Bike4ale
05-10-2004, 05:51 PM
I'm doing the Lake Tahoe ride this year with TNT for Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. I'm the mentor for the Rhode Island Team. I'm really looking forward to it. I hear it really is the Most Beautiful Bike Ride. Also doing the MS 150 later in June and another century in September. I've never eaten potatoes on a ride but when you hit the 50 & 75 mile stops in a century the PB&J sandwiches are about the best tasting things you can ever imagine!! How tough are those two climbs at Tahoe? Want to be sure to get the whole team through the entire 100 miles.
SLICK
Hey Slick,
I decided to start a new thread on this one. You will absolutely LOVE Lake Tahoe. If you're training in Rhode Island, you'll have no problem. I assume your terrain is simillar to Pennsylvania. We have our share of hills around here. 1400 of the 2500 riders did it through TNT. I guarantee you'll be passing all the flatlanders on the hills (Team NJ, Team FL, etc.) We went with a group of 15...some experienced riders...a few had just taken up the sport. Everyone finished!
My wife and I trained expecting the toughest century of our lives. It was actually easier than some we've done in PA. Don't get me wrong...the two climbs are tough. I can't remember mileage & length, but I think you'll find a profile on the America's Most Beautiful Bikeride website. If you don't have some good, steep, long climbs where you are...get your team in the spin room for some long hill classes.
The first climb is Emerald Bay. It's got a lot of switchbacks up the the first rest stop. NO GUARDRAILS and lots of gravel on the edge of the road. My advice.....STAY OUT OF THE GRAVEL, AND DON'T LOOK DOWN!
After Emerald Bay, it's mainly rolling hills until after lunch. Then get ready for Spooner's Ridge. And I'm serious about the salted potatoes. They work! Spooner's Ridge, from what I remember, is just a steady hillacious climb. Beginners may want a tripple ring. My wife and I only have doubles. If you're experienced and are used to a double...you'll be fine. Every now and then, we would see people walking up Spooner's Ridge. That has to be harder than staying on the bike and sweating it out.
Oh, speaking of sweat. Make sure your team realizes that they ARE sweating...it just doesn't seem like it with the lower temperatures and high altitudes. At the pre ride meal the night before, they will stress the importance of "salty snacks". Lake Tahoe in early June can be pretty chilly. It was 35 degrees when we started out at 6:30 AM. When we finished about 2:00 PM it got up in the low 70's. Leg, arm and ear warmers that you can strip off are a good idea, along with full fingered gloves.
If you can, I advise riding up to the top of Emerald Bay (the first climb) the day before the century. Round trip will be 30-something miles. It will give your riders a feel for not only the climb, but the change in altitude.
If you have any other questions, let me know. And please, let me know how you liked it. We would like to do it again, but raising that $7000 between the two of us was 50x harder than the ride itself. Good luck!
"GO TEAM!!!" -- get used to hearing that. Every TNT member encourages fellow members along the ride.
SLICK
Hey Slick,
I decided to start a new thread on this one. You will absolutely LOVE Lake Tahoe. If you're training in Rhode Island, you'll have no problem. I assume your terrain is simillar to Pennsylvania. We have our share of hills around here. 1400 of the 2500 riders did it through TNT. I guarantee you'll be passing all the flatlanders on the hills (Team NJ, Team FL, etc.) We went with a group of 15...some experienced riders...a few had just taken up the sport. Everyone finished!
My wife and I trained expecting the toughest century of our lives. It was actually easier than some we've done in PA. Don't get me wrong...the two climbs are tough. I can't remember mileage & length, but I think you'll find a profile on the America's Most Beautiful Bikeride website. If you don't have some good, steep, long climbs where you are...get your team in the spin room for some long hill classes.
The first climb is Emerald Bay. It's got a lot of switchbacks up the the first rest stop. NO GUARDRAILS and lots of gravel on the edge of the road. My advice.....STAY OUT OF THE GRAVEL, AND DON'T LOOK DOWN!
After Emerald Bay, it's mainly rolling hills until after lunch. Then get ready for Spooner's Ridge. And I'm serious about the salted potatoes. They work! Spooner's Ridge, from what I remember, is just a steady hillacious climb. Beginners may want a tripple ring. My wife and I only have doubles. If you're experienced and are used to a double...you'll be fine. Every now and then, we would see people walking up Spooner's Ridge. That has to be harder than staying on the bike and sweating it out.
Oh, speaking of sweat. Make sure your team realizes that they ARE sweating...it just doesn't seem like it with the lower temperatures and high altitudes. At the pre ride meal the night before, they will stress the importance of "salty snacks". Lake Tahoe in early June can be pretty chilly. It was 35 degrees when we started out at 6:30 AM. When we finished about 2:00 PM it got up in the low 70's. Leg, arm and ear warmers that you can strip off are a good idea, along with full fingered gloves.
If you can, I advise riding up to the top of Emerald Bay (the first climb) the day before the century. Round trip will be 30-something miles. It will give your riders a feel for not only the climb, but the change in altitude.
If you have any other questions, let me know. And please, let me know how you liked it. We would like to do it again, but raising that $7000 between the two of us was 50x harder than the ride itself. Good luck!
"GO TEAM!!!" -- get used to hearing that. Every TNT member encourages fellow members along the ride.