DC X 10

Don Cartwright Completes
T-E-N Double Centuries in 2006!

by Don Cartwright/photo courtesy of Jay Kleinwaks

It is an uncanny coincidence that Don Cartwright’s initials are DC. Hmm…DC – Don Cartwright, DC – Diablo Cyclist, DC – Double Century. Make that DC x 10 as Don completed a club record 10 double centuries this season. And if you're not easily impressed, he did 3 of those doubles on his fixed gear!

For career stats, Don started with the Davis Double in 2002 and has been riding doubles every year since with a total of 24 “under his wheels”. He joined the 1,000-mile club (5 double centuries) in 2004 despite an injury-plagued year that included breaking his scapula! The following is an article written by Don, chronicling his 2006 DC x 10 season. The obvious question…Well Don, what’s next?

When I turned 50 last December I thought I needed to mark this milestone with something special. Isn’t that what you’re supposed to do when you hit this age? Since I’m a Diablo Cyclist that means something to do with mileage. I’ve done five double centuries in one year so I thought why not double that. To keep it interesting I decided to do three of them on my fixed gear bike.

I’ve got two people to thank/blame for getting me into this position, Jeanne Cartwright (my ex-sister in law) and Ron Rogers. In 2001 Jeanne wanted to do The Death Ride. It’s a tough ride (129 miles & 16,000 feet of climbing) and was a big event for the club to ride. To make sure she would finish (no attempt, just a must finish for her) she wanted to do lots of century rides for training. Being related to her I got stuck being her riding partner. For about 3 months before The Death Ride she found every century she could and dragged me (she was in better shape) along. I started to dread the phone ringing on Thursday or Friday nights. All of those centuries did pay-off as we both finished (along with several other Diablo’s). Toward the end of that year she asked what goals we could set for the next year. I suggested racing or doubles. She chose racing.

blame Ron for starting this fixed gear mania. It really seems to be infecting the club this year. For training purposes it’s a great tool. On the flats it works your cardio to give you quick recovery and the hills build your power. Last year Ron suggested that the fixed gear riders (Ron, Brian Martinelli, Sarkis Soghomonian, and myself) do the Davis Double Century. We all finished and it showed me it could be done (and in a faster time).

Training for doubles can best be summed up in one word , mileage. During the winter months I almost exclusively rode my fixed gear on the club rides. Twice during the week I would do indoor training  on my rollers by doing the “Book” training exercises. Once daylight savings time started I would try to ride 25 to 30 miles four times during the week and both the club rides on the weekend (with extra mileage before the Saturday ride). 200 to 250 miles for the week is a good total to shoot for. Once the doubles start I like to do as many as I can on back to back weekends so I don’t have to do as much riding during the week.

The first double was the Solvang Double Century, 6,800’ of climbing and 190 miles (not all doubles are 200 miles, some are less, some are more, and some are hell). A perfect double for my first fixed gear ride. The Diablo’s group was Steve Berry, Jack Klebanoff, Jay Kleinwaks, Mike Hrast, and myself. It was kind of a funny start as we had to wait for Jack to arrive (Mr. Ontime and No Dawdling at Reststops). Steve rolled early as we waited for Jack. When Jack arrived he went after Steve as Jay, Mike, and I were going to stay together for the day. Without the 30 to 40 miles of riding in the rain and having to try to change a flat while trying to stay out of the rain by standing under a children’s play structure it was a good ride. Total ride time of 13:20.

Double number two was in our back yard, Devil Mountain Double, 18,000’ of climbing and 207 miles. Knowing all the roads on the ride leaves your mind at ease and lets your body do all the work. Sometimes the mental part of the ride is tougher than the physical part. The Diablo starters (and finishers) were Jennie Phillips (on the back of a fast tandem), Kitty Goursolle (trying for the California Triple Crown Stage Race), Jay, Mike, and myself. As much as we could Mike and I rode together but Jay was on a mission. Mike ran across one of his friends from the Fresno area, Lori Cherry, whom Kitty considers one of her nemesis for the Stage Race. Being an early year ride it was getting  towards sunset as I reached the “Pet the Goat “ rest stop at the top of the Sierra Road climb. I wanted to get off of Calaveras Road and into Sunol before dark so I didn’t wait for Mike to arrive (sorry Mike). When I arrived at the Sunol rest stop I was surprised to see Jay getting ready to leave. He explained that he had fallen apart physically and was surprised he had made it to Sunol. I told him to give me five minutes and we could finish the ride together. Jay being Jay as we got close to the finish he went to the front and picked up the pace to drop someone who was riding our wheel. As he passed me he says he told me he was going to pick up the pace. I didn’t hear him so I took his move as a break away attempt and I sprinted around him down to the finish. A good ride but not a great total time of 17:24.

Central Coast Double (13,800’ and 209 miles) was number three and the first of four back to back doubles. At dinner on Friday  before the ride Steve, Jack, Mike, Jay, and I met up with Lori and her friend Kevin Walsh, whom I would meet up with on some other doubles. He’s a Furnace Creek 508 (a longer ride than a double) rider who was training to get back into shape after an illness. Kitty and her boyfriend showed up a little later so we had quite a social gathering. At the start of the ride I was riding at the very back of the lead pack as we headed toward the coast after leaving Paso Robles. I decided to drop off the pack before the first rest stop as I didn’t want to blow up later in the day. After the rest stop it’s not to far to the coast where I got into a pack with three strong riders and we had a fast run up the coast to the Nacimiento Road climb. After the climb you drop down into the Fort Hunter Ligget base and the lunch stop. About a half mile from lunch I started to die. It took about another thirty miles and another rest stop before I recovered. Feeling better I caught back up to a couple of the guys I had been riding with on the coast. They were getting slowed down by the headwinds that are always prevalent before the Bradley rest stop. From Bradley (mile 179) into the finish it’s a pretty easy run. If your feeling good, and I was, you can really make it a fast ride. It was a good ride for me at 13:55 but not a good ride for Jay.

Number two for the fixed gear, number four overall, was the Davis Double Century, 7,400’ of climbing and 203 miles. The ride starts rolling through the flats west of Davis before climbing up to the dam at Lake Berryessa. I was in a fast moving pace line along with Steve, Jack, Jay, Mike, Doug Schierer, and some other fixed gears that were running higher gearing than I. The pace was running from about 22 to 24 mph. That speed was putting my cadence into the 120 to 140 range. Not a good thing to do if I wanted to finish. I vowed to drop off the pace line at the first rest stop (mile 23). Luckily the pace line broke up as we reached the rest stop with some riders stopping and others passing by. The Diablo’s had prearranged to skip it as this ride has more rest stops than needed if it’s not your first double. The normal course was changed from the easy climb up Big Canyon to a steep climb over Cobb Mountain. As the steep climb started (+/- mile 100) I pulled off the road to flip my wheel to my climbing gear (42 x 19 versus 42 x 17). Mike road by and asked if I was alright. I told him I was OK and with that he continued up the hill and pulled off the road about 100’ away with a flat tire. I was happy to pull up along side him and wait as he changed it. With that fixed we rode in to the lunch stop. The next big adventure for the fixed gear is the descent off of the Resurection climb. It’s a steep fast descent that makes your legs spin at their limit. With that done it’s an easy ride to the finish. A good ride at 13:30.

The half way point to ten was the Heartbreak Double Century (15,200’ and 202 miles) starting in Palmdale. On the drive to the motel on Friday before the ride I got a preview of what to expect on Saturday. After turning off Interstate 5 and heading east toward Palmdale the tumble weeds were blowing along the road at about 45 miles per hour. When I got into town I met up with Doug Goodwin, a former member who moved to Pahrump Nevada, and his friend Rich Stuart. It’s always nice to have someone to bullshit with over dinner. The start in the morning was cold and windy. On the climb into the hills outside of Palmdale I got passed by Kevin Walsh who had missed the mass start and was trying to make up for lost time. He lives in the area so he shouldn’t have missed the start but he knew the course so that was to his advantage. Even with the climbing it was cold. Usually descents are something to look forward to but I dreaded them due to the increased wind chill. By the second rest stop (mile 50) I was so cold that my hand was shaking so much I could barely fill my water bottle. I knew at that point if I didn’t get back on the bike I would have to abandon the ride. Soon after getting rolling again there was a long climb that warmed me back up. At the lunch stop I talked with Kevin about the upcoming Heartbreak Canyon climb. He was worried about it but he was reflecting on times when it was hot and that was a mute point this day. The climb was easy but the winds just kept coming before the descent back down to Palmdale. My total time was 14:27, not bad but I don’t think I’m going back to Heartbreak.

The last of the four consecutive doubles, number six overall, was Eastern Sierra (10,000’ and 198 miles). It’s a beautiful ride along the shear side of the Sierra mountain range. Jack and I met up with Pahrump Doug  and Rich  for dinner & tall tales. The ride starts in Bishop and goes out on the flats south east of town. The speed picks up and the pack breaks up into several smaller ones. With that done it turns west toward the base of the mountains and then turns north. The morning light on the eastern side of the Sierras is quite beautiful. At the second rest stop (+/- mile 55) I tried to find out why my name had been crossed off the sign in sheet (at check-in I didn’t tell them when I was starting) and Jack went to use the restroom. That was the last time I saw him until the lunch stop when he was getting ready to leave as I pulled in. This ride can have one bad section, from the Benton rest stop (+/- mile 175) into the finish. There is usually a headwind that can sap what little strength you have left. But not this year which must account for a strong finish time of 12:30 (Jack got in fifteen minutes before me).

After a weekend off from doing doubles number 7 raised up its ugly head, the Terrible Two (16,000’ and 197 miles). On the drive up to Santa Rosa I realized I had forgotten to pack my lights. Since I had finished before dark on previous rides and I was in better shape I thought I would be OK without them, my mistake. I felt good going over the Trinity Grade climb and up the Silverado Trail to Calistoga and the first rest stop (mile 57). Leaving the rest stop I started to feel bad. California Doug was the first to pass me on the Geysers climb. He was quickly followed by Jay and Jack. At the top of the climb is Rest Stop #2 (+/- mile 83) and rest I did. As I sat there Kitty rolled in, got what she needed, and rolled out. After the descent it’s flats and rollers to the lunch stop. As I rolled in Jay spotted me and told me I looked awful (thanks Jay) and to rest up. Right after the lunch stop the Skaggs Springs climb starts. With a little recovery at lunch I made it to the water stop at the top of the first peak. By now I knew not having my lights was a big mistake. I started working the numbers in my head and thought I could make it out of the last rest stop before dark but would need to find someone with lights to ride in with. As I was climbing toward the second peak my legs were giving me warning signs that they wanted to cramp up. At least that was my impression as I haven’t cramped before. Sitting at the Camp Gualala rest stop (+/- mile 140) my calf muscles were doing a little dance by themselves. Climbing the “wall” after the Gualala stop I saw a rider stop and start walking. At the speed I was climbing I thought that looked like a good idea and I followed him. At the top I pulled my bike in close to remount and my legs locked up. Perplexed about what to do I decided to squat down to brake them loose. It worked and it was on to the coast and the Fort Ross rest stop (=/- mile 160). At that point I knew I wouldn’t even make it to the last rest stop, Monte Rio (=/- mile 185) before it got dark. Luckily I was able to borrow some lights from a rider who was calling it quits. I finally rolled into the finish at 10:30 pm for a total time of 16:55. It was nice to see Jay still waiting around to see what the hell happened to me. The Terrible Two had lived up to its name.

The following weekend it was on to Los Angeles for fixed gear ride number 3, number 8 overall. I chose the Grand Tour, lowland route (5,200’ and 202 miles) because anything called “lowland” must be good for a fixed gear. It was also describe as “urban” which didn’t sound so good. After the start in Malibu it was north up the coast to Port Hueneme and Rest Stop #1 which would also be rest stop #6 on the return and the point to pick up my lights. From there it heads inland through farm fields and various towns on the way to Ojai. From there it was back to the coast (mile 128) and a very strong headwind for 12 miles to the northern most point and Rest Stop #5. The headwind was now a nice tailwind on the return to Port Hueneme. Getting close to the rest stop I didn’t take a marked turn as soon as I should have ( looked like a turn into someone’s driveway but was indicating a u-turn) and I added a few miles before I backtracked to the rest stop. Can’t forget my lights. About 5 miles from the finish the wonderful tailwind turned into a nasty headwind. It was still a good ride at a total time of 13:30.

After a six week break it was time for number 9, my favorite double, Mount Tam (14,800’ and 199 miles). Being close to home, the climb up Mount Tam with views of the coast, and the rural roads all add to its appeal. Jay and I had agreed to stay together for the ride. He would stay with me on the climbs and I would stay with him on the descents. Leaving rest stop #4 at Valley Ford Jay’s foot started to bother him. It really slowed him down on the climb up Bay Hill road. He told me to go on but I tried to stay just up the road where he could see me and his competitive nature wouldn’t let him quit. After the water stop at the top of the Coleman Valley climb he started feeling better. Unusual for him he was flying down the Joy Road descent and I was having trouble staying with him. From there on, he was his competitive self chasing down other riders who didn’t acknowledge his presence as they passed us or someone who was up ahead and  needed to be caught and passed. Rolling into the finish with a total time of 14:15 it was a good ride for both of us.

Six weeks later it was Double #10, Knoxville Double Century (11,600’ and 201 miles). Having fallen hard four weeks prior I was just starting to feel well but I hadn’t gotten in the mileage I had hoped for. I was planning on riding Steve’s, Jack’s, and Jay’s wheels the whole ride. However Jay crashed nine days before the ride and I thought I’d have one less wheel to draft. As the ride approached I e-mailed him that I would lend him my cane so he could get around at the rest stops. He thought he would be OK but he would have to ride his “heavy” GT bike. That was fine with me if the pace was a little slower. Jay knew that Ish Mac and his wife would be giving massages at the lunch stop and that was his quest for the first hundred miles. And so it occurred and I was happy to wait for him. However Jack wanted to get rolling before his legs tightened up so after ten minutes on the massage table it was back on the road. I pulled ahead on the climb over Cobb Mountain (the opposite direction from the Davis ride) and waited for Jay and Jack at Rest Stop #4. Jack wanted to keep moving after a short stop but Jay needed to sit a little longer. Wanting to make sure I finished #10 I waited with Jay. From the last rest stop it is only 12 miles but we had to do it in the dark. It’s kind of fun to ride along and not really know if you’re going up or down a slight grade. At 15:00 number #10 was finished.

With the proper training doing ten doubles wasn’t that hard. I tried to keep each one a fun ride. Having other Diablo’s to ride with helped to do that. Mental attitude is as important as having the physical ability.

Now for the real reason I did ten doubles. I had to justify buying a Calfee frame and building it up by calling it my doubles bike.