estjguardin
Active Member
Ive never worn this jersey.
Cannondale Tandem questions
- Thread starter estjguardin
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estjguardin
Active Member
Furnace Creek 508 was an ultramarathon bicycle race that took place annually each October between 1989 and 2013 in Southern California. Its route started in Santa Clarita (25 miles north of Los Angeles), went northeast to Towne Pass and dropped into Death Valley, traversed Death Valley in the southern direction, crossed Mojave Desert and ended at Twentynine Palms. The race was named after the total length of its course (508 miles) and the location of its midpoint (near Furnace Creek).
Rather than use names or numbers as in other races and other sports, the Furnace Creek 508 identified riders and teams with "totems" - animal names said to signify or have a special meaning for a rider or team.
The race was discontinued in 2014 due to a policy change of the Death Valley National Park that prohibited competitive cycling events in the park. Its organizers have since created a new annual event, the "Silver State 508", which keeps the overall format and the total distance of the course, but takes place in Nevada.
At 508 miles (818 km) of length and 36,000 feet (11,000 m) of elevation gain, the Furnace Creek route was roughly comparable to four typical mountain stages of Tour de France ridden back-to-back.
Until rules changes in 2003, the Furnace Creek 508 was a qualifying event for the Race Across America.
Rather than use names or numbers as in other races and other sports, the Furnace Creek 508 identified riders and teams with "totems" - animal names said to signify or have a special meaning for a rider or team.
The race was discontinued in 2014 due to a policy change of the Death Valley National Park that prohibited competitive cycling events in the park. Its organizers have since created a new annual event, the "Silver State 508", which keeps the overall format and the total distance of the course, but takes place in Nevada.
At 508 miles (818 km) of length and 36,000 feet (11,000 m) of elevation gain, the Furnace Creek route was roughly comparable to four typical mountain stages of Tour de France ridden back-to-back.
Until rules changes in 2003, the Furnace Creek 508 was a qualifying event for the Race Across America.
letsbike
Well-Known Member
It's nice reading about your biking history. Five hundred miles is a lot of ground to cover in six days. What a great trip to remember (times 3).
I remember reading once about someone riding the length of California with the seat removed from his bicycle to raise money for rectal cancer.
My time riding the west coast was a tour from Seattle to San Francisco in 2017. Very beautiful, but way too many cars and RVs for my liking.
The old RAAM (Race Across America) races were legendary. Even televised on Wide World of Sports! Lon Haldeman, Pete Penseyres (who trained by riding a 65 mile commute to work everyday), and Jonathon Boyer were all my idols at the time. You had some serious talent to finish that qualifier. What bike did you ride for that event? Even though we know it's the muscle, not the bike, that got it done.
I remember reading once about someone riding the length of California with the seat removed from his bicycle to raise money for rectal cancer.
My time riding the west coast was a tour from Seattle to San Francisco in 2017. Very beautiful, but way too many cars and RVs for my liking.
The old RAAM (Race Across America) races were legendary. Even televised on Wide World of Sports! Lon Haldeman, Pete Penseyres (who trained by riding a 65 mile commute to work everyday), and Jonathon Boyer were all my idols at the time. You had some serious talent to finish that qualifier. What bike did you ride for that event? Even though we know it's the muscle, not the bike, that got it done.
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estjguardin
Active Member
Just read your post and wanted to respond timely before Pickleball. I rode a carbon fiber Trek for my main bike and had a Kestral 4000 as a backup but never used it. And I actually rode with Penseyres and Haldeman once. It was a Century called "The Riverside Breakaway". All flat. I finished in 4:26! But I could NEVER have done it that fast had I not tagged along in their peloton for most of it. Fastest Century I ever completed, thanks to those two! Not sure what their times were. My second big accomplishment was a Quad in under 24 hours, called the Los Angeles Wheelmen Grand Tour. I finished in 23 hours... something, but under the 24 hours cutoff time.
I am really enjoying our conversations. Brings back so many fond memories of days gone past WAY PAST! LOL! Want to hear more about your tandem tour! And post pictures please. We have a lot in common! Are you the "Administrator" of this site?
I am really enjoying our conversations. Brings back so many fond memories of days gone past WAY PAST! LOL! Want to hear more about your tandem tour! And post pictures please. We have a lot in common! Are you the "Administrator" of this site?
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estjguardin
Active Member
estjguardin
Active Member
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letsbike
Well-Known Member
You certainly have some heady accomplishments under your belt. That patch speaks volumes of not only the event but the huge amount of training as well. I went through a phase of two day double centuries while in my 30's, but never have ridden the caliber of events that you have. In my twenties I couldn't even ride a century because I weighed so little I couldn't carry enough calories to get the job done. For most of my life I settled on daily commuting, and since retiring, multi month touring has become a passion.
Your story is refreshing. Sometimes this website is all about the machines, but without the joy the machines are worthless. (No, I am not an administrator. Just Joe Blow biker.
)
I'll post a few tandem tour pictures in the future, but they are not Cannondale bikes, so that may be unethical.
Your story is refreshing. Sometimes this website is all about the machines, but without the joy the machines are worthless. (No, I am not an administrator. Just Joe Blow biker.
)I'll post a few tandem tour pictures in the future, but they are not Cannondale bikes, so that may be unethical.
estjguardin
Active Member
You've also achieved some noteworthy accomplishments! I was addicted to cycling long distance events. I have dozens of double and triple races completed also and the one Quad. I commuted from my home in Victorville to my job in San Bernardino, over Cajon pass for years 3,000ft up to 4,000ft, down to 1,053 feet and back every day, including in the SNOW. That's how/where I trained for my events. Seems WIERD now. As I mentioned I transferred to Mt Bikes after two hit and runs on my road bike and one drunk driver hit me/us on our tandem, all three resulting in trips to the hospital. I had friend killed on their bikes. California Desert is a different breed of people. I'm in Texas now and it seems safer here, but again/also, just doing it for fun and to stay in shape now. I'm more into Pickleball (single, not doubles) now. MUCH SAFER!!! Lol
letsbike
Well-Known Member
Understood. Sometimes I think if you are a biker long enough it is not IF you will be struck by a vehicle but WHEN. Sorry you lost your friends in that manner.
I have a pretty good idea of your age based on your newspaper clippings. I think that you have a good amount of riding, and Pickleball, years ahead of you. Enjoy!
I have a pretty good idea of your age based on your newspaper clippings. I think that you have a good amount of riding, and Pickleball, years ahead of you. Enjoy!
I haven't owned a tandem but Cannondale typically measured frames from center of crank to top of seat tube minus 1".
estjguardin
Active Member
Interesting! Thanks. I'll re measure and post my findings. Also want to post some better pictures after I clean it up. Whoever owned it before me took VERY GOOD care of it.
letsbike
Well-Known Member
Here are a few pictures from our 5300 mile tandem tour in 2015. Looking through all my shots, it was interesting how few times I photographed the bike. We were riding a 2017 Santana Team-Niobiam with the stock 16 spoke wheels replaced with a set of 48 spoke wheels for touring. The front 48 is now on my Cannondale touring bicycle, with a matching wheel built to order on the rear. We used a trailer to keep our weight off the bicycle. It worked very well.
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estjguardin
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Wow and hauling a cart for supplies. Tough sledding. Never thought of hauling a cart. My minset was as little weight as possible because of the coast mountain climbs. Who did you ride with and what was your route? How many weeks/months? We loved to box the bike and take an Amtrak train to SF, reassemble the bike there and begin our trip. As I mentioned, three tandem trips from there. Wife, Daughter and solo. This picture is with my daughter. She made us a book of the trip too!
estjguardin
Active Member
letsbike
Well-Known Member
It was my wife and I. It took four and a half months. The route is the red line on the map. (We started in Colorado, and traveled counter clockwise) The other picture is of our bicycle trailer cover after completion of the tour. At the beginning of the ride I thought it would take a week or two to get into top form. As it turns out it took 2100 miles until that happened. Luckily we had 3200 more miles to enjoy that fitness level.
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estjguardin
Active Member
Yup! Takes MONTHS to get in shape and a week to lose it! Lol Kudos to you on a long and difficult tour. Ever think of doing it again? I came across a letter I wrote to my wife and kids one summer. I was riding from California to the Grand Canyon on a weeks' vacation with some friends on their tandem and was going to fly back. The weather conditions were so harsh, they were going so slow, I told them I needed to push ahead to make it to the GC airport in time. We had put in such long days 12-18 hours, I actually fell asleep and crashed (minimal injuries), but making my bike unrideable. Had to catch a ride into the GC for my flight (on a friend's plane) home. Also came across this plaque from 1991! Not sure how many entered but only 16 qualified as Official Finishers" in under the 48-hour cutoff time, so got awards/ plaques and the jersey. That's why I've never worn it (I don't DARE try to shoe-horn myself into it now. I would need self-esteem therapy. LOL). As I said we were... legends! lol. Been raining here so haven't been able to ride at all. As you know, once your bike gets all muddy, it seems to never be as clean as is it was. Besides, I'm not into cleaning my bikes anymore, so I just keep them clean. lol CHEERS!
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