[borregokid]

Winter Vacation Anyone ?

I am starting to get tired of this weather-finally. Its about 14 degrees outside and kind of foggy. Yesterday it was 22 and windy. There is ice everywhere and we could use some fresh snow. Anyway the nice weather got me to thinking about some warmer spots.
In February two of the biggest bike event on the west coast take place in the southwest. On February 11th in Palm Springs there's the Tour De Palm Springs a century ride with about 8,000 riders. I did this once and it takes about 10 miles to break out into single file. A week later there is the 24 hour race in The Old Pueblo. This ones a lot of fun. I am not crazy enough to do it solo. Most riders are on four or five person teams. Jubilee mentioned he might be in for the Pueblo. Last year there were a couple of NW riders in the Old Pueblo (Old Pueblo=Tucson).

If thats not enough you can put your fenders back on your bike and load up on some granola and other health food and then do Cascade Bike Club's Chilly Hilly on February 26th.

Heres a link for the Tour De Palm Springs
http://www.tourdepalmsprings.com/

 

[SRR]

I am starting to get tired of this weather-finally. Its about 14 degrees outside and kind of foggy. Yesterday it was 22 and windy. There is ice everywhere and we could use some fresh snow.

14 degrees? And before you mentioned STUDDED tires!!?! You know, I sometimes suspect you might be an mtb version of an internet predator, only instead of luring young girls, you hope to attract unsuspecting mountain bikers, whose carcasses you slice open on the trail to help warm your feet and hands! (ha, ha, ha ;-)

Yeah, I'm almost looking forward to the rain again to bring the temps back up over on our side too (balmy to you no doubt).

But you've got me thinking about my next winter escape too. Last year it was Bootleg Canyon and Cottonwood near Las Vegas, followed by some trails near Zion on the way home. The year before that it was Moab. So I'm gonna look hard at these new suggestions of yours. Thanks!

 

[zdfg]

U need a new hobby

This is the standard in the winter:

 

[SRR]

This is the standard in the winter:

https://photos1.blogger.com/img/24/2081/640/mike1.jpg

Yeah, I need a new hobby alright. I must be getting bored with mtb or I wouldn't be spending so much time at this damn forum!

Still, I'd rather 'clip in' that 'climb up'. That is, I've already leaped from one too many rocks to the next, and somewhere midair discovered that I just passed my 'point of no return'. Usually, somebody then has to pry my fingers out of the rock, like those old B.F.Goodrich commercials, remember? ;-)

Hmmm, I think you should go riding with borregokid some day. :-]

 

[borregokid]

14 degrees? And before you mentioned STUDDED tires!!?! You know, I sometimes suspect you might be an mtb version of an internet predator, only instead of luring young girls, you hope to attract unsuspecting mountain bikers, whose carcasses you slice open on the trail to help warm your feet and hands! (ha, ha, ha ;-)

I am kind of a contemporary of Ted Bundys We were born in the same decade and we were both at Lake Sammamish State Park when Janice Ott and Denice Naslund disappeared. But thats pretty much as far as it goes. I followed the case pretty close and remember a little tidbit that escaped a lot of people. When Ted picked up Janice Ott at Lake Sammamish she had a bike which he put on the VW. He took Ott up to the Rail Road Grade and dumped her body. Since this forum is about biking-The BIKE WAS NEVER FOUND. I think it was a yellow Tiger and maybe its still up there somewhere near the rail bed. This post might have been better at Halloween

 

[jubilee]

I am starting to get tired of this weather-finally. Its about 14 degrees outside and kind of foggy. Yesterday it was 22 and windy. There is ice everywhere and we could use some fresh snow. Anyway the nice weather got me to thinking about some warmer spots.
In February two of the biggest bike event on the west coast take place in the southwest. On February 11th in Palm Springs there's the Tour De Palm Springs a century ride with about 8,000 riders. I did this once and it takes about 10 miles to break out into single file. A week later there is the 24 hour race in The Old Pueblo. This ones a lot of fun. I am not crazy enough to do it solo. Most riders are on four or five person teams. Jubilee mentioned he might be in for the Pueblo. Last year there were a couple of NW riders in the Old Pueblo (Old Pueblo=Tucson).

If thats not enough you can put your fenders back on your bike and load up on some granola and other health food and then do Cascade Bike Club's Chilly Hilly on February 26th.

Heres a link for the Tour De Palm Springs
http://www.tourdepalmsprings.com/

Yeah, I signed up for SS solo. I'll be getting my psych eval next. Maybe I should have done it the other way around.....

Got the flights (me, wife, friend/mechanic) and a 5 day a week training plan. Still hammering out the nutrition details for the race. I've got 2 months.....should be (relatively) dialed by then(?).

Thinking about the chilly hilly too....depends on where we live by that time.

 

[borregokid]

They do have prize money. I dont know how its distributed but they say its over $30,000. I read where Tinker Juarez does almost all road riding for his training riding about 4 hours a day. I talked to one Solo rider and she said her nutrition program was to eat whatever she felt like during the race. The guys who were top 3 SS a couple of years ago were insanely skinny.

 

[jubilee]

The guys who were top 3 SS a couple of years ago were insanely skinny.

Well that knocks me out right there.

 

[borregokid]

One of the guys who was in the top 3 also won an award for having one of the ugliest bikes in the race. There is some serious competition in the solo SS class. There might not be a lot of riders but a couple of those guys look like they ride for a living. You might have something going for you though they look like they are creeping up in their years.

 

[jubilee]

One of the guys who was in the top 3 also won an award for having one of the ugliest bikes in the race. There is some serious competition in the solo SS class. There might not be a lot of riders but a couple of those guys look like they ride for a living. You might have something going for you though they look like they are creeping up in their years.

10 laps is my ultimate goal, anything else is gravy. But we'll see. I'm trying to keep a clear head and open mind, not putting too much pressure or expectation on the day. Competition with anyone else isn't a priority at this point.....

 

[borregokid]

I dont think you will have any problems with 10 laps unless you have a mechanical. Two years ago a 57 year old woman knocked off 9 laps and probably could have done 10. The course is pretty fast, much faster than most mountain bike courses. If you do 10 laps that would be about 170 miles. I like to convert everything to road miles so 170 miles in the desert is equal to about 255 road miles. Also since you are on a SS I would add another 15% and figure 293 miles. So basically you need to be able to ride 300 road miles in 24 hours.

 

[borregokid]

24 Hours in the Old Pueblo

Ok its been a couple more weeks of crappy weather so has anyone else decided to take a break. My break is kind of a long one. I signed up for the 24 Hour Race in the Old Pueblo which is February 18th-on a four man team. This is an easy race to train for you can do almost all road riding for training. Last year I know there were a few Washingtonians down there. So far its me and Jubilee-anyone else out there?

 

[Borneo]

Oh, I thought this was about ski trips.

Just spent 5 days up at the pass and never thought about my bike once....

Woo Hoo!

 

[borregokid]

I was checking the snow depth and I see that there is 8 feet of snow on Sasse Ridge (west of Cle Elum Ridge) and winter isnt over. Some snow is ok but I dont miss shoveling the stuff in my secret winter hideout-just south of the Mighty Columbia.