Section head text.
It was a nasty New Year’s Day Bear Mountain ride as riders endured pouring rain and sleet on the way, but you wouldn’t know it from looking at winner Scot Willingham. Check out Brian Gatens’ report on the Organic Athlete site.
New Year’s Day Ride
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that’s funny
wasn’t there: that was a genius post.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWAYgCtMl2Y&feature=related
…wait for it (reprise)
this one time, at band camp…
Did 40 on Saturday and 50 on Sunday – nothing too intense. Got to ride with Todd BRILLIANT! by the way. Took off Monday, did the century on Tuesday, took off yesterday (more for work reasons than for REST!) and will ride the rollers for about 60 minutes tonight. Intensity is about the same.
I think both Brian and Jim did 70-80 mile days on saturday and sunday, off bike monday and 100 tuesday, that earns some rest days in my book.
Maybe the guys that did this just like riding and wanted to ride to Bear Mountain since they had the day off from work anyway. And maybe, because they don’t get paid to race and do it mainly for fun, they don’t really care whether doing a century on New Year’s day has much impact one way or the other on their performance on 2-3 hour max races in May (if I had to bet, I would bet that it has no discernible impact). So maybe all the yammering about Tod Herriot etc is sort of irrelevant.
with the same intensity they would normally have
Who loses a week of training due to a single 100 mi ride? Its not like we’re pushing the endurance envelope here lady.
Except that this was not a training ride but a tradition. Nobody does the Midnight Run in CP for training, it’s a tradition. Everything is a calculated risk, sometimes the calculator batteries fail, so what 🙂
I was responding to Justin’s comment about Herriott and Upton, which was about training.
If it’s a tradition to ride in 100 miles in the rain on Jan 1, or swim in freezing water, or jump off the Empire State Building, well…whatever
So it makes sense for them to do centuries in training.
Local guys racing 2 hours in cat 3-4 races? Not so much.
Loosing a week of proper training due to a single blow-out ride might or might not be a big deal.
But as they say, a win’s a win and Scot hammers year-round.
Good work, Scot.
In NC in the late ’90’s there was an unsanctioned race called “January Nats” to make light of the so-called “January National Champion” phenomenon. Sanctioned or not, most everyone showed up anyway – officials included – and it was something like a dollar a rider, winner take all. Sure, some people took it less seriously, but anyone who could tried to win.
As for the bitching about saving it for the season, I’ve noticed that the guys who ride strong in the winter are also strong in the summer. But if you manage to save it all up and win one race – good for you too. A win’s a win.
The New Years Day Ride is something that called a tradition – ask Ace McDade or any of those boys. Keeping traditions going is a good thing I always thought, like playing football on Boxing Day. Look back at a few of the other years rides – you’ll see the names Herriott and Smilie Upton in there- they knew a thing or two about training. One day of madness in January isn’t going to make a blind bit of difference to what happens at Housatonic or Jiminy Peak – I say good luck and congratulations to Scott (who we all know is stark raving mad),Chris, Aarron and all the others and especially thanks to the Organic Athlete guys for giving out the cards and being at the “finish” with coffee and sarnies, as well as taking pics and doing a write up – putting back into the sport, now that makes a pleasant change.
Happy New Year – from someone else who did the ride once in his first season and was then subjected to derision from the peanut gallery – mind you in those days it wasn’t anonymous – oh no we had the delights of Mike “regards” Gacki. Good times…
why compare it to what pros do or don’t do? there are plenty of extreme things everyone does simply because they’re a challenge, like the iditarod. why not on a bike? it’s good to callous the soul sometimes…
I think I’m talking to a bunch of cat 5’s?
don’t get to philosophical man
to be “stoked” is to be completely and intensely enthusiastic, exhilirated, or excited about something. those who are stoked all of the time know this; being stoked is the epitome of all being. when one is stoked, there is no limit to what one can do.
Congrats Scott
that’s b/c if you road as hard as a pro you hate it to.
that’s because most pro’s hate cycling.
This is proof that people do stupid things.
when race hard season you don’t do that1!
Dirk Diggler joins Adler.
not a race! thats why you don’t see pro’s wasting toime in the off season getting wet for no reason what so ever but to get wet:(…………………
was that the hot chick in Pump Up the Volume?
for Pez to publish this article:
http://www.pezcyclingnews.com/?pg=fullstory&id=5564
Empire Announces 2008 Squad
(New York, December 9, 2008) Empire Cycling is pleased to announce their 2008 team members. The coming season looks promising with a revamped, more dynamic roster, including former national champions and long time elite racers. “With the core squad from 2007 returning and the new additions to the team, we have far more depth and more complimentary skill sets,
Coach where did you get your coaching skills from ??a cracker jack box!!
“I did finished a race in the early 1990s that was three hours long, high 30s F ”
They didn’t have wind chill back then.
Congratulations to everyone that did that ride. Not for me, but props to you for toughing it out.
And yeah, I’m not tough enough for it. But even if I was, at the level I race at, that distance on Jan 1 is pointless. That distance on Jan 1 with 3 hours of it in cold rain is worse than pointless – it’s counterproductive.
PS – I rode 170 minutes at good endurance pace that day, with 90 minutes of it in the rain. With a lot of clothes on.
Scott has sexy leggs.
Congratulations to all the guys that did the ride! Now to the Haters: Hungover, jealous, lazy, hypocritical, moronic or just plain stupid take a pick. Don
30 centuries a year – 3k miles? Holy cow..Glad I could keep the tradition a little bit alive.
$600 jacket + $250 rainjacket + $190 baselayer + $310 tights + $240 shorts ……+ socks, gloves, hat, chamois creme etc = $$$$
If you never race more than three or, at most, four?
Coach X has gone from the “douche” phase to the “bag” phase
Ride looks like a scene from ‘The Bucket List’
obviously coach x was being cynical, there’s still time for aerobic base, but longer training rides in general do make shorter races seem easier both mentally and physically.
The JFK memorial ride or the New Years Century is a tradition and a great one for Century Road Club Asso. The club was founded on rides like this. Medals were given and put on a braclet worn by club members for each 100mile ride. As the name reflects Century was for how many 100 mile rides one could do in a year. Over the years it has been watered down to this one event. I would do one every Wednesday during the year and got up to around 30 one year. I learned it from a former club champion Eddie B who was considered for the 7/11 team in the late 80’s. Congratulations Scott.
same veloflex clincher 60 at world cycling, 46 at Colorodo Cyclist, on sale at Probikekit for 39.
Weak dollar maybe part of the reason Assos fugu Jacket is almost $600…but buy American guys, our dollar depends on it!
If I wear an Assos Interactive Base Layer (only $189 plus shipping) will it mean my shi#t won’t stink?
http://www.worldcycling.com/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=ASWIBL&Category_Code=BaseLayer
How much would “FULL ASSOS” cost? $1K?
I think the ride/race is cool. I’m now inspired by those who participated to give it a go next year.
If you’d all worn Assos from head to toe you wouldn’t have felt any elemente.
I think the CRCA New Years Ride is an great tradition. I’ve done it in bad weather as well (although nothing like this year) and for me I think its the best way to avoid partying the night before and waking up all hungover. Congrats to all who showed up to keep the tradition alive no matter what mother nature had in store.
base miles are so 2007.
to peak for races in March. Get a clue.
i’m sure the leg warmers got soaked wet eeping them on could cause more heat loss than dry air on way back.
If you’re still doing base training on Jan 1 you’re way behind. Waaayyy behind. How will you even hang in the field in eary March? No way. It’s over.
You’d better be in your “build” phase right away. If not, cut your losses and consider skipping 2008 – it’s too late. Get ready for 2009.
What a way of starting a new year of base miles! I just dont get it!!!
Did Scot start with his legs covered and take off leg warmers late in the ride? The temp got up to the high 40s Sunday PM and at racing intensity dry (solo, w/o road spray from a pack) it’s not totally nuts to ride bare legged like that.
I did finished a race in the early 1990s that was three hours long, high 30s F and firm rain. Dressed kind of like Scott, but with a thin windbreaker over it for most of the event. I didn’t know any better and the clothes then were worse than what’s available now – if I did that again I’d wear more. A lot more. Less than a quarter of the riders finished. The winner was one of the better riders in the field PLUS he had the most clothes on.
i rode my trainer man. i hate going outside, and seeing shorts on him just pains me.
What is the point in wearing so little? To prove your joints can handle cold? To be tough? To show off? Comfort?
Seems very unwise to me.
Tough guy, but that clothing choice is nuts
how do you win a training ride with coffee stops?
shorts?? good god, why?
If you take 9w from the Inn, you have to climb for about 1/2 – 1 mile before the descent.
Quote of the ride came (I think) from Jim at the Bear Mtn Inn. It went something like “I know somebody once said there’s no such thing as bad weather, just improper clothing… Well FUCK HIM”
Summed it up perfectly.
that ride sounds like a recipe to kill that enthusiasm.
you guys are idiots.
it’s a guy thing, you wouldn’t get it. go back to your trainer
Nice work Scott W and all who rode and finished. Ignore the hater. Did you guys take 9W up and back? In Brian’s report he talks about climbing up and out of Bear from Inn – I thought the road decends for about 2 miles at the start no?
When you love, and I mean love cycling you just do it! Congrats to all guys who rode hard on the New Year’s day and happy and healthy to you all!!! Brian thank you for an almost you can feel it report.
thanks for the report. scott looks over dressed