Beachgrad05

The Great 2012 Clyde/Athena GMR "Gate to Shack" Virgin Ride

Date: Sunday, August 5, 2012
Time: Ride at 7am
Location: https://goo.gl/maps/6G2r

Currently in:

1) Beanz
2) Gina
3) BeachGrad (R)
4) PhotoJoe (R)
5) TrojanHorse
6) psalm (R)
7) CommuteCommando (R)
8) eja_ bottecchia (R)
9) ahultin (R)
10) Genaro (SoCal)
11) JusRelax (SoCal)


https://www.weather.com/weather/tenda...+USCA0424:1:US
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I want to ride GMR at least the "beginner" portion. More if we are all up to it.

Who might be in? And what date might work? I know starting EARLY is important due to heat.

TrojanHorse

Dial it up, I'm in. Most weekends are OK pending soccer tournaments.

maybe we could do a two stage dealio with the more, uh, aggressive crowd continuing to the village (beanz!). Clinically insane may continue to the lifts.

Mr. Beanz

A good poin to hit is the 13 mile point. Check out the graph in my starava ride. You see that it actualy flattens out after the 8 mile climb. This allows you to see more of the scenic section without getting wasted. Any further then you need to be prepared for a tough climb (as a first timer) cause it kicks back up for 3 or 4 miles after the flat part.

Some gentle climbing on the return if you do this segment but nothing tough.

One thing I must say about GMR is there riders are very different from the flat road riders. Everybody and their gramma want to race me when I'm on the flats. On GMR, better be prepared for a gang of yeah baby's and way to go's! The riders up there know what it takes to get up there and do it so seeing someone out of the TDF profile gets many many pats on the back. I've done GMR a zillion times and other riders still shout encouragement at me for climbing the mountain. It's a different ride, it's a different attitude! There is no shame in attempting GMR.

I will tell you that a female rider we know tried it. No way was she a climber, no way did she fit the TDF profile (5'6 230 lbs). I got her up there and believe it or not, she floated right up the mountain. In the past she struggled up hills like Katella (area of your metric). Now, she's a proud GMR climber 15 times over.

Check out the profile after the first 8 mile climb

https://app.strava.com/rides/12493269

Mr. Beanz

Nope, I say a first timer making it ride should be just that. Sort of discouraging when other riders pull ahead and leave the first timers behind. Wait at the shack, say what took you so long, then continue on like nothing while the first timers head back down with a sad face.

I think it should be we ride together, we encourage those up the hill, then help them along if they decide they can continue on for a bit more. It works when I do this with unsuspecting first timers. We stop at mile two for a stretch , then encourage them on and stop when needed.

The "to the village" ride should be a separate ride IMO. But that's just me. If I go with the first timers, I stay with the first timers. It's worked many many times before.

Heck, I stayed back with a first timer couple years back. Even Gina pulled away with another gal and couple of guys. I even sat there and watched him puke, ya never know when someone might serioulsy need help. He continued on for another mile then called it quits. He was sick from his meds, his guess. We tried again after that and he made it. Few months later he made the village!

I can't leave first timers on GMR. If you knew me, you'd know that I am a very sensitive caring person. That's why I can get people up and over GMR. Heck, if you ever need a hug, I'll hold you Man!

magohn

Wish I lived closer

I live atop a 2-mile 5-7% grade hill that I have to ride no matter where I go (to get home). Looks like the first 8 miles is very similar. Im pretty sure I could get close on the first 8 miles. Isnt the first 8 miles the 'worst pat' Mr Beanz? After that it seems to be more of the same but 'flatter'.

However, zero chance of matching your 10.9 mph avg Beanz - maybe half of that

Wish i could join you guys.

Mr. Beanz

Yes in a sense. The steeper and longer section. But in another sense it's the section after the first 13 miles after the flat spot. It kicks back up like the first 8 mile section but only 3 miles long. That is where the rider is tired and if hot, worries about running out of water. I've seen some pretty good rider turn back here. KNowing the course, I know even if I run out of water it levels backout after that climb. But when you are on it andit gets tough, the mind plays games.



You'd be surprised, you might get 8 or 9. I'm telling ya, I'm climbing slow right now carrying 35 extra pounds. Although I did feel good on this ride, could have gone faster but was recording on the way up which means riding with one hand. I've been cutting backon junk trying to get back into form. Hope to be back inby Sept.

Back in 05, I was doing a repeats up the 8 mile section. Climbing it twice, back to back I would end up with a 12.4 average.

In 09 preparing for "Ride Around the Bear", I climbed to the village (21 miles/5000ft), refilled my water, with only 4 minutes of rest, descended then climbed back up the 8 mile section for another 2200 ft. I was testingmyself to see how long I could ride and climb on little stop time. I averaged 12.

Check out my climbing rides and mileage in my 2009 journal. This is the way I ride when I feel like training for a ride.

I had ramped up my climbing and fitness over 6 months to prepare for the ride the following month.

Next, I am going to train my typing skills.

I did 7200 feet n Friday (58 miles), then a 42 on Saturday and 42 on Sunday. I worked 4 tens on night shift so I had Fridays to ride too.

Beachgrad05

So excited to do this with my fellow BF GMR virgins! I like what Mr. Beanz suggests and figure this to be a really nice experience.

I most def would love Mr Beanz along to document.

I can ride any weekend day in August. I have a club member who wants to try it but is not comfortable with riding with those she doesn't know on a unfamiliar ride. I told her I wanted to do it with my BF Clyde/Athena pals who appear to be insanely supportive!

TrojanHorse

You're scaring me Beanz....

but good points. Regardless, ....... on to the shack! Seriously, I'm in. Let's go. We can have a little clif bar bbq at the shack, sans coals. I saw a motorcyclist last time I did it, sitting in the shade at the shack (ha, second time out of two total) and he said " I don't know how you guys do it" and I had to agree with him... It was 100 in the shade that day. So yeah, mornings are good.

psalm

I'll be there...maybe, depending on whether my wife works or not.

CommuteCommando

My wife works every other Saturday, so one of those would be good. I'll check the schedule. If not, I still may make it.

I seem to be stalled lately at 230 lbs (after being stalled the first half of 2012 @ 245). If I can hit 220 by the end of August, I'm in. This is a practice ride I will be doing tomorrow. Big hills at mile 12 and 26.5, and short and steep at mile 21.5. Next week I'll take that big hill at mile 12, then turn around at mile 17 and do it the other way, about 20% higher and longer. https://ridewithgps.com/routes/1452102

Mr. Beanz

As long as I have 2 or 3 days notice, I'm in. Gina too!

Mithrandir

How do you manage to ride at 5-7mph for over an hour without blowing out your knees?

I did my first sustained uphill (as opposed to rolling) this week at roughly the same speeds, using gears that are typically far lower than what is usually found on road bikes (26 chainring, 11-34 cassette), and I felt like I was stuck pedaling at much too low of a cadence the entire way up:

https://app.strava.com/rides/13706575

I felt like I really needed to lose weight before doing that again or I would risk permanent damage.

PhotoJoe 

fify! :d

PhotoJoe 

Let me work out my schedule for August/September and see if I can join. I would love to be part of this. I know the weekend of the August 10th is out for me.

TrojanHorse

Aug 18 is out for me, I signed up for the cool breeze century. The following day is also out because my daughter is having her b-day sleepover on the 18th and my wife might shoot me if I'm not there to run interference.

Fortunately, August is the coolest month in LA.

Beachgrad05

I just got a GoPro so I can take video!

As I said, I can do pretty much any weekend day in August.

CommuteCommando

The boss says any weekend in August is O.K. This should be great training for my first organized metric in late Sept. https://ridewithgps.com/routes/897836 The biggest elevation gain I've done on a single ride so far is about 2500.

vntgdrms

OH YES! I am in! Been wanting to do this but not alone. Thu-Sun any time is fine for me. I am out of commission first weekend in August tho.

Beachgrad05

Bump

CommuteCommando

Rode yesterday. Planned fifty miles turned to forty four due to the big bonk. I don't think I ate well enough the night before. I did get in some (for me) good climbing, though I passed on my intended route due to high temps, and hugged the coast to Torrey Pines and back.

This was my third time up the hill, and my first going up the steeper State Park road. That I averaged over 4mph during the first, steepest mile, was an accomplishment. Some of the smaller rolling stuff crossing the coastal lagoons that I used to do at five or six mph, I was doing some of them in excess of 10.

https://app.strava.com/rides/14070128

Edit

Just took a closer look at Beanz's profile and it is 5% for eight miles and I did 0.8mi at 7.7%, after doing a rolling 25 miles. I hope this is a good indication that I can do it.

TrojanHorse

I assure you that if you can ride 50 miles (aside from bonking, which at 50 miles is probably not related to your previous evenings meal) AND you're not afraid of hills, you can most certainly make it up GMR.

GMR may be 5% overall but my Garmin seems to think it's mostly 7% with very little over 8 and some as low as 5.

You know, another fun group ride to do would be OC to SD one day this fall. Catch the train back up when we're done, a la the Amtrak century but minus the crowds.

Beachgrad05

I love that idea!

volosong

Can you get me up to the ski lifts?

volosong

Totally agree! I'm not a climber, but at slow-and-steady, GMR is very possible for anyone without physical limitations. On bonking, I've learned this summer that if I eat about 100 calories once every hour, I won't tend to bonk, (assuming the heat is not oppressive). Clif bars and Quaker Oats 25% reduced sugar granola bars seem to work for me. And, I carry a couple of those energy gel packets for emergency use.

vesteroid

I want to go so bad...wife and i will make it if we can

I want to go for the village though even if we have to keep on after the group

How far and high are the lifts?