The Granite-Man Duathlon 2011 Ride # 18

On June 11 they have a triathlon and duathlon at Applegate lake.
The race starting in the swimming area and ends there.
So I did the Duathlon 13.5 miles of mountain biking, mostly single track trails.
Then after that's done, you park the bike and jog 5 miles back to the park were I started with the bike.
John Bermea also was there, but He did the Triathlon, and that is a .75 swim, then He bikes and runs the same distance that you do in the duathlon.
So there are about 21 people doing the Duathlon solo part so we line up and start one at a time, because the trail is so skinny.
We leave about ever 30 seconds or so, you have to walk your bike across the mates, this is to make sure your time is pick by the 4 pads, you can see them behind me in the picture, above.
As I started the ride down this black top path, past camping area, and into a boat ramp parking area, and then you pick up a little dirt trail next to the boat ramp.
I get down the trail about 1/4 mile and I come around a corn this bike is down over the bank and the rider is crawling up hill on all fours to get to his bike and drag it up the hill with him, I yelled out to see if He was ok. and He was, I'm hoping that I'm not the next one to fall the trail.
In about 100 yards, you come out on the main road for about 3/4 mile and lots of passing going one at this point, I got past by 4 other riders and I past 2 myself.
Thin the single track trail comes up, very nice trail, and you drop down into a creek crossing with some rock to get around, about 100 feet past this there is a bike fixing a front flat tire.
For the next 10 miles I pass 3 more and and get pasted 2 times, shoulder hit one tree, and the bike only went over the bank a little ways one time.
Right near the end is a big hill climb about 1/3 mile long, the the super rider caught me on the hill.
I did this part in about 1:22 and then I start jogging really slow.
I was really tired, only 5 miles to go.
I ran about 4 miles and walk maybe a 1 mile. I got pasted lots of times, and I pasted 2 person and I caught 2 just before the finish line.
I did the hole thing in 2 hours and 36 minutes.
I came in 18th out of 19 solos.
I came in 1st in my age group, I was the oldest doing it solo and only one in my age group.
And John caught me about 2 minutes from the finish line, He was really happy about that.

Another 50 Miler

Saturday the November 2 I rode from the house, out Evans creek road to Sam Valley back into Gold Hill then to Rogue River, then back to the house.
Was going to start at 7 AM but I did not wake up till 8 AM so that is just as will.
It was colder then I thought it was going to be, I stopped about 12 miles out and found a sunny spot to seat in the sun and warm up, before going on.
The time were good.
Started : 8:30 AM
Back : 12:45 PM
Ride time: 3 hours, 41 minutes.
Distance : 50 miles
Average speed : 13.7 mph
Done on road bike.
I going to try and do this one more time before winter starts on the mountain bike.
Maybe in two weeks.
Up date 10/24/10
Winter is here, the next ride is off for now.

Ride the Rogue 2010

Last time I rode the Ride the Rogue, was in 2007.
Molly was my partner on that ride and she was 2 month pregnant.
This year I couldn't get anyone to go, so I rode it with 600 other people.




At about 7:30AM I was looking out the front window at lots of rain coming down.
I waited till 8 and check the weather for the hour by hour and it was at 60% now and would be up to 90% by 9, so drove down to the Park and the video was taken behind the car.
It was raining hard enough I thought I needed my goggles and snorkel to made the ride.

So.
I rolled across the starting line at 8:30AM and down W. Evans creek road for 65 miles.
In about 2 mile I was just getting wet, and by the time I rode by Minthorn road I was soaked .
So I thought I would stop at the Covered Bridge.
Will I felt so good being wet and warm, I forgot that I was tired.
But but my last for 60 miles.


When I was about 3 mile from Mission Bell ranch, (one of the rest stop) and ride in front of me had rear tire go flat.
I later heard that some one had spread thumb taps alone the road in the 9 mile area.
I did talk to a bike shop owner, who drove alone the route fixing tires for free and He said that He had take 4 taps out of one tire, used up all the tubes He had brought for the day.
A guy riding the 100 miler had 7 flat, be for He had completed ride.
I did not have one problem the hole day, with my bike, road perfect.
So I'm peddling up this hill in my lowest gear (i only have 12 gears) and I'm catching up to this lady and I said " I think I can pass, but I only have 12 gears, and there all gone on this 1981 bike". And the lady said " my 1979 has 21 gears, so my bike is older".
We passed each other back and forth the rest of the day. We had lots of time to talk move as slow as we were.
Had lunch at Touville park,(40 miles) the rain stopped for about 10 minutes, and at about 50 miles I started to get hot and had to unzip my jacket down about 6 inch to cool off.
Then the rain came back worsted then ever. but there was only 15 miles left.
As I was about 4 miles from the starting park, 3 guys passed by and I suck up behind them and draft the last 3 miles in, with 3 wheel rooster tails flying up at me, watch really couldn't make me any wetter then I was all ready.
States
Left 8:30 back 1:15
Total time out 4 hour and 45 minutes.
Total ride time 4 hours and 15 minutes.
Average speed 14.3 mph.
65 miles total.
2665 calories.
The video was done in the back of the car under the trunk lid to keep the camera dry.

The Bridge Ride 2010

August 7 to the 9.
I drove to the cost for a dive fish fry thing from the dive shop.
Then drove back to RR, drop dive gear and pick up bike for the bridge ride in Portland, with Sam.

Sam and Dad was the only ones this year.
The last time we did this was in 2007.
We road from Sam house down the start of the ride in down town old Portland.
I chose the 24 mile ride because I did not want to be down at the start at 6 AM.
We start at 8 AM, a much better time.

We had a great time.
Oh ya.
The bike sprocket, hit me in the back of my leg at St. John bride, going up a 18 inch curb.
Not to bad.
NO, I did not get any fish at the dive.
(I did shoot at two)
I drove about 900 mile at week end.
Had a great time.

Bike Tyres

These are really cool yellow tires for the road bike.
Had a hard time putting this thing on.
Very tight, the rear tire I pitch the tube installing it.
I didn't know it for about a week.
So I got to practice on the rear tire again.
I love the color, maybe it will make me go faster. LOLOL
Its been to rainy to ride the road bike.
And I get out about once a week on the MTB.
Maybe next week.

A Ride On The Green Way

Thursday nice warm day.
Talked Rochelle into riding the Green way in Medford, going south.
There is a nice parking lot a long were the rock gym is, that you can pick-up the Green way trail with out having to deal with the cars. Only have to cross over one road and its pretty quite.
We took the MTB and Rochelle rode the old Wahoo and I rode the Cake.
We rode out about five mile and stopped and we traded bikes and Rochelle fell in love with the Cake. I may not be able to get it back.
The sun was shinning and just a little cool but a very nice day.
We got 10 miles in and went by Costco for slice of pizza and Rochelle and wrap.

First Ride of Year

Tuesday, I really took the road bike outside.
This is the first time the road bike has been outside for 2010, I have been doing the bike trainer thing in the dinning room after work for, about 3 to 4 days a week, for about 30 minutes.
Rochelle will be glade that is over. LOL
Doing anything to try a keep what I had last summer.
So it was pretty cold, so I had to wait till about 11:30AM.
And even then, I had to put on 2 pairs of gloves and 3 lays of shirt to stay harm.
I rode from the house up to West Evans road, then over to Queens Branch then down the hill to East Evans, then all the way to Rogue River, and back over to West Evans, to Menthorne then to the house.
This took about 1:05 to do 17.25 miles, so that is not bad for the first ride of 2010.
Training for Duathlon in June and John and Molly won't me to do the Green way century in September.
The time of1:05 is about what I did my part of the Duathlon with Molly, on a MTB.

A Day On Mule Mountain Trail

A couple weeks ago I tested out a new trail.
Its called Mule Mountain trail.
Its really a loop trail, going up one way and coming down another.
In this case Mule Mountain goes up 3.5 mile and the return trail is Mule creek trail.
Its in the Applegate lake area, about 2 or 3 miles from the lake.
Its and bit of a clime for about the first half mile, then it gets better.
So I pushed the bike for most of the first half mile, and then started riding up the rest, stopping every so often to rest and go as far as I can and stop again.
I got up about 3 miles and look around behind me and there was this big snow and rain storm coming at me, down the valley from the lake.
I had been riding about 2 hours and 15 minutes to get there, and it was about 3 PM.
So it was time to get down the hill.
Now for the reward, for the last 2 hours of work.
That what's so fun about MTB-ing there is almost always a big fast ride down the hill.
I loved, it took me a hole 22 minutes to get to the car.
I did take some pictures but the stubbed camera wouldn't not let down load the stuff.
I'll be back to finish this trail, SOON.

The New Old Bike

I pick this up last summer off craiglist.
It about a 1981 or 1982 Peugeot Competition.
It a 12 speed, with the shifters on the down tube.
I planned on using it in races with Molly.
I brought a trainer a coupe of weeks ago, now its being used for training three times a week.
It weighs in at 23 pounds, the newer one weigh 17 pounds.

What Is A Duathlon?

Molly and myself, did a Duathlon on June 13, at or behind the Rogue River Middle school.
This is were Molly, runs 5 k and Me (Dan) rides 30 k and then Molly get to run another 5K.
The last I did something like this was in high school in track, about 30 years ago.
And thing do change, I"'m much slow now then I was then. LOL
It starts at 8:00 AM, and get there by 7:30 AM
and I walk down and get our number, and Molly gets to wear the number, I get nothing, that's ok, no one will be able to tell who the slow guy is.
Rochelle is there as support and baby setter.
I go back to the car, now I have done all kinds of things to the bike to make sure that it won't break down, so I had replace the shifter cables and check bearing, and changed rear brake pads and ten other things, so all I have to do ride as fast, as an old fat guy can go.
This is 15 minutes before the race starts, I pull the bike off of the top of the car, I'm looking at the new smooth tires I install about a week ago and discover that I don't have a front wheel.

I left it setting beside the shop roll up door.

HOLY COW, off to the house to get the front wheel, 7 miles back and 7 more miles to the school.

Trying not to drive fast, because I know the Sheriff cruse the race route to keep the rider safe.
I get back to the school and throw the tool bag, water in holders, my riding shoes on, helmet, gloves, sun glasses and oh yes, the front wheel.
I push the 100 yards to the starting line, and I see Molly run off on her 5 k.
Lucky for me She gets to go first.
I couldn't remember what color her shirt was or the number She had on. I'm look for Molly and 24 minutes seem like forever when your in a hurry.

She comes in looking really good, and I wave and off I go, on a mountain bike with smooth tires and in a bunch road and race bikes.
I doing about 21 mph, and this point and thinking I going out way to fast for 18.5 miles.
At about 2 miles I came up to the pumpkin lady, she has this big orange shirt on and she doing about 20 mph, after be behind her for about a mile I pass her, and catch up the this guy in a black shirt, and that's where I'm at till just before Queen branch road coming from Rogue River on W. Evans, about 10 miles.
Just about Menthorne Road, the pumpkin lady flies by both of use and say to me, your doing pretty good for being on a MTB, and I never see her, must have be harming up and I get passed by one more bike at this point.
I pass mister black shirt on a hill just before Queen branch road and start down the hill, on Queen branch, peddling for all I worth, because all down hill, I can usualy do about 30+ mph, and I can't get pass 25, what going on, in the mean time I get passed by 5 red race bike flying alone.
I began to notion that theirs a big wind in my face and the wind is blowing up hill for that 1 mile stretch of road.
As 'm heading down E. Evans to Rogue River, I pass 3 more bike on the long hill to Stavation Heights, and once I hit there, I never see the pumpkin lady or anyone after that.
Rochelle and Molly were in front of the school when I went by, and run down the start line, so Molly could do Her last 5 k.

Molly did 8 minutes for about 7 mile in 50 minute.
Dan did 18.5 miles in 1 hour and 5 minutes.
Total time of 1 hour and 55 minutes.

We claim 3rd place in the mix team.

Bike Fact

May is National Go By Bike month.
The facts are.

The average person loses 13 lbs. their first year of commuting by bike.

A 140 pound cyclist burns 508 calories while pedaling 14 miles in an hour.

Between 1960 and today the average weight of a 6-11 year old has increased to 11 pounds.

In 1964, 50% of kids road to school and the obesity rate was 12% in 2004, 3% ride to school and the obesity rate was 45%.

In 2003, cars stalled in traffic wasted 5 billion gallons of fuel.

Just three hours of bicycling per week can reduce your risk of heart disease and stroke by 50%.

Jump

Some MTB jumps on and local hike we took the other day. Pretty crazy looking. Maybe next year I will be ready for this. LOLOLOLOL

JUMP

This guy is pretty much nuts.
I sure He made a lot of money on this jump.
(click on the link)

Jump

I looked at some of his other jump, some of the other did not turn out pretty at this on. LOL
The jump took place in Las Vegas on December 31, 2008.

A Day On Mountain Ashland

Labor day was the day I pick for the Big mountain bike ride off the hill.
We pick Mount Ashland.
We started out with 3 riders and ended up with 8 in the group.
In the picture to the right, going from left to right.
Noah, Dan (?), Randy, Ben, Paul, Daniel, Dan (Me), and John.
Two of the wifes drove the cars down from the ski area back to Litha park and stayed there with the babys.
It is a great ride, total of about 15 miles, and most of it was down hill.
It took about 2 hours to complete.















We found this nice jump, so it had to be jumped.
Daniel making a run at it in the yellow helmet.
Noah made a nice jump.
Than there was Dan, the picture only show Dan landing.
The then He dose this side ways,up side down, and land on his back.
I cut 2 hole in the front tube, and I think thats what made me crash.

Eight started and eight made it down the hill ok.

Maybe we can make the a Labor Day treadication.

The Day Of the 100

One of my Goals was to ride a 100 miles on my mountain bike in one day.
So on Thursday July 31, I start the riding at 7:30AM.
Because of the heat I had to break this up.
First run: 50 miles in 3.75 hours, avenge speed 13.8.
Second run: 30 miles in 2.25 hours, avenge speed 13.6
Third run: 20 mile in 1.50 hours, avenge speed 13.4

Total : 100 miles in 7.47 hours, avenge speed of 13.4 mph,
Or
starting 7:30 AM and finsh 9:30 PM.

I'll never do this again, my butt and hands were falling sleep.

Day 5 and 6 of the Steens Road Trip

On Day 5, Saturday:
Drove to camp site at Lake of the Woods and camp to do some MTB at the lake.
Found a new trail that runs between Lake of Woods and Fish lake, about 9 miles.
Lots of caches in the area.
On Day 6 Sunday:
Drove home and cleaning up cache alone the way.
This me on near the top of Steens Mt. Rang.

Grasshoppers hitting car between places.



Me at the highest cache in Oregon.
9733 feet.
One of 70 caches I found on this trip.

Lost Creek Lake Bike Trail

Looking for a Mountain biking trail to ride Saturday and found a really nice ride at Lost Creek Lake off of Highway 62 that goes to Crater Lake.
The trail starts on the north side near the boat launch.
X 's marks the beginning of ride, the trail I have mark in orange color.
I started late, about 1:00pm, the air temp was about 65 degrees and about half clouds and blue sky's.
It was a single track about 24 inch to 6 feet wide in places.
The trail was not to bad, I did cross over about 37 bridges, the bridges had numbers on them.
This as much like driving the road to Hana, on the island of Maui, I thinks there was about 65 bridges to cross.
It was 12.5 miles one way, from the boat launch to the big bridge on the east end of the lake.
It did not rain a drop the hole tripe to the bridge.
But about the time I turned around to head back, the clouds just opended up and start pouring, I mean it came on so fast that the rain was falling out of a blue sky, the clouds had not had a chances to move above me as of yet.
Then the thunder started booming about a mile or so away, and the rain stopped.
The thunder followed me all the most of the way back a started to gain about 4 miles from the car.
I was thinking maybe the thunder like aluminum bikes that I was riding on. LOL
All in all it was 25 miles in about 3 hour and 40 minutes.
Only bad thing was there was poison oak across the trail at times, so I had to ride through it.
John and Paul, will like this trail, it is a lot like the Applegate lake trail.

A Ride Around Applegat Lake

Ben, John, Paul and myself(Dan), made the trip up to Applegate Lake and road the mountain bikes around the lake.
We parked by the dam, and unloaded the bikes there and road across the dam for about 1.3 miles till we came to the little parking lot and the trail head started right there, how could you get lost.
Whooo, what a get trail, about 12 to 18 inches wide in most places ha ha.
So at about 1.5 miles into the trail, we came to this fork, and someone had made the decision to go right, so up the hill we went, down the other side, then we started side hilling in this little ditch of a trail and then it ended at this steel cable?
Bikes on our shoulders, and up the hill we went, till we came to a really nice trail that went no place, so we turn and went the other direction and came out at were we started, in the first place, LOL,
What a great day, air temp was about 65 degrees, and some clouds, snow cap mountain in the distances.
Fish jumping in the water and people trying to cache them, and boats on the lake. Most of the trail was in the shade of the trees, so we really only go hot near the end of the trail.
The lake was empty in October 07 when I was geocaching near here.
Its completely full now, right up to the top.
The ride lasted 3 hours and we coved 18 miles. A really great ride, and it was easy till you get to the last 1/2 mile and I pushed my bike up that hill .

New Number for The Ride The Rogue

In September Molly and myself rode a bike ride that cover 68.5 miles in about 5 to 6 hours.
The total number of rider was 978 person compared with last years 675 riders

Will, it turn out that there was 207 riders for the 100 milse, 280 rider for the 68.5 miles and 238 riders for the 25 miles and 70 hikers.
This how I looked before the ride, haha. New Army and all.

The Metric Ride Of the Century

Molly and my self started out from the park about 8:45 and head out of Rogue River by the mill on N. River road.
We rode about 16 miles to the 1st rest stop, not a bad run, only stayed about 15 minutes and move on before the other 100 or so bikes left.
As we rode into Jacksonville, this guy yelled out from his car "what are you doing on fat tire bike" and than as we turn the corner to start up the Hill With No Top He yell something about what a way tough rider, I did not know what He was talking about till I found the Hill With No Top.

At the 2nd rest stop, at the Applegate store.
At the 1st rest stop on Old Stage Road.

We did find the top of the Hill, it must have come down out of the clouds or something. Molly had to pass me at this point, I saw a 5 dollar bill alone side the road and had to stop to get, (and thats my story and I sticking to it).

We rode into Applegate Cafe at 12 noon, there was a real party going on here. Lots of food and about 200 + riders. We stay about 20 minutes.
We had traveled 36 miles at this time.
At 42 miles my leg seem to have run out of gas, and it was really had to push on, I was sure I could push through it. It took about 7 miles before I come really push again, we we're on New Hope road and a good name, at the time for our hopes was re-newed.
(50 miles)

Dan at the begining of the ride in Rogue River.

Molly at the begining of the ride.

At the last rest stop, at the Reinhart Park, we still had about 10 miles to go with on 2 hills to go over and one really good down hill, Molly and I got up to 40 mph and coasted about 1/2 witch was ok.
We got into Rogue River about 3:30pm, at 68.25 miles.
Rochelle met use there and we set in the grass under the tree and had a nice dinner and rested and rested and rested.
At the time I was sure I was never going to do this again.
Its now been about 3 days and I'm thinking, just maybe JUST MAYBE, I can to the 100 miler next year. LOL.
Oh yeah, The fat tire bike made it in, the only fat tire, to ride the 68.
FAT TIRES RULE.