January 30, 2005

  • The Last Sunday in January and it's wet!  The plan was to ride
    with CPT or do pineridge on the MTB's if it snowed but it's wet from
    rain.  Ron gives me a call in the AM an we decide to to the road
    on our comutter bikes.  We meet on Horsetooth, me going east and
    he West.  We decide to go see if any of the CPT boyz are crazy
    enough to ride their road bikes. We arrive at Mugs to find Bob Green
    and another female CPT menber whose name escapes me at the
    moment.  We chat for a bit and they are only doing an hour of
    riding.  We decide to do Rist Canyon!  Yeah, I suppose it's
    really not a good idea to ride with anyone that's as crazy as I can be
    sometimes cause there is no one to act as the voice of reason

    So it's off to Rist.  The pace is brisk considering the bikes we
    are on and Ron has to ride slower  than his normal pace so that I
    can be comfortable.  It comes out in conversation about our Polar
    HR monitors about our "Own Index" numbers and his is quite a bit better
    than mine!    That's all the proof  I need to state that he is indeed
    a mutant,  and I now have little hope of being able to beat him on
    any of the KOM stuff.   So you probably want the #'s well, it
    wouldn't be proper with out Ron's consent, so you'll have to ask him,
    if you want to know.  Might be better that you don't ask, so at
    least you can keep your dream alive of being King for a day  ..... but I
    digress.

    So we make it to Bingham Hill road and it's on this climb that Ron just
    walks away from me!  On a good day I might have been able to go
    with him, but if this were to contiune up Rist, I would be one whipped
    puppy.  I've said it before and I will say it again, "A man's got
    to know his Limits"   So with that thought I let him go and I
    keep my meager pace to the summit where Ron soft pedals waiting for me.

    We continue on to Bellvue and onto Rist Canyon Road.  The pace is
    good and it's about 37 degrees or so.  The moutains are really
    pretty with the snow and the fog gently kissing the tree tops.  We
    stop at the bottom on the  real(tm) climb for a powerbar and for
    me to mentally prepare.  We soon depart at a resonable clip. 
    The roads are wet and there is a little bit of slush and sand but it;s
    not bad.  Hopefully the temps will rise for the descent and life
    will be good, and Oh yeah, the roads will dry up a bit too.

    Shortly we are passed by one of the Torelli guys and we exchange
    greetings.  Aparenty we were the only  riders he has seen all
    day.  Hmmmm, this is not a good sign, but at least we will have a
    sentinal to tell us if  the roads are bad.  In any case we watch as he walks away from us.

    We contiune on at an easy gate.  I was trying to keep my HR 
    in the aerobic zone, but this is hard to do when climbing unless one
    slows down.  On the grade changes, Ron is able to hold his speed
    easily when I fall back.  He must have a lot of torque, 
    cause if I were to try and match his efforts my legs would have been
    cooked after 4 or so miles.  Ron is kind and stays at my pace and
    we chat and enjoy the journey.

    Pedal, Pedal, Pedal and after a while on  one of the grade changes
    I can not keep up with Ron and so I allow him to get a gap and do his
    own pace.   I am content to keep it easy and allow Ron to
    have at the mountain.  I can see that he checks on me ever so
    often  so as not to drop me from the radar
    screen.    My legs are feeling OK, and  I hope this
    tempo riding will pay off later in the season.   

    Our bikes are a mess at this point and I am happy not to be on my road
    bike.  Sure I will have to clean this bike on of these days, but
    it's in serious need for some attention, but I have not had the time or
    inclination to work on it...... but I digresss   After a few
    miles on one of the false flats  I am reunited with Ron and we
    continue the challenge.  I always seem to forget how long this
    hill is.  Anyway, the roads aren't too bad except they are wet and
    sandy.   It's pretty clear that it's gonna be an ugly descent.

    The temps are dropping and it's about 34 degrees, but we are climbing
    so it's comfy.  I really hope it ain't this cold on the way down,
    cause I am gonna turn into a popsicle.  Finally we hit that steep
    grade after the "Old Summit".   I can not hold Ron's tempo so
    I let him go and just try to keep a good rhythm.  This one has
    taken the rest of the "surface charge" off of the legs and I know the
    swtichbacks are gonna hurt. .... Yes! I am on to the last respite
    before the big climb and a chance to recover.

    Here we go!,  Ron is a bit in front of me and is making a slow
    gain away from me. The roads are sandy so I must sit and spin for most
    of it. I can't wait for this to be over.. After grinding etc.  I
    am able to greet Ron at the summit.  We have some more food and
    decide to head down quickly.    I am already starting to
    get the chills, and I know this is gonna suck.

    So off down the hill and it's as bad as I though.  There is spray
    coming off the front wheel and it's cold  33!.   I am
    following Ron a bit back and he is moving pretty good.  I can feel
    the wind ripping through my jacket and my hands are beginning to freeze
    and we haven't even gone a mile.  I have to stop and look for my
    balaclava, but I don't have it, but I did find glove liners.  We
    are off again and it's cold, cold, cold.  I am not sure I am gonna
    make it. 

    I decide to see if I can Draft Ron, and this was a great save. This
    kept me from getting too cold and I am gratefull for Ron's
    presence.   I don't have a speedo on the bike so I don't know
    how fast we are going, but I am riding the brakes to keepmy speed in
    check.  In fact I pretty much road the brakes the whole way
    down.   Finally we reach to base and it's like 37 degrees and
    we are cold but not getting any colder.

    In order to try and warmup, we decide to take Centinnial back hoping
    the climbs will help.  By this time my legs are cold and don't
    want to work well.  Ron is ahead on all of the climbs and waits
    for me at the crests.   Finally we make it to Stadium hill
    and make the descent onto Overland and then Drake.

    Ron head home via Taft hill rd and I contiume on Drake to Dunbar....
    swalllow and Home. A good time was had by all.  I am guessing
    about 55 miles and no clue as to the avg speed.