Cycling: Riding around in the warm weather

The weather last weekend was beautiful for bike riding.  They were the hottest days of the year, but when riding a bike apparent wind is generated so it is like having a constant breeze when riding.  As long as riders can keep hydrated, the sweat acts as a really nice swamp cooler and the evaporation keeps us real cool.  As an aside, on really HOT days, I just get my whole body wet: hair, jersey, shorts, shoes and socks and this works to start with a cool core temperature and the rest of the ride isn't too bad, given that one can stay hydrated.  Most people don't drink enough water or electrolyte drink when excercising.  As a rule of thumb, any athlete should drink about a liter or quart an hour on really hot days.  On cooler days, about a cycling water bottle an hour should keep riders watered up. 

I was able to ride both days this weekend, which was a treat after my wife having a baby on Wednesday.  On Saturday, my daughter had a date and I went on a tandem ride with my oldest to Genoa and had a soda at the country store.  It has been really encouraging that my oldest kid is starting to like riding. 

The second day was the "King of the King", the first stage of the High Sierra Hill Climb Time Trial Series.  On Sunday I was the timer for the Kingsbury HCTT.  Riders were timed from the bottom of Kingsbury Grade to the top.  That is 7.9 miles long and 2550 ft of climbing.  Each year, people usually set their personal best times since it has always been at the end of the summer and most riders are in pretty good shape from riding all summer.  This year it came early so very few did their personal best times.  One rider did make his personal best time and the all time best time up the grade.  Paul Mach, a professional cyclist from the Bissell team, set the new course record which was 35m01s and is now 32m59.  So he averaged over 14 mph all the way up the grade.  That is amazing speed: it is faster than I ride my bike to work.  He beat 2nd place by over 5 minutes.  I hear he is a specialty climber, but still it gives a glimpse of what is phsically possible.  Kelly McDonald of Touchstone Cycling broke the women's record at 43m37s.

I didn't do the race up the hill, but I did finish the SLT, Luther Pass, Hope Valley, and back to Carson Valley.  The Kingsbury - Luther Loop is one of the greatest loops around.  Kingsbury has a great wide shoulder and the rest of the loop has little traffic.  Luther Pass can be ridden on old Luther: South Upper Truckee and the campground road gets you almost to the top.  I did however ride up Kingsbury after work on Wednesday.  Unlike the top pro that finished Kingsvury and likely got a massage and rested the rest of the day, I mowed the lawn.   That is the difference being a pro bike rider and a working professional...  It is funny that many clear minded and insightful thoughts come when mowing the lawn.  My lawn mower is broken so I borrowed a neighbor's.  He has a newer one that has the wheels drive.  When I first started using it, I thought it was decadent.  After a while, I found it to go much faster and also required less grass bag emptying.  Then I thought of how tired my legs were and the wonders of technology and how nice it was to not push the mower.  Then it came to me that maybe the Paul Mach has a power lawn mower.  That lead to a thought of how economic growth makes our lives better:  lawnmowers that are so powerful they pull you along, modern medicine, air travel etc.  So from the top of Kingsbury to my backyard lawn, I had many thrills on Wednesday evening. 

The Alta Alpina Cycling club is having one of its best club rides: The Gardnerville 100 on Sunday 24 May.  The smaller loop goes from Gville to Topaz up the east side of Monitor down to Markleeville and back home.  For those who want to do the 100, one would take a left at 88/89 and go to Hope Valley, up Luther Pass, down to SLT and back home via Kingsbury.  This is a great ride and finishes with a club supplied BBQ.  You must join the club to ride and BBQ, but for such a small membership fee, this is a great value.  Check our rides website for more information: www.altaalpina.org.