Gum Ball Rally

BlackRock

BlackRock

Active Member
This is not a cross country race like the movie, it is a short time trial I made up to keep my rides interesting. I time my self on an open road course to get my average speed, and I try to improve on that time. If any of you folks do this, please post your numbers here.

Just got back from my Sunday run on route 62 from Sterling Ma to Barre Ma, 19.9 miles. What a great bit of road, except for the last short hill into Barre center which is very bumpy. It was about 7am this morning when I turned onto route 62 in Sterling center, I was pissed because a pickup truck and a mini van turn on just before I got there, so for the first half mile or so it was 35mph until I got a clear bit of road and passed them. I made good time through Sterling and into Princeton when I came up on another pickup truck, but this one did not hold me up at all as it was on an uphill straight, then through center of Princeton, and down the other side towards Hubbardston Ma. This section of Rt62 is in great shape and has lots of twisty turns to keep you busy. The last stretch into Barre is much of the same with rolling hills and twisty turns. This was mu first run on the course and I feel like it went very well.

Distance: 19.9 miles
Time:21.42 minutes
Average speed: 55.02mph
Bike: 1977 CB750
 

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Cool, what apparently are available for this kind of stuff? I've got a few loops im fond of zipping thru myself.
 
You can use an app called Mapmyride. It's for bicycles, but it'll work just the same. Might be a better one I just don't know about. Can't wait to try this.
 
Depending on how long your ride is, you can just pre run it for milage. Once you have the exact milage, you just need a stop watch. To get avearge speed, I just use an online Average Speed Calculator, here is the link.

http://www.machinehead-software.co.uk/bike/speed_distance_time_calc.html
 
I use a few cycling apps for this too. The few mentioned are great-I like Strava :http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/strava-cycling/id426826309?mt=8 and picked up Mountain Bike Pro when it was free a couple weeks ago http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/mountain-bike-pro-cycling/id478862935?mt=8

MountainBikePro is probably my favorite for cruising down single-track but the online map sharing and viewing is flawed at the moment
Strava is probably my fav for the motorcycles though. You can "race" yourself against your earlier times on any saved routes you make. They do have an Android app too http://www.strava.com/mobile
 
Dragon88 said:
This is not a cross country race like the movie, it is a short time trial I made up to keep my rides interesting. I time my self on an open road course to get my average speed, and I try to improve on that time. If any of you folks do this, please post your numbers here.

Just got back from my Sunday run on route 62 from Sterling Ma to Barre Ma, 19.9 miles. What a great bit of road, except for the last short hill into Barre center which is very bumpy. It was about 7am this morning when I turned onto route 62 in Sterling center, I was pissed because a pickup truck and a mini van turn on just before I got there, so for the first half mile or so it was 35mph until I got a clear bit of road and passed them. I made good time through Sterling and into Princeton when I came up on another pickup truck, but this one did not hold me up at all as it was on an uphill straight, then through center of Princeton, and down the other side towards Hubbardston Ma. This section of Rt62 is in great shape and has lots of twisty turns to keep you busy. The last stretch into Barre is much of the same with rolling hills and twisty turns. This was mu first run on the course and I feel like it went very well.

Distance: 19.9 miles
Time:21.42 minutes
Average speed: 55.02mph
Bike: 1977 CB750
Click to expand...

You're timing yourself to see how fast you can do those 19.9 miles on public roads?
 
ChimeraMW said:
You're timing yourself to see how fast you can do those 19.9 miles on public roads?
Click to expand...

Yeah, that's the idea. No one said it was a SAFE idea...
 
Like Dirty Harry says ( a mans got to know his limitations ) I am not trying to kill my self and I have been riding and racing for 30yrs. This is just a way to stay interested in your ride, or someone else's ride. I will take a 2nd shot at my Sterling to Barre run this weekend, If your up early this weekend and you live in the area, stay off rt62 8) I will post my new numbers soon.
 
this is just a bad idea. it's going to go too far, and someone is going to get hurt. if you don't enjoy riding without having to time yourself, you may be in the wrong sport.
 
Do you know why they are called Cafe Racers? It is not a safe sport, and never was. There are some folks into building bikes and showing them off at bike night. I built my to ride.
 
It would be even more interesting if said riders didn't exceed the speed limits. It would be very much a test of cornering skills.
 
Sounds like fun.

Don't endanger others, but otherwise it sounds like a blast.
I hate it when people come out of the woodwork with the "keep it at the track" nonsense as though they never speed or push corners on their bikes.
 
Over the holiday weekend I took another shot at my Rt62 course from Sterling Ma to Barre Ma. I turned onto Rt62 at 6:30am in Sterling Center.
My new 2.5 inch Kerker exhaust baffle has really improved the feel and sound of this bike. I twisted my right hand and headed up the hill out of town toward Princeton my bike pulled hard as I shifted up to fifth gear. No cars, no trucks and no mini vans this morning, just a smooth stretch of road. When I came up the hill to Princeton center I felt like I was way ahead of my last posted time, and kept the pace up through the center as there was no one in site. This is also great fun as I grew up in the center of Princeton. Headed out of town someone pulled out ahead of me from a side street, I was not going to slow down but waited till I got some clear road ahead to pass. It was kind of funny as the guy was in an older Porsche 911 and I think he was also out for an early morning rip as he followed me for a few miles. That was the only car I encountered on my ride this week all the way to Barre. So I thought I had really improved on my time from last week. However this course is not so easy to go fast on, with very few straight or level sections. Here are my current numbers.

Distance: 19.9 miles
Time:20.35 minutes
Average speed: 58.00mph
Bike: 1977 CB750
 
Cool man. I actually floated an idea about this time last year about having a "cannonball run" of sorts for cafe racers and it received mixed thoughts. I haven't had a chance to try out the app yet either but am hoping to at the gtg this weekend on the dragon.
 
My buddies and I used to time ourselves through a particularly steep and twisty piece of local two lane blacktop. From a rural firehouse to a bridge over a river. 8)
Averaged around 60 mph after doing the math. ;D
But the road now has apartments built at one end, and now is bumper to bumper traffic in the early mornings/evenings, and I'm old and busted up. ::)
So......have fun while it lasts. ;)
 
Thanks, yes this is not for everyone and a group idea is not cool. That would end badly. Lets see some personal best times form those that want to play.
 
Dragon88 said:
Thanks, yes this is not for everyone and a group idea is not cool. That would end badly. Lets see some personal best times form those that want to play.
Click to expand...

I'll get that when I get the bike back and running. I wanna try this.
 
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