Rocky Top 100

This weekend was the Rocky Top 100, a metric century (100 kilometers or 62 miles)that starts and ends at "Barley's Pizza and Beer", it was raining at the start and I happened to pack the fixy in the car the night before. I knew the rain would keep the speeds low, make drafting uncomfortable, sketch everyone on the corners basically making normal road tactics impossible. So if I was going to have to do my own ride I might as well ride the fixy. Honestly, I had a goal this year of riding at least one cycling event on the fixy so it was a perfect opportunity. It was a major effort but not quite as hard a day as I had feared. I learned a few lessons.

I’ve got more fixy skills than I realized, not the skidding/trackstanding type but the kind that get you up and down hills mile after mile without blowing out the knees.

30c tires at 75 psi make riding wet pavement allot easier than the normal roadie fair.

Die-hard roadies are an unsociable lot whose egos take a hit when overweight fixy rides in sandals stomp them.

It’s more rewarding to me to take the hard road and overcome at my own level but I’m not sure if that’s a masochism or an excuse.

I did this ride last year on the road bike and perfect conditions in just under 3 hours, it took less than an extra hour this year and was worth every minute. This was Thomas and i's 2nd road event in three weeks, I bet Thomas is shaving his legs by the end of the month ;-).

Noah’s cycling is really taking off, I think he has a future in downhill racing:



June ride log:

1st – Road ride 2:00
2nd – Farragut Fix 2:00
4th – Haw Ridge 2:00
5th – Road Ride 2:00
6th – Commute to Work 2:00
8th – Farragut Fix 1:30
9th – Commute to Work 2:00
13th Commute to Work 2:00
14th - Ride to the Farmers market 1:00
14th – Raccoon Mountain 3:30
16th – Commute to work 2:00
17th – Commute to Work 2:00
18th - Haw Ridge 2:00
21st – Cherohala Challenge 7:15
22nd – Farragut Fix :45
23rd – Neighborhood Fix :30
24th – Urban fix/Tomfoolery 1:30
27th – Commute to work and to Party 1:00
28th – Trailer Ride with Noah 1:30
29th - LeConte hike 7:00
30th – Commute to work 2:00

Forty Seven hours and thirty minutes in June, With a couple of big effort days in the mix but commuting to work is becoming my “base”.