EPIC TRAINING SYSTEMS
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2007 Solvang Double Century Ride Report Fixed Gear
March 31, 2007 First off I would like to thank some very special people who keep me rolling. In alphabetical order: Andy from Ben's Cycle Fitness for all his help getting my Custom Fixed Gear from concept to reality. http://www.benscycle.net/ Chris from Pacific Health Labs for Accelerade and Endurox. http://www.pacifichealthlabs.com/site/index.html David from Finish Line products from Chain Lube to Cleaners http://www.finishlineusa.com/ Without their sponsorship I wouldn't be able to do the things I do on the bike. And one special mention to Adam Firestone for his gracious hospitality and offering his Firestone Estates guest house for me to stay. Thank you! Solvang Double Century Saturday March 31, 2007 194 miles and 7200 feet of climbing Total Time: 11:11 Avg. speed 17.34 Mph (including all stops and lunch) on Milwaukee Bicycle Co. Fixed Gear 49 x 15 GI 86.89 or 3.26 gear ratio http://www.planetultra.com/solvang/Results/2007results.htm The first 100 miles of the ride is quite rural and very scenic. Rural means fast when talking about double centuries. The terrain is easy going and the pace is high because there are no major climbs. There are plenty of rollers and just a few steep sections. The second 94 miles take you through quite a few towns. The frequent stopping eats into your average speed. I thought this would be a good double to do with a fixed gear and I was right on the money. I did it with a 49 x 15 and I think I could have ridden a 49 x 14 and still been ok. If I go back with a FG I will definitely try it with a 49 x 14. The problem I found was that I was fine in most pacelines on the flats and some uphills but as soon as there was a descent I would get dropped. Same old story when riding a FG but I had gone from a 49 x 16 on the Butterfield Double Century and I thought the bigger gear would do the trick. Start- 730 am I lined up with the riders wanting to be timed. This event had over 540 riders leaving in staggered waves with the last group being the "fast guys"who were riding it as a timed event. No other way to say it except we were "racing" it. I saw some of my old friends and some new ones. I was the only person (that I could tell) on a Fixed Gear (FG) at the start. We rolled out at a pretty easy pace. I was riding with Keith B, Mark P, and some other riders that are familiar faces but I can't remember their names. Mile 24- We hit the first steep climb more like a roller but on this ride it can be called a climb. I saw the attacks going off the front. I just sat there and did my thing on my FG. As it got steeper I stood and started using my body weight to push down on the pedals. I let many people go but I kept my eye on Keith when he started to gap me I struggled a little more to close the gap. Mark was on my wheel and slowly we made contact with Keith again. We were the first few riders over the top and then the descent began. And that is when I got dropped. The tandem of Chris R. and Graham P. went past me like I was standing still (I was doing 30mph). My cadence was really high (over 130 rpm) and I couldn't keep up. Mile 37.6- My first stop was 1:30 secs. I filled one bottle grabbed some Endurolytes and off I was. The morning was quite chilly in the low 40's. I had not finished my second bottle. I had pre-mixed two bottles of Accelerade before leaving the lovely Firestone Estates and carried a few baggies with me for the first couple of rest stops. I wish Accelerade would come in a two-serving to-go pouch (hint hint). It would make it much more convenient than zip-lock baggies. I had already been dropped on the descent of Foxen Canyon. So now I was riding alone. I am used to riding alone so that wasn't the problem but on a course like this the flat riding gets really boring. I looked around at the scenery and yes it was nice but in the end I would rather be climbing. Mile 60- I caught Brandy, a new ultra rider on her second double century, who had started at 640am. I left the paceline that I had been in for the last 5 miles and got Brandy on my wheel. Two guys joined in our "paceline" but soon they were off the back. We were moving at a pretty good pace and I guess they couldn't hang. Mile 83-- Rest #2 off the bike time (8:15). Potty break, fresh bottles and the last of my Accelerade and Endurolytes and off we went. As we were leaving this checkpoint I saw three tandems just getting started and told Brandy that it would really smart if we could get on the tandem train and try to hang on for as long as we could. I knew I would be at a disadvantage on the descents but I thought I could catch them again on the ascents and take advantage of the draft. And so began our symbiotic relationship. Mile 100- The not-so-secret checkpoint. We pulled in and got a green sticker on our numbers I guess to verify that we were on the course. It was through this town that we were going very slow through a congested area. There was only one lane. It had turned out to be a nice sunny Saturday afternoon so there were plenty of people out enjoying their day. Good for them but unfortunate for us since we were in a hurry to get to the lunch stop. It was weird because we had been riding for five hours andnot had to deal with traffic until now. Mile 115-- Lunch stop (28 minutes off the bike) We stopped for lunch (against my best judgement). On doubles I like to just use liquid fuel. I find that eating on doubles reduces your ability to keep hammering. You have to stop for at least 20 minutes while you eat and somewhat begin digestion. Then you have to get your legs warmed up again to start riding hard. Brandy wanted to stop and I thought since the tandems were stopping that it might be a good idea to stop, eat and relax for a few minutes. As planned we left with the tandems. One thing I did like about riding with these tandems was the way they slowly warmed up and slowly picked up their the pace whenever leaving rest stops. Mile 143-- Stop #4 (17:30 off the bike) We stopped to get more fluids. I could tell the tandems were hurting their pace was slowing down quite a bit. Brandy was really hurting at this point. She hadn't told me but she had been on the verge of puking for about 30 minutes. I had been pushing her, sometimes physically, to get on a tandems wheel to conserve energy. But the pace was so fast that it was really hurting her. Then I told her to look around and see how bad everyone else was hurting. You could see the pain on peoples faces, there were people stretching, rubbing out cramps, people just hunched over their handlebars, sitting under the shade of trees. Flatter doubles are ridden at a very high intensity and pace I told her there were only 50 miles to the finish -- a club ride. Then someone said "actually there are only 30 miles to the next stop." And with that we were off. Mile 173-- Last rest stop (9:30 off the bike) By the time we were 10 miles from this stop the tandems had lost their steam. I left Brandy with them and started doing some RAAM training. And what do you say that would be? Well I started doing intervals. I would go off the front of the tandems and then do 10 minute intervals and then back off and do it again. Another time I stopped for a nature break and then did a 10 minute interval trying to catch up to the tandems again. I felt amazing. I felt the best I had ever felt on a Double Century. I really didn't want to stop at this rest stop. They were serving Cup o' Noodles soup and even though it smelled good I was not going to eat anything before a hard climb. Besides I like to get the Double Century done and sit down to a “real” meal. Drum Canyon- 800 feet of gain in 3.2 miles. It was really hard on a fixed gear. I struggled on the ramps that pitched up at least 10-12%.The road is in desperate need of repaving on both the ascent and the descent. But after Drum Canyon it was literally all downhill from there. Mile 194- After nearly 11 hours in the saddle I still felt strong. I was doing sprints and seated accelerations nearing mile 190. I literally could have ridden the course again without any major issues. As we neared the town of Solvang I could see riders off in the distance. And then I felt like Pac Man gobbling up each rider as I got closer to the finish. As I turned the last corner I sprinted for the finish like I had just gotten on the bike. My time 11:11 is respectable in any Double Century but to do it on a Fixed Gear I think means a whole lot more. Now it was back to the Estates it was recovery, recovery recovery.I had a serving Endurox before my shower and one after my shower. I enjoyed my solid meal thoroughly and then it was lights out. Thanks again to Andy at Ben's Cycle, Chris at Pacific Health Labs and David at Finish Line and enjoy a nice Cabernet from Firestone Vineyards Contact them if you need anything and tell them I sent you. What's Next? We leave the relative ease of flatter doubles and begin the climbing doubles. Mulholland Double Century third toughest double century event in California 202 miles 16,500 feet of climbing Devil Mountain Double Century the toughest double century event in California 200 miles 18,800 feet of climbing. Double Century count 15 |
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| ADDITIONAL FIXED GEAR REPORTS |
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