Clydesdales/Athenas (200+ lb / 91+ kg) - Another sufferfest climb (pics & video)

Yesterday I decided to ride a road I haven't been on since the first time I rode it in October 2010. This is Rattlesnake Bar Road between Pilot Hill and Folsom Lake. It is a nice lightly-traveled road with a ton of climbing.

When I got to Pilot Hill and was about to park, I got stung by a honeybee. It flew in my truck and hitched a ride in my lap. I never noticed it until I put my left hand in my lap and got stung in the pinky. The bee was on my shirt. Since the stinger stayed in the bee, I couldn't swat it away with my hand. I had to walk over to a bush and use one of the small branches to gently nudge the bee off me. It stayed on the branch after I walked away.

As always, the healing effects of exercise worked their magic, and the pain was gone within minutes of throwing a leg over my bike.

When I got to Folsom Lake I explored the roads at the campground, which added some climbing and miles: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/168639182

Here's the video. As with all my videos, this is 100% natural sound. That means plenty of female cyclist suffer sounds on the climbs, so be forewarned!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQfZW8mod0E

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQfZW8mod0E

Here's some pics I took on the way back from Folsom Lake.

Top of first big climb heading towards Folsom Lake
http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s66/hardmf1/viewfromtopofRattlesnakeBarRoadclimb4-15-12.jpg

Top of second (and most difficult) big climb heading towards Folsom Lake
http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s66/hardmf1/viewofFolsomLakefromtopofRattlesnakeBarRoadclimb.jpg

Private road sign
http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s66/hardmf1/animalfarm.jpg

I'm falling into a pattern of listening to you breathing hard while mindlessly web surfing, because I'm rendered mostly useless, and watching the descents cuz they look like they're happening at warp speed. Good job!

As a new cyclist, that is both really impressive and terrifying! Thank you for sharing.

I always enjoy your mountain photos.

Nice. I like your videos, and that looks like fantastic cycling country.

However, much as I enjoy your Meg Ryan impersonation (I think we've talked about that before ;) ) I think you'd get up the climbs a bit easier if you tried to control your breathing. I have a similar problem - I tend to pant, and sometimes to pant in synch with my cadence on the bike - but when I concentrate on breathing more regularly, especially on exhaling fully, I find that I climb better.

Just a thought. Thanks for the video, anyway, if I ever do a West Coast tour I'll keep Folsom Lake in mind.

I'm falling into a pattern of listening to you breathing hard while mindlessly web surfing, because I'm rendered mostly useless, and watching the descents cuz they look like they're happening at warp speed. Good job!
Thanks! I always look forward to your comments! :D

As a new cyclist, that is both really impressive and terrifying! Thank you for sharing.
It's not as scary as it looks. When I got my new mountain bike in February and posted my first mtb ride video (http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php/796892-MTB-Fun!-First-MTB-ride-in-15-years-on-new-bike-(pics-amp-video)?highlight=), I got a freaked-out email from my mother, who enjoys watching my videos. I had to reassure her that the lower position of the chest-mounted camera makes it look like you're going faster than you really are. ;) It makes descents look much cooler than the helmet mount videos I've made.

I always enjoy your mountain photos.
Likewise with yours. :) You have some of the best mountain photos I've ever seen. :thumb:

Nice. I like your videos, and that looks like fantastic cycling country.

However, much as I enjoy your Meg Ryan impersonation (I think we've talked about that before ;) ) I think you'd get up the climbs a bit easier if you tried to control your breathing. I have a similar problem - I tend to pant, and sometimes to pant in synch with my cadence on the bike - but when I concentrate on breathing more regularly, especially on exhaling fully, I find that I climb better.

Just a thought. Thanks for the video, anyway, if I ever do a West Coast tour I'll keep Folsom Lake in mind.
It's always hard to try to do that, which probably means I've gained weight over the winter. :( I'm afraid to weigh myself to find out until my belly looks slimmer in the mirror.

Parts of that climb had me almost in oxygen debt, so I don't know how well I could have controlled it. Time to get busy with the weight loss!