CliffordK

The rules, of course, are whatever Bilzerian, Perkins, and Salomon agreed to. Were there also 3rd parties betting on the ride? That could get messy if there were late rule changes.

I do have to wonder how the bet apparently got changed from a ride, LA to Vegas to a ride from Vegas to LA which would seem to be an easier route, at least if wind is ignored.

The draft vehicle was a bit over the top, but the more I hear about the guys, I guess it isn't unexpected.

Vicegrip

Not impressed at all. Dumb bet as almost anyone could do those miles in those conditions. I have done a couple self supported winter double centuries and I am nothing but a 50 something Fred regular guy. On a bent downhill and flat behind a truck? I bet an empty plastic shopping bag would have trailed along just as well

On the other hand I did a hilly century last fall along with a rider with no legs at all and one arm. He had a prosthetic arm that clipped to that side of the hand crank of his heavy looking rig. Good arm pushed and pulled metal arm pulled as he leaned back. He finished with the pack. He is a bad ass.

deex

The thing that is bothering more is that they changed it from LA to Vegas to Vegas-LA to avoid the uphills. I wonder if the bet is for real or just a publicity stunt?

CliffordK

Probably a bit of both.

Maybe more like a childhood dare.

I dare you to ride your bike across the Mojave.

Somebody mentioned earlier that it is quite possible that Perkins covered his bets with spin-off bets so the big loosers would have been other 3[SUP]rd[/SUP] party individuals.

Some of the winnings were supposed to go to paying off other bad bets... so it may have been just moving around IOU's.

FBinNY 

2,000' feet of climb or drop is a drop in the bucket over 300 miles. It doesn't change anything materially, and may be offset by the effects of winds (unless drafting all the way). I agree that there's a tactical advantage in not having to start with a long climb which may tire the rider early on, but given the overall course time, I doubt that made any difference.

In any case, this was a bet between two individuals (and any later side bettors) on whether this unfit non-rider could train and do the ride by the deadline. As such only the players have any grounds to quibble.

CliffordK

Looking at the chart from the first page:
I do think going westward would have been quite a bit easier. There is a long gradual slope in the middle, but that would be largely lost in the background. So heading East, one gets hit with a big early hill, then a series of killer hills at the end when one would be rolling in tired and sore.

But, yes, I agree, it was all the Bilzerian, Perkins, and Salomon bet, and the rules, or lack of rules that they came up with. I assume there was a phone call or e-mail confirming the direction change.

dual650c

The end... according to the media
"Bill Perkins, the venture capitalist Bilzerian made the bet with, said the millionaire is bed-ridden with a fever and injuries and 'came close to death'. He looks like the Grinch — his skin is green. Perkins added: 'He's looking like death right now. He's in bed with chafed buttocks, a fever, hot and cold [flashes], chills, wobbly legs.

Instagram's Dan Bilzerian WINS $600K poker bet after riding from LA to Vegas in under 48 hours | Daily Mail Online

CliffordK

I suppose it could be serious, but it sounds like he is just sore after a long ride.

dual650c

green skin and a fever?
Dunno about you, but that's not a description of normal post-ride soreness for me, even for an extremely long ride.
Could be due to all that exhaust he breathed from his windbreaking van, though..... I kinda forgot about that.
Or maybe from the PEDs he said he might take.
Dunno.....still not really impressed, BUT he DID make it.

hatrack71

I was just considering this myself. I don't drive and need to pick up a recumbent in Missoula. 114 miles away. I was thinking of riding over on a somewhat disposable Schwinn hybrid I have. When I got there, I'd strip the crankset, derailleurs and moustache bar,.. basically everything useful to me I could fit in my backpack and donate the rest to Free Cycles. Then of course, grab the Vision R-40 waiting for me and ride the 114 back home. It has a rear rack I could strap my backpack to. Seems brutal with MacDonald Pass in between though. Plus the inexperience with the Vision recumbent.. although much easier to ride than my Radius I'm sure. I'm sorta kicking it around in my head how painful of a trip this could actually be. I currently ride 10-20 miles daily. And I unfortunately am prone to cramping up which would be a bad thing with the steep pass. But some days I can ride 40-50 commuting with no issues at all. What sort of foods should eat to stave off cramping longer. I will drink water like it's going out of style the night before and into the morning. That usually helps.

I may be able to get a ride over and then only have half the distance. That sure would be more realistic for me but still more than I've ever done in a day. The most I've ridden in a day was 100 miles but that was 25 years ago. But we were training and racing and riding lots of miles back then..

CliffordK

That sounds like fun. I'd go for the bumming a ride approach though. You could always do the return as a 2-day trip. Or, perhaps get an early start heading that way by vehicle, then plan on riding 30 or 40 miles in the evening, then the rest the second day.

Do you ride recumbents?

I'm not sure I'd embark on a century on an entirely unfamiliar bike. Don't forget some basic tools, patch kits, etc.

The biggest problem for back to back century rides is the second day is never fun.

FBinNY 

My personal guideline based on years of experience is that most people can ride roughly half again the distance they normally ride, without suffering unreasonably. They ride double that if they allow 3 times the time. Either will likely have a price in some extra post-ride pain, tightness or cramping, so usually a rest day after would be called for.

Of course, that's only a rough guideline, so all sorts of variables come into it. In your shoes, I'd avoid riding twice my personal record distance to pick up a new bike and ride it back, but only you have a sense of the elasticity in your range and speed.

There's also another factor. Think twice about taking a new bike, fresh out of the shop, on a one hundred mile "shakedown cruise". All sorts of stuff happens on new bikes, ans I suspect that the first hundred miles are the most likely time for a mechanical surprise. This issue is true of most mechanical things and, for example, divers know that their regulators are most likely to fail the first dive after a service, and most likely never fail after that.

Maelochs

I could not recommend riding a century on a regular bike and another century back in a recumbent. I am not sure how your legs would feel---not to mention the rest of your body---after a hundred miles, and trying to get right back on the road the next day, not to mention a good climb in the middle ...

if your regular ride is 20 miles and you want to do a century ... if you took as long as you needed, and maybe took a few breaks, I think you could do it. Doing back-to-back centuries?

Plus,. the recumbent would be a totally new bike, something you have never ridden, and how it fits and where it doesn't wouldn't be something I would want to learn with a hundred miles ahead of me ... and personally wouldn't consider the day after a century.

CliffordK

I think there have been threads about towing bikes.

I usually disassemble and tow a bike in a trailer. But, I think some people tie the fork to the bike rack, and tow with one wheel on the ground. That certainly would be an option on your ride to snag the recumbent. Maybe even swap between bikes.

Although, I will admit that my last 140 to 150 mile ride towing a trailer just beat me up.

hatrack71

Well, the double century is off. My Mom is so nice. She took me to Missoula today and she's no spring chicken. I was just barely able to get the Vision R-40 in the back of her little car with the back seats folded forward. Had to remove the seat and wheels and it fit like a glove. She (the Vision) is now with me safe and sound. But I really do need to up my mileage to 30 miles + or- a day and keep increasing. A century is still one of my goals this year. Glad it didn't have to happen so soon.. I must confess. MacDonald Pass sucks a lot of energy out of me.

FBinNY 

Sorry, but I can't resist.


How's your mom?

bbbean 

This!

CliffordK

Actually, I was thinking it would be a good 4 day-ish round trip event (allowing 2 starts & finishes). LV to LA to LV. Either on a prescribed course, or an open course, or open course with checkpoints.

praivo

I call that a normal day...