Let's Climb !
#1
Life Is Good
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Central Massachusetts
Posts: 1,695
Bikes: Zipp2001 Carbon Belt Drive SS, Kestrel RT900SL, Kestrel KM40 Airfoil 1x10, Orbea Occam H30, Trek Stache 5 29 Plus, Giant Yukon 2 Fat Bike
Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 277 Post(s)
Liked 870 Times
in
443 Posts
Let's Climb !
Well we finally have some warmer temps moving in, at least for a few days. So why not go drag my old Clydesdale butt up a few climbs on a nice warm day. I've been putting off doing a tune up on my bike and it caught up to me today as I dropped the chain right before the real climbing started. So after the ride it was down to the bike cave to fix that issue. It's just great to get some nice warm weather and enjoy some fun road miles.
Likes For Bmach:
#3
Senior Member
How many feet elevation did you climb as from the video can't tell at all how steep any of it is. Some numbers on grade % and length of climb would help. For example my ride yesterday was 31 miles with total elevation gained 2400ft. Max elevation 14%. Where I live this is a pretty usual ride.
Likes For SurferCyclist:
#4
Me duelen las nalgas
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Texas
Posts: 13,513
Bikes: Centurion Ironman, Trek 5900, Univega Via Carisma, Globe Carmel
Mentioned: 199 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4559 Post(s)
Liked 2,802 Times
in
1,800 Posts
I have a friend whose job moved him from the California mountains and vineyards paradise to Massachusetts. He's been there a year and still mostly hides in the basement pain cave until the temperature is higher than 50 degrees. Can't say I blame him, as a Texan I'm not crazy about winter.
I can usually get in 1,400-3,000 feet of elevation gain over distances of 30-60 miles here. Lots of roller coaster terrain but few real continuous climbs. No mountains, and most long climbs are rollers that vary from 1% to double digits, but only for 50-100 yards at a whack, then flat or a little downhill. If I head about 20-30 miles west of here there's one or two continuous climbs of maybe 1-2% over a mile or so.
So I've been tackling repeats on every sorta-climbing roller segment I can find nearby. Did not-quite back to back rides 4 or 5 days in a row. Felt stronger than usual Tuesday, a few PRs.
Wednesday my glutes felt every inch of those climbs. Soaked in a hot tub of Epsom salts, napped all day, stretched. Might ride Thursday, but probably not until Friday.
And that's on my old steel road bike, which weighs about 30 lbs by the time I've loaded up two water bottles, etc. I have a couple of carbon fiber frames in various stages of disassembly. I really need to finish those up but all I've wanted to do through the pandemic slowdown is ride my bike. I know it was hard on some friends, but I kinda enjoyed having the streets to myself for several weeks before businesses reopened.
I can usually get in 1,400-3,000 feet of elevation gain over distances of 30-60 miles here. Lots of roller coaster terrain but few real continuous climbs. No mountains, and most long climbs are rollers that vary from 1% to double digits, but only for 50-100 yards at a whack, then flat or a little downhill. If I head about 20-30 miles west of here there's one or two continuous climbs of maybe 1-2% over a mile or so.
So I've been tackling repeats on every sorta-climbing roller segment I can find nearby. Did not-quite back to back rides 4 or 5 days in a row. Felt stronger than usual Tuesday, a few PRs.
Wednesday my glutes felt every inch of those climbs. Soaked in a hot tub of Epsom salts, napped all day, stretched. Might ride Thursday, but probably not until Friday.
And that's on my old steel road bike, which weighs about 30 lbs by the time I've loaded up two water bottles, etc. I have a couple of carbon fiber frames in various stages of disassembly. I really need to finish those up but all I've wanted to do through the pandemic slowdown is ride my bike. I know it was hard on some friends, but I kinda enjoyed having the streets to myself for several weeks before businesses reopened.
Likes For canklecat:
#5
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: 25 miles northwest of Boston
Posts: 29,549
Bikes: Bottecchia Sprint, GT Timberline 29r, Marin Muirwoods 29er, Trek FX Alpha 7.0
Mentioned: 112 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 5224 Post(s)
Liked 3,581 Times
in
2,342 Posts
good points about sun/shade & road surface imperfections! nasty surprises await us! looks like that's a popular route for cycles. nice that roads are generally quieter these days. but now that you have week days off, how do you find the traffic, as opposed to say weekends? in & out of deep shade on a bright sunny day, w drivers wearing sunglasses is why I use strobes front & rear. cuz I think regardless of what I'm wearing, in that shade, I disappear. surprised you didn't get into the drops when descending. that water looked tempting. our condo pool isn't opening this year due to the covid :/
Likes For rumrunn6:
#6
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Colorado Springs, CO
Posts: 5,972
Bikes: 2015 Charge Plug, 2007 Dahon Boardwalk, 1997 Nishiki Blazer, 1984 Nishiki International, 2006 Felt F65, 1989 Dahon Getaway V
Mentioned: 54 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1364 Post(s)
Liked 1,677 Times
in
827 Posts
So very different from the mud, snow and ice of the trails.
Likes For BobbyG:
#7
Life Is Good
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Central Massachusetts
Posts: 1,695
Bikes: Zipp2001 Carbon Belt Drive SS, Kestrel RT900SL, Kestrel KM40 Airfoil 1x10, Orbea Occam H30, Trek Stache 5 29 Plus, Giant Yukon 2 Fat Bike
Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 277 Post(s)
Liked 870 Times
in
443 Posts
#8
Life Is Good
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Central Massachusetts
Posts: 1,695
Bikes: Zipp2001 Carbon Belt Drive SS, Kestrel RT900SL, Kestrel KM40 Airfoil 1x10, Orbea Occam H30, Trek Stache 5 29 Plus, Giant Yukon 2 Fat Bike
Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 277 Post(s)
Liked 870 Times
in
443 Posts
How many feet elevation did you climb as from the video can't tell at all how steep any of it is. Some numbers on grade % and length of climb would help. For example my ride yesterday was 31 miles with total elevation gained 2400ft. Max elevation 14%. Where I live this is a pretty usual ride.
What made the first climb tougher on me is I just didn't give the legs anytime to wake up before climbing.
#9
Life Is Good
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Central Massachusetts
Posts: 1,695
Bikes: Zipp2001 Carbon Belt Drive SS, Kestrel RT900SL, Kestrel KM40 Airfoil 1x10, Orbea Occam H30, Trek Stache 5 29 Plus, Giant Yukon 2 Fat Bike
Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 277 Post(s)
Liked 870 Times
in
443 Posts
good points about sun/shade & road surface imperfections! nasty surprises await us! looks like that's a popular route for cycles. nice that roads are generally quieter these days. but now that you have week days off, how do you find the traffic, as opposed to say weekends? in & out of deep shade on a bright sunny day, w drivers wearing sunglasses is why I use strobes front & rear. cuz I think regardless of what I'm wearing, in that shade, I disappear. surprised you didn't get into the drops when descending. that water looked tempting. our condo pool isn't opening this year due to the covid :/
#10
Life Is Good
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Central Massachusetts
Posts: 1,695
Bikes: Zipp2001 Carbon Belt Drive SS, Kestrel RT900SL, Kestrel KM40 Airfoil 1x10, Orbea Occam H30, Trek Stache 5 29 Plus, Giant Yukon 2 Fat Bike
Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 277 Post(s)
Liked 870 Times
in
443 Posts
I have a friend whose job moved him from the California mountains and vineyards paradise to Massachusetts. He's been there a year and still mostly hides in the basement pain cave until the temperature is higher than 50 degrees. Can't say I blame him, as a Texan I'm not crazy about winter.
I can usually get in 1,400-3,000 feet of elevation gain over distances of 30-60 miles here. Lots of roller coaster terrain but few real continuous climbs. No mountains, and most long climbs are rollers that vary from 1% to double digits, but only for 50-100 yards at a whack, then flat or a little downhill. If I head about 20-30 miles west of here there's one or two continuous climbs of maybe 1-2% over a mile or so.
So I've been tackling repeats on every sorta-climbing roller segment I can find nearby. Did not-quite back to back rides 4 or 5 days in a row. Felt stronger than usual Tuesday, a few PRs.
Wednesday my glutes felt every inch of those climbs. Soaked in a hot tub of Epsom salts, napped all day, stretched. Might ride Thursday, but probably not until Friday.
And that's on my old steel road bike, which weighs about 30 lbs by the time I've loaded up two water bottles, etc. I have a couple of carbon fiber frames in various stages of disassembly. I really need to finish those up but all I've wanted to do through the pandemic slowdown is ride my bike. I know it was hard on some friends, but I kinda enjoyed having the streets to myself for several weeks before businesses reopened.
I can usually get in 1,400-3,000 feet of elevation gain over distances of 30-60 miles here. Lots of roller coaster terrain but few real continuous climbs. No mountains, and most long climbs are rollers that vary from 1% to double digits, but only for 50-100 yards at a whack, then flat or a little downhill. If I head about 20-30 miles west of here there's one or two continuous climbs of maybe 1-2% over a mile or so.
So I've been tackling repeats on every sorta-climbing roller segment I can find nearby. Did not-quite back to back rides 4 or 5 days in a row. Felt stronger than usual Tuesday, a few PRs.
Wednesday my glutes felt every inch of those climbs. Soaked in a hot tub of Epsom salts, napped all day, stretched. Might ride Thursday, but probably not until Friday.
And that's on my old steel road bike, which weighs about 30 lbs by the time I've loaded up two water bottles, etc. I have a couple of carbon fiber frames in various stages of disassembly. I really need to finish those up but all I've wanted to do through the pandemic slowdown is ride my bike. I know it was hard on some friends, but I kinda enjoyed having the streets to myself for several weeks before businesses reopened.
#11
Life Is Good
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Central Massachusetts
Posts: 1,695
Bikes: Zipp2001 Carbon Belt Drive SS, Kestrel RT900SL, Kestrel KM40 Airfoil 1x10, Orbea Occam H30, Trek Stache 5 29 Plus, Giant Yukon 2 Fat Bike
Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 277 Post(s)
Liked 870 Times
in
443 Posts
#12
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: 25 miles northwest of Boston
Posts: 29,549
Bikes: Bottecchia Sprint, GT Timberline 29r, Marin Muirwoods 29er, Trek FX Alpha 7.0
Mentioned: 112 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 5224 Post(s)
Liked 3,581 Times
in
2,342 Posts
The camping area is thinking about opening but only to self contain camping, because they aren't going to open the restrooms and shower. I expect it to be a ghost town because most camping done there is with pop-up tents, and with them not allowed it will be rare to see many campers this year.
Likes For rumrunn6:
#13
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Portland, OR
Posts: 12,902
Bikes: (2) ti TiCycles, 2007 w/ triple and 2011 fixed, 1979 Peter Mooney, ~1983 Trek 420 now fixed and ~1973 Raleigh Carlton Competition gravel grinder
Mentioned: 129 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4802 Post(s)
Liked 3,922 Times
in
2,551 Posts
Thanks! Brings back a lot of memories. Massachusetts roads on spring. Massachusetts road surfaces in spring. That last footage of the smaller road reminds me of coming down Blue Hill south of Boston, (I grew up 2 moles from it. Know the road to the weather station really well.
Only rode near Winchendon once and paid zero attention. (I lived in Cambridge my racing days. That day was one long ride! Now Wachustetts was a regular for me. The long ride with climbing. Lunch at the top. Both Winchendon and Wachusetts were of my pre-head injury days. After, I no longer knew the route and that following year I had to keep things simple, My later climbing adventures all took place out west.
Oh, that Winchendon day - Cambridge, out 119, headed north on small roads to NH 101 west of Nashua (getting lost and adding 25 miles), and west on 101. As I approached the divide between the east side and Peterborough, I saw the entrance to Pack Monadnock! (I'd hiked Monadnock with my dad and seen Pack many times. Here it was!) Being a mountain goat, I had no choice but climb it. On my racing 42-19. Then down the screaming descent to Peterborough, a quick visit with my cousins, south toward Winchendon, then east to 119 and home. 14 hours, 175 miles and enough climbing to be real. (1977, when I was a crazy strong goat and on the race course, not much smarter.) I do recall stopping, perhaps in Winchendon, at a fast foods and drinking a black coffee with sugar, tow foods I never touched. The drug rush got me the 50 miles home.
Just remembered, I must have ridden through Winchendon in 1973 when I rode to Michigan to start my college year. Like most of my tours, day one was kind of a blur. And another memorable long day, again that big racing years, when I rode out to watch the Longsjo Classic in Fitchberg. 2 flats. On sewups with one spare and a patchkit.
Again, thanks. And fun to hear the accent I've misplaced with my decades out west.
Ben
Only rode near Winchendon once and paid zero attention. (I lived in Cambridge my racing days. That day was one long ride! Now Wachustetts was a regular for me. The long ride with climbing. Lunch at the top. Both Winchendon and Wachusetts were of my pre-head injury days. After, I no longer knew the route and that following year I had to keep things simple, My later climbing adventures all took place out west.
Oh, that Winchendon day - Cambridge, out 119, headed north on small roads to NH 101 west of Nashua (getting lost and adding 25 miles), and west on 101. As I approached the divide between the east side and Peterborough, I saw the entrance to Pack Monadnock! (I'd hiked Monadnock with my dad and seen Pack many times. Here it was!) Being a mountain goat, I had no choice but climb it. On my racing 42-19. Then down the screaming descent to Peterborough, a quick visit with my cousins, south toward Winchendon, then east to 119 and home. 14 hours, 175 miles and enough climbing to be real. (1977, when I was a crazy strong goat and on the race course, not much smarter.) I do recall stopping, perhaps in Winchendon, at a fast foods and drinking a black coffee with sugar, tow foods I never touched. The drug rush got me the 50 miles home.
Just remembered, I must have ridden through Winchendon in 1973 when I rode to Michigan to start my college year. Like most of my tours, day one was kind of a blur. And another memorable long day, again that big racing years, when I rode out to watch the Longsjo Classic in Fitchberg. 2 flats. On sewups with one spare and a patchkit.
Again, thanks. And fun to hear the accent I've misplaced with my decades out west.
Ben
Likes For 79pmooney:
Likes For Thomas15:
#15
Life Is Good
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Central Massachusetts
Posts: 1,695
Bikes: Zipp2001 Carbon Belt Drive SS, Kestrel RT900SL, Kestrel KM40 Airfoil 1x10, Orbea Occam H30, Trek Stache 5 29 Plus, Giant Yukon 2 Fat Bike
Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 277 Post(s)
Liked 870 Times
in
443 Posts
Thanks! Brings back a lot of memories. Massachusetts roads on spring. Massachusetts road surfaces in spring. That last footage of the smaller road reminds me of coming down Blue Hill south of Boston, (I grew up 2 moles from it. Know the road to the weather station really well.
Only rode near Winchendon once and paid zero attention. (I lived in Cambridge my racing days. That day was one long ride! Now Wachustetts was a regular for me. The long ride with climbing. Lunch at the top. Both Winchendon and Wachusetts were of my pre-head injury days. After, I no longer knew the route and that following year I had to keep things simple, My later climbing adventures all took place out west.
Oh, that Winchendon day - Cambridge, out 119, headed north on small roads to NH 101 west of Nashua (getting lost and adding 25 miles), and west on 101. As I approached the divide between the east side and Peterborough, I saw the entrance to Pack Monadnock! (I'd hiked Monadnock with my dad and seen Pack many times. Here it was!) Being a mountain goat, I had no choice but climb it. On my racing 42-19. Then down the screaming descent to Peterborough, a quick visit with my cousins, south toward Winchendon, then east to 119 and home. 14 hours, 175 miles and enough climbing to be real. (1977, when I was a crazy strong goat and on the race course, not much smarter.) I do recall stopping, perhaps in Winchendon, at a fast foods and drinking a black coffee with sugar, tow foods I never touched. The drug rush got me the 50 miles home.
Just remembered, I must have ridden through Winchendon in 1973 when I rode to Michigan to start my college year. Like most of my tours, day one was kind of a blur. And another memorable long day, again that big racing years, when I rode out to watch the Longsjo Classic in Fitchberg. 2 flats. On sewups with one spare and a patchkit.
Again, thanks. And fun to hear the accent I've misplaced with my decades out west.
Ben
Only rode near Winchendon once and paid zero attention. (I lived in Cambridge my racing days. That day was one long ride! Now Wachustetts was a regular for me. The long ride with climbing. Lunch at the top. Both Winchendon and Wachusetts were of my pre-head injury days. After, I no longer knew the route and that following year I had to keep things simple, My later climbing adventures all took place out west.
Oh, that Winchendon day - Cambridge, out 119, headed north on small roads to NH 101 west of Nashua (getting lost and adding 25 miles), and west on 101. As I approached the divide between the east side and Peterborough, I saw the entrance to Pack Monadnock! (I'd hiked Monadnock with my dad and seen Pack many times. Here it was!) Being a mountain goat, I had no choice but climb it. On my racing 42-19. Then down the screaming descent to Peterborough, a quick visit with my cousins, south toward Winchendon, then east to 119 and home. 14 hours, 175 miles and enough climbing to be real. (1977, when I was a crazy strong goat and on the race course, not much smarter.) I do recall stopping, perhaps in Winchendon, at a fast foods and drinking a black coffee with sugar, tow foods I never touched. The drug rush got me the 50 miles home.
Just remembered, I must have ridden through Winchendon in 1973 when I rode to Michigan to start my college year. Like most of my tours, day one was kind of a blur. And another memorable long day, again that big racing years, when I rode out to watch the Longsjo Classic in Fitchberg. 2 flats. On sewups with one spare and a patchkit.
Again, thanks. And fun to hear the accent I've misplaced with my decades out west.
Ben
#16
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Gatorland and BlueRidge heaven
Posts: 774
Bikes: 2021 Trek Domane SLR 7, 2012 Giant Defy 0, 2012 Trek Domane 6.2 P1, Bianchi Infinito CV disc Di2
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 212 Post(s)
Liked 1,000 Times
in
250 Posts
I miss the Minuteman Trail.......I worked in Cambridge for an extended period of time, and brought my bicycle. Used to go out at lunch for a 28 mile round trip out to the end (Bedford?) and back. Not much climbing, but many scenic spots along the way, and the far end of the trail really thins out in terms of people.
In FL we have the GNV-Hawthorne Trail. Splendid! It goes through some beautiful estuaries and is a great ride as well. And again, the farther you go, the fewer peeps you will see (although I've seen water moccasins and a gator on the trail!
In FL we have the GNV-Hawthorne Trail. Splendid! It goes through some beautiful estuaries and is a great ride as well. And again, the farther you go, the fewer peeps you will see (although I've seen water moccasins and a gator on the trail!
__________________
Ride hard and ride on......
Ride hard and ride on......
Likes For wthensler: