Beaker

Pretty sure that some of you guys/gals ride this on Saturday mornings. Can anyone give me a headsup about relative pace between the two rides? Not sure if I'm quite up to HOP pace, but not sure how "lite" is "lite"?

Anyone calibrate me?

BigSean

I always say, "just do it". If ya get dropped no biggie, just keep comin back and soon you will be deliverin the pain.

jonathanb715

I ride some of those roads a lot, so the HOP group flies by - they're usually encouraging me to tag along, so they seem very friendly.

JB

pelikan

Ive only ever done HoP Lite. There are regroups so even if you get dropped, youd get back on. iirc, HoP also has 5-10 extra miles somewhere over HoP Lite. Spirited pace and friendly folks from what I remember.

Let me know when you plan on doing it, I've been meaning to return + staying the (south) east bay while the house is on the market.

Beaker

How about tomorrow?!!

We should definitely ride on weekends if you're in my (sorta) hood.

bayareawheeler

love the HOP - will be there tomorrow morning...riding from Union City to the HOP, then Diablo and home. Gonna be a long day - going with a buddy training for LOTOJA (206 mile day race) I usually just ride out do the HOP and ride home for about 90 miles. Pace isnt bad there is a few spots where it ramps up. When you learn where these spots are its much easier as you conserve and prepare...gotta admit it was a lot harder when i did it at 185 in comparison to the last time at 173 getting the race legs back for some Cx goodness

i will be at the PEETS - hollar if ya see me, i will do the same.


p.s. have yet to try the lite version

here is my best take at the pace

HOP - sitting in = strong 3, driving the pace at the pointy end and going for the sprints C1-2

HOP Lite = C4

Beaker

Hey Keith -great summary. Sitting as an erstwhile C5, I think that this weekend could be best for me to start with HOP lite and see how the pace sits with me. I've definitely built strength & fitness since we rode the BF ride on July 5th, but I'm still not quite where I need to be.

bayareawheeler

Hope you had a good ride on HOP lite. Had a blast on HOP - crosswinds made everone work and there was mass carnage! Saw what was happening early and stayed near the front to avoid getting gapped. 2nd half I started feeling frisky and was top 3 over Collier and took 2nd in the last sprint (only 6 of os left at this point LoL) where I broke off to do Diablo...felt okay for most of the climb. Last couple of miles were tough.

Hundred miles and some change.

hiw was the lite group?

bayareawheeler

Not sure if this ever changes. ;-)

Beaker

HOP lite worked out well, thanks. There were a few times when the pace was fairly easy, but I also needed to push hard on quite a few sections too. By the end I felt like I'd had a good work out, and put in a relatively quick 50miles.

As you mentioned, the wind was definitely a factor yesterday. Riding down N Livermore required a good effort, but I managed to share the pain with others. Collier was worse for me though - I made the mistake of letting myself get separated from the lead group and suffered into the wind alone for a while. I will admit to being very glad for the regroup that occurred just afterwards. The only fly in the ointment was close to the end, a few folks peeled off Tassajara to head down Blackhawk one of whom made a right turn from my left and took my wheel out. Small amount of road rash, but nothing major.

All in all it was a good ride, nice to catch up with BFrs rumbutter and britpower too. I'll definitely be back to have another crack at this and then see if I can hang for a while with HOP, though it'd need to be much less windy ;-)

I know, I know

obiwan kenobi

When are these rides and where do they start?

Beaker

House of Pain Lite starts from Peet's in Danville (corner of Railroad and Hartz) on Saturday mornings, meeting ~8:30 with the ride starting at 8:45.

I believe that House of Pain starts up at the Rudgear Rd park and ride (Rudgear and Danville) at 9, although I think some folks catch it at Danville Peet's too.

Britpower

Good to see you on Saturday, I was hoping to speak with you when we finished but the group split along Tassajara, hit around 39 mph and finished with the main group.

Beaker

After I went down at Blackhawk, I took a minute to look over the bike and the rider before finishing up, I was feeling good about finishing with the main group too up to that point, but c'est la vie. I made up a slightly different end to the ride, so ended up back at my car rather than hanging back at Peets. Still, I hope to be back on Saturday.

obiwan kenobi

Anyone doing the HOP lite on Saturday? Trying to decide between that and a club ride up slug gulch.

Beaker

Can't make it this weekend due to Saturday commitments. It's a pretty friendly bunch though, why not give it a try?

BlastRadius

I'm thinking of heading out there again before checking out the HoP the next weekend. Maybe I'll see you.

bayareawheeler

will be at the HOP -

obiwan kenobi

Well that was a bust, about 5 miles into the ride I had a flat, the group waits for no one, I didn't know the route, lucky I was able to back track to the start, oh well, next time things will be different.

spingineer

Sorry to hear that. We were wondering what happened to you. There's always next week. In the meantime, you can read about it in my blog ... https://wp.me/pzoTN-r0

BlastRadius

Bummer!

In a similar vein, Mellum76 got left behind when he took a bio break.

obiwan kenobi

Next week if all goes as planned I'll be doing the cross race in Folsom; https://folsomcyclebration.com/10_Cyclocross.html

How late into the year does the HOP rides go?

BlastRadius

They go through the winter from what I was told.

rumbutter

HOP goes on year round.

SteelerHoo

i'll probably do the HOP-lite ride on saturday 9/11, hope to see some of you out there.

planned on doing HOP-lite this saturday, but a teammate got a flat just as you guys rolled off, so we did HOP instead.

if anybody is in berkeley/oakland, i'll be riding out from domingo peet's near the claremont hotel at 7:10 a.m.