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Post by dgaddis1 on Jan 2, 2010 23:20:32 GMT -5
It was cold. And brutal. That about sums it up. I did the 17 mile on the new rigid SS (3rd time riding the bike). Temps were in the 20's when we started, and there were snow flurries the first hour or so of the ride. My drinking tube froze, and I spent an hour not being able to drink, which I paid for later with a few really bad cramps. The 17 mile starts with a ~1.9 mile climb that gains approx 650ft. It's tough. I blew up. I went from standing in the start line shivering, to hammering up the mountain with no warm up. My body didn't like that. I felt like crap for about 45 mins. Once I got on top of the mtn and started cruising the ridge, I felt much better, and started enjoying myself. The trail was in perfect shape - no mud at all. It was all frozen. I had to walk a lot. I'd get stuck in traffic on the climbs, and drop below the "critical speed" for the SS, and have to get off and walk. I did a better job riding the big rocks than I did last year. Only a few spots I had to walk because they were too technical, usually it was because the person in front of me stalled and got off to walk, and there was no good line around them. Once you lose your momentum in the middle of a big rock garden, it's hard to get going again. No falls or crashes, and zero mechanical issues. The rigid front end beat me to death on the downhills. My hands nearly blew off the bars several times - and I was riding the brakes! It was scary. Took forever to finish...ended up being slower than last year. Last year's Jan time was 2hrs 45ish mins, today took 3hrs and 3mins. I stopped once to take a sweat shirt off, and stopped for a while to get my drinking tube thawed out. The rest of the time I was moving. Once we got going, the was the cold wasn't an issue. My hands got cold a few times, but always warmed back up. The shoe covers did an excellent job of keeping my feet warm. However, all the hiking on the big jagged rocks put some real wear and tear on them. I doubt the shoe covers will survive the whole series...might have to pony up for some real winter shoes before the season is over. Things to change next month: -a little less tire pressure in the front -tiny (50oz) camelbak instead of the big heavy 100oz HAWG -no sweat shirt at the start -warm up before the start Mark had an awesome ride. He hasn't been riding long, it was his first race, and he did the big boy 34 mile distance. He can tell his story. I can't recommend this race enough. If you consider yourself to be a real mtn biker, this should be on your bucket list. Yeah that's right - I just called yall out  EDIT - Oh yeah, Matt Kogel did the 17 miler today too. Not sure of his time...but I know he was finished, changed, ate his chilli, and on the way back to Augusta before I finished. Kid can ride! |
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Post by mhanna on Jan 3, 2010 8:42:03 GMT -5
The Snake is far and away the toughest trail I've done. My tude froze as well and my energy drink bottle froze. I didn't have anything to drink the first 12 miles or so. I put the tude down in my CB and had to stop and take it out to drink.
Never doing a race before I didn't know what to expect. The almost continuous rocks, boulders and roots just wore me out. The climbing itself wasn't that terrible but having to do it over, around and through all those rocks was tough for me. Then you had the same thing on the downhills so you never got a chance to relax. My arms actually were sore at the end and I hadn't experienced that before biking.
I was just glad to finish and have a baseline to work from. Took me 5 hours and 30 minutes. Hope I can improve in Feb. but it is so hard to find climbing like that to train on around here. Guess I could put some rocks in my pack when I ride Rock, Tower and Step. lol
Looking forward to Feb.
Mark
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Post by mhanna on Jan 3, 2010 9:52:43 GMT -5
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Post by dgaddis1 on Jan 3, 2010 9:55:37 GMT -5
Results are up.
I was DFL in the SS 17 mile class - no where to go but up next time!
Mark H was NOT last in his class
Matt K got 2nd in his. NICE JOB!
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Post by brianW on Jan 3, 2010 11:01:07 GMT -5
Thanks for the race report. Was thinking about you guys yesterday morning.
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Post by azdrawdy on Jan 3, 2010 11:07:13 GMT -5
I can't recommend this race enough. If you consider yourself to be a real mtn biker, this should be on your bucket list. Yeah that's right - I just called yall out And I felt it! Ouch! YC and I were talking about you and Mark all day yesterday. We spent the previous two nights at my sister's house, and driving back home yesterday morning at 7am, you two were thought of and discussed. I was hoping you would give a ride report. Thanks for taking the time to write it up, both of you. We'll see how next year pans out, but don't write us out of the script. Mark: Did you wear your new shoes? Nate showed them to me last Monday, and then YC and I went for a ride. My toes about froze even with booties and SW socks. I called later that day and ordered a pair. Nate told me you had ordered a pair also, specifically for the SG ride yesterday. Thanks again!  MD |
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Post by mhanna on Jan 3, 2010 11:55:32 GMT -5
My shoes haven't come in yet. Should have them next week. Nate gave me his old gators to use yesterday and they did the job as far as the cold was concerned. The hike-a-bikes over some of those uphill rock sections wore the ends out of them though. They were not designed for mountain biking. I figured if I gonna ride enough in the winter to do these types of things the shoes will be well worth the investment.
The creek crossing at the start of the 34 mile was about 20 fett across and probably 12-16 inches deep with all the rains. Not having the waterproof shoes yet I took a couple of trash bags to walk across and felt kind of stupid untill I saw others doing the same thing. Some folks rode across and kept going and some took off shoes and socks and walked across. I was just glad not to have to ride the 30 miles with soaking wet feet in those temps.
Looking forward to having the shoes for next time.
Mark
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Post by azdrawdy on Jan 3, 2010 12:10:05 GMT -5
Gotcha. He told me that he had requested your shoes to be overnighted, so I thought you had them already. Mine will probably come in with yours.
I looked through the pics and of course recognized Namrita and Milliron, but that was about it. Couldn't find you guys unfortunately. Maybe next race.
MD
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Post by mhanna on Jan 3, 2010 12:22:36 GMT -5
No, I didn't pay the extra to have mine overnighted. I guess with all the climbing that as long as your feet were dry, stay fairly warm was not that tough.
Next time I get to ride through that creek though! That will be a good test for them.
It's funny I thought that next year I'll be the young one in the 50-60 group and I could actually maybe be competitive with another year to train. When I saw the posted times they were only a few guys in that group but their times were better than most of the 30-40 and 40-50. Blew that theroy. The one guy in the 60 and up group did great as well. Amazing stuff.
I'm satisfied with how I did though considering I couldn't finish Brown Wave in March without stopping a couple of times. I just hope I can improve that much more this year.
Mark
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Post by dgaddis1 on Jan 3, 2010 12:31:29 GMT -5
Standing around the campfires in the "Snake Pit" after the race, listening to everyone's stories of their ride was great entertainment. One guy who rode the big creek on the 34, his shoes and socks froze solid. He had to get help taking them off. He stopped at a SAG station and got in a truck w/the heat blowing on his feet to warm them back up. He could have gotten frostbite if he'd kept going.
There were lots of stories of frozen drivetrains and brakes also. Glad I didn't have to ride that creek!!
I need to start riding harder. I've gotten in the habit of just cruising at a comfortable pace...I need to really start pushing on the climbs if I'm going to gain back some of the fitness I lost last year. My New Years resolution is to ride more. Between work, travel, and wedding stuff, I didn't ride nearly as much in '09 as I'd have liked.
Some of the times are amazing...some people are freaks. I got passed by a few 34 milers, and they were flying. They were soooooo smooooooooth in the rocks - it was like they were floating. Their bodies didn't move at all and the bike just danced underneath them. Impressive sight for sure.
It's hard to appreciate just how tough that course is. But many of you have ridden with me, so you know about what pace I can ride...it took me 3hrs to do the 17. IIRC Sam Koeber (sp?) currently holds the record for the 34 mile with a time of 2hrs and 36mins. INSANE!!! His sister Willow holds the record for women, with a time of 3hrs and 13mins. They have a pot going for the first woman to break that record, and right now it's over $1800.
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Post by mhanna on Jan 3, 2010 15:05:16 GMT -5
Dustin,
I think you guys that ride SS are a bit nuts anyway, but to ride that trail on a rigid SS is like calling Brock Lesnar a sissy to his face. You're just asking for a a** whooping.
Must be a young man thing. My hat's off to you guys.
Mark
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Post by brianW on Jan 3, 2010 17:54:32 GMT -5
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Post by onmybike on Jan 3, 2010 19:40:11 GMT -5
Standing around the campfires in the "Snake Pit" after the race, listening to everyone's stories of their ride was great entertainment. One guy who rode the big creek on the 34, his shoes and socks froze solid. He had to get help taking them off. He stopped at a SAG station and got in a truck w/the heat blowing on his feet to warm them back up. He could have gotten frostbite if he'd kept going. There were lots of stories of frozen drivetrains and brakes also. Glad I didn't have to ride that creek!! I need to start riding harder. I've gotten in the habit of just cruising at a comfortable pace...I need to really start pushing on the climbs if I'm going to gain back some of the fitness I lost last year. My New Years resolution is to ride more. Between work, travel, and wedding stuff, I didn't ride nearly as much in '09 as I'd have liked. Some of the times are amazing...some people are freaks. I got passed by a few 34 milers, and they were flying. They were soooooo smooooooooth in the rocks - it was like they were floating. Their bodies didn't move at all and the bike just danced underneath them. Impressive sight for sure. It's hard to appreciate just how tough that course is. But many of you have ridden with me, so you know about what pace I can ride...it took me 3hrs to do the 17. IIRC Sam Koeber (sp?) currently holds the record for the 34 mile with a time of 2hrs and 36mins. INSANE!!! His sister Willow holds the record for women, with a time of 3hrs and 13mins. They have a pot going for the first woman to break that record, and right now it's over $1800. good job guys, that sounds chilly! Sam regularly puts the smackdown on all riders at the Swank 65 and Willow is on the cover of Blue Ridge Outdoors this month after placing 3rd at Worlds. Yep, fast... |
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Post by mmaier on Jan 3, 2010 19:48:03 GMT -5
So are he people wading across the water crossing barefoot the smart ones or not?
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Post by dgaddis1 on Jan 3, 2010 21:03:51 GMT -5
So are he people wading across the water crossing barefoot the smart ones or not? They were smarter than the people who rode the creek. Not as smart as the people who made garbage bag waders. |
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Post by brianW on Jan 4, 2010 9:48:56 GMT -5
Mark, I would of waded barefoot if needed. Done it before on hikes in NH. A lot better than hiking (in this case riding) in wet shoes/socks.
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Post by mhanna on Jan 4, 2010 10:20:14 GMT -5
Brian,
I agree. If I found myself in that situation again without being prepared I would suck it up an wade across barefoot. It hurts for a minute but as soon as you suit up and head out again everything warms back up.
I'm just glad I didn't have to do it though.
Mark
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