Air Force Classic

[cyclingfool]

That doesn’t bode well for November… :rolleyes: Depending on your point of view, I suppose.

[dasgeh]

@sjclaeys 88702 wrote:

The results were just posted, Republicans beat Democrats 26 to 25. Both team had an equal number of riders.

If I had heard about this challenge before Saturday, I may have done the ride. But then, again, it was nice being able to enjoy the party the night before and not worry…

[eminva]

@sjclaeys 88702 wrote:

The results were just posted, Republicans beat Democrats 26 to 25. Both team had an equal number of riders.

26 to 25 — what unit of measurement? Miles per hour? Laps? Average cost of bike, in thousands? Hours of filibuster?

Liz

[sjclaeys]

@eminva 88746 wrote:

26 to 25 — what unit of measurement? Miles per hour? Laps? Average cost of bike, in thousands? Hours of filibuster?

Liz

The unit of measurement was laps.

[PotomacCyclist]

Not liters of hot air expended?

[Vicegrip]

@PotomacCyclist 88807 wrote:

Not liters of hot air expended?

Remind me not to draft those guys…..

[bobco85]

Better late than never! Too many distractions + procrastination + actual excuses like biking = late video of the Challenge Ride

I managed to get my sighting of Dickie and his team (he let me draft for a bit before they dropped me) in the video, too!

[video=youtube_share;ZaAok81lxRo]http://youtu.be/ZaAok81lxRo[/video]

[Vicegrip]

thanks, I never did spot Dickie and the team during the ride so this was my first sighting. While looking for our own Dickie and his team I spotted a poor guy on a red crabon fuji at 1:05 that looks like me. (other than his ability to maintain a cadence far higher than I can).

[Steve O]

I didn’t see a new 2015 thread for the AF Cycling Challenge.

Anyway, I just signed up. This will be my first time. Looking forward to seeing many of you there.

[Boomer Cycles]

I am registered, too. It will be my first time as well.

[consularrider]

I haven’t signed up yet, but expect to before May 31.

[Steve O]

@consularrider 116256 wrote:

I haven’t signed up yet, but expect to before May 31.

Be sure to “sign up” for the June happy hour, too.

[Tania]

Can you all give me more info on the Sunday challenge please? I see it’s 15km per lap and you can do as many laps as possible from 7-10am. How packed is it? How hilly? It would be my first bike race.

[PotomacCyclist]

The course is relatively crowded, although the field spreads out after the start and in certain stretches. You’ll see people at many fitness levels and speeds, from the high-speed peloton at the front (and lapping others) to families with pre-teens who ride casually.

The major hill is the one up Columbia Pike, to the Air Force Memorial. It’s not too long but it can be challenging for riders who don’t have much experience with hills. I think there are couple other false flats.

It’s not really a race, although you can choose to treat it as one if you wish. The leaders will be riding very fast. Unless you are comfortable with sustaining speeds of 25 mph or faster, you won’t be able to keep up with them. (I can’t either.) I would recommend that you just ride at your own pace or effort. If you plan to ride for the entire 3 hours, you have to pace yourself. Riding hard for 3 hours is very difficult. It’s easier and more comfortable to ride at a moderate effort for those 3 hours. You would have to do a significant amount of training to be able to sustain a hard effort for 3 hours.

Bring a water bottle and some calories. If you ride the entire 3 hours, it’s a good idea to eat something along the way. Test this out in training. See what your stomach can handle in the middle of a longer ride. Some people can tolerate a lot, but others have more sensitive stomachs, especially during exercise. Gels and carb chews work for many, but others don’t like the feel or the sugar. Sports drinks have a lot of sugar. They work for some people (but I don’t use them any more). Clif bars or other bars are another choice, but the fiber might cause issues for some. Drink some water along with any calories you take in. Regular foods are trickier. A few people like to eat items like bananas and sandwiches, but you have to figure out how you would carry them.

They have a water stop at the Air Force Memorial, so if you run out of water, you can always stop there, refill your bottle and take a breather. I don’t remember if they have food at the water station. There are restrooms at the Memorial too.

[Tania]

You had me at “It’s not really a race…”

I know that hill too, I’ve run up it many times. Thanks for the info!

[Author]

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