msd3075

I have a family member who used to have a weekend place out in Chappell Hill, and he said he would always go to Bevers Kitchen every time he was out there. That's where he recommended to go after the ride.

SAGit

Thanks for all the advice guys. The last 10 miles was a pain and I was on empty at the finish.

msd3075

At least you got to finish; I had two flats yesterday, the second one about 2 miles from the finish. I said screw it to fixing it a second time since I didn't have a second tube and didn't feel like waiting for a SAG for a spare one, and I ended up just walking the 2 miles to the finish. I was the guy in the Saint Arnold Endeavour jersey walking on the side of the road if anyone rode by. I completely screwed up my cleats and have to replace them.

When I got home and inspected the tire, there where about 7 or 8 different 1/2-inch diagonal cuts on the inside of my tire, all of them next to each another about 1/4 inch apart. I also had 2 small 1/8-inch cuts in the outside nowhere near the inside cuts. At least I have a spare at home I could throw on.

All in all, it was a good ride though. I handled the hills way better than I thought I would. I had plenty in the tank left for the last stage, just wish I could have actually used it. At least this happened now and not on the MS150.

SAGit

Sorry about your double flats but it seems like you are physically ready for the Ms150.

Are those new tires? I generally install new tires every Spring (about now). You can't always prevent flats but new tires will reduce the chance of getting flats.

msd3075

I had just put them on earlier this year, but the rear tire was my spare that had been sitting in my closet for at least 2 years (front was brand new). I'm wondering if the cuts on the inside were really cracking from the tire being folded/packaged for so long, and I got the outside cuts on this ride which let the air out. The tire was never stored out in the elements (was inside in a dark closet) so it shouldn't have had any issues, but who knows how old it was when I got it. Needless to say it went in the trash and I put a new (recently purchased) tire on.

msd3075

Here's a picture of the inside of the tire. I never really noticed until I blew it up on my computer screen that the cracks parallel the grain in the rubber. Really starting to think now it cracked from old age and I never noticed it until I got a cut on the outside.

rpecot

Bummer. At least you're getting the kinks out now. Last year, I took my bike to the shop for the free inspection and found out my bottom bracket was in bad shape. I opted to replace it. Long story short, they couldn't remove the BB and I was bike shopping ONE WEEK before the MS150. I had 7 days to find a bike that fit (I'm kind of tall) and get in as many miles as possible to dial it in. Biggest problem was getting the new cleats adjusted right, but once I worked that out, I was good to go.

txags92

Glad you figured it out now rather than on the MS150. We had a good ride. I did the long route and enjoyed it a lot. Wished we had more wildflowers blooming, but they will be around in another week or two. New Ulm should be a great ride for flowers. My wife did her first ride on the road since late January and did a hybrid of the long and short that ended up being about 55 miles. I met her at the 3rd breakpoint and rode along from there with her. She had a flat right as we were leaving BP4, so I got to sit in the grass and change her tube just past the finish line for the race that was going through out there. On the way back home, we took the bikes in for our inspections, and hers failed due to cracks starting to form in her rear rim adjacent to the spoke holes. I knew her wheels were getting ready to be done anyway and was planning to swap her cassette over to the set of wheels I had on my old bike. So I guess I just get to do that a couple of weeks before I originally planned to do it. She hasn't decided if she is going to ride the MS150 this year or not yet...she is signed up, but may end up volunteering depending on how she feels next week. I was impressed that she gutted it out for the 55 miles and still finished with an average pretty close to what she rode last year despite hardly riding outdoors at all so far this year.

Mindcrime

Chappell Hill was the hardest ride I have done to date. Feeling strong out of the start, Made it to the 31 mile stop in one go. Quick break there, then about 10 minutes at the 43 mile stop. The next 12 were hard, and I had to stop for a second at the top of the last hill on 105 before the left turn to catch my breath and get the heart rate down. 10 minutes or so at the last rest stop at 55 miles, and the last 8 miles were hell. The big hill about 4 miles from the finish almost did me in. I had to walk the last third of it, first time I have ever walked a hill. Average dropped from almost 16 mph for the ride prior to that to 14.8 by the time I finished. I was GASSED by the end. Heck of a ride

Scott P

This was my first time with the Chappell Hill ride. Only one of my MS150 teammates showed up and she was my training partner for the ride. She killed me on the hills. Hell, she even coasted faster than me down the hills. I left my HRM strap in my truck and realized it just before our wave took off. We targeted the 64 mile ride, but took the second cutoff for the 44 mile route. I had a terrible cramp/charlie horse at the top of the hill after the last rest stop. I had to use my water bottle as a makeshift foam roller to work it out. I almost got off and walked the last hill, but fought the urge. At the end of the ride, I couldn't unclip at all. I ended up pulling into the driveway across the street from the parking lot to finally get one foot off the clips. My cleat bolts had worked loose on both shoes and the show just spun. I walked in one shoe back to my truck. I put some new cleats on that came with my pedals when I got home. I tightened the bejeebus out of them this time.

Overall, I had a good ride. Pace was a bit slow at 15.7 mph, but it was my first hill ride. I do wish I did more leg workouts in my weight training. I'm going to try and squeeze a few sessions in over the course of this week and the next.

rpecot

I don't know how much riding you do, but that's a pretty respectable average considering all the hills. My wife struggled again. We averaged just under 12 mph. To her credit, she never got off the bike. Just a slow steady grind.

Scott P

I don't get the time to ride as much as I'd like I typically ride once a week by myself on neighborhood streets. I average mid to upper 16.xx mph on those rides that average 30-40 miles. In groups, I tend to be a bit faster. I assume it's just some sort of competitive mentality. I accidentally ended one session and started a new one on my 810 after 37 miles, so the ride showed up as two rides. So, I had to do math to come to the 15.7 mph average. I also suffered a bit from not really knowing a proper technique for getting up the hills. I just dropped the gears and spun. I felt I had plenty of energy to go, but my quads just did not like the hills. It probably had to do more with technique.

the sci guy 

I don't even usually get a 15mph average on a flat ride through THP/GBP. Y'all are just much stronger riders than I am.

txags92

Everybody who is riding faster than you was once just as slow as you are. I remember my first MS150 from San Antonio to Corpus Christi in the 100F heat and 15 mph headwind...I got passed going up a hill by a woman who had to be 60, riding a flat bar cruiser bike with fat tires and a squeaky cassette. She turned to me as I suffered up the hill and said "Looking good!" in one of those insanely chipper voices that you can't ever be mad at, then sped away up the hill. That is when I realized it wasn't about speed or age or fitness, it was about attitude. The conditions that day sucked...but she was having a good time. I averaged under 12 mph for 30 miles the first time I rode in Chappell Hill about 10 years ago. Last Saturday, I averaged 19.0 mph to the 2nd rest stop on the long route before I slowed down and rode with my wife from rest stop 3 on. We still finished with an average around 15.6 mph. The more you ride, the faster you will get, and the less the hills will bother you. I used to despise hills...now I just kinda don't like them...but it isn't true hate anymore. I even managed a Strava best time so far this year for one of the really short steep hills on Dillard Road before the last breakpoint because I just decided I wanted to see how fast I could go up the hill if I really stomped on it and gassed myself. Of course I had to stop and wait for my wife once I went over the top, so I got a chance to catch my breath, but it was fun to just see what a sprint uphill felt like.

The best technique is the one that gets you up the hill without puking over the handlebars. I used to be the type that just spun up a hill trying to keep my cadence above 80 no matter what and dropped gears as much as I had to so that my heart didn't explode. As I have done more riding, dropped a lot of weight, and worked hard in spin class on my strength work, I have altered my style a bit. Now for the type of hills we have around here, I tend to push a slightly harder gear earlier in the hill to carry more of my speed from the flat, even if my cadence drops. When I get below about 65-70, I will stand for a while until it drops too much further, and then if I am not at the top, I will sit back down and start dropping gears to spin a cadence around 85. That works for me...but only time and experimentation will help you figure out the best style for you.

SAGit

15.7 mph? Nice!

I knew I was going to suffer so i didn't even set my computer.

I don't even remembered looking down to see how fast/slow I was going.

rpecot

+1 Great post.
I've been training with my wife and oldest daughter (who are new riders), so I've been reigning it in for the most part. That's not to say that I am "fast" but I have lost a considerable amount of weight over the last two years and I am certainly "faster" than I used to be. When I did the R2R Sealy ride, neither of them could make it, so I was on my own. I averaged 18.0 mph over the 44 mile course. I was extremely happy with my effort.

I don't mind the hills. The R2R series does a great job of getting you ready for the MS150. You will know this after Fayetteville, when the cummulative effect of all those hills start wearing down the riders who haven't been training, and you pass them like they are standing still.

Next week (R2R Columbus) is another great ride. Last year the bluebonnets were out in full force. It's going to be another great weekend!

rpecot

Ha! Don't beat yourself up over that. The wind is always blowing one way or the other, so you're fast one way, slow the other. And THP is so rutted up it's hard to get a good pace on that pavement. This morning I cracked 16 mph average into work for the first time. I tried to match it on the way home but only managed 15.9. lol.

SAGit

It's probably because you are riding a heavy steel bike and 2k gram wheels!

the sci guy 

Honestly, I think this is a big part of it. BUT, I'm also only 5'5", built small, and my muscles just don't have as much power and endurance to them as people who are normal sized. Yeah yeah yeah training. Well I've been riding this bike consistently for over a year, and pretty often, and I commute on a single speed, etc etc. I bike quite a bit, I think I'm just not as athletically inclined as others. Maybe a lighter bike will help. Who knows.

BUT. I don't like hills, but I can do them without a problem. In Fredericksburg this weekend, both courses were nothing but hills...BIG hills. I've never biked 3300ft in elevation gain before. And I only walked up the last 1/4 of two of them (and that was towards the end of the 60 miles). I spun up them slowly at my own pace - like 6-8mph (they were steep).

I'm only a little concerned about my ability as a cyclist - I just wish I could go a little faster. Day two started out and the riders were just blasting at like 22mph on the flats and some smaller hills, we just couldn't keep up.

rpecot

I upgraded last year, right before the MS150. It was mainly out of necessity (my aluminum bike died). I wasn't looking for a carbon frame, but the shop had one in my size (I'm tall, 6'-3") with the components I was looking for, so I paid a little more than I was planning. Let me tell you, the lighter frame is noticeably quicker and more responsive than my Al frame. My average speeds started climbing immediately.

Another thing... I've started doing some group/shop rides. I never imagined I could go 20+ mph for any sustained distance, but if you are drafting with a group, sharing the load, working together, etc. it is amazing how fast you can go. And it's fun too.

SAGit

I understand it's takes about 4 times the energy to go from 15 mph to 20mph. For me, it's doing a lot of sprinting and focusing on pedaling technique. You can certainly increase your sprint time and distance in your daily ride home. For technique, you can get lessons from advanced racers (cheap option) or coaches (expensive option).

Scott P

I Like I mentioned in my previous post, I pretty much only ride in my area of Kingwood and Porter, It's a neighborhood ride, so lots of neighborhood streets meaning more corners than long straights. I started riding 50+ pounds ago on my mountain bike with street tires. I could average about 30 miles at 15-16 mph, but that was tough. I bought my Defy in November so I could have a road bike for the MS150. My speed picked up and I could ride longer, but my average pace stayed about the same. When I did my first group ride in Humble (Lions Club), I found that I was going a lot faster than normal without really noticing it. I averaged almost 19 mph at the first rest stop. A headwind for the rest of the ride brought that average down to 17 mph by the end. I guess for me, there was a bit of a competitive thing going where I wanted to keep up with the riders around me.

The MS150 will be interesting to say the least. It is my first one and will be the longest I've ever ridden. I feel capable of doing it, but really don't think I am as ready as i want to be, if that makes sense. I am more worried about the second day. My legs seem to want to give in to soreness a lot easier than I want them too. I'm not very good at holding deep squats or even something as simple as a wall squat for too long. I can try to work on that over the next two weeks, but I don[t know how much difference it could actually make. I'm trying for back to back rides this weekend, weather permitting and one team ride next weekend.

txags92

Scott, first of all, as somebody who has MS, let me say thanks for riding for me! And I know exactly what you mean about not feeling entirely ready. My first MS150 had a 15 mph headwind and a heat index of 105-110F. I had ridden almost exclusively flat roads to train, and my longest training ride was about 40 miles. The first day of that ride, from San Antonio to Beeville was nonstop rolling hills. I made it about 70 miles before I gave in to the heat and dehydration.

The one thing that will get better over time for you is getting to know how your body feels in response to proper hydration and nutrition. It took me several years to really learn what foods work best and what things to stay away from. Most of all, many newer group riders get very tense and flush with adrenaline early in rides, and as a result they ride harder and forget to drink early in the rides. About 20 miles in, the adrenaline wears off, the lack of hydration starts to catch up to them, and they spend the rest of the ride trying to recover from overdoing it early and trying to rehydrate. If you can concentrate on those two things early in the day, you will do just fine. Day one especially is a long day...so don't get caught up trying to go hard early in the ride. If you start at Tully, the first 40 miles or so will be flat. Use those miles to conserve energy and stay well hydrated. About 7 miles before lunch is when the hills will begin, and you want to go into them well hydrated and ready to work hard. If you are exhausted and dehydrated when you get there, it will be a long day after that.

Most of all, try to have fun with it. If you end up with mechanicals or physical issues that cause you to SAG, it isn't the end of the world. There is always next year to improve on whatever you accomplish this year. Take the time to read the signs of the folks cheering on the side of the road, take the time to wave at the kids standing next to their mom with MS who is in a wheelchair, take the time to enjoy the wildflowers, and soak up the party energy from the folks in Fayetteville. Above all, on day two, even if you have to SAG, get them to let you out before the finish and ride through the finish in downtown Austin. Riding in front of all those folks cheering is just a really magical experience. By then, you will have done the really important part...which is the fundraising...getting to ride is just the reward for all the training and fundraising. Make sure to enjoy that part of it. Thanks again for riding, I hope your training goes well the next couple of weeks, and good luck on the way to Austin!

Scott P

My mother in law has been battling MS for almost as long as my wife can remember. The ride is for here just as much as it is for me.

the sci guy 

We were just notified that we're taking 10% cuts in pay starting in April.....sooooo...I may have to ride the steel beast until next year.

Either way, I agree with what txags said - don't worry about it. Enjoy the ride. I was concerned last year (my first) about not training enough, but once I got out there, and just rode, I didn't care. Rest as long as you need at the stops, and then keep going. The hills are just not that bad. Walk up a few, who cares! You'' be surprised how quickly your legs get back into the swing of pedaling without being too tired on day 2 because of how you just conditioned them the first day. If you're really concerned, start from Waller so it's the shortest route on the first day.