Mt. Shasta Super Century

Miles: 132.18
Elevation Gain: 15,194
August Miles: 241.08
YTD Miles: 5366.7

I did the Super Century! I rode 132 miles up four climbs that total over 16,000 (advertised) feet of elevation gain.

I left my warm trailer at 6:00 am. I was soon on the route and following a couple dressed in full race kits. They set a quick but not fast pace so I used them to pace myself. But soon, my LeMond started to have a mechanical problem. When in the middle chain ring and the largest two cogs in the rear, the chain would spontaneously drop into the small chainring. Now, I would be in the small chain ring a lot in this ride, but unexpected downshifting is not a good thing!

The first climb is Abbey Summit. This climb has kicked my butt before so I took it easy at the beginning. I found myself riding with an older man out of Redding on his wife's Colnago (because it has a triple). The pace was easy and we enjoyed good conversation as we rode the gentler early climb. When the grade increased I pick up my effort and started climbing alone. Then, Del passed me! Del is my Tualatin Tuesday Night ride leader and 2008 508 finisher. We spoke breifly and then he powered away from me. I wish I could climb that well when I'm 62. I wish I could climb that well at my age now!

Near the top of the climb, I looked up and saw a sight no cyclists want to see - someone was down on the pavement and not getting up. He was covered with a blanket and surrounded by other cyclists. A red pickup truck was stopped and the driver was radioing for medical assistance. As I walked my bike around the scene, I glanced down at the fallen rider. Someone was talking to him so I surmised that he was conscious, by his feet were sticking out of the end of the blanket in an unnatural way.

At Abbey Summit, I refilled my food bottle and sucked down a Clif Shot and was on my way down the hill. I passed the fallen rider who was still on the rode. Now, there was a Sheriff there alone with a Forest Service Ranger. Descending, I had to pull off of the one-lane road for six emergency vehicles, the first being a ambulance.

I made it safely down the hill and headed toward the rest stop at Weed. But I blew by it and made my way toward the next rest stop at the Mt. Shasta Resort. These, I took another short stop refilling my food bottle and consuming another Clif Shot.

The next climb is Munbo Summit, and this climb I believe is the hardest. While the third highest of the day, it contains the "Wall", a quarter mile section so steep, I have seen lean, fit, young cyclists pushing their bikes up it. I dropped down into my lowest gear (26 x 25) and slowly worked my way up. After an initial couple of turns, the "Wall" straightens out and you can see a line of cyclists suffering up the face of the "Wall".

I took another short stop at the top and began the descent. My fear of falling induced by the unfortunate scene on the first climb forgotten, I sped down the hill passing several other riders.

While the time was approaching noon, I had one more climb before lunch - Castle Lake. This is the shortest and lowest climb of the day, but it is the hardest. I have to take it on during the heat of the day, and the first five miles is constantly steep. I was very happy to obtain the top.

Lunch was a quick turkey sandwich and a short stop at the mechanical support tent. There, the wrench found that my Wippermann quick link had worn and was now loose. A simple reversing of the link solved my problem.

The last climb of the day is Mt. Shasta, and it was very hard. Just yesterday, I was holding myself back on this climb, but today I was truly suffering. I stopped at each of the two rest stops on the 14 mile climb to refresh. Yet, the last two miles to the top were truly hard. I arrived at 6:00 pm, twelve hours after my start that morning.

I was greeting by cheering rest stop volunteers and I sat down for the first time today. But soon, I put on my arm warmers and wind vest for the cold descent as it was just 60° at the top.

The descent went very well, and I must admit I broke the 35 mph speed limit and I did pass a car that was obeying the speed limit.

At the finish, I sat with Del and traded stories until he had to leave to return home. I limped back to the KOA.

Posted 9:06 AM by John Henry