Did a combination plains route with a bit o climbing up left-hand canyon today. The original plan was to simply get in some miles and hours without climbing...basically to do the 50 miler I did with Mark and the boys a few months ago. The ride was basically out 75th to Lookout through Niwot out to Hygiene and then into Lyons and back along 28th to 75th again. I had hoped to add a few miles by taking a reverse Old Stage to get some climbing in. However, once I hit 28th I remembered that the
Centurion was going on. Fortunately I had left the house at 6am this morning and as a result hit 28th right about when the pack was heading off of 28th onto St Vrain for a brief jog. Well, the helicopter overhead and the potential draw of running into/around a large peleton convinced me to take a left on 28th rather than a right into Lyons. Good decision as soon after hitting 28th I ran into a bunch police traffic control locations and I could totally see the helicopter to the East which convinced me that I was far enough in front of them to try for some elevation on Left Hand before being overtaken. I made it just past the Heil Ranch Turnoff before I was warned by a trooper on a motorcycle that pack had taken the right onto Left Hand. Not much after that I was passed by another group of vehicles, motorcycles and the like followed by a really small pack of 3 riders. They were definitely moving pretty fast, probably 18-20 mph at that point. Kept going up another 5-8 minutes or so until the next group of vehicles passed...this time I was not disappointed as I was consumed by a huge group of at least 200 riders. Amazing experience as the biggest group I had ever ridden with was like 30 riders. I kept it slow as to let the group pass me completely so as not to get in the way. This took several minutes and soon I was at the back. At this point I contemplated hanging with the group for a bit, but at this point I had just passed the Ward turn-off which was 30 miles into the ride at about 1:43 and I knew I had at least another 25 miles home. So, I decided to slow up and pull over after about a mile after the turn-off. Wise move given that I had set 9:30am as my drop-dead time to get home. The other problem at the time was the one bottle that I had on me that was getting really, really low. One bottle-cage mount on the Axis is probably the biggest problem I have discovered with this bike (thinking about hacking one on with some zip ties with a rubber-tube insulator...). Anyway, the rest of the ride went ok, a little tight, but the pace was reasonable given that I had taken no real breaks. I was able to get some water at the Boulder Rez Fire Station...and with this H20 influx I made it home unscathed! What an experience, not sure if the helicopter or the Mavic neutral cars with their identical yellow, bikes and wheels mounted on was the best part...for a moment I felt really close to Le Tour!
I would have to say that this ride is definitely on the list for next year. Which of course made me think of the other rides for next year...after a year of building back my biking base.
So, here it is for now...links and details to come
- Koppenberg Circuit - Early April - as definite as I can be a year away...
- Boulder Roubaix - Mid April - ???
- Morgul Bismark - Memorial Day - ???
- Various Mtn Bike Short Track....and/or CU or Racepace Promotions... - definitely a few of these...
- Father's Day Century???
- Triple Bipass - July???
- Centurion - July -as definite as I can be a year away...
- Maybe a real Cross Country Mtn Bike race....
- Good Sam Jam
- Cross in the fall!
Of course I am speaking about next year, so what about this year? Well, there are still a few events looming. I am definitely doing the
Good Sam Jam this year on the new longer route. This is basically the same route as the Centurion 50 and the first lap of the Centurion 100 up to Ward to the Peak to Peak back to Lyons; but starting and ending at EGSMC for about 96+ miles. Should be a nice ride with excellent scenery and plenty of climbing! This of course is an important one as it is a major fundraiser for my hospital foundation and I am now working on the foundation board on the committee responsible for the event itself...which means participation is mandatory! After the Jam then it will be cross season #1 as a member of the Boulder Cyclosport Cross Team. I am not sure how many races I will realistically be able to fit it, but I will try my best to do a minimum of 4 throughout the fall and winter....
That's it for now!
Here is a summary of the ride today:
