2016 was a big year for me

[RudAwkning]

Finally received the final award for last year's cycling endeavors. The "Mondial" award for riding a total of 40,000 RUSA kilometers.

Also received my 4th consecutive RUSA Cup since 2013. A cup is earned by riding 1 of every type of event + a total of 5000k in less than 24 months. This was my second cup on the fixed gear.

American Randonneur Challenge - Complete 2 or more domestic 1200km events in a year.

Coast-to-Coast - Complete 4 domestic 1200ks over any amount of years.

K-Hound - Ride 10,000 RUSA kilometers in a year.

Ultra Randonneur - Complete 10 Super Series (a series consists of 200k, 300k, 400k and 600k in a year).

And because nobody has ever done it before, I created the "RUSA Tankard" Award for completing 2 RUSA Cup's worth of rides in under 12 months. That's two 100ks, two 200ks, two 300ks, two 400ks, two 600ks, two 1000ks, two 1200ks, two team events and 10,000k total of calendared RUSA events in under 12 months. Half of those rides (1 cup's worth) were completed on the fixed gear.

I believe I'm the first an only person to receive their K-Hound in this manner.

I know the post is a little braggadocious, but you only have a banner year like this once as several of these awards are "lifetime achievement" awards and can't be earned again.

Needless to say, 90% of my riding has been on the dirt since November. A little tired of the pavement!

[shinomaster]

congrats!!!:beer:

[rounder]

congrats!!!:beer:


Wow. Good work. That is a lot of miles.

[David in Maine]

Amazing accomplishment. Congrats!

[beeatnik]

Jason, Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space changed my life. And to learn that you also ride bikes. Kudos sir.

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/jason-pierce-spiritualized-ladies-and-gentlemen-we-are-floating-in-space-barbican-a7402456.html

[MattTuck]

That is some truly insane, and impressive riding.

Can I ask where you live, and what you do for work that gives you the flexibility and roads to do that kind of riding?

Nice job!

[AngryScientist]

you sir - are an animal!

very big congratulations. amazing stuff.

[yarg]

Holy mother of god that is a boat load of riding, quite the achievement, congrats!

[weaponsgrade]

That is beast-level riding. Congrats.

[godfrey1112000]

Great job

[Louis]

My knees stand in awe of your achievements. ;)

Congratulations :hello::hello::hello:

[93KgBike]

That is excellent! Congratulations and thank you for sharing. Must have been fun.

Did you use a cog carrier when you rode fixed? Or, did you ride different gearings for different distances?

You may feel the braggart, but I would be curious to read more details, if you were inclined to share.

[bob heinatz]

Way to go. Quite an accomplishment! Bravo!

[RudAwkning]

That is some truly insane, and impressive riding.

Can I ask where you live, and what you do for work that gives you the flexibility and roads to do that kind of riding?

Nice job!

I live in the SF Bay Area. So hilly no matter what. Our flattest 300k still has about 9000' of climbing in it. I came just minutes from cracking 12 hours on the fixed gear on that ride last weekend. Cleat failure and having to ride solo down the coast into rain and headwind for 40 miles from Jenner to Pt Reyes botched my plans. One of the fixed 600ks I did last year had about 25,000' of elevation gain. A real bruiser.

Got laid off last February so I took some time off and rode my bike. But prior to that, I was a Sys Admin at a Logistics company. Lots of flex time (but also 25 hour work days when necessary).

[miguel]

Are you retired?

Sincerely,
RUSA 7841

[pdmtong]

This is impressive beyond words. I can only say CHAPEAU, since I well know doing those ride with gears would be challenge enough.

But, fixed? I recall the words of Garth: "we are not worthy"

It's kinda like we're good to park our Ferrari's and Porsche's in front until you show up with a Lambo....

FWIW ...I don't find see it as bragging...rather I see it as a testament to what can be. aspiration (or crazy) really.

[RudAwkning]

That is excellent! Congratulations and thank you for sharing. Must have been fun.

Did you use a cog carrier when you rode fixed? Or, did you ride different gearings for different distances?

You may feel the braggart, but I would be curious to read more details, if you were inclined to share.

When I rode fixed, I rode a 51x20 regardless of the terrain. I'm pretty comfortable in that gear, and know my cadence, output and limit. The mantra when doing these rides fixed is to assume you're going to be riding by yourself. Company is a luxury. If you try and sit in a group for too long, you just end up cooking yourself. Pacelines can pulse and yoyo and you can end up worse off in the long run than just flying solo and jumping in when it suits you.

If you're familiar with randonneuring, you know that you have to hit certain "controls" along the way. That usually entails getting a receipt with a date and timestamp as proof of passage. Lots of folks race to the controls and then take a large amount of time off the bike. Sometimes to rest due to effort but often times to wait for the pack to get its act together. I see the controls as a formality. I take care of business and get back on the saddle. I can eat on the road. I can drink while moving. Heck, I can even check The Paceline forums while rolling. Sometimes when I'm heading towards a control, I start taking care of the things that I might typically do off the bike before I even get there. There was a 1000k earlier this year that I completed on the fixed gear. It had about 37,000' of elevation in it, so not flat by any stretch. But in keeping my control times to a minimum and my sleep stops short, I was first rider in. 620 miles across 59hs30mins isn't blisteringly fast, even if you account for off the bike time. But I tried to squander as little time as possible. I only dismounted when was necessary. I even rode with a hydration pack so I could stomp and climb without having to reach for a bottle and not mess up my cadence. I'd seen Finding Dory a few weeks before the event, so my mantra during the ride was "Just keep swimming, just keep swimming". :)

[RudAwkning]

Are you retired?

Sincerely,
RUSA 7841

I wish. Just brushed up my resume yesterday. That was harder than doing my taxes.

Portalnd? Do you know Susan Otcenas? I did the Cascade 1200k last year up in WA, and Susan was the lead organizer for that event. i'm dying to do a ride in Oregon. The Crater Lake 1000k looks amazing.

RUSA 5464

[miguel]

Yeah dude I volunteered at the packwood stop

[Louis]

Sometimes when I'm heading towards a control, I start taking care of the things that I might typically do off the bike before I even get there.

I don't think I want to know what this means... ;)

[miguel]

The weather has been absolutely horrible this year. I have a goal but I want to get at least half done before I tell anyone about it. I drove rob h and another SFRando to Portland as they DNF'd at packwood and I had a pickup truck. Good guys. I've been trying to figure out how to get some more California rides but ORR and SIR keep me busy. We have a new RBA in Eugene, Michal Young and he's in charge of willamette randonneurs. I know for a fact that SF is a 9 hour drive from Eugene as I used to hitchhike in college.

[RudAwkning]

Yeah dude I volunteered at the packwood stop

Phucking Packwood! That was soooooo hard to head back out for that stupid loop in the pouring rain. The loop that, if Susan had left out, would have made the route a proper 1200 instead of 1290! The jersey doesn't even say 1290! I want my money back!

Here's a photo of me and a napping Chris Archibald from Michigan in Packwood.

You guys were awesome. Ride of a lifetime. I will not miss Disautel Pass though. A little piece of me died on that climb.

[RudAwkning]

I don't think I want to know what this means... ;)

I'm a randonneur. Not a try-athlete. I'm not about to soil a well broken in Brooks saddle to shave a few seconds. :)

[RudAwkning]

The weather has been absolutely horrible this year. I have a goal but I want to get at least half done before I tell anyone about it. I drove rob h and another SFRando to Portland as they DNF'd at packwood and I had a pickup truck. Good guys. I've been trying to figure out how to get some more California rides but ORR and SIR keep me busy. We have a new RBA in Eugene, Michal Young and he's in charge of willamette randonneurs. I know for a fact that SF is a 9 hour drive from Eugene as I used to hitchhike in college.

Yeah. I was bummed to see Rob DNF there. I tried to tell him to take break and reset but I think the rain and cold into Packwood did him in.

I think the other rider was Metin Uz. He had a mechanical or something? Lots of DNFs at Packwood. Almost a dozen if I recall.

[weisan]

Pudu pal, I wish you would move to Texas...or at least closer, so I could ride with you. All your bikes are so well thought out, field-tested. To accomplish what you did, you must have got it down to the last detail. We are lucky to have you among us in this community.

[moose8]

Wow - that is amazing. You're riding more than professional riders I think. Did you notice any changes to your body from that much riding? And did you have any close calls in all those miles? It's a very impressive accomplishment you should rightfully be proud of.

[commonguy001]

Great post and congrats on your achievements :beer:

[Cicli]

That is absolutely awesome.

I couldnt have done that on a motorcycle.

[AngryScientist]

one of my favorite fixies on the forum too!

http://forums.thepaceline.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=1697885312&stc=1&d=1407950227

[djdj]

Did you track how many hours you spent on the bike in 2016?

[shovelhd]

Congratulations. That's a lot of miles.

I was also laid off in 2016. Worst year of my life. Glad that you found work (I did as well).

[fuzzalow]

Congratulations. I'd even suggest that calling it a big year was an understatement, which in this day and age is a decorum long forgotten. What you accomplished, even for the most dedicated and passionate among us, is truly on another planet.

I could only wish I could feel what it's like to have capacity that you have from riding that you have done - that there's always another notch available in the engine room far beyond what I could ever have.

[DRZRM]

Wow!! That is amazing! Congrats.

[R3awak3n]

absolutely crazy and amazing. Congrats man. And fixed gear on top of that

[Bwana]

Holy crap, that's an amazing achievement. Well done! :hello: :beer:

[Black Dog]

Are you retired?

Sincerely,
RUSA 7841

Let me fix this for miguel. Are you tired???? :eek:

Way to go. This is impressive.

[merckx]

Very impressive. Congratulations. We should all be so lucky to have the fortitude, fitness and time to reach your milestone. Now a question; what saddle do you use to facilitate all of that time on the machine? Do you use a different saddle for fixed Vs. geared?

[Gsinill]

Wow. This is insane and if there ever was a right for someone to brag, those achievements qualify. Congrats!!!

Are you retired?


Now, since you already answered that one, the next obvious question:
"Are you (still) in a relationship with your significant other?" ;)

[soulspinner]

:hello::hello::beer:

[ColonelJLloyd]

Well done, my friend. That has to feel great; both the physical and mental achievements.

I have a charcoal drawing of Tommy Godwin (high mileage legend) in my office and the background is the same color as your blue Kirk. Pretty neat.

[Mzilliox]

wow, inspirational stuff brother.

[Tandem Rider]

Very impressive, 25k in one year is almost mind boggling. That's in the neighborhood of 1500 hours, 3/4 of a full time job. What a huge investment of time and energy with a lifetime of memories. Turning something unfortunate into a great opportunity and acting on it. :beer:

[David Kirk]

Tip O' the hat my friend!

dave

[AngryScientist]

how about some vital equipment stats for us low mileagers?

like: how many consumables did you go through in such a year? bottom brackets, tires chains etc?

[gone]

Don't let him kid you, all he did last year was eat. The bike riding stuff was purely incidental.https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170324/d314c18855a0f863e0f8d6ab69f29b0d.jpg


Greg

[RudAwkning]

Did you track how many hours you spent on the bike in 2016?

No. But it was lots.

[RudAwkning]

Very impressive, 25k in one year is almost mind boggling. That's in the neighborhood of 1500 hours, 3/4 of a full time job. What a huge investment of time and energy with a lifetime of memories. Turning something unfortunate into a great opportunity and acting on it. :beer:

Just 11,000 RUSA kilometers last year. Lots of those awards were overlapping. But 10,000 of those were calendared events. But I did a lot of riding in between events and a bunch of off road stuff too.

When I got laid off, they treated me pretty well. I'd been there for 16 years and was a little fried anyway. I knew if I jumped straight into another job, I'd be there for another 10+ years and would have regretted not taking the opportunity.

[RudAwkning]

how about some vital equipment stats for us low mileagers?

like: how many consumables did you go through in such a year? bottom brackets, tires chains etc?

Not sure, but I replaced tires before any event 600k or longer. Flats suck. And I somehow managed to destroy a chain in just 2 rides. The Santa Rosa 600k and the Cascade 1200k. I'm guessing it was due to the horrible cross-chaining I might have been doing in my sleep-deprived stupor. Don't recall having to replace any BBs.

I think a solid 80% of my rando riding was done on my S&S coupled Maietta. I can convert that bike from geared to fixed pretty easily. In fact, when I went to Florida for the 1200k, I brought a spare wheel, chain, handlebar set, and crankset with me. I specifically entered into the 1000k+200k category and rode the first 1000k geared. When I finished the ride, I went back to my room, converted the bike, and finished the final 200k fixed. I did that for 2 reasons. I needed a 2nd 1000k for one of my goals. And I'd always wanted to convert the bike mid ride just to have done it. The cloverleaf logistics of this route (4 loops all coming back to "home base") made this goal realistic. Not very often do you come back to the same motel room each night. Usually you have a drop bag shuttled forward to the next overnight. A secondary drive train would have been frowned upon by the volunteers :)

[RudAwkning]

Very impressive. Congratulations. We should all be so lucky to have the fortitude, fitness and time to reach your milestone. Now a question; what saddle do you use to facilitate all of that time on the machine? Do you use a different saddle for fixed Vs. geared?

I rode a Brooks Professional on most rides. I have Fizik Arione Tri2 saddles on a few bikes as well and have ridden a 500 miler on that saddle. But the Brooks Pro is my go to.

[RudAwkning]

Don't let him kid you, all he did last year was eat. The bike riding stuff was purely incidental.https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170324/d314c18855a0f863e0f8d6ab69f29b0d.jpg


Greg

That was THE BEST! Korean spicy pork on a sizzling platter with 3 servings of rice right at mile 750. That helped me get through the final 50.

[miguel]

Here's a photo of me and a napping Chris Archibald from Michigan in Packwood.
though. A little piece of me died on that climb.

im pretty sure CArchibald is from oregon? At least he's been showing up to ORR rides for a while

[gone]

That was THE BEST! Korean spicy pork on a sizzling platter with 3 servings of rice right at mile 750. That helped me get through the final 50.



"Helped you get through?" More like "helped me ride the last 50 miles of a 1200K like a ****ing lunatic!" It was all I could do to hang on at the back of the train.


Greg

[smead]

Jason that's a mighty impressive year - nice job!

[RudAwkning]

Jason that's a mighty impressive year - nice job!

Thanks Steve. Still ain't no 12 hour fixed gear Terrible Two though! I hear they've gone back to the old course just one year after the detour.

[Vonruden]

Just seeing this post, what an amazing accomplishment! :beer: