There is a famous mountain in Southern France that is climbed in many bike races. It’s called Mont Ventoux and it’s a daunting climb that covers about 5,000 feet of vertical climbing.
Of course, if you do make it to the top, you have a long and very fast descent back to the bottom.
But if you don’t bring the right bike and you don’t pace your descent correctly, you can literally melt away your brake pads.
If you have no brakes you’ll be flying down a mountain full of turns and bends at 60+mph without a way to slow down.
So instead of riding, you’ll be walking. Most people don’t want to be walking 12 miles down the side of a mountain dragging a bike with them.
But when you combine bad preparation with bad pacing you end up in a most unenviable position. Whether bike riding or doing business, you don’t want to be walking Ventoux.