TrojanHorse

Alright, this is what I get for starting with old people but @tunavic and I were originally slated to start at 7 am with the rest of the leisure suited palm springs crowd. I guess he collected the wrist bands for his club, so since he was handing them out at 6 am he decided we needed to start at 6:30 with the "fast" and "experienced" teams instead. C'mon man.

So @ahultin - we looked all over for you but didn't see you! And frankly, I can't read my phone without reading glasses anymore so I didn't text either. I hope you and Sebastian had a great day on the bike.

@Beachgrad05 rode with Team Unlikely Cyclist and man, there were tons of them on the route! We saw most of them, I reckon, including the skateboard helmet wearing boyfriend of one of them. The kit looks sharp! And recognizable.

OK for the ride. I really, really, really wanted to beat my time from last year, which was 6:12:13. As it turns out, I stopped the clock at 6:12:49. The only explanation I have is two fold - 1. The wind this year was HARSH! Last year was pretty windy, this year was hey, where's Dorothy's house. Reason 2 is @jsigone wasn't there to provide a chase rabbit for the home stretch. The route was slightly different this year too, which may or may not have had an effect.

For the most part, it was a beautiful day. Temps were a nice 50 degrees or so at the start, so vest and arm warmers were all I needed. Once you get past the initial windy section and over the "climb" there's a very long tail-wind aided descent down to indio, interrupted by a couple of not particularly difficult climbs. Needless to say, physics wins, and the people we flew past on the descents passed us right back on the climbs.

Once we got past lunch at about 52 miles, we had a predominant head-wind for the ride back to the start. Our sneaky plan was to ride at a decent pace and when we were passed by a good sized group, we'd latch on to the back and hold on for dear life. For the most part, it worked out really well - with 11,000 riders on the course, there was always somebody faster and stronger available to leech off of.

I have two interesting experiences today, well 3.
1) No cramps at all, not even a hint, although my inner thighs were really in pain after the windy/hilly part. Not sure why.
2) The saddle that I like, but only for < 80 miles, was awesome for all 102 miles. My new one is arriving on Tuesday anyway.
3) riding fast in groups is a blast. We probably averaged 22 mph or so on the return trip when in groups. Outside a group? 17-18. Big difference. I think Vic got spat off the back once or twice, which underscores the benefit of the wind break from the riders in front. Once you lose it it's really hard to get back. Both of us got spat off when we hit a "hill" later in the day... that physics things again.

Overall a great day in the saddle and I knocked out my 100 miles for Feb all in one day, hit my 75 mile weekly cycling goal before lunch and hit that strava gran fondo challenge all in one.

https://www.strava.com/activities/112034052/overview

tunavic

I know it's hard to wake up early when you're young and have a lot of energy but with age comes wisdom my young friend EVERYONE who started at 7 AM complained about the huge crowds and very bad congestion. Would you rather deal with that or start early?

TH, you covered it really well.

It was a great ride overall. Plenty of food and drink at all the SAG stops (ice cold Clif gels - mocha was yummmmy-tased like a melted chocolate bar). Good weather (some wind in the beginning of the ride - but no blowing sand) and I had a great ride partner too!

My interesting observation:

1) I need to steal TH's saddle

I've yet to find the right one for me

https://www.strava.com/activities/112072353.

TrojanHorse

Speaking of saddles... I have a theory. When I did the 500 km rapha challenge thing, I used an old tub of assos ass butter and it's kind of watery & ooky. Today I used euro-style butter or something that I got recently. So now I'm wondering if chamois butter makes that much of a difference?

I also trimmed the pre-ride data from strava and got myself down to 6:07:32 and 16.7 mph, which is more satisfying. If I trimmed out the windy section, lord only knows what our average speed would be!

As for crowds, I guess we had it pretty good. It was crowded but not so bad we couldn't get "stuff". That lady with the gels was funny "Are these supposed to be chilled?" Heck, I don't know but they tasted great chilled, as opposed to whatever temp they end up when they're in my back pocket for 100 miles.

jsigone

I think the creams makes a difference at the 7+ hr range rides for me, below that I run it naked and seems fine unless it's blazing weather. Been using DZ NUTS for the past yr or so and been happy with them.


Where's the pics!!!!

tunavic

tunavic

[IMG] 2014-02-08 10.15.15 by Victor 1953, on Flickr[/IMG]

TrojanHorse

[IMG] 2014-02-08 10.14.43 by Victor 1953, on Flickr[/IMG]

At the lunch SAG


2014-02-08 10.15.33 by Victor 1953, on Flickr

At the lunch SAG

[IMG] 2014-02-08 10.15.54 by Victor 1953, on Flickr[/IMG]

At the lunch SAG


2014-02-08 10.16.08 by Victor 1953, on Flickr

Lesper4

I like the new Redlands kit. fyi for us big folk even though we are in a Draft if it's still at lot of work.

Beachgrad05

Just over right shoulder of rider in center of the picture is one of my teammates...she is FAST. She is wearing our jersey but not the shorts.

Beachgrad05

Had a really good ride yesterday. I really improved in the past year.

Moving time was 7:13 with 9:16 on road. Avg 14.1 mph.

https://www.strava.com/activities/112059599

Last year was 8:38 rolling and 10:41 on road. Avg 11.9 mph.

We got most of team up to start at 6:30 with team. Some were on,y doing 55 mile ride for various reasons. They got to get the extra miles at beginning. I knew the start with wind and climb would shuffle me back from my friends that I did the Festive 500 and January Gran Fondo 1 with...I was hoping I'd catch up to them at Pit Stop 1 and would have if I'd known they had stayed waiting for me. I pulled up by entrance and then saw another of our team that I'm not familiar with exactly and she said she didn't see any of the team there so I figured they waited a short time then rolled. Which I hoped they'd do to not be standing around...I didn't expect them to wait. And after hearing they were likely already gone...I rolled.

At about the 27 mile mark Jaemie called me. I pulled over and answered. They were still at the stop. So I waited to give them time to catch me. Eventually another teammate rolled up and we decided to roll after a bit as ahead was a hill and we figured we would wait after going up that if they didn't catch us. So we did that. After stopping 2nd time...Julie rolled by along with Rachel and the two of us waiting rolled out. Julie and Rachel pulled ahead....

Aaron and a few minutes later Sebastian rolled by as team was stopped as we came across a teammate who had been knocked down by a fellow cyclist. She was the one I saw at pit stop 1 so she was way ahead. She was riding alone (no teammates with her) and a male cyclist went to pass her WAY TOO CLOSE and without announcing his presence and he clipped her pedal and wheel and knocked her down. He stopped long enough to pick up her water bottle and ask if she was ok and when she said she needed help...he left her laying there. A male rider who didn't see accident wearing a SCOR jersey stopped and called 911 and waited with her til EMS and FD arrived...and of course he stayed til after we all came upon the scene and stopped. Thankfully her injuries were not horrific.

I saw a lot of folks riding like it was a race and doing unsafe passing. At the 2nd photo crazy spot, this jack wagon in a high vis jacket on a flat bar bike flew past me on my right to get his picture and like F'd up the shot of me passing it. Seriously...who does that?

My overall time would have been less if not for that unscheduled regroup.

TrojanHorse

Amen! Good lord, this tiny little asian dude kept squeezing between me and a fairly tall guy... drafting a dude like that is like drafting a recumbent. I actually got a compliment on the excellent draft that I provided early in the morning in the windy section... which prompted me to wonder if it's any kind of compliment at all

bigfred 

I have, on more than one occassion, expressed to such individuals, that I would appreciate the opportunity to draft the taller rider. And, have generally been welcomed to do so once I point out that they can probably get as good or better draft behind me.

We've also successfully used me to keep a bonked rider in contact with a group and to keep a struggling female with a group.

Otherwise it's every man for himself with regard to who gets my wheel. There have been heated arguements on that subject on more than one occassion. I really thought the two guys behind me were close to fisticuffs in one instance. And, for one event we even printed up a "This Wheel Reserved for..." sign with one of our club member's name.

TrojanHorse

I have to be honest, I get a little giggly when there's somebody your size to draft. Unfortunately, most cyclists are built like teenage girls.

TrojanHorse

By the way, for those of you who were unaware, a woman was killed yesterday during the event - the first fatality in the 16 year or so history of the Tour.

https://www.mydesert.com/article/2014...e-Palm-Springs

About 12:10 p.m., La Vonne Koester was riding west on Avenue 60 in Thermal when she crossed Harrison Street in front of a southbound 1999 Dodge, according to the California Highway Patrol.

It looks like Vic and I went through that intersection at about 11:30. The road we were on had a stop sign but the road the truck was on did not... so you have cyclists crossing a road with potentially 60 mph cross traffic. I imagine there will be some hand wringing over changes that must be made, but I hope they don't go nuts. It might not hurt to put a temporary stop sign on those roads (there were a few down there) just for the day of the event.

Regardless, that's terribly sad and I feel awful for her family.

10 Wheels

More:

https://www.kesq.com/kesq/bicyclist-k...0/-/index.html

Beachgrad05

As noted in my ride report...one of our riders was knocked down and needed to be transported to hospital thanks to a jack*** who attempted a pass way too close w/o announcing himself. He stopped long enough to pick,up,her water bottle off road and ask if she was ok...but TOOK OFF when she said she needed help....

he left a fellow cyclist on the road who needed medical attention. I thank the gentleman who came upon her laying there and who stopped, called 911 and stayed til Fire and EMS arrived. By the time she was transported most of team had arrived and stopped....

this is is where @ahultin and Sebastian passed by us

Beachgrad05

not sure what time we went thru there but there was a lot of police there when we got to that spot. At first we didn't understand what they were doing...and saw several men trying to get horses back in a trailer...and we thought initially that they had got loose and had been running around....then we saw the mangled bike that was barely recognizable as a bike...

so awful

Beachgrad05

My teammates description:
"
Got taken out by another cyclist on my 100 mile ride. Jack*** did not call out his position, tried to pass me on the left but hit my pedal and wheel with his wheel. Apparent all the open space on the road was not enough for this *** hat, and I went down hard. Got to take an ambulance ride. Have a fractured shoulder, but I'm going to be fine.


The jerk who hit handed me my bottle that fell and took off when I said I needed help.


Thank god for the kind man who did stop, called the ambulance, and waited for 30 minutes until they arrived. And thank you to lisa Lisa Kanno and Team Unlikely Cyclist for stopping and making arrangements to get my bike off the road. I love you guys!


Live to bike another day. Could have been worse, and I am very lucky."

TrojanHorse

That's pretty lousy... I'm not sure what calling out his position would have done. "Hey, I'm going to hit you on the left" There are so many people on that ride it's almost unreasonable to expect people to be singing out their every move. That does NOT mean what that jackhat did was right or even reasonable. Most of the time you get a lot of camaraderie on these rides... you know, we all have a common interest. It sucks when you meet the exception. I really hope your team mate recovers fully.

Beachgrad05

From what she descibed there was no need to be right on her to pass....its not a race and passing that close is dangerous. Maybe it would have helped if he had called out since he was going by veryclose to her rather than further away...from what she has indicated...there was no need to pass that closely thus creating a bad situation...then to just leave an injured rider is unacceptable.

tunavic

I'm sorry about your friend @Beachgrad05. I hope she has a speedy complete recovery.

BG, do you have any pics to add?

Beachgrad05

Honestly I saw a ton of unsafe riding this year...it may be time to rethink how it is done.

Beachgrad05

I was too busy riding and did not take any pictures other than some at the start before taking off.
We had some husbands taking photos...I might be able to share those

tunavic

We don't want the husband taking photos photos.

We want photos of the single ladies

Beachgrad05

many of our ladies are single...and may be IN pics. LOL

and our rider has a hairline fracture in clavicle (she says shoulder which I'm guessing is clavicle vs scapula). No surgery needed thank goodness. 4-6 weeks healing.

tunavic

Maybe I could join your team. I would be the unlikeliest cyclist of Unlikely Cyclist

Beachgrad05

Approaching finish


Turning the corner


Turning corner 2


Me post ride