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By admin, September 7, 2007 6:41 pm

by Stephen Herrick

Suppose a Diablo Cyclist wanted to train hard enough that he/she could start at a point exactly 15 miles from the summit of Mt Hamilton (say at Amy’s Rancheria,) ride to the top, and then return exactly the same way and have an average speed of 15 miles per hour upon his return.

He/she goes out as hard as he can, and checks his cyclometer as he makes the turn at the observatory before heading back down. He’s got an average speed of 7.5 miles per hour so far.

At what average speed will he need to ride the descent back to the start in order to finish with his target goal of 15 miles per hour for the compete out-and-back?

Well, it’s a trick question really. He can’t get his average up to 15 miles per hour unless he can teleport instantaneously back to the start.

Here’s the deal. Average speed is determined by the distance you travel, divided by (per) the time you take to do it. However, if you average ½ of your target speed over ½ of your distance, you use up all the time you’ve allotted yourself to complete the entire trip already.

Plug in some numbers, and it gets easier to see. It’s exactly 15 miles from the start to the summit, so an out and back would be a total of 30 miles. If you want to finish the whole round trip with an average speed of 15 miles per hour, you have to complete the ride in 2 hours. But if you average 7.5 miles per hour for the first 15 miles, then you’ve already taken two hours!

Or, for the mathematically inclined, d (distance) / t (time) = v (velocity or average speed)
Flip that around you get, d/v=t.
But, 1/2d / 1/2v also = t.

Try something actually doable for all you daredevil descenders. Say you start at the same point 15 miles from the top, and you’ve got the same goal of 15 mph average, so you have 2 hours to complete the ride. You check your cyclometer at the top and you’ve got a respectable 10 miles per hour.

Okay, it took you one and ½ hours to climb to the summit (15 miles at 10 miles per hour, congratulations.) Now you’ve got to make the return 15-mile trip in ½ hour. That requires an average speed of 30 miles per hour. Watch it on the hairpins!

But say you get to the top and you’ve got an average of 8 miles per hour. Well, riding 15 miles at 8 mph means it took you 1 hour, 52 minutes, and 30 seconds to get there. Remember, to average 15 mph you have to complete the trip in 2 hours, so now you have only 7 and ½ minutes left to get down. Let’s see, 7.5 minutes to go 15 miles would require an average speed of 2 miles per minute, or 120 mph! I don’t think you’re going to make it.

The moral of the story is; you can almost never recover your average speed after climbing up a long hill merely by descending the other side.

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By admin, August 9, 2007 9:01 pm

by Kitty Goursolle

Paris-Brest-Paris is 1225 km long, or about 760 miles. 90 hours are allowed to complete it. There’s about 35,000 ft of climbing, all in smaller hills and rollers. It’s death (to your legs) by 1000 cuts!  But the huge number (5200) of participants and the enthusiastic support of the French people give PBP a special spirit found nowhere else. The long periods of rain this year made it the most difficult PBP since 1957. The usual finishing percent is about 88%, but for 2007, only about 70% of the starters were able to finish.

Thanks go to Mike Hrast who gave me the idea to do PBP in 2005. He also convinced Don Cartwright to go as well.  The three of us did a lot of long rides to get ready, but there really is no one way to train for such an event. It’s understood that a rider attempting PBP will do lots of miles and will be able to survive tough conditions. The mind is just as important as the body in an event this long. Thankfully, I was able to remain confident, optimistic and in good humor throughout.

Before I started, I had planned how far I’d ride before sleeping. I had a time goal of 86 hours and a general idea of how to pace each segment of the ride. I didn’t try so much to ride fast, but instead made an effort to ride as efficiently as possible, and above all, not to waste time in the controls. It went pretty much as planned, but I had to skimp on sleep the last night out to finish with a comfortable margin of about 3 hours. What actually happened was that I rode 280 miles in the first segment, then slept for 3 hours, followed by 200 miles and another 3 hour sleep, then 140 miles and 1.5 hours of sleep, followed by the last 140 miles to the finish. The wet roads and poor visibility slowed everybody down. I finished in 86:40, very close to my goal time of 86 hours. But I gave up about 2 hours of sleep on my last night to do it. I slept just enough to stay safe on the bike and avoid hallucinations!

There were some frightening and painful moments. I saw a pair of riders ahead of me skid and crash on some wet,oily pavement. I was sure I’d be next, but something saved me. It took a while to relax again after that. Later on, the constant dampness took its toll– I was getting a bad case of “immersion foot”. It looked awful, and felt like my feet were on fire!  I had to stop often to change socks and tried my best to keep my feet dried off. The other difficult times were the early morning hours after dawn. The short sleeps were finally catching up with me and I knew that if I were to get off the bike and rest, I would be out like a light and probably not wake up for hours. So I pushed myself through it, with lots of help from the riders and the wonderful French people all along the route who gave out coffee, cake, water, and snacks, and most of all, their encouragement. “Bon Courage!” “C’est une femme! Elle est belle!” really worked like a charm to boost my spirits. Translation: Good Courage! That’s a woman! She’s cute!

My best moments were arriving at Brest, the halfway point, and knowing that I was doing fine and would finish PBP on time.  I loved climbing Roc-Trevezel and reaching the “top” of PBP, with a 360 degree view of the surrounding countryside and drafting a wonderfully fast California tandem from the top of the Roc all the way to Brest, setting a blistering pace in some of the few sunny hours of the whole ride. I finally found my legs on the 3rd rainy afternoon and attacked the rolling hills on the way back to Paris with great delight. It was great fun talking (in my high school French) to the many people who waited along the route and slapping five with the kids. Finally, I was rolling to the finish, cheered on by big crowds, and feeling so happy that I thought my heart might burst.

It’s not about the bike, according to Lance, but just in case anyone is curious, I rode my 8-year old Litespeed Ultimate that you see me on rain or shine.  The “naked” bike is 17.5 lbs. Wheels are Mavic Open Pro’s built on Ultegra hubs, 32 spokes, 3 cross,  tires are Conti 4000’s , size 25, inflated  to 90-95 psi. Bombproof! (I think!)  Brooks B-17 seat with cut out done by Sella Anatomica. I still added a gel pad to it after the 2nd day. Drive train: Dura-Ace cassette 12-27, FSA triple crank 50/39/28. I could crawl up anything with ease in these gears.  For PBP, you must have a bike that is totally reliable, comfortable, and proven. I wore shimano mountain bike shoes mated with speedplay frog pedals. The mtb shoes and pedals didn’t slow me down at all and were great for walking in—thanks to Mark and Amy Able for this idea! I saw plenty of tired PBP riders falling down slippery stone stairs or on wet floors in their road cleats…pity.

A PBP bike has to carry some essential items, so I rode with a Bento Box on the top tube and in back, Mark’s rack from Rivendell and a Carradice Cadet seat bag. I carried a large size waterbottle filled with dry Cytomax, a pound of Perpetium, and two gel bottles (about 8 oz).of Hammergel. I was motivated to eat these things up and lighten my load, plus I was able to skip quite a few long lines at the controls by eating my own food. I carried an extra pair of socks and shorts, which I changed every 200 km or so. I had three spare tubes, a crank bros. mini tool, a set of derailleur cables, tire irons, zip ties, chain lube, a seatpost collar and binder bolt. With all of that, my 17.5 lb. bike was closer to 26 lbs., but that wasn’t a bad for a PBP. I never had any mechanical problems or flats, and I was sure to wipe down and re-lube the chain every night. Very important things stayed in a pouch that hung around my neck. They were my money (200 euros), and the PBP plastic ID and brevet card. If the brevet card is lost, you might as well quit, since without it, you have no proof that you have completed the route. I did not carry a wallet or my passport, but I did have my Calif. driver’s licence and medical insurance card in the neck pouch.

I wore wool jerseys throughout PBP, and usually needed a layer of long underwear under that for the colder hours of nighttime. All the colorful lightweight jerseys I hoped to wear stayed in the drop bag!  I wore the usual bike shorts and leg warmers, with wool socks and shoe covers during the rain, plus Rainlegs and a rain jacket. A Headsweats hat with a large brim went under my helmet.  This was big help in keeping the rain off of my glasses. I got a new pair of Rudy Project  prescription flip-up glasses and had very little trouble with them fogging, a big plus for me after some very miserable times with fogged glasses last winter. My hands were happy in gloves with gel padding, liner gloves, and gore tex overmitts for the rain.  I carried extra socks and shorts to change into, and if the weather got better, the outerwear layer would go into the Carradice bag in back. (That didn’t happen very often.)

I said before that it wasn’t possible to “train” for PBP, but this is what I did and what worked for me. Since the fall of 2004, I’ve been riding to work most days and tend to average about 120 commute miles a week, plus another 80—120 miles on weekends doing club rides, or organized centuries or double centuries.  I usually have about 8,000–12,000 ft of climbing in a week.  In 2006, I rode around 12,000 miles, and in 2005, about 10,000 miles.  I allowed myself two years to build up to a 1200 k distance. In 05, I rode about 6 double centuries, including the Calif. Triple Crown stage race, 10 solo centuries, and did about 8,000 miles for the year. In ’06 I did a brevet series, the Cascade 1200, 6 double centuries, the stage race, plus about 20 solo centuries. This year, 2007 was the PBP year so I did a 1000k, the PBP qualifying brevet series of 200-300-400-600 km rides, and 8 double centuries leading up to PBP. Included were about four rides that were longer than 20 hours each, all of which involved going overnight without sleeping. I raced in the California triple crown stage race too. These doubles were great training for putting both speed and distance together.  The frosting on the cake was winning the women’s division of the stage race for the 2nd time in 3 years! (As before, some really fast women didn’t show up!)

The year’s best “dress rehearsals” for PBP were: Riding the Portland to Glacier 1000 k and limiting my sleep each night to under 4 hours, and second, riding my Fleche team’s 24 hour route in about 21 hours, and following this up with a 3 hour sleep and then a solo 140 miles. The toughest rides to finish were two of the shortest—a 200k in 06 and a 300k in 07 as both had over 10 hours of continuous rain, in January and February on California’s North Coast. Add a headwind, darkness and complete solitude to the pouring rain and you have found the perfect training environment for this year’s PBP.

I had so much “fun” in 2007 that I’ve already begun to make plans for the next PBP in 2011. I hope someone who reads this will think, “If she can do it, so can I!”  It was the ride of a lifetime, and an experience well worth the effort involved.

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By admin, June 9, 2007 8:45 pm

by Kitty Goursolle

The idea of riding point-to-point across 4 states for 1000 km or 624 miles really fascinated me and I signed up for this ride right away. My $185 was well spent, which included a required membership in the Oregon Randonneurs, abundant dinners and breakfasts, and motels for the 3 nights. Plus, it would be a good shakedown ride for the PBP 1200 km coming up in August 2007. My boyfriend Bob even volunteered to fly me there and pick me up at the finish in his beautiful little Beech Bonanza. We decided to leave on Wednesday, June 27, as the next two days were going to be rainy with low clouds a scud, no fun in a small plane crossing mountains. Our flight was quick with a nice tailwind, 2h45m, beats driving and even the airlines when you factor in wait-in-line time. For the next two days, I rode only about 15 miles of the beginning of the 1000 k and we did some sightseeing, cherry picking and wine tasting around Mt. Hood and the Gorge.

Day 1: 400 km, Troutdale, Or to Connell, WA. At the 5 am start, I met up with Linda Bott, my friend and fellow double century specialist. We would ride most of the 1000k together. We began with about 200 miles of riding east along the Columbia River Gorge, then north for 50 miles to finish in the farmlands of Connell. Beautiful waterfalls and rock formations, not to mention the giant river. The route was rolling hills with a light tailwind all day, and the scenery went from forest to farmland. We finished at 12:40 a.m. at our first overnight control, the M and M Motel. Dinner was ready for us when we came in, and breakfast was served the next morning, thanks to the dedicated volunteers from the Oregon Randonneurs club. I did something new for me -after shower and dinner, I took an ice bath for my legs right before bed and dosed up on ibuprofen (600mg). I got into bed at 1:30 a.m. with my ear plugs in and my black eye shades on-we were going to be sharing a room and I didn’t want to be woken up later on.

Day 2: 300 km, Connell, WA to Kellogg, ID. Three hours of sleep. I knew I’d be very slow the next day after a 250 miler, so I was up at 4:30, ate breakfast, and was off by 5:15 a.m., with plenty of daylight already. We crossed the “scablands” of the Wastunka Coolee, where a gigantic flood carved the land into canyons and mesas. Many rolling hills, more farm country. But off in the northeast, in Idaho, the Rocky Mountains and forests waited. A highlight of today’s journey was the Coeur d’Alene bike trail, 53 miles that followed the lakeshore and took us all the way into our 2nd overnight in Kellogg. More dinner and breakfast as before, same ice bath to reduce swelling and inflammation…it helped quite a lot. We got in fairly early on day 2, at10:15 p.m., but somehow I still only got about 4 hour of sleep. After the ice bath, I got hungry again and got up to eat a 2nd dinner. Much to my surprise, there was a rider going out at 12:30 a.m. who had gotten in earlier and said he’d had his 3 hours of sleep and was ready to go. I saw a few more riders arrive, then finally went to sleep for the 2nd time at about 1 a.m.

Day 3: 300 km, Kellogg, WA to Whitefish, MT (finish!) I was up at 4:30 a.m. without the alarm clock and on the road again by 5 a.m. This is getting to be a habit! We were on the same bike trail for a few more miles before leaving it to climb the two big passes of the day. Not long after starting, I encountered a moose on the trail, and she wasn’t inclined to move along. I hung back and sang her a really stupid song about a moose on a bicycle, which worked like a charm to hurry her along. I kept rolling along and up the first climb, Dobson Pass, 5 miles and 1500 ft, piece of cake in my 27 x 28. At the bottom, met up with Linda again, saw moose#2, happily it was chewing grass in a swamp, not walking the road. We climbed the 2nd big pass of the day, Thompson Pass, and had a great descent on the other side. Thanks to riding the Devil Mountain, Muholland, Central Coast, and Terrible Two California double centuries, none of the climbs here seemed very long or hard. But there were many shorter climbs and descents, setting a pattern for the rest of the day. When we topped the hill that overlooked Flathead Lake, we had a magnificent view of the gateway to Glacier Park and and 40 more miles of big rollers to the finish. Linda and I finished at 12:15 a.m., on Tuesday, July 3rd, for a total time of 67h15m.

The next day, I met up with Bob and we rented a car to take the scenic drive around Glacier National Park on the “Going to the Sun” highway. I was still pretty sore and tired, so a car trip was just fine with me. Then on Wednesday, July 4th, I felt good enough to hike 5 miles in to see Avalanche Lake…and take my last “ice bath” in its chilly waters! We saw a huge fireworks show that night in Whitefish, and flew home Thursday, taking about 5 hours to get back to Concord. By today, Friday, July 6, my legs stopped being sore and I rode 30 easy miles on the Blvd. PBP, here I come….

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By admin, November 9, 2006 8:34 pm

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.

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By admin, September 9, 2006 8:30 pm

Steve sets his sites on the Triple Crown Hall of Fame after setting a new club record for total double centuries completed.

Most of us don’t often get a chance to ride with Steve Berry. After he moved to Brisbane four years ago, it’s always a treat to see Steve show up for a weekend Club ride. It usually means however, that he has a double century coming up and needs the miles – not that riding with the club isn’t worth the drive! So who is this guy? Unmistakable with his knee–brace and Camelback, if you meet him at the start of a Club ride, chances are he’s already been up Mount Diablo and will be looking to log in 100+ miles for the day.

Steve is on his way to the California Triple Crown Hall of Fame (50 or more double centuries.) After completing 5 this year, Steve set a new record (32) for total number of double centuries completed by a Diablo Cyclists Club member. Ron Rogers is second with 31, and Don Cartwright is third, with 24 (completing 10 in 2006!)

Between them there are certainly many stories to tell. The following is an article written by Steve giving us some insight into how he got started and just what is it about riding 200 miles in a day that is so darn intriquing?

by Steve Berry

I was up early to go for another bike ride.  My lights were charged, my bike prepped, and my gear set out and ready to roll.  I had done this so many times before that it was routine by now.

27 years later (fast forward through working in Yosemite, joining the Marine Corps, getting married, graduating from UC Davis, and raising two kids), I decided it was time to start riding again. My left knee by then was shot from blowing it out too many times playing softball (including rupturing the ACL) and then tearing the meniscus while training for a marathon (and that is why I wear a knee brace when I ride). So riding a bike again was about my only available form of outside exercise.

We lived in Clayton at the time, with the Mitchell Canyon gate to Mt. Diablo less than 10 minutes from our house, so it was only natural for me to get a Mtn. bike. Over the years I started riding on the weekends with a group of riders organized through the Clayton Bike shop (same owner as Encina in Walnut Creek) and even ventured out of town for some group rides and a couple of races (after upgrading my bike to a carbon-fiber with front suspension–SWEET!). In fact it was while riding on Mt. Diablo one hot evening after work that I met (now) fellow Diablo Cyclist Sarkis Soghomonian. (Little did we know back then that a few years later we would both be doing almost all of our riding on roads.)

In Dec. of 1996 I had a retinal occlusion in my left eye. A vein ruptured flooding a portion of my retina, and leaving me with permanent partial vision in that eye (that’s why I wear my helmet mirror on the right side). Diabetes was ruled out, but hypertension can also be a cause, and exercise is a great way to control high blood pressure, so all of a sudden I had a real “purpose” to my riding.

In Feb. of 1997 I was approached at work by a guy that was a “roadie” and then a member of the Diablo Cyclists (Michael Caine).  He said he and a couple other fellow Del Monte employees (including Mark Abele) were planning on doing the Chico Century and asked if I wanted to do it as well (they were all buying matching jerseys for Team Batik with a big Del Monte logo on the front). I told him I only had a Mtn. bike, and besides I didn’t know if I could even ride that far.  He noted I still had 2 months to train and offered his road slicks for me as a “challenge”. I bit.

For those two months I diverted my efforts from the fire roads and trails of Diablo to the roads around Diablo.  I got lost the 1st time I did Morgan Territory (had NO idea where I was when I got to the Livermore side of the Mtn.), but in subsequent trips I just kept trying to get faster and faster.  By ride day I felt prepared, but had still not done more than 55 miles in a day.

The day before the big ride I showed up for my first “Club” ride.   It went from Countrywood to Crockett and back, and on that ride I participated in my very first pace line–what a rush. I also met other riders that would be going to Chico later that day, including Ron Rogers.  That night I met a gaggle of Diablo cyclists in Chico for dinner, including Doug Goodwin, Craig and Brian Martinelli, Dave McKenzie, and too many others to remember names.  I felt a bit like a fish out of water with all those “experienced” riders, but was enjoying the fact that indeed I was opening a new door (if only I really knew!!!).

I spent the next day riding “easy” (no heart rate monitor back then) and it seemed like all I really was doing was following (trying to chase down?) one Diablo Cyclist jersey after another.  I can remember at one point being in a small pace line with Ron Rogers going about 24 mph.  After dropping the other riders it was just the two of us.  He commented that I should get a road bike and then like him and several others in the Club I too could ride like this ALL DAY LONG.  The thought did not really seem too appealing, but then it also seemed like a challenge (Geez I hate that!!!) and when I too had to drop off his wheel I have to admit I was both impressed and envious (and yes, a little disappointed in myself).

So I joined the Diablo Cyclists and started riding with the Club each Sat. and Sun. morning.  Ron got tired of seeing me on my Mtn. bike so he loaned me his old (purple) Trek.  My first road bike!  And he loaned me a heart rate monitor too.  I guess at that moment I officially became a “roadie”.

I did a few more centuries during ‘97 and ‘98, and it was early in ‘98 that I set my sights on the Death Ride.  I kept seeing other Club members with the cool DR jerseys from previous years, and I just had to get me one.  But the one jersey that intrigued me the most was that of the Terrible Two–but I could NEVER imagine riding that far in one day, and doing that much climbing!  And doing it within a time limit!

My son came home from Cal for the weekend and went with me to the ‘98 DR, and worked as a volunteer at the Monitor rest stop.  We camped in the Turtle Rock Park parking lot at the start of ride in Markleeville with Ron, Brian, Mark, Amy, and several other Diablo Cyclists and we both had a WONDERFUL weekend.  That night after successfully completing the ride (5 passes) and sitting around drinking wine and watching the shooting stars (and satellites) I realized that indeed I had one more goal to accomplish–the Terrible Two.  I had almost a year to get both physically and mentally prepared.  But heck, if one is going to do the TT, why not shoot for the Triple Crown.  And heck, while at it, how about the 1,000 mile club.  So the personal gauntlet was down.

But first I had to buy MY own road bike.  When I first saw that red, white and blue Trek 5200 in the window at Encina I was like a kid in toy store.  I called home and said, “Honey, can I” (Of course I had to use that same line this past year when I got the new Litespeed.).  I was ready.

1999 began with the Death Valley Double, then Solvang, and Hemet .  OK, the Triple Crown was in the books.  Then a little local ride, the Devil Mtn. Double, and a big gap until the Eastern Sierra and then–THE TERRIBLE TWO.

Thirty two doubles later I can vividly remember almost every detail of that first year.  (I also now have the Triple Crown Jersey and tee-shirt with all the rides on the back, and I even bought the coffee cup which I use at work almost daily.)

That Death Valley Double is fondly (?) remembered by Tom Nelson (his first double as well) and me both.  He, Ron and I were about 60 miles into the ride and leading a very long and fast pace line when Ron said something like, “Are you ready boys?” Well, we ratcheted it up a couple of notches and people started falling off the back.  As I looked down at my heart rate monitor I remember thinking hitting 185 bpm early on my first double was probably NOT a good idea.  But I couldn’t just slow down–could I?  (Funny, that thought never entered my head that day).  Oh, and it was on this double that I first experienced a “bonk”. Tom, Ron and I were climbing the long grade before lunch just chatting away and all of a sudden I reached the end of my extension cord–and yes, it was almost that sudden.  I told them to go on, and after laying down resting a while–and hurling–I felt great the rest of the day.  Tom and I had driven down together and stopped in Tehachapi for breakfast on the way back.  What is it about a big breakfast after a big ride?  Boy was that good.

I remember Solvang to this day for 3 key things:  The fast pace lines on Foxen Canyon, the VERY strong head-winds from the 1st rest stop all the way to Morro Bay (with long pace lines echeloning out into the street), and the wickedly fast pace lines from Los Osos down to lunch.  Oh, how could I forget the 4th key thing?  The (now) traditional breakfast at Paula’s.  Now THAT is a breakfast!!!!  Tom, Ron, Vic DeOrnellis (sp?) and I rode together a lot that day, and I slept on the floor in a motel room filled with bikes and bodies.  Too much fun!

Hemet is meaningful because that is where my wife and I went to high school (and met), and my in-laws still lived there (back then).  I was the only Diablo Cyclist that did Hemet that year, and the real reason I did it was because it was a good chance for us to drive down and visit.  I can remember leaving their home to drive to the motel where the ride started and having to scrape the ice off the windshield.  I must have had 6 layers of clothes on–GEEZ it was cold.  At the first rest stop I took off layer one, and then got into a 5 man pace line over by Lake Mathews .  I could smell diesel fuel, but that is often used as weed abatement for fire breaks next to the road, but it wasn’t until I went down and started spinning wildly on the road that I realized it was on the road.  (At the next rest stop other riders said they had seen it splashing out as a bus passed them.)  Fen Pervier (has done 40 total doubles) was right behind me, and how he missed me as I went down I have no idea.  He stopped (which is how I met him) and helped put me back together.  While I was evaluating my road rash and thinking how bad I now smelled (we used diesel in Viet Nam to burn off the toilets, so I HATE that smell to this day!!!!) Fen took off his vest.  Yes, he was wearing a TT jersey. I told him that was why I was there, a TT training ride (aren’t they all?)  We stayed together the rest of the day, and at the car at lunch (it is basically a figure 8 course with lunch at the start/finish) he showed me his Triple Crown shirt from the year before with 11 completed rides (they only had 12 then, and I don’t remember what it was that prevented him from getting the 12th, and he was bummed about that).  He had aerobars and ended up pulling me most of the rest of the way. We finished with Chuck Bramwell (Mr. Triple Crown) and finished like 7th, 8th and 9th.  Not too shabby–oh, and I got aerobars right after that.  (Note: next time you see me wearing tights, look at my left hip.  Yup, same tights, same two holes.).  Oh, and when we finished I told Fen I was concerned about being able to do DMD (just the next weekend). He said, “You won’t have a problem!”

When one lives in Clayton it is just a little hop, skip and jump to the start of the Devil Mtn. Double in San Ramon. It is nice being close.  But when I set the alarm the night before I had done the math wrong and got up 30 minutes later than I needed, so I started out late, and rushed I pulled into the Marriott parking lot and Ron, Brian, Vic and Tom were mounted and waiting (not so patiently).  NOT a good start to the day.  Ron took off like a bat out of hell. I think his goal for the day was to 1) set a new PR and 2) set an unsupported course record.  My goal was to finish–just finish.  I didn’t care WHEN, just do it!!!  I don’t remember a lot about the day except seeing Ron on the massage table at the lunch stop at the junction on Mines Rd and thinking that he looked like death warmed over.  I grabbed some food to–go and hit the road.  I hate hate hate Mt. Hamilton .  It is just SO boring.  I don’t mind the physical effort it takes, but I just HATE (did I say that already) the incessant mind numbing plodding that it takes to get to the summit.  I did allow myself one 5 minute break off the bike in the shade, but every minute I was looking over my shoulder waiting for Ron to catch me.   Earlier in the day, on flats going into Livermore I got into a paceline with a guy and we ended up staying together the rest of the day.  So even though I didn’t have Ron, or Tom or Brian or Vic to finish with (very late in the dark) I did at least have company. The next day I stayed on the couch ALL day with a feeling of accomplishment that I have not experienced after any other ride.  That ride is an ass–kicker!

Eastern Sierra has become my favorite double.  It is just so beautiful out on the eastern side of the Sierras.  In 1999 Tom Nelson and I drove out together, and started the ride with Ron.  It was a beautiful day, and I was feeling strong, so Ron and I dropped Tom and hammered to Lee Vining.  Heading toward the Sage Hen rest stop after lunch Ron suggested to me and another rider with us that if we had any gels, that then would be a good time to use them–and then he took off.  There was nothing I could do.  All of a sudden my legs were like columns of cement and I could see him just getting smaller and smaller into the distance.  When I got to the rest stop at the “summit” I could hardly walk.  I sat for about 10 minutes, ate and drank, and then understanding that there were some good downhills just ahead, I took off.  Within a couple of miles I felt like nothing had happened (I had now made it through my 2nd bonk).  After the last rest stop at Benton I led a 30 mph (tailwind aided) 5 man pace line most of the way to the finish (including John Clare (now in the Triple Crown hall of fame) who said he was too tired to pull!  Grrrr).  I had hoped to catch Ron, but no such luck.  And boy did Tom and I have a great breakfast at Denny’s in Bishop the next morning!

THE Terrible Two Finally.  It was hard to believe this day was actually here. Ron, Brian, Steve Walker and I all started together. Ron and I got separation from Steve and Brian in the fast pace lines on the Silverado Trail, and then Ron dropped me right after the 1st rest stop as I had to make an unscheduled pit stop.  But when I got to rest stop #2 at the top of Geysers Ron was still there.  I rolled before him, and as with the DMD spent the rest of the day looking over my shoulder.  After the Camp Gualala rest stop I felt great and started hammering.  As I rode by one rider she commented, “What are you doing, don’t you know what is ahead?” Well, no, I didn’t–but I do now!

I rode all the way from Fort Ross to Rio Vista with John Clare, and felt so good at Rio Vista that I didn’t even bother eating–BIG mistake.  About 2 miles down the road, with John and I sucking the wheel of a tandem I hit the wall and had to drop back (bonk #3).  It only cost me a total of 10 minutes, so instead of finishing in a tie for 77th I tied for 91st–but I did learn an important lesson about eating.

When I finished and saw Ron, Brian and Steve in the dinner area I was aghast!  When did they pass me? I was exhausted, but was I also delirious?  Unfortunately they all had to sag in. So I was the only Diablo Cyclist to finish the TT that year, and I also accomplished a VERY big personal goal.

When I got to work on Monday Michael Caine (the guy that started all this craziness) asked if I had done the TT, and told me a relative of his was on the ride and had been taken to the hospital in an ambulance. This turned out to be Peter Burnett. (He and I have now become good friends, and have roomed at several doubles since then.) That was his first double, and after lunch all he did was drink straight water which led to severe hyponatremia–and hospitalization for a week. He has since turned into a VERY fast (and smart) rider, does brevets, and did PBP two years ago.

So it was June 1999, and my cycling goals had been achieved. I can remember being on a Club ride later that summer and Ron and I talked about how it would be cool to do 2,000 miles in doubles in 2000.  So that  became my goal.  But when it came time (around Xmas 1999) to start training for the upcoming “season” I just couldn’t get myself motivated to do it.  I was simply burned out. For the next 16 months I maybe touched the bike once a month and didn’t ride anything longer than 30 miles (I did a lot of hard walking in the hills of San Francisco at lunch to get my exercise).

Then I read Lance’s first book.  It was April 2001.  I had a little over two months until the Terrible Two. Now I was motivated again. And the Chico Century was my first “training” ride for the TT (seemed fitting).

About 4 years ago we moved from Clayton (after 12 years) to the other side of the Bay (Brisbane) to be closer to our jobs and shorten our commutes. This has created two riding problems though. The cold weather and wind in Brisbane make if VERY problematic to do summer evening rides after work, and driving back out to Countrywood to ride with THE CLUB adds about 2 hours of drive time, which some times just isn’t there–so I don’t get to do Club rides now as often as I would like.

I plan to keep riding doubles for a while.  My goals now are to get into the Hall of Fame (50 total doubles: 32 down, 18 to go) and to have completed each course at least once (I still have Heart Break, Tour of Two Forests and Bass Lake remaining). The Diablo Cyclists are normally well represented at most doubles, and it is now fun to see and ride with Don, Kitty, Jay, Jack, Mike and Doug, and we all enjoy seeing Doug G. (Mr. Pahrump) out there as well, especially when he is driving sag.

This year I did the Chico Century again (after volunteering at DMD the day before).  When I got to that stretch of road where Ron had dropped me back in ‘98 I cranked it up.  I was by myself, down in my aerobars, and going 27-28 mph.  I was passing people by the score.  Several guys tried to jump on but didn’t last long.  It made me grin.