beeballman

Hello I am new to this site. Nice forum with lots of great information. I am riding in the Austin Livestrong challenge in Austin Texas to benefit the Lance Armstrong Foundation and all the great help iit provides Cancer patients and their families. I am also riding to remember both my parents who were claimied by Cancer. It is also to celebrate my Nephews victory over the terrible disease. He had a bone marrow transplant in September and as of now is 100 percent cancer free. If you would like to donate to my livestrong challenge please follow the link which I listed to my Livestrong web site. I am going to be riding the 70 mile course. Thank you for yourr time and support.

https://www.kintera.org/faf/donorReg...supId=77552504

Grasschopper

I just signed up for this year and have done this ride for the last couple of years. I ride with my mother's husband and do the 100 mile route. He rides in memory of his father who just died of cancer...my father is a survivor as are several of my wife's family.

rule

Sweet...I am signed up for the century ride down in Austin too.

beeballman

Great to hear from a couple of Austin riders! Where in Central PA are you from. I am originally from Johnstown PA, but have been in Florida since 1977. I am signed up for the 70 mile ride, but I am going to email them to change it to the 100 mile ride. I think I can do it. I am riding to remember my Parents and also my Nephew who is a cancer survivor.

beeballman

So have you rode in Austin at all. I am nervous about the hills. Not many hills to practice on here in Florida. Like one maybe, and luckily I live by it. Nice to hear from some Austin Riders. Even on the LAF forums the Philly riders out number theAustin riders.

Grasschopper

I am in State College...my mother moved to Austin about 8 years ago now with her then new husband who used to work for PSU but is now with UT.

As for the route it isn't bad. There are some climbs but not many that hurt...mostly rollers. 2 years ago there was a KILLER climb near the end...at like mile 98 so not only was it a tough hill, it was a tough hill after 98 miles of riding. But last year they rerouted around this...MUCH MUCH better. My Garmin data says the ride was 102.27 miles with 2985' of climbing in 2006...I didn't have the Garmin in 2005. I will see if I can figure out how to post an elevation profile tonight.

nwduffer

I'm riding in the Portland ride. 70 miles for me. Just my second week on a road bike, but I've got 4 months to prepare. Riding 12 mile loops every day, or every other day right now! Kind of scary!

My Portland LIVESTRONG Challenge Page

Paul

beeballman

2935 feet of climbing is about 2835 feet more than we have here in Florida
I'm not to worried I have been riding in Clermont FLorida and they have about the biggest hills in Florida with the biggest percent grades here in the state. I figure 4 and half months of climbing those and I should do allright. I am feeling pretty good. I am thinking of changing my ride to the 100 mile. I have never done a century so It has my interest peaked.

beeballman

Glad to see another cyclist take the plunge. Keep up the riding, you will gain more confidence and skills the longer your in the saddle. Don't forget to chek out the training information on your www.mylivestrong.org, it has training information for all distance riding with some good information. Good Luck with your ride.

SoonerBent

I rode last year. I was the one and only recumbent. I'm doing it again this year. Last year was mostly flat to rolling hills but even if re-routed from previous years there was one hill at about 85 miles that I saw more than one rider walk up.

beeballman

Well, I have to say my goal is to not walk up any hills, but never say never! According to the LAF web site this years is MOderate to difficult terrain with 6000 feet of climbs along the 100 mile route. How long did it take you to finish?

Ginny

Walking up hills is just 'cross training'. No shame in it!

velocity

I am in my third year in Portland. I did the ride in 2003 in Austin and that was one Hot MOTHA. I have had a sister, grandfather and aunt taken earily and I ride in their honor. HAve fun give someone a pedal stroke
V

beeballman

Cross Training , I like that! Do you get extra credit for walking up a hill in cleats Got my new ride yesterday too! It will be a bit easier on my new Trek 1500!

pwherman512

Hey all. This will be my second year riding in this event. I thought last years ride was great. This year will be different though. Dripping Springs is much hillier than where the ride has been before. Now by hills I do mean Texas hills (I grew up in Denver- those are hills). I will be riding a large portion of this ride next weekend and will let everyone know how it is. Keep training!

rule

Hey thanks PW.

beeballman

Any word yet on what the course is like (PW)? Also did everyone read on the LAF about the course length changes? 10 miles is now 90 and the 70 mile ride is now 60.

pwherman512

Hey, I did not get to ride it yet. We planned on it a few weeks ago, but the non-stop rain changed the plans. I have been in Cancun for the last week (no training for me!!!!). Hopefully we can get out there this weekend.

slimvela

Riding the Austin venue. Only been cycling for 8 months, and figured this would be a good way to honor my mother. Worst case scenario survivor, 8-12 months to live...that was 1990! Strongest, bravest person I will have ever known.

Nonetheless, I'll be showing up Friday morning for a surprise visit (San Antonio=Hometown) and then draggin the family to Austin for the event and all that it entails. It will be awesome! My sister and I are trying to come up with a custom jersey we can all sport even though I am the only one on two wheels that day.

Good to know some details on the route, I miss the rolling hills of the Texas Hill Country. Here in Phoenix, we have to hunt for the real hills.

Good luck to all...

subscribed

beeballman

The Elevations for the Austin Ride have been posted on the Livestrong web site. FYI

pwherman512

Thanks! My buddy and I rode out in the general area of the ride this past weekend. What a beautiful ride! Nice country roads, not too many cars, rolling hills. And of course one killer hill!!!! And I love hills. Looking at the elevation webpage I can tell you that this hill will NOT be a part of the route. Right now I am training for the Hotter Than Hell so I am riding in a different part of town. However, the week that we get back we plan on riding where we think the route is going to be. I will post details when I get them. Make sure you are training in the "hills"!

beeballman

Thanks pwherman512, Yes I have been training on the Hills here in Clermont Florida. Not many Hills here but at least I live near the ones that do exist. I was told by someone who rode in Austin's Hill Country that if we are training on these Hills regularly we should be fine, so hope thats the truth. Hotter than Hell ride..nice, I bet is just as Hot here in Floriida! I'm looking forward to the ride, Can't believe its only two months away.

beeballman

The routes have been posted on the Livestrong site..

CardiacKid

I just got through inspecting this years route. It is going to much harder than the previous rides and much more beautiful. I didn't have a GPS, but I would estimate there will be about 5000 feet of elevation change. If you are not experienced with hills, you might want to do a shorter ride than you think you can handle. This is especially true if it is hot and/or windy. There will be no shame in doing the metric century. Everyone needs to make sure they stop at the Fischer Store rest stop. Due to the constraints of the road, there will be a longer ride to the next rest stop, over the hilliest part of the ride.
It appears that the powers that be have decided to design the 90 mile route for serious cyclists. Over the last several years, they had been trying to go for a broader range of skill levels.
I assume, if you are a BFer, you will be up for the challenge. This promises to be the best Lance Armstrong Foundation ride in years.
Another word of caution to you out of towners. The weather in early October is totally unpredictable. The temperature will be somewhere between 45 and 98. The wind can kick up into the high 20's and rain is always a possibility. I am pretty sure it won't snow, but just about anything else is possible. Two years ago I was wearing my arm and leg warmers when I started. By the end, it was 95 degrees with a 30 mph wind.

pwherman512

I was going to suggest getting a group together to ride this route for training but it looks like 99.9% of the posters are not from Austin.