March 28, 2004

  • Rist Canyon Breafast Club ride

    I arrive in the lot to find the whole passe already there.  Peter,
    Geoff, Dave, Kent, Glenn, Paul and Jim for whom it will be the 1st ride
    with the boyz this year.  A most excellent turnout!. We
    decide to the Risk Counter clockwise since there was a possibility of
    meeting up with Adam.  Without much adieu we are off.

    The stroll down Horsetooth was almost leisurely.  I was up front
    with Peter who as we already know has a different Idea of what slow
    should be.  I could see my HR creep into the 150’s which is way to
    high for a proper warm-up.   I tried my best to not follow
    his lead, but with the group contageon  I had to compromise a
    bit.  I remember how it was in the old dayz when the Cat III’s etc
    would take it really easy for warm-up.  I guess I need to command
    more respect before everyone in the group follows my lead here.
      Nuff about that.

    So we go make it to Stover and then to Swallow and we made a left on
    the road in front of the County Cork.  The light was red so Peter
    and I decided to be bad boyz and take the sidewalk over to the next
    light.  Well, nobody followed our lead and I hindsight they did
    the right thing.  Hmmm ..wonder if anyone would like to do a
    reality TV show about cycling, say something like “American Cyclist”…..

    We are now happily strolling down Drake.  Life is good until 
    A large piece of Gas tank Strap wasn’t called/pointed out as well as it
    could have been.  I manage to see it in time but Kent’s  GP
    3000 tire fell victim to this hazard. As I passed this thing I
    was praying that everyone would see it.   The rider up front
    passed very close to this thing and so I didn’t see it until really
    late.   Anyway we had to put a tire boot on this one. 
    His tire was slashed pretty good and he considered calling his “Good
    Natured” wife to come and bring some aide.  Luckily the group was
    prepared with tire boots and we made the repair and all was
    good.   I am really happy that no one went down.  That
    was my real fear.  Glenn mentioned that piece of metal flipped up
    in the air!   This just a well could have ended up in
    someone’s spokes etc. and a pileup would have ensured.  I guess we
    really were pretty lucky here…”Gentlemen,  The rules here at Top
    Gun exist for your safety, they are not flexible, nor am I”  I
    like the quote,….. Nuff said on this one.

    As we turned North onto Overland Trail the winds were fierce.
      We were doing a double paceline at about 14 – 15 mph. 
    It was quite a lot of work.  Some of us were taking monster pull
    when it would have been better to take shorter ones but it will only
    just make them stronger so no harm here, but it can fatigue one
    unnecessarily so this may have been a questionable practice.

    We make the turn onto Bingham Hill and Dave is up front taking the some
    valuable KOM points.  Peter was in rare form after being humbled
    earlier in the week and was not contesting any of this yet.  Jim
    was at the rear with Glenn and just happy to be getting in some
    miles.  At Bellevue, Jim’s plan was to do the flats and Geoff was
    decided to keep him company.

    Now it’s on to Rist,  Peter, Glenn and I were a bit behind and we
    took our time bridging up to Kent’s civil pace.  We finally
    stopped to adjust clothing etc at the bottom or Rist and were off to
    suffer!  Dave took the lead and was still keeping a good brisk
    pace.  Peter  decided to just sit in with the boyz and not
    make us suffer. I was feeling pretty tired from doing too much
    the week before and my legs were pretty tired. My HR was OK but my legs
    were complaining.  Peter too the reigns from Dave and the pace
    quickened a bit.  Enough to send Kent to the back of the
    bus.   It was pretty much uncomfortable when Dave was at the
    front but when Peter took over it the real ™ suffering began. 
    Good thing he sorta realized this and we didn’t have to suffer for too
    long.  It was enough to take the spark “What little I had” from my
    legs in any case.  

    Paul, Peter and Dave were the only ones to set tempo on this climb.
    Normally I would have at least gone to the front once but this was not
    my day.  It’s better not to engage and posture unnecessarily since
    it would have only lead to my own demise, maybe some other time in a
    poker game maybe…..  

    Anyway as we ascended it was starting to get really cold.  It
    began to snow and  my thermometer on the polar 710 showed 35
    degrees and we had 800 more vertical to do. we ended up stopping at
    this little firehouse to decide what to do. We talked about turning
    back but Kent pointed out that we are always only a few minutes from
    the bottom so we might as well continue.  Dave’s hands were pretty
    cold at this point and I think we all realized that we could have
    dressed warmer.   Paul was up the road at this point so he
    missed this pow wow.  

    We are off again and life pretty much could be a lot better.  My
    legs are really tired and all I can do is turn the pedals
    slowly.   We find Paul who had turned about to find us and we
    are all together for once if only a brief period.  Peter decides
    to increase the pace and we get strung out.   Looks like
    Peter, Paul, Kent, Dave, Glenn and me.  As I reach the 1st
    switchback Peter is coming down and informs me that he is heading for
    the hard deck since he was cold.  I see Paul heading down too and
    says he will wait further down where it was warmer.

    The snow was coming down pretty good and it was getting cold. :ad: The
    thermometer says 30 now and I know that it must be colder than that
    since it is pretty slow to react.  I reach the summit to find
    Kent, Dave and Glenn.  We head down as soon as I arrive.

    Dam it’s cold on the descent.   Kent is a Madman and takes
    off with “Reckless Abandon” IMHO but that’s Kent.  I  have to
    stop after the upper switchbacks to adjust my Buff to cover more of my
    forehead which was freezing!  Glenn and Paul are in front of me
    and we are moving.  Glenn use to have fear descending but we are
    hitting 40+ and Glenn doesn’t slow too much when hitting the corners.
    Somewhere a couple of “A$#holes” in trucks came blowing by us way to
    close since we were at 40+ mph (in a 30 zone) already.  Dave also
    had to stop and put on his helmet. His hands were so cold that he
    couldn't find his helmet strap buckle!  We  get that taken
    care of and we are off again. ..

    .At some point I passed Dave who was shivering so much that his bike
    was shaking (“Been there done that and it sucks”).  Those 18mm
    tires I put on feel pretty squirrelly so I am reluctant to go into the
    corners as hot as Glenn but I am able to maintain contact.  We
    catch Paul near the bottom and we both go by him.  We all regroup
    at the bottom.  Kent says something about Verns and Hot Coffee so
    we are off to get warm.  Paul decided he needs to get home so it’s
    just the 4 of us.  

    Verns was excellent.  Dave and I were probably the coldest and I
    was really shivering while sitting.   We all had hot
    chocolate, but it could have been hotter.  We split 2 of Vern’s
    famous cinnamon rolls.  They went down so well.  Glenn
    offered us some of this big cookie that he was saving to share with us
    at the summit of Rist but it was too cold up there to want to stay for
    more that 2.3 milliseconds.

    We depart Verns and Dave has the lead and is on fire.   I
    hang on until a little bit down Overland and in the words of the
    Roberto Duran, “No Mas”.  I let Dave and Kent know that I am
    taking it easy.   Glenn also drops out of Warp and we have a
    nice stroll back home.   A good Epic ride!