GMR Challenge

[ubermensch]

The idea: Climb GMR at least once a month and post your results/times on here to track progress.

What you do with those results is up to you, but I thought it might be fun to either compete with yourself, or with your cohorts (personal best versus personal best, or amount of improvement vs. amount of improvement).

For me, I'd like to do this until the end of the year as a fun way to keep track of progress and stay motivated. You might like to do it as xtraining for whatever event you might be aiming for?

As for the actual route, I plan on tracking two of them:

The short one is the same 3.8 mile stretch that they use for the uphill time trail during the San Dimas Stage Race (mile marker 13.79 to 10.00). After you do the ride, you can go to scvelo.com and pull up the results and see how you stack up against the pro tour level riders.

The longer one is roughly 8.3 miles, and it's from the bottom of the hill to the gate at Glendora Ridge Road.

Anyone interested?

My personal best for the longer ride is 56:22. The time for the TT I will find out later this afternoon.

[29erkurt]

Dude, I can totally beat that time on my GSX-R!

[Pickettt]

Where exactly are we considering the bottom of the hill?

Nevermind, I calculated it backwards from Glendora Ridge Road/East Fork. Thanks.

[ubermensch]

Originally Posted by 29erkurt

Dude, I can totally beat that time on my GSX-R!

You can probably do it in the 45 minute range on your mountain bike right now, you squid.

Originally Posted by Pickettt

Where exactly are we considering the bottom of the hill?

Nevermind, I calculated it backwards from Glendora Ridge Road/East Fork. Thanks.

Actually, I left that ambiguous on purpose, and I'm open to suggestions. I'll be there around 4pm and I'll see if I can find a suitable landmark.

[Pickettt]

Do you always turn around at Glendora Ridge Road, or sometimes keep going on to the village at Baldy?

[ubermensch]

I've actually never ridden on GRR. I'd like to soon though. When I ride Baldy, I always go up Mills.

Wow, that short TT was hard, and I'm worse than I thought. 21:34. That was on my 2nd run because I turned around too early on the 1st attempt, but the average speed was close enough that I'll still take the slower 2nd run as a decent baseline.

It looks like mile marker 13.79 will be the bottom of the hill. It's juuust past that big electronic sign on the way up.

Just for fun, I calculated that my vertical ascent in feet (the amount I can climb in an hour) is 3000. Lance Armstrong was able to hit 6000 VAF during the Tour. I'm almost there.

For those that are ghetto like me but are still curious about power output, here is a pretty cool formula once you find out your VAF:

(rider weight + weight of bike) x VAF x .0004 will give you your power output in watts.

[Pain Freak]

I wonder now how I'd stack up? I usually start from home and though not overly tired I'm a little slow going up. When I do keep track of my time it's from the gate on the street to Cow Saddle. I'll post my time next time I ride it.

I was doing it about once a month but found I did better when I climbed to the ski lifts. really helped my climbing. Now I've slid back though....to much mtb'ing.

[Albacore]

Cool, I'm in. I work nearby so I can pull it off once a week. Anyone else?

[Pickettt]

Originally Posted by Albacore

Cool, I'm in. I work nearby so I can pull it off once a week. Anyone else?

Any particular day of the week?

Originally Posted by Pain Freak

I wonder now how I'd stack up? I usually start from home and though not overly tired I'm a little slow going up. When I do keep track of my time it's from the gate on the street to Cow Saddle. I'll post my time next time I ride it.

I was doing it about once a month but found I did better when I climbed to the ski lifts. really helped my climbing. Now I've slid back though....to much mtb'ing.

Mike, I think you'd benefit more riding GMR through to the village than climbing to the lifts. Although not as steep, you should try to climb GMR increasing in pace. A person can only climb to the lifts so fast, at least that's been my experience.

[Albacore]

Almost any day of the week works but I ride early.

[bvader]

GMR + GRR to baldy village and back is an excellent ride.
GMR is a ~8 Mile steady grade as mentioned
GRR is ~11 miles, ~6 miles of rolling and then 3+ miles of a stiff grade, then some rollies and decent into Baldy and then Then do in reverse
~40 Miles with just under 5K of climbing.
Good round trip for me ~3:00 hours
GMR Full : ~53 min
To Baldy Village : 1:56
Fun coming back GRR and then the GMR decent

I do it a couple times a year but live to far for weekly, plus me..I don't like doing much of anything weekly...just me. But I would come up for a ride some day.

[jfromlv]

I'll play along, just don't let anyone on the DH team know that I'm a closet roadie!

[Pickettt]

Originally Posted by bvader

GMR + GRR to baldy village and back is an excellent ride.
GMR is a ~8 Mile steady grade as mentioned
GRR is ~11 miles, ~6 miles of rolling and then 3+ miles of a stiff grade, then some rollies and decent into Baldy and then Then do in reverse
~40 Miles with just under 5K of climbing.
Good round trip for me ~3:00 hours
GMR Full : ~53 min
To Baldy Village : 1:56
Fun coming back GRR and then the GMR decent

I do it a couple times a year but live to far for weekly, plus me..I don't like doing much of anything weekly...just me. But I would come up for a ride some day.

To the Village AND BACK? That's just crazy talk!

[SScheetz]

I’ll play too. I do have a road bike with tons of gears. I usually ride the opposite direction from home (Upland), to Cow Canyon Saddle via Baldy Rd, GRR-GMR at least once a week. That’s about 45 miles roundtrip. When I have a little extra time I’ll go to the ski lifts. I actually never timed any section of the ride. I think good markers to time start/finish would be the gates:

Gate at bottom of GMR to top of GMR gate.
Gate at bottom of GMR to gate where GRR reaches Baldy Rd.

And finally for those who want go further:
Gate at bottom of GMR to Baldy Rd to Chair 1 ski lift.

I’ll time my GMR gates tomorrow morning.

[new2mtb]

gmr is definitely a great ride but those fixed up honda's is scaring the shitz out of me nowadays.

[Pickettt]

If I use those landmarks, this is where I fall(figuratively)
Gate from GMR to GRR 41:20
Gate from GRR to Baldy Rd 1:01:10

Garmin Edge makes the computations real easy, if you have the means, pick one up

[ubermensch]

Gate to gate sounds like a good idea.

If anyone is available to ride on Friday, let me know. I'd like to try GMR-GRR to Baldy Rd. and see what my trap speeds are. Most likely the return trip will just be down Baldy towards Claremont.

[Sewellymon]

wow. picketts a stud. 41 min

back in the day, i think i was good for 50 min ish? maybe faster? was 30, weighed 165

now am 51, weigh 195, prollly 1:05? guess i better try and find out...

[EBasil]

...and on the way back down, you can see whether you can pedal faster than the skateboarders coast.

[Pain Freak]

Originally Posted by jfromlv

I'll play along, just don't let anyone on the DH team know that I'm a closet roadie!

To late....

Guys over at SC Velo say your closets are full of lycra!

Originally Posted by SScheetz

I’ll play too. I do have a road bike with tons of gears. I usually ride the opposite direction from home (Upland), to Cow Canyon Saddle via Baldy Rd, GRR-GMR at least once a week. That’s about 45 miles roundtrip. When I have a little extra time I’ll go to the ski lifts. I actually never timed any section of the ride. I think good markers to time start/finish would be the gates:

Gate at bottom of GMR to top of GMR gate.
Gate at bottom of GMR to gate where GRR reaches Baldy Rd.

And finally for those who want go further:
Gate at bottom of GMR to Baldy Rd to Chair 1 ski lift.

I’ll time my GMR gates tomorrow morning.

Take that rocket out your arse first.

Originally Posted by Sewellymon

wow. picketts a stud. 41 min

back in the day, i think i was good for 50 min ish? maybe faster? was 30, weighed 165

now am 51, weigh 195, prollly 1:05? guess i better try and find out...

Yes, yes, he is. The guy is very freekin fast.

Originally Posted by EBasil

...and on the way back down, you can see whether you can pedal faster than the skateboarders coast.

No prob. It's a blast to go around them peddeling on the outside. They almost always smile.

Originally Posted by new2mtb

gmr is definitely a great ride but those fixed up honda's is scaring the shitz out of me nowadays.

Are you a man or a mouse? Squeak up!