|   That loving feeling | sdbelt
Aug 9, 2002 10:48 AM | | I just started riding at Christmas. Aside from some biking in college (more than 10 years ago) as a means to get around campus, I've never really ridden much. Always liked riding, but usually didn't have a bike, and didn't have friends that rode, so I never rode.
Since Christmas, however, I've been riding 3-4 times a week. Most often on the trail that starts right outside my house. There's roughly 12 miles of single track within 1/4 mile of my house, and over the last 7 months I've had occassion to ride the route a lot. Of course, those first few rides were something like: ride for 1/2 mile, pull over exhausted and rest, ride for 1/2 mile, pull over exhausted and rest, rest before big hill, rest in middle of big hill, push bike up the rest of big hill, etc., etc.
Lately, I've started to feel like I'm getting the hang of the mountain biking. I'm a ton stronger than I was, and have a lot better cardio. I can typically keep riding for at least an hour, regardless of the terrain. I'm not the fastest guy. Heck, I'm probably one of the slowest, but it sure is fun.
Anyway, last night, while doing the local ride, I assualted the "saddle" as usual. It's about 1/4 mile in length and climbs 125 feet from where the going gets rough, up to a saddle (the Taliesan overlook, for anyone really, really familiar with riding in the McDowell Mountain Preserve (not the regional park, the preserve), and yes it overlooks Taliesan, Frank Lloyd Wright's old compound). Anyway, the saddle climb is an old jeep road, cut in before Scottsdale bought the land and made it a preserve. The going is reasonably steep, and very, very rocky. On Monday I went OTB, on the way up, and I've done this climb a lot.
So last night, it's 110 degress when myself and riding buddy (great rider, races Sport class) head out at 5pm. We get to the saddle, and I tell my friend to ride on ahead, so I don't hold him up. I'm feeling pretty hot as my head cooks in my brain bucket under the sun. I've attempted this climb at least 30 times, and I've never made it from bottom to top without at least putting a foot down. And when I get hung up, I always cease the opportunity to rest for at least 30 seconds.
So when I made it to the top, non-stop, you can bet I was pretty jazzed. My Polder told me my heart rate hit 179. It also tells me my max is supposed to be 178. Given the conditions, I can't believe last night, of all nights, was the day I make it. That's one small victory for me. I hope to have many, many more.
The top of the saddle is 2.5 miles from my house. We rode another 10 miles from there, finishing the ride in 100 minutes, for my personal version of an epic.
Now if someone would please turn on the A/C.
--sdb |
| You don't give yourself enough credit | pedalAZ
Aug 9, 2002 10:53 AM | | You're a good climber, with good technique. You're ready to start working on some more technical stuff, with some step and ledge obstacles. |
| thanks... | sdbelt
Aug 9, 2002 1:02 PM | | Thanks pedalAZ. It was good riding with you, although I think your little spill and the extra 4 miles of riding you did before meeting up with me, may have clouded your vision. Anyway, I think there's a decent rider in there somewhere...if I can just lose the 20 or so pounds that seem to be hiding it.
I don't know if you heard, but I ordered a custom Ti Racer-X a couple weeks back. Rage will be building it. I know the bike will make me a better rider. I'm not (yet) good enough to take full advantage of the bike, but it will definitely be a pleasure to ride in the meantime.
Trail 8 sure is torn up, since the rain. That section to the East of that lone house in the preserve is really nasty. Even the section to the West of the house is rough, though better. We've changed to climbing from the West and decending on the East as a result.
Have a good weekend. Not sure what the exact riding plans are just yet. Need to do some lake swimming for the triathalon I'm training for at Lake Pleasant on the 25th, and haven't figure out which day will get that pleasure.
--sdb |
| The first time | Bonee
Aug 9, 2002 12:12 PM | | There is this semi long climb on one of the rides I do too. At the top there are a bunch of loose rocks that aren't particularly difficult, yet this season I always seemed to roll over one jsut right to spin my well and have to put a foot down. It was bugging the crap out of me because in past years I've never had a problem with this section.
A few weeks ago I finally cleared it and I've easily cleared it 4-5 time since. Now I'm like, f&%#, what am I doing different?
I swear sometimes it all in the mind, or errrr, something like that.
Keep up the riding. As soon as you get comfortable on one obstacle, there is always another one on some new trail that you don't know about yet, but it is waiting to haunt you in dreams. |
| |
