Probably the lack of jobs. I'm sure it's not much better down your way.

Have no idea of the mileage as my GPS was out of juice so I just hopped on the bike and rode. Ended up trying to chase a car that passed within about 6 inches of me while I was in the center of a 6 foot shoulder. Never was able to catch up...too much distance between 4 ways and stop lights :(

Anyway, that circuitous route took me down somewhere I hadn't been in a while, Cottage Grove Ravine Park. Talked to a couple of other cyclists at the picnic area who, of course, mentioned the Tiara's color :)

It was a nice day until the short downpour that chased me under a gas station awning. My wife just happened to be out picking my daughter up at the barn where we stable her horse and I was on the way home so she picked me up so I didn't have to bathe myself or the Tiara. First SAG wagon pickup in two years back on the bikeh.

I need something with fenders :)

http://home.comcast.net/~khatfull/im...ra/cgpark1.jpg
http://home.comcast.net/~khatfull/im...ra/cgpark2.jpg

A view from a 25-mile loop from last week.
http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/l...us/116loop.jpg

Took the $20 tank out today ('87 Trek 800 Antelope) - at least it feels like a tank. All original except for the tires I swapped out yesterday. 1.95" tires is about the max that I'll get on it. Surprisingly, it didn't ride that badly. The Suntour Accushift 3000 stuff shifts like crud in index mode and is more picky in friction - so it's the lesser of two evils. At least it's a functional ride.

http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m...m/IMGP2227.jpg

http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m...m/IMGP2229.jpg

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Yep- one does have a radio collar on.

http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m...m/IMGP2025.jpg

Sunday, I took the Pogliaghi out for a light spin, and hooked up with a couple of NorCal Bf'ers for a day in the countryside.

The Mendocino Monster.

I have never ever climbed 10,000’ in a single ride, and even in the best of shape I am a rather poor climber. When I first committed to doing something this stupid, I figured I had a whole month to get ready for it. At the beginning of June, I went about preparing by riding as hard and fast as I could, and hitting the local hills over and over. After the first week I had 150 fast and hard miles in, and by the time I was riding the Sunrise Century as a training ride mid-month, I had close to 300 good miles in two weeks. At about mile 52 of that ride disaster struck, and a second of inattentiveness found me sprawled in a roadside ditch with a terrific gash in my right knee that necessitated a trip to the ER. 4 stitches and 10 days off the bike, and I was back at zero – all the prep work wasted.

A week before the Mendocino Monster, I rode my first longer test ride – 60 miles and about 3500’ of climbing. As I feared, I had nothing. By mile 45 I was more than done in, and by the time I made it home I was beyond wrecked. I managed to grab a 20 mile and a 30 mile ride in the week before the Mendocino Monster, and while I was getting back to where I needed to be, I was nowhere near where I thought I’d have a chance for success.

As ride day morning dawned, I reflected on my chances for finishing the whole ride, and for that matter even finishing the first climb intact. I had no idea what to expect and no idea how far I’d get until the inevitable happened – but I resolved to give it my best shot and walk away with my best effort and no regrets over what “might have been”.

The first climb out of Ukiah was an eye-opener. While I had seen the ride profile, I was still surprised by the constant and unrelenting grade to the top. I took it slow and conserved my energy, knowing full well that even if I bailed out mid-ride I had a hard day in the saddle ahead of me. I was the last of our group of three to summit (me, Markopolo, and Bikingshearer), but while Mark had gone on ahead Rich was with me all the way up to the top. The descent down the other side was a real disappointment – it was steep, with poor sightlines and a road surface of very dubious quality. One fellow who rocketed past me at one point ended up in the grass opposite a turn he failed to negotiate for one reason or another, and was brushing himself off as I rode on by. Still, the scenery was stunning and the road manageable, but by the time I reached the valley below my hands were pretty tired from the constant braking. Rich and I reunited with Mark at the first rest stop, and stayed together for the next segment of the ride.

Riding though that valley and up the other side was nice, but on the descent down into Comptche we came across the scene of a crash where the rider was on a back board and was getting ready to be air-lifted out. A few more miles of sobering reflection later, we arrived at the 35 mile rest stop at Comptche. Here, the decision had to be made – roll the dice and go for the Full Monte, or call it a day and head back. I thought about it while we refreshed ourselves, but was still dithering when it was time to make the call. Mark was ambivalent and didn’t care one way or the other, and Rich was using sound logic and making a very strong case for heading back. We were slow, and at our present pace we were very much in jeopardy of hitting the rest stops after they were closed. I felt much better than I had anticipated, but did not know if I had enough left to finish. In the end Rich’s logic was unassailable, and as I looked longingly over my shoulder at what was not to be, we hit the road and turned back towards Ukiah.

That decision lasted less than a mile. It didn’t sit well with me that I had come all this way, was still feeling good, and was turning around. I was mentally wrestling with the idea of not knowing if I could have done it, and Mark saw it in my face and demeanor. “I will if you will” he said, so we bid farewell to Rich and turned around and headed for the coast. The new plan was to get to the top of the next climb and see how we felt before committing to the next descent and subsequent climb back out to complete the loop.

Wow – fresh pavement and a run though the redwood forest creek-side. Nice. No fatigue yet, and we were humming along. The next climb was a non-issue, so without second thought we made for the coast. After the rest stop in the Pygmy Forest (cream cheese and lox bagels – yum!), we continued to the coast, turned up Hwy 1, and then turned back inland for the climb out. Fairly long, but never steep and on very good pavement, we rode up without issue. I must admit though, we were slowing down. By the time we returned to the 60 mile lunch stop at Comptche it was 2:30pm and we were officially dead-ass last on the course. While there were still riders on the course ahead, we were the only riders that far behind. Nevertheless, the ride organizers were waiting for us with saved sandwiches, encouragement, and full support. Tired but still in good shape, this is where it came to me that we owned it – we were going to bring this one home.

Still – we were only at about 6,500’ of vertical gain with about 3,500’ to go, and we were 49 or so miles from the finish. We still had some riding to do before this one was in the books. Coming out of Comptche we split off on the approach to the last long climb of the day, and discovered that there was a little more climbing just to get to the last climb. With a couple of short-ish double digit ones tossed in, just to make it interesting.

Fun Stuff.

By the time we hit the base of Appian Way we were getting pretty tired. SAG was waiting with food and water, so we topped off and kept rolling. Getting to Masonite Road was one thing, but getting up Masonite Road was a horse of a different color. It wasn’t that it was a difficult climb – maybe varying between 4-6%. It was that we were starting to feel the effects of the day, the road surface was atrocious, and it went on forever. 31 miles forever, with the last 4 miles or so climbing in earnest before finally topping out. Along the way we saw deer, a bear, and quail in abundance. That was nice, as were the frequent stops we took along the way to keep from burning out before the final push.

At mile 85 SAG came by for one last offer of a ride in, but we were too close to quit now – as long as they didn’t mind. They didn’t, and offered food, water, and encouragement. With one last warning of a treacherous decent ahead, he turned around and left us to our own resources. At mile 88 the last climb began for real, and by the time we summited at mile 95, we were pretty whipped. But damn – all we had to do now was hang on for the 14 mile descent into town, and it was a done deal! And SAG had even left a pile of candy and some water for us to enjoy.

It’s funny, because all day long I had been hoping for a good descent to relax on. This wasn’t it. Double digit declines mixed with dirt patches, some gravel, steel topped bridges, and potholes everywhere – it was like riding through some crazy-tilted potato patch. I actually had to stop a few times to rest my cramping hands – no way was I going to risk a crash with the end so near at hand.

Anyhow, we finally breezed into the finish at 7:30pm – a full 12:30 after we started. ~10,000’ of climbing, 109 miles and a blazing average speed of 11.4 mph. We missed the tri-tip, but the hot shower was a slice of heaven. We earned it.

I would be remiss in my responsibilities if I ended this account without mentioning the ride organizers. What a job they did, what a ride they hosted….. and it was their first attempt! Food – top notch and plentiful. Water – always available, always on-hand. Cheerful, helpful, caring, involved volunteers. We wanted for nothing, and they went above and beyond to give us every opportunity to reel this one in.

Rotarians of Ukiah….. Thank You.

A very few pics..... I just didn't have the time:

http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t...nster/sign.jpg

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http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t...ter/forest.jpg

http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t...rstclimb-1.jpg

http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t...firstclimb.jpg

http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t...ster/esses.jpg

http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t...onster/dal.jpg

http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t...ionprofile.jpg

This deserves an atta' boy!

My last century was two weeks ago, and it wasn't nearly as challenging. We do live on the prairie after all.

I'll live with that memory for a while, as I have knee surgery next Wednesday.

My daughter and I spent the last three days doing a mini tour of southern New Jersey. We rode the Counterpoint Opus II.
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4050/...291e2a47_b.jpg
For three days of touring, you have to carry just about as much stuff as you would for three weeks of touring:
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4048/...42ee1d7b_b.jpg
Ten miles out I realized the front tire (20 x 1.50, Primo Comet) had a sidewall gash and could blow out if I hit the right bump wrong, so we detoured to find a bike shop. Best tire they had was a 20 x 2.0, so big I had to take the front fender off the bike, and it threw my cyclocomputer calibration out. The result is I can't be completely sure how far we rode, but it would be a little over 180 miles over three days.
We saw a lot of the pinelands:
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4022/...6b29d480_b.jpg
wetlands, both inland:
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4057/...f3230c06_b.jpg
and coastal:
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4054/...8fff6413_b.jpg
Cranberry bogs, complete with a lot of beehives:
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4009/...022bde47_b.jpg

The weather was most cooperative, as you see. Yesterday the weather slowly deteriorated until it started to rain; we arrived home about two minutes before the rain started!

That does deserve an atta' boy! :thumb:

If East Hill were here I just know she'd start up a collection to buy you a tri-tip dinner.

gomango, best wishes on that surgery.

Kudos to you also Rudy, great post and pics.

Hey BBM, congrats on completing a truly epic ride. Great report and photos as usual.

rhm, what a wonderful experience to share with your daughter!

I would have never thought those pics were taken in New Jersey had you not said so; love the shot of the pinelands.

Just zipped off a quick 20 miles after work - the first ride since after Sunday's suffer-fest, and the first day my quads have been ache-free. :)

No pics, but a funny observation.... I took my wife to lunch at about 12:30, and stopped for an errand at a LBS that sits opposite of a Peet's Coffee store. 4 fixie hipsters were lounging there with bikes prominently posed and lined up on display, animatedly planning a "carbing up" party they were going to hold - presumably for a planned big ride. Fast-forward to 3:45pm - I do a fast 15 miles, and stop at the same Peet's Coffee for an iced coffee and a pastry at about 4:30. The same kids are sitting there - they hadn't moved an inch since I saw them last at 12:30.

That's some serious, dedicated, professional level posing.

Good thing they're planning a carbo-load. Draping yourself across a patio chair for the duration of the coming weekend is going to be brutal, and I'm glad to see kids taking their training seriously. :)

Thank you.

It has us a little worried around the house.

Bossman.... thats a good story.
.

Took my son to the doc on Thursday, noticed he had a bike mag in the rack, mentioned it, and a hot 44-miler last Sunday (95 degrees)....he invited me to a "we get together on Saturday mornings" ride. I promised to be there.

Nice group. 1 C&V bike and the only one with no cyclo. Still it was fun, though I kind of wondered about the distance, since I'd heard 40 and 60 discussed, and one guy planning on 80. The last couple miles were grim, but I knew we were getting back. 70 miles, and a pretty well-matched group, which made it fun. We passed a classic car show, and many of them passed us en route. Thank goodness it was only in the low 90's.

One guy had a front flat, so we all stopped. Got his wheel off and the tube changed in no time; he handed me his CO2 and I promptly blew that thing to smithereens. 2 cartridges later and the 2nd tube installed, he climbed away from me and I never did see him again, as he opted for longer miles. Perhaps he wanted to get away from the madman with the tire inflator.

Two friends and I rode in from the suburbs to Boston's old North End for an expresso. The Sunday morning city streets were quiet ... My friend Rich was on his Rivendell Blériot 650B, Joe on his Soma and it was my first ride on my newly acquired '66 Paramount ...

http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/f...c/IMG_0023.jpg


Scott

Nice Scott! That's a perfect picture :)



I myself, finished putting together my Koga Miyata GranWinner on Saturday night.

I took it for a 40 mile shakedown run on Sunday, and was pleasantly surprised to see that I remembered to tighten down all of the bolts sufficiently ;)

I tweaked it a bit more on a neighborhood cruise tonight, and caught just enough light to snap this shot. We're off to a good start :love:

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a2...0614102013.jpg

Last night I took the Bianchi for its first run with the Campagnolo Veloce D skeleton brakes. Within the first two or three turns/intersections I immediately noticed that insane clamping force and hand pressure ratio that these brakes provide. Further down the road, the VERY stale green that decided to turn yellow just as I begin to peddle up to 37km/h goes yellow as I'm ten feet from the line. I snapped the brakes quickly and about mid-way through braking the front tire actually lost traction for a good foot or so - at this point I'm just a tick over 0 speed and I pull down the friction shifters with a BIG smile on my face.

A pedestrian that saw the whole event asked me what brakes I had, I responded with "Campagnolo" and he nodded with approval and understanding ;). I'm kind of wishing I had some more coin to go full Campy but I've already pulled the plug to give SRAM a try. If it is good enough for Lance...it's miles ahead of what I'll ever use ;).

A very respectful and not fight-picking FTFY.

Forgive me, it's a pet peeve.

What a beautiful day! I had a lovely 30 mile round trip commute into work today. Came home, and went on a spicy 20 mile road ride with a couple of friends. Now home, drinking beer, listening to The Pogues, and eating an insanely spicy pasta dish thanks to a lovely Indian market in NYC. :)

Thanks Maddox, I felt like I was moving pretty fast after having two of those babies ..

Scott

My father was born and raised in the North End, my mother in Revere Beach. I've spent some time there.

"espresso".

I'm always reminded of this tune.

Now that was a nice way to start my day! Thanks BBM!

There were a few cafes open on Sunday a.m., quite a few of them had trickles of similar music drifting out onto the sidewalks.

Scott

Got out on a nice ride after work today. Ten miles in and I get a flat. I pulled the tip of a thumb tack out, patched it up, good to go. One mile later, another flat. Damn it!!! I got it all fixed up, and continued on the ride. I went by the Ashokan Reservoir, which is a major water source in the reservoir network for New York City. The high peaks of the Catskill Mountains are in the background.

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a2...617101755a.jpg

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a2...0617101756.jpg

Then, I successfully negotiate traffic through my city. The kid who always says hi greets me again and I say "hey". Then, out of nowhere, this little 6 year old anklebiter darts off the sidewalk into my path with an ice cream in one hand and I t-boned him. He was ok, but wow, if he pulled that crap with a car the story would be different.