Saturday, September 6, 2008

Spicy

That was one spicy ride this morning. It took a while to get over the facts that I didn't get to bed until 1:30-2:00am ...because I was working on the long overdue wheels de aham. 5:00 came awful quick.

It was a ride with colorchange's club. He was there as well as aham (really just there to pick up wheels, but decided to ride...since he was already there and all) and about 7-ish other Spin Doctors riders.

I was wearing arm warmers, knee warmers (which on someone my height with my short legs really qualifies them as full leg warmers or something out of flashdance), vest, and was contemplating toe covers. It was COLD! Too freeking cold for this early in September. When I got home my trainer said...."see....you'll love me again someday soon. You'll see." *shiver*

The ride was 'brisk'. They usually start slow (so I was told), but I think aham and I helped push it a bit. There was no wind. Freeky fog, etc. By the time we got to the point where they normally take a natural (that's biker talk for peeing in a field - I do it while rolling) they were all saying it was the fastest they had ridden that route...ever.

I was just rolling along. The route is my kind of flat on roads I have ridden a ton so I knew where the features were, etc. I took short token pulls up front mainly due to not knowing the route and not knowing how high they were going to dial it up to later. Aham was riding well too.

Up Allen rd near Hampshire one of their guys started to do some attacking. That hurt. Later a lot of us admitted we were either getting light headed, dizzy or seeing spots there. "On the rivet" so to speak. From there it was "attack, bridge, repeat" for most of the rest of the ride. By the time we got back they all made it official...fastest ride on that loop...ever for most of them.

There was climbing, but only like 1,500 over 50 miles so needless to say I was there and hanging well for 99.9% of the ride. Knowing more of what to expect I could go back and do more work. So where does this ride rank for me?

Hardest
  • Bicycle Heaven (Cat 1,2,3 sharks in chummed water - total class of their own)
  • Racing
  • Penny Rd (Cat 3,4,5 Fast and climby)
  • Spin Doctors (Cat 3,4,5 Faster but flat with attacking)
  • Century riding
  • Village Pedaler (Saturday ride with some friends)
  • Trail ride solo
  • Trail ride with the family

Easiest

Tomorrow is the Harmon Hundred. Looks like we might get wet. I am on form and liking it. I have not been there all year. I hope to push it into overdrive for Fall Fling.

Scale said 172 last night.

3 comments:

Eric Cox said...

So, sounds like you are riding well. A favor, if you will. Seems I may be building some wheels soon and just may need some help with some spoke calculations.

Oh yeah, yesterday I hit 161 on the scale for the first time since about 1998. Down 39 lbs. from January 06.

Psimet said...

If they're speedcific or formula paired drillings then just burn them.

Or use x.3 as the cross (I'd have to verify that).

Don't mix x's on the same hub from flange 1 to 2 or you WILL end up with non-parallel spokes going to the valve. E-mail me...

Arron said...

i really enjoyed that ride. i need to find time to make that tuesday ride. well, i need to find a bribe for the bride to make that tuesday ride. later.