Rick@OCRR

I got to the base of Sierra on DMD at about dusk last year. I had about 150 miles and 15,000 feet of climbing on my legs before Sierra Road. I found it to be an absolutely brutal climb; in my 34x32 the whole way up. Sometimes standing, sometimes sitting; seemed to last an eternity. Total dark by the time I hit the summit.

This year I've been doing the Ski-Lift climb at Mt. Baldy to prepare for Sierra Road. My thinking is Sierra is like Mt.Baldy Ski-Lifts twice. Is that about right? Or did it only feel like that? I didn't find Mines and Hamilton all that bad. Patterson Pass was bad because of the fierce headwinds; had to track-stand to stay up when a couple of really strong gusts hit me.

Did the fairly easy Solvang Double last Saturday. Very cold in the morning (Garmin had 36.7 Deg.F.) but nice once the sun came up. We had a slight headwind (okay, a bit more than slight) going into Morro Bay on the 101 but a great tail-wind all the way to the finish. Rolled into Buellton about 6:40 PM after adding enough bonus miles to get a 200 mile total.

Rick / OCRR

anotherbrian

I rode it on a recumbent in 2013, and if you factor out the 30min at the summit of Diablo fixing a broken chain, the 60min I spent at the Junction waiting to get SAG'd before giving up and continuing on, and the 90min at Crouthers doing the same thing, had a reasonable pace. I ended up bailing on the ride at Sunol as penance for even starting the ride (I'd been sick prior, and decided to go and just ride as far as I felt like it).

I rode up Sierra on the recumbent in a 26x34 ... that was low enough I could ride a straight line up, though definitely wasn't fast. Saturday I rode my roadbike and used a 34x34 and rode a straight line seated, almost all the way to the top. Then I started tacking across my lane, then across the whole road, and then thankfully I was at the top.

I'd wanted to do the Stage Race this year since it is local, but that won't happen without DMD ... so I guess I won't rule out riding it just yet and go ride some hill repeats until I can figure it out.

Rick@OCRR

I rode DMD for the first time in 2014 and am going for it again this year. I was simply not prepared for the cold Sat. night/ Sun. morning. This year I will send warm clothes to Pet the Goat and Sunol. Fortunately, another rider (Peg Miller) loaned me some clothes since she'd sent too many to Pet the Goat but she's not riding this year so I have to pack my own warm clothes!

So yes, 2014 DMD was an "educational experience" and I hope to do better than my 22 hour/ 15 mn. finishing time from last year. Maybe I'll see you there.

Rick / OCRR

Lesper4

For those of you training for the KOM there is a overly hard ride this Saturday (harder then Breathless Agony) starting at the ranger station at the corner of Mill Creek/39 and Bryant Street. You can do as many of the climbs as you wish or do all of them (Oak Glen twice, Forest Falls, Angelus Oaks, Jenks Lake, Onyx Summit). It is self supported but there are places to refuel, roughly 100 miles and 13,000ft.

Lesper4

So who is doing all three KOM rides? I am now contemplating it became I am doing 2 of the 3. Who is Doing Heard Break Double?

jsigone

no KOMs here, I'm still training for waffles...soon I will swap out these 23c for more volume

Lesper4

That is a pretty hard ride?

jsigone

iduno never done it, was signed up for it last yr but my bike & I totaled a car couple weeks before the event.

This year is supposed to be harder (is that possible? and sold out in 3days) 139miles, 14 or so dirt segments, 12-14k vertical, unknown how much of that will be on dirt/gravel/singletracks. Hell we don't even know the course yet!! Its somewhere in North San Diego, that is all i know and it might hurt some.

jsigone

more dirt training, my version of the cobbles....aka mine field!!

jsigone

another weekend of fun including 30+ miles on dirt

Lesper4

That dirt does not look very fun on a road bike.

Here is MC, it was tough but I improved my time and sets bests even on a harder course. Three more weeks is BA.
https://www.strava.com/activities/283581133

jsigone

wicked ride!!!

anotherbrian

I'll be there Rick ... one of at least three recumbents. I'll end up being slower on the climbs, but I'm guaranteed not to DNF because the seat was uncomfortable.

Potential for rain is annoying, but I'd rather spend the day riding in cool weather than blistering heat.

See ya there.

Rick@OCRR

I prefer the heat but I actually ride better in the cold. Not too fond of rain either, but I can do it. Should be a fun event thanks to the Quacks support. Will probably see you out there!

Rick / OCRR

Lesper4

Hey Rick you are on one of the revolving pictures on the pass lake Double website.
basslakedouble.com - Home

Breathless Agony this Saturday!

anotherbrian

I take back everything I said about riding in cool weather vs. blistering heat for the DMD. Dayum that sucked.

At at least this year the knee pain didn't kick in until Mines Rd and I knew I could back off and ride with it, though it slowed my already feeble uphill speed on the recumbent even more. At least I placed first in the recumbent division -- oh, wait ... As far as I know the other recumbents DNS'd and DNF'd.

Officially in in training for the Terrible Two on the road bike now. Almost two months to get my rear toughened up should be enough.

Rick@OCRR

True Lesper4, I've seen that on there for about a year now. Bass Lake is a fun and relatively easy double.

Yes, hopefully see you on Breathless Agony!

Rick / OCRR

Rick@OCRR

Yes, the cold was bad but this year I was ready for that! I made it to mile 181 but my back pain kicked in about half way up Sierra Road. By Pet
the Goat I could barely steer the bike . . . but I kept fighting it. By Sonol I was hopeless, couldn't keep the bike on the road. So I DNF'd there and Kitty gave me a ride back to the hotel.

I need to go back to doing my PT exercises (have already started, once I got back) to get my back better for Breathless Agony and Eastern Sierra. I thought I had the back thing cured . . . but now I realize it will never be "cured" and I'll just have to deal with it (more PT!) if I want to keep riding.

Rick / OCRR

Lesper4

After my accident I did PT for a while and my shoulder (AC separation) got better but it still causes me discomfort so I imagine at some point PT will become daily excursive to keep the discomfort/pain away as I get older. What is the cause of your back pain Rick?

Lesper4

Awesome weekend in the mountains for the KOM ride #3
https://app.strava.com/activities/296959390

Lesper4

So did everyone enjoy the TOC! I sure did. Last week was David Double and this week is Heartbreak Double (I will be there), the following week is Eastern Sierra (I will be volunteering).

anotherbrian

Terrible Two is the next double for me. I was considering Eastern Sierra, but will ride the Sierra Double (_Metric_, boo hoo) Century with friends instead. I really need saddle time on my road bike for the TT, and had I ridden ESD it would have been easy-mode on the recumbent. Sierra Century is probably the closest thing to the TT (heat, steep hills) for an organized ride, so I'm hoping it'll be good training.

Lesper4

Never heard of that one, it looks nice! But not as nice as ESD!

Rick@OCRR

The root cause was a crash about 15 years ago that never really healed correctly. As a result, my right arm is about 5mm shorter than my left. So . . . as I was just riding along (with my brake/shifter hoods even) my back had to twist to compensate. No problem on short rides, but serious problems on doubles. Besides the pain, the bike starts to lean pretty dramatically (I estimate a 15 Degree angle) and I have trouble keeping the bike on the road (wants to drift into the oncoming traffic lane).

I went to a PT who is also a bike fitter; he spotted the problem, moved my right brake/shifter hood 5mm closer than the left. Plus, when I was on the drops, I put my right hand at the end of the bar and my left a bit (try for 5mm!) further forward. He also gave me two pages of exercises to do on a regular basis, plus rolling my back on a foam roll. That seemed to solve the problem.

On Devil Mountain 2015, first, I hadn't been doing my PT exercises on a regular basis. Second, I was riding on the tops of the bars a lot when climbing with my hands on the tops there is no compensation for my different arm lengths. Those two aspects combined did me in.

Since then, I have been doing my exercises and trying to keep myself from riding on the tops of the bars. I'm doing a test ride to Crystal Lake this weekend to see if my back will be happy now. I'm signed up for Eastern Sierra (10,200 ft. of climbing if I remember right) Double, so that will be the real test!

Rick / OCRR

Heathpack 

KOM (or in my case, QOM) done!

It was a great experience for me as a newby rider (I've been riding a little over 2 years). Learned tons about nutrition, hydration, pacing, strategy, logistics, equipment, mental preparation, training and scouting. I've been working with my current coach since December, getting ready for this series & beyond. Got way stronger, much better on those double digit grades. And much fitter, able to ride a greater intensity far longer than I could before.

Total elapsed time was 25:35, I was 9th of 15 for the women and 41st of 73 overall.

Heartbreak Hundred yesterday was a great ride for me, everything came together finally and I made no mistakes, got into no trouble, finished super-strong. Very happy with the ride, I know for a fact that I could not have done better. Well, I could have gotten by with 10 min less stopped time, but that was really a consequence of who I was riding with. Lol, not everyone wants to get in & out of these stops with military precision, totally understandable.

My Heartbreak total elapsed time was 7:20, with 35 min of stopped time. That is my fastest century time ever (disclaimer: I've only ever ridden one century with less than 8000 ft climbing and that was my first one). I'm just very happy with it.

Death Ride next. After that, I'm not sure.