2008 B2B – Damon Bates

Statistical Summary

Energy Expenditure              6,326   kcal

Number of Heart Beats        82,075 beats

Distance                                145  miles

TTL Ascent                            6,480   ft

Course profile chart below in shaded area.   Rather revealing.

Captain,  Oh Captain

Sometimes the lure of a distinctive fashion accessory is just too to much (for me)  to ignore.  Like a shiny object, the prospect of having “CAPTAIN” emblazoned on the back of my jersey rather than a mere plebeian “Harpoon”  was simply too much to ignore.  So I rose to the bait.  So began the task of dragging the 17rs for the 1st 10 miles.  Thanks to Tom Day for sharing that load.

Hurry up and ….Crash

Despite the apparent narcissism and fashion OCD, I do view the Captian role as a responsibility rather than an opportunity having witnessed an excess of stupidity over the years.  So I was not surprised when, at the rather responsible sub 20 pace we set,  we were overtaken by the group behind us hell bent on on destruction.   Why some folk feel compelled to blast through the 1st 10 mi of 145 mi ride, in city traffic,  is beyond me.  so, sure enough they all wrecked in the middle of an intersection in Arlington as we casually rolled by.   Caught in the fray unfortunately, was Ed Sassler, who many of you may know from Wheelworks.  Fortunately, when I caught him at the 2nd water stop he seemed no worse for the wear.

Suffering is…

800+ ft of climbing over 4.2 miles …..at 90 mi. (See profile below)    Somehow I never got this memo….only one about an “improved” route around  Keene  A 3.75% grade doesn’t sound like much out of context but this was excruciating.  For perspective that’s almost twice as steep as the 1.9% grade of 1st climb after the 1st water stop. I haven’t seen people walk up climbs in a long time but there were at least a half dozen on this climb.   This was stupid hard.  Put it in the 34 x 27 and hang on for dear life.  My average speed was 7.4 mph on this schlog…..would be curious how others fared….but I know I wont get a straight answer from the usual and customary suspects… 🙂

Sometimes Quicker Really is Better

To add insult to injury, don’t forget to throw not one,  but 2 flat tires into the mix at about 115 miles.   the Cycleloft guys deserve major kudos here for changing the second one in under 30 seconds.   Very impressive ….and convenient.   And thanks to Charlie and Ian for stopping and waiting…..it would have been an agonizing final 36 mi. solo.   BTW Ian’s not the Slug he claims to be, particularly on what must be the oldest bike being ridden yesterday….some 25+ years old

Don’t Leave Home Without ’em

Endurolites that is.  Think I went through 2 fistfuls. I think the real ticket is, as Eric suggests, mixing the powdered version into your liquid of choice or , my preference, a 4-6  scoop / bottle slurry of Perpetum then having capsules as on hand as a rip cord

The Agony and Ecstasy of Thin , Cheap Lycra

Having spent a lot of time at,  and w/ a good view of,  the back (not by choice) I’ve found that Pearlizumi shorts are particularly prone to this phenomenon.  In a ride like B2B this can be problematic about 80-90% of the time and intriguing the other 15%….or, perhaps the other way around.  So consider yourself….warned and informed, depending on your perspective.

Yet Another Marketing Oversight

I was disappointed, stunned and appalled that no where on the the finishing T shirt were the TTL mileage and vertical memorialized to demonstrate to all non riding civilians, including our spouses, that we are far tougher than our incessant whining would seem to indicate.  Jesse Cox and Adam Bailey will have at least one email waiting for them come Monday morning

The Broom Wagon

The fun part of sliding ones way to the back of the bunch over 145 miles is that it’s like a reunion.   I got to see more people on this DL than I have all year.  Oddly, as everyone rides past me I’m left w/ so many questions:

1.  Why doesn’t Tucker’s metabolism slow down like the rest of us?  and is his BMI really a negative number as rumored?

2.  As John W also suggest, what is Giuseppe on anyway, and how can I get some?

3.  What happened to Tom, Tom and Tom?   they were here a min. ago?

4.  Why didn’t Eric ride the whole thing?  I really wanted to see him suffer for once.

5.  How does Rock Lederman manage to so consistently accessorize himself every year

6.  How did I manage to catch Ed Sassler at the 2nd water stop??  (perhaps I don’t suck as badly as I thought?…no, I do…)

7.  Why didn’t I find Stan’s wheel sooner?  (its glorious back there)

8.  How did I manage to lose Stan’s wheel so quickly ….?

9.  Where did Giuseppe come from, what is he on and how do I get some?  Legally.  Molto Bene.  (sp?)

10.  How can I be like Ray when I grow up?

….and the list goes on…

Here concludes another self indulgent edition edition of The View From The Back

May 23, 2014 | Categories: Ride Reports...and declarations of prowess | Tags: B2B, Damon Bates | Leave a comment