Blather on Bicycling

At the south end of our valley lies a road less traveled. This 5.5 mile terminal stretch of pavement rapes the virgin innocence of cyclists who attempt to conquer it with speed. A superficial examination of the road may yield a benign interpretation of its difficulty; but those who have attempted the course intimately know the magnitude of pain it inflicts. Wind is the most horrific elemental manifestation in this locale. The relentless wind that shakes cyclists in the valley only grows stronger as riders approach the epicenter, which is Ladd Canyon at the southernmost end of the road. This often results in a monumental effort squandered.

This road giveth and this road taketh away, usually the latter. A relatively calm day (<15 mph winds) can render untimely wind gusts and directional changes. Riders have been known to experience headwinds going out and headwinds coming back. A more likely scenario is a weak tailwind going out countered by stronger headwinds coming back, or vice verse. Rain showers often hit one or two hours before they are scheduled. Furthermore, rain shower forecasts sometimes result in hail whitened roads of treachery. Riders received further insult this year when the road was gravelled and tarred in August, leaving a surface covered with unblunted boulders. Yet despite all the evil this road dispatches, the venue is surreally heaven-like as the road skirts marshlands of the Grande Ronde Valley, displaying the surrounding mountains and abundant wildlife. Perhaps this is why it is the most popular road in the valley for cyclists. It is Foothill Road.

Today, I took this road less traveled by. I used Foothill as an opening field test for my 2008 training and it almost coincided with the ceremony for opening Gekeler Ln. It was such a contrast turning off the smoothest road in the valley onto the roughest and then trying to go fast. Conditions were nearly perfect by Foothill standards. I found the road surface not that bad at TT speed. There were a few dips that jostled me but at least the road surface is mostly consistent now. You don’t have to consciously scan to avoid potholes like before. My time wasn’t that great, but there were some positives from the effort:

• I now have a baseline time with no wind, which will provide a good comparison for next February.
• I went out in exactly the same time as I came back. This shows I can maintain a sustainable power threshold fairly well for this time of year.
• My legs and lungs felt good the entire ride. In other words, I handled the intensity quite nicely for a pre-training time trial.
• I’ll probably be on a new frame and front wheel next time I do it, so that will be fun.
• The new chipseal isn’t too bad.