# Terrible Two Ride Reports



## ratpick (Jul 31, 2008)

So who is in for the Terrible Two this weekend?

It will be my second double, and a completely different challenge to the DMD due to the steepness of the climbs. I have no idea what time to expect; since I finished in the 26th percentile for DMD, statistically, I should finish around 13:35 to achieve the same placing at TT. The challenge, then, is to improve, so I'm going to aim for 13:15 hours.

I'm taking my camera this time so hopefully should have some photos for the writeup. I'll have my RBR gear on.

Post your writeups and videos here and share your pain!


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## ratpick (Jul 31, 2008)

I saw at least one other RBR jersey out!

Great ride.. report and photos to come. We came in 57th in an official time of 14:11.






My ride looks pretty weak compared to <A HREF="http://app.strava.com/rides/763668">this one.</A> That's a hell of a performance by Adam!

My crowning glory, though, is descending Oakville Grade, after Trinity climb, faster than pro Ted King! I hit 52.9 mph on this descent (per my Garmin's display).

[edit: we came in 57th.. I could swear the guy at the finish line said 34th, but then my brain wasn't working so well then]


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## ukbloke (Sep 1, 2007)

Congrats - nice job! That ride has certainly propelled you up the Strava KOM standings too.


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## ratpick (Jul 31, 2008)

ukbloke said:


> Congrats - nice job! That ride has certainly propelled you up the Strava KOM standings too.


Yeah, although the week off the bike to recover will probably negate that 

Hard to say whether this was harder than DMD or v-v. I think just different - less climbing but much steeper.


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## Elhombre (Jun 14, 2010)

That was fun... I think.
I cobbled a ride report with photos together [doesn't let me post link]
I will try to rehash here later, but now I'm tired from typing.


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## ratpick (Jul 31, 2008)

Elhombre said:


> That was fun... I think.
> I cobbled a ride report with photos together [doesn't let me post link]
> I will try to rehash here later, but now I'm tired from typing.


Fortunately, I knew where to find it  Great writeup and photos! I'll get working on mine too, although I think you've covered it well (and generously


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## IpedalSlow (Apr 19, 2011)

Man, that was a brutal try for my first TT attempt. The climbs are steep and long but finished it just under 16 hrs. The support was excellent and glad that I had a triple


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## grrrah (Jul 22, 2005)

nice one! I'm pretty sure we passed you while driving up Silverado Trail on our way to Boggs.


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## chidonchea (Jul 14, 2008)

I used just about all of their 16:30 time limit for this ride. I shot over an hour of video during the ride. Here is my 10 minute ride report video. I also posted 32 minutes of that into four parts in my YouTube chidonchea account. The results are up!


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## bddbb (Dec 8, 2001)

Just checked the results and my corrected time was 13:45. 

ratpick and ukbloke, you guys beat me at DMD and I nipped you at this one. This is going to setup a nice rubber match at Mt. Tam!


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## Watoni (Aug 14, 2006)

ratpick said:


> I saw at least one other RBR jersey out!
> 
> Great ride.. report and photos to come. We came in 34th in a time of around 14:10 (waiting for official times to be published).


Why do I not recall seeing you (this is Jeff from DMD)!? It must have been my nutrition disaster after my non-lunch at Lake Sonoma (how do you eat before Skaggs), which had me doing the bonk/puke tango until just before the Ranchiera Wall. Luckily I got it back together a bit (Paul Sherwyn's voice was in my head "Bridge to engire room, more power -- but there is none!"), and could continue.

Rolled in for a time of 13:47 (not corrected). BDDBB -- You were deservedly ahead of me. We came in together (after I was chasing three of you guys solo for the final 10 miles or so) and bridged in the parking lot! I remember saying "this guy was first" as I crossed the line when they tried to take my number. No idea if that was you or not.

Please remind me why I do these


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## bddbb (Dec 8, 2001)

Watoni said:


> BDDBB -- You were deservedly ahead of me. We came in together (after I was chasing three of you guys solo for the final 10 miles or so) and bridged in the parking lot! I remember saying "this guy was first" as I crossed the line when they tried to take my number. No idea if that was you or not.


Yeah, that was me. Good job recovering and finishing strong Watoni!


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## ratpick (Jul 31, 2008)

Nice rides everyone! chidonchea, I was so hoping you'd be on the ride so there would be a video snapshot of it! I was looking for you on the ride but I got to the head of the group on the rollout to avoid being stuck behind traffic lights (after missing the first one).

bddbb, I'm signed up for Mt Tam and planning to do it solo, unless someone expresses interest in joining me! I've managed to prove that I don't have to pace myself to survive a double so going to attempt a faster finish for Mt Tam.

My writeup on the way...


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## ShaneW (Sep 6, 2008)

You guys are animals!!! Nice job!!


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## ratpick (Jul 31, 2008)

Watoni said:


> Why do I not recall seeing you (this is Jeff from DMD)!?


I didn't see you either but I did see rider #1 and it wasn't you  I was surprised TT didn't use the opportunity to hand out top numbers for high-placing returning riders, as DMD does. Great ride!


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## 39n 121w (Jan 26, 2008)

Still recovering from this one. This was my 6th TT and I think I suffered more on this one than any other. I felt super strong all morning and got to the lunch stop at 12:40. But about 15 minutes after the lunch stop and BAM every pedal stroke for the next 85 miles was a struggle. I wasn't acclimated to riding in any sort of heat. The lady I rode with for a while after lunch said her bike computer read 96 degress. I rode from the top of Skeggs to Ft. Ross solo. I really missed the normal strong tail wind on the coast. 

Three TT firsts this year for me: 1) made it out of Santa Rosa on only green lights 2) First flat on the TT 3) Bee sting on my chest descending after Ft. Ross. 

Finished with my second slowest time 15:56.

Can't wait unitil next year!


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## Elhombre (Jun 14, 2010)

Some photos:
Trinity Grade - the Geysers - Skaggs - riding down the coast...

Summary of my ride: felt good in the beginning, like crap in the middle, and good at the end. The TT has a bit of everything: grueling steeps (Rancheria, Fort Ross), fast descents (Trinity, Skaggs), slow descents (Geysers - dodging potholes and ruts) and flat/rolling sections on which the time trial and pacelining skills can be polished (Silverado trail, the coast). Oh, and awesome scenery, and very tempting looking wineries everywhere. It was a pleasure riding with Ratpick, and I finished with him in 14:11.


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## ratpick (Jul 31, 2008)

*Long-form ride report*

Again, we learned so much from others' ride reports that I want to document our experience for future riders. I took my camera this time so I have a few more photos for color!

<B>Terrible Two 2011 Ride Report</B>

After surviving the Devil Mountain Double, I committed to completing all three rides of the CA Triple Crown stage race. To race the stage race in 2011, you have to enter and complete the Devil Mountain Double, Terrible Two and Mt Tam Double. And so I found myself in Sebastopol at 4:30am, checking in for my second double century. It was actually ElHombre/Dirk that initially suggested this ride, so it was perfectly fitting that he be lining up at the start right alongside me.

<table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/Lgo98axZmYUkNe05Ed6F6g?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-SLun6k_bBtU/Tf6H6H1ZzXI/AAAAAAAAlfo/p4kgc9ejbPg/s800/Terrible%252520Two%2525202011%2525206-18-2011%252520Elevation%252520Distance.jpg" height="480" width="800" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/patrick.herlihy/TerribleTwoJune2011?feat=embedwebsite">Terrible Two - June 2011</a></td></tr></table>

<B>Training</B>
I was already in good double century shape following the DMD so aimed to maintain rather than improve. Still, I rode 5 self-supported centuries in the month prior and got a lot of good climbing in. Some Mt Hamilton here, Bohlman there and a few big Henry Coe mountain bike rides and I felt ready.

It was hard to know how this ride would compare with DMD - I knew it was less climbing (16K compared to 20K), but that the climbing was much steeper. I felt good on DMD so had reason to be a little more aggressive on the TT climbs. I did the Santa Cruz Mountains Challenge with Dirk last year, so knew that it might be a struggle for me to keep up. But I also knew that he had not done any endurance rides at all, so there was a chance I could stay with him at an easier pace than hammer!

<B>Preparation</B>
Not having the financial resources to have any option at this point, my steed would be my trusty aluminum Specialized Allez, with a triple crank. As I had done with the DMD, I put my original 12-25 cassette back on so I had the lowest granny available should things go south on the ride.

Our goal of 13-14 hours was about the limit of our Garmin 705s, but I wasn't about to take risks, so I threw an external USB battery charger into my saddle pack. I had also gone over tracks from last year's ride, checked them against the 2011 instructions and built a TCX course which I had uploaded to my 705. I find it incredibly helpful to have the turns on there, rather than read a paper route sheet, and most of all the elevation profile to know how much more climbing is left on a hill.

My eating plan worked so well for DMD that I planned to do exactly the same for TT. At every stop, one bottle water, the other with Hammer latte-flavored Perpetuem, and when I needed a pickup, a Mountain Dew or Coke. And I'd nibble on the potatoes, strawberries and other food at the rest stops to give my stomach something to do other than grumble for 14 hours.

Early the prior week, both of our SOs had suggested that we should get a hotel room near the start rather than drive up the morning of the ride. SOs are always right, so I found a cheap room within 20 mins drive of Sebastopol.

As with the DMD, I read every Terrible Two ride report that I could find. <A HREF="http://djconnel.blogspot.com/2010/06/2010-terrible-two-pt-i.html">Dan Connolly's</A> was particularly useful, detailing a few tricky, easy-to-miss turns and the relative steepness of the climbs.

<B>Start - Analy High School</B> - 5am
We woke at 3:30am, made some instant oatmeal with plain hot top water (our cheap hotel didn't even have a coffee maker, as advertised), and drove over to the start. We arrived with plenty of time, so went through our individual pre-ride rituals making sure we had everything we needed.

Checkin for T2 is unlike any other in its efficiency. All numbers are laid out alphabetically. A container of Endurolyte caps was placed on each. Other tables had boxes of pins and others drinks, Hammer products and bagels. 

After affixing our numbers, we placed our lights in bags destined for the final, Monte Rio rest stop. We weren't sure they would be needed, but it was good to have them just in case. Dirk also put his Garmin battery recharger in his packet - I decided to carry mine, knowing that the lunch stop was the only sustained rest to charge it without rigging something up to charge it while riding (and I didn't want to deal with extraneous wires during the ride).

We pulled up to the start area, already quite full and waited. The traditional speech was given and at exactly 5:30am, we rolled out behind a pilot car. It's a unique sound to hear 200 riders all clicking into their pedals at once! I really like these mass starts!

Folks were dressed in various levels of dress, from just shorts and jersey to full winter gear. It was definitely on the cool side, around 50-55°. I don't deal well with cold, but I didn't rug up fully; shorts, knee warmers, jersey, light wind jacket and fingerless gloves were perfect.

<table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/OWVpd8HnjNKFDgPc_J9Mgw?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-sHWzgYftZ78/Tf6BrMeOydI/AAAAAAAAlZs/UgNNzfWwMZI/s800/P1040075.JPG" height="600" width="800" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/patrick.herlihy/TerribleTwoJune2011?feat=embedwebsite">Terrible Two - June 2011</a></td></tr></table>

We were forbidden from overtaking the pilot car which would lead us through the first 13 or so miles through downtown Santa Rosa. They say the purpose of the neutralized start is to have the pilot car trip all the traffic signals for us - presumably it is also to encourage us to not run those same lights en mass, which is likely what would happen. In any case, the pace was easy and a nice way to warm up riding in the pack.

Unfortunately some of the lights were on a short cycle and we got caught in a split. As soon as it turned green, Dirk sprinted up to rejoin the pack and I worked my way up more slowly, getting caught behind a few more lights as I got close. I would work earlier to be closer to the pilot car next time.

There were supporters camped out by the road in downtown Santa Rosa cheering us on. Nice! I noticed a couple of Western Wheelers riders and had a brief chat with them before moving up the peloton to chase down Dirk.

Daylight came very quickly - sunrise had already begun as we rolled out - revealing a foggy countryside. I see why my friends with "celtic" blood love it up here!

<table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/vNM0p5l_3dkilhzn1QLf3w?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-7pzsckGQ0YQ/Tf6Br11mR4I/AAAAAAAAlZ0/F_5GxL0kD8w/s800/P1040076.JPG" height="600" width="800" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/patrick.herlihyTerribleTwoJune2011?feat=embedwebsite">Terrible Two - June 2011</a></td></tr></table>

We soon said goodbye to the pilot car. We began the first climb up Bennet Valley Rd which I barely even recall at this point! It was very mild and really just a warmup for Trinity Grade. I think the pack we were in mostly stayed together on this climb, breaking up on the descent following it.

Trinity Grade was the first serious climb. I was interested to see how Dirk rode it, given he is much stronger than me and has the capability to drop me any time he wanted! But to my relief we settled into a steady but quick pace, passing many riders in this early sorting-out climb. I recognized several DMD riders on this climb - I suspect the double-century community isn't that big and you'd get to know a lot of riders after completing a few of them.

We slowly came up on and passed a very strong tandem couple. They were working incredibly hard on the climb, leaving me to wonder how they could possibly keep up that effort with all the climbing to come. I know well the benefit of tandems on descents and flats so noted that if at all possible, we should stay close to them for the Napa Valley stretch.

We also passed this guy on a single speed. I was in complete awe of someone even attempting a double without gears. I only wish we could have seen him climbing Skaggs later in the day.

<table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/d9hU5NtqtqubThqC3SW6oQ?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-aVyhFlUZzU8/Tf6BtoJZHnI/AAAAAAAAlaQ/a6NrY3-iTio/s800/P1040082.JPG" height="600" width="800" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/patrick.herlihy/TerribleTwoJune2011?feat=embedwebsite">Terrible Two - June 2011</a></td></tr></table>

The air was cool enough that I was able to complete Trinity without removing any clothing although once we did summit, I decided I'd risk a cool descent and removed my wind jacket. We took a quick natural break then began our descent.

The descent is notorious for a couple of sharp, dangerous corners coupled with high speed. So it was with some caution that I let the speed build up. I was having a bit of trouble with my glasses fogging over, unusually on the outside. My legs were fully warmed up and ready to go after the Trinity warmup so this section went by quickly. Eventually, we reached the Oakville Grade descent and on a straight section I stayed off the brakes and enjoyed the speed. A quick glance at my Garmin and I saw 51 mph (I actually hit a max of 52.9) and realized that the road wasn't really dry enough to carry that sort of speed safely. There was one particularly tight corner that I slightly overcooked, but had scrubbed off enough speed to get around going slightly wide. The organizers did a good job warning us, posting someone there dressed as a skeleton!

The tandem was also making good time on this descent and not long after we hit the flat, they passed and I jumped on their tail. Dirk was far more sensible than me on the descent and was a little way back. I was worried that he would not be able to bridge to attach to the tandem train but fortunately, the tandem missed a turn giving us a chance to regroup.

Now we had some 20+ miles of mostly flat riding to Callistoga and the first rest stop, and we were lucky enough to be behind the strongest tandem (there were three) in the ride! Perfect! They quickly ramped up the speed and we were cruising along 22-25 mph most of the way, gradually picking up more riders. On the small climbs on the road, Dirk and some others would go out in front and give the tandem a pull - I confess I was saving my energy for later and enjoying the "free speed", as Dan calls it. At one of the climbs the guilt finally got to me and I moved ahead of the tandem to take a brief pull but someone jumped in front of me just as it became my turn! I didn't complain 

Eventually, we caught up to another tandemless paceline of about 20 riders and our speed dropped to about 19-20 mph. That was a pity but there was no way to safely pass them all or get the tandem to the front and we were only about 5 miles out from the rest stop, so we settled in at the slower pace.

On one more sustained climb, the tandem decided to pass and the rest of us jumped behind them forming a double paceline up the climb. The slower paceline riders were pretty pissy about this - "oh yes, make sure you get to the rest stop first" - "please save us some water". I really just didn't want to risk losing contact with the tandem.

<table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/8VJAx6XyLSWyPD_9QoeGqw?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-FYjSC_9qGuE/Tf6BvpkgnJI/AAAAAAAAlaw/7CY5cxhzf7E/s800/P1040091.JPG" height="600" width="800" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/patrick.herlihy/TerribleTwoJune2011?feat=embedwebsite">Terrible Two - June 2011</a></td></tr></table>

We had averaged 21.7 mph for the Silverado Trail section, including the slower final 5 miles. Free speed indeed!

<B>Callistoga Rest Stop #1</B> - 8:30am, 55 mi, 2:58 riding, avg 18.5 mph
We arrived at the rest stop and I despaired to see the tandem not stop at all! They yelled out their numbers and rode on by. I was sorely tempted to ride on with them, knowing it was a while to the next climb, but I needed water and food.

As with DMD, we were required to checkin to each rest stop, and as with DMD, the volunteers made sure this was handled efficiently.

I downed what was remaining of my initial Perpetuem bottle, refilled it with 2 scoops and water, refilled the other with plain water, ate some potatoes and fruit, grabbed some Hammer bars for later and used the portapotty. In hindsight, I should have removed my knee warmers at this stage, but simply didn't think about it.

We were in and out in 4 minutes. It gave me hope that we might catch the tandem but I knew realistically that this wasn't going to happen.

The whole paceline had split up so Dirk & I started at a leisurely pace. Even though we didn't have a firm time goal, I didn't want to go slower while it was flat and easy so I picked up the pace and soon we were leading a small paceline of our own. Dirk & I traded pulls - I didn't see how many riders were behind us.

There were two sections where roadworks had reduced the road to a single lane, requiring very long traffic signals. The TT staff had cleverly placed volunteers here who took everyone's numbers and promised credit for any time spent waiting. This was an excellent way to remove the pressure to run the light to compete with past course times (personal or course records). The other benefit was a regrouping of riders so pacelines were reformed.

<table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/Pdp6x0oTAeGvXnFDXnu4pQ?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Gh2BsDcy4J4/Tf6BwoiWfkI/AAAAAAAAla4/Wv_7QVR_6bI/s800/P1040092.JPG" height="600" width="800" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/patrick.herlihy/TerribleTwoJune2011?feat=embedwebsite">Terrible Two - June 2011</a></td></tr></table>

I was impressed with the public spirit of the riders here, who could have sprinted off when the light changed but made a group decision to wait and let any cars or trucks behind us go ahead first.

Eventually, we turned onto Geysers Road and the first big climb. I checked my Garmin and it showed an average moving speed of 18.8 mph over 75 miles in the 4 hours we had been riding - wow!

Geysers is not especially steep but is quite long, climbing 2600'. I started with a pace I thought was comfortable for the distance; Dirk was staying with me and since he was riding so strong on Silverado, taking pulls, I didn't even consider that I would drop him. I'm not sure when, but at some point he settled into a more comfortable pace. 

When I realized I was solo, I tossed up waiting but decided that since this was the first climb, I wanted to test myself out and put in a good effort; I had "itchy legs". So I ramped the speed a bit to a sustainable threshold and moved my way steadily up. At this point there were still a good bunch of riders on the hill leftover from the paceline - some had sprinted up the first section so I always had someone ahead to chase down. Eventually, I passed everyone from our paceline.

Some spectators were sitting on a very scenic spot on the way up cheering us as we went by. I love this!

There were a few sections of gravel road, which was strange considering how good the surface was otherwise. One of these sections was at 15% which was tricky.

<table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/pB0kAfObvriGLuGrapt8Sw?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-aEKZL_OB1Cg/Tf6By48m8AI/AAAAAAAAlbg/0zOapQXiNgw/s800/P1040098.JPG" height="600" width="800" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/patrick.herlihy/TerribleTwoJune2011?feat=embedwebsite">Terrible Two - June 2011</a></td></tr></table>

There was a water stop at the top of the first part of the climb, but my bottles were still half full and with only a few miles to the final summit, I didn't want to break the climb so I rode past. There was a quick but fun descent straight into a very steep (15%) section, then a less steep brief climb to the summit. Here I finally caught and passed the tandem. I asked them if they were planning to stop at the top and they said they were. I hoped that we might be able to jump on their train on the backside descent.

The total Geysers climb took me 1:03:40 hrs over 9.33 miles. Not spectacular, but pretty good. I really enjoyed the climb. It's a climb I'd love to come back to and set a good PR, but it's just too far away 

<B>Geysers Rest Stop #2</B> - 10:48am, 85 mi, 5:04 hrs riding
This rest stop was fairly empty when I arrived, perhaps 4 riders there. Probably because the hammerheads ahead of us were limiting stops to 1-2 mins. I had begun to feel warm on the climb so my first task was to remove my knee warmers and bag them for shipping back to the start. I considered throwing my wind jacket in, but decided to keep it with me just in case the coast was cool.

Dirk was not far behind me at all and we were out of the stop in 10 minutes, probably longer than needed but a few extra minutes off the saddle felt good. I refilled my bottles as usual and picked at various food items. I had consumed a Hammer bar on the climb and replaced it. Even though I didn't need it, I downed a can of Coke, mostly for the cold.

We had a lot of descending to do and we knew from Dan's blog that there was at least one tricky turn. The initial descent was a lot of fun - wide open, good road and fast. We made the turn that Dan had missed then continued the descent down a twisty, backcountry, pot-holed road. In truth, it was a lot of fun for me, but Dirk was concerned about damage from the road surface so slowed his descent down. I had picked up another rider so stayed just behind him while we picked lines through the pot holes and had fun in the corners.

We only met a few trucks, all going our way, one of which pulled over to let us past. We passed by an old mine - actually, this area reminded me a little of Mines Rd near its peak, where red dirt dominates the landscape.

I really enjoyed this part of the ride, having fun in the corners, jumping pot holes and picking lines. I can see why folks recommend a sturdy bike for this ride!

As it leveled out, I stopped and waited for just a couple of minutes for Dirk and we rode on towards lunch. Eventually, a group of 4-5 passed us and we jumped on their train. After a few miles, something fell and it looked electronic. I thought it might be a cellphone so I doubled back to find it - turned out to be a blinky, dislodged by the bumpy road, and smashed to pieces. I didn't bother to retrieve the bits and rode on hoping to reel them back in. Dirk had sensed me gone and dropped to wait, so we rode on together towards lunch.

Somewhere near the end of these backroads, we clicked over our first century in 5:48 hours riding time. This actually just pips my fastest ever century by 2 minutes but with a lot more climbing. I felt pretty good about that but was aware that it's not a pace we would be able to keep up in the tougher second half!

As we got onto the main roads again, we settled into trading pulls and eventually passed and picked up a few more riders, some of whom were willing to take a turn at the front. The only word to describe how I was feeling by this point is "exhilarated", so when my turn to pull came I ramped up to 21-22 mph and took us the last few miles to the lunch stop.

<B>Warm Springs Lunch Rest Stop #3</B> - 12:19pm, 111 mi, 6:24 hrs riding time
Lunch stop is a good opportunity to assess how I'm feeling: thighs are definitely feeling used, but no sign of cramping or tiredness yet, my neck is the most sore (it tends to get sore when descending for long periods, especially in the drops).

I pulled out my USB battery recharger and plugged it into my Garmin so it could suck up hopefully enough juice to ensure capturing the whole ride.

Volunteers were making basic sandwiches which went down well. I nibbled at the usual food items and chased them with a Mountain Dew. They had diet sodas available, which I found somewhat amusing. They also had sugar-based fruit sodas but I wanted the caffeine hit, even if it meant a disgusting corn syrup aftertaste later. After feeling the salty grime on my forehead, I decided I had better take an Endurolyte.

We lingered at this stop for 30 mins, as planned. If we had been pushing for a fast time, we could have easily limited this stop to 10 minutes or less but it was very refreshing to rest and sit in the shade. One volunteer was offering hand, foot or shoulder massages.

Back on the road, we immediately began climbing up Skaggs. Initially, the grade is fairly easy but after a left turn it pitches up and stays there. 

<table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/pEYW727HwYt1j7wEHsd6ag?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-uXiNfCt3gkQ/Tf6B2yhsPPI/AAAAAAAAlb8/NPf485JHvt0/s800/P1040104.JPG" height="600" width="800" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/patrick.herlihy/TerribleTwoJune2011?feat=embedwebsite">Terrible Two - June 2011</a></td></tr></table>

The Skaggs climb really has three sections: the initial 800' climb which turns into several steep "rollers", followed by another steep 1050' climb to the first summit, a descent (with, of course, a mid-descent climb), then a final 1000' climb to the second summit. I was still feeling good and the steepness of the climbs was always enticing me to go harder, but I wanted to stay with Dirk on this section. I know he wasn't in his happy place at this point in the ride, and it always helps to have company to share the misery of coming around a corner and seeing the road get even steeper into the distance!

This was the warmest part of the day and the hottest climb. A thermometer at one rest stop said 80° but it was definitely hotter on most of the climb. There wasn't much of a breeze, but when it did come it usually brought an exclamation of relief from us!

Since water was plentiful at the two summits, I drank mostly from my Perpetuem bottle and squirted ice water from my other bottle over my neck and back. This worked really well to keep me cool.

Despite climbing at a relatively comfortable pace, we were catching a lot of other riders. I saw a few pulled over in shady spots to cool off, and a few more "delivering the post" to level out the road, but nobody was pushing their bike up the hill.

Adding to the "backcountry" feel, there were a few animal carcases by the side of the road - coyotes and animals larger than the usual squirrel road-kill.

At the first rest stop, I really wanted another Mountain Dew but there is too much of a good thing so I took a V8 instead.

The descent between the two summits was, I think, the most fun descent on the ride. It was twisty but at a radius that was perfect to not have to brake between turns but still be right on the limit. I wanted to climb back and do it again! Dirk said that he remembered it well from motorcycle trips out this way in the past.

The final segment went by fairly quickly for me, as expansive views opened up giving distraction and a fairly consistent breeze cooled us down. We refilled bottles at the rest stop and were out in just a few minutes with the promise of a long, cool descent ahead. We had averaged 6.9 mph on the climb to the first summit, and 5.8 mph on the second; this was a pleasing pace.

This section was really nice. It was the first time I felt unhurried, just wanting to slow down and enjoy the lush views. We didn't see many other riders here at all and chatted most of the way; nice since hard climbing, pace-lining and descending makes conversation difficult and that had been most of our ride so far.

<table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/THINvylfCHpVxK7xTjb5uw?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-ImRnSGJSaoQ/Tf6B58c-xhI/AAAAAAAAlcg/VqkwsIBeADA/s800/P1040111.JPG" height="600" width="800" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/patrick.herlihy/TerribleTwoJune2011?feat=embedwebsite">Terrible Two - June 2011</a></td></tr></table>

Just as we were enjoying ourselves, we came around a corner and the road went up - steeply, up! This was the Rancheria Wall. Dirk had noted it as getting special mention in Dan's blog as a wall of pain. It was steep enough that I didn't have much choice about what speed I was going to take it - being fortunate to have a low gear of 30x25 on my triple, I kept up a comfortable 60-70 rpm cadence that took me ahead of Dirk. I passed a few climbers, one stopped panting by the road and another near the top who, responding to my "quite a climb!" exclamation replied, "that was the worst climb I've ever seen!". I wanted to say it was one of the best I've ever experienced, but I didn't think it would be taken well 

Dirk later noted why these steep climbs appeal - they remind us both of riding at Henry Coe where most of the climbs are very steep, certainly all the destination climbs. We are both Coe riders.

<table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/dBRJrX8vMh6iBGZ0oXgqDA?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-JuJyhQuUJC8/Tf6B6yImyBI/AAAAAAAAlco/VCc66nQJuB0/s800/P1040113.JPG" height="800" width="600" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/patrick.herlihy/TerribleTwoJune2011?feat=embedwebsite">Terrible Two - June 2011</a></td></tr></table>

<B>Racheria Rest Stop #4</B> - 3:41pm, 143 mi, 9:08 riding time
Dirk summitted not far behind me and we rolled into the very well located rest stop. I believe in past rides, it used to be at the bottom of the wall which is just so wrong!

We spent 11 minutes here, taking our time to recover, despite the downhill to the coast ahead of us. I finally remembered to reapply sunscreen here - I should have done this at lunch and got some mild sunburn as a result.

I was pleased that I was still able to eat and didn't repeat my DMD performance on Sierra Rd where I'd got to the point where I couldn't eat anything. I relied more, this time, on Perpetuem than solid food and perhaps that's why.

The descent quickly put me in a very happy place - more redwoods with a carpet of ferns. While the adrenaline rush of the descents is a great memory, the descent here is one of my favorite recollections of the whole ride. I'm sure I had a big grin on my face the whole time!

<table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/vhq4HD8c2ZH4SNQQIr8J4A?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-_IfcBAiKxdo/Tf6B7NlxzOI/AAAAAAAAlcw/MrdHtfXSmE4/s800/P1040114.JPG" height="600" width="800" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/patrick.herlihy/TerribleTwoJune2011?feat=embedwebsite">Terrible Two - June 2011</a></td></tr></table>

A lot of descending on fairly bumpy roads and a bit of climbing, and we finally arrived at Stewarts Point, the coast and Highway 1.

<table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/6dK6NtC8l_rEUHHw49OX0A?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-4eeXw1GRQq0/Tf6B7x2odVI/AAAAAAAAlc4/M9H1gVzsIS0/s800/P1040116.JPG" height="533" width="800" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/patrick.herlihy/TerribleTwoJune2011?feat=embedwebsite">Terrible Two - June 2011</a></td></tr></table>

The big question was whether the usual tailwind would make this section an easy ride to Fort Ross. Sadly, there was no wind blowing so we would have to ride down Highway 1 under our own steam. After the glorious descent to the coast, this didn't bother me at all. The coastal views were so nice, and the temperature had dropped to a perfect "coolish" level, that we were happy to ride under our own power.

<table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/5ArxBLujO9ch220snYXHIg?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-exjgjd-ZOsU/Tf6B81CD2MI/AAAAAAAAldI/snuG9jxHAR4/s800/P1040118.JPG" height="600" width="800" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/patrick.herlihy/TerribleTwoJune2011?feat=embedwebsite">Terrible Two - June 2011</a></td></tr></table>

Dirk suddenly came alive on this section. We took turns at the front, I think equally although I really did enjoy being in Dirk's shadow on this stretch and may have overindulged! At one point, we passed a rider with aerobars. We were pleased to have someone to share the work with and save some energy for the climb to come. But he must have been beat because we couldn't get him to take a pull. Eventually, he was unable to stay with us and was dropped.

<table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/LlZ1ppB9ebWRroA3b5LDHQ?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-sqJpb_9wLN8/Tf6B9DKKwBI/AAAAAAAAldQ/PPUz3LaQyq4/s800/P1040120.JPG" height="600" width="800" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/patrick.herlihy/TerribleTwoJune2011?feat=embedwebsite">Terrible Two - June 2011</a></td></tr></table>

Dirk noted that this section actually includes about 1,000' of climbing with the many rollers and small climbs along the coast. Around every corner was a new gorgeous view.

<table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/tuvdG32R-eETvyfQdz_J_A?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-Isgg4nCxGzw/Tf6B-CXGCuI/AAAAAAAAldg/6Apd83ZBul4/s800/P1040122.JPG" height="600" width="800" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/patrick.herlihy/TerribleTwoJune2011?feat=embedwebsite">Terrible Two - June 2011</a></td></tr></table>

We averaged 18 mph over the 15 miles which is slow compared to a normal TT but decent on this day.

<B>Fort Ross Rest Stop #5</B> - 5pm, 162 mi, 10:13 hrs riding time
One thing I like ride organizers to do is add some variety to the food at rest stops. And here, two soups were on offer: a vegetable and chicken noodle. I took chicken noodle with a couple of ice cubes and it hit the spot! 

Again, we lingered here longer than probably necessary, about 10 mins, but it was good to recover some energy after the push down the coast and in preparation for the steep climb to come.

Dirk did some calculations and realized that if we averaged 20 mph we would come in under 14 hours total. I thought that was a tall ask with a big climb ahead of us, but I was willing to ramp up the effort as I thought I had a bit more to spare.

I asked a rest stop worker about the climb and he said it was average 15% with lots of 17-18%, so I was steeling myself for some hard work to come. Actually, it never got near that steep being average 11.2% with some brief 16% pitches.

It also was another of those beautiful climbs that distracts you from the hard work - another forest of redwoods and some ferns and a tiny single-lane road that no self-respecting driver would take a car down! 

I really enjoyed this climb! Like many others, Fort Ross comes in two parts with the first major section climbing about 1330' in 2.3 miles, a small pot-holed descent, then a final climb of 440' in 0.9 mi. The climb only really seemed hard when it came out from the forest and crested some Sierra-Rd-like open pitches at 16% to the top. I passed a rider on the last of these and said, "I guess the road is giving us a final test before it is done" and he grumpily replied, "no, it's a double summit climb"!

<table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/MzBj-W8LnyLlZJ1DY-JyKQ?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-BXhvNbrKJII/Tf6CBNc4otI/AAAAAAAAleU/vpcxywQRQDY/s800/P1040129.JPG" height="600" width="800" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/patrick.herlihy/TerribleTwoJune2011?feat=embedwebsite">Terrible Two - June 2011</a></td></tr></table>

The climb was followed by another long, bumpy, twisty descent. I thoroughly enjoyed it, not being so worried about accidently hitting a pothole. One of the tricks I had learned to do on the Mt Hamilton - Mines - Livermore loop is to jump the cattle grates rather than ride over them at speed. I had been doing this all day but this time Dirk was right behind me and caught me in the act  It's a nice crossover of MTB skills!

As the road leveled off, Dirk began to enact his plan to attempt to break 14 hours. I had no idea where he suddenly got his energy from but I was struggling to keep up and he actualy dropped me a couple of times. On one section of road, Austin Creek Rd, the surface was very bumpy and I found it hard to pedal hard. This one small section of road inflicted more pain than most of the rest of ride together!

On River Rd, recently resurfaced, Dirk dropped the hammer and dropped me. I just couldn't stay on his wheel! So impressed! Mercifully, he realized and waited and metered his Flemish power in smaller doses! I just focused everything on staying on his wheel!

<B>Monte Rio Rest Stop #6</B> - 6:45pm, 183 mi, 11:49 hrs riding time
It was clear by this point that we were not going to need our lights. I toyed with the idea of having them sent back to the start but to do this would mean having to wait for them to be delivered which could take a while. So instead, we stuffed them in our jersey pockets. Dirk was confident that his Garmin would survive since he hadn't even had a low battery warning yet.

With a new goal, we stayed here only briefly. I filled a bottle with Gatorade, for something different, but I never even took a sip of that before the end of the ride, continuing to prefer my Perpetuem mix.

I felt refreshed after the break and took a pull as we began the ride towards Occidental. But I think that was the last one, as Dirk dug to the bottom of his energy tank and found more! The Occidental climb was strange, slowly stair-stepping up until a final 6% section to the top. Ordinarily it would have been a fairly relaxing climb but I was throwing out 100% of what I had left to make sure the elastic between me and Dirk stayed unbroken! 

I thought I must have been fading but I was climbing the 6% grades at 10-11 mph which is a very acceptable speed for me at 190 miles down - Dirk was just flying! Once I figured that out, I stopped feeling guilty for wheelsucking and just accepted the tow! Under Dirk's power, we averaged 22.7 mph for the final 9 miles.

<B>Finish</B> - 7:46pm, 200 mi, 12:43 hrs riding time
A very grand welcoming group applauds us in, still in daylight, and we give our numbers to finish the ride. The clock reads 14:16 hours and the volunteer tells us we are 34th! I'm in amazement - I had expected to be in the 50s based on DMD performance. It wasn't until the official results came out that we found we were actually 57th - perhaps we were the 34th group to come in?

The volunteers mark our number as having completed so we are eligible for our "I did it" t-shirt. My brain is mush at this point, a combination of tiredness, caffeination, long hours of concentration. A volunteer points out where the showers are (showers? Awesome!) and it takes a few tries before the directions register with us. I guess the volunteers are used to this 

So nice to have a shower. A hint for future riders - bring soap, shampoo and a towel. I should have grabbed ours from the hotel but never thought of it! We picked up our tshirts and purchased our jerseys. I wasn't so thrilled with the current jersey, although it does have the traditional Terrible Two logo on it, and managed to find one of the previous year's jersey that fit. Unlike the DMD, they do take credit cards for jersey purchases. And now, I'm 2/3 of the way towards my first CA Triple Crown!

<table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/eixAwVV5eB6UWrgApvdNLg?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-RpB8h7_S9eo/Tf_X4sQJNwI/AAAAAAAAlgk/UCmifkUogHM/s800/IMG_0598.JPG" height="800" width="601" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/patrick.herlihy/TerribleTwoJune2011?feat=embedwebsite">Terrible Two - June 2011</a></td></tr></table>

Dinner was great - very nice polenta, lasagne, salads, garlic bread, cake and coffee. We both would have killed for a cold beer, but sadly not allowed, and probably not wise with a long drive home ahead of us.

So, the big question - which is harder.. DMD or TT? I'm afraid I cannot give an answer: DMD had much longer climbs but all at an easier grade (although Sierra would fit comfortably on the TT course). TT had steep climbs, long flat sections very conducive to pacelining and some really horrible road surfaces. Do them both


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## chidonchea (Jul 14, 2008)

Great job on the ride and report ratpick! The training and prep paid off.


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## Elhombre (Jun 14, 2010)

Great report and photos, Patrick; I have to say, a lot of the details already had started to fade away from my memory.

A couple comments: 

- seeing you jump the entire length of a cattle gate on your road bike was an awesome sight to behold. I'd have trouble with that on a mountain bike.
- remind me to always bring instant coffee along to these things!
- like you, I found the Skaggs descents beyond awesome; I think descending the reverse direction may even be better.
- no need to feel bad about drafting: I slowed you down enough on some of the climbs that it was only fair.
- as for my late surge: I think I just smelled the barn and got into the zone. To quote Iggy Pop (via Mogwai): '...when I'm in the grips of it I don't feel pleasure and I don't feel pain, either physically or emotionally. Do you understand what I'm talking about? Have you ever felt like that?'


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## ukbloke (Sep 1, 2007)

I've realized that I don't need to do these ridiculous endurance rides any more. I can just sit at home with a cold beer and enjoy the fabulous ride reports, pictures, videos and Strava data. Nice job all.


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## terrain (Apr 19, 2009)

Great read. Thanks for taking the time to post.


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## IpedalSlow (Apr 19, 2011)

Great report ratpick. It was the hardest ride I've ever done since taking up road last year.


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## bddbb (Dec 8, 2001)

Excellent ride reports Elhombre and ratpick!

Yesterday I signed up for the Mt. Tam Double and I'm looking forward to going mano y mano with you guys in that one! The Marin Cyclists are running the Marin Century at the same time and somewhere on their website I read "this is not a race". I just smiled and said "yeah, right!"


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## ratpick (Jul 31, 2008)

bddbb said:


> Excellent ride reports Elhombre and ratpick!
> 
> Yesterday I signed up for the Mt. Tam Double and I'm looking forward to going mano y mano with you guys in that one! The Marin Cyclists are running the Marin Century at the same time and somewhere on their website I read "this is not a race". I just smiled and said "yeah, right!"


Oh, it's on! I think both ElHombre & UKbloke need to sign up to complete the series


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## ratpick (Jul 31, 2008)

IpedalSlow said:


> Great report ratpick. It was the hardest ride I've ever done since taking up road last year.


Thanks! Took me 3 years to work up to a double.. damn!


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## IpedalSlow (Apr 19, 2011)

ratpick said:


> Thanks! Took me 3 years to work up to a double.. damn!


I guess I'll see you guys at Mt. Tam Double to complete my triple crown (I hope) . Now I have to get ready for the Death Ride in a couple of weeks


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## ratpick (Jul 31, 2008)

IpedalSlow said:


> I guess I'll see you guys at Mt. Tam Double to complete my triple crown (I hope) . Now I have to get ready for the Death Ride in a couple of weeks


Hopefully! I'll be in my RBR kit as in ElHombre's photos above so say "hi" if you see me.

Enjoy the Death Ride - be careful - that thing is a zoo!


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## poff (Jul 21, 2007)

Congrats Patrick! Well done.


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