1The Ride of YouR Life

Aligning heart and mind for success in long distance cycling

Featuring a simple 8-step process that will get you to the finish line of the ride

of your dreams.

Written by david Rowe | designed by evan Rowe

Ready To RideMind. Body. Bike.

®

Plus, six riders share the rides of their lives:

Kitty Goursolle on Paris-Brest-ParisJill homer on the Susitna 100Gregory Paley on the Portland-to-Glacier 1000Kent Peterson on Raid Californie-oregondel Scharffenberg on the elite PAC TourJohn Spurgeon on Race Across America

Preview Edition

The Ride of YouR LifeAligning heart and mind for

success in long distance cycling

Written by david Rowe | designed by evan Rowe

©2009 R2R. All rights reserved.Retail Price: $19.95 ISBN 978-0-9822948-0-2

This e-Book is available through the online bookstore at RoadBikeRider.com. If you have received your copy in any other way, we hope you enjoy it and we ask that you mail a check for $19.95 to RBR Publishing Company at the address below. Or you may visit the online bookstore and order a legitimate copy.

Distributed by: RBR Publishing Company 1617 Kramer RoadKutztown, PA 19530 USA RBRPublishing@roadbikerider.comhttp://www.roadbikerider.com

Ready To RideMind. Body. Bike.

®

Published by:R2R® PO Box 2184Lake Oswego, OR 97035www.readytoride.biz

hoW CAN A BuSY PeRSoN AChieVe ReALLY BiG GoALS oN The BiKe?

Listen to what some of cycling’s most respected authorities are saying about The Ride of Your Life:

The Ride of Your Life is an organized approach to help

sport-recreational riders prepare mind, body, and bike

for the achievement of long distance cycling goals.

“The Ride of Your Life will help get your head and heart ready to tackle any grand cycling challenge.”

—Selene Yeager, “The Fitness Chick” columnist for Bicycling magazine

“No matter what your goal is, this book will serve as a thoughtful and effective roadmap. Most impressive!”

—Georgena Terry, Founder and CEO, Terry Precision Cycling for Women.

“impressively, Rowe shows a deep appreciation for ‘the big picture’—he keeps everything in perspective, encourages careful analysis of goals, rewards, and their cost, and never forgets ‘the fun factor.’”

—Chris Kostman, Furnace Creek 508 race director (1990 to present), Race Across AMerica finisher (1987, at age 20)

“...an organized, analytical approach to basing your goals on your values so you can seamlessly blend cycling with the rest of your life.”

—Fred Matheny, cycling writer

“during the final miles of a long ride don’t wish for fitness; wish for motivation. The Ride of Your Life is the kick in the pants you needto raise your cycling results to a new level.”

—Lon Haldeman, 8-time cross country record holder and RAAM winner

“...The Ride of Your Life gives you a wealth of useful, practical material to set and achieve your extraordinary goals.”

—John Lee Ellis, RAAM and P-B-P veteran, UMCA and RUSA board member, Colorado brevets organizer

Get on the Road to the Ride of Your Life Today

The material contained in this publication is the

property of R2R® and is protected by United States

and international and other copyright laws and

conventions. Some material is derived from previously

published works of David Rowe, or includes concepts pre-

viously written, described, or published by Charles Hobbs.

The use of trade names in this publication is for editorial

purposes only. There is no intention to infringe upon trade

names. No endorsement or denigration of any product,

service, or organization is implied, except where

expressly noted.

Polar is a registered trademark of Polar Scientific.

The Polar 725Xi was provided for the editorial use of the

author by Polar.

Day-Timer is a registered trademark of Day-Timers, Inc, a

division of ACCO Brands.

This publication may not be reproduced or transmitted

in any form or by any means, mechanical or electronic,

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The author makes no warranty of any kind, expressed

or implied, with regard to the information contained in

R2R® publications or in its web sites. R2R® does not

guarantee the accuracy, completeness, correctness,

non-infringement, merchantability, or fitness for a particu-

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or its web sites.

The author shall not be liable in the event of incidental

or consequential damages in connection with, or arising

out of, the furnishing, performance, and use of informa-

tion, associated instructions, programs, and/or claims of

results or productivity gains. Generalizations or applicabil-

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The contents of R2R® publications and/or its web

sites should not be substituted for the advice of a

personal physician. All readers are cautioned to obtain

medical consultation before entering into any

athletic training program.

Copyright Notice disclaimer

To my wife, Danette, whose support and encouragement

has made it possible for me to reach for the moon, and

when I did, to see her face in it.

To Charles Hobbs, whose teachings have shaped my

life and helped me to realize my dreams. This work is the

modest attempt of an ordinary person who has accom-

plished extraordinary things, because he has been able to

stand on the shoulders of a giant.

A portion of the profits generated from sales of this

e-Book are shared with charitable organizations that are

making a difference in our corner of the world. For a

current list of charities that we have identified to receive

contributions made possible by the money you spent

to purchase this e-Book, see the More Info page at the

Ready to Ride web site.

dedication

We are paying it forward

ContentsIntroductIon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

PlAnnIng For cyclIng succEss . . . . . . . . . . 14The why factor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

The lure of long distance cycling . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Time Power is not measured in watts –

but there is a connection. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Ready to Ride Interview: Gregory Paley . . . . . . . . 25

clArIFyIng, AlIgnIng And PrIorItIzIng your corE vAluEs. . . . . . . . . . . 33

Think about your body . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

Think about your relationships. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

Think about your work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

Step 1: Clarify your core values . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

Worksheet I: Core Values . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

Ready to Ride Interview: Jill Homer. . . . . . . . . . . 52

gEttIng down to thIs busInEss oF goAl-sEttIng. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60

Guidelines for goal setting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64

What do you want to accomplish on the bike? . . . . . 66

Step 2: Evaluate your past performance . . . . . . . . 69

Ready to Ride Interview: Del Sharffenberg . . . . . . . 72

PIckIng thE rIght rIdEs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80Step 3: Create your wish list. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81

Step 4: Rate the rides . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88

Step 5: Use your value system to evaluate the rides. . 89

Step 6: Sort the goals list. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91

Step 7: Chunk it down to one-year milestones. . . . . . 92

Step 8: Make a plan to achieve each goal. . . . . . . . 93

Why I didn’t ride in the Paris-Brest-Paris . . . . . . . . 97

Ready to Ride Interview: Kitty Goursolle . . . . . . . . 100

crEAtIng your AnnuAl PlAn . . . . . . . . . . . . 110Every rider needs a plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111

Choosing a calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114

Your season at a glance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116

Ready to Ride Interview: Kent Peterson . . . . . . . . 120

tAkIng your drEAms to thE roAd . . . . . . . . 131Keep your plan visible . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133

Record and analyze your training program . . . . . . . 135

Where to get direction and feedback on progress . . . 137

Keep your plan (and attitude) flexible . . . . . . . . . . 140

When cycling stops being fun . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142

Define your own limits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144

Ready to Ride Interview: John Spurgeon . . . . . . . . 147

rEAdy to rIdE workshEEts. . . . . . . . . . . . . 154Downloads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155

Print-ready templates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156

AcknowlEdgEmEnts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161

About r2r . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162Our mission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162

Our web site . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162

Ready to Ride® . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162

Our books . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162

a RideR’s Guide to BuildinG

the lonG distance Bicycle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162

Ourselves. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163

david Rowe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163

evan Rowe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163

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6

2

3

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Cover image courtesy of Race Across America. Photo by Kayvon Beykpour.

7

introduction

“All things are ready if our minds be so.” - William Shakespeare

Introduction8introduction

I am amazed at the distances that people can travel on

a bicycle. Even people who have never really practiced

seem to be able to hop on a road bike and pedal 15 to 20

miles their first time out. As they begin to ride more fre-

quently, they find they are able to ride 30 to 40 miles at 15

or 16 miles an hour with relatively little effort aside from

showing up at a weekly club ride. And those who show up

regularly will soon hear experienced riders talk about the

century rides. And it won’t be long until they are encour-

aged to get the feel of a supported long distance ride, by

following a route of lesser distance on the same day.

Those who follow through discover the childlike ela-

tion that comes from spending a day on a bicycle, riding

through town and country, free from the demands of the

real world. They may also be introduced to the pain that

comes from sitting on a bicycle seat for so many hours.

But for most, that will be outweighed and soon forgotten,

as the feelings of accomplishment that come from com-

pleting a long ride are so very powerful and long-lasting.

Some will begin to ponder the next milestone–the century

–100 miles in one day. But now, with some experience

under their Spandex, they recognize that riding a century

requires some degree of cycling fitness. Those who crack

a book or load a web page on the subject find that most of

the literature focuses on mileage. Most riders (and many

writers) equate long distance events to long distance

training, and the basic formula for success is to add more

miles, and hours, in the saddle. Most century riders train

exactly this way, with long, steady distance rides and little

else. For the most part, it works. Participation in organized

century rides has sky-rocketed in recent years.

Although the absolute numbers are smaller, there has

been a similar increase in the number of riders who are

participating in events beyond the 100 mile threshold. For

example, a record 5,312 cyclists from around the world

traveled to France in August of 2007 to participate in the

5,312 cyclists traveled to france in June of 2007 to participate in the grand-daddy of all long distance events - Paris-Brest-Paris. More than 1400 did not finish.

Introduction9

they have more time to train. But many assume that an

aging body or health concerns may prohibit them from

gaining the strength and endurance necessary to finish

such an event.

So what is the best way to prepare for the longest rides?

I am convinced that mental preparation is the most impor-

tant aspect of a successful long distance ride. Visualizing

the route months in advance will get you to the starting

line with body and bike prepared. If nothing else, the time

spent planning and practicing will pack your goal with a

heavy emotional payload, which could be the thing that

keeps you rolling when a failing bike or an aching body

are signaling you to bail out.

While it may not be possible to complete every ride we

start, our chances are improved if we invest the time to

identify a goal that has deep emotional value. Then, with

the goal in mind, you need to develop a personal plan that

will fit into your lifestyle.

It must be tailored to meet your needs as a sport-recre-

ational rider, someone who never raced a bicycle, but

wants to grow in competence as a cyclist. This book is

written to help the rider without a background in road bike

training to prepare the mind first, before preparing your

grand-daddy of all long distance events–Paris-Brest-Paris,

a 31 percent increase over the previous 2003 event.

No matter the distance, riders going beyond the century

find themselves in an entirely new realm, and many riders

are simply not prepared at one level or another. At an

organized century event, riders who abandon the ride

are quickly swept off the course and returned to the start

in SAG wagons. The penalties are higher for riders in a

brevet, as randonneuring events offer only limited support

at the checkpoints.

Experts encourage cyclists who are contemplating a

200K brevet (124 miles) or even longer rides like double

centuries to incorporate cross-training, resistance train-

ing, stretching, and diet and nutrition regimens into their

preparations. While this advice is sound and important,

the rider who is raising a family or managing a career

often struggles to make a rigorous program fit into daily

life. As riders grow older and their children leave the nest,

i am convinced that mental preparation is the most important aspect of a successful long distance ride.

Introduction10

body and bike, so you can ride with the best and achieve

your dreams and keep the other important aspects of your

life together in the process.

This is the program that I developed over the years to

improve my own riding, and to participate in challeng-

ing, recreational cycling events. These rides have been

as important and motivating to me as a road race is to

the amateur or professional. The achievement of one

milestone has led me to reach for another. Eventually, and

to my own amazement, friends began to come to me with

their questions about equipment, exercise, diet and weight

management.

My goal in writing this book is to make your journey as

rewarding for you as mine has been for me. The bicycle

can serve as a means of realizing a very powerful sense

of personal accomplishment. It can also deliver happiness,

health, and a greater appreciation for life itself.

Success on the bike can make you more successful in

other areas of life, if managed correctly. However, like

anything taken to extremes, it can become a source of

conflict. Endurance cycling, like endurance running, is

addictive. It can consume your thoughts and all of your

free time to the point where it can destroy relationships,

careers, and virtually any other aspect of your life.

Finding the balance between my goals on the bike and

the other priorities of my life is important to me. In the

Randonneurs handbook, Bill Bryant warns riders who

are new to riding brevets about the opportunity cost of

being a successful endurance cyclist. Spending weekend

after weekend on the road training and riding brevets is

bound to impact other aspects of one’s life, the condition

of one’s home, personal finances, career, and of course,

relationships can suffer.

Preparing for 1000K and 1200K events has certainly

tested my limits. In order to fit riding into my busy sched-

ule, I am usually up before 5 a.m. on weekdays, riding or

lifting at the gym. Saturdays are spent doing long rides,

usually alone, in the farmlands and foothills of Oregon’s

Willamette Valley. As the season progresses, time spent

training increases to as many as 20 hours a week, leaving

While it may not be possible to complete every ride we start, our chances are improved if we invest the time to identify a goal that has deep emotional value.

Introduction11

just enough time in a day to eat, ride, work, sleep, and do

it all over again. Chores around the house go undone. Mail

piles up on my desk at home unopened. I may be achiev-

ing my dreams on the bike, but at what cost?

Fortunately, I have learned over the years to view the

whole year at a glance, before it begins. I typically do

this in the month of December. I begin the process by

reexamining my values, and reflecting on the past year

in that context. Then I look to the coming year as an op-

portunity to do better, to experience more of what I deem

important to me every day. I admit that I want a lot out of

life. I don’t have to have it all, but I am determined to have

what counts. For me, that is my health, my marriage, my

career, and my riding.

Thinking and acting on just those four things consumes

every available hour of my day, leaving virtually no down

time for watching TV, reading a book, or just sitting and

doing nothing. But it is a choice I have made consciously,

purposefully, and with the support of my family.

I can’t say that I never have misgivings on those Saturday

mornings at 6 a.m. as I roll out of my driveway, realizing

that another day is passing when I won’t be sitting there

at 8 a.m. having a cup of coffee with my wife. But I have

made my peace with this decision, and with many other

trade-offs, I have had to make, in order to realize my

dreams, to experience the rides of a lifetime.

I certainly do not expect you to follow me down the

same road. And that is what makes this approach to goal

planning so very useful. Although the process that you

and I will use to develop our goals will be the same, our

outcomes will be unique. The plan that you develop using

this system will be a reflection of your value system, not

mine, or anyone else’s. You are 100 percent in control of

identifying these values, prioritizing them, and balancing

them in relation to one another. And you will live with

the results.

If you have never taken the time to clarify your value

system, then you can’t really be sure what it is that cycling

provides you, or what it is about the road that attracts

you. If you don’t think about that now and get permission

from those around you to pursue your goal, then it will

be too late to circle back once you have ramped up the

if you have never taken the time to clarify your value system, then you can’t really be sure what it is that cycling provides you.

Introduction12

training and you are 1000 miles down the road toward

achieving your dream. At that point, there will be no way

to turn back without feelings of disappointment or resent-

ment toward whomever or whatever it is in your life that

is calling you home.

Using the system I describe in this book, you will work

through those decisions before turning the pedals one

rotation. It really is not difficult to do, but it will take some

effort and a few hours of your time. In fact, the more time

you can invest in the process, the better results you can

expect. I have been using this approach for many years,

and I can say with absolute certainty that it has played an

instrumental role in many aspects of my success. It has

helped me to understand and to learn from my failures;

successes and failures are facts of life, both make us who

we are now and who we are becoming.

I am in indebted to Dr. Charles Hobbs, developer of the

Insight for Time Management System. Hobbs developed

and refined an approach to time management which

became a mainstay for managers working in corporations

across America during the 1980s and 1990s. As a young

magazine editor working for a Fortune 500 publishing

house, I attended one of Dr. Hobb’s time management

seminars. I remember being excited when, at the begin-

ning of the two-day workshop, Day-Timer day planners

were distributed to each attendee. After all, I had come to

the workshop to learn how to be a better manager of my

time and my work. Now, I had the tool in my hands to do

it… less than one hour into a two-day workshop!

I also remember being surprised, maybe even put off,

when I learned that the key to time management success

was getting very clear about what one writes in the day

planner before it is ever written down. As it turns out,

logging tasks and appointments is the easy part. Whether

we actually complete those tasks and keep those appoint-

ments is a function of how well they fit with our beliefs

and values. This practice of evaluating what we will focus

on and what we will ignore is as constant as the ticking of

the clock, though for many, it is not a conscious process.

These decisions can be made on the fly, on a foundation of

shifting sands. Or the choices can be evaluated conscious-

ly, carefully, on a foundation of stone. The difference in the

way life unfolds is profound.

Cycling is very important to me. It becomes more impor-

tant as I grow older. The reason? Riding bikes is aligned

with my values of health, physical fitness, personal growth

and achievement. Yet success in cycling demands my

time and my attention, which is a limited resource. My

objective when using this approach has been to crystal-

lize my thinking about what I want to accomplish on the

Introduction13

bike and other vital areas of life, and eliminate everything

else. Establishing this kind of clarity helps me say “no” to

opportunities that come up throughout the year. These

things often sound like fun, even rewarding. But the time

requirement still has to be evaluated. Saying “yes” to an

invitation to join my college buddies on a weeklong surf

trip in the Indian Ocean would be a blast, but it would also

mean I would have to eliminate something, somewhere, in

another important area of my life.

How do I make these choices? The answer in a word

is “values.”

At 52 years old, my hope is that I retain my health so I can

continue to pursue my dreams and the opportunities that

arise in life. I cannot possibly anticipate what these will be,

but I am confident I’ll be able to choose the right ones and

see more through to completion because I have the physi-

cal and mental strength that has come from establishing

a clear set of values, and putting them to work on the

bike and in other areas of life. My values and my beliefs

will give me the strength to do everything possible to ride

over the next mountain pass, across the next plateau into

a 20-mile-an-hour headwind. I may not cross every finish

line, but at least I will know that I am

in the right ride, for the right reasons, and that I will have

done everything humanly possible to finish.

Success on the bike begins in the mind. Make your goals

real by creating a clear picture of them. Understand their

importance by evaluating them in terms of your values,

not mine, not anyone else’s. As with everything in life,

knowing where you are going on a bike before you roll out

of the driveway can make the difference between return-

ing from a 45-mile training ride feeling burnt, or totally

stoked, because you just put another brick in the wall of

your dream ride.

I hope this book will help you create the road map for the

ride of your life. Use the tools in this book for three con-

secutive cycling seasons, and I doubt that you will be able

to say you still have unfinished business on the bicycle. At

the very least, I am confident that you will have accom-

plished great things on the bike, and the rest of your life

will be enriched because of it.

Planning for c

ycling success

14

1Planning for Cycling Success

“Where your attention is, there is your destiny.” - Emmet Fox

Image courtesy of Race Across America. Photo by Kayvon Beykpour.

Planning for c

ycling success

15Chapter 1: Planning for Cycling Success

There are two points on the calendar each year where

millions of Americans renew their commitment to physical

fitness and to cycling. One is in January, when people set

goals of losing weight and becoming fit and trim, following

a month of holiday parties, eating, and drinking. The other

is in summer, when the sun comes out and the days grow

long and riding a bicycle seems like the most natural thing

to do.

Both points on the calendar stimulate a burst of activity

and resolutions to lose weight and get fit and healthy. Gym

memberships soar. Bicycle sales spike. Yet as the weeks

and months roll on, interest and commitment dwindle. It

isn’t that people lose sight of their goals. It is because they

have set their goals on the wrong things. They have set

their goals on the process, rather than the outcomes. For

the most part, process is pretty boring. It is the outcomes

that bring true and enduring feelings of accomplishment.

The why factorMost of us have no trouble coming up with inspirational

goals. Centuries and challenge events are common. So are

long, multi-day fast cyclotours. Most of us know that in

order to be successful, we need to prepare for these long

distance events. And that is where many people’s dreams

fade, or worse, turn into nightmares.

Ask a road bike rider to describe his or her goals for the

year, and you will often get a statistic like total miles or

average speed over a 100 mile course. While these may

be good measures of fitness, and indicators of one’s

potential for success, they are not inherently motivational.

Stating that your goal is to ride 5,000 miles this year is

analogous to stating that you want to lose 20 pounds.

They are respectable goals, but odds are most who set

them won’t achieve them. Somewhere along the road,

commitment wanes. The bike sits in the garage. Chips and

dip and beer find their way into the shopping cart.

Despite our best intentions, goals like these lack the

“why” factor.

• You want to ride 2,000 or 10,000 miles this year…

why?

Planning for c

ycling success

16

• You want to be able to maintain an average speed of

15, or 18, or 20 miles per hour for five hours… why?

• You want to lose 10 or 20 pounds by June… why?

Even if you can quickly state the benefits of these objec-

tives, if these are the types of goals you have set, the deck

is stacked against you. Goals stated this way simply do

not have enough emotional content to pull you through to

their achievement.

But they do not have to be thrown overboard. They simply

need to be restated as measures of your progress toward

your goal, rather than the goal itself.

There is a paradox in goal setting. In order to be fulfilling,

goals need to be inspirational. In order to be inspirational,

they need to focus on the things you want most dearly

in life. Yet, many of us are reluctant to set goals for the

things we want the most, because we do not believe we

can achieve them. Or, we are afraid of the disappointment

or the embarrassment we might feel if we strive for a goal

and fail. So we never start. Better to live in a mild state of

constant disappointment than to risk the major disappoint-

ment on a failed attempt at something great, right?

Wrong!

Thomas Edison failed 1,000 times before he finally

invented a light bulb that would be commercially viable.

With each attempt, he became more knowledgeable of the

likely requirements for success. If his goal was to create a

filament that would carry 30 amps of electrical current for

one hour, he might have given up. But this wasn’t the goal

– it was only a measure of his progress. What if Thomas

Edison had focused solely on process measures – on

sustaining 30 amps for 60 minutes – and had thrown in the

towel when after 500 attempts, he had only achieved 15

amps for 45 minutes?

The key is that Edison’s goal arose from his dream to light

entire cities. He believed that a light bulb was the thing to

do it. He visualized a future state and he worked to make

that vision a reality. That vision of the future was the mag-

net that pulled him through 1,000 failures to a success that

not only changed his world, but ours as well.

Not every one of us is an inventor, but as cyclists, we

too can dream about achieving goals that may seem

impossible. What are your goals for cycling? Have you

thought about riding in a century event, or a multi-day

cross- state ride? Have you ever pondered what it would

take to achieve such a goal, and concluded it was out of

your reach?

The 100-mile century ride is a pivotal milestone in cycling. it is the distance that millions of recreational cyclists hope they will one day be able to reach.

Planning for c

ycling success

17

The 100-mile century ride is a pivotal milestone in cycling.

It is the distance that millions of recreational cyclists hope

they will one day be able to reach. And for those who

go beyond that distance, seeing “100” on the odometer

remains a key indicator of progress, whether it measures

how far we have ridden in a week, in a day, or in the last

five hours.

Can you imagine riding two centuries in a single day?

Hundreds do it in the annual Seattle to Portland double

century. How about riding five back-to-back centuries, go-

ing without sleep, so it can be done in less than 48 hours?

Scores of accomplished riders attempt it every fall at the

Furnace Creek 508, an ultra marathon cycling race held in

Death Valley, California.

Just a few years ago, the thought of participating in

events like these seemed out of reach. Now, I realize they

are all within reach physically. But the question is, is the

payoff worth the effort?

The lure of long distance cyclingI have been riding road bikes for more than 30 years. Like

a lot of roadies, I belong to a club. I participate in weekend

rides, and look forward to the warmer and drier months of

the year, when I can commute to work. As my cycling pro-

gressed, I began to set goals to ride centuries during the

summer months, and I typically made it to two or three.

In an average cycling season, I logged between 1500

and 2000 miles. Given that I was raising a son, coaching

soccer, and trying to become established in my industry, I

was quite pleased with my accomplishments on the bike.

About three years ago, I decided that I wanted to step

up my cycling, not just in terms of miles ridden, but I had

begun to think about event rides that would challenge me.

The one that caught my attention was the Torture 10,000.

Produced every August by the Portland Wheelmen, the

Torture 10,000 was arguably the toughest century in the

Pacific Northwest. Originally, it featured 10,000 feet of

climbing across 100 miles of winding roads in the Mt.

Hood wilderness area, hence the name. Over the years,

the total altitude gain crept up to more than 13,000 feet.

The event attracts hundreds of riders from California,

Oregon, Washington, and Idaho who come to test their

fitness, endurance, and climbing abilities in an alpine land-

scape that is almost too beautiful for words.

Beautiful, as long as you are physically prepared to enjoy

it. Many simply are not. They, too, shared the goal, but

did not prepare adequately. Seeing riders sprawled out

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on the ground at rest stops is a common sight. Seeing so

many SAG wagons rolling down the road, their racks full

of bikes, made me wonder what these riders were expect-

ing when they signed up. As one of my cycling buddies

says, “I like to stay away from any ride that has the word

‘torture’ or ‘death’ in it.”

Completing the Torture 10,000 became the focal point

of my year. I began commuting to work on my bike four

days a week, which gave me 100 miles and 10,000 feet of

climbing during the week. I joined a group every Saturday

morning for the Torture Training Series, run by Mike and

Dee Real. I assumed that these two very experienced

cyclists had designed the 14-week series to prepare riders

to finish the T10K. But after riding with them and getting

to know them, I learned later that the Torture Series

pre-dated the T10K, and it was a form of “enjoyment”

all of its own.

In fact, the Torture Series did prepare me for the Torture

10,000. The training ride that the Reals planned for us

two weeks before the event had 90 percent of the miles

and 90 percent of the climbing that we would encounter

on the event day. When the event day came, those of us

who had devoted our Saturdays during the spring and

early summer to rides in the mountains with Mike and

Dee sailed through the course together, and agreed it

was easier than the training ride we had done two weeks

earlier. The benefits were far more than physical. The

emotional payoff was huge. And because we weren’t

struggling, we were able to enjoy one another’s company

as well as the landscape.

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We crossed the finish line together, put our bikes on the

rack, and walked to the table where volunteers gave us

T10K decals to put on our helmets, and a commemorative

poster for our walls. Then another volunteer put a bowl of

ice cream in my hands. It was strawberry–my favorite–

and not the low-fat version, either. I remember the bunch

of us, sitting there on the edge of the sidewalk, eating our

ice cream. I don’t know if it had ever tasted so good.

Of course, not every one who started the Torture 10,000

finished it. Some of those who did not finish (DNF) had

problems that could not be corrected by the mechanics,

who were out on the course. But the majority were riders,

just like me, with one exception: they had set the goal but

had not prepared for it. They hadn’t taken the steps that

are required of anyone who hoped to finish.

What Mike and Dee Real had done with their Torture

Series training rides was to provide the structure that is

necessary to accomplish the goal. They understood the

physical requirements, and they developed a training regi-

men that would prepare our bodies for the challenge. They

did the math so the riders wouldn’t have to. They knew

precisely how many miles their rides had to cover, how

many feet they had to climb, and at what pace. Many rid-

ers are surprised by the training requirement. They show

up to the training rides mentally unprepared for the day,

and wind up complaining every time the road turns uphill.

Some just turn around and head home. They aren’t men-

tally ready, so when their bodies began to ache, they quit.

Either they haven’t connected the Torture 10,000 with the

physical, psychological, emotional, or spiritual benefits

of a successful finish, or they have decided that the hard

work of getting there simply isn’t worth it.

In other words, they haven’t placed enough value on fin-

ishing the ride. It doesn’t have enough meaning for them.

If it did, they would feel less pain, or at least, they would

accept it as the price tag for making their goal a reality.

Fortunately, I had done my own calculations for the

Torture 10,000 and I knew that I would have to prepare

on my own simply to get ready to ride with Mike and

Dee on their training series. I trained on my own for six

weeks before I joined my first Torture Series training ride,

increasing my mileage and altitude gain until it matched

the profile of the rides they were hosting.

Riders show up mentally unprepared and wind up complaining every time the road turns uphill. They aren’t mentally ready, so when their bodies began to ache, they quit.

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It was a lot of work, but I enjoyed every minute of it, be-

cause I placed so much importance on finishing the Torture

10,000, and finishing the Torture 10,000 was in complete

alignment with my values. There weren’t any conflicts of

interest, which meant that I had the support and encour-

agement that I would need from all the stakeholders in

my life, the people that are either helped or hurt by how I

decide to invest my time and resources. The fact that my

family, my friends and neighbors, and my boss know that I

love to ride and are supportive of my goals on the bike, al-

lows me to focus all of my energy with all of their support

on my goal. This concentration of power has been the key

to whatever success I have achieved on the bike.

If you have trained for and completed a century, then you

already know what “concentration of power” means, even

if you haven’t heard the term. According to time manage-

ment expert Charles Hobbs, concentration of power is the

ability to focus on and accomplish the most vital priorities

of your life.

In the process of accomplishing your cycling goals,

you may also have learned about “incongruity.” According

to Hobbs, we experience “congruity” when there is

balance, harmony and appropriateness with the events

in our lives. Long hours on the bike, week after week,

may get you to the finish line of the Death Ride—or even

Paris-Brest-Paris—but it may also create serious incon-

gruities with your job, your partner, even with your own

health. Like anything of value in life, it requires an invest-

ment of your time, and since your time is limited, you will

need to take it away from something or someone in order

to give it to cycling.

So what is the trick to accomplishing big riding goals

and keeping your life in balance? Hobbs teaches us that

success is on a surer footing when goals are grounded in

what he calls “unifying principles,” which he defines as

personal truths or values used as a guide in goal-planning

and living. Though I subscribe to his method and have

had great success with it, I find it more natural to refer to

unifying principles as “core values,” and that is how I will

refer to them throughout this book.

I have developed about a dozen core values, and I use

them as both compass and barometer to set goals, and to

make sure my pursuit of them doesn’t overwhelm every-

thing else in my life that is important to me.

individuals with a highly defined set of core values are able to marshal their own energy and the support of others to accomplish their goals.

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It is easy to set your mind on a goal like a century ride

and forget that to finish a 100-mile ride feeling strong, you

will ride 2,000 miles preparing for it. Unless you are living

off the fat of the land, there is going to be a job, a yard, a

bank balance, or a loved one that is going to get ignored

for long periods of time. Maybe that’s okay with you. Then

again, maybe it’s not.

Core values will help you work through what is really im-

portant before you ride headlong into conflicts with those

you love, or those who pay you to do great things at work.

Once you’ve thought them through and written them

down, core values give you the resolve to do what’s

necessary to experience the things that are most

important to you, while you’ve still got the legs to do it.

Time Power® is not measured in watts – but there is a connectionSo who is Charles Hobbs and what does he have to do

with long distance cycling?

Either a great deal or nothing at all, depending on your

orientation toward the practice of goal setting and time

management. Dr. Charles R. Hobbs is the creator of the

“Insight on Time Management System,” which was used

by millions to improve their personal productivity in the

days before Microsoft Outlook and other shared online

calendars.

Hobbs and Outlook share a common bond in the calen-

dar. Most of us who came to rely on the Insight System

discovered Hobbs after purchasing a “Day-Timer®.” Most

anyone who is old enough to have cut our time manage-

ment teeth using the Day-Timer® have been forced to

give it up in favor of Outlook or Lotus Notes some other

PC-based calendaring tool.

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Online calendars have streamlined the process of booking

appointments with our colleagues. But these calendars

have no checks and balances to determine when you are

over-scheduled, or overwhelmed, or out of time to focus

on the project work that all of us have in our jobs.

There is at least one thing that a paper-based calendar can

do that makes it superior to its online, networked counter-

part, and that is its ability to determine how you will man-

age your time in advance. Hobbs called this process “time

management,” and defined it as the act of controlling the

occurrence of events, so that one’s most important goals

can be realized. I was a committed user of the Day-Timer®

system for many years, but I was also an early adopter of

just about any PC-based software tool that made me more

efficient and effective at work. So, in the early 1990s,

when companies like After Dark and NOW introduced

calendar tools, I was an early adopter. I found those tools

extremely useful and fun.

I recall that I even yearned for the day that my calendar

would be linked to others on a network, until the time

came when the networked calendar became so efficient

that I had to defend a decision to decline an appointment

during a one-hour time slot that was clearly “open” in the

eyes of colleagues who wanted me at a meeting. That was

about the time that I decided to pull my Day-Timer® binder

out of mothballs, order a fresh paper refill, and carve out

time in my day to make sure the most vital priorities of

my work and my personal life were getting accomplished.

Of course, before you can write those priorities down you

have to know what they are, and that is a problem of a

different order. I knew, for example, that I wanted to in-

crease my hours on the bike. But I needed a way to insure

that the hours I chose to invest in riding and other forms

of training didn’t rob the time from other priorities.

I recall sitting in a Charles Hobbs seminar in 1992. Having

just plunked down hundreds of dollars and expecting to

learn how to use the Day-Timer® to become proficient in

time management, I was more than a little surprised when

the instructor kicked off the meeting by talking about

values, and the important role they play in goal planning

and time management.

The basic idea is that our core values are personal truths

that form the foundation on which we make most of our

Core values will get you out of bed early and to the gym, or riding into a dark winter morning, when your neighbors are inside warm and dry, enjoying their coffee.

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decisions in life. Individuals with a highly defined set of

core values have a strong footing and are able to marshal

their own energy – and the support of others – to accom-

plish their goals.

In fact, most productivity experts agree that successful

time management is dependent on first having clarified

your values. Goals follow, and are derived from those

values, as you begin to describe the circumstances you

want to experience that will bring your life in alignment

with those values.

What you do each day, and what you write down as “to

dos” in your calendar, are the small steps you must take

in order to make that future state a reality. Most of us

understand and accept this process, when it is laid out for

us by someone else.

Want to get an advanced degree? To do that, you need

to study for the standardized entrance exams, and once

admitted, complete the coursework until you have satis-

fied the degree requirements. It usually takes two years

or more, but for those who do it, the value of the degree

and what it will bring them professionally in the future is

greater than the value of hours they must invest today.

Want to retire comfortably at age 65? A financial planner

will help you determine how much money you need to set

aside from each paycheck and how it should be invested

to achieve your financial goal. The value of having finan-

cial security in the future is more important than the value

of the dollars set aside today.

Want to complete a double century in 12 hours? Unfortu-

nately, achieving a goal in cycling isn’t quite as straight-

forward. There is no career or professional counselor

available to the recreational cyclist. Unless you are on a

cycling team or hire a personal coach, it will be up to you

to clarify the objective, to analyze the requirements for

accomplishing it, and to chunk them down into monthly,

weekly, and daily actions that you will take to prepare

your mind, your body, and your bike for the event of

your dreams.

Another aspect of accomplishing a cycling goal, which

makes it unique, is that its payoff is intangible and some-

what fleeting. We have all heard it said that we should

enjoy the journey. Author and motivational speaker Jim

Rohn puts it this way: “The major reason for setting a goal

is what it makes of you to accomplish it. What it makes of

you will always be of greater value that what you get.”

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In fact, it is the ride up to the starting line that is the

greatest challenge, not the ride to the finish line. For

every rider that starts a century, there are 10 that wanted

to be there at one time or another. But the work that must

be done and the sacrifices that must be made in the weeks

of training which lead to a successful event ride are the

acid test of our commitment to our dreams. If the dream

is out of alignment with our core values, we simply won’t

start, or if we do, we may not finish.

Conversely, it is your core values that will help you to

get out of bed early and head to the gym to lift weights,

or ride into a dark winter morning, when your neighbors

are sitting inside warm and dry, enjoying their first cup of

coffee. And it is your core values that will pull you through

when the going gets tough. And the going can get very

tough on a ride of 100 miles or more, if that is your goal.

Of course, if it were easily done, more people would be

doing it.

Eric Ahlvin, Rocky Mountain 1200.

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Like many baby boom generation riders, pursuing a career

and raising a family required much of Greg Paley’s atten-

tion for the last 20 years or so. Inspired by Greg LeMond’s

continuing victories on the Tour de France, Paley bought

his first road bike in the mid 1980’s, but it was almost 20

years later that he began to take riding seriously.

Though he says he is still a fan of LeMond, Paley credits

Lance Armstrong’s bestseller, it’s Not About the Bike,

with rekindling his interest in cycling. In 2003, at age 46,

Paley rode in his first organized, long distance event ride.

It was the Tour de Phoenix, a 75-mile timed event that he

describes as “an absolutely thrilling experience.”

At the behest of a friend, Greg decided to give randonneu-

ring a go and he joined the Seattle International Randon-

neurs (SIR). He rode his first brevet in March of 2007,

and capped his Super Randonneur series by riding in the

inaugural Portland to Glacier 1000 in late June.

Completing an SR series would be a significant feat for

most riders during their first year of randonneuring.

Completing a 1000 kilometer brevet within the 74-hour

time limit would be a significant accomplishment for any

seasoned rando, which makes Greg’s performance all the

more remarkable. He was the first finisher on the Glacier

1000, arriving at the finish in Whitefish, Montana, in less

ready to ride Interview: gregory Paley Age 51 | seattle, wA

Photo by Gary Anderson.

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than 58 hours after leaving Portland. He arrived at the

final control two hours before the control workers, and

four hours before the next riders appeared.

Greg’s choice of equipment and his approach to the Gla-

cier caused quite a stir during and after the ride. He rode

a full-carbon BMC Team. He carried only what he could

wear or stuff into the pockets in his CamelBak™. Not so

visible, but just as unusual, were the weeks of physical

and mental preparation, including meticulous route analy-

sis and equipment planning, which ultimately removed

much of the risk that would normally be associated with

riding a full carbon racing bike on a 650-mile, unsupported

brevet.

How does someone make the leap from Saturday morning

club rides to the longest brevets, in a single year? R2R

interviewed Greg Paley to find out.

ready to ride: what is your attitude towardsetting goals?

greg Paley: I try to set goals in every aspect of my life.

Keeping them is sure a lot harder than making them!

For cyclists on any level, including recreational riders,

goals related to fitness and nutrition are critical, not just

for personal satisfaction, but for health, safety and pre-

paredness. I start with trying to set realistic riding goals

(based upon work schedule and professional commit-

ments) each month and then work backwards, focusing on

a weekly and even a daily training regimen.

r2r: what are a few of the goals you have set for yourself in cycling?

Paley: I would like to ride a 1200km and finish with a time

fast enough to be RAAM qualified. I think that an unsup-

ported solo ride from the Peace Arch (at the Canadian

border) to Imperial Beach, California (near the Mexican

border) would be quite an accomplishment. That is defi-

nitely part of my planning and goal setting for 2008.

r2r: what was your greatest accomplishment in cycling so far?

Paley: Completing the Oregon Randonneurs Portland to

Glacier 1000k brevet in 2007 in less than 58 hours, riding

the entire last day solo.

r2r: what was your greatest disappointment?

Paley: It was also on the Glacier… I had not calculated

that the post-ride support would not arrive at the finish

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line control for more than two hours after I would. It was

entirely my fault; that was something I could have planned

for. Instead, I suffered from dehydration and tremendous

hunger without post-ride nutrition for almost three hours.

Without my personal belongings or any way to refuel

or get a source of food and nutrition, I was in significant

distress.

r2r: why did you decide to ride this event? what is its significance to you?

Paley: One of my SIR (Seattle International Randonneurs)

riding buddies, Mike McHale, suggested that we ride the

Glacier 1000k as an alternative to PBP (Paris-Brest-Paris).

Since 2007 was my first season as a randonneur, I had

never ridden such a long distance. I thought the 1000k

would be a good starting point to assess my seriousness

in the sport. Also, the route intrigued me.

r2r: describe some of the key features of the route.

Paley: It was brilliantly designed and as an unsupported

ride, it was quite an ambitious event for me. Even though

I tried to carefully study the route beforehand, there were

still a few surprises, most notably the landscape: it was

desolate. And the heat was excruciating. And of course

the distance was formidable. I think the altitude gain was

in excess of 25,000 feet.

“i had not calculated that support would not arrive at the finish line for more than two hours after i would. Without food or warm clothing, i was in significant distress.”

Photo by Gary Anderson.

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I had heard stories about the weather: tailwinds were go-

ing to propel us up the Columbia Gorge…it was sheet glass

on the river when we rode through there. We heard about

the “bad bears” lying in wait on Dobson Pass…Well, I did

see three wild turkeys. And we were told to expect some

rollers along the highway at Flathead Lake…maybe they

were rollers by Montana standards, but anywhere else

they would be called hills!

r2r: did you have specific performance goals?

Paley: Yes, my goal was to complete the ride in less than

60 hours. Before the ride I formulated some average

speed and daily distance calculations. I also focused on

how to best manage my overnight stops and nutritional

requirements. The average miles per hour estimates were

a function of my time objective and not vice versa. I was

not so much concerned with average speed as I was fo-

cused on trying to get to a control (the official checkpoint)

within a certain time frame. I set the under 60-hour goal,

and I planned for it, but I really had no idea whether it was

realistic for me.

r2r: describe the most challenging moments you expe-rienced during the ride.

Paley: Definitely the third day was the most challenging

both psychologically and physically. Time management

was crucial and a focal point of my preparation, but I was

unprepared for a solo 300K ride on the last day in blister-

ing heat. I had prepared my ride plan to make sure that I

would stop both nights for at least 6 hours (which I did on

Saturday and Sunday nights) and to reserve at least four

solid hours for sleep each night (which I almost did). Of

course, the weather was a challenge. The weather was

cool in the morning and hot in the afternoons.

The solitude of riding alone for hours on end was also

something that I had never experienced. It was as exhila-

rating as it was mentally exhausting, especially when I left

the Kellogg (Idaho) control about 1 a.m. and headed into

the Bitterroot Mountains.

Traffic was a challenge. During the ride, I was run off the

road about 15 miles from Mineral Springs (Montana). An

oncoming trucker was honking his horn and flashing his

lights at me–in the middle of the day–trying to get my

attention. He saw that a car behind me was going to pass

on my left… with this 18-foot tractor trailer coming in the

opposite direction! That situation, and the many crosses

“We heard about the ‘bad bears’ lying in wait on dobson Pass…Well, i did see three wild turkeys.”

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and wreaths along the highway, kept me wide awake for

the remainder of the ride.

r2r: describe the most exhilarating moments of the ride.

Paley: Crossing Dobson and Patterson Passes alone

between 1:30 a.m. and 4:30 a.m. The moon was almost

full moon, peeking through the clouds just enough to

reflect on the road, which was still wet from a recent rain

shower. There were the flashes of lightning in the dis-

tance, illuminating the Bitterroots, and thunder crackling

across the sky. It’s not like I needed any more motivation

to keep focused, but the weather that last night kept me

on my toes.

r2r: describe the bicycle set-up you chose for the glacier.

Paley: I rode a 2006 BMC SLC 01, with Easton EC90

carbon bars and seat post, a 10-speed Durace drive-train

with a 50/34 compact crank and a 12/27 Ultegra cassette.

I used Mavic Ksyrium rims with SSC hubs and Michelin

Pro Race tires. For my saddle I chose the Fizik Aliante

Braided Carbon.

Although lights may not be considered components per

se, my selection was an indispensable part of my bike set-

up. I used two rear mounted Planet Ultra lights that I kept

switched “on” every minute I was riding. I also had a high-

output battery powered Cateye Light and a Light & Motion

Arc Li-Ion halogen light with the helmet mount accessory

and 1.2 pound lithium battery.

r2r: what did you carry with you?

Paley: The standard provisions: spare tire, tubes, CO2 and

hand pump, leg and arm warmers, long and short finger

gloves, ear warmers, high quality but very lightweight

Marmot Windbreaker, as well as an assortment of gels,

powder, electrolyte supplements and other delectables

(ha!). Some may say that the one unconventional tool in

the bag was my Light & Motion Arc Li-Ion light. I knew

that the halogen was going to be necessary if I was going

to be descending isolated and rural mountain passes in the

predawn hours. Without that light there was no way that I

could have descended Dobson Pass safely.

“The solitude of riding alone for hours on end was also something that i had never experienced. it was as exhila-rating as it was mentally exhausting.”

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r2r: what type of luggage did you use?

Paley: An oversized, under-seat wedge-pack, and a

CamelBak™ hydration pack, which I kept filled.

r2r: did the bike perform as you had hoped?

Paley: Exceeded my expectations.

r2r: why did you decide on this configuration for this event?

Paley: I was having a hard time choosing between a

couple of different configurations on the BMC as well

as my other bikes. I was unsure whether to outfit it with

fenders, aero bars, Schmidt hubs, front pack, handlebar

“mini” pack, etc. In the end, I decided to try a different ap-

proach to riding an unsupported 1000k brevet–especially

one of this magnitude.

r2r: looking back on the bike’s performance, how would you change the set-up to improve it?

Paley: I could not have improved the bike’s performance,

only my own performance. The next time I ride such a

long distance, I would most likely ride with aero bars to

reduce lower back stress and overall fatigue. Naturally

the problem with aero bars is that they add extra weight.

Using aero bars with a hydration unit like a CamelBak™

(water weighing about 1.1 pounds per quart) adds extra

weight at the shoulders. I trained with both devices so I

was able to find my comfort zone in dealing with the an-

noyance of having something on my back for at least 13 to

15 or more hours a day.

r2r: In general, do you build and/or configure, and maintain bikes yourself? or do you rely on a mechanic?

Paley: I am not mechanically inclined so I limit my efforts

to handling the day-to-day servicing like cleaning, lubricat-

ing and minor adjustments. Since I started cycling in 2003,

all of the important maintenance on my bikes has been

performed by my friend and mechanic extraordinaire, Eric

DeBolt.

I know many riders who perform their own maintenance

but in my view, there is no substitute for having a profes-

sional and “top to bottom” inspection of cranks, cables

and housings. The old adage “penny wise and pound

foolish” comes to mind here. On a 1000k ride I wanted to

try reducing or eliminating 99 percent of the mechanical

variables and take them out of the equation. That way, I

could have a better chance of focusing on safety, hydra-

tion, nutrition, and rest.

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r2r: what clothing and other items did you send ahead in your drop bag?

Paley: I wore standard-issue Pearl Izumi shorts as well as

a white long-sleeve (yes, long-sleeve even in the 90+ heat

of the day) Pearlizumi polyester shirt. I went with an “all

white jersey” all three days, and wore a fluorescent vest

with a ventilated back. The Glacier 1000k organizer Susan

France and the wonderful team of volunteers did a great

job with drop bags- that was crucial as I had everything I

needed to be comfortable at the overnight controls. I also

had what I needed to make any minor repairs to the bike,

and I inspected it carefully each night, believe me.

r2r: how did you prepare physically for this event?

Paley: I rode the RUSA series required to qualify for PBP.

I also rode a Fleche (which was my first-ever night ride).

Other training included mostly rides of shorter distances

varying between 20 to 50 miles. I really enjoy higher

altitude rides (and climbing in spite of my height) so some

of my training included mountain passes and destination

points around Mt. Rainier, and some local (yet much more

modest) hill climbs near my house. My training always

focuses on altitude and watching heart rate zones. Very

rarely do I focus on speed.

r2r: looking back, was your training program adequate?

Paley: Yes, it was adequate to complete a 1000k but the

base training for this ride over the past few seasons was

the clincher for a sub-60 hour 1000k. Based upon my level

of fitness before 2003, I needed a few years to build up

my strength and familiarity with long distance cycling. In

prior years (before becoming a randonneur), my training

was actually more rigorous, with more miles and more

high altitude training. But riding a full randonneur series,

in addition to a full week at the Northwest Crank training

camp this spring, was more than adequate. Next year, I

will likely return to shorter distance yet higher tempo rides

during the week.

“An oncoming trucker was honking his horn and flashing his lights at me – in the middle of the day – trying to get my attention.”

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r2r: Are you conscious of nutritional values, calories, fat content, or eating a balanced diet of carbohydrates, protein, and fats?

Paley: Yes, I count calories, carbs, protein and fats in my

daily diet. The combination of CPFs is not fixed, but I try to

stay aware of what I am putting in my body.

r2r: what is your approach to diet and nutrition while riding the bike?

Paley: During a ride, I will almost always avoid most fats

(found in nuts, pastries, high calorie dairy-based liquid

supplements, pre-made sandwiches, candies, beef sticks

and related products with oils, and potato chips). With

that said, I sometimes crave foods other than energy bars

and sweet energy drinks. On the 1000k I had a craving

for different food textures so I had some solid chocolate

and some low-calorie refrigerated coffee drink but that is

rare. I try to carry enough provisions, but if I can’t, I make

sure that the liquids and the solid foods I consume at stops

are going to provide calories sans fat, which I believe is

important for proper performance.

I try to hydrate with sports drinks or water every 15

minutes and to eat before getting hungry (there is nothing

worse than having to force myself to eat when I am riding

because I have lost my appetite). I aim to consume a mini-

mum number of calories per hour in liquid and solid form

based upon such factors as my level of exertion, weather

conditions, type of terrain, duration of ride, etc. Eating

solid foods and drinking plenty of plain water while on the

bike is my goal.

Photo by Gary Anderson.

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33

our MissionAlong with my son Evan, I created Ready to Ride® with

the goal of helping others achieve their dreams through

cycling. The focus of our concern is the road bike rider,

who wants to use the bicycle as a means of creating

health, happiness, and a sense of fulfillment. We believe

that what we learn out about ourselves riding the bicycle

can strengthen us, and that sense of confidence will spill

over into every aspect of our lives.

our Web SiteReady to Ride®Ready To Ride® is a web site for sport-recreational

cyclists who want to balance the demands of career and

family with the physical, mental, and equipment require-

ments of long distance cycling. If you are looking for ideas

on how to increase your mileage and your enjoyment of

the sport of cycling, you will find scores of articles packed

full of useful ideas you can put to work immediately.

our BooksA Rider’s Guide to Building the Long distance Bicycle

What are the essential elements of the long distance

bicycle? And how does this type of bike differ from those

designed for racing or touring?

To find answers, distance cyclist David Rowe hosted a

panel discussion with four leading experts at the 2007

North American Handmade Bicycle Show (NAHBS) in San

Jose, California. Sharing their wisdom were randonneur

and ultracyclist Terry Zmrhal; Shimano’s top mechanical

technician, Matt Eames; Independent Fabrications presi-

dent Matt Bracken; and frame designer/builder Steve Rex

of Rex Cycles.

Their discussion took place before a live audience. The

edited transcript forms the foundation of this e-Book, giv-

ing roadies an insider’s view of the most vital aspects of

the long distance bicycle, including the trade-offs among

weight, durability, serviceability and speed.

A Rider’s Guide to Building the Long distance Bicycleis available exclusively from the online bookstore at

RoadBikeRider.com

About Ready to Ride

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34

ourselvesdavid RoweDavid Rowe is a road bike rider

who lives, works and rides in the

Pacific Northwest. Like a lot of

cyclists, David was comfortable

riding 30 to 50 miles with his

club. Then he was bitten by the

century bug. That’s not unusual,

but he found that his approach

to the sport helped him to ride

the longer distances feeling great, completing centuries

with the notion that it would be fun to just keep on riding.

David’s goal-centered approach helped him attempt

longer and more challenging routes in the Cascade Range

and on the Columbia Plateau with distance cyclists called

randonneurs. What he learned while riding with these

highly skilled cyclists helped him complete some of the

most challenging long distance events in the Pacific North-

west, including the Cascade 1200 (2006), the Portland-to-

Glacier 1000 (2007), and the Rocky Mountain 1200 (2008).

With his son Evan, David created Ready to Ride® in 2005

with the goal of helping cyclists, who, like himself, do not

have a background in road racing, but want to excel at dis-

tance cycling events of 100 miles or more.

evan RoweEvan Rowe is a graphic designer

living in Portland, Oregon. Evan

began his career at Oregon State

University as an engineering major,

but quickly discovered that the field

didn’t offer him avenues to explore

his creativity. He had long kept pho-

tography as a hobby that he spent a

great deal of his personal time with,

but he wanted to find something

on the cutting edge of the artistic

world. A few short months later, Evan found himself in a

competitive group of 38 hand-picked students in pursuit of

a BFA in Graphic Design, a program which allowed him to

marry his hobby of photography with his newfound loves

for typography, page layout and brand/identity design.

Evan is currently working at a branding firm in Portland.

Evan is also a contributing photographer to

RoadBikeRider.com, and his photo essay coverage has

been featured on the RBR premium site in 2006 and 2007.

Evan designed the book, A Rider’s Guide to Building the Long distance Bicycle.