A ride full of firsts
 

I wanted to get some longer rides in on my bike to get ready for the Oregon Clyde ride this weekend so I decided to map out a route with my first long climb. I discovered that a 7%-8% grade was doable but hard (needed the granny gear) and that 15%-18% was completely brutal (especially after a few miles of 7-8% grade). So, I had my first 1000ft climb, my first (and second) fall with clipless pedals & my first 30mi+ ride in over a year (I commute 20-30mi a day but that's over 2 trips). The route profile does not show some of the worst hills (short, steep rollers) & the gradient point calculator is definitely wrong (some extremely high and low numbers) so I averaged the climb numbers for this post. Total climbing (according to my computer) was 3150 ft. over 28.5 miles.

http://ridewithgps.com/routes/5555

The first fall was caused because I didn't drop into my low gear in time and fell as I was fiddling around with the shifter. The 2nd fall happened about 1/2 way up the steep part of the climb when I tried to zig-zag across the road at too slow of a speed. My heart rate was quite high the entire time but the legs felt fine. Once my cardio catches up I'm sure that I'll get a lot more burn in the legs. The next time I go I may be able to take some pictures (instead of trying to breathe).

Greg? Gregory Rast is that you? I would think you were still on the pro circuit right now!!!!

But on the real... I think breathing is much more important than pictures. Good luck on the big ride this weekend.

wow thanks for showing me ridewithgps:) its way better than the mapmyride i was using;)

fair play with the ride and next time yeah don't bother bout breathing and take some pics;)

Greg, don't worry about doing the Clyde Ride, you will do fine. We only have 1300 feet of climbing, so it sounds like you are more then ready. Plus, we will stop for pictures if you want, we don't need anybody falling on this trip. :thumb:

HP, it was more about the 'sit in the saddle for X hours' vs. the climbing. No discomfort (except the falls of course) so it should be a good ride this weekend.

breadbin, I've tried all the programs and ridewithgps definitely has the best mapping (IMO). They are still tinkering with their gradient estimation... I suggested a histogram/averaged approach (until actual GPS ride data has been generated). The actual elevation estimation is better than other programs I've tried. He has an interesting link describing what makes it so difficult (some interesting signal processing work is required).

So one of my big fears - is not being able to pedal in the middle of the hill- fall over and not be able to get out of my pedals...so it sounds like it can happen, but no biggie??? So if I tackle a hard ride and end up falling cause I can't pedal any more - will I be ok??? I am so afraid of not being able to get my feet out of the pedals...


Congrats!!

You've done BRAG twice now if I am not mistaken, several metrics and an Imperial as I recall. I wouldn't call that inexpirienced by a long shot.

You've got three options in this case:

1: Reduce the tension in your pedals so clipping in and out requires less force.

2: Unclip your foot and come to a stop as usual to rest before you bonk.

3: If you find yourself in a situation like this, slide your foot out of your shoes.

Congratulations on the ride Greg_R, excellent work :thumb:

Bumble, I got my feet out of my pedals both times I fell.... just not in time :-). I have Time Rocs and I have the tension set to a low setting. The main issue is falling on a busy road with no bike lane or breakdown lane (so pick hills on less traveled roads at first). Looking back, I realized what my problem was... I like to stop pedaling before I unclip. This doesn't work well on a hill. I am now practicing unclipping 1 foot while pedaling so I'll be ready next time.

Wow, I love our users
 

Hey, I am one of the creators of http://ridewithgps.com and saw traffic hitting our site from this thread. I gotta say, I love our users, and it really gives me motivation (and high hopes!) when I see positive mentions of our service like this.

Greg_R: Thanks for sharing our stuff with the world! This is what will drive us above the competition by years end.

breadbin: Glad you are enjoying the service! Don't by shy with the 'feedback' button -- we love hearing problems, praise and feature suggestions from our users. It's why I think we get good mentions from you guys; we like making software that is directly useful to people.

See you all around!

THANK YOU, for taking this on!!!! I have just started you use your site, and really like it. Keep up the good work.:thumb: