Heartbreak 100

[Pain Freak]

This ones a little easier, but should still make you wonder....WTF am I doing?

Any fellow STR'ers doing this?

[dirtmistress]

I'll be ripping Fruita single track!

[stacy]

Sort of considering it. How hot do you think it'll be?

[Pain Freak]

Somewhere close to 100. Little cooler up top of course but it's going to be a hot weekend, but I like the heat.

[stacy]

I dunno if I could do it in that heat. I guess it would be a good way to find out. The heat makes me feel like my head will explode. Is that why you like it?

[Pain Freak]

Could be....


Not sure why I like the heat so much, might be why I hate the cold so much.

[mp3]

Originally Posted by Pain Freak

This ones a little easier, but should still make you wonder....WTF am I doing?

Any fellow STR'ers doing this?

When is it? Did it once several years ago on my MTB just for the heck of it...maybe it's time for the sequel.

[Pain Freak]

This weekend. Planet Ultra website. We have a group of kids doing it on fixies, but I'm not riding with them as they'll probably give up early.

["WU"]

Originally Posted by Pain Freak

This weekend. Planet Ultra website. We have a group of kids doing it on fixies, but I'm not riding with them as they'll probably give up early.

I thought it was the weekend after?

[Pain Freak]

My bad, you're right.

I'm a little anxious.

Is it obvious?

[stacy]

Ok, I'm pretty sure I'm gonna go do it. I see there's some possiblity of thundershowers and I need a decent rain jacket so I'll have to go shopping. Planning to do it unofficially, probably sleep in the parking lot and start an hour or so before the official people do. I have some info, but I'm not sure of all the turns. Does anyone have and old route map? I have no frigging idea how long it will take me to finish. I finished the conejo in 7 hours. Any ideas how much longer this will take? Seems like it's about 2500 more feet of climbing? Anyone want to join. I have one friend that's going along with me and he's faster than me on the climbs.

Also, any advice at all would be great. This will be the steepest century I've done. I did finish Counting Coup in 7 hours, so I'd like to think I'll be able to do it is less than 10 hours. Does that seem crazy?

[Mdm. Dabalot]

made the climbs seem awful! I did the KOM series and the weather wasn't what I expected on any of them! First hot, then perfect, then cold! However, I had never ridden out there and it was beautiful. The road along the ridge was too much fun, especially for the guy that blew past me with a tt helmet on! I tried hard to catch a wheel along 33 but couldn't hang with anyone for too long. Heartbreak Hill was a piece of cake after the MC and BA. Kidding, I was just grateful it was so short. I finished in around 7 and a half hours. I can't remember what Deb said. Did well in my age group of 50+ women. A small but dedicated bunch!

[stacy]

Nice job! Mabye we'll have to ride together sometime.

So I actually did it also. A friend and I went out there with the idea that if the weather was too bad we'd just go home. We got there before 7 in the morning and the sun was peeking out so we decided to do the damn thing. We started at 7:03, well before the official riders. It was cool and definitely windy on the open part but we did great. The climbing wasn't as bad as I'd imagined but I did get very tired on the last of the climbs. The downhill at the end was perfect and I finished in 7:38, just as all the top finishers were passing us. Turned out to be a perfect day! Yesterday I was tired and sore, went for a nice recovery ride with some friends and spent the rest of the day eating. Maybe next year I'll do the KOM challenge, you never know. . .

[Mdm. Dabalot]

Stacy,
Good job! You should definitely plan on KOM next year. The other rides have more climbing, this is considered the easiest, probably because after training for the first two, you are ready for this and it has less climbing. All are great and each is very different from the others.

[Wrecker]

What gearing are you guys using? Just compact, or regular? I talked to someone doing the KOM series, using an XT cassette and know that a smaller cassette was recommended for the Everest Challenge (anyone doing that?). But, I haven't tried any of them.....yet........

[Mdm. Dabalot]

I have a compact in the front and at 25 in the back.
It is low enough for me because I need to stand occasionally to relieve my back. If the 25 isn't low enough, I am off the saddle!
I am not planning on any more big road rides this year other than the Fall Century in Mammoth in September. It doesn't have nearly the climbing as the KOM series. It is more like a normal century at elevation. Maybe next year fro the Everest Challenge.

[stacy]

I ride with a triple. Nuff said?

[Wrecker]

I think I'm more likely to ride with Stacy--okay, behind her a bit, but at least I wouldn't feel funny about my gearing

[Mdm. Dabalot]

My husband says to shoot him if he ever needs a triple. I say he is going to miss a lot of good years of riding! There is no shame in whatever we ride as long as we are out there doing it!

[pshloss]

MD- Congratulations on the KOM. Did BA last year and thought about doing KOM this year, but limited training time had me opt for the MC. But then I got super sick right before it and had to cancel. So then I was going to do the HB100, but had a conflict scheduling. I did do some pretty intense cycling in AZ, including climbing up Mt Lemmon near Tucson, a road ride I definitely recommend.

Anyway, does anyone have any recommendations for centuries upcoming? I will check into the Mammoth one. That sounds like it could work out well... There's a road challenge I've thought about doing near there on my own. It's basically from the bottom of Lower Rock Creek up to the top at Mosquito Flat following the course of Rock Creek. About 5000 ft climb topping at 10,500 ft. There's excellent pie at Rock Creek Lake.