Feb 19, 2022

IT'S THE TERRAIN, NOT THE MAP

AS I POSITED YESTERDAY, you have to know the terrain to be able to make the map. And, I think that's part of the problem with all our digital conveniences...

... they don't show us the terrain.

Yes, we see the turns and the elevation changes and that's certainly helpful. But...

... it's not enough.

Today was case in point.

I had the map, but there were a million potholes that could ruin your day and not all were pointed out. I didn't know the cat in the gray jersey was gonna be the fastest and snag the sprint. Nor did I know my backed up bladder would get relief right before I was ready to detach and take care of business.

On a vicious ride or race, there is so much more to know:

who are the hitters?
who are the fakers?
how is the traction?
which tires mean the difference between winning and losering?
is there shade?
is the road smooth or decaying?
is dust an issue?
is there a prevailing wind?
how much speed can we carry without tapping the breaks
in other words...
... what do the locals know that we may never figure out?

That is knowing the terrain.

Just because you have the map, doesn't mean you understand - at all - how it's gonna go down?

Sometimes it matters.

Other times it doesn't because we are out for and adventure.

When it matters here are some obvious things you can do:

talk to anyone and everyone who's been there before: friends, coaches, write ups, local shops and teams... most people will be helpful
look at the start list
look up their results
figure out their team colors and mark 'em when racing
look at historical weather patterns and for sure start looking at the weather as the race gets closer
get there early and pre-drive or pre-ride the course - as much as you can

https://pedalindustries.com/products/surf-n-summit

The adventure of the year is about 10 weeks away...

... The Surf N Summit.

And guess what... I don't even have all of the map yet.

I can promise you this:

120ish miles over gravel and paved roads, plus some single track.

12,000ish feet of vert.

All at a moderate tempo until we get to the base of the rugged San Bernardino mountains which we will summit and descend to Snow Summit.

More details are here:

https://pedalindustries.com/products/surf-n-summit

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Got a question, ask it here where all the racers hang out: https://www.strava.com/clubs/RaceDayReady