Skull Valley Loop clockwise - Silvio

[psychling]

I had planned on riding from Prescott to Congress and back yesterday but didn't have time to do it. So, I switched to the Skull Valley Loop clockwise instead.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/130050205

Although I find the 8 miles of descending on White Spar from Mile Marker 298 to Kirkland Junction boring and frustrating the 18 mile ascent from Kirkland to the top of Iron Springs Road makes up for it.

Since I just had the new SRAM Rival groupset installed on the Silvio a few days before I hadn't had the chance to `dial in' the shifting, handlebar rotation setting, the position and angle of placement of the brifters on the handlebars ... I did that on the bike while going over the Bradshaw Mtns on White Spar. A later than expected start and the time spent on dialing the SRAM Rival groupset put the Congress course out of `reach' yesterday.

As much as I tell myself to hold back on my training ... I did it again. I climbed the 18 miles from Kirkland to the top of Iron Springs Road in the 53 big ring upfront and the 30 and 32 rings in back. My RPMs were easily into the 60's and my speeds sometimes got as low as 5.1 mph on the 9% and 11% grades. I told myself during the ascents that I was doing `hill repeats,' but just longer and without the `repeats.'

The Silvio is a dream to ride. On the ascents, on the flats and on the descents.

 

[Romagjack]

Nice work. Do you always ride

Nice work. Do you always ride by yourself when you train? What kind of numbers do you put up on a flat course or do you just love to climb?

 

[psychling]

solo or no

I usually ride by myself but less so now that I'm retired and don't have a strange schedule. Also, while `working' I lived in Chicago and had to put the bike in the pickup and drive 45-60 miles one way to find open roads -- all flat.

Now that I live out here there literally ARE no flat roads. All mountains. In fact, If I want to ride on the flats I have to ... put the bike in the pickup and drive 40 miles one way to get there.

The fact is, I like climbing. Always have. Great training and it penetrates the wall of worry I use to have when doing ultras or racing and all I had to train on was the flats.

Also, since I live in a town with lots of roadies (not one recumbent!) I can meet up with one or six riders who like to ride.

Today I'll be riding down to Congress (44 miles) and back (88 miles and 9,500 feet of climbing). I'll be surprised if anyone local shows for the ride, though I posted it on the local cycling email listserve.

Congress is the start of the flat desert. When the daylight lasts longer my plan is to ride to Congress with an Extrawheel and some camping gear. From there I'll head SW to designated locations where I can camp near one of the few desert towns and have a few amenities. I'll be conservative at first (in terms of distance) bc I've never done that. But I'd like to find a desert camping location and ride some long hub rides (leaving the Extrawheel and camping gear at the hub).

 

[Romagjack]

You're certainly in great

You're certainly in great county to do rides like that. Keep posting.