Excellent ride and excellent post. I’m always learning and look forward to seeing all your upcoming posts on such a great event and experience. I don’t know how you do it, but it certainly is encouraging for the rest of us. If anything we can enjoy your experience – sort of steal it – to make it part of ours. I also enjoyed reading Kent Peterson’s recent brevet experience in Victoria. Very nice work, indeed.

“I really think comparing which 1200 is most difficult is rather silly, as they are all plenty difficult enough. Just riding that far is a major accomplishment. Add mountains, heat or cold, rain, headwinds….each route will vary a lot from year to year.

“The RM (Rocky Mountain) 1200 climbs to over 2000 meters twice on Day 2 (for most people). It is usually wet and cold as well as high above the glaciers. Very difficult gradients. Perhaps Cascade 1200 has more accum gain/loss,I don’t really know.

“For me this year, the headwinds were the worst part of Cascade — much more unpleasant than the temps or climbs. White Pass is higher than Elk Pass by 500 ft, but on the original route, Elk Pass was followed by another 2000 feet of climbing on Old Man Pass the same day, and then more to start day 2.

“I have finished PBP twice, RM 1200 three times and Cascade 1200 twice now. They are all great rides. The huge number of riders and public supporters make PBP easier. The same crowds can make it difficult to get through controls efficiently.

“All the rides are very well supported, but I think the luggage shuttle and group accomodations of Cascade 1200 make it much easier to do logistically.”

Footnote: this week, Del became the seventh rider to be named to the Ultra Randonneur list - a distinction earned when one has completed 10 Super Randonneur series (which consists of a 200K, 300K, 400K, and 600K).

Awesome, Del. Congratulations!

Don’t understand your theory in resting heart rate. I’m very overweight, but because of all the exercise I get, I have a low resting heart rate, 50 and under at times. While on a monitor after surgery 2 years ago I set off the monitor alarm more than once with my low HR.

Nice essay. Awaiting the remainder.

Regarding my weight – that’s a BMI reading of 22, which is in the middle of the ‘normal’ range. Keep in mind, too, that I’m 5’8″. At 155, I had a BMI of 24 … at the top-end of normal.

I could have built a lighter bike, but it was cheaper to lose the weight.

* Weight: 144 pounds – I would have to lose 11.
* Body fat: 10% – I would have to shed 4%.
* Resting heart rate: 44 bpm – 6 beats below where I started.

WHAT??? Most people would love to have that body fat and resting heart rate levels. As to weighing 144, the last time that was true for me I was in junior high school. Those were ambitious goals.

For the more human of us out here, let’s look at another goal set. This one is designed to prepare me for Paris Brest Paris next year.

* Weight: under 180
* Rides: back to back 200 and 300KM rides every six weeks. Start with the
200s and build up
* Hills: Climb Tabor (local 500 foot climb on my commute to work) on every workday. Get my pace up Rocky Butte (another hill that’s kinda on my way to work, 7% .8 mile climb) to stay above 5mph. Weekly (at min) climbs up to Council Crest (highest spot in Portland, 1200 feet. An 1100 foot climb from downtown).
* Speed: Able to sustain over 15mph on a flattish 200K – one of the OR Randonneurs permanents.
* Endurance: Not sure how to measure this yet.

The goals are based on ride strength and self dicipline. If I ride over Mt. Tabor on every commute, I’ll ride it when I am feeling weak or down or tired. Good practice. The back to back 300KM rides (nice weekend workout) provide for half of the PBP distance in half the time. There’s something there for sanity, equipment, fitness, dicipline and endurance.

The weight goal is outside of cycling, but goes hand in hand with it. I remember weighing 180 and thinking it felt better than 170 or less. We’ll find out.