Arms race: first to age, then metric, then imperial
 

Yep, I've noticed the competitive juices are flowing through the mildly atherosclerotic circulation of the Middle Aged Posers who camp out here: Me, DG, definitely SKT, and probably a few more. Oh let's include freeranger because he's capable of riding harder than he has lately. Maybe Tom Bom.

We're all building up our mileage, slowly at first, then with a Brutal Thrust of Distance when DG fired off an unprovocked 50 miler that has upset the balance of power around here.

So, we have several 50+ers who have done 20-30 milers, now venturing into the rarified air of the 40-50 milers, which are of course nothing more than opporational pauses for the final assults on the age ride, then the metric century, and then finally the imperial century.

OK, bring it on. But keep it clean. Riding around your neighborhood round and around in circles in which you gain all of 50 feet total ain't gonna cut it. Having someone drive you to the top of Mt Mitchell and letting you drift down ain't gonna work, either.

So the challenge stands: which MAP will meet these lofty goals first?

All such rides must be documented by a gps system, preferably Garmin uploded to MotionBased. My moniker is juspasenthru so you can verify what I've been up to by visiting MotionBased.

I got my 42 miler scheduled next week, and I'll record it. It'll only be a short matter of time before I do my 54 (age), 62, and then the full monty. Before DG. Before SKT. Before freeranger.

Any other challengers? If you've ever made these goals once, you are not a candidate. Virgin riders only.

I don't feel any competitive juices a stirrin'.

I set a goal this year of at least being fit enough to ride to the town of New Glarus, which is 18 miles via the shortcut. I've already done it via the long way for 26 miles.

I set a secondary goal of doing 30 miles. And my top goal was to do a metric age (32+) or even a 35. I'm sure my body would thank me for getting into shape and I'd lose a few pounds.

My other primary goal for the year was to be able to take a 10 mile ride, at a reasonable pace, and to do it easily, without pain. A recreational ride that I could enjoy. And I've done this twice in the last 2 weeks.

So I've already achieved my primary goals for the year. By June 1! They were modest goals, but I couldn't have done them at any other time in the last 20 years.

Now if I can hit 35 miles at some point this year and if I can make a pleasant, recreational ride down to the town of Belleville and back (16 miles), then I'll be tickled pink.

And at some point if I could do 60 miles over two days, over a weekend ride a rail trail 30 miles one day, stop at a motel, and ride back the next day. Then that would be absolutely wonderful. If I were passed by 847 cyclists in the process, I couldn't care less.

So far this year, I have passed/dropped all of one rider. An older lady on a hybrid going up a MUP.

Having only recently completed my first imperial century, I'm going for 200k (128 miles) this coming Saturday. Wish me luck.

+1. And it's not becuz I don't want to compete. But everytime I try to be a two-wheeled stud, my body breaks into little pieces, teaching my ego one more lesson in humility.

Well, that leaves me out:rolleyes:

I don't have a garmin, otherwise I'd play on the last two.

I should have added that I don't feel even the slightest impulse or desire to do an Imperial Century. With the necessary stops included, that would take at least 12 hours - the last 8-9 being brutal. Why would I want to do that to myself?

Even if someone found a course where the entire 100 miles were downhill, I would still decline.

What!??!

You mean you are out of the running for the lead role in the sequel, "The 64 year old Virgin?"

Ok, I'll play!

Last summer I did at least one 40 miler, not sure because between not remembering to start my odometer, not remembering to start my odometer, or I forget what else, I'm not that sure of the exact mileages. I know I did some 50's after my senior year in high school.

I'm not looking at when the birthday ride will occur, but I do have a program of progressive distance for training. This year I'm focusing on endurance and aerobics. Joe Friel, next season you are mine!!!

Being 53, I'll probably hit it before July 14. Bday is July 13.

Actually considering the Event is July 14, I should hit the 50s by July 6.

But, here's this summer's plan:

July 14, ride the 62 mile One Helluva Ride from Chelsea, MI to Hell, MI and back -- first metric.

September 9, ride the Horizontal Hundred in Findlay, Ohio as my first century.

Perhaps the Apple Cider Century a week or two after.

Probably the Blue Water Ramble, crossing the Detroit River into Canada and back - swimming with bike not recommended.

So there!

Mrs. Road Fan has agreed to participate and will as usual probably kick my butt again, especially if I buy her a new bike instead of a new watch!

Being now a serious poseur, I have to ask, what color socks do I need for each of the above events?

Road Fan
Michigan

I don't have a Garmin - you'll just have to trust me....

In February the cardiologist told me I have a defective aortic valve, but that with exercise and modern pharmacology I can avoid surgery for at least a couple of years. So I dug my bikes out of the shed and started commuting (8 miles round trip).

A couple of weeks ago I started training for longer distances by ridilng my 80's Panasonic road bike 26 miles - the length of a marathon. The following week the Panasonic was down for repair (broken rear axle) so I rode 30 miles on my '01 Giant Cypress. It was a little tougher, but I survived it. This Saturday I took the Panasonic on a 40 miler that was pretty brutal (20-30 mph winds, a flat, and some knee problems) but I made it. You can see the route on TopoRoute.

Next weekend I'm in the Tour de Burma, a 66 mile race/tour (I'll be touring, thank you - no competitive juices here). This will get me a ride greater than my age and a metric century in one glorious day. I can hardly wait!

Hopefully, before the year's out I'll do an imperial century and then a 200K. I've already stocked up on ibuprofen...

c~

One good thing about getting old. If I actually complete the ride my age I will have nabbed the metric century at the same time.

No Garmin here...but did my age about three weeks ago (56), then did the metric century a week ago. Shooting for the imperial century in early August. Routinely do 20-30 miles (but it's all flat) two or three times a week with my wife.

A metric AGE??

Does that make me 41?

I challenge you to do a BINARY age. For me, that would be:

1,000,011.

But for someone a mere 50, it would only be

110,010.

I'm 60. I decided to get back into bicycles after about fifteen years off. I bought one of those new fancy, carbon road bikes. I've had it for a little over three weeks (and I was away on business one of those weeks). Friday was my fifth ride. I did 30.2 miles (as recorded on my Garmin 305). :eek: It kicked my butt. :o It will be a few months (maybe more) before I do 60 miles. :o

@TWL-ever check your e-mail?? Anyway, you will definitely reach your mileage goal before I reach mine, especially since I don't have one! My only goal is to keep the pedals turning for as long as I find the sport enjoyable, and to keep myself in some sort of physical condition. And of course, to annoy all the OCP roadsters by putting "freestyle" pedals (if that's the term we'ere using for mtb platforms with traction pins) on my road bike, and wearing regular shorts and a wicking t-shirt (which of course don't match) with my tennis shoes, while riding the RENO. If that doesn't work, may have to resort to the Camelbak Mule! Well, I guess I do have one goal--to have FUN while riding, and if I can't achieve that, well, guess I'll hang it up and get a motorcycle again (or learn to ride one of the horses).
BTW-looking at the timeline on your posts--do you ever sleep??

Last Saturday (June 2nd), I rode the Sierra Century - 95 miles, with around 11,000 feet of steep climbing in the gold country near Angel's Camp, California (home of Mark Twain's tale of jumping frogs).

At 54 years old, I rode it on a standard double (53/39, 12-25). I had wanted to put on a 12-27 cassette to give me some lower gearing, but the cassette got backordered (doh!).

No GPS proof (though it probably wouldn't have worked well under heavy tree cover and deep canyons anyway).

FWIW, I've been a road rider for 10 years now, and was a mountain biker for 5 years before that. I've found that if you get out there on the bike consistently, and just keep setting goals that are a little harder than the ones you've done before, your body will respond to the challenges.

So...to all you folks just starting out - keep those pedals turning, and never stop. In a couple years, you'll be amazed at what you can do.

And, if any BF'ers are in northern California on June 16th, I'm leading a self-supported century ride around Mt. Lassen that day. It's 104 miles, with almost 10,000 feet of climbing. Photos and route map here. IM me if you're interested in doing this ride.

Great ride. On Versus TV Cyclism yesterday, the second to last stage of the Giro d'Italia had a climb that was 20% stated as the most difficult of the race. The pros used 39/29 to climb it. It looked to me that they were spinning at rates similar to other climbs all be it with more pronounced body movement.

Competitive? Me? No, not really but I do wonder if I could or should be doing more...
Don't have a Garmin, either but I am working toward riding 50, my age, and -maybe- a metric century. Dunno. Don't really have a desire to do a full century but check with me a year from now.

I saw that coverage...I don't think I'd ever seen the pros climbing so slowly. And coming so late in the stage, that must have really put the hurt on those guys.

As for my ride...it's fortunate that I like climbing out of the saddle. With the gears I had, sitting and spinning was not an option on the steeper pitches. There were several times when I looked down at my speedometer, and saw that I was going less than 5 mph!

As it turned out, the 12-27 cassette arrived on Saturday...the day I really needed it!

Having ridden a number of centuries (imperial) since my 60th birthday (I'm now 661/2) in GA, and flat and hilly parts of FL I've decided I know I can do it in 6-7hr and anything over about 70 miles is not too enjoyable, so I'm not going to do any more.
This year I started out at 600 miles per month for the first four months and I thought I would do 5,000 this year, but a couple of weeks ago I had rotator cuff surgery which has set me back. Bugger!! I might try riding this evening, but the shoulder is a constant ache and a pain at night. Aaaaah, the best laid plans etc.

As for 39X29 (36 gear inches) and spinning up that 20% mountain, it really shows how incredibly fit and strong these guys are. Those were the days.................

Did my age last year and will probably do a metric this year, heck it's only 4 miles more than my age. But as far as an imperial goes, I do not have a saddle or a bike for that matter that I want between my legs for that long.

New bike and CF at that- wheres the pics? Has to be in front of the garage, unless you are like me and the garage isn't wide enough,(See attachment) and then you can borrow someone elses to cheat with.



As to doing these long rides- They take a lot of building up to. I still do them but find them not so much a challenge nowadays. I prefer to take in a hill or two--or 5. Luckily-I started on these long rides long before I became eligible for this forum, so have got used to them. Now if the challenge would be to do it on a recumbent or a Brooks- Then I would decline. The body and the butt would not take it.

If I ride my age (52) in kilometers, it's about 32 miles. I'm taking every edge I can get!

As to riding 110,010, I'll do mine in feet, that's 20.835 miles.

Yesterday with my 18 year old son I did the Toronto Ride for Heart 75 km course. The actual course by gmap-pedometer.com was 76.8 km, but adding riding to and from the car, we rode exactly 80 km = 49.6 miles, in about 4 hours. That's my longest one day ride but I certainly could have done a lot more in an all day event. And we did it on 2" knobby tires.

I'll have to look for an opportunity to ride a metric sesquicentury, which may or may not be approximately correct hybrid Anglo-Latin terminology for 160 km, or 100 miles.