# Going strong



## Fuse6F (Jul 5, 2017)

Went from 3100 elevation to 5807 in montrose co. and then been riding the area extensively. Also a day ride at Crested butte 8909. 5 days now and over 50 miles. Legs are sore and last ride out was more challenging to maintain form. But its been great so far. 

Lungs havent been a problem. First ride was the hardest due to 2 days and 20hrs driving out here. 

Anyone else put in some big rides lately?


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## MSU Alum (Aug 8, 2009)

Rode to the ridge yesterday In Park City Utah. 6500 feet to 9500 feet. 20 miles and 3700 feet total on the loop. The ridge just finally got rideable about a week ago. First high elevation ride of the season for me.


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## Rev Bubba (Jan 16, 2004)

I had my first bike related ER visit yesterday. That is certainly not going strong.
Enjoy yourself.


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

Rev Bubba said:


> I had my first bike related ER visit yesterday. That is certainly not going strong.
> Enjoy yourself.


Oh dear! Hope you are ok. Are you going to make it?


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## Rev Bubba (Jan 16, 2004)

Nothing serious. 

I crashed in a rock garden. Lots of blood but everything still worked and I rode the three miles back to my car and home. Before my wife got to see the gore, I hopped in the tub and cleaned off. Unfortunately, there was still plenty of gore left and when she, an RN, took a closer look, she told me to get myself to the ER and get myself stitched up.

The funny part was at the ER. The admitting nurses asked what happened and I explained I crashed mountain biking. They looked at my age and asked if I feel off my bike on the sidewalk. It took a lot of convincing to get them to understand what happened. One nurse had a son who rides DH at a local park and she asked if what I rode was like that. I said yes, she smiled, and I was taken care of by the attending physician. Anyway, no riding for a week until the stitches heal.

Its just another story, I told them.


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## Fuse6F (Jul 5, 2017)

Ouch. Glad your okay!

I finished with 60 miles for this week. Im tired.

Nothing broke. On me or the bike!

Last ride was 10 miles at 8600 feet.

Was recommended by local bike shop so i tried it without researching fully. Mistake. 

But without a bad ride here and there how will you know a good one.

Look forward to riding my home trails when i have had a rest.


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## Rev Bubba (Jan 16, 2004)

Congratulations on a fine week. Bad trails certainly do make you appreciate good ones.


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## sgltrak (Feb 19, 2005)

Thanks to the motivation in this thread, I rode a little longer today, and I even set some PRs.


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## Fuse6F (Jul 5, 2017)

Thats great. Ive never gone that far at one time ever! Any tips on those types of runs?


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## Radium (Jan 11, 2019)

Fuse6F said:


> Thats great. Ive never gone that far at one time ever! Any tips on those types of runs?


Just don't bite off more than you can chew! This IS the over 50 forum, and if anywhere, it's here that we take no shame in "discretion before valor". The rewards are not worth the risk almost all of the time........


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## 33red (Jan 5, 2016)

Maybe in a way i am going strong.
Since i have never been strong it is my kind of strong, marathon style.
I am a few months short of 20 years without a car. Not taking the bus, pedaling 99% of the days. In Montreal, Quebec we have from 40 celcius to minus 40. Ya, rain, snow, ice... 
Last 3 years i pedal to some trails or fire roads where the trees and rocks are less risk than city madness.
Fatbike, mountain bike are probably going to be my way for an other 30 years or 40 with luck. 
I enjoy going full. The full experience after supper, enjoying the smells, listening to the birds and white water, seeing the sun lowering on the river. Just a quiet 30-60 minutes or for a change go climb a hill to enjoy the sunset. It is a nice complement to a 2-4 hrs in the morning.

@ Fuse6F just bring peanuts/food


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## NordieBoy (Sep 26, 2004)

Today was - 2:30hr, 1100m climbing, 40km dist.
A nice winter ride.


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## RooHarris (May 11, 2011)

*Two Rock Exploratory adventure for a bunch of older riders*



Fuse6F said:


> Went from 3100 elevation to 5807 in montrose co. and then been riding the area extensively. Also a day ride at Crested butte 8909. 5 days now and over 50 miles. Legs are sore and last ride out was more challenging to maintain form. But its been great so far.
> 
> Lungs havent been a problem. First ride was the hardest due to 2 days and 20hrs driving out here.
> 
> Anyone else put in some big rides lately?











_Full of Optimism_

A month ago we did an all day ride on the Nor Cal coast that should have been only 5 hours tops. Here is my report:

On June 2nd, five of us (age 26 to age 72!) set out to ride a well researched (on paper) route from Hwy 20 (approx. mile marker 28) to the Two Rock fire tower (4 miles w/ 600+' elevation gain) We then proceed down the ridge into the Big River basin. Our final destination was the Woodlands SP in a respectable amount of time.

The day was perfect as we started our ride at 9AM. Special thanks goes out to Myke Berna for our shuttle ride to the trail head 28 miles east on Hwy 20. Art Milke organized the ride with riders: Nick Taylor, Mike Belise, Jason Lord and myself. Previously, several of us started researching routes via Garmin BaseCamp and Google Earth Pro over the last four years. (I created a track for our use which was backed up on a Garmin 62STC hand held GPS device. Nick used an Avenza map app program as well. This proved to be an excellent program!)

Two routes were chosen with Art's (Ridge) Route as the primary way to proceed. Art's original route was a dotted line below Two Rock and there was some hesitation on my part to it's existence. Therefore, a back up route (Fire Road route) was established just in case. Garmin BaseCamp had it as a road from top to bottom. It was never needed.

Two Rock adventure

Full Route initially proposed with the subsequent bailout:









See: Bailout to Chamberlain Creek Camp 20 at mile marker 19 (4PM). Woodlands waypoint road (?) was at 22.4 miles.

Two Rock tower was virtually cloudless with grand views to the ocean and beyond ("is that Mt Fuji in the distance?").









From the fire tower, we headed down to Art's Ridge route. Here we got our bearings for the way down. This intersection represented the road down to Camp 20 (route used by Two Rock Riders in past) and Art's Ridge route.









While readying ourselves for the descent, Art came across a rare northern California Mariposa Lily. These were growing along the hillside.









Art's route was fast and exhilarating all the way to within a 1/4 mile of the bottom (Pigpen Gulch) where we had to thrash through a ton of overgrowth on a decommissioned logging road. The poison oak flourished beautifully much to Mike and my disdain. Stepping carefully, we eventually came out near what is called "Upper Ranch Opening" off Pigpen Gulch. See well disguised trail opening:









Proceeding with confidence, the road proved to be a welcomed respite to the previous botanical hindrances. We discovered an old ranch long ago abandoned most likely due to the fact it was built in the Big River flood plain. This was an absolutely beautiful setting!









Once again, our confidence was high and our route still tracking well on the GPS. We continued on as temps began to rise into the low 80's. 
What road lay ahead was where the wheels really came off. Proceeding on the GPS tracks, we came across our eventual Waterloo. An hour and a half was spent slogging through and over downed tan oaks (hack and squirt victims) with dense brush beautifully inundated with poison oak. Mike and I were now troopers without any further moaning or whining. Periodically, we would pop out onto a clear section only to be thrust back into heavily downed oaks. Once we had to ford Big River to a false road across from it. Finally, we came out onto a logging road where we took several dead end newer logging roads. While climbing one of these roads, I came across a pick up truck backing down to the river.









We ask the driver (a Conservation fund worker filling storage tanks) how to get to the Woodlands and he had no clue to its existence. Not a good sign! It became clear with most of us out of water that a decision needed to be made. At 19 miles into this adventure we decided to bail, with three riders taking an offer to be ferried out. Nick and I still had enough water and decided to ride on and proceeded out on the Camp 20 road. It was an additional 11.5 miles to Chamberlain Creek's camp 20 arriving just before 6PM. While riding out, we thought we may have found the turn off to the Woodlands at 22.4 miles.

We were never officially lost, as our route was spot on all the time. No indications led us to believe there were any decommissioned road sections. Now, we know better!


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## Fuse6F (Jul 5, 2017)

Glad you all made it out okay. Sounds like a fun adventure. 

My trail snack has been dates! Quick sugar burst! But maybe some trail mix in future!


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## CHIEF500 (Aug 30, 2012)

Tough week here in the east. Very warm and extremely humid. I got rides in each day. I cancelled a longer ride today due to the weather. I did something short around town.


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## vikb (Sep 7, 2008)

I turned 50 this year and cranked out a ~8hrs/100km ride on my SS MTB with a ton of climbing. My fittness is about as good as it has ever been so I am just trying to avoid getting hurt too bad. I figure as long as I keep moving I'll be good.


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## Fuse6F (Jul 5, 2017)

vikb said:


> I turned 50 this year and cranked out a ~8hrs/100km ride on my SS MTB with a ton of climbing. My fittness is about as good as it has ever been so I am just trying to avoid getting hurt too bad. I figure as long as I keep moving I'll be good.


How much water did you go through and what food did you pack? 100km in a single shot wow!


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## NordieBoy (Sep 26, 2004)

Fuse6F said:


> How much water did you go through and what food did you pack? 100km in a single shot wow!


I used 2 bottles, a 2L bladder and a banana for a 7hr, 100km, 2200m ride with 32/22 gearing. But I was 47 so I could get away with a lot that a 50 year old can't.


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## vikb (Sep 7, 2008)

Fuse6F said:


> How much water did you go through and what food did you pack? 100km in a single shot wow!


- 750ml bottle refilled once so 1.5L total
- 1 can of Coke
- 1 muffin
- 1ft long subway sandwich

I just ate when I went past a small town mid-ride. I probably had a couple energy bars on me, but I don't recall eating them. I tend to drink before and after a ride so I don't need that much water on a ride.


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## rockerc (Nov 22, 2010)

Been tough to get out here in Tucson lately. The heat is on and riding is limited to early mornings if at all. With the chemo drugs I am on, fatigue is the enemy, and stamina elusive! I am staying in some shape in the gym but the higher elevations I love so much are out of reach just now unfortunately. I'm not sure if I will ever get the same level of fitness back, especially in my mid 60s, and that is discouraging. The heat and sunshine that did not bother me before is now very dangerous to me with this illness and the meds. Recalibration time!


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## vikb (Sep 7, 2008)

rockerc said:


> Been tough to get out here in Tucson lately. The heat is on and riding is limited to early mornings if at all. With the chemo drugs I am on, fatigue is the enemy, and stamina elusive! I am staying in some shape in the gym but the higher elevations I love so much are out of reach just now unfortunately. I'm not sure if I will ever get the same level of fitness back, especially in my mid 60s, and that is discouraging. The heat and sunshine that did not bother me before is now very dangerous to me with this illness and the meds. Recalibration time!


The details may change, but the stoke remains the same. Respect your body and keep on trucking brother. :thumbsup:


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## tubbnation (Jul 6, 2015)

Caught a break between heat & storms - cranked out 18.3mi in an hour around a movie parking lot before going to work this morning. Elevation was over 600ft total.

I'm almost 53, and have had a widowmaker at 38. 

I ride about 90-100mi/week between my two mtb's. Aiming for 5000mi this year and I'm just over 100mi off the pace at this point in the year.

Still going strong...


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## UPSed (Dec 26, 2010)

NordieBoy said:


> I used 2 bottles, a 2L bladder and a banana for a 7hr, 100km, 2200m ride with 32/22 gearing. But I was 47 so I could get away with a lot that a 50 year old can't.


Haha! At 47 I was 50lbs overweight! Now at 55 I weigh the same as I did when I got out of basic training. I recently did an 80 mile 10k ride (with gears) and went through 150oz of water. I use Tailwind but on top of that I had two bananas and a cookie.

Sent from my SM-G973U using Tapatalk


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## NordieBoy (Sep 26, 2004)

UPSed said:


> Haha! At 47 I was 50lbs overweight! Now at 55 I weigh the same as I did when I got out of basic training. I recently did an 80 mile 10k ride (with gears) and went through 150oz of water. I use Tailwind but on top of that I had two bananas and a cookie.
> 
> Sent from my SM-G973U using Tapatalk


At 47 I was racing at 91kg. Now approaching 51 (next month), I'm racing at 77-78kg which as far as I can work out is about what I was in my 20's doing track and field athletics and duathlons.


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