The Glacier’s Shadow- Part IV – For Seattle’s Greg Paley, the Glacier 1000 was a demonstration of what is possible when mind, body, and bike are aligned toward a meaningful goal.

Completing a 1000 kilometer brevet within the 74 hour time limit would be a triumph for any long distance cyclist, which makes Greg Paley’s feat all the more remarkable. This year, 2007, marked Greg’s first year in randonneuring, and the Portland to Glacier 1000k was his first attempt to ride beyond 600 kilometers. He was the first to finish the brevet, reaching the final control in Whitefish, Montana, in just under 58 hours, two hours before the control workers arrived to open it and more than three hours before the next riders appeared.

Thinking about Greg’s Glacier reminds us of a phrase in Tom Wolfe’s best-selling book called, “The Right Stuff.” The test pilots who were trying to break the sound barrier for the first time described to their flights as “flying to the edge of the envelope.” To the outside world, these pilots were portrayed as risk takers and adrenaline junkies. Little was known or shared about the hundreds of hours of planning that preceded every flight, until Wolfe told their story.

In his own way, Greg Paley was riding to the edge of the envelope. Bucking contemporary wisdom, he chose a featherweight, full-carbon, BMC SLC 01 Pro Machine for the Glacier. He carried only what he could wear or stuff in his wedge pack, pockets and small Camelback. He refueled and caught four hours sleep during a six hour stop at the first overnight control in Connell, Washington and left at 3:30 am to avoid the heat. He left the second overnight control around midnight after a six hour stop. He then rode solo into night crossing the Bitterroot and Rocky Mountain Ranges, severely limiting his options for finding assistance, food and water, if he should need it.

Yet just as it was with the test pilots in Wolfe’s story, Greg’s ride was a carefully planned event. Months of physical and mental preparation went into planning. He carefully studied the Glacier 1000 route. He analyzed the weather patterns and considered his hydration and nutritional requirements. Greg also carefully chose his equipment – all of which he believes reduced the risks normally associated with riding a lighter-weight, carbon frame bike on a 630 mile, unsupported brevet.

How does a 50 year old, recreational rider, who has never raced or competed on any level, and has only been riding four years, make the leap in from Saturday morning club rides to one of the longest brevets of 2007? What gave Greg the inspiration and the confidence to ride an unsupported, 1000k brevet on a bike that is rarely used on routes longer than 100 miles?

These questions and more are answered in a forthcoming eBook published by Ready to Ride. Greg’s story, and the stories of seven more ordinary people who have accomplished extraordinary things on the bike will be told, along with a proven goal planning system that can help you experience the ride of your life, too. The Ride of Your Life will be distributed exclusively by RoadBikeRider.com, and available in December at the RBR eBookstore.

For now, we are pleased to share the Seattle rider’s choice of bicycle and equipment in Part IV of our series on the Portland to Glacier 1000K.

Ready to Ride: With your first full year of randonneuring behind you, what are some of your observations about the sport?

Paley: I am a newbie to the sport and certainly no expert! Yet, one thing that surprised me about randonneuring was the equipment choice of most of my fellow riders on The Glacier 1000, as well as on shorter brevets and permanents.

Maybe the riding style is a function of equipment choice, or vice versa, but most of the riders that I have met on brevets and on club rides seemed to be opting to ride unnecessarily heavy bikes. That is, riding bikes with standard issue fenders, electrical generator hubs, over-sized tires, and large saddle packs – even on the shorter rides on routes known to offer relatively flat terrain and favorable weather conditions with dry, paved roads.

On the Glacier, for example, with no rain in the forecast and temperatures expected to be in excess of 90 degrees for three consecutive days, some riders seemed to be carrying too many supplies and accessories and riding bikes better suited to rainy, fall season conditions here in the Northwest.

Some of the randonneuring bikes, while beautiful works of art, assembled with tremendous pride and care, were piloted by experienced riders who were stronger and faster than me. Yet, they were riding bikes weighing upward of 30 pounds. In comparison, my fully loaded BMC weighed around 20 pounds, including the 50 ounce hydration pack that I carried on my back. It struck me that those riders must have been working really hard.

R2R: There is a great deal of emphasis on durability, so that may explain the popularity of steel frames. The unsupported nature of the brevet warrants some precautions, wouldn’t you agree?

Paley: Being lighter on the bike for the Glacier did not detract from my rando experience. In fact, it made it more enjoyable. Even though I chose to ride a carbon frame machine, I still completed the ride self-supported, and I carried enough food, water and supplies (cell phone, spare tubes and tires, warmer clothing, tool kit, and supplements) just in case I encountered mechanical, physical or weather-related difficulties. While a steel frame bike is more popular for randonneuring in the Northwest, I enjoy riding a lighter bike and finishing brevets and permanents without feeling wiped out. Sure, there are rides when a steel frame may be desirable. I am only suggesting that many long distance cyclists may find their rides more enjoyable and less physically demanding if they chose a lighter set-up so they could conserve energy, mitigate fatigue, shorten recovery time, and cover more ground a bit faster. I am not advocating that riders abandon or sacrifice the fundamentals of safety in order to increase speed. We all agree that fenders, lights and supplies for exigencies and certain conditions are necessary at times. But how often are they necessary for most rides, or when conditions are favorable for riding lighter machines?

R2R: So all things being equal, you believe that the average rider could finish a brevet faster on a lighter bike?

Paley: I am just a recreational, 50 year old rider. I have never raced or ridden on any competitive level whatsoever. In fact, I have only been riding since 2003. Yes, I train a few days a week and try to keep in shape while having to manage work and balancing family obligations. However, I think of finishing a brevet this way: By riding a lighter, more aerodynamic bike with equipment (based upon anticipated weather and other conditions) there is less velocity lost to drag and friction. If that allows me to conserve wattage then I can increase my rolling speed with that energy. For example, if I can increase my hourly speed by even as little as 3% to 5% over a 1000k course over a three day period then my riding experience has got to be more enjoyable. In a nut shell that was my thinking for the Glacier 1000.

R2R: How do you balance the need to be self-supporting on the road with your goal of traveling as light as possible?

Paley: The beauty and the challenge of randonneuring is that it requires riders to be self-supporting. My preference has been to perform a significantly higher degree of pre-ride maintenance for my machine than most riders may think necessary. Before the Glacier, I had my bike inspected by a professional mechanic. I was prepared to make equipment changes depending on the conditions and ride profile. I was also ready to get the machine checked as well. For example, my pre-ride preventative maintenance plan included installing a new chain, new cassette, new front and rear brake pads, and cabling. I also bought two new tires and had my mechanic pull and lubricate the bottom bracket, inspect all bolts, true both wheels and repack wheel bearings. It was expensive, but after all, I was attempting to ride for the first time, 630 miles in less than 3 days many dozens of miles from any services and hundreds of miles from a bike shop. To lessen the chances of encountering mechanical difficulties or having to perform my own makeshift roadside repairs, I elected to replace questionable parts before I started the ride.

R2R: There is no arguing that approach worked for you, Greg, but you certainly turned some heads, especially at the second overnight control when you were leaving Kellogg as the bulk of the riders were just arriving.

Paley: I had already spent more than six hours at the Kellogg control before setting out on the third day and not all of my time was spent sleeping. In fact, I set aside enough time to thoroughly inspect my bike. I cleaned the chain, lubricated the key components, added more air to tires, tightened bolts (seat post, handle bars, stem), inspected the tires (I had packed a new tire in my overnight bag as well as carried a lighter-weight tire in my wedge pack) and replaced batteries in my helmet light, tail lights and front lights. I had plenty of time to check the weather, shower, eat upon arrival and before my departure, and sleep for almost four hours. There was no reason for me to stay in Kellogg any longer than six hours. I was ready to leave, and I was not concerned about the time I was off the bike.

People may have thought I was taking unnecessary risks, but I felt prepared and well-rested enough to ride. I felt safe enough to ride. On the third day, I used an extra (and special) light and had the appropriate clothing for the conditions. I had also packed food, extra water, and nutritional supplements to make sure my energy and hydration levels were adequate for the final 300k. I was nervous when I left Kellogg but also excited about having an opportunity to ride the entire last day solo especially while ascending Thompson Pass at daybreak and seeing Montana at first light.

R2R: I think the perception was that you were hell bent on being the first finisher. That’s something that only a small group of riders can think about, and even fewer talk about openly in randonneuring.

Paley: I can see where people may have formed that impression but my goal for the Glacier was simply to arrive without mechanical difficulties and safely in Whitefish. Finishing first was never in my plans. There were many other riders on the Brevet that were highly accomplished and seasoned competitive athletes (like Ken Bonner). There were other riders that were certainly stronger and more experienced than me. I just tried to approach the ride in a way that suited my riding style and the conditions. Brevets are not races but for me the Glacier offered a unique opportunity to test my physical and mental abilities on a level that I had not previously attempted. By no means am I advocating that randonneuring become a regional racing activity with middle aged members riding without regard to safety while pedaling machines that barely meet UCI minimum weight requirements. And certainly I am not suggesting that riders sacrifice safety and equipment for speed. What I am suggesting is that there may be a different way to approach randonneuring than most riders currently do. Perhaps, brevets and permanents would be more appealing to a larger group of cyclists (and still be attractive to die-hard traditionalists) if people rode lighter bikes with different equipment choices.

Miss an installment of The Glacier’s Shadow? Click here to read the Introduction, Part I, Part II, Part III, Part IV, Part V

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