Winter Riding in Queenstown Tuesday 7th June

Winter Riding in Queenstown

It takes a little longer than normal to gear up for night riding in the middle of a Queenstown winter.
First thing Tuesday morning I have to remember to put the batteries on to charge - Glowworms for me, then at 4 o’clock it’s time to stop work and grab a bit of fuel.

My favourite at the moment are some Honey Stinger bars I picked up in Steamboat, but I think I finished them last week, so it will be back to the supermarket energy bars. (Honey Stinger's energy and protein bars, waffles, gels and chews are all-natural foods designed for athletes - non other then Armstrong) and great for anyone looking for a healthy snack. Honey Stinger is pure natural energy and of course is honey based).

That done it’s back to work for an hour and also check the outside temperature on the computer. It will help determine what number of under layers to put on i.e. the lakes calm today so no wind chill to take into account.

Last week with the outside temperature below freezing it takes a little while to get organised, so a couple base layers for me then the Endura winter riding jacket, Torpedo7 vest and a then a wind jacket on (I know it will be in the pack later)
Regular shorts with Ground Effect Beesknees tights, Castelli winter overboots, and ski gloves. 

Dressed phew - now I’m hot! But that changes when I step outside and start rolling down the hill towards Frankton. The wind chill is immediate.

The traffic on Frankton road is so heavy it’s hard to break across. I’ve learnt that if there is any gap, you have to take it and bunny hop up onto the walkway.  As I roll into the Frankton Beach I see that I am 5 mins early. A quick chance to snap a couple of evening shots.

The plan tonite is to climb - it’s to cold for going fast on the trails. (eventually of course you have to come down but  . . .. we will get to that part)  The first climb is up one of the new suburbs above Frankton, grit all over the road, and then higher, grit on ice, so it requires gentle application of power through the whole pedal stroke. High up the road turns to frozen gavel which is a bit easier, and then finally onto the power line road and now we are totally into the permafrost country. The road is rutted and totally frozen solid
"Watch out for the black pieces’  We pass our exit and go looking for another, but turn back to take the first one after taking a few ‘frost photos’   The hoar frost is very impressive here.

Back down slowly - it’s cold and potentially very slippery as Martin finds out when one wheel drops onto a black patch. Frozen water ice in a rut sloping downhill.  Ouch - the right knee is first to touch down and I’m told it took a week to lose the colour.

Climb over a stone catch fence from the development and then down slippery gritted gravel roads to rejoin Frankton Road. 500 meters later we are off and up into the hill suburbs and looking for a marked walking access onto the Queenstown Hill (by the water tank)  A very steep climb takes us to a small col onto the powerline road. (the same one we had been on before)  From the col it descends rough 4* 4 dual track to eventually join the Qtn Hill Track.

In the dark with no one else around it is a wonderful climb (steady climbing with a couple pinches over 20%) The Basket of Dreams is the top for us tonight.  It certainly one way to warm up. Gloves are off by the top to try and keep the body temperature down.

Down slowly to avoid freezing although in the trees it’s not so cold.

A couple of suburban tracks, unknown to the others lead us down to the Frankton Road and then down again to the Frankton track for a steady ride back to Frankton.

The stats
1hr 58mins / 26.5kms / 876m elevation gain / 13.5kms average speed / Average temp is only minus .7 degrees )but this was modified by the temperature rising above freezing as we climbed - yes it was hotter at altitude than in the valley)

How to order a Small Fat Wife in the USA.

A Travel Log,
or How to order a Small Fat Wife in the USA.

18th Sept rolled around quick this year - the end of the ski season for me, marked by two weeks of some of the best skiing of the year on Coronet Peak.

We have entered Levi’s Grandfondo - the result of planning to ride in California (thanks Barry)   So San Fransisco here we come, but the day before someone cuts the fuel line to Auckland airport so reports suggest, we might not even get out, then that the planes will only get 20% gas and have to go elsewhere to refuel. As it turns out we make a trip to Fiji on the way north to refuel  - another stamp in the passport -  hink not as we are kept onboard for hot refueling. It adds really another couple hours to the flight - no affect to us, but I’m sure some people had their plans a little turned upside down.

So we are going to race at the end of Sept - now it’s the 18th and the bikes are dusty and still sitting in the boxes after returning from Cuba. Ski legs - yes, but how do we transform those into 102mile (164kms) race legs

But we have a plan !!  Jump on the bikes and ride - every day till the race. Well it’s not really the best plan, but we do try to achieve it somewhat. 

Lets see - Day 1 - where is the biggest mountain in the area?  Mount Tam (700meters). OK - that seems like a good place to start.  Actually it s really just up the road. Drop onto Hwy 1 - turn right and then right again and soon without much effort we are on the access road. Fantastic views everywhere  - of the city and of the west coast of the good old USA.

We take the obligatory pictures from a lookout and tun to ride along the ridge crest road - fine views of the coast, of Stinson Beach and Bolinas.  We roll along the tops on car free roads - let me repeat that, car free roads (how is it - we are just like 20-30mins from San Fransisco with a population of  7.1million ) but that is the way it is.

Rolling into a magnificent grove of redwoods we meet the BoFax road and turn downhill through a series of fantastic hairpins - shadowed by the redwoods. Out into the open of the Alpine lakes area, across the dam and  then descending -  more of it  - yahoo.  But we are dropping into Farfax and the road is lined by houses and increasing traffic. Suddenly the flats and we are in Fairfax - home to the Museum of Mtn Biking. But more important right now is lunch and a flat white. In my dreams that one - but surprisingly just to the left is a small cafe that has nice food (great croissant) and something resembling a flat white.

A gentle ride home after lunch - clicked up 60.1 kms, a thousand odd meters of climbing, just 3.27mins of moving time, but with the sleep in and bike build we arrive late back at our airbnb late - on funny enough Lattie Lane.

The next few days are the same - get up, eat, ride, protein shake, eat and sleep. We start to rack up the kms - by the end of the week we are up around 500kms and the legs - although a bit tired are feeling better.

Ok - now time for the altitude training. Up to Lake Tahoe at 6,000ft (mmm whats that - about 2,000metres )  High enough to take some benefit from when we go back down to the coast to race. 
First afternoon we tackle Brockway Summit - just some 40kms or so return but a gain of 600m. Lungs and legs feel fine actually and I push hard the last couple or three kms to the top.  Brandi is feeling ok to and is just a minute or so back.

But enough is enough, and since we are visiting a old friend from 40 years previously (when I was a ski bum working in Squaw Valley.) we take the following day off and go walking on the Pacific Crest Trail. Craig is showing us ‘his backyard’ and we stroll through the unique scenery of the high Sierra’s.


Next day - its back on the bike. Around the lake. A day of altitude training. but that is all it is. While the roads start out not to bad and not to crowded (a lot more than in Marin County though) - they just progressively get worse as we approach the very high traffic area of South Shore. Busy roads, casino’s and then a 4 lane highway to Spooner Lake. Lake Tahoe is ever present to the left but we rarely see it. 

Some road works (actually lots of them) give us some relief from the traffic as the road marshals are great and let us through unimpeded by traffic in either direction. We wait after each one and tag onto the end of the chain of cars and continue traffic free on our side. 
118km and 1392m of climbing - ticked the box, been there done that, don’t need to do it again in a hurry.

Altitude training done - we begin the descent back towards the city the next day. Our vehicle is great - a Dodge 7 seater van - but with the seats all folded down in the back we have space along the edges for the bike boxes, then the bikes and in the middle two ski bags. It’s just perfect and was the cheapest vehicle in the entire fleet of rental vehicles in SF - just $25 per day. Could not have asked for a better vehicle - thanks  AVR Airport Van Rentals.

The plan is to drive over into the Yuba River Basin and park the car downriver of Downeville and ride back up the Canyon, lunch and ride back down.  More road works scupper that plan and we continue downstream looking for a suitable quiet road. and boy did we find it!
Tahoe Forest 25 - direction Brandy City. Can’t resist that one and we find a quiet (3 cars in 2.5 hours) country paved road giving access to the Tahoe Forest. Two hours of nonstop climbing - the road all ours, shaded from the sun and the pavement good. Each summit we think is the top - but the road continues forever upwards - the angles are good so we don’t mind.

On the skyline we see a forest watch tower - but as we get closer it is not what it appears. Someone has built a large tower on a ridge with a huge sign - it simply says EAT ME.  Now this has us puzzled, and another half hour disappears as we struggle figuring out what the hell that is about  - in the end we just give up. It still puzzles us.  (42kms and 1011m of climbing)

OK - Time to focus.  - its race time.
A couple more local rides in the Santa Rosa GrandFondo area checking out parts of the course and the race / ride day arrives.

102miles of rough road riding with 4,000 other folks. Yes, 4,000 plus on the start line but we have arrived early and snaffle a reasonable spot. Still we have all the Il Regino riders ahead in their own enclosure (700 or so of them)

3, 2, 1 a kiss and good bye Brandi (she has opted for the shorter 61mile route due to a cold) A couple twists and turns on wide closed roads in the city and then into country lanes.

I push forward at every opportunity and use passing big boys to gain hundreds of spots - how can there be that many in front of me i don’t know. ?

Got to get up there while the going is good and there is heaps of space for passing so I keep moving forward.

The first of the little hills - up and down and the field is spreading out and now on open roads  CAR CAR  The words echo back through the peleton. Dropping into a hard right hand turn - riders appear from the ditch on both sides. No time to ponder - turn and accelerate. Now I am with a good group - up and over little rollers - dropping through tight twisting turns and the peleton is flowing - no sudden braking, no unexpected moments.

Through Guerneville (Hi Steve) and onto the Russian River Road. The climbings begins a few kms after we turn off the road. Kings Ridge - but first you have to get up there and 2 miles of stiff climbing is all it takes. But we are in the miles 30 to 33 and the legs are just feeling it a mite. 

Up on top - well not really.  It is what you might say is rolling but it feels like it only rolls upwards only. We are not real high - peaking at about 486m  - the complete Kings Ridge climb on Starva takes 1hr 13mins @ 21kms/hr, while the main climb takes 40mins @ 9kms/hr


Ahh  - I am exhausted writing about it again.

Hauser Bridge - All Stop. Must descend under escort - waiting waiting. From the Strava record its about 14mins (and a week later I apply to have that time given back - they only allowed 4 mins off my time)

The legs are cold and filled with acid as we descend in a tight group to the bridge - timing clock on - time to race again. The Hauser Bridge climb is Category 4 climb of 15mins followed by another 15kms of climbing - but then - its downhill and more downhill .

From 450meters to the sea in just over 8kms. The Strava segments have names like Drop to the Ocean, Meyers Grade Big Balls DH  - thats 55kms/hr for 3 mins, and the Russian Gulch Downhill - another 3kms of high speed descending.

So now it appears we are on the way home - just along the coast and turn left - climb a hill and back through the rollers and home  - yeah right!

The coast is good - tail wind - good road - company - tail up - heading home.
What did that sign say?  80miles - so let me see thats 20 miles to home - in kms its ???  Come on brain - figure it out.  mmmm give up to hard just keep pedaling

The next turn is a humdinger - drop into a little glitch on Highway 1 and turn left up a nondescript little country road (no wonder we missed it on the checkout)  Whoops  - drop a gear or two, no drop it all the way down and begin to grind.  When I asked Brandi later  - how did you like that f….king hill she knew exactly what I was talking about.

A grind from bottom to top - legs are real tired now and the pedals hard to turn over  - but everyone is struggling  10mins @ 8kms hr feels like forever.!

But we are really on the way home - just those early rollers to cross again and we are finally out on the flat roads  I’m still maintaining 29kms hr so can’t complain - although the legs are. A bike path takes forever and forever before tuning onto the home straight and the finish line.  Exhausted
All I can say for 5mins is coke please - I am done.
Thanks to Trek Corda Madera for the borrowed Trek Madone (but thats another story)

The stats
My Strava report says  163km of tough riding on really rough roads.
Tough day at the office on borrowed bike
For the record  - 163kms and 6.16 and 61st place out of 690 or so
Brandi did the 61mile route - 2nd in class and probably cleaned up the over thirty plus groupings
11 rides including the GrandFondo and 700kms with 10,472 meters of climbing


Now about that flat white or Small Fat Wife
As I walk up to the counter the waitress asks.
"Can i help you?"
'A small flat white please" She looks confused for a while and then answers with a straight face.
"We don’t serve them here, but if you go down the street to Sunpies Bar you should be able to find one there.
Just don’t touch the walls - you you might get Hepatitis"

Now it was my turn to look confused.

Thinking about the guys from Santa Rosa as they battle the fires. I’m sure that the race could not have been held now and the web site says that the organisers - Bike Monkey are shut.