48 miles 5,000 feet, a personal challenge on Tuesday

[Alaskan]

I am planning a ride from Glacier, Washington to Artist Point on Thursday with some friends. It is a 48 mile ride, the first half of which climbs 5,000 feet into the high Cascades near Mt. Baker on route 542. I'll be riding my Riese & Muller Mountain that is equipped with two 500 watt batteries and will be carrying a third battery in a trunk bag, just in case. I must confess I have a bit of range anxiety going in, even with three batteries. Brakes have been checked, chain has been checked, cleaned and lubed, tires have been switched from Smart Sams to Super Moto X.

There is an annual local event in September that follows this route with a race and recreational ride. https://bakerhillclimb.com/

Here is a Stava summary of the ride https://www.strava.com/routes/6421505

Here is a youtube video that shows last years ride

I'll do my best to get some photos and report back to this forum on Wednesday and let folks know how it went.

 

[Cowlitz]

I think going down would be worse than going up. I'd definitely want new brake pads.

 

[RabH]

That looks amazing, I hope the weather will be good to you Definitely a good idea to check your brakes looking at those roads, good luck with your ride

 

[Mtl_Biker]

Can’t wait to read your report and see some photos!

Is it 48 miles return? (24 up and 24 down?)

Do you really need so many batteries? I’d imagine going down you wouldn’t need any batteries at all! But I guess the steep long climb will really use up the batteries.

 

[DaveMatthews]

Awesome! Looks like a pile of fun!

 

[PaD]

I am planning a ride from Glacier, Washington to Artist Point on Tuesday with some friends. It is a 48 mile ride, the first half of which climbs 5,000 feet into the high Cascades near Mt. Baker on route 542. I'll be riding my Riese & Muller Mountain that is equipped with two 500 watt batteries and will be carrying a third battery in a trunk bag, just in case. I must confess I have a bit of range anxiety going in, even with three batteries. Brakes have been checked, chain has been checked, cleaned and lubed, tires have been switched from Smart Sams to Super Moto X.

I'll do my best to get some photos and report back to this forum on Wednesday and let folks know how it went.

That looks like a great ride.
Would be really interesting to get details on power consumption and ride details as ride mode/power level and speed.
What ride mode do you think you’ll want going up?

 

[PDoz]

It looks like a race? Do the " social" entries still get listed in the overall results ? I can imagine you'd be getting some animosity if you didn't include some reference to being on an ebike ? ( eg can you add ebike at the end of your name and put a sign on your back ?)

 

[Chancelucky2]

I'm looking forward to hearing and seeing how it went, especially with respect to the battery drain on the extended uphills. From the video, it looks like a lot of climbing, but maybe not as steep grade wise as one might expect. If you can do the climb in tour or eco, I wonder if 2 batteries would do it.

 

[Mr. Coffee]

I'm of similar proportions to @Alaskan and am riding similar bikes. My opinion is that doing that ride on two batteries is just on the edge of possible if you were to keep the pedal assist dialed back a lot.

To add humor to the already long ride, there are some substantial uphills (most notably around Nooksack Falls) on the way back that would be somewhere between vicious heinousness and heinous viciousness to ride on a heavy bike with dead batteries.

Also, the last pitch to Artist Point from the ski area is pretty darned steep.

A funny historical note: this highway was originally surveyed by one W.T. Austin (whom Austin Pass, just short of Artist Point, is named after). When he reached Austin Pass he believed he had reached the Cascade Divide and it was then an easy water-grade descent from there to the Cariboo Goldfields. He was only off in his navigation by about 80 miles.

 

[Alaskan]

That looks like a great ride.
Would be really interesting to get details on power consumption and ride details as ride mode/power level and speed.
What ride mode do you think you’ll want going up?

The video is of the official race which is scheduled for early September. There is also a recreational ride and a social ride on the same day both of which leave at different times.

I am just running the course this week (Thursday not Tuesday as previously stated) with some of my roady buddies that I ride with every week, not as part of any event, but a Thursday ride just east of where we live. We will start about an hour's drive east up the Nooksack River. then park and ride our bike up the mountain to a fantastic overlook called Artist Point and then a long downhill back to our cars As usual, I will likely be the only ebiker.

 

[Alaskan]

That looks like a great ride.
Would be really interesting to get details on power consumption and ride details as ride mode/power level and speed.
What ride mode do you think you’ll want going up?

Ride mode will depend on the grade, speed and what my heart rate is. As I am riding with roadys from 60-77 the pace will not be blistering. I can sustain 120-130 bpm for about a half an hour without a break, ease up and then do it again after 10 minutes at100 bpm. Strict orders form the cardiologist to keep it under 145 with anything over 135 being unsustainable for more than ten minutes or so. I suspect I will be in EMTB most of the ride up and Eco most of the way down. Obviously I will be watching miles traveled and projected range very closely I will also be very mindful of both heart rate and cadence. The custom ride screen on my Nyon will keep all that data and more front and center.

Data fields left to right top to bottom: Assist Mode - Gear 1-14/14 - Speed - Heart Rate - Cadence - Distance Traveled - Elevation Gain/Loss - Rider Output in Watts Average. Peak - Battery Percentage/Remaining Range

 

[Saratoga Dave]

A/Fib and beta blockers, n'est-ce pas? Last time I let my heart rate sneak up to 150 on a good size hill - I wasn’t paying attention at all - I ended up laying in some guy’s front yard, ripping my helmet off, anything so I could get some air in, wondering if I should dial 911 or just die there quietly. Nice.

I now pay very close attention, just with my Apple Watch in Outdoor Cycle mode. If I stay south of 130 I can keep it up for a good long time, but I find I can climb some hellacious hills if I just SLOW DOWN and keep aware of my heart rate.

That said, it looks like you’re going up a doozy. Much admiration for these plus 60 guys doing so on acoustic bikes with you. God forbid there’s a breath of a headwind, you’ll end up pulling the whole outfit up the mountain

 

[Alaskan]

A/Fib and beta blockers, n'est-ce pas? Last time I let my heart rate sneak up to 150 on a good size hill - I wasn’t paying attention at all - I ended up laying in some guy’s front yard, ripping my helmet off, anything so I could get some air in, wondering if I should dial 911 or just die there quietly. Nice.

I now pay very close attention, just with my Apple Watch in Outdoor Cycle mode. If I stay south of 130 I can keep it up for a good long time, but I find I can climb some hellacious hills if I just SLOW DOWN and keep aware of my heart rate.

That said, it looks like you’re going up a doozy. Much admiration for these plus 60 guys doing so on acoustic bikes with you. God forbid there’s a breath of a headwind, you’ll end up pulling the whole outfit up the mountain

Dave, at the end of August I'll celebrate my two year anniversary of a "widowmaker", a sudden blockage of the left anterior descending coronary artery (the one that provides most of the oxygenated blood to the left ventricle) that should have killed me. It started with an infarction and progressed to ventricular fibrillation, all this on a boat, in Alaska, 80 miles from the nearest town, at night, in the rain and fog. Fortunately we had a defibrillator on board as well as a charter guest who was a Mayo clinic trained cardiologist. Seriously I should have died but for that. It took a Coast Guard helicopter, a medivac jet and twelve hours to get me to a hospital that had proper coronary care. with two stents, an implanted defibrillator/pacemaker and a cocktail of meds, and regular ebike riding I'm still here, seriously more fit than I've been in several decades. The only time the defibrillator has lit me up was when my heart monitor battery went dead and I was pushing to hard up a 16% grade. That was pretty weird. Now I carry a spare battery for the chest strap monitor on my bike. I'll keep pushing it till it pushes back...so far so good.

 

[Saratoga Dave]

Well, that must have been some moment when that thing juiced you on a 16% hill! All that would be left then is a plague of locusts, since you’d already gotten the lightning.

Seriously, a hell of a story. My cardiac adventures are a little less dramatic, but still entertaining and motivating enough to keep me on the bike at least five days a week, which is easy since I just love it. Sorry I don’t live on your end of the country, it would be fun to accompany your crew sometime. My riding is 90% just me, which is fine, but company is always nice. My wife just wasn’t into it, though she gave it a go.

We’re in Portland, Oregon this weekend for our son’s wedding up near Mt Hood and I hope to rent a mountain bike, e or other, so I can at least zip around for and hour or two and maybe get chased by a bear. Here it’s just an angry Jack Russell terrier once in a blue moon, and they don’t really mean it anyway.

Eagerly awaiting your trip report. That video was something to an East Coaster, especially around the 1:10 mark.

 

[Marci jo]

Dave, at the end of August I'll celebrate my two year anniversary of a "widowmaker", a sudden blockage of the left anterior descending coronary artery (the one that provides most of the oxygenated blood to the left ventricle) that should have killed me. It started with an infarction and progressed to ventricular fibrillation, all this on a boat, in Alaska, 80 miles from the nearest town, at night, in the rain and fog. Fortunately we had a defibrillator on board as well as a charter guest who was a Mayo clinic trained cardiologist. Seriously I should have died but for that. It took a Coast Guard helicopter, a medivac jet and twelve hours to get me to a hospital that had proper coronary care. with two stents, an implanted defibrillator/pacemaker and a cocktail of meds, and regular ebike riding I'm still here, seriously more fit than I've been in several decades. The only time the defibrillator has lit me up was when my heart monitor battery went dead and I was pushing to hard up a 16% grade. That was pretty weird. Now I carry a spare battery for the chest strap monitor on my bike. I'll keep pushing it till it pushes back...so far so good.

Wow Alaskan, that’s a scary experience. Glad all turned out well.

That ride looks amazing and incredibly beautiful.
And please watch out for opening car doors!

 

[tallpaul]

Alaskan, I am convinced that Reese and Mueller should sponsor you!
Your whole story screams "poster boy" for recovery, determination, and RESULTS!
To say nothing about your advocacy for ebikes on this forum where you have tirelessly answered our questions and shared info to the rest of us.

We all look forward to your ride report after the big climb up Mt. Baker.

 

[RabH]

Here it’s just an angry Jack Russell terrier once in a blue moon, and they don’t really mean it anyway.

This reminds me of a Jack Russell that used to try to chase me on one of my local roads, almost everytime I passed this farm I would hear its yelps and watch its little legs try to catch me up, thankfully it was on the flat so it was easy to outpace it Until one day I passed and there was no sign of it, I thought to myself "where are you hiding?" and I soon found out as I started on a big climb about 400 yards past the farm, it just appeared from nowhere It made a lunge for my leg and believe me it meant it, it was out for revenge I think that was my quickest acceleration on an acoustic bike up a 10% gradient ever

@Alaskan I can't wait to read your ride report and see how you coped with the climbs and descents, I'm sure you will manage it with the 3 batteries no problem I'm surprised you will use eco mode on the descents, with the weight of the bike with 3 batteries on board it will be like a missile going downhill

 

[Dionigi]

Ride mode will depend on the grade, speed and what my heart rate is. As I am riding with roadys from 60-77 the pace will not be blistering. I can sustain 120-130 bpm for about a half an hour without a break, ease up and then do it again after 10 minutes at100 bpm. Strict orders form the cardiologist to keep it under 145 with anything over 135 being unsustainable for more than ten minutes or so. I suspect I will be in EMTB most of the ride up and Eco most of the way down. Obviously I will be watching miles traveled and projected range very closely I will also be very mindful of both heart rate and cadence. The custom ride screen on my Nyon will keep all that data and more front and center.

Data fields left to right top to bottom: Assist Mode - Gear 1-14/14 - Speed - Heart Rate - Cadence - Distance Traveled - Elevation Gain/Loss - Rider Output in Watts Average. Peak - Battery Percentage/Remaining Range

View attachment 36461

50 miles and 5000 feet is out of range for my Nevo and two batteries. We are about the same weight and age but you log consider more miles so it might be possible with more rider watts. The closest ride to your 50/5000 I have is 2000 feet shy but with similar accent distance and grade. After the ride I had ~30% battery,although with the Intuiva it’s just a guess. As far as heart rate with beta blockers it’s impossible for me to get above 120 bpm. https://ridewithgps.com/trips/36418467
If you make it past the 12 mile big climb you should have a great decent. (You did put larger discs on your R&M Mountain?)

 

[PaD]

Ride mode will depend on the grade, speed and what my heart rate is. As I am riding with roadys from 60-77 the pace will not be blistering. I can sustain 120-130 bpm for about a half an hour without a break, ease up and then do it again after 10 minutes at100 bpm. Strict orders form the cardiologist to keep it under 145 with anything over 135 being unsustainable for more than ten minutes or so. I suspect I will be in EMTB most of the ride up and Eco most of the way down. Obviously I will be watching miles traveled and projected range very closely I will also be very mindful of both heart rate and cadence. The custom ride screen on my Nyon will keep all that data and more front and center.

Data fields left to right top to bottom: Assist Mode - Gear 1-14/14 - Speed - Heart Rate - Cadence - Distance Traveled - Elevation Gain/Loss - Rider Output in Watts Average. Peak - Battery Percentage/Remaining Range

View attachment 36461

I find it inspiring to hear how you try to make best out your (somewhat limited) heartrange to stay in shape. And have fun!

My cardiac adventure was less dramatic even if the cardiologist sent me to emergency with request for a coronary artery x-ray as soon as possible. I was lucky enough to get minimal damage so I have no real restrictions for physical activity rather a strong recommendation to exercise. Had a free 3 months group training program with interval training as part of the aftercare. Great people the doctors, nurses and phys. trainers but they don’t really want to see again.

 

[Alaskan]

50 miles and 5000 feet is out of range for my Nevo and two batteries. We are about the same weight and age but you log consider more miles so it might be possible with more rider watts. The closest ride to your 50/5000 I have is 2000 feet shy but with similar accent distance and grade. After the ride I had ~30% battery,although with the Intuiva it’s just a guess. As far as heart rate with beta blockers it’s impossible for me to get above 120 bpm. https://ridewithgps.com/trips/36418467
If you make it past the 12 mile big climb you should have a great decent. (You did put larger discs on your R&M Mountain?)

I changed out the Shimano XL standard rotors and pads for the heat-sink Ice Tech rotors with metalic pads. On the front I replaced the 180mm rotor with a 203mm. The back remains a 180mm but with ice tech.

I expect going down hill to not be pedaling much and being judicious in application of the brakes. Having the dropper seat post should come in handy for the descent.