Originally Posted by
indyfabz
The highest I have ever been is Independence Pass above Aspen. That's only 12,000 and change. I had been riding out west at various altitudes all summer and still felt lightheaded at the top.
When trees are gone, it has a bit of a psychological effect, not to mention the breathing and power part. I'm definitely not a climber, and yesterday wasn't my best day on the bike.
A small conundrum, as I was doing very well until I took a week off the bike to go to WA state over the July 4th holiday. I came back, and I can't get out of my own way. I really expected to PR this, but went 5 minutes slower, and power was down bigly. Saving grace was weight was also down, or it would have been way worse than the 12th place I finished at. Top third, but still...