Today I was the Nail
#1
Let's do a Century
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: North Carolina
Posts: 8,316
Bikes: Cervelo R3 Disc, Pinarello Prince/Campy SR; Cervelo R3/Sram Red; Trek 5900/Duraace, Lynskey GR260 Ultegra
Mentioned: 59 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 651 Post(s)
Liked 879 Times
in
408 Posts
Today I was the Nail
The 10 penny variety where it takes several solid strikes to get it flushly driven into a dense piece of hardwood. And that was okay, I guess.
It was an organized 62 miler with 100+ riders and the half life of the group was probably 9-10 miles. By 20 miles we were down to about 20 riders. By 30 miles we had averaged around 24 mph and it was down to 10-12. We started to hit some pretty good hills that made me wish I hadn't done the 50+ miles the day before trading pulls with some of the local tandems. Three or four of us got really nailed on a longish steepish hill and dropped off the group-or rather they rode off without us! At least there were enough riders left to trade pulls for the rest of the ride and we were still able to finish in less than 3 hours for an average around 22 mph.
While I didn't crash I could emphathize with LA seeing riders easing off ahead and unable to do anything about it.
It was an organized 62 miler with 100+ riders and the half life of the group was probably 9-10 miles. By 20 miles we were down to about 20 riders. By 30 miles we had averaged around 24 mph and it was down to 10-12. We started to hit some pretty good hills that made me wish I hadn't done the 50+ miles the day before trading pulls with some of the local tandems. Three or four of us got really nailed on a longish steepish hill and dropped off the group-or rather they rode off without us! At least there were enough riders left to trade pulls for the rest of the ride and we were still able to finish in less than 3 hours for an average around 22 mph.
While I didn't crash I could emphathize with LA seeing riders easing off ahead and unable to do anything about it.
__________________
Ride your Ride!!
Ride your Ride!!
#2
Banned.
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Post-partisan Paradise
Posts: 4,938
Bikes: GF Wahoo '05, Trek T1000 '04, Lemond Buenos Aires '07
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 7 Times
in
2 Posts
Those other riders should be ashamed of themselves for crushing your soul like that. Heck, they might have hurt your feelings and/or damaged your sense of self-esteem. Boys can be so cruel sometimes.
Greg Lemond has always said if they cleaned up the sport you'd see a lot more drama, and would see immortals start getting shelled out the back.
PS: I mistook you for Hermes or I wouldn't have snarked like that. However, I hate to erase perfectly good irony so I'll leave the remark. But it was directed at Hermes. Humility would be good for his soul.
Sorry you got crushed. It was probably the weather, that and the possiblity that everyone else was doping.
Greg Lemond has always said if they cleaned up the sport you'd see a lot more drama, and would see immortals start getting shelled out the back.
PS: I mistook you for Hermes or I wouldn't have snarked like that. However, I hate to erase perfectly good irony so I'll leave the remark. But it was directed at Hermes. Humility would be good for his soul.
Sorry you got crushed. It was probably the weather, that and the possiblity that everyone else was doping.
#3
Artificial Member
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Cyberspace
Posts: 7,158
Bikes: Retrospec Judd, Dahon Boardwalk, Specialized Langster
Mentioned: 31 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 6766 Post(s)
Liked 5,478 Times
in
3,223 Posts
Tandems should do all the pulling. They got twice the power, right? And one rider is always sheltered...
Sounds like it was a pretty fast group. If I remember accurately the 6th stage Friday was running about 24mph for the first 70 miles or so.
Sounds like it was a pretty fast group. If I remember accurately the 6th stage Friday was running about 24mph for the first 70 miles or so.
__________________
#4
ES&D
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Roadieville, USA
Posts: 1,377
Bikes: 3Rensho, Merlin XL, Melton custom, Michael Johnson tandem, Look 481SL, Pedal Force RS
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
How do you get 100+ riders on a hammerfest, on a Monday?! Do people not work on Mondays anymore? Have we become part of Europe? Is it August already?
I *hate* when that happens. And it's always like it's in slo-mo, too...
I could emphathize with LA seeing riders easing off ahead and unable to do anything about it.
#5
Version 7.0
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: SoCal
Posts: 13,127
Bikes: Too Many
Mentioned: 297 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1340 Post(s)
Liked 2,482 Times
in
1,457 Posts
Those other riders should be ashamed of themselves for crushing your soul like that. Heck, they might have hurt your feelings and/or damaged your sense of self-esteem. Boys can be so cruel sometimes.
Greg Lemond has always said if they cleaned up the sport you'd see a lot more drama, and would see immortals start getting shelled out the back.
Greg Lemond has always said if they cleaned up the sport you'd see a lot more drama, and would see immortals start getting shelled out the back.
PS: I mistook you for Hermes or I wouldn't have snarked like that. However, I hate to erase perfectly good irony so I'll leave the remark. But it was directed at Hermes. Humility would be good for his soul.
Sorry you got crushed. It was probably the weather, that and the possiblity that everyone else was doping.
Mistaken identity...we all make mistakes some more than others.
You definitely need to HTFU and get on the CRH's wheel to release some of your frustration.
#7
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Indiana
Posts: 128
Bikes: Felt Z85
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
I am for the Dos Equis. It will help me on my quest for my first road bike at age 67 LOL. Or not but I think i will give it a try.
#9
Banned.
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Post-partisan Paradise
Posts: 4,938
Bikes: GF Wahoo '05, Trek T1000 '04, Lemond Buenos Aires '07
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 7 Times
in
2 Posts
Do it. Do it now. Buy the bike. Ride the bike. Drink Dos Equis. Rinse. Repeat.
#10
Banned
I got hammered yesterday too, not by the Dos Equis variety , but by going home uphill into a headwind with a heavy load of groceries from shopping after work.