Zwift - REVO Social on route Tempus Fugit in Watopia

Zwift - Race : Stage 1 Kick 'N' Sprint on route Innsbruckring : in Innsbruck

2025 Copper Triangle : Hmm, a 10 minute ice bath, during the ride.

Zwift : DIRT Spin : on route Neon Flats in Makuri Islands

Morning Ride

If you look at my average power for this ride, you'd have to assume something happened, and that's correct, but more on that in a second.

I'd ridden Copper Triangle in 2011, and I thought I could easily take about 35 minutes off the elapsed time of that 14 years old ride. The plan was to use the first climb as a warmup, putting in around endurance effort, then for the rest of the ride, drop the hammer and PR just about every other segment. 

All plans were thrown out with the bathwater after about 15 miles, when down came at first light rain, then sleet, then an intense and ongoing freezing downpour. Miles of road were like continuous puddles made of ice water. 
Shoes, socks, feet, legs, winter gloves, hands, and head were all soaked through many times. My quads went from being warmed up and working, to locked up and freezing. They would never recover on this ride. I could eventually push the watts a little bit, but just briefly. 
This storm happened before 8am!! 

This weather was not predicted, no precipitation was predicted until 11am, but it was out there waiting for us, first thing in the morning. I heard many riders saying they could no longer feel their feet, 20 miles after this ice bath. My shoes were still wet after the 3.5 hour drive home. lol

My legs weren't back by the time I reached the base of Vail Pass, I was having muscle spasms(which I've never experienced during an event), and I didn't want to push my luck, so I settled for 65 miles.

As bad as it was, it still wasn't bad. I still met a lot of fellow riders, and enjoyed spending time with them. I still got a few PRs, though it was not a day for going fast. Most of the roads were wet until we got to Red Cliff. I enjoyed re-riding some of the roads in the area I lived for 6 years.  I even did a little extra riding in Vail, as the weather had turned for the better.
On top of that, prepping for this event got me back into riding condition.
There are often silver linings.

I'll be back to Copper Triangle one of these years.

Miles, smiles & tailwinds!!

Top Sports

Ron Wheeler

2025 Copper Triangle : Hmm, a 10 minute ice bath, during the ride.

1 Photo

11 Comments

Segments

Sign up to view more activities from Ron Wheeler

Zwift - REVO Social on route Tempus Fugit in Watopia

Zwift - Race : Stage 1 Kick 'N' Sprint on route Innsbruckring : in Innsbruck

2025 Copper Triangle : Hmm, a 10 minute ice bath, during the ride.

Zwift : DIRT Spin : on route Neon Flats in Makuri Islands

Morning Ride

Want to see more?

The #1 app for runners and cyclists

Sign Up for Free. Track your progress and reach goals. Join 100 million active people on Strava.

See More from Ron