Cypress-ed

I have wanted to do this route for a while - Squamish to Cypress and back. It's about 140km and it includes the 11km road 'up' Cypress Mountain.

The first day we rode - Dingo and Volker at the front most of the way - was a superb summer day. I had been off my bike a week and was on my race wheels as I'd yet to find new training ones after destroying them on my last long spin.

Almost immediately I knew it was going to be a tough day in the saddle. I don't mind tough days, I just love that feeling of when spinning is effortless.

http://www.mapmyride.com/

From the highway to the end of the road at the top is a distance of 15km with an elevation gain of 917m or 3008 feet! (I just did the conversion and didn't realize it was that many feet.)

The elevation chart for mapmyride says there were a few sections of 9 per cent or higher and I can confirm that it was steep in more than a few places.

I was dropped by the other two but still worked to keep my head on the task at hand and to spin - though my cadence target was out the window for most of the climb. I was focused on going up, nothing else.

We made it to the summit and then headed back down and back home, stopping for a bottle of the Real Thing (Coke) before pushing on for another 40km - a solid 180km in 6 to 6 1/2 hours.

The next week I was on my own. I was keen to repeat the route as I had struggled so much the first time.

I rode solid for the first three hours and got to the top of Cypress in good form. It wasn't easy, but it was easier knowing what was ahead.

The weather though wasn't as cooperative. The temperature at the top of Cypress was closer to 10 degrees and I spun through some low level clouds and mist. I froze on the descent.

As I spun back home I realized my energy level was dropping fast. At the 4 hour and 50 minute mark I called for a lift and Margreet collected me about 5 minutes further down the road.

I didn't need to hammer myself into the ground. I had some lunch and then slept for almost two hours. A solid spin and on track for the 30th.