My best ride to date
 

Took the new Stumpjumper Expert Evo Carbon up to Santos yesterday to see what it could do. My buddy Dave has been giving me pointers on the essentials of mountain biking, so I had him follow me with the video camera in the hope of obtaining some good footage. I decided to take the Dr. Ruth trail, which I consider the most difficult of all the Blue trails out there, and one which had caused me considerable problems in the past. This time I just flew right through it. To say that the Stumpjumper acquitted itself well would be the understatement of the year. Nothing I've ever ridden could match that bike in pure awesomeness. :bow :bow

For some reason YouTube isn't allowing me to embed videos today, but:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M53vtNQsvSI

I went out Saturday to try out a new route. It was about 45 miles and that was about twice as far as I've gone this year. It was warmer than I thought it was going to be and I got leg cramps at about 35 miles. Thought I could finish, but had to call the support vehicle (my wife in the Tacoma) to come and get me at around mile 40. Try it again next weekend. I just got my road bike in September and still getting used to longer (for me) rides.

This weekend, a friend supplied me with a concoction that he drank during his racing years. I'm not sure what was in it, but I know from experience that after two hours of hard riding in the Florida heat, I'm usually burned out and ready to go home. This time, I managed to ride hard for five hours in 90F before reaching that point. I'm going to find out where he gets this stuff and take it with me on future rides. I just hope it doesn't contain any illegal substances. :lol3

I had to chuckle on Saturday. The same situation occurred. I'm thinking, "No biggie. Gummee told me to chill, so I'm chillin." Lady behind me screams, "GET BACK IN LINE" at the top of her lungs. She was not chillin'.

AWESOME!!!
I raced from 12-17 and had a blast doing the NYS Championships.

I've been using nuun tablets in one waterbottle. And one bottle of water.
I carry a tube of GU too, for just in case and some Chomps for longer rides.
I've had cramps at 4 miles form home and had to call for help from my wife.
Conversation goes: "you're only four miles from home?".
"yeah,"
"and you can't ride any further?"
"yeah, come get me I'm at the park"
"it's only four miles"...:lol3

She finally decides I'm serious. Comes and gets me then wants me to drive. I can't I can barely move. She did remember the water though.
Now I carry the tube or two of Gu, Chomps and a tablet or two of nuun.

Things I've learned:

- The importance of riding with water cannot be stressed enough. During an 11 hour mountain bike race in Pisgah Forest a couple years ago, my race partner and I decided not to stop and filter water into our hydration bladders because we thought we had only 45 minutes to the finish line. It would have taken us 45 minutes if we were hydrated, but we weren't. Instead, the last bit took us almost two hours. Tongue was dry, blood was thick, heart was racing. Scared the shit out of me. I was so thirsty, I sucked the sweat out of my helmet's headband - no shit. I took foot-long steps while pushing my bike on any grade steeper than horizontal. Riding was out of the question. Never ever ever ride without water.

- Too much water is very, very bad. Drinking too much water can upset your electrolyte balance.... it literally waters down your body's electrolyte concentration. There's no such thing as 'overhydrating' - don't do it.

- If you're not peeing about every hour or two, drink more water.

- For me, the best drink mix for long rides (4 hours plus) is Hammer Nutrition's Perpetuem. It gives my racing partner stomach cramps. :dunno

- Friends I race with swear that vinegar helps reduce cramps. If you run out of Gu or Sport Legs, pickles and mustard contain vinegar and can be found at just about any convenience store.

Every body is different. What works for one may not work for someone else. Get to know your body and always carry what you need to get through a ride.

This confused me some (easy...I know) :dunno

You seem to contradict yourself but I may just be reading it wrong...

Bummer and congrats at the same time. :nod

I was trying to figure out WhyTF my cylinder was bottoming out right before TDC. Think this may have something to do with it?
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7086/7...5026d022_z.jpg

:ear

I don't remember if the cylinder and piston came out of the same vintage Husky as the one I'm getting running (06/07) or not. ...regardless, I'd say there was an issue!

M

At the Devil's Backbone 'cross' ride I did a few weeks back, it wasn't so much fun as 'I'm gonna kick X's ass when I see him! That sadistic, evil, little man! :baldy

Glad I did it and I'll probably get talked into it again, but next time I'm NOT doing it on 34c knobbies. :nono I'll settle for my 28c Gatorskins to make the road sections mo bettah.

The people that have em seem to like em. :dunno I've never ridden one, so don't ask me about em.

M

Yeah, there's always gotta be one. :nod Just like on the motos: ride your own ride. :nod

If the guy's strong enough to last, let him hang out there and chit-chat. (sounds like something I'd do on a slower ride :augie) Trick is... I *know* I can pull at 35-40kph for a few hours if I have to. I've BTDT Slower rides get awful boring sometimes.

M

Oh yeah Hyponutr(somethingoranther) is a very serious bidness. I can't tell you how many people I drew blood from that ended up in the hospital in Flag with electrolytes out of whack. More than you'd imagine.

The Grand Canyon is at 7k feet. The air is VERY dry. People are told 'drink lots of water!' so they do. Sometimes way too much. :nod Then they get a trip to the hospital as they fall out on a hike. Hopefully not at the bottom of the GC then you get a chopper ride too! THAT'LL cost ya a pretty penny.

M

Yamaha marketing must be targeting bicyclists.

I pick up a new WR250R tomorrow too. :lol3

Nah - you didn't read it wrong. It does sound contradictory.

It's like Goldilocks and the three bears... not too hot, not too cold but juuuust right. Or in the case of water.... not enough, too much and juuuust right.


It's called Hyponatremia

(and yes, I had to look it up :lol3)

Bicyclists have gotten used to going slow on two wheels, so the WRR appeals to them. . . . .:lol3



(That's a fun bike, I've put a few miles on one- probably wouldn't have one as my only bike unless I could start dual sport rides out my backdoor though).