Updates From Feb. SC Camp

[Chris Helwig]

We leave this Friday or Saturday for South Carolina. Janice, Taylor and I will be travelling on Friday as will Greg, Jill and Justen. Saturday Ted V. arrives along with a Van load including Rob A, Vince, Ryan and Brownie.

Those arriving Friday get 8 days of riding, Saturday arrivals get 7 days of riding. Most days we plan on doing between 3.5-4.5 hrs depending on the day. We will be doing the Saluda ride twice, it is a perfect ride for this time of year. We will do Caesar's once for the tourist perspective and to say we did it, but it won't be done super hard. Plan is to do about 22-25 hours in the week.

I will likely be going into town to check email every 2-3 days, I will update when I have wi fi access.

[danomac]

Man that sounds like alot of fun. Maybe next year i can join you guys. :D

[Chris Helwig]

Man that sounds like alot of fun. Maybe next year i can join you guys. :D

Camp is always great. Even if you get a bit of rain the temps usually get up to 10-15 degrees in the afternoon so it beats the -25 windchills we have been having in Ontario.

The Saluda rides should be fun, I will email Keith at the bike shop beside the bakery to make sure they put on some extra sticky buns :)

[Brownie]

the plus degree temps comin up in a couple days are starting to make me weak in the knees. can't wait to finally see a road that isn't snow covered

[Chris Helwig]

Two contrasting days of riding thus far.

Saturday those that arrived early, myself, Palmer, Justen and Jason did a 3.5 hr ride to Furman. Awesome weather. We left in knee warmers and vests but by half way through the ride we were in shorts and jerseys. Temps were 23 degrees. Moderate ride, but the route does have some decent climbs. My TSS was 240, which is fairly high but not super high.

Everyone else arrived Saturday night. Now before you get jeaolus about Saturday's weather today was a hard man's day. We did 4.5 hrs to Saluda. Temps when we started were 9 degrees. The rain started before the climb to Saluda and it was coming down pretty hard. 6 degrees at Saluda, everyone was cold. The way down the mountain was tough, but at the bottom the rain stopped and the temps got a bit better. Still great to do a long ride, but it wasn't all fun in the sun.

Forecast looks good for the next few days. I will update when I can.

Chris

[Chris Helwig]

The great weather returned today for the assault on Caesar's Head. Around 12 degrees when we started and very nice and Sunny. We warmed up for 40 minutes and stretched at the base of the climb. The Big Show and I started off first with a bit of a headstart on the rest of the group so we would arrive about the same time at the top. The climb is 10km and about 7% average but with some good 10% grades. I felt not too bad, but let Rob go up the road as I settled into a rythym. Climbing solo is tough on a long climb, but I had fun. I did 48 minutes, about the same time as the first week of last year's March Camp. Vince did the fastest time. Here is a rough estimate of everyone's times:

Vince De Jong - 31:50
Justen Winster - 33:00
Jason Evaraert - 33:00
Greg Palmer - 36:00
Ted V - 36:34
Ryan MacDonald 36:45
Brownie - 39:45
Jill Vale - 41:00
Rob A. - 42:00

A great day for riding. Some of us went a bit shorter and did 3:15 while others did over 4hrs. Tomorrow is the new Sassafrass route. I am pretty tired after 3 big days so I will be taking tomorrow off and Greg will lead the ride. I will enjoy a nice day off with Janice and Taylor.

[bozhelwig]

Still ahead of my 60minute time on the big climb of 95.........good job chris.....

[Chuck Norris]

Sweet Jesus, Wheels. 33:00?!?!. I thought you were tougher than that! And The Big Show at 42:00!! Maybe I should come out of pseudo-quasi-hiatus-retirement.








Nah.

[Wanna B]

Sweet Jesus, Wheels. 33:00?!?!. I thought you were tougher than that! And The Big Show at 42:00!! Maybe I should come out of pseudo-quasi-hiatus-retirement.








Nah.

Hey Chuck - maybe you should hook up with the Superstar - he's always game for backpedalling out of a good pseudo-quasi-hiatus retirement.

[Chuck Norris]

Don't worry. Chuck Norris will be in (er... at the back of) the bunch in 2009. I just need to sit a year out. And I will drag Superstar back with me. Kicking and screaming if need be.

Hoping there's an M4 group by then.

[Wanna B]

If the Big Show gets on-line from sunny SC latest news here is the entire block that Dukes cycle was located in has been lost in a fire.

Sucks - was always a nice side trip when in TO

[Chris Helwig]

Last two days have been colder, but good.

Yesterday everybody but me did a new loop lead by Palmer. Some pretty big climbs, a bit more than expected. Ride was around 3.5 hrs. Cold in the morning around 5 degrees, but it warmed up.

Today was an easy 2hr recovery ride past Pumpkintown. I did some sprints off the back of the group since I had the day off yesterday. Everyone else rode easy. Cold 5 degrees but sunny when we left. It was up to around 13 by the time we finishes, which was nice.

Tomorrow is going to be COLD, with a high of around 6 degrees. Chance of rain in the afternoon, hopefully we miss that. Friday calls for rain, let's hope the forecast is wrong.

[Chris Helwig]

If the Big Show gets on-line from sunny SC latest news here is the entire block that Dukes cycle was located in has been lost in a fire.

Sucks - was always a nice side trip when in TO

Jill Vale got the email this morning about Duke's. Rob Called the owner, who is obviously pretty shaken up. Rob checked out the CP 24 coverage online at the Easley Library. Bad news for sure.

[Chris Helwig]

Thursday the group headed out to Saluda. I wasn't feeling well, there has been a little something going around camp, Jill and Jason were not feeling great earlier in the week. With me back at camp resting up the rest of the group headed out with cool temps of around 6 degrees, but no rain. They made it up to Saluda to the Bakery and didn't get rained on until the last hour. Some did 4.5 hrs while others did bonus for 5hrs.

Today it is cool and rainy. We are waiting until 12:30 to ride, hopefully with no rain or at least warmer temps. Today we are going to do the 3.5hr ride to Furman. Some decent 1-2 km hills, constantly up and down.

Today may be the last report until we return as Saturday will be busy packing up.

[Chris Helwig]

A great camp has come to an end.

Friday we did the Furman ride for 3.5 hrs. Only a little bit of light rain, so a pretty good day. A few tired legs at the end of the week, but we were rewarded with more of Janice's good cooking.

Satuday was a classic SC great day. Around 9 degrees when we started, but closer to 20 by the end. We did Furman again, with some good photos to be posted later. Some did 3.5 hrs with others doing 4hrs and hardmen Vince and Justen doing a Rosman bonus for over 6hrs.

Overall a great camp. Everyone's fitness improved. Looking forward to March.