Rider's Log 8.31.07 Wondervu

Coal Creek Canyon is in the distance. Picture taken on the south east side of Standley Lake.



The Flatirons are the backdrop to Boulder.



The beginning of the canyon







70 acres and home for $489K. Not bad.



Westfalen Hof. Wondervu is just over the ridge


3.5 hours. 50 miles. Start @ 8:00. Finish: 11:30

Felt great on the way out and up. Cruising along. First rest at Hwy93 and 86th worked better than Longview Rd rest stop.
My form was good. I learned/noticed when i was doing intervals earlier in the week that climbing really is easier for me the more upright i sit. I remembered to do this even when i wanted to hunker down and try to grind it out today. this made a huge difference.
2nd rest at Cattle Trail Drive. As usual, I was sweating buckets so I took off my helmet and stashed it on the backpack and this was so much cooler on the climb. I didn't sweat much with the helmet off. Now I really understand why the pros complain about helmets and why the rules allow them to ditch them on long climbs.
Road right on past the Coal Creek fire station and rested at the power station place - Gross Damn Rd. At this point it was tough going. I was totally winded and gassed. Nevertheless, I slogged on to the German restaurant Hof place and rested there...probably 10 minutes up the road from the last rest - maybe less. I took pictures at that point, put my helmet on for the descent, fully intending to bag it and turn around. Some sort of desire kicked in as i got back on the bike so I did ride further up the road just a bit - maybe 150 yards - just so i could feel good about going farther than before. Turned around at 323000 hwy 72. at approximately 10:30 - only one mile from my goal of the Wondervu Cafe. Ugh. I knew I was close but I just do not have the leg strength to use my lowest gear to climb at that grade - probably 8 or 9%. (Two options for the future - get a granny, bail-out gear for my lowest; or, hit the weights and get the strength to haul my 220 lbs to the top. i'm choosing the second option.
Flew down. Pedaling when possible; but, most of the time i was going too fast even to spin in the highest gear. I was tense on some of the sweeping turns but i realized that there's nothing i could do at that speed - 30+mph - to save myself if something happened so i decided to relax and have fun. i love carving those corners at that speed. Outside leg down, inside leg up with my knee to the frame - so fun.
Home at 11:30.
Didn't reach the top of the mountain but did significantly improve my time and form. Great ride.

Rider's Log 8.18.07 Saved by the Bell - coal creek canyon

2:35. Approximately 40 miles. Hard effort.
Left the house at 6:25 after a cereal breakfast. Set my cell alarm for an 8:00 turn around time. Pushed pretty hard up to Hwy 72 and reached Longview Rd at 7:35. Short break for food and to de-sweat - i sweat a lot - A LOT.
Back on the bike, my legs must have thought the ride was over 'cause they were shutting down for the day. Believe me, when your legs aren't cooperating, riding up that canyon is tough. So as the road head UP, I was SO ready for that alarm bell to ring in the canyon that i stopped to make sure i set the alarm for a.m.and hadn't missed 8:00! Funny thing is that about the time 8:00 sounded, my legs were awake again and i was wanting to continue up the canyon. (Had to turn around to make it back for 10:00 meeting.) I had no problem whatsoever turning around for the speed descent. I love the way the bike handles carving the curves at 30+ mph!
I pushed it at about 80% on the way back and at times, 100% to get the most out of the ride. Hit home at 9:00.
My energy was good and i even felt some deepness in my legs to push hard up small hills and the recovery from those intervals was decent. i am pleased.
Next time I think i will stop for food at Hwy 93 so that my legs can restart before i get into the canyon.
Again there was a long coal train wrapped around the entrance to the canyon. It was crossing the bridge over the road as i went under. Pretty impressive to feel the hills rumbling under the weight of all that coal.

Post ride - stiff legs. Slight headache - need to drink even more water (i drank a ton today). 3 hour nap! Felt great after the nap.

Rider's Log 8.3.07 - Coal Creek Canyon

Approximately 50 miles. 4 hours. 3000 feet of climbing. 3000 feet of descending, too! 1.5 miles short of Wondervu Cafe. Couldn't make it to the top. Rested at a few spots after Coal Creek. Turn around at the German restaurant. Downhill was great. Concentrated on more pedaling and less coasting on the way back. Rode extra on the way back to make it 4 hours. started at 6:20. Returned at 10:20.
Highlight: Going up the mountain while commuters were on their way down to work.