Long Tom

Ok, I know how deeply and heartfelt-adly my plight had touched you, the empathy-filled denizens of the 41. So I thought I'd report back.

Drove over to Joshua Tree yesterday to visit an old friend so I didn't ride. This morning I took the bike out and did a solo loop at 18.9 mph. That's .7 mph faster than when my brother spanked me (and I was DYING to hold 18.2 that time) and I topped the little rat bastid's best time (from yesterday, he rode solo) by .3 mph.

Order is restored.

Now we can push each other and should "easily" get up into the mid 19's or low 20's. Ironically since this is such a... decadent.... resort, there's NO Strava segment been saved for it. So we will set a KOM and then the security guards will keep the unwashed masses from attacking it, in this gated community! That cracks me the F up.

It is a cruel burden lifted from my po' little psyche. It was very disturbing having him pull away and be quite literally blowing up trying to keep pace but not able to. I may need to get some counseling. My little self-esteemer got bruised. Perhaps some PTSD.

On some demented big-brother torture level, where pure eeevil rules, such as when I tricked him into sitting on an anthill when we were kids, I am tempted to push his brake calipers over so that they are dragging hard for our next ride. Heh heh.

Astrozombie

I'm gonna buy you one of those "Cali" sweaters

Which ducks are you talking about TC?

Long Tom

Me? The Oregon Ducks of course! I are a alumni!

wphamilton

Is anyone setting BF odds on the head to head brother matchup? What about an over/under?

Long Tom

The sum***** is 4.5 years younger and quit drinking 6 months ago. Cheater.

caloso

You know how you can tell that someone is an out-of-stater by the way they say OR-EE-GONE? Same deal with "Cali."

Long Tom

Haha.... I getcha.....

You ride with Matt Jacobs perchance...?

Well, little bro and I ran 'em. I dropped him early and ended up a couple hundred yards ahead at the end. BOOM! Averaged 19.7 mph so I have my work cut out for me (20 mph is in reach).

Pretty darn sure I put out less watts than I did to average 18.2 mph on that miserable brake-dragging ride. Pretty funny. I am constantly reminded that yep, I'm an idiot!

Rowan

I am too embarrassed to tell the story about putting the front wheel in Machka's bike and setting off on a randonnee, and finding quite a few miles into it why she was huffing and puffing so much. No, that story stays in the vault...

But kudos, Tom, if you are riding like that with an auto-immune issue.

Rowan

C'mon, let's see who's go the better dope, Big Boy!

2 wheeler

garciawork

According to my observation, "Cali Man" is in reference to a person who sells drugs, nothing to do with California.

aaronmcd

I've been in "Cali" for 2.5 years, and it wasn't until last week that I learned I wasn't supposed to call it that.

Long Tom

My bro and I did the Tramway climb out of Palm Springs today. Wow! That bad boy will get your attention:

https://www.toughascent.com/blog/2010...erial-tramway/

https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...mb-Ride-Report

I'm not gonna lie, I had to stop and blow about 1/3 mile from the top. I'm also not gonna lie- my brother had to do the Walk of Shame the last half-mile or so!

I may do it again in a few days. I'm still sick, and not at 100%. I *think* if I was at full strength I could do it without the stop. Today, I was feeling woozy in addition to being pretty well blown up, and that combined with the overheating transmission and brake fumes from the cars had me getting a little "detached-feeling" from the ol' mortal coil. A couple minutes to recover and I hit that last 14+ grade in relative style. But that's a tough climb right there. Me and my brudda:



In his defense, his bike's cassette wasn't ideal for climbing. Snork.

BigJeff

While you are in Palm Desert, ride up Pines to Palms Highway (HWY 74)... long and slow up but worth it for the ride back down.

https://www.google.com/maps/preview#...9!4m2!13m1!1e3

YOJiMBO20

Did you at least know not to call San Francisco "Frisco"?

Silvercivic27

Tom, great picture. Thanks for sharing. It's great that you're able to share some quality time with your family.

dralways

I do enjoy reading your ride reports, LT, and this thread has been particularly interesting. Ugh, shorts and a tee like it's springtime? So jealous! I'm just lucky to get out at all in this cold and when I do I'm too cold to give enough effort to reach those types of speeds. I'm wondering though, what type of distance/elevation are you and your little brother seeing on these 18+ mph races? (Congrats on showing him up even though he looks a bit more fit than you in that picture lol.)

I was just wondering since this last summer I was doing 18-21mph 3-400ft elevation rides with no warmup. Now it takes me an hour just to warmup in this cold! Anyway, nice to see someone is still out having fun this winter..

P. S. As long as you didn't have to walk your bike even for a half foot on that huge grade, that's all that really matters the end of the day. If I were in your shoes I'd be sure to never, ever let the little brother forget the events of today.

Long Tom

It woulda been an easier climb if I hadn't had to haul that extra chin up the !$&*+ mountain..... lol...

himespau 

It's about time you loosen his spokes up a little bit.

Long Tom

I see you have younger siblings?

He leaves tomorrow so our bike fun together is done and I'm back to solo riding. I think maybe I just made another roadie. He'll probably wipe the asphalt with me next time we ride.

Long Tom

It's around 5 miles, and gently rolling terrain, but wīndy enough to make you slow down a bit for some of the corners. Plus 6-8 stop signs to blow through- usually one will require a real slowdown.

But the message? I'm not fast.

aaronmcd

Ew! Yes! But I was surprised that they just call it "the city" in the entire Bay Area. First time someone said that I asked which city. Derp.

himespau 

My wife and some of her family call it that. In my head, I'm like, first off, no one calls it that. Secondly, even if that was its nickname, you haven't even been there and only people who live in a city can call it by its nickname without sounding obviously out of place.

Long Tom

How about San Fran?

dralways

How about hell on earth? Yup, sounds about right.