FLCC> Ride Report - Brasstown Bald - U.F.O.- correction

[Charles Hamilton]

Dang Floyd, I could have sworn it was you!  Yeah, Tuesdays are great
and we don't need any stinkin' doping controls either, all you have to
contend with is a bad nicknames (TWE, twinkie) and the smell of
muenster.

If you aren't racing, maybe you could come volunteer at Hollenbecks?
It's our premier official racing event on May 4th and has the best
post-race food anywhere in the country.  Contact Sara Barker
(sb65 at cornell.edu) if you're interested in driving one of the pace
cars.

Cheers,

-Charles

On 22/03/2008, Floyd Landis <phonakfloyd at yahoo.com> wrote:
>
> Much as I would have liked to be riding on Georgia this week, I was in
> beautiful sunny Maine on business. That must have been some Floyd WANNABEE
> you saw Charles. Next time I'm in Ithaca, I'll check out your Tuesday night
> adventures. Room for one more? Floyd
>
>
> - Charles Hamilton wrote: > Quick correction, Eric Smith rightly pointed out
> > that 1700 feet in > three miles is not 20%, more like 10% overall, parts >
> sure felt that > way though. > > There was another bit of fanciful,
> fantastical, > fabulous, frivolous, > flippant, far fetched, fiction in that
> write up, but > I can't seem to > recall which bit it was... Maybe I had too
> much feta > on the brain. > > Thanks for reading, > > -Charles > > On
> 21/03/2008, Charles Hamilton > wrote: > > Very lucky to be in Helen, Georgia
> for the > weekend. High of 64 today, > > bright sunny skies. I left Thursday
> morning in a > snowstorm, can't say > > I'm too heartbroken about being far
> from home > today. > > > > Ride today was 5.5 hours, and included three >
> major climbs, elation at > > making it to the top of what may be the
> steepest > road I've ever > > climbed, and the agony of the third climb
> taking > over an hour when I > > was completely bonked. > > > > Being on
> vacation, I didn't leave until the temp > outside had climbed a > > bit. I
> headed north out of Helen wearing a wool > jersey, shorts and > > arm
> warmers. The road out of town runs next to > the Chattahoochee > > river for
> a while before starting the climb about > 1500 feet up Unicoi > > Gap, I'm
> feeling good and don't even have to > resort to the new 28 > > tooth cog I
> had just put on the bike yesterday. > Descending down the > > other side of
> the gap there's a group of 4 shaved > leg road riders > > followed by a pace
> car coming up the other side, > the first riders I've > > seen for a while,
> I'm wondering who they were as > I turn left to begin > > the gradual rise
> to the base of Brasstown Bald. > > > > Another rider coming towards me waves
> from a > distance and then looks > > straight ahead, Phonak jersey, square
> jaw, > expensive glasses, I swear > > to myself that I just saw Floyd Landis
> riding in > the other direction. > > Shaking off my psychosis, I look back
> just as I > start the gradual rise > > about 1/4 mile away and notice the
> phantom Floyd > just at the edge of > > my vision, turning around at the
> corner to come > back my way. Well > > Floyd or no Floyd, I'm feeling good
> so I get a > good cadence going as I > > move up the risers. > > > > So a
> couple of turns before the base of the > climb, sure enough, Mr. > > Phonak
> is gaining on me fast. I'm doing my best > impression of > >
> someone-at-the-rivet-trying-not-to-show-it, as he > pulls
> up next to me, > > hands on the top of his bars, not breathing heavy > at
> all. "Howdy" he > > says and I turn realizing that it is actually > Floyd,
> not my > > imagination: jersey, helmet, jaw, grey bike with > the logos
> removed, > > the whole bit.. He asks how I'm doing, I stammer > something,
> he nods > > and rides away from me quickly, like, like... > well he rides
> away from > > me like a Tour de France winner riding away from > a 35 year
> old cat 4. > > I'm still pinching myself, wondering why I didn't > say more
> and realize > > that he likely didn't want to engage in the same > old
> regular guy to > > super-biker conversation that he must alway get. > I spin
> as best as I > > can, but he's away from me well before turn to > Brasstown
> comes into > > view. > > > > Ok, Floyd F. Landis just rode away from me and
> > I'm looking up this > > mountain saying, 20% grade? They must be >
> kidding, everyone says 20%, > > but can it really be... Well check out the
> ride > profile from the Tour > > de Georgia: >
> (http://www.pezcyclingnews.com/?pg=fullstory&id=3969). > I
> > > really never knew they made roads that steep. > Damn. I think I > >
> divorced Linnie and proposed to my meager 28 > tooth cog halfway up. If > >
> I had access to a triple half way up that climb, > I likely would have > >
> traded my entire bike for it. As I start up all > I can think is > > where's
> the sky? It seems to be entirely filled > with road, straight > > up and
> away from my front tire. Think the very > steepest part of the > > turn on
> Blakesley only straight and 3 miles long. > Three miles and > > maybe 1700
> feet total gain? If it had been any > steeper it would have > > needed a
> fricken escalator. > > > > So I'm doing track stands on my 39/28 slowly >
> going up the switchbacks > > as I approach the first mile marker at 12
> minutes > into the climb, a > > speedy 5 miles an hour by the back of the >
> envelope of my blood > > deprived brain. Ok, I think, maybe the second >
> mile isn't as bad. All > > I want to do is not get off and push, maybe avoid
> > doing the back and > > forth weave would be nice too. Around a corner I >
> look up and the road > > is straight up for about 200 meters. > > > > I
> don't think my first car could have climbed > that grade. There's a > >
> rider resting at the top wearing a bright yellow > rain jacket, I grit > >
> my teeth and roll slowly up. Mid-way I try the > weave with no luck, > > the
> turns on each end of the weave are so steep > I'm about to fall over > > and
> I realize I won't be able to restart. > Straight up it is, I just > > manage
> to catch the rainjacket guy who informs me > the section we just > > did was
> called the wall (does every ride have a > wall?) and that it's > > easier
> from here. He also has a triple with a 36 > on the back, I think > > it was
> bigger than the front ring... Mile three > is not as incredible > > steep
> and we make it to the top together. > > > > >From here, it's back down and
> through a valley > to a roadside grocery > > and more water. I run into the
> 4 person team > with the car again. > > They ride for some tavern in Athens,
> Georgia and > are all younger > > looking and skinnier looking than Joe
> Bailey, > shaved legs, sidi shoes, > > carbon bikes, chase car, the whole
> bit. Leaving > the skinny cats at > > the store I roll back a ways to catch
> the start > of climb #3 and the > > road back to Helen. My legs feel about
> 25 lbs > heavier than normal and > > every part of me is starting to hurt.
> Ok, well > how bad could this > > climb be? > > > > Well, check the road
> profile (which I didn't have > at the time) and > > you'll know what I
> didn't. It's a cat1 climb, > 1500 odd feet, ungodly > > grade at the end.
> I've never had a longer hour > on a bike. Every turn > > I'm thinking, it
> must finish just around the > corner...ok, maybe this > > corner... but no,
> another long grade. I manage > not to walk it or > > weave it, but damn was
> I slow. I could have > walked faster. The guys > > downtown on their huge
> three wheel bike > contraptions could have gone > > faster than me. I was on
> the edge of cramping > the whole time (why do > > I do this to myself? Why
> not take up knitting?) > but managed not to > > cramp just as I finally made
> the summit. > > > > >From there it was quick descent and some insult > to
> injury rollers on > > the way back to Helen and a hot shower. Now I'm >
> sitting by the river > === message truncated ===
>
>
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