I rode a very windy 200K on Saturday and I spent quite a lot of time in my drops, granted, with my noodles just ever so slightly below the saddle, my drop position is not very low. It's more like what people with average road bikes use.
Oh you meant that other type of drop ;) Well, I got dropped by a fast group right off the bat, but then someone in their group had a flat and they all stopped. Normally I would have also, but since they dropped me I just continued on and the tortoise beat the hare(s) to the first controle. After the first controle we all rode together until the next town when the 400K and 200K riders bid farewell to each other. From then on all the 200K riders all stayed together until the end. I even rode up the 18% grade on Barton Creek Blvd, more often than not I get off and walk on that one. On Mon, Apr 6, 2015 at 4:26 PM, [email protected] < [email protected]> wrote: > Great write up & pics, thanks! > > Rivendell rides seem to be the only ones I know of that truly mean no > drops! > > On Monday, April 6, 2015 at 10:41:42 AM UTC-7, Cyclofiend Jim wrote: > >> Got invited along on a Saturday loop with some folks. The ride was >> pitched as "easy" and "no-drop/regroup/no-one-left-behind". As soon >> as I walked through the door of the shop, I kinda had the feeling that I >> was in trouble. Been around enough fast folk to recognize the lean and >> hungry look in many riders' eyes. But, the espresso was free and people >> were very welcoming. Met new friends, chatted, handled the good-natured >> ribbing about the size of my underseat bag (Old RBW Banana Bag). ("No, >> It's not a knapsack...") One of two steel frames among the sea of crabon. >> Seemingly every two wheelsets containing the number of spokes found in just >> one of mine. Still confidence was steady (if not "high"). >> >> We set out, climbing. Climbed more. I started paying for the decided >> lack of verticality in most of my recent rides and slipped back. Luckily >> I've ridden enough to know when I can't hang and find a cadence and effort >> that wouldn't blow me up. >> >> It was a gorgeously clear day, and I was riding on epic roads which had >> too long been ignored. And I did feel a bit better as things went along. >> Though, two things were evident: (1) I was not catching back up to anyone, >> and (2) it warn't a "no-drop" ride. >> >> To be clear, if they _had_ waited, I would have told them at the first >> regroup that they should no longer worry about me - I knew the route, was >> entirely self-sufficient and didn't want to make them change what was for >> them a very compatible pace. >> >> So, I suffered and moseyed. Worked my way up and over the inclines. >> Felt a bit better here and worse there. Watched fitter riders work past me >> and took steady bites out of the hill before me. Leapfrogged some groups >> who seemed to be in "assault/recover" mode. Eventually went past the >> Bootjack parking lot, essed my way through the last stand of trees and >> popped out at PanToll. Saw many knots of riders recharging before the >> descent. I was tired but not trashed, so was able to sit up, zip up the >> vest and let the Hilsen do what it loved - descend easily and surely >> towards Stinson Beach. Within the first 1/2 mile heard a loud, whirring >> clatter and checked back to find a faster rider catching me. He was all >> tendons and crazy-eye-concentrated, so I tucked right and let him move >> past. Since I hadn't been practicing climbing of late, I knew that meant I >> hadn't been descending at speed. Reflexes, balance and focus hadn't been >> tuned in a while, so while I didn't creep downhill, neither did I see how >> close to the edge I could push things. >> >> Still, having a rabbit out front is always good practice. Seeing the >> line of a faster rider always helps to relax me, which in turn puts me more >> where I want to be when dropping from altitude. Calm and smooth. Always >> well within the equation of grip and footprint provided by the JB's. >> While my pilot fish continued to move away, we both overtook a number of >> other more tentative descenders. When Panoramic Highway finally opens up >> from the forest on the last bit down to Stinson, there are a series of long >> straights and tight 180 degree turns over blacktop. The surface seemed >> good to me, but clearly impacted those who chose smaller tires and higher >> pressures. Hailed, chatted at and slipped by quite a few riders on as we >> dropped. Over each broken bit of roadway and through each turn, the Hilsen >> whispered that it could've handled more. I kept it reined in and suddenly >> found myself at sea level. >> >> Pulled the cheese bagel out of my pocket and randonneur-snacked as I >> headed north to the next chunk o' the day. One of my favorite unknown >> routes - the BoFax road. Of course, I found some Good Friday beer bottle >> glass about a mile before the turnoff and nursed a slowly softening tire to >> the obscure turn. Got there, dropped the wheel, picked the tiniest glass >> chip out of the tread and swapped in the first tube, which failed at the >> stem base, then the second tube which held fast (which prevented me from >> unboxing the patch kit.) Repacked (considering about how, once upon a time >> and for quite a while, I used to own the tiniest seatbag which Jandd made. >> The one which held a 23mm tube, a folded $20 blll and my car key with a >> tiny split ring on it. What the heck had I been thinking back then?) >> >> Went through many of the stages of grief for the climb back up to Bolinas >> Ridge, then the next set of seven steps (called the Sisters or Seven >> Sisters - you'd recognize them from any number of picturesque automobile >> ads) which brings you up to Rock Springs staging area on Mt Tamalpais. But, >> even when I felt my worst (probably when I was "Bargaining") it was still a >> ridiculous gift to be out and riding in such a location on a glorious day. >> >> Crested out and tilted down again, refilled water and shifted fluids and >> Pantoll parking lot, then scooted ever downwards towards Mill Valley. Near >> the Mountain Home Inn a rider passed me sans seat bag of any time, but with >> the three pockets of his jersey so ridiculously overstuffed that the phrase >> "Chipmunk Butt" came to mind. Which I chuckled over for a while. Me, I'd >> rather put it in a usefully sized pack and be a little less bulgy. More >> comfortable descending and ended back where I'd started, the rest of the >> group having moved on to the tasks in their day. >> >> Though tired, it ended well, feeling solid and spent. It's a good thing >> to ride. >> >> Some photos start here - https://www.flickr.com/ >> photos/cyclofiend/16423466613/ >> >> -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "RBW Owners Bunch" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. > Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch. > For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. > -- Keep the metal side up and the rubber side down! -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
