peaceonabike - A Cancer Survivor's Journey to Find Peace on a Bike

June 15, 2023January 5, 2024

Tour de Suisse

ANDERMATT, SWITZERLAND

I love cycling. I love to ride and I love watching races. I had not planned but maybe hoped a little bit, to be in Switzerland during the eight-day-long Tour de Suisse (Tour of Switzerland). But last week my friend, Ben, told me that the Tour de Suisse would go by where I was staying.

My mind was not in a good place. My bike was missing for the third straight day even though I knew where it was at London’s Heathrow Airport because I have an Apple AirTag in the bike. But no one at British Airways gave a damn.

Race Caravan – 11:28 a.m.
Riders still coming up the mountain

Unable to ride, I was now trying to enjoy the best of Switzerland without a bike. I drove the Furka Pass yesterday mainly envious of the cyclists I saw climbing it but also to see if I could find a great viewing location for today.

Belvedere Hotel (closed) on Furka Pass
First climb of Stage 5

I saw the turn to Oberalp but did not drive up that climb. But that would be the second of three big climbs today. So today I decided to go back to Andermatt and find a spot on the climb to watch the race go by.

Leaving Andermatt just as the road turned up there was a sign marking the Green Zone. This is a designated area where riders can discard their food wrappers and bottles. What is cool is right after a feed zone, and this may have been that, where the riders get fresh bottles, they discard the used bottle by gently tossing them to the side of the road, generally towards spectators’ feet.

I thought that the Green Zone could be a good place to watch from but it was quite low on the climb. Maybe higher up would produce better memories. I kept driving.

Parking was scarce on the sides of the road but I passed a few locations where I could have stopped. Near the top before the climb plateaus to a 2-3% grade there was a camper van pulled over with four other cars. There was room for two more. I stopped.

View from across the road where I parked – 10:49 a.m.

It was chilly on the climb. I first wore a wind jacket but switched to my thermal jacket. I walked around a little but mostly sat in the car with the windows open enjoying the fresh Swiss mountain air. If Switzerland has the purest mountain water (it does) it also has the purest mountain air.

Head of the chasing peloton – 12:44 p.m.

I was envious of the recreational riders pedaling the climb. Many were laboring but some were flying. Some were obviously on e-bikes which are very popular here whereas others could have been on less obvious but still e-bikes. I had some energy chews for my riding that wasn’t happening and decided I would hand those to the next three riders who passed by. I stood at the road as a guy came by and held a pack for him to grab. He completely ignored me. I didn’t try a second rider. I needed my food more anyhow.

Matthias Norsgaard (DEN) – Six minutes down – 12:48 p.m.

Across the road from us at this intersection two team cars parked. One was from Arkea-Sampson and the other was BORA-Hansgrove. Both drivers wore team colors or put on a team vest. They prepared water bottles and would hand their riders a drink bottle as they rode by. The BORA soigneur saw two riders coming up the road including a young woman wearing a full BORA cycling kit. He held out a fresh water bottle for her and then pushed her butt up the road. I think he really just wanted to touch her butt.

The television coverage of this race was not wall-to-wall (start-to-finish). Basically, there would be coverage for the final two hours which meant that the race would pass by my location before coverage started. I have the GCN+ app on my phone and would have liked to watch the race to know where the riders were and what was happening.

The peloton – two minutes behind the breakaway – 12:44 p.m.

Instead, I went to the procyclingstats website and could find text coverage. I knew where they were on course and who was in the breakaway.

One hour and 15 minutes ahead of the race the publicity caravan came by. In the Tour de France this is an exciting part of spectating as many vehicles, mostly large trucks decorated as floats come by and people would throw items to the crowd. Not so for this caravan. There were maybe 10 cars total and each one would slow to a crawl if not stop to hand out items.

I got a bamboo paper fan, many pieces of mint gum, a tiny pack of gummy chews, a little drink bottle, a can of soft drink, and a box of pre-made cabbage salads. That last one is staying in Switzerland.

With TV coverage, you can hear the helicopter overhead when the race was near. Without thinking about it I expected to hear a race helicopter but there would be none. It was a TV helicopter after all.

Race Director – Seven minutes ahead of the first riders – 12:35 p.m.

There was a parade of policemen on motorbikes passed by and we knew the race was close by. I was at the edge of a hill and could see switchbacks below.

And we have an Alpenhorn. One of the guys, maybe in the camper van, brought out his Alpenhorn to serenade the riders as they passed. He only played for the riders, that is, he did not play the horn unless riders were present.

The breakaway group was composed of 19 riders. I knew two Americans were in the bunch, Quinn Simmons (Trek-Segafredo) and Nielsen Powless (EF-Education Frst-Easy Post). As they got in front of me I stopped taking photos and became a fan/supporter.

They were both recognizable and I called them out by name. I suspect they heard their names and hoped it gave them some encouragement.

The breakaway group had a lead of two minutes over the peloton. This group had the yellow jersey wearer and also Swiss star Gino Mäder as well as American Magnus Sheffield.

Thanks to the technology of time stamping photos I can say the breakaway group went past my location at 12:42 followed by the main peloton two minutes later at 12:44. A solo rider from Bahrain Victorius “in the cars” came by at 12:46.

The last rider, followed by the broom wagon, or Besenwegen, was French rider Louis Barré, of the Arkea team. He was heavily bandaged and it was unclear whether that was from a crash today or yesterday. He was relaxed and calmly stopped and dismounted. The soigneur took his bike and removed the front wheel to put the bike in the car. The rider took a Coke and then climbed into the front seat.

The end of the race went by followed by what appeared to be regular traffic following the Tour up the road. The Arkea car looked to be having a problem pulling out into traffic so I stepped into traffic and held it up so they could leave. Probably not culturally appropriate and maybe even illegal. Oh well. I looked at Louis Barré and gave him a thumbs up. He smiled and gave me thumbs-up as well.

I was headed to the summit and followed the cars. It didn’t feel like the peloton had gone by that long ago and expected to slow down as we caught the back of them. It never happened. These guys go faster than you think.

I reached the lake and the world’s highest lighthouse. I checked my maps and decided to turn around to head back to the Hotel Searausch in Beckereid, my hotel for the evening.

Perhaps 90 minutes later, Gino Mäder (SUI) and Magnus Sheffield (USA) crashed. Since they were “behind the race” this was not immediately reported on. There were no media with them to see them go down.

The highest lighthouse in the world – Oberalppass

Unbeknownst to followers, both Gino and Magnus went off the road into a ravine. While Magnus would crash out with a concussion, Gino would be airlifted to the hospital in Chur. It was reported later that he was found in water and was resuscitated. The Tour was notified of his death at 11:30 the next morning.

Stage 6 would be neutralized and only the last 20 km would be ridden in a silent procession.

I surely have one of the last photos ever taken of Gino Mäder.

I love cycling and recognize that it is inherently dangerous to balance on two wheels and sometimes in traffic. But to think that Gino and the peloton passed in front of me and 90 minutes later would die, left me shaken.

Gino, in red, is drinking from a blue water bottle

Rest in peace, Gino.

June 14, 2023July 29, 2023

Devil’s Bridge

ANDERMATT, SWITZERLAND

I first came here four years ago with my friend Ben. We climbed the Gotthard Pass and watched the first riders go by in the Tour de Suisse (Tour of Switzerland). We were short on time and Ben and I had to ride 30 km in one hour to make the last connecting train of the day that would get me to Zurich before DHL closed. (We made it.)

Ben and I left our viewing position in Hospental where the Tour de Suisse route would turn and head up to Furka Pass. As soon as the leaders flew by we took off for the train station in Wassen. It was all downhill but into a headwind.

We came to the Schöllenen Gorge and I knew nothing about it. I’m not sure Ben, a Swiss native, knew either. And I marveled at how gorgeous it was. I even yelled to Ben how beautiful it was and he asked if I wanted to stop. “No, we don’t have time!”

I didn’t know what it was. I would learn later that it was Devil’s Bridge. And I knew that I had to come back someday and ride my bike through here again.

Getting back to Devil’s Bridge became a bucket list destination. This trip was made solely to come back to this area, by bike. It would not work out that way. British Airways lost my bike and I didn’t have a bike to ride. So I would rent a car and drive.

I spent last night at a “House in the Swiss Alps” that I had rented near Wassen. It was very remote, about nine kilometers up the mountain from Wassen. I left there this morning to find Devil’s Bridge.

I found Devil’s Bridge. I really wanted to be here by bike. I passed two cyclists climbing the formidable route up to the bridge and felt a twinge of jealousy. In the four years since I last visited a bike route up the mountain had been built that takes cyclists off the main road and into the woods. That is where I longed to be. But, as the adage goes, when life gives you lemons, make lemonade. And I would.

Because I was not on a bike I was free to explore a little more. I didn’t have to worry about leaving my bike unattended in the parking lot. And I wore running shoes so I could walk much easier than if I was wearing my cycling shoes.

Despite my high expectations for this area, they were still met. Even exceeded. This place is beautiful. My memory did not fail me.

I don’t know if I will ever be back here. And if so will it be by bike or by car? But my bucket list item has been met.

June 10, 2023January 4, 2024

Olivia’s Light

CENTER OF THE UNIVERSE, VIRGINIA

In 2019 this ride was Ride Home Roads, a local ride sponsored by Ben King. In 2020 the Covid monster took it so it was virtual. I won something for a post about riding my home roads but did not collect a prize.

The ride did not exist in 2021 or 2022 but came back this year. And it was also billed as Ben King’s retirement ride. Ben was retiring from being a pro cyclist, most recently with Human Powered Health.

But when it came out this year, it had a new name. It was now benefiting Olivia’s Light. Ben and Jenna started Olivia’s Light to raise awareness of rare genetic disorder and to assist parents who find themselves in a similar situation. Olivia, this ride is for you.

Olivia King was Ben and Jenna King’s second child, their first daughter. Jenna had a normal pregnancy but there was a problem when she was born. This blog cannot properly describe Olivia’s short life and you are encouraged to read Olivia’s Story.

I had parked at a lumber yard about 1/4 mile away. I rode to registration. I picked up my bib number and a swag bag (nice bag) and took it back to the car and attached my number.

I rode back to the start and waited for the mass start at 9:15 am. Before “wheels down” (the start of the ride) Ben was presented with a signed jersey for his 2015 UCI Championships. Teammates, Brent Bookwalter, and two other teammates had signed the jersey. Probably two of these three, Tyler Farrar, Alex Howes, Taylor Phinney, but I couldn’t hear the names.

My plan today was to ride the Metric distance (100 km or 62.1 miles). But there would be 4-5 miles shaved off because yesterday the department of public works in Caroline Co. (or maybe VDOT) put down fresh chip and seal on one of the roads. No one wanted to ride on fresh tar. No one.

Ben and his friends, including Jeremiah Bishop and USA Women’s Road Race Champion, Emma Langley, were at the front and eventually would want to hammer it. Maybe not by there standards but certainly by mine. But first there was a police escort for two miles in a neutral rollout (no racing).

I didn’t want to try and stay with the big group. My goal was to finish safely. I am leaving for Europe tomorrow and I didn’t want to take fresh road rash or a broken collarbone. Or a broken bike. And besides, there was no way I could ride at 23-24 mph at that distance even sitting in the group.

I decided that I wanted to be near the rear of the 100 km group. There was also a 70 km group. In a race this would be the grupetto or autobus. We would all ride and finish together and make the time cut for the day (even though this ride did not have a time cut).

Even in the neutral rollout there were riders anxious to pass me and others trying to get to the front. And if your goal was to ride with the front group you would miss that being with me in the back.

Eventually I could see a split up ahead. And then two. And I was perfectly positioned. I was behind two riders, a man and a woman, perhaps husband and wife, and he was doing all the pulling. If he ever moved over and let her go to the front I would have followed and did my turn in the wind. But he never moved and after a couple joined us we probably had 5-6 riders in our small grupetto.

Eventually on a small climb they pulled over to check a mechanical, I think. I kept going and joined up with some others. We all pulled into Rest 1 which was probably at 20 miles.

I did not stay long, grabbed one strawberry pop tart (not one package but one) and took off down the road. I should have waited and jumped in with a group but I would ride the next 20 miles solo. No one passed me (where were the groups?) and I passed one rider.

At the second rest I timed it to leave when 8-10 others did. Actually I had to chase to catch them and then joined in. Whereas the second portion was a solo ride, the third portion was in a group. It probably wasn’t the grupetto, in fact I was way ahead of the stragglers, but was something in between Ben’s group and the last riders.

The only thing frustrating for this rider is with one exception, I’ve never been on a group ride where people really know how to ride a pace line. This was more of the same. We may have had 10 riders and at no time were we rotating pulls. One or two people stayed at the front and the rest followed. We simply rode in a line all wheel suckers. I shouldn’t feel bad that I rarely contributed. Learn to ride a pace line.

I didn’t feel like I went deep at any point in the ride. That part was good. At the end I averaged 18.0 mph which may be my high for 2023. It was a very good ride.

Lunch was too-heavy burritos. An auction followed. Four items were auctioned off – a signed USA team jersey, a private bike ride with Ben (and lunch), a private fishing trip at Smith Mountain Lake with Ben and his dad, and Ben’s 2015 MTB.

My estimate was it brought in $600, $600, $2500, and $3300. In addition Alliance presented Olivia’s Light with a $10,000 check. The second part of the auction was the solicitation of donations. It started with $1000 and one or two people raised their hands. Then $500. I was able to put my hand up for $100. In all the event raised $40,000.

Ben and Jenna are two wonderful people. I had met Ben before but this was the first time meeting Jenna. Very pregnant I asked her how scars she was and she said not at all because she knows God is in control. Wonderful people.

$10,000 check presented to Olivia’s Light

It will soon be 40 years since we lost Lindsay. The pain is always there at her birthday and death anniversary. It is there because we loved and we love. Ben and Jenna loved and it will always be there for them as well.

Ben King donated his mountain bike at the auction

But for a day they could celebrate the difference in people’s lives because of Olivia. Sometimes the smallest among us make the biggest impact.

EPILOGUE – Ben and Jenna had a healthy baby in October.

March 19, 2023July 6, 2023

The Citrus Tour – The Short Loop

CHAMPIONSGATE, FLORIDA

Today was the cold version of yesterday’s hot version. Whereas yesterday the temperature was 82° today would be cloudy and 52°. I have become smarter with my decisions and basically determined that I would ride the 25-mile route instead of the 50-mile route.

While I slept well last night, my Whoop recovery score was only 17%. Very poor. If Whoop could talk it would have said don’t move today. I had cramped badly yesterday which is a sign of muscle fatigue. I would honor the ride and my donors by riding but didn’t know if 50 miles was in the cards for me.

Unlike yesterday, there were volunteers directing riders where to park. In fact, it seemed there were no riders. Yesterday was clearly the main event and today’s ride was the icing on the cake of the MS weekend.

There was a race announcer or DJ who would give the start signal at 7:30 a.m. But no recognition or staging of riders.

I looked at a guy, Zack, who wore shorts and a jersey. It was cold. The wind was blowing. He looked at me and said, “I think I’m going to regret this.” I asked him if he would wear a jacket if I went back to my car and he said he would. I came back as the riders were rolling out. He put on the jacket and we rolled out.

We discussed how far we were riding. I pretty much had already decided that due to my poor metrics, I would go short (actually a 23-mile route). But if Zack had my jacket and was riding 50 then I would too. But he had a wife and a couple of small kids waiting for him and was going short.

Two early riders (probably Riding with MS)

I thought we were near the end of the riders and we were just riding along when a fairly large group passed us. At the end of the train I jumped on and Zack followed. On a right-hand turn the group broke up with only about six or seven riders at the front. I asked Zack if he wanted to bridge up and he said yes. We did and we rolled along. Before Rest Stop One, I had dropped him. I was surprised when I looked behind me and it was someone else. We averaged 17.7 mph on this segment.

We rolled out by ourselves for the next segment, which was a loop and then returne to the start. I was feeling better and when we came to the 25/50-mile split I was willing to ride 50 but Zack wanted to head back.

We came rolling into the finish and I met Zack’s wife who was a finish-line volunteer. It was 9:00 a.m. What now?

Yesterday any additional effort on the pedals brought cramps. I was afraid of pushing it today although I briefly toyed with riding the full 50. The soreness brought on by cramps was gone but I knew to take it easy.

After getting my jacket and saying goodbye I went back to my car. But it didn’t seem enough. So I went back on course for a couple of miles before turning around and thinking, “What am I doing?” I went back to the car and called it a day.

The official hotel of the event was the Omni Resort in Orlando. Even with the special MS group rate, it was too pricey for me. I opted for the Hilton Vacation Club Mystic Dunes, which was also pricey, but I had a free night coupon.

March 18, 2023April 29, 2023

The Citrus Tour

CHAMPIONSGATE, FLORIDA

I was here for the MS-150 — the first MS-150 event of the year in the U.S. I went to registration at the Omni Resort yesterday at 5:00 p.m. As a “VIP” (“Club K” for those who raised at least $1000) we were told a perk would be an “Exclusive VIP experience at packet pick-up.”

I’m not sure what that experience was. I walked up. They gave me a jersey. I walked away and then had to go back. “Do I get a t-shirt as well,?” I asked. They went and got me a t-shirt. They did have a room with wine and hors d’oeuvres but that wasn’t my thing. I looked. I left.

The coolest “VIP” experience at registration I had was at the Livestrong Challenge-Philly in 2009. When I went to the registration desk a volunteer found my name. Then she rang a bell loudly and announced, “Barry Sherry raised $3000.” Then everyone in the room (or tent) cheered. So my thought was something similar would happen here. But maybe I missed it but it seemed like the same experience for everyone at packet pick-up.

This morning there was to be “VIP parking at the start line.” As I drove in I asked two volunteers about VIP parking. I even showed them the screenshot of Club K perks. They knew nothing about VIP parking.

My planning for the ride included a hotel which was actually a resort. But being a resort meant no breakfast at the hotel. Instead, I passed a McDonalds on the way and got an order of hotcakes.

I was concerned about nutrition and brought Skratch drink mix and Honey Stinger gummy chews. I also brought Hot Shot anti-cramping mix. As I grabbed what I wanted for my ride, I completely forget the Hot Shot. Crucial mistake.

Opening ceremonies recognized those riding with MS, the biggest earners, and the largest teams. The National Anthem was sung by Sonya Bryson-Kirksey (and someone can check me on this). Are helmets not hats? I removed my helmet but I would guess that less than 10% of men did. Or maybe respect for the National Anthem has died.

The rollout was in groups. I expected it would be staged by the previously mentioned categories or by distance but that we would all roll together. Instead, there may have been one minute between each group as they announced them and let them roll out.

We rolled slowly and it was immediately apparent that we would have stiff winds. Once it was safe I started passing riders. I had a guy join me and we briefly talked about not being able to ride a 12-hour Century (which it would have been at the pace we were riding). When he picked up the pace he was followed by a rider named Sharon (we had nametags on our backs).

At first, I wasn’t going to follow but we were all going the same pace. So I latched on. After a mile or two I went to the front and told him that I wasn’t going to let him do all the work. He dropped to third wheel and after a mile, Sharon told me he was about 20 yards back. I soft-pedaled for a while but he never came back. I never saw him again the rest of the day. Sharon, I would see her a lot.

There’s a proper way to ride a Century. First third – go slow. Second third – ride at a normal pace. And then use what’s left in the tank for the big finish. I knew I was probably going out too fast although I felt good. I wasn’t sweating that I noticed but I was still concerned about losing too many fluids. I would drink a lot today.

Waiting at a traffic light in Davenport – Mile 9
First Rest Stop is just to the right

We were riding along and one of the larger teams came by. Sharon and a couple of riders joined in and I tagged on in the back. There was a split and I was caught out. I decided I would bridge up to the faster group and was about to make the catch when they went through a yellow light but it turned red for me. I waited for the light to change and the group that I tried to ditch caught up to me. When it finally turned green I let them go ahead and I sat in on the back.

The first Aid Station was only 10 miles in and I blew by it. I stopped at the second one, Bravo, and they were serving sandwiches. Hmm. It was 9:00 a.m. I rolled out from Aid Station Bravo and rolled through a glass field on the shoulder/bike lane. I went about 200 meters then turned around. I found a discarded shingle and spent about 10 minutes sweeping the glass off the bike path. #DOGOOD

At Mile 60 I felt “pre-cramps” if there is such a thing. I could feel the telltale sign of a cringe when I dug deep for more power. I tried to conserve where and when I could. I drank. I took on more than eight bottles of fluid. I was riding with a team – Road and Trail Bike Club (Lakeland, Fla.) and gently let them go up the road without me. The subtle accelerations needed to control the whiplash effect on the rear weren’t there for me. I did not want to dig deep. They never went far ahead but I never caught them. One of their guys dropped back and I passed him.

At Mile 80, Aid Station Bravo (again), I departed on my own. I was happy to ride at my own pace. I wanted to ride solo. While there is a very real benefit of riding in a group, I didn’t have the energy to raise the pace even one kph faster to stay with the group or to match accelerations when needed. While a tailwind most of the way back, the advantage of group riding was less.

At this point, I wanted to be left alone, wind or no wind. Whether in a group of 10 or a group of two, we try to stay together which meant that I would have to find a little extra on turns and the little rises that they called hills. (Note: They’re not hills.) Riding alone I could go as slow as I needed to and not push to the point of cramps.

I was caught at a light by a woman I had stopped earlier to help her with a flat from the field of glass. (She needed SAG/bike shop to make the repair). I was glad to see her riding and she was going about two kph faster than me. Normally I would match her pace so we could work together but I did not have the extra gear. Then I was caught by Sharon. She gave up waiting on the two guys she had been riding with and Sharon and I rode together until we came to an intersection. She went straight when we should have turned left. I briefly followed then yelled to get her attention. I would have ridden right up to her but I didn’t have the gear.

We had a brief interchange – basically it was “this is not the right way,” and “are you sure?” I was. We went back as team Road and Trail were coming by and making the left-hand turn. We jumped in with them.

The first real cramp came at Mile 95. It was bad and I wasn’t sure I would handle it. The pain was intense and my reaction was to get off the bike and stretch. As we came to a left turn at a “T” the group got into the left turn lane and stopped behind five cars waiting for the light. I had no choice. I could not coast and didn’t want to unclip and put a foot down. I kept pedaling softly and took the empty right turn lane but then went straight across the intersection to make my left turn. The group came by and I briefly tried to stay with them. I did right to Mile 98. Then I took to the sidewalk to keep moving while they waited at a light. I had to pedal at my own pace. Coasting wasn’t working and I could not add pressure. Lightly pedaling was the best way to keep the cramping from being too bad.

Still, the group finished about 30 seconds ahead of me which wasn’t bad. I would have given them 30 minutes. I was hurting. I slowly rode to my car, moved gingerly as I dismounted, found my Hot Shot, and chugged that down.

I walked over to find lunch. No one knew where it was. On the website, it said lunch was provided by PDQ. I then found some empty PDQ containers in the trash. We discovered the 25 and 50-mile riders ate our lunches.

PDQ Lunch Boxes – No lunches for distance riders

I was tired. It was 3:00 and I needed lunch. While there was a dinner at 6:00 back at the Omni, I knew I would not be going back to my hotel, cleaning up, and then returning for dinner. Partly I was afraid that I might cramp up during dinner and that would not be pretty.

In my GPS I found a PDQ eight miles (air miles?) away. I drove to it and then asked the manager if they provided the lunches to the MS Ride. They had and I thanked him for it. I also told him that the riders who rode the farthest didn’t get any. He gave me a complimentary lunch. It’s a great place and not just for free food.

An MS ride is more than a ride. It’s about the mission to rid the world of MS. I like to connect with people and hear their stories. The first person was a young woman, wearing a tutu (maybe a bad idea for a distance ride). She had written on her bib she was riding for her mother. I told her I was riding for my daughter and showed her the cool stem cap. (She can be seen in the Davenport photo.)

I asked her how far she was riding and she told me she was going to ride 100 but was now thinking about 60 (The routes were 23, 50, and 75 so maybe she was thinking about 50 miles). A group, her group, was rolling out of the rest step and I just missed jumping in with them but left in a hurry to catch them. And then I started regretting not spending more time with her and offering to ride 100 with her. It was obvious no one in her group was willing.

The second person I talked to was Sharon. She was in the Top 50 fundraisers as evidenced by her blue bib number. She told me her connection was seven or eight friends who all have MS. She also said she lost her 35-year-old niece within the last year to MS due to a blood clot. Of course, neither of us knows for sure what may have caused the blood clot, be it MS, medications for MS, or medications for something else.

DISTANCE: 101.2 miles
TIME: 6:04
AVERAGE SPEED: 16.6 mph

February 23, 2023April 29, 2023

Unexpected Gravel

CULPEPER, VIRGINIA

Riding gravel is the new “in” thing in cycling. The advantage over road cycling is that riding on gravel roads means very few cars. And that alone is enough for many gravel riders.

The disadvantage is that the bike is harder to control. In addition, I always feel like I am one piece of gravel away from having a flat tire.

Although I have a gravel bike, a Trek Checkpoint, I have not come to embrace the new fad in cycling. I am a fearful gravel rider.

Generally, I am one of the fastest descenders on group rides. I seem not to be able to recognize or process risk and am probably inches away from a serious high-speed accident. But put me on gravel and I am absolutely the slowest descender. Others in the group are flying down these roads over gravel and I am holding a handful of brakes.

I am not comfortable descending and don’t think any amount of practice will make me enjoy it. I ride it to join friends on group rides but that is about it. And perhaps if paved roads simply aren’t available.

Culpeper detour. Just walked through it.

I needed a metric century because I was doing a fundraiser for my upcoming MS-150. I challenged my friends that I would ride in distance the number of miles they raised in dollars. I went to RideWithGPS and mapped out what I hoped would be a perfect metric century. RWGPS uses Google Maps so I assign no blame to RWGPS. I drew the route and it showed as 100% pavement. I was set.

It was a combination of my Remington routes and a Culpeper route which I always route clockwise. I decided to ride this one counterclockwise because it would be new to me.

I headed out on familiar roads even if the direction wasn’t. I quickly came to “Climb 1/6” and then Climbs 2-5. Almost all the climbing seemed to be done in the first 30 km. I was happy to get what climbing there would be out of the way early because it was to hit a record-breaking 80 degrees today.

The Climbs on the mapped route appear on my Wahoo

The sixth and final climb was just ahead at 63. km to go. The country road was beautiful with almost no traffic. And then the road turned to gravel. Oh no. This was not expected. I slowed down. I did not know how far the gravel would extend. Well, it was three km (two miles) when it turned to pavement for the final climb of 500 meters. And then it was back to gravel for another three km. In all, it was four miles of unexpected gravel. This was not fun.

I tried to choose my line and stick with it. The gravel alternated from packed dirt (which is actually quite alright) to newer gravel that had been put down within the last year or so (not quite alright). I didn’t know how far it would go and was quite relieved when I reached pavement at the end.

This was a beautiful route but the map drawing let me down. I already went to the drawing board and changed it. I hope that I found all asphalt roads this time.

DISTANCE: 62.2 miles (100 km)
GRAVEL: 4.0 miles

December 31, 2022December 13, 2023

Reflections on the Year – 2022

WOODBRIDGE, VIRGINIA

Another year of riding. Another year of life!

Slowly, many of the events that disappeared in 2020 started to come back in 2021, and even more in 2022 as some of those old ones resurfaced. Some never did. But whether or not there were events, I rode. Above all, it was another year of living. Another year of life.

WHAT’S NOT ON THE LIST

Events that have become regular on my schedule disappeared this year. The Livestrong Challenge, after a two-year hiatus, returned but on the same date as Phil’s Cookie Gran Fondo so I could not attend. Sadly, I had no involvement with the Texas4000. The Ride to Conquer Cancer (Richmond, Va.) and the Alpine Loop Gran Fondo (Harrisonburg, Va.), but closed this year, and are uncertain whether they will return in 2023. And I think my annual Somerset to Punxsutawney (Pa.) rides are all in the past.

MY TOP TEN CYCLING MOMENTS/MEMORIES
(In no particular order)

Pan-Florida Challenge
After ‘while Crocodile
Searching for Aurora Teagarden
A New Ferry Ride
Maryland Cycling Classic
Sea Gull Century
Hanging with Mr. Miller
Phil’s Cookie Gran Fondo
No Longer Worst
MWARBH

10. PAN-FLORIDA CHALLENGE. In March I went to Fort Myers, Fla. for a two-day cancer ride. On Saturday we rode 100 miles from Fort Myers to Sebring. On Sunday we rode 105 miles from Sebring to Tampa. All of it was into a headwind. I was very anxious to see how I would do with back-to-back centuries in late winter. And I passed the test.

9. AFTER ‘WHILE CROCODILE (only because I’ve used See You Later Alligator before). After the Pan-Florida Challenge, I met a 75-year-old friend and we rode in Shark Valley in the Everglades among the alligators. I love this ride. Not so sure that she did.

8. SEARCHING FOR AURORA TEAGARDEN. After I rode the Glimcher Keystone MS ride in State College, Pa. I drove to Montour Falls (near Watkins Glen), New York. In this Hallmark-looking town in the Finger Lakes, I was looking for the main street with a waterfall cascading down the hillside at the end of the street. This is the setting for the Hallmark Channel’s Aurora Teagarden series. I found the town. I found the street. But no waterfall. It was dry. But I had a wonderful 45-mile ride topped off by meeting some Lowmaster cousins for the first time.

On that hillside is supposed to be a waterfall

7. A NEW FERRY. Every good ride needs a ferry and I didn’t have one since the parties were still fighting over Historic White’s Ferry in Leesburg, Va. / Poolesville, Md. But I went to Maryland’s Eastern Shore and found one near St. Michael’s / Easton. The Bellevue-Oxford Ferry crosses the Tred Avon River and is absolutely delightful. In all, I made five trips to ride the ferry.

6. MARYLAND CYCLING CLASSIC. The first UCI race in North America came to Baltimore County and I was a course marshal. I pre-rode the course in northern Baltimore County two days prior and ran into EF-Education First. I also got to chalk a message on the pavement for Toms Skuijins.

Magnus Cort-Neilsen gives me a thumbs up as the team rolls by

5. SEA GULL CENTURY. I was riding along minding my own business for 90 miles even thinking this would be my last Sea Gull Century. Then I passed a young lady who was struggling to finish her first century. For the next 45 minutes, I had a purpose and that was to see her cross the finish line. Up to that point, the ride was somewhat boring then all of a sudden it had a purpose. The best rides don’t all have the fastest speeds or the longest distance. Sometimes it’s the unexpected things that make a ride great.

4. HANING WITH MR. MILLER I had gone to Phil’s Cookie Gran Fondo and purposely decided that on Saturday I would not ride with the fast kids but save some energy for Sunday. Our group went 30 minutes later, I picked up a goathead or two and flatted, and then just turned around. Being the first one back for lunch gave me the chance to chat with NBA Hall of Fame player, Reggie Miller. (He said don’t call him “Mr. Miller.”)

3. PHIL’S FONDO. After a three-year hiatus, I was able to go to California, thinking it may be my last time. But I am always treated so nicely there and I had a ton of PRs on all the climbs. Even hitched my ride to the World Tour Pro when Rick Zabel went by pulling six other riders.

Mulholland Drive – The rider farthest up the road on the left is pro rider **Rick Zabel**

2. NO LONGER WORST. After Phil’s Fondo I drove to Santa Barbara looking for Gilbraltor Road. It was in 2018 that I finished dead last in the Hillclimb Worlds (I do have my reasons). I was able to ride up the climb in one hour, taking a whopping 12 minutes off my performance from four years ago.

1. MWARBH. There is nothing to compare. And after almost 10 years off I came back for a second time in two years, this time with my granddaughters. So very special.

This is the hardest bicycle climb in the world. And having my daughter and granddaughters dressed as chickens – priceless.

END OF A STREAK

I rode 1,098 straight days of at least 10 miles. That streak ended on January 3 with a foot of snow. But it freed me up so that I didn’t ride just to keep the streak going because I rode in truly miserable conditions the past three years just to keep the streak going.

BEST DAY OFF THE BIKE – I

On August 22, I took my grandson, Aiden to Williamsport, Pa. to watch the Little League World Series. It was an incredible day that was better than any day on the bike.

Aiden, in blue, watching Japan and Latin America (Nicaragua)

BEST DAY OFF THE BIKE – II

On November 19, “riding” a new streak since I hadn’t missed a day since August 22, I was traveling from South Carolina to Florida. I hoped to ride somewhere but planned to meet John Andre and his family for dinner. I ran out of time. We went straight to dinner which was at the Garden in the Land Pavillion at EPCOT in Walt Disney World.

BEST DAY OFF THE BIKE – III

I gave up a day of riding to drive to Pittsburgh with my daughter and two grandsons to watch the Steelers play.

BEST OLD BIKE

My Trek Pilot, which was destined for the landfill with a cracked chain stay, came back to life. I paid Ruckus Composites, in Portland, Oregon, for carbon repair, and rode 2,100 miles since I got it back.

Old bike and it made it up Mt. Washington again

BEST NEW BIKE

Annabelle’s bike was dangerous so when we returned from New Hampshire we went to the Bike Lane in Reston and got her a Trek FX.

WHEN PROMPTNESS GETS RIDICULOUS

I was enjoying riding with a group called the Old Cranks out of Warrenton, Va. But I didn’t like to drive to their start location opting instead to ride in. Twice I rode 15 miles to make the 10:00 a.m. departure time only to discover they rolled out at 9:55 a.m. And yes, I had responded that I would be there. I stopped riding with them because someone doesn’t know what a published start time means.

BEST DOLLAR SPENT

While in Santa Monica at an In-N-Out Burger, I paid a 12-year-old one dollar to watch my bike while I went in and ordered. (His dad was with him.)

WHOOP WHOOP!

Not the sound, but the biometric tracker. I started wearing the Whoop band and am geeking out on the data it provides. Notably is my recovery score. Almost always, on the day of a big event, I wake up with a recovery score in the red and I still don’t know why. The morning of the Mount Washington Hillclimb my recovery score was 8%. Yikes!

TWEET TWEET

DAYS OFF THE BIKE

My 1100-day (actually 1,098) streak was broken on January 3 with a foot of snow. Without a streak to continue it kept me from purposely riding in freezing rain or late at night when I couldn’t otherwise ride. It meant I didn’t ride every day, in fact, I missed 25 days in all. Assume those were horrible weather days and would have been mostly 10-mile days that’s still 250 miles I left out there. But probably more.

ICE ICE BABY

I still rode when it was cold. Just not as far as in the past.

MOST EMBARRASSING MOMENT

Jeremy Powers is a former cyclocross champion and now spokesman for the Whoop Band. After riding up Mt. Washington he looked at my Whoop Band and told me that I was wearing it wrong. He then took it off me and fixed the strap for a neater look. My bad.

Phil Gaimon and Jeremy Powers soaking their legs in the Peabody River after the hillclimb

BEST SAMARITAN

In June I flatted near the Manassas Airport. A sliver of metal was protruding from the tire and I had no way to extract it and thus repair the flat. A man stopped, saw what I needed, and in 10 minutes returned with his Leatherman tool. And he gave it to me. Not lent. But gave.

This is not a cheap tool. On Amazon, the price is $181.

WORST SAMARITAN

Me. Riding in a group on the Pan-Florida Challenge a rider had a flat. While the entire group rolled on I decided to stop and help. The rider was on a borrowed bike and did not know how to change a flat. Once I got him rolling he told me he was riding a metric century and since he was almost halfway, he was turning around leaving me to ride solo to catch the group that I was in but was now 10 minutes up the road. He had SAG support phone number. I should have just left him call in for assistance.

Caught the group as they were rolling out from the next rest stop

MOST FUN SOLO RIDE

In the Pan-Florida Challenge, I was stuck in a group that was going slower than I wanted. I told the group I was going to bridge up to the next group which I could barely see about a half mile ahead. It took me 11 minutes to close the gap and catch on. Their group of six became my group of seven but finished with only four. But it sure was fun catching them and seeing their faces when they realize a rider from the slow group behind caught them.

WHAT IS A KILOMETER?

In October I wanted to listen to Whoop and back off a little when my recovery was in the red zone. I switched my Wahoo to display kilometers and removed Strava Love Segments so speed would not be an issue. And I haven’t switched back. The advantages are I am no longer fixated on keeping a certain speed or traveling a certain distance. (I used to always finish with .00 miles.) The disadvantages are that I no longer know how fast to pace myself when I’m riding with others. I just ride.

BEST ADVERTISEMENT

Although I have talked about my rear Garmin Varia light for a couple of years, it wasn’t until October that I read a review where a user paired his unit to a friend’s computer on a group ride. So on a ride with Tim, I took his Wahoo and paired it to my unit so he could get the same display that I was. After one ride of seeing the display, he went to REI and bought his own later that day.

BEST BURGER JOINT

Foster’s Grille – Manassas, Va. With outdoor seating and bike parking next to the train station, along with employees who know me by name, this place is the best. They added Coke Zero to their soft drinks this year too. Pro Tip: Mondays they offer a senior discount.

BEST ICE CREAM

Scottish Highlands Creamery, Oxford, Maryland. Perfectly positioned near the end of a 60-mile ride on Maryland’s Eastern Shore and right after a great ferry ride. A single includes two scoops. But check operating hours. One day I rode there and it was closed.

BEST ICE CREAM – HONORABLE MENTION

Moo-Thru, Remington, Virginia. Often the focal point of a Remington ride. Actually, it is always the focal point of a Remington ride.

HORRIBLE HUNDRED

This very hilly ride in central Florida is horrible if you don’t like hills or, officially, “only horrible if you miss it.” Or this year, horrible to ride in it. The weather forecast of rain “later in the day” was woefully off. I cut my ride short to 45 miles, got back to the hotel to relax and watched the rain come down. The temperature never got above 55 degrees and I didn’t feel like getting my bike and my shoes soaked.

TEN THOUSAND MILES AGAIN

A mileage goal isn’t usually my goal but I first achieved 10,000 miles in 2019. I did it again in 2020 and 2021 so that became my goal this year too. But because I didn’t ride every day it just seemed harder to reach 10,000 miles. And in some ways, that made it more rewarding.

MUSIC, MUSIC, MUSIC

When I am on a solo ride, I connect my phone to an Outdoor Tech Buckshot 2.0 speaker on my handlebars. I can listen to music and if loud enough, others can hear me coming on the trail. I have a Sirius XM subscription. My favorite: Yacht Rock although the 50s and 60s music do well too and always Christmas tunes during the season. Cost: Around $30.

COVERED BRIDGES

Frederick County, Maryland, became one of my favorite places to ride with three covered bridges near Thurmont plus the haunted Sachs Bridge in Gettysburg.

MOST SATISFYING KOM

I never thought I would compete for a KOM on the Mapledale Climb but in November I had a good ride and saw I was within reach of a KOM. I had been 9th but finished second that day. Then I saw the profile of the person who held the title – Mighty Mouse. I’m not a fan of people who hide behind fake screen names and there was something about seeing Mighty Mouse that told me I had to claim the crown. And I did.

MILES BY BIKE

Domane – 5,884
Pilot – 2,232
Checkpoint – 1,953

The Domane got almost 60% of my miles but the Pilot came back online in late June. Since then the Domane was ridden for 3,029 miles or 58% of my road miles while the Pilot gave me 2,232 miles. The Checkpoint is used for gravel (rare), trails (rare), and bad weather.

THE NUMBERS

In 2020 I was happy when I took four KOM segments. Then last year I somehow took 121. (Don’t ask.) I never expected to take more than a handful in 2022 but Strava said I took 42. Wow! I’ll take them.

The fastest ride was a solo ride. Loop
The fastest walk was getting to EPCOT on time
The longest ride here was Sebring to Tampa, Fla., the second of two 100-mile rides.
On October 8 I rode 125 miles but it was broken into three rides

I don’t know how Strava selected these
My favorite is any pictures of the chickens at MWARBH

THE TOTALS

DISTANCE – 10,070 (16,206 km) miles. It was my fourth time over 10,000 miles and my fourth consecutive year.

There is a slight difference between the two tracking programs, Strava and RideWithGPS (10,068 vs 10,071) despite the same files being uploaded to both. I don’t worry about the minor discrepancy.

DAYS RIDDEN: 337

WEIGHT: 178 (just a little bit up from the end of last year)

OUTLOOK FOR 2023

I have no goals. Safe riding. Happy riding.

November 20, 2022September 26, 2023

Advice from the Jensie

CLERMONT, FLORIDA

It was chilly, if not cold, at the start. Just 52° (11°C) and pretty windy. There was a forecast of rain moving in in the afternoon. My options were a 100-mile ride or a 70-mile ride. Plus whatever distance I would be adding to and from the hotel.

I was thinking about the century ride and whether I would have enough time to ride 100 miles and beat the rain. Maybe the weather would force my hand. But there was something else.

I have been wearing the Whoop band which measures biometrics. Last night, and the two nights prior to that, my “recovery” rate has been poor. My body is not recovering the way I need it to and therefore a big effort may be hard to achieve.

I was out the door by 7:00 a.m. and was at the start by 7:20 a.m. I was ready to roll but wanted to meet a friend first. Scott lives in the area and we planned to meet at 7:30 a.m. But he was running late and we did not meet and get rolling until 8:00 a.m. I felt like everyone who was riding was already on course and ahead of me.

A “private” port-a-john just 10 miles in

As I pedaled the first 15 miles I didn’t feel right. The jump in my legs was not there. Or maybe worse, the enthusiasm I had for riding the bike was missing. There was a group of 30-somethings, probably four men and two women although maybe it was three and three, that went by me. It was a group that I might normally jump into (if they didn’t mind). But I didn’t have the energy to stay with them.

I didn’t need Whoop to tell me that. I was off. I felt it. I decided then to take the 100-mile ride off the table and do the 70-mile ride. But the weather started turning. There was some spitting rain already and I had to rethink my strategy.

Volunteer at Rest Stop one supporting UVA (he attended)

I remembered what Jens Voigt said when he retired. He loves riding his bike but the two things he will no longer do is suffer and ride in the rain. And I knew that even if I rode 70 miles, I would be suffering. And I would probably be riding in the rain.

That made my decision easier. There’s something nagging about shortening the route as though one has failed. I had to put that out of my mind and convince myself that it was okay. But I knew that today, it was the right thing to do. This was the fifth time for this event. I have ridden the 100-mile route twice and the 70-mile twice so I knew the route and what I would be seeing or missing. Plus I had nothing to prove. My decision would have been different if this was my first event or first century.

I came to the 30-mile cutoff and turned. I would go short today. Well, it wasn’t exactly short. I added one extra loop around the lake and there was the distance to and from the event. So I still rode 45 miles.

But at the pavilion, as I ate lunch, I watched the rain come down. I knew it was the right decision for me on this day. I rode in the light rain back to the hotel. When I got back I cleaned my bike and then went to the hotel’s whirlpool. It was outside and still only 52° and raining, but it felt so good to slump all the way down in the water.

Relaxing in the whirlpool (photo from the prior day)

I wanted more miles today. But my body said no. Plus the thought of dealing with soaked shoes and soaked clothes while traveling was one I didn’t want to deal with. There will be other rides but Jens is right – no need to suffer or ride in the rain.

EPILOGUE – I felt very good about my decision today. It rained all afternoon and was generally miserable outside. The thought of soaked shoes while traveling was the worst. I could have washed my clothes but not much to do with the shoes.

November 19, 2022February 24, 2024

Before it was Horrible

CLERMONT, FLORIDA

This was my fifth time coming to the Horrible Hundred. A great feature, and perhaps my favorite, is the “familiarization” rides held on Saturday, the day before the event. They are actually just no-drop group rides.

The first two years I joined the 8:30 a.m. 50-mile ride. It was their “A” level ride. The second time I rode it I decided it was too large for my safety and comfort and instead I rode with their “B” or “C” level (but probably B). Like Goldilocks, this one was just right.

Last year we had perhaps 20 riders and it was a really nice group. I was hoping for the same and even the same group leader from last year.

I left the Marriott Fairfield Inn hotel and headed to the waterfront. I arrived at 8:45 a.m. while the C group was headed out. I waited a few minutes, looking around to see who might be riding. Some people gathered but they weren’t part of us. At 8:58 a.m. a guy wearing a “Ride Leader” jersey asked if I was here for the 9:00 ride. I told him I was and he said, “It looks like it will be the three of us.”

Don was our group leader. I soon found out he lived in Woodbridge forty years ago. Our other rider was Dan. I found out the two of them rode the Trans-America Trail, from Yorktown, Va. to Oregon some time ago.

Don had an eBike. He announced that we would take one-mile pulls and ride in a pace line. Since I was displaying kilometers I always rode at least two kilometers and sometimes three before pulling off the front. When we came to the hills Dan would trail off. Don said it was because he was 75 years old. Good for him. When we came to Cherry Lake Road Don told me to go ahead and ride back without them so they didn’t hold me back. I did ride ahead but when I reached the top I turned around and went back to Dan and rode up again.

It was a nice ride. It’s a very nice route (42 miles). I hope that with three people the event doesn’t decide to cancel it. If I go back I plan on doing this Saturday route again.

I rode back to the hotel and was enjoying the weather. Rather than stop riding, I simply dropped off my Horrible Hundred t-shirt and then went to PDQ for lunch. After lunch, I rode back to the waterfront. I visited a decorating of the trees for Christmas. There I talked to Melinda from the Clermont Triathlon Club. She told me of a ride for C2C that I should look for. Maybe next year.

Clermont Triathlon Club
We approve except for the running and swimming themes

Relaxing in the whirlpool (Marriott Fairfield Inn

LODGING: Fairfield Inn by Marriott, Clermont, Fla.

October 24, 2022October 29, 2022

Hillclimb Worlds Redemption Tour

SANTA BARBARA, CALIFORNIA

Four years ago, retired pro cyclist, Phil Gaimon, invited me to race in the Hillclimb Worlds Championship in Santa Barbara. “It will be fun,” he said. I went but knew everything was against me.

Pacific Ocean – West Cabrillo Blvd, Santa Barbara, Calif.

Earlier in 2018, I had a memory-loss head injury. I had a knee replacement. And I was carrying way too many pounds. If that wasn’t bad enough, I rode two of southern California’s toughest climbs, Palomar Mountain and Mount Baldy, the previous two days. I had no legs left.

What happened that day was that I finished dead last in the world. We went in waves by age group although these were individual time trials. I got dropped by my group before reaching the base of the climb. So I truly was racing the clock.

I think had I stayed with my group I may have been able to win a 2-up sprint at the end. But it doesn’t matter. I am the world’s worst hill climber.

Today was not the ideal day to attempt a do-over but it was the only day I had. I left the Hampton Inn and Suites Hotel in Agoura Hills precisely at sunrise and drove to Santa Barbara. It was farther than I thought but had always been my plan to ride here no matter what. So I would make it happen.

It was a beautiful sunny day although a little on the cool side. I wore arm warmers at the start knowing they would be coming off. And I had a technology failure. I’m not sure how it transpired but it did.

I needed to do two things before this trip. The first was to find the hillclimb segment on Strava from four years ago and “star” it so that it would show up in my Live Segments on Wahoo when I rode. The second was to “pin” the route so that the route would show up. Alternatively, I could create one from scratch.

I do not remember doing the former. But I did find the route and edited it to remove two miles of riding back and forth in Santa Barbara. And then I needed to sync this with my Wahoo, which I did around midnight before leaving for LA. I think.

Actually, I thought I synced this and checked to see that it was there. When I reached Santa Barbara I turned on my Wahoo and did not see the route. And I certainly did not remember the turns we took from the oceanfront to the start of the climb.

However, on my Wahoo app on my phone, the route was there. I don’t know why or how it’s on the app but not on the Wahoo computer itself. So I looked at the map and tried to remember the turns I needed. This would be a mistake.

Some did look familiar to me. But every canyon road looks the same after a while and I was climbing. But it didn’t feel right. I stopped. I tried to find out where I was and could see that I was not on the right road. I went back down, turned, and thought I was on the right road until I came to the intersection of Coyote Road and Mountain Road. It wasn’t right.

Gibraltar Road (for real – here’s a sign)

I had to ride back DOWN Mountain Road to get to the start of the climb. But it was a pretty road. Along the way, I passed a house that I didn’t really notice. I noticed the mailbox. It was a piece of art – a cyclist with deliveries in the rear. I would learn this house was owned for 20 years by comedian Steve Martin.

This was Steve Martin’s house for 20 years

I got to the start of the climb and thoughts about abandoning the day came over me. I did not have all day to ride because I would have to return the rental car by 2:00 p.m. in El Segundo.

“Delivery in the rear,” Mailbox sculpture in front of Steve Martin’s house

Without a map, I was playing in my mind how I could time the climb. I knew that I could ride it and once it’s uploaded to Strava the data will be there. But I would like to know how I was doing.

I decided that I would make it a Lap. And then I could display Lap data which would include time and distance. I would switch to kilometers knowing it was a 10 km ride. And I would have to average 6:00 per kilometer to finish in 60 minutes.

My time, which got me dead last in the Hillclimb Worlds, was 1:12 (one hour and 12 minutes). I wanted not only to beat it but beat it by enough that it would be clear it was not the worst time in the world.

And thus I started. Whether it’s a canyon road or a cliff road, it sure is pretty. To my surprise, the Live Segment popped up so I would not have to resort to a mishmash display of lap data.

The Live Segment data displayed includes distance remaining (10.0 km), time elapsed, prior best time (1:12:23), time ahead or behind, and provides an ETA for the pace one is riding. Just to punish you, it also displays a graphical representation of the entire climb that is color-coded by section depending on the steepness. (Avoid the red)

Almost from the start, I was ahead of my pace. I expected that. Then I started to focus on the ETA. The first time I looked I was on a 58:00 pace. Good, I wanted to continue that. Based on my experience over the weekend at Phil’s Fondo, I seem to improve more significantly on the lesser grades. When the road really gets steep, the 2022 Barry does not seem significantly better than the 2018 Barry. I could see the second half was steeper than the first.

In fact, I went through the first five kilometers in 28 minutes and I knew that double that was 56. Yet my ETA had slipped to 1:00. It also knew there was real pain ahead.

I gave it my all. My bike was a little clunky. Shifting wasn’t right since I landed at LAX and rebuilt the bike. I did not have access to a pump. Normally that would be OK but since my Saturday flat was refilled with CO2, it bleeds faster. My tire was low. And I did not have perfect rolling resistance as my rear brake rotor was out of true and rubbing.

The last kilometer seems to be the steepest. My ETA was showing 1:00:30 and I was getting it down to 1:00:10. I was watching the countdown to 0 meters remaining and it came and went. It was -4 then -20 and so on. I’m not sure when the climb ended and if it ever displayed my final time. I was deprived of seeing PR displayed on the screen.

It would not be until I finished the ride and uploaded it that I saw the “official” Strava time. And Strava time is official whereas Wahoo time is not (although it is usually the same).

But screw the disappointment of not breaking one hour. I shaved off 12 minutes. That’s huge. But I wasn’t even close to the best of the day. It looks like five of us rode and I was 4th. But all are younger and I’m doing OK for tackling this climb.

Hillclimb Worlds – Proud to wear these socks (now)

In terms of speed, at Hillclimb Worlds, I averaged 5.1 mph. Today was 6.0 mph. That’s 18% faster (than a turtle). But 18%!!! I’m happy.

DISTANCE: 10 km
TIME: 1:00
WEIGHT: 177 lbs.

THE TWITTER VERSION

LOGISTICS

And a word about the logistics of this trip. I wanted to minimize car rental costs which I did in two ways. First, I did not rent at LAX. The additional fees heaped on the rental cost are best borne by business travelers. Go offsite somewhere.

I rented offsite at Enterprise Car Rental in El Segundo. I avoided the LAX fees. Many places allow you to return vehicles to a different location. Three years ago, Enterprise charged $100 to return the car to LAX. I didn’t even inquire this time.

I arrived Thursday but didn’t need a car until Friday when I drove to Agoura Hills. I made my reservation for 2:00 p.m. Friday returning on Monday at 2:00 p.m. A three-day rental was enough.

I took a free shuttle from the airport to the Hilton Garden Inn – El Segundo. On Friday I went for a long bike ride (70 miles) and finished at Enterprise Car Rental. I put the bike in the car, drove back to the hotel, and picked up my stuff.

The car was inadequate based on its description as a midsize SUV. It would not hold my bike and my bike case. I asked and the staff (Marissa, actually) at the HGI, told me that I could check it there. I also asked if when I return if I could take their shuttle and they said of course.

I returned the car today at 2:00 p.m. and the Enterprise staff took me back to the hotel. I picked up my bike case, tore down and packed my bike, then took their 4:00 shuttle to LAX. Keep in mind I stayed there on Thursday only, having to stay in Agoura Hills, Friday through Monday.

So a 3-day car rental. No additional shuttle charges to or from hotels. I am quite pleased with how that worked out.