thin_concrete

I like big butts and I cannot lie…

thin_concrete

So this morning, after a quick 2 mile hike with the spawn and wife, I Zwifted for 12 miles with ~500-600ft of vertical and quickly remembered why I hate climbing. It’s miserable.

I admit I’m a terrible climber, which isn’t good living in New England, and I’m always in awe of the vertical some of you get each year. Honestly, I aspire to hit about a third to half of the lower end of those numbers. Both of the tris I’ve signed up for have 600ft+ of climbing, so I’m not attacking the Alpe d’Huez or anything but I’m still not looking forward to it. I will spend the year working on my climbing, if for nothing else than to avoid a DQ/DNF at a tri. Any tips are greatly welcome.

That is all. I just wanted to whine.

bampilot06

I can buy a warbird for that kind of money. Never mind. You can have it.

Bah Humbug

But what an exit, backwards at 120mph into a fireball.

At least it would be quick.

Mojo31

Guilty.

And spectacular. (Dibs on Madone.)

bampilot06

I hope a tree is involved so I can go out like Paul Walker. Always wanted to live my life a 1/4 mile at a time. Wife told me no.

thin_concrete

I thought Paul was the passenger. When I go out, I want it to be because of my stupidity, not someone else’s.

Mojo31

And, I thought I was a flat lander. Local 30 mile route gets me to 1,000 vertical. I suck at climbing also. Coasting downhill is my thang.

DougRNS

Get moving in 2023 with this number from the 5th Beatle.

WhyFi

Do you have a power meter? Or HR? Helps a lot with pacing; flatlanders (myself included) tend to go too hard on hills/inclines. Know your power over a given duration and, if you can, scout the inclines so that you target a time/power.

MoAlpha

I second this, emphatically. I find HR difficult for pacing anything except long SS intervals, though, because the lag always makes me overshoot the pace.

datlas 

I like big hills and I cannot lie….

Velo Vol 

Perhaps unwisely (knee) I was lured out by light traffic and 65F.

I’m on pace for 11,000+ miles in 2023.

🐿

Bah Humbug

Back in HS XC, we had the hilliest course in the conference. We won all the hilly courses (and most of the flat ones). We let the others pass us up the hills and then took it all back and more on the downs and flats...

IOW you're right.

thin_concrete

I’m in the same boat. I like speed and climbing is not quick.

I do have a HR monitor and actively use that data when riding. I do want to get the Wahoo/Speedplay power meters at some. Maybe for my birthday next month, maybe after my Q is filed/tax season is over.

Meanie.

Mojo31

New tire day for the Jeep.

DougRNS

Where is Seeds?

rjones28 

My budget racer sits on the corner of my desk.

big john

[QUOTE=thin_concrete;22755098]. Both of the tris I’ve signed up for have 600ft+ of climbing, [QUOTE/]

The ride I posted pics from last Wednesday has 2000 feet in the first 5 miles.

abshipp 

2.5 hours of mountain biking is hard. Especially when trails are wet. And you’re trying to keep up with someone fast.

Happy new year everyone

big john

Today only 6 of us showed up for the club ride. It was in the 40s but got into the mid 50s later. On the first 3 mile climb out of the valley I knew it was going to be rough. None of my usual grupetto friends were there and I was so far off the back I was surprised they waited/ On some flatish miles we were caught by the Simi Ride, a local racer training ride. There were dozens of them, maybe 60,, maybe more, and they were taking it easy. A couple friends were in there and they said they were finishing a block of long rides all week. Anyway we got pulled along and I got to chat with old friends and it was fun for several miles until we turned off.

Later while cruising a beat up old road one guy punctured and sealant sprayed out all over his bike. He had a bacon plug but had never used one. Got it plugged eventually and was wrestling his mini pump when a guy pulled up in a truck and offered his floor pump, like genejockey's deal.

We went through some beautiful backroads and one of the ladies didn't want to do the full 80 miles and neither did I so we took a direct route back. She claimed she was tired but she half-wheeled me for 10 miles, at least. It was not supposed to rain today but when we got back to the valley it came down pretty hard and we got wet. Had to ride through deep water several times.

thin_concrete

[QUOTE=big john;22755228]From my perspective, that’s both absurd and unnecessary (obviously biased). You’re crazy (again, biased).

rsbob 

RE: running. And I would like to see someone run down a hill effortlessly at 35 MPH too.

Had a decent NY day’s ride after babysitting the grandson for the morning. Since it was a whopping 50 degrees and semi-sunny in the Seattle area, everybody and his brother were out on their bikes, with lots of Happy New Years greetings. Managed a quick 30 (and coincidently a total of 30 for the year) and stayed nice and warm. Happy New Years to all here too.


Beaver Pond

DougRNS

So this just showed up in my YouTube feed. Coincidence? You decide.

big john

[QUOTE=thin_concrete;22755240]And I do it on a 32 pound enduro bike with an 8 pound Camelbak. And I'm 200 pounds and old.

It's a lot easier on a road bike but when I do that I go down a different way and only ride on dirt for a mile or so.