Mr. Beanz

What is the one ride this year that 'Sticks Out' among the rest? I think the ride that sticks out in my mind in 2007 was a solo ride up 39,lil GMR to the Village then back the same way. I had never ridden up that direction before till I did the Bloat Ride. After doing a couple of forum rides on that rt., I decided to do it alone but return via EF and 39. The ride was 70'ish miles. I remember thinking EF and 39 were going to be all downhill. I was surprised. Who put uphills on the downhill? But I think the most punishing part of that ride was the unexpected winds on the roads I had underestimated.

Big GMR had been closed during construction that day. I was expecting to see other cyclist up there but only managed to see one other. It was a long isolated ride. Thought it would never end! I'm not really sure why, but this ride just stick in my head!

merider1

It's at tie:

Hemet and Sea to Summit.

Hemet was the toughest mentally (and being a double, the miles added to this) and without my ride partner being there, I would have quit.

Sea to Summit was the hardest physically (and with the climbing involved, this added to the difficulty) but the most rewarding, and without my ride partner being there for me and me for my ride partner, we both might have quit.

Sea to Summit wins as my favorite. I put lots of hair on my chest with that one and proved something to myself. I also rode with one of my favorite ride partners who doesn't sugar coat it and "gets it" in the same way I do with respect to the ride "experience." I think that synergy, if you will, was the perfect combination for a ride like that.

umd

Isn't it a bit early to be reflecting on the year? More than two months left! I should probably say Everest Challenge, but honestly the first thing that popped into my head was doing the Grand Tour the day after my food poisoning... It took me about a month to recover from that.

merider1

Yes, and no. I think the Doubles are winding down. I realize Steve that EVERY ride you do is epic and that you'll probably put in 200 miles on Christmas day. But the rest of us mortals are entering less aggressive ride days until January. I do have the Tour de Francis coming up that will kick my butt, but other than that, I can't imagine anything coming close to Sea to Summit for me.

efficiency

They've all blended together. None really sticks out that much.

Happytime

My first century in March or April. And the PV ride with thomson and M.E. and the chili spaghetti afterwards. Can't remember the last time I laughed so hard or so long.

DaveSANYYZ

Stagecoach at the start of the year. I think that's why I now have a small collection of winter cycling gear. I'm going to sign up again next year hoping I can beat it w/o limping to the finish line.

TrevorInSoCal

Looking back on it, I actually had quite a few good rides/races this season. It's hard to pin down a favorite, but Kokopelli Trail Race, and Cascade Cream Puff would definitely be in the running for highlights of my season.

Both were really tough, but in slightly different ways.

Kokopelli Trail Race was an unsactioned, unsupported (in fact the governing rule of the race is: *no outside assistance*), mountain bike race running the length the Kokopelli Trail from Fruita, CO to Moab, UT. 142 mi. on a singlespeed mountain bike. ~18 hrs. One of the hardest things I've done on a bike, but it was a frickin' incredible ride.

Cascade Cream Puff is a 100 mile mtn. bike rice in Oakridge/Westfir, OR. 100 mi. 18k ft. of climbing over three laps on an incredible course. Some of the best singletrack I've ridden. That one took a little over 12 hrs, but it was a *hard* 12 horus. I also went home with an unwelcome souvenir from that one, in the form of nasty poison oak rash all over the place. Took at least a couple weeks for that to go away.

Then there was a non-race ride/hike trip that me and a couple friends took in the local mountains. We left Redlands at 10:30 p.m. and rode mountain bikes from Redlands up to the old South Fork Trailhead, at the top of Poop Out rd. Arrived at the trailhead around dawn, and summitted San Gorgonio peak, on foot, via Dollar Lake Trail. Returned via Dry Lake trail, and then climbed back on the bikes and rode home to Redlands, on the Santa Ana River Trail. Don't remember the mileage or vertical gain #s, for that one, but it took around 17 hours. We weren't going at race-pace, so it wasn't quite as grueling as KTR or the Creampuff, but it was a long night/day, and a hell of a lot of fun.

And of course there's Everest Challenge. But there's little I can add, that others probably hadn't already said about that one. It's definitely a tough one. Actually, I think Everest Challenge might be the toughest of all of them, mentally, just because I don't find grinding along on pavement quite as *fun* as a trail or dirt road out in the woods. I enjoy the challenge, but I don't get quite the same high on a road-bike that I do on my mountain bike, out in the middle of nowhere.

So, yeah, I had pretty good season.

merider1

Well, now, if we're going to go by the fun times...that was one of my favorites too. I must say, through Bike Forums, I've met so many wonderful people. I had many great rides this year based on the company alone (and the chili spaghetti ).

I look forward to 2008!

jpconrad

The Central Coast Double was the hardest and most painful for me, it took me weeks to recover.

The Easter Sierra Double was probably the one I enjoyed the most, though.

Seamus

Cool Breeze Century. My first time riding 100 miles in a day. Natch.

Jim

VanceMac

We'll have to agree to disagree on that one! Fighting headwinds, solo, on a rough road with big canyon-sized cracks every 18 inches (on my tooth-jarring aluminum frame). Aside from that, though, I'll agree with you.

DanteB

Taking an hour off of my triple time I think is the one that sticks out the most.

jschen

I'm not sure. Either Breathless Agony or my Pie Ride today.

jpconrad

I have already forgotten that part, willingly.

vertical bob

Horseshoe Meadows and Whitney Portal.

Entropy906

My most memorable ride too. Does it count as one ride if I stopped for lunch in between? If not then just Horseshoe Meadows.

vertical bob

Mandatory lunch stop..I had mine on the tailgate of a pickup at the campground. Oh, and don't forget a large coke.

herbm

Dave...Mark andI are doing Stagecoach in April this time....January is just too cold...even with winter gear..

Entropy906

I just went to that pizza place in Lone Pine but yours sounds much better.

efficiency

Trevor, those MTB rides sound brutal. How long was the hiking portion up to San Gorgonio?

Shnuddy

Solvang Century in March, my first organized century ride.

(Hey! Who rotated the smilies?!?)

redal

Barrio Logan Grand Prix. This the state criterium championships. I have always enjoyed this race. It is an awesome technical course in an area of San Diego. Part of what makes it so cool is the support that the barrio shows for the race. I had good form last year and was taken out by another rider and unable to continue about half way in to the race. This year it was not one of my priority races but I had a reason to want to ride well. Early into the race a promising break went that I was able to follow. After about a lap I looked around and saw the five other guys that were there and I knew that I made the winning move. I was hoping for a top five and figured that with the guys that were there I would be lucky to get it. Oh well, I thought, sixth at the state championships is pretty good. Two of the guys in the break were professionals, so if I could at least beat one of the other cat 1s, I could medal (pros are inelgible for state champ. medals). The pace was very fast and suddenly two of the guys were out the back, including one of the pros. Now I knew that I would at least get the top five I hoped for and would for sure medal. When we came into the last lap it was obvious that the remaining pro was riding to help his brother get the state championship jersey. I chose what I thought was my best option and rode smart enough to beat the other guy in the break and get 3rd place in the race and the silver medal for the state championships.
That was my most memorable race. I remember most of my rides since I enjoy them. Even days like today, riding four hours in the mountains in the howling wind.

jsigone

prolly my 1st time playing catch up on the GMR ride was great, 2nd catchup ride just kicked my butt, was having a bad day on the bike.

TrevorInSoCal

I'm not sure about the total round-trip time. Was about 4 hours to the summit. I would guess 2 1/2 - 3 hrs. back down to the bikes, as we were moving at a pretty good clip on the return hike, and didn't take any breaks on the way down. On the way up we took a 15 minute or so break, about halfway up, and probably one or two 5 minute breaks.