Joker Posted April 6, 2008 Share Posted April 6, 2008 Organized ride report: De Ronde Van Oeste Portlandia 42 miles of pain made more ugly by a constant drizzle and weather in the 40's. After a short flat ride out from the start point we took a left turn to start the ride of pain. Saltzman Rd is long and relatively easy but because most people use it as a training climb in the winter. It's unpaved and always damp, soggy and muddy. You always feel like you're riding with two flat tires when you ride this thing. The group of 200+ riders quickly dissipated into smaller groups or long lines of folks trying not to get sprayed with mud from the person in front of them. I crested that road and road on to the next climb... Brynwood, the 28%er. As soon as you turn to go up the road it scares the shit out of you. And it's kinda sneeky because it goes up for a bit and then turns 90° and goes up even steeper. After the turn I went for a bit but I started to go backward so I hopped off and walked the rest. I tried to paperboy it but I'm just not a climber. After Brynwood was a series of hard climbs but nothing too crazy. Eventually we got to College Ave which is similar to Brynwood but not as steep... only 22%. Again, I gave it a go but had to climb off the bike and walk it to the top. After College were a series of small but hard climbs. At this point the ride was reminding me of a bad 1980's horror movie. Just when you think everything is fine and the movie is almost done, BAM! more bullshit. The last two climbs were really hard because I was starting to cramp. Both climbs I had to stand the whole way up or I'd cramp. That sucked. But eventually, 4.5 hours later... I finished. Definitely one of the hardest rides I've ever done. I finished in the 75 people range so I feel fairly good about that, but it wasn't a race so it doesn't really matter. My legs ache so bad right now. Hopefully it was good training for next weekends race, which is hilly but not too bad. If anyone considers themselves a climber and likes a challenge... this ride is a must for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rubbish heap two Posted April 6, 2008 Share Posted April 6, 2008 Damn joker. Hills are definitely intense... and I'm becoming a big pussy about them living in a flat city. Gotta start doing hill repeats on the only real hill in town... which is hard to even call real @ 10% grade over half a mile, compared to that De Ronde shit. Oh well, I'm doing it 73 gear inches... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HESHIANDET Posted April 6, 2008 Share Posted April 6, 2008 damn joker sounds super crazy. a good climber i am not, holler at the bol serkoff on here. hes a lurker in this thread and the most naturally gifted climber ive ever seen. i'll never tell him that to his face cause hes a "bitch ass niggoid" RAINY/SNOWY DAY IN FLANDERS TOMORROW!!!!! CONDITIONS ARE SET TO BE "EPIC"!!!! im having a party tomorrow to watch, you guys are invited. ready??!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KM4RT Posted April 6, 2008 Share Posted April 6, 2008 on the racing tip.......what speeds do you guys average in races? I know its always different......but just in general.......average on flats, sprints, uphills, etc.? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KM4RT Posted April 6, 2008 Share Posted April 6, 2008 Also I went on my first group ride yesterday. Got invited by a friend of a friend....so I didn't really know any of the people. BUT what really sucked.......they had a bunch of rules. the pace, rode probably 50-60km, but it was hardly a workout. you weren't allowed to attack. hills were slow. overall....boring as fuck. I'll stick to riding on my own for a while. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rubbish heap two Posted April 6, 2008 Share Posted April 6, 2008 Also I went on my first group ride yesterday. Got invited by a friend of a friend....so I didn't really know any of the people. BUT what really sucked.......they had a bunch of rules. the pace, rode probably 50-60km, but it was hardly a workout. you weren't allowed to attack. hills were slow. overall....boring as fuck. I'll stick to riding on my own for a while. sounds like a bunch of roadies trying to get in base miles... i prefer riding alone too. i get stronger breaking all my own wind the whole time. i wish pro cycling still looked like the photo hesh posted. something masculine has been lost in the aesthetic of the sport. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HESHIANDET Posted April 6, 2008 Share Posted April 6, 2008 sounds like a bunch of roadies trying to get in base miles... i prefer riding alone too. i get stronger breaking all my own wind the whole time. i wish pro cycling still looked like the photo hesh posted. something masculine has been lost in the aesthetic of the sport. sounds accurate, could also have just been a chill ride. ive been on some rides where everyone looked the part and i got bored, then there are others where the same people show up and its hammer time for days. ask at your lbs what ride is what, dont bother waiting for an invitation. just show up and do the damn thing... heap, i feel you man, but its like anything else. money gets involved and poof. but fuck it, if cycling werent a weirdo blownout thing motherfuckers wouldnt be making nice gucci bikes and shit... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HESHIANDET Posted April 6, 2008 Share Posted April 6, 2008 #1 stunna of flanders: for rubbish: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
christo-f Posted April 6, 2008 Share Posted April 6, 2008 From the NEWYORKCITY Thread: RIP Dondi Sorry, I'm behind the times a touch; is Dondi deaded? How'd that happen? And yes, those forks look rather strange. I've only ever ridden a fixie when drunk..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HESHIANDET Posted April 6, 2008 Share Posted April 6, 2008 Sorry, I'm behind the times a touch; is Dondi deaded? How'd that happen? And yes, those forks look rather strange. I've only ever ridden a fixie when drunk..... fuckinnnnnnnnnnnng australia. you all need to give it up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HESHIANDET Posted April 6, 2008 Share Posted April 6, 2008 ps: you should show the culture some respect and at least buy the dondi book and educate yourself on one of the main innovators and style progressers ever. namsayin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shitting Posted April 6, 2008 Share Posted April 6, 2008 sounds like a bunch of roadies trying to get in base miles... i prefer riding alone too. i get stronger breaking all my own wind the whole time. i wish pro cycling still looked like the photo hesh posted. something masculine has been lost in the aesthetic of the sport. You're just saying that because the guy in the foreground is a troglodyte. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rubbish heap two Posted April 6, 2008 Share Posted April 6, 2008 Sorry, I'm behind the times a touch; is Dondi deaded? How'd that happen? And yes, those forks look rather strange. I've only ever ridden a fixie when drunk..... it's not forks, it's "fork". there's one of them. and it doesn't look weird, it's the paint combined with a b&w photograph. go learn your fucking history about dondi... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fat ralphy Posted April 6, 2008 Share Posted April 6, 2008 ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suburbianbum Posted April 6, 2008 Share Posted April 6, 2008 FIrst of all I would like just say whatup 12oz! Ive been on and off this shit since the year 2000 and havnt really been posting much lately. Unfortunately I forgot the password to my old account but im back. I was living in Vancouver for a couple years, enjoying the hell out of riding my 1986 Peugeot road bike (I forgot the name, but it was the top of the line racing bike back in the day) I picked up the bike for cheap from a garage sale and I would never want a more expensive bike, its my fav shit ever. I also tried some of the alley cat races in town which i loved to death, even though I got totally whipped on them, I dont really care cause I had funnn. I found Vancouver to be a super dope city for biking because you can ride all year round, you learn to deal with the rain and theres hardly no snow. Riding around town and drinking beers in parks and pissing in alleys was a weekly occourance and I cant wait to get back into the city this fall to rip it up even more. Now I moved up north a bit and just purchased a Norco Sasquatch to tear up the mountain bike trails and dirt jumps. I grew up down in CO and mountain biked a lot, but did mainly XC shit. When i just started mountain biking up here I was shocked at how fucking hardcore they are up here in BC with their mad platforms and teeter totters and shit in the trees. 10 year old kids here are huckin 20 foot drops. Its been fun mountain biking around the small town that im in but it whoops the shit out of me, especially riding my 36 pound bike up the mountains, but its rewarding as hell since most other bikers shuttle up and down the mountains. With gas at the equivalent of $4.81 USD a gallon ($1.27 CAD/liter) I cant really afford to drive much so my bike does just fine. When i ride my Peugeot road bike around town i feel like a fucking superman after riding the 36 pounder up and down mountains all day. Suburbian Bum here puttin it down for Williams Lake in the Heart of the Cariboo Country!! Any other Vancity or BC folks around? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rubbish heap two Posted April 6, 2008 Share Posted April 6, 2008 Vancouver BC is one of my favorite cities, period. I came in first at the alleycat today!! fucking stoked about it, me and this other guy were just running some roadie paceline type shit and hauling ass everywhere, a couple stops involved riding through gravel, mud, grass, cyclocross shit, running your bike up dirt and shit like that. fun as hell. i want to get an informal race going, fixed gear cyclocross type shit. possibly grass track. if i had the money i'd race actual cyclocross, with the legit bike to match, it seems like the funnest thing ever. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
christo-f Posted April 7, 2008 Share Posted April 7, 2008 ps: you should show the culture some respect and at least buy the dondi book and educate yourself on one of the main innovators and style progressers ever. namsayin Dude, I don't live in Australia and they don't sell too many Dondi books in China. Graf isn't the centre of my life either, my job and riding is. Graf is a part of my childhood I've dragged through my life. I'm old enough to remember when Dondi was painting, that's the only reason why I ask. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rubbish heap two Posted April 7, 2008 Share Posted April 7, 2008 idk man, thing is about dondi, if you started painting some time in the late 90's or after that, it's pretty common knowledge that if you knew who he was, you knew he had died at way too young of an age. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joker Posted April 7, 2008 Share Posted April 7, 2008 Congrats on the win Rubbish! Looks like the training is paying off. Christo-f... I'm speechless. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joker Posted April 7, 2008 Share Posted April 7, 2008 Just finished watching the Ronde Van Vlaanderen on Vs. and that shit was awesome! Honestly one of the best races I've seen in a while. Makes me giddy for Paris Roubaix because all the big boys were riding pretty strong in the Flandrian race... which means they'll be primed for the Hell of the North. Went for a short ride today to work the kinks out of the legs from Saturdays brutal day. I could barely get the heart rate up over 140. After an hour or so I gave it up and went to the coffee shop for a muffin, some fresh squeezed juice and a chair in the sun. Tonight, it's Autechre at the Doug Fir. Lovely weekend... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shai Posted April 7, 2008 Share Posted April 7, 2008 Vancouver BC is one of my favorite cities, period. I came in first at the alleycat today!! fucking stoked about it, me and this other guy were just running some roadie paceline type shit and hauling ass everywhere, a couple stops involved riding through gravel, mud, grass, cyclocross shit, running your bike up dirt and shit like that. fun as hell. i want to get an informal race going, fixed gear cyclocross type shit. possibly grass track. if i had the money i'd race actual cyclocross, with the legit bike to match, it seems like the funnest thing ever. Where was this race at? The best I ever did was third place. If you're in the Bay Area I'd be interested in the cross race. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rubbish heap two Posted April 7, 2008 Share Posted April 7, 2008 Eugene, OR. no messengers but some decently fast kids nonetheless, a strong roadie scene, good ratio of people ridng fixed for how small the population is, and some people that love riding traffic and running reds. yeah sorry too far from the bar, i've been itching to do some kind of cross shit though... there's something intense and brutal about it that i've been craving to do. like getting off my bike after hauling ass only to feel like puking while running up some stairs and going for a running remount. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
r o n d a Posted April 7, 2008 Share Posted April 7, 2008 wait how is christo-f not banned? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
christo-f Posted April 7, 2008 Share Posted April 7, 2008 idk man, thing is about dondi, if you started painting some time in the late 90's or after that, it's pretty common knowledge that if you knew who he was, you knew he had died at way too young of an age. Yeah, fork, I should know that. I started painting around the mid 80's in Australia and moved out a little while after that. When it all started in Aust. any books, info and so on was extremely hard to come by, especially for a small school kid with no internet. I moved out of Australia for Sth East Asia and the Graf stopped and I didnt keep up on anything. Mainly because there was none and there was definitely no info on it there either. As I said, my life didn't revolve around it and I've recently got the bug again and that's why I'm a little (waaaay) behind the news. So, while I'm regretting posting that, I'll try and get this conversation back to bikes..... I rode my bike today, it was fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shai Posted April 7, 2008 Share Posted April 7, 2008 Cross is fun. If you aren't going to be doing any real racing, you can do all right with an single speed MTB with narrow (26x1.75) tires. I know some guys who race with that setup and say it works well. Mostly you just want to keep the weight down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rubbish heap two Posted April 7, 2008 Share Posted April 7, 2008 Keep the weight down on my body, or on my bike? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shai Posted April 7, 2008 Share Posted April 7, 2008 On the bike. IF you start racing cross, your body weight won't be an issue for long. That shit will tax you 150%. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KM4RT Posted April 7, 2008 Share Posted April 7, 2008 I just found out.....apparently we are getting live TV coverage of Paris-Roubaix.....live the whole thing. SBS FTW! it will in the middle of the night, so working the next day will suck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joker Posted April 7, 2008 Share Posted April 7, 2008 The weight of a nation on O'Grady's shoulders... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HESHIANDET Posted April 7, 2008 Share Posted April 7, 2008 joker what is your normal max HR? like on average? i was at 186 yesterday and felt like i could go more but my legs gave out. i felt fat and lame. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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