Mount Evans

[Dan Le foot]

Hi gang.
Anyone doing the Mt Evans hill climb on 7/21?
Michelle (MSO) and I are going to do the race.....or I should say Michelle will race and I will try to survive the 7000' climb to over 14,000'.
BTW
Colorado Rockies' cycling is the best we have experienced. Great passes to climb and some great dedicated bike paths. We are in Brickenridge right now. Rode up and over the Vail Pass this morning without having to ride on the road. (50 miles up and back) Scenery is unreal. We'd move here except for the winters. (-;
Dan

[chuckred]

Just rode the Bergen Park - Idaho Springs - Mt Evans - Juniper/Squaw Pass loop on Tuesday.

One of the nicer days up at the Summit - light winds, 50's. Very pleasant. If it stays like this, there will be some fast times.

Keep in mind - next Sat is Triple by Pass - 3500 cyclists will be going through on the paths you mentioned - so you might want to plan something else that day!

Winters out here are great - excellent skiing, and we ride all year round on the eastern side - mostly pretty mild (this winter was an anomaly) - although not by San Diego standards!

[BoulderGeek]

I would have like to do Mt. Evans this year. I believe Bud said he was training for it.

I am just about to head out the door to the train station, and ride the Col du Telegraphe. Then I have a room at the Relais du Galibier, and will ride the Galibier tomorrow. So, I'm getting my 7000' in.

I hope to summit, and descend to Bourg d'Oisans for the ride home. If it weren't going to be rainy on Monday, I might have stayed in Bourg d'Oisans for an assault on the Alpe d'Huez on Monday, too. We'll see how it goes.

I will be thinking of the Mt. Evans and 3x Bypass folks, though.

[CPP]

I raced Mt. Evans a long, long time ago. It was a real trip. I was racing with the Cat 4's and was hanging with the front group of 4 until just about a mile to go when 4 guys passed me like they had been towed up by a car (to this day, I'm sure it was the case). I finished 8th (won a tubular!). At the top, I was seeing stars. Some official grabbed my bike and pushed me into the car of some tourists to go back down. The couple were awesome. They gave me whatever they had with them to eat and were fascinated with the fact that people would actually race up something like that. We were using 42 tooth front chainrings at the time. A year or so after, Alexi Grewal beat the record with a 39 tooth chainring. It was a great experience, but painful.
CPP

[Dan Le foot]

Just rode the Bergen Park - Idaho Springs - Mt Evans - Juniper/Squaw Pass loop on Tuesday.

One of the nicer days up at the Summit - light winds, 50's. Very pleasant. If it stays like this, there will be some fast times.

Keep in mind - next Sat is Triple by Pass - 3500 cyclists will be going through on the paths you mentioned - so you might want to plan something else that day!

Winters out here are great - excellent skiing, and we ride all year round on the eastern side - mostly pretty mild (this winter was an anomaly) - although not by San Diego standards!

Sounds like you really like to climb, chuckred. I hope you make it to Mt Evans.
We will be riding in the citizens' division. If you see us stop by and say hello. I'll be the great looking, distinquished, modest guy. Oh, I also have a carbon fiber prosthetic leg.
Dan
BTW
We ahve seen a large number to Serotta's during our tour of the Colorado Rockies. Yesterday we came to a light on Copper Mt and ran into 3 other cyclist. Of the 5 of us at the light there were three Ottrots and a Legend Ti

[konstantkarma]

At the top, I was seeing stars.
CPP

I once rode from Echo Lake to the summit of Mount Evans at about 3:00 in the morning by the light of a full moon (i.e. without headlamps!). I also saw stars, which I wrote of to hypoxia. After reaching the top, we turned around and headed down. That was scary. I kept thinking about the dropoffs, and all of the mountain goats I had seen on the road before. I would not want to hit one of those on a quick descent.

[dave thompson]

<snip>...... Oh, I also have a carbon fiber prosthetic leg.
Dan.....<snip>
Lightweight CF? So you have an unfair advantage!!!! :D

[chuckred]

Sounds like you really like to climb, chuckred. I hope you make it to Mt Evans.
We will be riding in the citizens' division. If you see us stop by and say hello. I'll be the great looking, distinquished, modest guy. Oh, I also have a carbon fiber prosthetic leg.
Dan
BTW
We ahve seen a large number to Serotta's during our tour of the Colorado Rockies. Yesterday we came to a light on Copper Mt and ran into 3 other cyclist. Of the 5 of us at the light there were three Ottrots and a Legend Ti

When I went up the other day, there was a guy on his way up with a prosthetic leg... he was walking at the time - about a mile from the summit. But, not carbon fiber, so I guess that's the reason!

I'll look for you if I get there - I'll be racing the citizen's as well, I think.

[Dan Le foot]

Lightweight CF? So you have an unfair advantage!!!! :D

It does save about 3 lbs, Dave. It actually has a vertical shock like your mt bike.
Compresses on the downstroke and releases on the up. Not sure how much it helps, but can't hurt.
BTW
Michelle and I hiked up Quandray Peak the other day. (14,250' or so) Hardest mental (I have height issues) and physical challenge for me. I think MT Evans bike climb will be even tufferI think.
Dan

[Dave]

I've ridden the route, six times now, but always a week or two after the race, with a best time of 2:35, last year at age 53. It's a respectable time, but a good 15 minutes off the best amateurs in my age range. Not sure if I'll do the route twice this year or not. My left arthritic knee is giving me fits this year.

Having never done the race, I'm curious about the degree of neutral support. Anyone handing out water? Even two 24 ounce bottles is skimpy if you also have to ride down.

I also suspect that some riders benefit from pacing others and drafting. I've always ridden alone.

[chuckred]

I've ridden the route, six times now, but always a week or two after the race, with a best time of 2:35, last year at age 53. It's a respectable time, but a good 15 minutes off the best amateurs in my age range. Not sure if I'll do the route twice this year or not. My left arthritic knee is giving me fits this year.

Having never done the race, I'm curious about the degree of neutral support. Anyone handing out water? Even two 24 ounce bottles is skimpy if you also have to ride down.

I also suspect that some riders benefit from pacing others and drafting. I've always ridden alone.

Not sure why, but I believe you either carry it or suffer. My buddy says he was DQ'd for picking up a water bottle he stashed on the side of the road.

2 bottles would be a stretch for the climb, no feed zones, so guess you need to stuff your pocket...

[Bud]

I would have like to do Mt. Evans this year. I believe Bud said he was training for it.



I was, but it's not going to work out this year due to my schedule and my lack of training. Next year's goal...

[Dan Le foot]

Not sure why, but I believe you either carry it or suffer. My buddy says he was DQ'd for picking up a water bottle he stashed on the side of the road.

2 bottles would be a stretch for the climb, no feed zones, so guess you need to stuff your pocket...

DQ'd for stashing water is nasty imho.
I will be carrying 3 large bottles. But I project a bit over 4 hours for me and I will be on empty when I each the top. (Assuming I do) :rolleyes:
Dan