Ride Report 9/9

Total 53.5 miles in 3:35 group ride Sacramento-Woodland-Davis-Sacramento

There are only five of us on today's Sacramento Wheelmen ride, including John & Sally on their tandem. After debating on today's destination, we settle on Davis. Some time in the last week I went totally crazy and decided I want to ride Foxy's Fall Century, only a REAL century this time. One hundred miles, hills and all. So, the Wheelmen take my goal to heart and pile on my miles by taking me to Davis via the Tower Bridge, north along the river and then to Woodland. We head south on County Road 102 (Poleline).

The speed is faster than last week's ride and we hover around 17-18mph for most of the ride. The Wheelmen even let me pretend to do them a favor by taking a turn pulling, which I learn is a lot harder than it would seem. It's more difficult to maintain a smooth speed than I expected and my speed jumps from 17.8-19mph and all spots in between. There is no wind whatsoever, but I had not realized how much I was benefiting from being in the back until I am out front. I bow out after only a mile or so and take my rightful place at the back.

Along the way, I get to enjoy the rather large lingo the Wheelmen have for road hazards. "Car back" and "car up" are self-explanatory. "Big back/up" means a large truck is coming. "Really big back" is used when a semi is coming up behind us. They also use "long lead" to refer to a car that's still a ways away, and occasionally "pair up/back" which refers to two cars/trucks.

As we come to downtown Davis, the riders debate about where to go. John and Sally go to Crepeville while the rest of us stop at a new place called Posh Bagels. I just have an ice water and my whole wheat newtons. We stop at the Freewheeler to get air for my rear tire, which has had a slow leak. The pressure is only 40psi, which does not bode well for the ride home. In the meantime, we get distracted drooling over the bikes on display. They have this year's Trek 1.2 WSD on clearance for $719 and a gorgeous Trek WSD (didn't catch the model) that is only $2250. Maybe someday. I ask the sales clerk if they carry Specialized Armadillos, since I am becoming disenchanted with my Gatorskins, and he says they carry something called a hard case tire that is supposed to offer three-layer protection against punctures. I will have to do some research.

I'm not sure what happened to John and Sally, but we three head to the Frontage Rd via bike path, and my rear tire promptly goes flat right after we get to the Frontage Rd. We discuss the merits of CO2 cartridges vs mini pumps, brands of tires/tubes while I change my flat. We are on our way again and head straight to Sacramento on the causeway. Three flats in three weeks. While my average has slowed, I'm still apparently suffering from my flat jinx.

My rear wheel magnet got disturbed during the flat change, so my speedometer readings are inconsistent for several miles. Just when I'm about to stop to fuss with it, it seems to straighten itself out. At least something on the rear wheel works right.

Ride Report 9/4

32 miles ARBT north access to Elverta Rd, E Levee Rd, Ueda Bike Path to Discovery Park thru Old Sac & home

Today I take the route I meant to take on the first. The computer has been calibrated to the narrower tire size and all is right with the world. I'm getting kind of tired of all the surface streets that cross the north path, but it's not the ARBT, which I have been dreading for the last several weeks because I've ridden it so damn many times. Unfortunately, I took my ride late in the day today (I left around noon), and I start to run into packs of high school age kids spread across the path and completely ignoring the world. The group that does know I'm coming gives me about a foot of path to pass them on. The groups that don't respond to "Bike, Bike, BIKE!" as I'm coming up behind them get cursed at as I have to ride on the dirt beside the path to pass them.

At the end of the trail, I can't stand the thought of passing even more teenagers blocking the path, so I cut across Elverta Road to E Levee and go south to Discovery Park. On the ARBT, I experiment to find my max heartrate and start pedaling as fast and hard as I can. At 23mph I hit 187bpm and feel like I'm going to puke. My legs feel like rubber, so I let off after maybe 30 seconds. The mystified cyclist that I blasted past half a mile back breezes past me as I whimper into Discovery Park at about 14mph. My heartrate yesterday was 186 in 17th gear at 89rpm.

I stop long enough to stop the nauseated feeling and start to limp home through Old Sacramento. Naturally, I get a flat (my 2nd on the Gatorskins) to repair on my back tire. Not impressed with the Gatorskins so far.

Note to self: When experimenting with max heartrate, do it when I'm almost home, not with six miles to go.