This ride has been on my calendar since the early days of planning for the sabbatical. It is also the first year that a West to East version was offered in addition to the East (Evergreen, CO) to West (Avon, CO) that has been around for 23 years.
http://teamevergreen.org/triple
Needless to say the ride is 124 miles in length with three major passes and 10,000 feet of elevation gain over the course of the day. The scenery is amazing but it is not for the meek!
http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/36869666
My riding partner for this event was Charlie G. whom I met while doing RtR. Charlie is a strong rider that also lives in the Springs so we decided to head to Avon and spend the night to get an early start on Sunday morning 10 July.
Now, After my mini stage race last week I was absolutely exhausted! I had not ridden since the Firecracker 50 so I guess the hard efforts from racing and the constant elevation changes had taken thier toll. I was taking naps and going to sleep at night and could barely keep my eyes opened. I thought my legs would be fresh for the Bypass but that was not the case at all...............
We rolled out from Avon just after 6:30 and were about 30 minutes later than expected. The rain had just stopped and although cloudy at least we were dry. I could tell right away that I was not sharp and my legs just felt average.
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| Charlie pulling up to Vail Pass |
The climb to Vail Pass was a rhythmic 25 miles of 4% or so grade. It was cold and clammy out but going up allowed us to keep warm. Breakfast in the morning was hotel coffee and two bars so I was a bit in the hole calorie wise so making it to the first aid station was key because I needed the fuel.
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| Vail Pass at about 10,900' |
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| Charlie refueling at Vail Pass |
After some much needed bagels with peanut butter and a bananas we started the long descent in to Frisco and Dillon. The weather was traditional Rockies as the sun came and went and the threat of rain constantly looming. Needless to say we dressed appropriately but heading down was cold and my fingers were numb and the bake path that snaked along I70 was not very wide so we had to manage our speed for safety
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| Heading up again towards Loveland Pass |
We rode efficiently and at times fast through Frisco and Dillon and then we started the 8 mile climb to the top of Loveland Pass. At this point we were welcomed with more Rockies weather and the sun was out and no breeze. We were both roasting and sweating profusely.
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| Still going up--no more sun! |
About two miles from the top at the Arapahoe Basin ski area we stopped for water and here is where the clouds came in and it started to cool off. One minute I am roasting and a minute later I start to chill. For these last two miles to the summit I kept my shirt and vest unzipped and this was a mistake as the winds picked-up and the temps dropped.
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| Another Divide Crossing for the Sabbatical |
At the top we zipped up, put on the armwarmers, and prepped for the descent and I was cooling off fast!
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| The road ahead and going down! |
Charlie and I rode fast to get off the mountain and it was only about 5 miles to the next aid station at the base of the Loveland Ski Area. This station was huge with a lot of food choices and although hungry I was also cold and just not feeling right. Both of us ate and I was in a rush to get back on the bike to keep going down to warmer temps.
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| A train off to the south heading to Idaho Springs |
We rode hard to get to Idaho Springs, about 30 miles down, and of course it is much warmer. When we were about 3 miles from town we could see a thunderstorm coming our way and a bit of lightening. Just as we pulled in to town the skies opened up so we pulled of the road and under an overhang at a bank. Just in time and so far we had dodged the rain all day! Like most of these storms they blow over quick and in 10 minutes it had passed over us and we were ready to get back moving--after a quick caffeine hit at a local convenience store!!
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| 4 Miles to the Summit at Juniper Pass |
Leaving Idaho Springs we started to head up again for the last pass of the Day--Juniper and Squaw Pass. The first 14 miles up is the same road I was on for Mt. Evans during the mini-stage race but it was much warmer. Again, Charlie and I were roasting and sweating profusely. I just did not have the legs today and I was climbing quite slow................no JOCMO here.
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| Charlie climbing and about 100' from the summit |
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| Juniper Pass at about 11,200' |
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After a long and torturous climb of about 18 miles to the summit we were ready for a brisk descent in to the finish at Evergreen. The road was in pretty good condition with a few bumps here and there but we were moving along pretty well and descending like the pros---or so I thought!
When we were about 3 miles from the finish I was about 75' behind Charlie and going about 25-30 mph and I was watching his line and not the road. Needless to say a 90 degree turn was coming up and I had not slowed enough to make it.
Unlike MTB crashes that often happen in a split second and before you know it you are down with road crashes there is usually enough time--say 1 to 1.5 seconds--that seems like an eternity and you can process how much it is going to hurt. :(
In this case I had the requisite 1.5 seconds to choose the worst of two evils. 1) I could opt to try to make the turn and slide out, land hard on my hip, leg, and elbow and have road rash that would take weeks to heal or 2) go straight and try to clear the ditch and crash in some soft dirt. I chose the latter because it gave me more margin for error and there were no rocks for 20' beyond the side of the road. It is amazing how the mind can process information sometimes :)
So.................I tapped the brakes a bit, hopped the bike over the ditch that was barely a foot deep and hit some soft dirt that caught my wheel, twisted my bars, and I went flying forward in an Endo. My knee hit my stem very hard, my head hit the dirt with the helmet taking most of the impact, and my right hand trying to ease my fall.
After laying in the dirt for about 15 seconds another rider came up and asked how I was doing. My response "I am not sure" as I sat up and tried to get my wits about me and regroup. Another rider stopped and checked me out to see if I needed a sag car or ambulance.
Several minutes passed and I stood up and moved my arms and knew nothing was broken. The other rider helped me check out my bike and it was rideable even though my helmet was fractured in a few places. After another minute or two I put myself together and rode cautiously to the finish.
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| The Catlike did its job |
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| Swollen hand |
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| A little Black and Blue |
In any sport when you lose your focus bad things can happen and that is what was my downfall on this ride. For more than 8 hours in the saddle I was just not riding well nor mentally dialed-in and it caught up with me with only a few miles to go. In the end my helmet protected me from serious injury and my knee smacking the stem caused my fork to crack so I need to drop some $$$ to get back on the road but besides some bruises and a headache I will survive.
JOCMO: None. Anytime you wreck it takes the fun out of the sport
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