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@Gav: assuming youre on a fixed.. if youre running track drops... hell yea bullhorns are so much better for long distance.. if you don't care about insulting the fashion police.. I'd rock road drops for the ride if you can.. fuck what they think anyway.
@pretz: Yea I think I'll make some time for this. BICYKILLERS gotta represent :D Debating if I should go road or fixed.. you already know I don't care if we hit 11% grade hills ;D As long as we don't hit anything like Fargo >__> har har
@Junu.. you got a route coming out soon? And is your new bike debuting for this ride?
@Gav: curious, what kind of bullhorns do you have? I use Sytance 200 TT bars (15 degree drop) on my fixed and I've done a handful of Centurys and plenty of Met Cens on it with no problem at all. I love those bars because it gives me 3 comfortable hand positions to switch between. Gloves also help A LOT for long distance rides if you don't happen to have any.
I ride a 12 speed just so you know. My bullhorn doesn't have any dropped parts, it is just flat out from the stem but it isn't cut from a drop bar. I'm just curious how good it'll be for a long ride since there isn't much of a variation in how I can hold the bar.
we're doing the topanga canyon route, which is for most riders the HOOK point to the art of cycling. you thought midnight ridazz was one, you dont know biking in LA until you've gone down the canyon roads.
Expect to keep pace at around 16-17 mph, for all you smart fucks who want to come out wolfpack stats, you're going to pay for it on the second climb. I will have a routesheet printout for everyone with all the stops.
Although the elevation looks tough, *this is probably a road bike only ride* its not that hard on you if you havent built up enough endurance. The 2 hill climbs are less than 3 miles long, and the descent which will go for abotu 12 miles, is totally worth it.
I will always be in front, and we will keep a headcount to make sure nobody is left behind.
don't worry about bullhorns, you really only need to go to drop bars when picking up speed and power, and this isnt that fast of a ride, well except the downhill portion which is much more fun in aero...
btw my legs are nowhere near the shape they used to be in. this ends NOW.
not recommended. there are spots in tujunga where you will hit a 13% downgrade, and from my experience without hitting the brakes once and coasting you can tap out at 40 mph.
40 mph on a 40:15 means spinning at 170+ RPM.
i would LOVE to see you do that.
and there isn't room to use your brakes neither, the shoulder disappears for the downhill section and requires you to take over the lane. not a smart move to use brakes on a descent in the canyons with cars behind you.
the other alternative is, if it is too rainy, we will alternate to the LB 100k route, where we will ride to LB using the all flat bike path.
although chances are slim, just check the weather and the post on the web before you leave your house.
"and there isn't room to use your brakes neither, the shoulder disappears for the downhill section and requires you to take over the lane. not a smart move to use brakes on a descent in the canyons with cars behind you. "
Me -
Bad riding habits meet CVC 21202, CVC 21202 meet bad riding habits.
It's not a bad riding habit to take over a lane. Especially in "rural" areas like canyon roads, sometimes, people drive with disregard to many other elements on the road, and even tend to drive at high speeds. i couldn't tell if you comment was directed at me or against me, but the reason we take over that lane, as many people may have travelled down topanga, is to increase our visibility.
there are sharp blind turns that wrap around the canyon walls, sticking to the very right leaves you invisible to the car behind until its too late. The speed limit is 35 mph, and as long as we hit that, ts reasonably safe.
and for the people coming out, as scary as this whole reply sounds, its really not. if anything its breathtaking and amazing. think going to a realy good lookout spot. now add vertigo, and speed.
Maybe I should have just highlighted, "not a smart move to use brakes on a descent in the canyons with cars behind you. " You have a right to the road, as CVC 21202 states. That means you ride at the speed you are comfortable at, not the car behind you is comfortable at. You end up being in violation when there's something like 5 cars or more behind you. I'll have to dig up the CVC code regarding how many cars it is. Anyways it's a CVC mainly for cars that were pulling a trailer. They were sometimes seen as holding traffic. So they wrote a code that said you have to pull over if there are 5 or more cars stacked up behind you.
I know you are referring going downhill. So even if the speed limit is 35 or 40 mph, you would not be violation of obstructing the traffic until you're holding up 5 or more cars. So ride like the road is yours, cause it is.
I think there's another ride happening that day that I want to go on. If not, I'll probably join you guys. This sounds like fun.
Damn, there are too many good road rides on saturday! Do i want to ride to san diego with the 'core elite', or calabasas with the ALC team, or the metric cen with you guys??
AHHH DECISIONS!
Then again i feel like i'm getting sick so that might make the decision for me....as in, no fast rides this weekend :(
kilo is a prefix and all units must be changed to their base units in order to do metric to imperial conversions. unless all your units are the same in which they are not.
*dusts off the road bike* After almost 1,000 miles of fixed gear riding in 3 months I want to see if fixed gear "training" really does anything.. looking forward to a fun ride :)
i just looked at the route and i'll be able to go home near the end of the route (near cmob park) wooot. i'll be riding to the start point so i won't be cheating myself any miles =)
althought last time i checked, i found my phone in my bong this morning. i'm drying it off
dont ask what happened, i woke up and find pizza boxes all over the place and my phone in a bong. keep in mind i actually came home from bicykillers last night...
so umm yeah i know the leave time is 10:15, but get there urrrrly yahhh like as if you were going to leave at 10. this will be an epic ride you dont want to miss out.
i'm gettin there at 9:30 to stand around and look like a weekend warrior. give the tourist something REAL to look at.
is there going to be a no attacking rule on the descent? the last thing i would hate to see is someone cutting someone else's line on a turn and making someone eat shit. I'd rather have everyone make it down safe... its not like its a race... Keep the egos at home PRRZZ :p
@mitch: I'll be parking in the parking structure thats near there.. I'm coming from Long Beach so I'll be there quite early to beat any possible traffic that might happen..
No clothing requirements. We're not road weenies, we're Bicykillers.
The fact is though, there is a reason why bicycle clothing was invented. There are people out there who have been riding a lot longer than all of us, and if they've decided bicycling is better (ie, more efficient, comfortable) with clothing styled a certain way, you should probably at least listen to what they have to say.
I'm getting off the 101 so I'm using the Highland entrance to the structure thats behind the Kodak Theater. Once you pass Yucca, you should see the entrance on your Right hand side.
It is raining and has been all night. I am soooo bummed. I would ride but I dont have appropriate clothing and I need glasses to see - I've ridden in rain before and I couldn't see shit
The day started off wet, and rainy, and cold. I was just about to borad the train at NoHo to get to hollywood and highland but i saw that they were checking tickets so i ended up heading back up the elevator. Met with pretzels and danya. Ended up RIDING to the start, in drenching rain. i was completely soaked within the first 5 miles.
Wiley, Ryan, Leo, Gav, and the dude on the raleigh showed up. Went all the way into bell gardens, and took the bike path to long beach. Straight shoot. Headwinds were fierce. NOBODY WAS BIKING TODAY. Got to long beach, only 1 technical issue was Leo not checking his brake pads. Metal to metal contact. got new pads at the bike station long beach. Only 2 stops at 7-11s to refuel for max 10 minutes, a few photo op stops. The route ended up being 82 miles from start to finish. Wiley and Ryan will have completed 120 by the time they get home, me and pretzels ended up riding back cahuenga and went to go eat in burbank, total miles 103.
im sore as shit, my bike needs to be cleaned, and i saved the topanga route for next week. all you rain weenies, no excuse next week.
dammit man. Mitch and I got there at 10:05.. and we decided to roll out thinking you guys left because we just saw you guys and then suddenly were gone, just after parking our cars in the structure. Both of us only had Junu's number ( which was useless) so we climbed up Cahuenga and decided to try and cut you guys you guys off @ Ventura and Van Nuys and then Ventura and Vineland... To no avail after almost an hour of waiting at that point we decided to take the route backwards.. We climbed up Vineland and by then decided to make the ride our own and started climbing random ridiculous roads that branched off Vineland... (Skyhill road... wtf?, haha) After we hit which seemed the highest point of the neighborhood we bombed down some long/steepish hill that finally lead us back out onto Ventura... (Nice quick dodge by Mitch from almost running into a BMW that was coming up from a blind curve on that downhill) We then took Ventura to Sepulveda.. climbed up and took it over all the way to Santa Monica I believe.. took SM.. got lost a little when it branched into Burton Waya nd changed to San Vencente.. Finally hit fairfax.. took it back to Santa Monica.. Hit Highland.. and made it back home... 42ish Miles accord to Mitch's computer. Damn you fuckers for changing the route... normal route my ass :p Oh well... next time, next time...
BIG BOY RIDE TOMARROW MORNING SUNDAY 25TH
Going out to climb Piuma Rd. to saddle peak. 60mi
meets in Studio City at M&M market 9:00
Moorpark and Coldwater cyn ave.
wow. once it was 10 o'clock it stopped raining and i was sad i didn't go but reading all this now- there's no way i would have been able to keep up with you for that long. glad some of you rode and sorry some got lost.
actually, nobody got lost. it was long only because of the consensus, and it rained until about 12. i was soaking wet. blehhhh not sick tho, still exhausted, lets do it again now, but fuck i missed craig.
Brian, we waited especially for you because we knew you were coming from LB. Too bad we didn't have your number, 'cause we would have called you when we reached your hood and talked you into riding back with us.
Cool riding with all of you, and it was good to catch a meal with Junu and Leo at the end of it all - post ride Salmon Teriyaki FTW!
This ride was the embodiment of metric system usage in America - we tried it briefly before abandoning it by the wayside. Why settle for 100k, when you can go all in for a mere 40 mi extra?
don't worry, long rides, and good rest will make you a stronger rider. i know this is your first ride that far, but just keep at it.
i'm also considering revising the topanga route to include mulholland dr with it as well. what do you guys think? it'll be tougher. and it'll be a slower climb.
GOOD ROUTE !
But impossible for fixies
Will even be tough for Junes with only a 39 x 23 1st gear.
Topanga from the beach has a very steep grade about a mile from the coast. And Havenhurst forget about it, To steep for most riders even with gears. Might want settle for Sepuveda depending
on who shows up. Fixie hipsters bring your walking shoes.
I might show if you leave early enough, have to interview hot actresses in the afternoon. Life Sucks, Poor Me.
yeah don't worry. we won't have one on february 7 because of the 3MTT on the 8th and the 14th is the salton sea trip, but Caturday will continue on the 21st because crank mob is getting old.
We will have 2 groups, one for slower riders, and one for faster riders. Caturday becomes a cat and mouse game. Slower riders will have a 15 minute headstart with group led by iJunes. Faster pack will be lead by robin swabin and start 15-20 minute after the slow group. Fast group is welcome to ride as fast as they wish. At each regroup point, the fast group will have a 15 minute break. The slow group must take off as soon as the fast group arrives. The leader of the slow pack will change every stop. This will ensure that MOST riders are able to enjoy the same route at two different levels of competition.
Slow Group Speed (13-17 mph avg)
Fast Group Speed (15-21 mph avg)
THIS MPH REFLECTS DISTANCE COVERED NOT ACTUAL SPEED
wtf, i'm not leading the slow group all the to give you the opportunity to call me slow. you're going to lead them too we all are. we're gonna switch off at every stop.
I complain about back pain because I have trouble keeping my back straight while riding. Plus, back injury is the most common injury among rowers. Plus, who said I was an expert rower? I can't join a team right now but I'm gonna try to pick it back up solo on the weekends.
yeah slow group will be very well paced, my plan is to spin out anyways, i have the strength to push gears, just not the endurance. expect me to run 39/ (16/17) the pace wont be that far up. 15 minutes split should be plenty for each leg in between quick rest stops.
76 and sunny folks, beautiful day, come nekkid if you like.
If you're driving, i suggest you drive to a metro station with parking lot. We will be finishing near the wilshire/western lot so you can catch the train back up anywhere.
110 km 68 miles 3000 ft of climbing 3 catchup spots 1 epic caturday.
Caturday calls or the toughest 66 miles in los angeles. Through griffith, Up mulholland for photoop, then down that steeeeeeeeeeep ass descent on hayvenhurst. Fixie meant you will die. Then up topanga canyon, unusually heavy traffic, and we had our first crash. kind of scary at first when we saw 3 chp officers 2 ambulances, and a helicoptor fly by. glad she is okay, hope she is released.
then we lost the westsiders somewhere by the beach
went and ate a shit ton of korean bbq
now, i just want to die.
the ride took a little under 5 hours, if you take away the crash time. avg speed was maybe 13-14 because of all the climbing. topanga had mad headwinds...
Great ride, great turnout, once again, impressed by carlos but can someone get this cat some lycra? and some pedals?
Sorry about the trekkie who got dropped in the first 5 miles, i just think he wasn't trying.
fuckpedalpunxboomboxfrenchride
i'm going to sleep at 8 on a saturday night AND what?!
today was almost great, cat and mouse worked out perfectly, Anna, please heal quickly, im sorry something so discouraging and terrible happened to you on your first caturday.
:[[
defries, youre awesome, i slept through your ride on total accident though, I need to make it up to you
wow... epic ride... anna i hope you heal ip quik. dont let it discourage you , pleaaaaase. it would be a shame. think of is as a demon you have to face again and beat the hell out of it.
we are starting bright and early at 7. hope to finish by 1 the latest, and we can all go get some rest and do saturday night rides yea? starting at 10 is killing my whole day.
Anna, you rode hard. It was awesome seeing you and the others riding through the pain - "slow" group my ass! We are so happy to hear you're okay; it was really bumming us out for awhile.
Bad news though: your fork is done. Don't ride on it until you've had a mechanic look at it to verify/deny my observation (the scratch on the right blade.) It's carbon, for those who think I'm being a weenie.
Junes, another good one (now that we know Anna is out of the hole), but 7 AM? Shit, what are we - cyclists?
thanks for the kind words!
my face looks like something out of fight club and i went back for more on the same night
nothing broken...just a chunk of my pride
i havent seen my bike =/ i head my fork might be broken...i just got it too
i lost some of my memory and my short term sucks =[
vicodin and andrew are getting me through this
uuuuuugh i just remembered they cut off my new jersey and shorts
anyway....i dont know how to be serious =/
thanks for a killer ride on caturday! i'll be back for another one once everything heals...gotta train for ALC!
im down. but we're always in for climbing. in about a month, we're going to start doing imperial centuries in single direction all the way to sd or sb or ie, etc, and catch the train back.
if you are taking the surfliner back to union station, the conductors will let you put your bikes in the cargo car without putting them in a bike box if there is no room on the bike racks for your bike.
How we gona get back?
every cop is looken to bust our heads
ya, we got somthing else to worry about?
the truce is it still on ?
Were on the wrong side of tracks.
all you FUCKERS who didn't show up today thanks, ryan was the only one out, and we finished an exact metric century in 3 hrs 20 minutes. fuck you, eat cock for valentine's day.
you guys might as well never show up because the day you do, i will make you pay. even if i have to pay with you.
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Ridazz Roulette!
Yes I'm bringing the Munchies Metric Centuries back except now its a bit of a different format. 100k no stops. start to finish then eat.
halfway
Just finished the route
This is Caturday's first lady rider. She didn't even complain once!