affected by the weather.....except JIMMY!:p

OK, I'm happy! This is only my 2nd century in 4 years, can't complain too much!:D...Just gotta love that Jimmy Dude!:thumb:

You're right Mr. Beanz, I also noticed that most people had slower times this year. I was just trying to stay warm. ;) :D

Hats off to OCW for putting on a great event. We departed on our tandem from at Sylvan park at 7.20, I was hoping with a later start the weather might let up. It didn't, We were wet and cold all the way up to the first rest stop. We blew off the first sag stop and continued on to Snow Valley. I told my stoker to make the stop count because we weren't stopping again until Onyx Summit. We were in and out in about 10 minutes. After passing Lakeview point the weather seemed to get better and riding the tandem down hill was a blast. We made it to the start of the Onyx climb in 45 minutes. A quick stop at the Onyx sag stop and we were off to the finish. Out total trip time was 6 hours and 22 minutes and ride time was Six hours and nine minutes. Not bad for a 52 year old worn out bald Grandpa and and a beautifull middle aged stoker. We know that we got our butts kicked by Alex and Deya, but I feel they are not human, maybe creatures from another planet.

Had to miss it this year - family wedding out of town. Nice work everyone - I'll be there next year!

Great ride Grrlyrida,

Even though I packed up and went home early (about 2:00 PM), so wasn't around for the festivities when you finished. Just keep climbing and you will get faster! Plus you have a good mentor in the Beanzer:thumb:.

Good ride for you too Beanz! And I mean that in a most positive way because, well . . . I finished with a better time (again):lol:. And except for Jimmy, the times did seem to be slower than last year. I didn't see Gina along the course, so I didn't stop and ask her for a bagel . . . ;)

Not sure what happened to Chuck Chen since I had a better time than he did, though he is usually faster than me on any kind of incline. On Breathless he beat me by an hour and half! Guess he was taking it easy on The Bear this year!

So even though I was a slow dog on The Bear this year, after looking at the other times on their results page, I feel like a bit faster slow dog:D.

Rick / OCRR

We know that we got our butts kicked by Alex and Deya, but I feel they are not human, maybe creatures from another planet.

Hoooo Noooo... we’ve being discovered :twitchy: we must let our coach Mr. Spock know that our secret is out. Great ride John. You and your stoker can be proud as that is a very good time for a tandem, even that the ride up 330 with the rain and the fog wasn’t easy at all. If can be as strong as you are at your age I’ll be very happy :thumb:

Can you Guys get Dr Spock to train us too? Good Job this weekend, sorry we didn't get see you guys this. I know you would of been a blurr passing us at super sonic speed,

True John R!

When Alex and Deya passed me (in the rain) they yelled out "Hi Rick!" I looked up and noticed a blurr going by at high speed that kinda resembled a white tandem near warp speed . . .

Rick / OCRR

Thanks everyone for the kind words of support. Congrats to everyone who finished with such great times!:)

Special shout out again to Deya for being the fastest female. I know it was on a tandem, but that time is still impressive. Woohoo!:thumb:

Thanks everyone for the kind words of support. Congrats to everyone who finished with such great times!:)

Special shout out again to Deya for being the fastest female. I know it was on a tandem, but that time is still impressive. Woohoo!:thumb:

Thank you grrlyrida, you are so nice :) I represent of all us women, to show all of those guys that we can climb fast too ;)

Deya

A little Cal-Mag and Zinc or your could try some E-Caps/Hammer Endurolytes to help with the Cramps..

I never heard of using Ca-Mg-Zn for cramps. How well does it work?

Bear was a blast. Nice ride around the lake, nice lunch. Nice views.
I seem to remember something about some longish climb back in the first half.