BikeWNC

NealH convinced me to join him on the Tour de Lure ride, a 70 miler with 5400' of climbing. I've done this ride the past couple years. The difference this year is I have no rides longer than 25 miles since last Oct., and no metric distance ride since last July. I also have an extra 15# to lug around. This might be a classic case of biting off more than I can chew especially after being sick the last two months. Experience will only carry me so far after which it will be down to grin and bear it. Wish me luck! At least the weather looks to be about perfect, with sunny temps of 40-65º. I'm looking forward to it in a masochistic sort of way.

NOS88

Good luck and enjoy!

az_cyclist

Good Luck and enjoy

digibud

my best advice is to simply take it slowly and easily, and snack/drink little bits regularly. If you keep your glycogen resupplied and make the climbs as slow and as easy as you can doing distance often just comes down to how bad your butt hurts, but if you wipe out your muscles by challenging a hill, it can be very hard to recover from that. at least that's my personal experience with my old body ;0).

freedomrider1

Good luck..my money's on you.

BikeWNC

Hey thanks everyone! I know in my mind I can make it through the ride if as mentioned, I take it easy, especially in the first hour and on the climbs. There is only one long climb of 4 miles, the rest are of the 100-200' variety. Those can get tough though as they are numerous. If things get hard I can always resort to cursing Neal. lol Last year it took 4.5 hours of riding. This year I'm taking the over 5 hours bet.

Zinger

That's a pretty good jump from 25 but it sounds like you've been active enough. Like the others said, don't burn out early. If you've gotta walk a hill or 2 you're among friends and have a good excuse.

I'm doing my 1st flat 80 for the season but I've been inactive for quite awhile with some 50s this 1st year back already....long halfway rest stop

longbeachgary

My money's on you too.
Enjoy

BikeWNC

I doubt I'll have to walk a hill, never have. I'll be slow though. There's plenty of support on the ride, I think 3 rest stops which is more than enough. We go through only one town so for the most part riders are out there with no stores or other options besides ride support.

jppe

Great to hear!!!! Diving in head first on this one I see. See you there.

Not looking to set any records here either. I bet there is a big turnout. There is a pretty large group coming from Charlotte.

From what I recall there are several bumps the last 10 miles that you tend to feel for some reason or another.

So I don't guess Neal or you would be interested in adding a few more miles to get in a 100???? Probably a perfect day to ease up Hwy 80.........

BikeWNC

lol, you might be able to talk Neal into the extra 30 but you will probably get tired of waiting for us to get back to Marion. I however will not be adding the extra miles and 2500' of climbing. I really just want to make it back to my car!

JTGraphics

Have fun and good luck just ride your own pace and you should be fine.

Rwc5830

Hey BikeWNC, you'll be fine. Just take it slow and easy. The "masochistic" statement explains it all. I believe all of us can identify with that one. At least I can I often ask myself: Why am I doing this? Then when I finish I say: When is the next one, that was such a great ride

qcpmsame 

Best of luck on the ride, you will do just fine. I'm looking forward to your ride report afterwards.

Bill

Bikey Mikey

May the force be with you.

bicyclridr4life

Yoda says "The ride you will make."

Zinger

I haven't either except when nobody's watching

I had a sag wagon offer me a glazed donut once when I wouldn't cash it in. I've been taking something like that with me for the last 10 miles since.....my PED.

El Segundo

Good luck! That's the way to start the riding season.

Dudelsack 

I think you're going to get hosed.


j/k. Look forward to the report. Perhaps it'll inspire me to greater things as well.

stapfam

In a similar state last year on a 60 mile ride. Little riding before but I did 28 miles before the ride as I was riding back from it--only 30 miles or so. Got to the end of the event with 78 miles in the legs and I knew it. Wanted breakfast so found a cafe for coffee and a Bacon roll and started home. The final 30 was part of my occasional commute home from work and I did not stop in that final bit. I knew if I did I would be calling for the SAG.

I thought I was taking it easy but 8 1/2 hours for 100+ miles with a break for breakfast proved I wasn't. Only mistake I made was not eating enough on the ride so plenty of food in the pockets and the Burgers at 60 miles smelt good- even though I could not stomach one.

BikeWNC

Perfect day for a ride today. I met NealH and saw jppe in the YMCA parking lot around 8am. I registered and milled around before the 9am start. After a rousing rendition of the National Anthem we were off. It was in the upper 40s to start, and would end up around 70º to finish. Though I tried to manage my effort throughout the ride the hills dictated the power required to get my larger than normal frame up and over. There's a lot of 10%+ grades early on and they hurt. Neal said he saw 14% several times on his Garmin and I believe it. But the ride course is really just great. Very low traffic with the exception of around the Chimney Rock area which is a big tourist spot. I don't have too much to say other than I was glad to get out and finally get in a decent ride of 70.8 miles. My ride time, wheels moving was 4:56, about 20 min slower than last year but given my extreme lack of miles I'll more than take it.

Here is the Garmin file. https://connect.garmin.com/activity/294138984

My Garmin 800 always under records elevation. It has under 5400' while the event posts over 5900' and Neal's 800 did show 6005' I think 6000' is about right.

There were somewhere around 250-275 riders today. Here's the start.


My view of Neal for most of the day. In the last 10 miles I just could not hold his wheel. We had a pretty stiff headwind the last 12 miles or so and combined with the constant hills I just limped along.


Here's a view of Lake Lure, thus the name of the ride. We rode down to and around the lake and then back up to Marion. It's a pretty lake surrounded by mountain ridges.


Glad I got through the ride, probably better than I have a right to expect. I thought at about the 55 mile mark that I had done well to that point but the last 16 would be a grunt. I was right. I had sore shoulders and neck. My butt was ok. Overall I'd like to have had more time on the bike over the winter but I'd not hesitate to do a ride of this distance regardless. As long as the weather is as perfect as today.

jppe

Hats off to Bike WNC. This ride was NO cakewalk. For some reason my legs felt more spent than a lot of the training rides I've done with more climbing.

BikeWNC

Hey thanks Joe, yes it is a ride not to take lightly. I saw one of my old bikes on the ride today. I had sold my Ti IF this past summer and the guy was out on it for the TdL. It's nice to see an old bike of mine being used (and loved), knowing it wasn't stolen. lol

qcpmsame 

Great report WNC, glad to hear everyone had the great weather for the ride, sounds like you got quite a workout but had a great time doing it. Pics were nice, too.

Bill

Dudelsack 

Nice pics.