Strava: http://app.strava.com/rides/2748478
Shannon, Vince, Todd and I wanted to get out and get some TTT training in and opted to do what Todd originally called a triple canyon loop. In my mind, that's more like Como street x3, but apparently, I didn't pay enough attention to his route last week where it actually meant doing 6 passes through the canyon - 3 out and 3 back. If I had known, I'm not sure I'd have taken Eddie's QR TT bike for it's maiden voyage with these guys. As I figured after riding it on Thursday, hills will not be ideal for this thing and there was plenty of climbing.
With the plan being to minimize or even not have any stops for this ride, I had filled the aero bottle up in the front of the bike and had 2 bottles in the cages for this ride. This didn't bode well, especially I'm slow to warm up and we were already climbing right out of the gate. We didn't really set any agendas either except just to train hard, so I went with the flow and we were all off.
LTJ took the lead out of the Rock N Road parking lot going up Marguerite toward El Toro, and he immediately created a gap ahead of us. We got all together again by the down hill just before the right turn to El Toro for the grinder. For the most part, I kept up with the guys until midway up the hill past Cooks. The guys were seemingly on a mission to kill it on the first pass, and I just couldn't handle their pace. Eventually, I backed off and again not knowing the agenda, just climbed it as best as I could. When I got to the top of the 2nd crest and saw no one there, I realized at this point I was on my own.
In a way, being dropped was probably the best thing for me. I still had a lot of getting used to on the bike and it was wicked windy out there where riding on 60 mm profile wheels was just outright scary. Despite the heavy crosswinds and the bike bucking under me like crazy, I didn't turn around and just go home. LOL. I did get a good feel for being on the aero bars despite, and found a good but careful rhythm through the canyons.
I knew the 3 guys were working together ahead of me, so I was wondering where they would be when I'd see them again given the OAB route. I was actually surprised when I saw them just after the 261 freeway where they weren't too far ahead of me. I didn't turn around and join them though since I wanted to get the full route in, so I made my way down toward Jamboree and u-turned just before the island that led to the intersection.
On my way back, I still kept a fairly good pace and was starting to climb a little better. It is definitely not the same climbing on this TT bike considering my knees were just touching the pads for the aero position and there wasn't really a lot of other hand positions for the climb. I did more seated climbing as a result. As often as possible though, I'd get back in the aero position and the winds were just as wicked going through this way.
I again began to wonder when I'd see the guys making their way out again where I was thinking they'd be headed down at some point before the climb up the hill headed towards Cooks. However, it was on my way down the hill that I saw Todd and Shannon first and then Vince shortly after. I then started to think if they were tiring, I may actually be able to make more ground on them through our 3rd pass once I got up over the hill again. After a U-turn at Cooks, I started climbing and despite the pads, managed to climb off the seat for all of the hill. At the top of the first crest, I see the 3 guys waiting for me. I told them not to stop and wait for me as I rolled by, and they got going pretty quickly and found their way onto my rear wheel as we were descending for the 3rd pass. Cool...I finally get to work rotations.
It wasn't long before we were taking turns as we made our way through the canyons. Based on Shannon's stats, this pass was faster than their original pass when measured from the top of Santiago Canyon to the bottom of Dump Hill. I did some good long pulls on the aeros since the TT bike was just made for that, but it was really nerve racking since the bike was still all over the place due to the winds. One thing it wasn't made for, however, was getting back onto the paceline since I typically like to stand on the bike to do so where on this bike, it just wasn't as easy to latch on.
As we started going up Dump Hill, Todd and I were leading the group up and this time I was able to keep up. I led the pull just over the crest and Todd and I made our way down to Jamboree for a U-turn. As we did, we weren't sure where the others were but saw that Shannon had u-turned ahead of us where Todd and I made our way toward him. We also saw Vince u-turn just before the 261, so we made our way up Dump Hill and managed to regroup at the top without stopping.
This canyon pass was pretty tough and I did what I could to help, but this always seems to be where Shannon just grinds it out and makes it hurt. Vince didn't feel too great to begin with and had been off the bike for a week, so he was the first casualty. I probably was more overzealous than I should have been, and also met the same fate at one point leaving Shannon and Todd to go ahead.
I didn't stop and kept a moderate pace on my own, and saw an awaiting Todd and Shannon at the top of the hill before Cooks where I again rolled by and said let's keep going. Todd jumped on and made his way down the hill just behind me. As we made our U-turn at Cooks, Shannon indicated he needed to get some water inside. Since Todd and I still had some, we kept on going and up the hill we went. We saw Vince making his way down as we went up where Vince waved to let us know he was done.
Todd and I exchanged position as we made our way up the hill, but once over the 2nd crest, it was time to work on the aero bars again. Since I was able to hold a good pace for most of the canyons on them, Todd came for the ride but took a couple pulls, one of which he thought I asked for help whereas I hadn't. I did have one gust of wind have me get super wobbly at one point while Todd was behind me, and he and I both thought I was going down. We still had a pretty good pace going up Dump and down toward Jamboree. At the bottom when we made a u-turn, we needed some major nourishment. We never stopped but began pedaling up the hill while eating. I managed to down a gel and a waffle, and have a drink out of my 2nd bottle, but I realized it just was not safe to try and replace bottle in cage and asked Todd to go ahead in case I fell. HA HA. I got back with Todd after doing so, and we were on our way over the 261. As we started the climb after, we see Shannon u-turn ahead of us and slowing to let us get up to him just as we made our way to the top of Dump. Once we were together, Shannon led us down with Todd and me behind him.
Now we were all tired at this point on this last past, but Shannon was still willing to lead us down for a while. Todd must have forgotten to share the memo with me, but I guess this is where we just shouldn't try to help Shannon pull anymore. HA HA. I took a couple stabs up front, but after my 2nd pull when Shannon passed me not too long after, I knew I was done exclaiming my Savior's name for help. Unfortunately, it didn't work and the two were off and gone. One other rider had passed me as well (looking fresh as spring) and made his way up to the Todd and Shannon to mix it up, but I guess Shannon ended that in typical BAM fashion.
I was able to ride up on my own and the hill before Cook's was just not easy on this last pass where I finally succumb to just spinning it out...not too easy with Eddie's standard crank and 11-23 cassette. Once I got over the top though, weeeeeee!
Now I had been over 20 mph average over all the passes before, but after this last one, it had dropped a couple ticks to a 19.8. Good enough for 5500+ feet of climbing and nearly 80 miles. Although this was a trainer for the SC TTT, we still have some things we need to work out as a team to improve our efficiency. However, as Shannon put it after, we also needed the intense training as well, so it was also more of an "anything goes" kind of ride. It was definitely intense, so we'll have to do it again 1 or 2 times before the race at a minimum. I have concluded, however, that while the TT bike is awesome on the flats and downhills, this will not be the ideal bike for me to ride with these animals. Maybe I can get better between now and then on it, but I think I'll opt for one of my road bikes that weigh less by almost 4 lbs. Now it's just a matter of figuring out compact or standard crank.
Thanks for the training, gents! Can't wait to do it again.
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