This is just a quick post so I could upload the bazillion screenshots and photos from my ride today. I set all kinds of new records … one shortest distance record, but most of the records were shortest time to reach a given amount of climbing. I was pushing the pace really hard – and went for three KOMS. All of them were spontaneous decisions, but they were definitely all-out efforts. The last KOM was the double oak way descent, which I set when I saw a jeep wrangler up at the radio towers with a pull-behind trailer. My first thought was, “oh that’s interesting – somebody must have gotten permission to be up here with a dirt bike or 4 wheeler”. But then I saw the side of the jeep said “Property Patrol” and I realized that the trailer was for confiscating off-road vehicles (and possibly bikes). So I took off like I was being chased by a swarm of bees. I big chainringed the short side of the roller coaster and I hit 52mph on the final steep portion of the descent. Then I did hill repeats to take my total up to 10,000 feet of climbing in just over 3.5 hours. It would have been even quicker if I had been able to do repeats on the roller coaster – but there was no way I was going to risk getting arrested and my bike confiscated.
Oh – and before I forget – here is one more photo from my mega ride on Wednesday – a picture of all the clothes that I went through during the day thanks to thunderstorms and 100% humidity.
Four kits, four pairs of socks, and two pairs of gloves – to ride 249 miles in one day – thanks to thunderstorms and 100% humidity
I’m going to go back and caption these photos and screenshots later. I think some of the screenshots are probably out of order … will re-arrange them later.
- The closed road that shortcuts over to pumphouse rd behind whole foods
- Descending old hwy 280 towards the cahaba river
- Approaching the top of the Healthsouth Helipad strava segment
- Circling the Healthsouth Helipad
- View from the Healthsouth Helipad looking towards the Double Oak ridge lines (Brook Highlands, Hugh Daniel, and Double Oak itself)
- View from Greystone Crest looking along the Hugh Daniel / Highland Lakes ridge line towards Oak Mountain
- Looking along the double oak ridge line from Co Rd 41
- Looking up at the radio towers peaking out behind the first ridge line on Double Oak. The double oak roller coaster dives off the front ridge line, bottoms out 125+ feet below, and immediately goes back up the second, higher ridge line at a 15-20% gradient for 1/4 mile.
- Looking up towards the gate after the first steep section of Double Oak Way and before the next really steep section
- Slotted road for traction
- Some gravel portions of double oak way
- Hoover City Limits sign near the Hugh Daniel / Co Rd 41 – this is so fascinating to me b/c it is so far from my house (which is also in Hoover)
- Tornado damage from the April 2011 tornadoes. There should be a lot more trees in this picture.
- This is right before the tornado damage.
- Four kits, four pairs of socks, and two pairs of gloves – to ride 249 miles in one day – thanks to thunderstorms and 100% humidity