Planemaker

The first race of the season is tomorrow, local 50 mile ride about 125 registered. The problem is:
1. I've been dealing with a cold and I am riding Land Run next weekend
2. It is supposed to rain overnight and there a potential for a thunderstorm about an hour into the ride
3. WIND is supposed to 18 mph at the start. Halfway, the wind kicks up to 33 mph with potential gusts to over 45 mph. The route is two 25 mile loops mostly north and south. The wind is out of the west so, the cross winds will be vicious.

All of the above tells me this is a no go but, i really want to ride.

Any thoughts?

Spoonrobot 

wheelsmcgee

shoota 

Sounds like a good chance to be tougher than everyone else and take the win.

koolerb

I'd go with a goal of one loop. If you feel good after that keep going. If not pack up and go home.

Planemaker

I went and was able to get one lap in. The winds were gusting well past 40 mph.

I could have done the final loop but after I rode past a fellow rider who had a medical emergency (may well have been fatal), I just wasn't in a proper state to handle another loop.

Spoonrobot 

Good work getting out there.

I assisted a rider who crashed his face into the gravel on a 25mph+ descent during my first race of 2017. It shook me up a bit but since it was faster to just complete the ride I went ahead and continued on after he got loaded into the SAG wagon. Basically tip-toed the rest of the course but made it back ok. Real mental challenge.

wheelsmcgee

Planemaker

Found out today that the rider who suffered a medical emergency during the passed away.

Thoughts and prayers to his family.

shoota 

Heart attack?

chas58

Ugh, that is harsh. Hate to hear that.

Marcus_Ti

WTF kind of local ride is this where people are literally dying on course? I serious. Injuries are a reality and they happen...but fatailities???!

Koyote

'Course, we don't know if it was an injury, or even related to riding a bike.

Planemaker

i believe he died from a heart attack. Kind of surprised because I think he was Cat II or Cat III

Koyote

There's a difference between fitness and health. Being able to ride a bike fast, and over long distances, is part of the former; some unknown problem inside your body (like a slowly clogging artery) is part of the latter.

shoota 

People die of heart attacks or related health issues almost every year at RAGBRAI.

Planemaker

I would also say that not postponing the race due to high wind was a mistake. Riding with cross winds in excess of 50 mph is dangerous.

One guy on a tandem told me the wind actually lifted his front wheel off the road twice.

FlashBazbo

It's more common than you think. It's a matter of numbers as much as anything. One of our local events averages a fatality two out of every three years -- and an average of a little over 1 person per year is taken, by ambulance, to an emergency room. Most of the fatalities are from crashes on steep descents, but the occasional heart attack happens, too. I often "joke" about how dangerous the event is. But I think everybody thinks it will never happen to them.

Not-really-related . . . an acquaintance that works as an executive for a cruise line once told me that, in every cruise of more than 6 days, they expect to have one person die. It's usually a heart attack or stroke that gets them. But it's a matter of statistics. In any population of that size (basically a small town) somebody dies just about every week. (Every cruise ship of any size is equipped to store the deceased in morgue-like comfort until they get back to their home port.)

TimothyH

It happens during marathons more than people know.

A typical scenario is the middle-aged man who decided to get into shape. He quit smoking, lost weight and started running, eventually working his way up to a marathon but 40 years of hard living catches up to him as he pushes through mile 17 in zone 4. Down he goes and the ten minute miler's are passing him as the paramedics give CPR.

We all take our chances every day. Lord have mercy.


-Tim-

fuji_owner

+1