Total Posts: 640
6.9 Years Ago

I departed Sonoma at 4pm on Friday planning to go up and join Brian, Chris, Pat, and Scott for the "Loon Lake" ride. Mentally I was looking forward to the ride all week, I knew it would be a good challenging ride of about 17 miles and a climb from 4,845 ft to 6,382 ft as I have driven it a few times. Then a beautiful downhill on smooth roads, with little traffic, and no real sharp turns.

I arrived at the camp grounds at 8pm. Everyone was sitting down to dinner. I had my 2 girls with me (5 & 8). We set up camp while there was still light and went over to discuss the plans for the ride.

This is when my world was rocked. It was Brian's birthday on 07-07-07, and Pat and Scott had decided to leave super early to add in a trip down to hwy 50 and back, then they would meet us. Well immediately my pride got in the way and I said, "you're not doing that without me" and brian announced he was game. The leave time was set, and we would be waking up at 5 am. Francee offered to take my girls in the morning and I would just throw them into the FJ Mobile. So it was on. The EPIC Birthday Ride.

This addition adds another 32 miles and another 600 ft of climbing to get to the downhill, then a mammoth climb back up. I mean this is on the scale of the Alpe d'Huez in look. The actual grade is a bit more mellow at a 7% grade instead of 8.1%. We went from 3,267ft to 5,406ft with NO relaxation in 7.3 miles. I mean nothing steeper than 7%, and nothing flatter either. It is totally exposed to the sun, hardly any shade thanks to a fire about 15 years ago. The way the road goes, you can watch the riders ahead of you or behind you.

The ride itself really has no flat areas, you are either going up or going down. Total ride stats were about 65-67 miles and 6,250 - 6,500 ft of climbing. 2 different altimiters on the ride.

The ride was dotted with attacks on various climbs. My fastest recorded downhill speed was 46 mph on the ride. At one point I was going faster, but my computer failed to record, it somply dropped to 0 mph. Scott, and I were going back and forth and one point he flew around me and I was at 42. He must have been 48 or more.

The final climb was just a grind. Long steady climbs are not my favorite thing, as you know. I much prefer down hilling, or sprinting.

On the was back, I was totally spent. I had chills the last mile of the climb, felt like I was going to lose my lunch as we approached the camp. Despite this misery, when Pat jokingly said, "Last climb - let's sprint it", I couldn't help myself, I jumped out of the saddle and poured on what I had left. I am sure if they weren't laughing so hard either Pat or Brian could have caught me, but they were nice enough to let me have my moment. 8o)

It was a heck of a B-Day ride - Happy Birthday to you.

Note to Pat - Those little pills you gave me seem to have worked, I am not AS sore as I would have expected today. Mr. 27 has other secrets aside from his gearing... ;o)

See you all next ride.

Custer - aka JC2

Total Posts: 852
6.9 Years Ago

[+] enlarge

Total Posts: 852
6.9 Years Ago

[+] enlarge

Total Posts: 640
6.9 Years Ago

L to R

Pat with the Sobe Jersey

Me up on the top left.

Chris squatting in front

Brian, one upping me with the bike over head.

JC2

Scott had a pregnant wife at camp and could not wait at the top for Chris and I to catch up.