@Cyclops has taken it upon himself to organize North America’s first official Cogal right in the backyard of where it all started: Seattle, Wa. @Scaler911 and @McSqueak have confirmed that they will be driving up from Portland, OR to attend and we hereby invite any and all Velominati to attend.
We’ll be doing a no-drop ride on Whidbey Island, following a route that is not terribly hilly and easily accommodates varying distances, though I myself will be planning on a 100k or more. We’ll leave the Coffeehouse Bookstore in Langley at V minutes past 10 to give everyone plenty of time to find their way up to the island and into Langley. Route details will be published in the posts below when it is confirmed. (I have to do some research as I’ve not done the ride in it’s entirety myself.) Hope to see you there.
UPDATE: The route has been posted on MapMyRide. It is a 160km ride with the option to cut section off for those who are getting tired.
UPDATE: Those who are interested are invited to dinner Friday Evening at Quinn’s Pub on Capital Hill in Seattle. Please arrive as close to 6:30 as possible; late-comers will not be guaranteed a seat at the table if the place is full.
Yours in Cycling,
Frank
—
Though there are two 2011 U.S. National Champions about 30 minutes down the interstate from me – southeast Idaho isn’t exactly a road bike Mecca. And I wear the V-Shirt whenever I’m traveling in the area to races (whether to participate or spectate) but I’ve only had one person recognize the Sign of the “V”. So the chances of running into or riding with a fellow Velominati are pretty slim. Let alone the demented brainchild of all this nonsense – Darth Strack. What’s a boy to do? Take the bull by the horns and make it happen my own self, that’s what. I figure that anywhere that I can drive to in a day is not too far to go for a ride so I’m off to Seattle to see whether this “Frank” character is indeed worthy to be praised or if he’s just some guy behind a curtain pulling levers and turning dials.
The plan is for a meet and greet (and eat and drink) Friday night Oct. 14 and a ride on Saturday the 15th. A few blokes from Portland way are planning on coming up as well so it looks like it is going to turn into a little Gran Fronkdo. Anyone that can make it is invited. We haven’t sorted out the details of the route or meeting place or time or anything important like that but we should have all that set in cobbles by early this week, so stay tuned.
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@ChrisO
Oh, I wish. I actually turn a 50x34 compact in front and a 11x28 cassette. I do normally churn an average cadence of about 70 or so. Oddly enough, I have plenty of leg-it is my CV that gives out first. I am normally rather tachycardial; I can run an average HR of 165 almost continuously. But when the steeps come, I shoot to about 170-175-180, and I'm done. I just have to churn it out as best I can as the peloton just climbs away.
Oh well. I'm not a racer. Except when there's someone else on the road. Then I just ry to make the best of being an Old Man.
@Marcus
True, but I was looking at the range not the average, and he is mostly between 60 and 80.
In any case, if the amount of coasting without pedalling has a significant effect on the average then that's also a potential issue.
@Eightzero
I'm half similar... I can sustain my effort comfortably for a long time - for me usually about 148-150 bpm. Much above that then the clock is ticking.
But for some reason I have to try pretty hard to get it higher. When I do intervals I feel like I'm going to shit in my bibshorts just to bring my HR up to 160.
FWIW if the hills are where you bust into the red zone maybe try spinning a higher gear to stay in your comfort area.
How old are you, if you don't mind my asking. Some way off 8 0 I presume ? ;-)
@ChrisO
interesting - even when I am about to blow, I don't go over 168, in fact, I think my peak was 172, and that after some pretty regular 100k hilly runs for several months - clearly some folk run higher than others (I'm 42, sorry 46 allegedly) - yet everyone around me is fizzing away at 180.....
Five and dime for me it seems!
@Dr C
Yes it is quite variable - I would hit 170s in a balls-out sprint effort, or a near-death mountain climb. 178 is the highest I've ever seen. I'm 45 so that's supposedly about right.
Riding the hills last weekend on a 8-10% gradient for about 4km I was sitting around 165 most of the way - that was sustainable but I was glad to reach the top. Cadence around 70 (and wishing I'd brought the 12-25 wheel not the 11-23).
I was out with a different group a few months back where I didn't know anybody. We were riding two abreast and I got to the front with the (younger) guy who'd been next to me and was a regular. He said "Just keep it about 165 HR" so I had to ask whether he really wanted to sprint away Fabian-style.
@ChrisO
11-23..... nice planning for a day on the hills.....
I have a compact Centaur crankset on my Casati, a standard Centaur on my LOOK. I don't know if it's all in my head or what, but I never feel like I'm in a proper gear on the Casati. Same length cranks.
Will have to check out and compare the cassette range.
Here's McSqueak's 74 violation
http://app.strava.com/rides/1994492
@Dr C
Violation?? Good sir, I believe my only violation on the cogal was getting my ass dropped on every good climb since I'm 2.5 months from peaking. It was certainly a Rule 5 experience for me.
@ChrisO
eightzero is a 1961 model. Makes me older than Chris Horner, but he is catching up.
Oddly enough, the HRM on my bar does help me on a sustained climb (like Mt. Baker.) I can spin up the hill at about 165-170bpm, but when it starts to tick to 172...I know it is coming. And on a 6-8% hill, that means I turn the 34-28 pretty slowly. I don't really want to spin faster, as that tends to make my HR go up drammatically. A small change in incline makes a huge difference too. When the incline drops to 5% (as shown on my edge 705) I'll grab a few more teeth - the 26 or even 25. Sur le plaq at about 3%, although that plate is still only a 50.
I'm 6'4" and 200# naked. Not sure how many watts that translates to, but it means I ain't no Charlie Gaul. And since sprints scare the shit out of me, that makes me...well...relegated to sucking my VMHs wheel.
Damn, I had a nice sunny solo Sunday ride, but I wish I was out with you lads. Sounds awesome, looking forward to some more photos!