Seattle Forrest

Hi,

I've been riding a road bike for years, until a bad accident a few months ago. I spent about three months off the bike (but ran for two of them) and now have a GT Grade.

For a few years now, I've been wanting to ride to Slate Peak. It will be a scenic and challenging ride, and I've spent a lot of time backpacking from the top of the road so this will be especially meaningful for me. The Mazama Store seems like the natural starting point, which means I'll ride about 20 miles to the top. Almost half (?) of it is paved, and mostly flat, then it becomes a dirt road. It's mostly hard packed dirt, with potholes, and rocks embedded in the road surface, and I think the very end is looser gravel. Over the last 10 miles or so, on dirt, I'll gain 5,600+ feet of elevation. Here is a ride report, and the route on Strava.

I'd love to hear any advice anybody has for me. I'm concerned about the fitness I've lost. I don't have much experience riding on dirt. I'm used to not carrying much as a roadie and not sure what to bring beyond lunch, a light jacket, and a water filter. I don't want to carry much to the top and know of two year-round creeks to drink from. The road will probably be closed (snow) until June or July, I'd like to go when it opens because the surrounding peaks will all be snow-capped; failing that I'd go in October when the larches turn gold.

Does anybody have any advice on how I should prepare? I'll be doing the obvious: ride lots of dirt roads as they melt out, and as much uphill as I can. Hoping for more specific advice than that, mostly on the technical side and how to regain enough fitness and endurance in time.

Thanks.

jonpear6

Holy hell. That ride report alone gave me a fear of heights just from reading. As a recent transplant from Utah to Seattle, I have to do this ride. Yet, I too feel my overall fitness level is lacking for 21 miles and 5600ft of climbing. Wow.

A similar ride I have done in Utah is about 7 miles and 1000ft short of being equal -- Guardsman Pass. It is a similar road surface and similar in steepness. I was able to finish the ride in poor fitness. It took a lot of mental effort, a little vomit (sorry, if TMI) and just finding a gear on each grade that I knew I could spin for a long, long time. Doing rides on roads like this in Utah (see Crusher in the Tushar) required some drivetrain mods.

Looking at the GT Grade models, it looks well suited for this ride, except I would buy a smaller ring for up front. 34-32 just would be a bit much for me to climb 20%+ grades. I am a clyde, however.

TimothyH

My advice is to do hill intervals. Climb 8 minutes at a steady pace on a hill with constant grade. Spin down the hill easy, do it again twice.

Use a heart rate monitor if you can. You will have to test your lactic threshold and then keep your heart rate at 95% to 98% of lactic threshold when you do the intervals. If you can't train with heart rate then just do intervals as best you can by feel. It should hurt but not kill you. Keep going up at a steady pace. You will get more fit.

I wouldn't drink from a creek with just a filter. Filters don't kill Guardia and that stuff is nasty. You need Aqua Mira. Or just carry water like everyone else in the world does.

justin1138

Climbing up a dirt road isn't all that different from a paved one. You'd probably want a wider tire with lower pressure for better traction, but climbing is climbing. Descending a dirt road can be an all together different experience. Don't forget to get comfortable going down as well as up.

As for the rest, June is a long way off. If you're riding regularly from now until then, I'd imagine you'll be fine. These kinds of rides are more mental than anything.

Seattle Forrest

Thanks for the replies everybody, I really appreciate the thoughts and advice!

Any suggestions on tires?

Thanks. I have an HRM and a power meter. I haven't tested my LTHR, do you have an idea what that would be in % FTP terms?

I'm trying to just rack up a bunch of uphill in the meantime, get appropriate recovery, and lose some weight. I've lost a bit lately but I think I can shed another 10 lbs by summer.

I've also got a Sawyer Mini water filter, and complete confidence in it. I've been backpacking with it for a couple years now, I hiked across the North Cascades twice with one. The thing weighs about 2 oz, water is heavy, and bringing more than two bottles would be a pain.

You know, the scenery helps a great deal. Takes my mind off the pain.

I don't want to derail this thread, so I'm going to send you a PM with some places you've got to check out.

jonpear6

Sorry I didn't respond to any PM's. Still a few posts short of earning that right. Thank you. If you ever head to Utah, bring your GT. Lots of wonderful gravel rides all over the state.

I thought I had replied to the tire question. I would say my 2 favorites are the Clement XPlor MSO and the Bruce Gordon Rock n Road. Both are in the 40c range, the Clement being smalled. Both roll well on pavement and gravel, the rock'n'road being better in looser gravel IMO.

Counterbalance Cycles in Laurelhurst as well as Free Range Cycles in Fremont both have wonderful selections of gravel appropraite tires. Where in WA are you located? Also, which ride would be closest to the enchantments? The wife and I are planning on hiking there post-busy season for me (After Oct. 15th)

Seattle Forrest

Thanks for the tire and shop recommendations! I'll check Free Range Cycles out, actually I think I rode by them last night but they were closed at the time, now I know where to go back to.

Closest ride to the Enchantments would be Icicle River Road, it's a fantastic ride, and it'll give you a glimpse of what you'll be getting into. You can drive out for a day ride and park (free, legal) at the Leavenworth Park and Ride in the middle of town on US 2. Important: they just extended the permit period up there, it's now May 1 to October 31.