Triangle Ride

Yesterday I went out on a ride that I've been threatening to do for a long while . . . the "Triangle" Ride. So named because:

. . . well, it's kind of obvious. The three points of the triangle are Truckee, Kings Beach and Tahoe City, making for a scenic and challenging 38 mile ride. Yes, 38 miles . . . I do believe this is my longest bike ride EVER, certainly since I was a teenager. By the end, it really felt like it, too. We elected to ride clock-wise, to get the huge climb over Brockway Summit (7200') completed early on.

That shark fin shape in the beginning represents a 4.5 mile climb which I tried to deal with by just being slow and steady. Hell, it's easier (if longer) than Donner Summit, so I think I did ok.

The ride was a nice mix of road, bike path, and construction. EVERY LEG of the triangle had some huge construction project going on, giving truth to the adage that Tahoe has three seasons -- WINTER, summer and construction (also, June-uary). This made for some tricky riding and detours onto bike paths. It was really nice being on a bike and not driving, 'cause the delays were looong.

Tom joined me for the ride, though I took a 20 minute head start -- he thought he'd catch me somewhere around Kings Beach (10 miles in), but I actually stayed ahead until Dollar Point, something like 18 miles in. I guess I have improved as a rider, at least a little bit, this summer. Maybe someday I'll actually improve enough to ride with a group . . .

Anyhow, the ride was 38 miles long (though Gary only recorded 36 of them, operator error for sure), completed in 3:01, for an average of just over 12 mph. Not bad for me, and I was happy to remain strong through most of the ride, though I did lag a bit at the end -- thankfully it was mostly downhill at that point. Interestingly, my legs felt very strong; I really suffered in the low back and especially in the neck -- if I had ridden much longer I think I would have spasmed out in those places. My guess (based purely on, um, guessing) is that this neck and back pain would go away if I spent some more time on the bike and just got used to it.

Also, I wouldn't mind building up a vajayjay callous, either.

Is that too much information?