Big Ride Saturday

Saturday, I was able to get away for a great ride with some friends.  More MTB time on the road.  It's interesting, I've got a lot more road time on the MTB than the road bike - go figure.  I met up with Rob Jason, Von, Tom, Matt, and Shep.   We did the usual Gold Hill loop.  Rob, Matt, and Von opted for the "THE double ;^)" as Rob dubbed it in the email.  Translation:  two loops to Gold Hill.  GH has a lot of climbing - from my home and back with just one loop it doles out 4,200ft of climbing.

The weather was nice, if not too warm, as many of us overdressed.  The ride started off with a more mild mannered pace than usual but that didn't last too long.  The last 60+ minutes to the top was full gas - at least for me.  Von and Shep led the group to the top at a pace that was too stiff for me.  I hadn't been on the bike too much given my travel and work schedule but surprisingly felt pretty good.  Rob, Matt, and I swapped the lead a number of times each time catching the lead wheel and trying to hang on.

As I said, I surprised myself but taking some good pulls and not getting dropped.  I was hurting no doubt but I felt I had more inside which was a good positive reinforcement for me.  I know Rob (and Matt, although I've never ridden with him before) is a stronger rider than I am so it proved to be a good test for me.

We bombed the descent back down to Poormans where the second lap was to to start.  A few fist bumps later, I was heading back down and they were off for another.

I'm having so damn much fun on the MTB.  I'm trying to decide if I need the road bike any longer.  Every time I throw a leg over the Specialized S-Works Stumpjumper 29er, I'm more impressed.  It handles great and just feels right to me.  I can't wait for the trails to open around here and be able report on how well it performs on trails I commonly ride. 

I'm going to start my 8-week, Chris Carmichael, Time Crunched Cyclist plan next week in anticipation of the Battle at the Bear coming May 8th.  I'll report more on the progress as it unfolds.  It will be interesting with the spring break family break, a NYC vacation,  and Philly travel.  Motivation will need to be high to pull it off!

Big Weekend of Riding

I managed to get 7 hours of riding in this last weekend.  Yes it was still snowy and the trails are all but ridable.   A group of about 15 guys met and headed up Sunshine Canyon to do the Switzerland Trial to Gold Hill ride.  Which is mostly road but has a mix of dirt roads and climbs to about 8,700 ft with beautiful views of the Continental Divide.  I knew about half the guys and had a chance to meet some more avid cyclists.  The day was beautiful - blue skies, no wind, and about 43 degrees. 

The pace was set early and it was fast - very typical for a large ride in Boulder where there is ALWAYS someone faster than you.  I felt generally good and kept up with the pace as a few folks fell off the back.  We headed up towards Switzerland trail on packed snow and ice.  A group of five us set the pace.  A few folks were comfortable while I was at my threshold of a sustainable pace.  They chatted and I concentrated.  We got to the Switzerland trail and regrouped then headed up towards Gold Hill.  Fast pace again - too fast for me - so I settled in and pedaled at my own pace before reaching the top.  This as the most interesting part of the ride as it was either covered in snow or dry as a bone.  The dry part was always welcome.  The snowy parts were generally packed but not all the time.  Undernearth the snow was hidden ice.  As my tires tried to grab the undulating terrain the would slip out from under me quickly and unforgivingly.   This happened to a number of us with plenty of folks hitting the snow before reaching the top.

At the top, I had to bolt as I had to be home to take my daughter square dancing - yee haw! - so I didn't wait for the regroup.   Rob Batey joined me  and we sailed back down to Boulder.  Good ride - 3.5 hours in total, 4.3k ft of climbing, and plenty of fun mixing it up with the buddies.

The new Specialized Stumpjumper S-Works 29er road very well.  Still getting good sensations.  This ride wasn't technical at all so it really didn't server any purpose as far as evaluating the bike's technical handling prowess.  I can say that it fits me perfectly, however.  I'm a dash over 6' and the 19" Large fits perfectly with a 120mm stem.

Interesting to note on the ride that ONLY 3 guys were riding 26" wheeled bikes.  I was shocked by this.  This was a hard corp group of guys that are fit and competitive in regional expert / pro races.  Definately a testament to the 29er movement. 

More to come.  Thanks for reading.