One of my favorite rides is Blacksmith Fork Canyon. If I leave from my house the loop is a little bit more than 40 miles most of which is in the canyon. During the summer it is a little bit cooler than the rest of the valley and the scenery is always beautiful. Now that I am back into riding a bit more I was smart enough to take sufficient food which meant that I didn't bonk when riding against the wind on the way back.
I remember sitting with my father when I was a kid and watching the Tour de France. It was a bigger deal then and one of the major networks carried it. Now you have to have cable. You can watch golf anytime, but cycling's biggest event isn't worth the effort. Golf isn't even a real sport. Anyway, I was always amazed when the peleton would grab a bite to eat while riding at 20 mph. I tried it a few times and nearly choked. In more recent years as I have started riding more I have found that in order to ride 100 miles you have to learn to eat on the bike. The first time I tried it I choked again. Stupid sport.
In spite of my initial problems I have figured it out and now I usually gnaw on a Cliff bar and down a bottle of Accelerade on the way up so that I am good for the ride down (which always seems to be against the wind). I can now rip open packages with my teeth and eat without choking.
It doesn't mean I am not clumsy. Yesterday I dropped my Cliff bar on the way up and turned just in time to see it bounce down the road.
I guess I can pick it up the next time I bonk coming down. Yummy.
2 responses so far ↓
There is a reason that the wind is always blowing against you, but I forget why. Learned it in a class. Something to do with hot air, cold air. I remember why the wind blows in and out on the coast, but can’t remember for sure why the canyon is that way. I think if you ride in the morning, you’ll get the air blowing down the hill, but then it’s going to be colder.
I feel your pain about eating. I’ve been training for The Top of Utah… and to run and eat at the same time about kills me. I don’t know how they do it without making a huge mess. And those bars and goo they eat are really nasty (if you want my honest opinion).
Oh, and riding against the wind is harder than running. Every morning I ride up the hill to the university and I’m hit with this strong headwind… about knocks me out every morning.