Conference noted::bicycle

    John,
    
    I will be riding again this year for the second time. My goal is to
    improve my 10:29 finish to sub 8 hours. So it is likely the only place
    I will see you is at the starting line or when you pass me going the
    other way if you decide to double again this year. I would like to meet
    you. We are staying at the Radisson Conference Center in Spartanburg.
    
    I have two other DECtypes who say they are going. Three of my non-DEC
    cycling companions and two of their sons are committed. The youngsters,
    both are 21, are eagerly looking forward to the event. I'm anxious to
    see how "eager" they are at the top.
    
    Any training tips you can pass along would be greatly appreciated. You
    can reach me at DTN 443-3221 if you would like to discuss.

    
    
    I was talking to a friend about doing Mt. Mitchell this year.  He had
    done it last year.  He loaned me the video that he bought at the ride
    last year.  Well I'm all psyched up.  I love to ride in the hills and 
    I can't think of a better ride without traveling out to the rockies.
    I live in Mass.  
    	I have done Mt. Washington and a few other tough rides
    but Mt. Mitchell sounds like a real challenge.  We plan to stay in
    Marion starting Thursday night.  On Friday we will ride up Mt. Mitchell
    from Marion so I can see what it is like.  Saturday will be a rest and
    sight-seeing day.  Hope to see some other Decies.  I'll be wearing my
    DEC jersey.
    
    
    					Norm
    
    
      

    
    Great idea!  Maybe I'll wear my DEC jersey, too.  But it needs
    testing out in warm weather first.
    
    Sounds like a good plan to climb Mitchell from Marion on Friday.
    I did Marion-to-the-Parkway on Saturday last year, and it was good
    stretching, and a good refresher as to the terrain.
    
    Since you've ridden Mt. Washington aggressively (as I remember),
    you'll do fine on Mitchell - it's just the "warm-up" 70 miles that's
    the big difference.
    
    -j

    A *brief* report on today's Mt. Mitchell Assault, from which
    I just returned (in one piece, no less).
    
    About 1800 riders, certainly no decrease from last year.  I did
    not see John Howard speak last night, because I was busy biking.
    Did anyone else see him?  (I left at 4am today from home.)
    
    Weather: overcast, mild (high 60's), brisk southerly winds, a
    few raindrops, steady though not stormy rain after about 20 miles.
    At that point, I put on some woolens, and settled back to enjoy
    the ride, instead of actually making time, content just to get 
    to the top.  Helped one guy with a derailleur; ate bananas...
    
    But, by the time I started climbing the switchbacks on highway 88
    (about 11am), sun was beaming down, and mountainward (westward)
    there was blue sky.  Reached the peak at 7:10 elapsed (not my fastest
    time - actually, my slowest, if you must know), got an official patch
    and signature, and an official sub-sandwich (not the gargantuan ones
    from last year, but sufficient), and wolfed it whilst chatting with
    Charlotteans who had camped up at the peak the night before, and were
    cheering on the finishers.
    
    By now you may be wondering if I again tried for a 200 as in 1989, 
    and the answer is "force of habit" ... I left the peak at 2pm, arrived
    Spartanburg at 8:40pm, not without enduring a "farewell" drenching
    shower mid-afternoon outside of Marion.
    
    Mitchell is generally a surprisingly good time ... guess that's why
    I and others keep coming back.  The ride is well organized; the
    scenery is pleasant to start, breathtaking to finish, and the
    ride is inspiring.  With 1800 riders to choose from (or the subset
    in your speed-group), there's always interesting people to get to
    know, for five minutes at least.
    
    Oh, I didn't wear the Digital jersey.  I wore the UMCA NPC jersey
    (brilliant yellow) - at times underneath a red wool jersey and a 
    wind jacket.
    
    Any other tales of the day?
    
    -john

    
    Here are a few postscripts to this year's Mt. Mitchell Assault:
    
        o  This course was the same as since 1986, but every year
           there are new refinements.  About 10 miles into the course,
    	   there is a nice swooping descent onto a bridge which manages
    	   to collect waterbottles, pumps, and spare bikers by the dozen...
    	   at least 'til this year: in 1990, they had flares and people
    	   with electric bullhorns warning people (also at the one hairpin
    	   turn before Marion).
    
        o  Thanks to Howard Aughinbaugh of the DEC Indiana contingent
           for the following facts: the rainstorm I went through after
           Marion on the way *back* to Spartanburg extended all the way
    	   up to the summit of Mt. Mitchell ... where our heroes were
    	   just making their way up, blowing chill rain at over 6600 feet.
           Apparently at midnight, while I was snoozing in bed back in
           Charlotte, Howard & co. were just boarding a bus at the summit.
           He said there were still hundreds up there, and some had to
    	   wait 'til 1:00 am ... and there were cases of near-hypothermia.
           Certainly a more adventurous ride-aftermath than one would
           expect or desire!
    
    -john
    

    
    I have been on vacation so I am just getting around to reply.  
    
    I did it.  I survived and I want to do it again.  The hardest part of 
    the whole trip was sitting in the car for sixteen straight hours.  Jim
    and I left Windsor Locks Conn. at 12:30am May 17.  Arrived in Spartenburg
    at 4:30pm.  Checked into the motel and slept until the next morning.
    Friday morning we drove the route all the way to the top of Mt.
    Mitchell and then back to Marion.  We parked the car at Marion and
    proceeded to ride our bikes to the top of the mountain.  I had no
    problems and felt that my bike and I were all set to go.  Saturday was
    spent visiting bike shops and being a tourist.  
    
    Sunday morning I woke up rested and confident.  I went to the pancake 
    breakfast and did my last minute preparations.  Then I made my first
    mistake.  Never having ridden with such a large group of people (1700)
    I simply rode out of the parking lot and jumped into an open place. 
    I ended up being in the middle of the field of riders.  Never having
    been to a ride that started on time I was surprised to see the count
    down start about two minutes later.  Right on schedule.  There was no
    time to get into better position.  Everyone crawled off the line and I
    spent miles of precious time trying to get up front.  Next year I will
    start at the front.  Along the way I got myself into some of the worlds
    worst pacelines.  I don't know how many times I heard "what's a
    paceline?".  I eventually gave up trying to compete and decided to
    enjoy the ride.  Just before the 50 mile point the rain started which
    put a damper on drafting.  By the time I hit Marion the rain had
    stopped.  In Marion I stopped with someone I had been rotating off with. 
    He had been complaining about feeling slow.  When I looked at his wheel
    the rim was resting against the brake pad.  He asked if I new anything
    about trueing wheels and if I could fix it.  I quickly found that he
    had a broken spoke and that the whole wheel was severely over
    tensioned.  Alot of the spoke nipples were rounded off.  He said he had
    broken a few spokes in the past month and had been fixing them himself.  
    I did the best I could and decided that this was not the person I
    wanted as a climbing partner after leaving Marion.  I was in no mood to
    become a "Mavic support person".  After we left Marion and started the 
    steeper climbing I dropped him.  In fact once I started climbing on
    Rte. 88 only one person passed me and I caught him 2 miles from the
    summit.  Being alone on the climb I started playing my usual game. 
    Pass everyone I can see and keep them behind me.  About five miles up
    on the parkway I hear someone coming up behind me.  I turn to see this
    guy with his hands on his hips pumping away.  He goes right by me never
    putting his hands on the bars.  I decided he was not real and maybe I
    was not feeling as good as I thought.  After a few miles I still had
    not caught up with this guy so I started to pick up the pace.  Finally
    about two miles from the summit I pass him chewing on the end of his
    stem and dragging his knuckles.  I had now ridden 100 miles with body
    and bike in perfect harmony.  In fact I had not felt as comfortable on
    the bike all year as I did for that ride.  I was really enjoying the
    scenery and the endorphins were surging.  Only two miles to go then
    only one mile when all of a sudden PSSSSssssSSSSssssSSSSssssSSSS.  I
    took a quick look at my watch and figured that stopping to fix the flat
    would put me over 7 hours so I rode it out.  Lucky for me I was not on
    tubulars.  I passed about 5-6 more people and crossed the line in
    6:56:04 to finish in 411th place.  
      I think the secret is to get to Marion as fast as you can leaving
    just enough energy to get yourself to the top.  I am sure I could have
    shaved off more than an hour if I had simply started closer to the
    front and got in a better paceline.  I also did not go all out on the
    parkway.  
      I was very lucky to avoid the bus problems.  I arrived back in
    Spartenburg at about 5:00pm.  
      I had my Digital jersey on but did not see any others.      
                               
    
    						Norm
    
    
            
                 
    

    Good job, Norm.  I thought it was easier to ride a flat tubie than a
    flat clincher.
    
    ed

    
    Ditto Ed's congrats.  Your strategy sounds about right, but I'd
    say if you ride with the right people you can reach Marion quickly
    *and* save energy at the same time.
    
    Yesterday I talked with the guy (James Barker) from our club who made 
    it in 5:19 (and was the first rider to the Parkway) - he said it's 
    important to save something for the Parkway and the Mitchell road.
    
    Ok, next year, the Digital jersey!  (BTW, was that practical in the
    weather conditions?)
    
    -john