Pistons Then Pedals

5 miles to go. 8% average grade. Over 2,000 feet of climbing to go.

I stood along the edge of the road holding my bicycle and catching my breath. It was only about 10am, but the Southern California sun was beating down on me. A few other bicyclists and I were equally struggling. We’d bike a few hundred feet, run out of gears on our bikes, and then dismount to catch our breath. The cleats on my road cycling shoes were toast from all of my walking the bike.

Plenty of water remained in my Camelbak, but I’d already burned through two 24 ounce water bottles. One of them contained a sugary electrolyte mix that I hadn’t expected to need so early. A spent carbohydrate gel packet was also in my back pocket. I wondered what my blood sugar was.

This was how I spending my three day weekend? I drove six hours for this? Why?

Abandoning My Summit Attempt

At that moment, I got back onto the bike, turned around, and began the descent down the mountain. Unfamiliar with the road, I watched my downhill speed and stayed mindful of the heat being generated in my brake discs.

Another bicyclist had passed downhill about 20 minutes prior. The pungent smell of burning brakes permeated the air. It was a timely reminder to watch the brake usage as I headed down the mountain.

It had taken me hours to climb the steep ascent, but it took only minutes to descend. I reached the bottom of the road, which put me back into residential streets. My Garmin GPS routed me back to my starting point.

Passing Pasadena’s ornate city hall, I pulled over to take a few photos and call my family. They knew I was participating in this event and had been tracking my progress through Garmin’s LiveTrack feature.

“We noticed your heart rate wasn’t really coming back down when you stopped,” my mom reassured.

A Successful Failure

It was the most that I had ever climbed in a ride. The gearing on my Fuji Jari, which is wonderfully geared for my home in Arizona, wasn’t low enough for the California mountains. I couldn’t get slow enough while keeping a high enough cadence to maintain momentum.

Later, I learned I had recorded my highest heart rate ever on this ride. 190 beats per minute. My ride, which hadn’t completed the official route, covered 25 miles with 2,695 feet of climbing.

This was a success. I was proud of myself. I didn’t care I hadn’t reached this summit.

Lessons for the Future

Cycling is my passion. I love seeing new sights under my own power. I love the technology and the culture behind road cycling.

However, I don’t enjoy sufferfest rides.

Wearing my body into oblivion isn’t a good time. There’s a difference between competing against my own speeds in Strava and climbing thousands of feet within a handful of miles.

I’d rather ride 30-40 miles at a quick pace, get a decent workout in, and then enjoy the rest of my day.

This was a great lesson for me on what my future cycling vacations will look like.