Bike Camping - Summer 2011

For another angle on the story, visit Noah's KC-Bike Commuting blog.  It's usually far more photo-rich than mine, so check it out!  I'm still working on a good camera solution for rides... just need a better phone, probably.

 

These are always a great time - and so as soon as there was a date and a rough plan from Noah, I was all in.  Small challenges leading up to the event had me on/off with the overnight part, but I'm glad it worked out.  Bike Camping.  If you haven't done it, get on "the list" - which is to say, follow this blog, Noah's blog, join the DSR list.  There is nothing particularly special required to do these.  You don't have to be a rando guy or a commuter or a camper or anything.  Just be prepared to talk about gadgets, bike stuff, fishing, eating, life, nature, bikes, beer.  If you have a bike and a backpack, you're in.  If you've got a bike and a helpful spouse to drive your stuff to the campsite... you're kinda cheating, but you're probably in.  This isn't a "club".

We start our tale along an Olathe road where JDMitch, long-time reader, first time bike-camper, met up with me after a coffee-stop.  First notice, the Bike Friday with the Sturmey-Archer 3-speed internally-geared fixxie folding bike - complete with rear Wald basket and cooler, and front panniers.  20" wheels, beefy tires, and probably one of the more interesting bikes I've seen in years.  A technical marvel... and the rear hub alone gives me dreams of possibility for this year's "winter bike", OH yes.   That hub is what the ole' Redline Monocog needed!   We exchanged greetings and proceeded along towards about 159th and Lackman for the jaunt to the Overland Park Arboretum on 179th street.  There, we'd meet up with everyone else and begin the weekend.

We rolled up to see Randy Rasa's LHT (proprietor of TheDirtBum and Kansas Cyclist) near a park bench... in fact, he'd just arrived:  I think I spotted him along 179th street on the way in, panniers giving it away in the distance.  There were other cyclist about - I get the impression the Arboretum gets a lot of bicycle traffic along this popular stretch of road.  A thin, lean racer-guy on his Trek Madone, followed by a couple gents - one on a Cannondale - was enough of a timeslice to indicate how much restroom traffic and water-fountain use this place probably gets on a warm day.  

Did I say warm?  Hahaha.... uh, no.  "Hot".  

The Kansas City area, along with a large hunk of the midwest, is under the heavy thumb of a pretty decent heat wave.  I've lost track of actual numbers, but I'm sure records are falling and I know it's been reaching and exceeding 100ºF here in town.  I saw the "magic" 40ºC on a bank signboard just today... and I know those things are not THE most accurate around, but that's plenty warm.  My home thermometer is about the same, running a few degrees above what the "airport" temperature really is, but I like the shock-factor of those numbers after getting home from a commute.  Today my home thermometer might stretch to 45ºC, where-upon I will collapse in a heap of sweaty mess.  The only thing the cops will find is a cassette tape cued up with Midnight Oil's "Beds are Burning", steam rising off of it.  Personal hottest commute record may indeed fall today.

Noah and Richard showed up a touch later, Noah in typical style sporting a GIANT solar panel on his rear rack, charging this and that in the panniers below.

If ever there was a guy to follow out of town when the zombies come, it's this guy.  The next book I write will have a character based on him.  No really.  This, though, was the third bike-camp expedition - and per his admission, the lightest he'd ever packed.  

Richard was also a first-time bike camper, riding a rent-a-bike from his place of employment... a local company with a global presence that knows a heckuvalot more about bike culture than, say, the company I work for.  Packing lightest of the group with only a backpack on him, he was ready to roll out in style.  How he was going to survive would be interesting to see, considering just about everyone else in attendance had at least two full-sized panniers jammed with gear and rations.  No drama here -- not only did he survive, I learned quite a bit from his minimalist rig.  He's one of those guys where you can tell just from the first few sentences of conversation that he knows a thing or two.

The only two missing were Gene and Stephanie, and after a couple texts from Noah it was learned that a rash of flats was the culprit.  We rolled out ahead, knowing that they'd probably catch up to us.  The pace today was slow-to-slower.  Fully casual... I was looking forward to taking as much time as we cared to on the way out.  It wasn't as hot as it had been thanks to some morning thundershower activity, but the humidity was enough to hang your hat on.  Drink, drink, drink!  

We all rolled out and up 179th street's long grade to Metcalf, and then southbound towards Wea, Louisburg, Rutlader, and our final destination at Middle Creek State Fishing Lake, where Metcalf mysteriously slips into oblivion.  

 

Songs in head:  (and sometimes out of mouth...)

Elbow - Bones of You, & Mirrorball  

Bob Marley - Small Axe,Three Little Birds

 

Nature check:

Horses, a Donkey, and an Owl at 3am near the campsite.

Add in the usual squirrels, rabbits, and a wide array of birds like prairie warblers in yellow and some small blue birds, and it was a nature-rich trip, as well.

 

Gene's flat-fest woes continued later on during the ride, which, after hitting the BP station along Metcalf for resupply we adjourned to the local Sonic, and sat in the shade for a couple hours while we arranged to get Gene and daughter transportation to us for a final fix of the rear tire rim strip problems.  Some electrical tape was procured, and many tater-tots and cold shakes were consumed.  It was NICE.  We even got a visit from a guy on a nice Harley-Davidson who was paying particular interest to us, as he'd passed Gene on the road earlier and offered help.  Turns out I'd ridden with the guy before on a couple Monday Nite rides -- small world!  This particular Sonic will be part of my Border Patrol permanent-route return-leg routine from now on, guaranteed!

 

Flat fixed, on to Camp Swamp-heat...

Stephanie knows how to climb.  Wow.  She's part of the KSU cycling team, and it was a pleasure to ride alongside her.  I felt some of that competitive charge fire up on a couple hills south of Louisburg where, no doubt about it, it is quite hilly in places.  Mostly, however, it was to get enough of a gap from the group for a much-needed roadside nature break.  Two restroom trips at Sonic, and a third on the road, meant I was drinking plenty.  Feeling good, fresh, strong, once again - even with the laden bike.

 

CAMP!  

Tents were pitched, and I watched in amazement as Noah's shelter came into form, as well as Richard's, who came with the lightest rig of the group - a single backpack - but was no less comfortable or well fed than any of us.  Less is more...

From then on in, it was relaxing time:  some dinner, some conversation, pondering a fire -- but the heat, well, it simply didn't happen.  Probably better, honestly, though it would have completed the image.  Noah's water purification rig was brilliant:  a Sawyer filter and bottle, a hand-actuated air-pump, the kind you'd use to pump up an exercise ball or small air mattress, and the nasty lake water was rendered clear and clean.  Tasted good... remarkably, like "water".  That Sawyer filter is on my shopping list, for sure. 

Later, to the lake where Randy and Gene, Noah and Stephanie, all cast in lines with decent results.  I may need to put fish back on my menu, and pick up one of those collapsible fishing rods while I'm out next.  Handy.  I was entertained enough just hanging out and watching the fishing, and the clouds... undergoing some moderate lifting that would eventually turn into a camping spectacle I hadn't expected.

 

An awesome sunset yielded a growing line of storms, rain in the distance.  We'd stay largely dry, but the rain eventually did come in for a bit.  Not until after we all gathered, silently, at the camp picnic table - stadium style seating if you like - watching and listening intently to the intense lightning and thunder show happening maybe only 2-3 miles to our north, passing west to east.  Amazing... surreal... dream-state.  Gentle rain began to fall, and we adjourned to our tents for the night.

I'm a light sleeper, apparently.  I got maybe 30-45 minutes total sleep - the kind that only comes when pure exhaustion finally makes it too difficult to lift your eyelids... only to have them snap open again by the next odd noise.  I'm not nervous about night-time or the outdoors... things like bugs singing, the occasional snap of a twig aren't reason for concern.  I'm talking about the "idiot factor".  There's one for every campsite, not matter how remote - and at approximately 2:30am, someone decided it was good time to cut down a tree.  THWACK, THWACK, THWACK... mumble, mumble, grumble... laughter...  THWACK, THWACK, THWACK!   Good lord.  Five or ten minutes later, I watched the pair emerge from the treeline with their "kill"... dragging it along the road back to camp for what I can only imagine was a monster bonfire.  It got me out of my tent long enough for another nature break, and a long stare into the now-clear skies above, the Milky Way, and the Big Dipper in full display.  Magic!   Tired.... Of the two "lumberjokes" the next morning Gene observed the next morning that "it's often hard to sleep during a campout... so, apparently some people don't even TRY."  Frustrating... but, part of the "public park" risk, I suppose.  Being too sleepy to fight it, I crawled back into my tent and fell asleep to the distant sounds of passing trains and a hooting owl somewhere in the nearby trees.  Not a bad soundtrack.  

The next morning, I was up like a shot at 5:15 with the call of the first morning birds.  Stretch, nature break (still hydrated, even overnight), and breakfast in bed. Pack, and hang out until departure time.  A nice morning!

On the return trip, the heat was coming on quicker than the previous day.  We stopped at the BP station again, refueled, and followed Randy's lead on a good gravel route north to "home".  Following Randy:  the best advice I can give anyone.  Just do it.  It never disappoints.

  

We jogged a bit out of Louisburg and ended up on Spring Valley road around 271st street.  Randy said "go slow on the downhill, there's a cool bridge that you'll fly right past if you don't."  At first, I was thinking of the term "hill" relatively... and we passed over a tiny trickle of water on a deck bridge which was kinda cool, but I hadn't expected a mile later the GIANT downhill, maybe 18% or better decline, with the old truss bridge at the bottom.  On full brakes, it was nuts... my road caliper brakes simply do not cut it with 30# of camping gear on the back, and they were merely "speed modulators" at best.  I overshot the bridge, where thankfully those that went down first had navigated to opposite roadsides.  I came to a stop about 30 yards or more too far, and had to back up.  Another personal case for a proper touring bike that can not only hold more, but takes stronger linear-pull or cantilever brakes!  The hill was so dramatic, so choppy, so fast, that JDMitch on the 3-speed fixxie, 20"-wheeled Bike Friday had one of his pannier bounce off the rack rails... and it was lucky that was as far as it went, as he came down the grade on full rear lockup.  Now, someday when it's drier... I want to climb that thing.   Whooof.  Nice hill!

We rolled on past cool thing after cool thing, Randy as guide... scenery unmatched along the old Metcalf highway route.  A cool wagon-wheel fence, and farm tractor mailbox holder.  Horses, cows, birds - past Chiles, past Bucyrus and the old high school building.. all smiles.

We all ended up back together at 187th and Pflumm, however, as - crazily enough after the rim strip redeux at Sonic the day before - Gene's rear tire refused to hold air anymore, again.  We even fixed it again, this time employing duct-tape - but it lost air again before Gene could even finish reloading the rear rack.  Gads... it was hot enough that the adhesive from the electrical tape had softened up, and slipped out of the way - exposing the spoke holes again, and causing the fourth or fifth flat on the "wrong side" of the inner tube.  It was a hard call, but why fight it... close enough to home base, I volunteered the SAGgin' Waggin' (a.k.a. da' VAN (said with attitude)), time trialed it home, and came back to lift him the final left homeward.

Gene, Stephanie, Noah, Josh, Richard, Randy... high-fives all-around:  awesome hanging out with you all!

All in all, like I said before, these trips never disappoint...  I had a great time, and I can't wait for the fall edition for a good camp-fire, cooler temps, and good Oktoberfest beer in the pannier.   YES.   

My advice for the week:  go riding, go camping, go gravel.... you won't regret it!

Thanks for reading!

"Back in the saddle again"

This weekend's 200km brevet was my first in almost a year. There was a lot of nervousness tied to the fact that I haven't had time to ramp-up properly to the distance at-hand. I'd ridden a few 70-mile rides and a few 50-mile rides here and there between September of '10 and mid-June - but nothing that would generally, on paper, qualify someone for a 200km brevet. Honestly, ANYone can do this distance - anyone can start from any bank of training and make the distance - it's a matter of how you'd feel the next day. For me, however, because of what halted my R-12 run last year and the aches and pains and mental struggles that followed, I wasn't sure if a new injury was waiting somewhere out beyond 80 miles, or what.

This WAS to be a 300km, and I was committed to riding it - but the rising Missouri River, the temps, and the very exposed 300km route out to Fayette, MO and back is closer to a full double-century than it is a "300km" route. Last week, Bob Burns pulled the plug on it and reverted to a 200km route, closer to home and away from the water. While I had only planned to ride as far as Glasgow and turn back for my own personal 200k, I'm glad it worked out this way so I could actually "count" the ride from a RUSA perspective. The heat would still be a factor - but, it'd be a shorter day with an early start.

"The Story"

I literally sprang from bed at 2:30am with the first alarm ring. Haven't done THAT in a long time, and it struck me: well, at least the passion and drive is back. Let's go see if the legs are here.

On any other day I would have ridden to the ride start - it was close enough, maybe a 10-to-12 mile jaunt - but I wasn't taking any chances on this one. The van was packed and I was a dress-n-dash, turn-key away from being out the door. A quick breakfast, grabbed bottles from the fridge, out. On the way.

This route is excellent - I hadn't really had time to preview it too much, the way I usually like to do, but a quick read of the cue sheet was enough. Almost every road was familiar, either part of another brevet or part of another club ride. The Tour De Shawnee, a couple of the Dark-Side Rides, the old Lone-Star Century, the Baldwin City Blast, the Ottawa 200k, and various other training routes... it was almost like, how come *I* hadn't thought of this route?? This made navigation super easy and cue sheet needs were few. Still, there were plenty of miles of pavement that I'd simply never ridden before; hats off to Robert Lee for this one... excellent work!

We climbed up the first big rise of the day, which was right out of the gate on Renner Road headed south and up over the top of I-435 near Midland Drive. What a way to start a ride, right? I had forgotten how much I enjoyed the group ride. It'd been months and months. Cool early morning breezes, chatting about this and that, headlight beams dancing about. I love that.

We cleared the construction near 87th street, and continued west where 87th turns into 83rd west of Shawnee Mission Park on a long, gently curved downhill. The moon was up, no bugs, and no cars. Bob Burns and I chatted it up for a few miles talking about routes, hills, the heat, how things have been over the last year, etc. Was good catching up. Caught up with a lot of folks on the road; Kent, Spencer, Robert, Karen, etc., etc. Folks I hadn't ridden with in a long time, it seemed.

The magic of the route continued as we linked onto the Dark Side Ride route that goes out to Desoto, KS., down a fast, steep hill. We rolled onto Cedar Creek Rd, where it eventually meets old 95th street underneath K-10. This, "the hook", is one of the last magic roads in Johnson County. Doesn't really GO anywhere unless you live here, or are on a scenic drive or bike ride... which, of course, makes it PERFECT. This meanders under K-10, and picks up to becomes 95th street after crossing a really neat one-lane truss bridge and climbing up some decent hills. I've never seen this road during the day, come to think of it --- it's always been a late-night affair. I love this road. We continue west, past the Kill Creek Road, past the rock quarry, and onto what becomes 103rd street...and I think "old K-10", even though it's not signed as-such.

On to pass Clearview City and uncharted road for me - although I'm sure at some point many moons ago I drove here in my car for some meandering reason I can't recall. It was to my fresh eyes that I marvelled at the nice road, the quietness of Clearview City, and the gently increasing glow of sunrise over my left shoulder. We silently slipped through the eastern edge of Eudora, past a great old late-fifties Cadillac and the neat old houses of the main north-south drag, and arrived at the first control at about 5:45am.

Made quick work of the control, which would be the theme for the day. No sense waiting for it to get hotter, I suppose - it was tolerable at that moment but things were still getting damp with sweat, and the sun wasn't really even up yet. Waters were refilled earnestly, ice topped off, bananas consumed, and fizzy tablets employed into waiting bottles.

Hydration and Nutrition notes:

This new method of carrying nutrition and hydration supplements is fascinating, and I am happy to be riding right now in the midst of this kinda of "advancement". Things are smaller, easier to carry in quantity, and the containers themselves can be recycled in a lot of ways. I'm talking about the roughly 3cm round tubes, about 10cm high, that carry these "alka-seltzer" style effervescent tablets that turn regular water into a sugar-free sports drink. A couple years back, the closest we got were these little foil packets that Badgerland passed me once that were a single serving of sports-drink powder - but these new tablets go even farther, are more portable, and don't take up as much space per serving. The plastic sleeves they come in are great in the parts bin for things like organizing bolts, anything small that you want to organize. The fizzy tabs for hydration worked perfectly all day, water tasted good - so I drank more, more often. I carried a small baggie with some Hammer Endurolytes as well, just in case. I never cramped... though I would get close, towards the end of the ride. Hydration-wise, the day went far better than expected - partly because of the delivery, partly because I separated nutrition and hydration, giving me more water to work from - and then primarily because of fear: I knew it would be hot so I drank more, sooner. I averaged about 1.5 bottles per hour during the ride, culminating in (as best as I can figure) about 350 oz of water consumed.

In the same category are the "new to me" Hammer Nutrition Perpetuem Solids, which follow the same idea. They don't dissolve in water, you just eat them like a giant semi-hard candy. Of course, "candy" is probably the wrong word, because it's Hammer Nutrition we're talking about: same endurance fuel they are known for without simple sugars or other goop, but manufacturered into a super-compact tablet that completely replaces having to carry and store endless baggies of powdered supplement. If you are riding self-supported, these are simply perfect. They are stored in the same kind of plastic tube container, so basically I can ride an entire 200km brevet and all of my hydration and fuel needs fit into a single jersey pocket. I have to credit some of today's ride success to these things, as normally I'd be mawing down fig bars, pretzels, chips, crackers, whatever I can get my paws on - which all work just FINE for millions of riders. For me, however, I could definitely tell a performance difference in the consistency of how good I was feeling, how I was pushing, and levels of fatigue using the Hammer Solids compared to my past rides. I've always been a Hammer guy, but took a break. Now, I do believe I'm back to something that works well for me. Supplemented with other variety foods at the controls, I didn't get bored with them, either. Perpetuem powder in the past had a tendency to upset my system, but that has not been happening with these new Solids, after four longer rides with them and finally this brevet. So, I'm sold.

My distant-past hydration and nutrition successes were linked back to the theory of keeping hydration and nutrition separate, i.e., if you have a powdered fuel mixed with water in a bottle, the "liquid" in that bottle doesn't really count as hydration as far as your system is concerned because the majority of the moisture contained in it is used for digestion. This is why large quantities of commercial sports drinks with sugar content often backfire after many hours of continuous use on the bike (for many reasons; I'm simplifying here). When I used to run powdered fuels as my primary nutrition I'd use one bottle for dry powder storage, and the other to mix and drink - I'd then have a Camelbak for plain water supplemented with Endurolytes or similar. Despite success, the Camelbak ultimately proved too hot and uncomfortable for me after XX hours, so I'd ditched it and went to one bottle of hydration and one bottle of nutrition - with zip-top bags of powder (formerly carried in that other bottle, and the Camelbak storage space) now fitting into a giant saddlebag like a Carradice, or overstuffed into in my jersey pockets when the Carradice was retired. I eventually forgot this rule of separation and would effectively be running too light on both nutrition AND hydration as a result for many rides ever since. After re-reading some old journals and ultra-distance articles recently, it seems I've figured things out again - and these new, hyper-compressed fuel tablets have me back on track. Yes, some of the hydration I take in has to be used to process the dehydrated, concentrated fuel I'm taking in - but, in practice it has not been an issue and an especially good test was the heat of the day on this ride.

Though it doesn't make for epically dramatic, edge-of-your-seat reading, hydration and nutrition was utterly perfect, with nothing standing out as "I wish I'd have done" this or that. It seems that I may have finally learned from all of those past mistakes. Brilliant!

Back to the ride...

Leaving Eudora, we headed south on Douglas County highway 1061 towards the intersection that would eventually lead us through to Vinland, KS. I reeled up Spencer and another rider along the way on 1061, into a slight headwind - just riding my own ride, pacing my own pace - another method I was going to try-on for the first time maybe ever... as opposed to the "kill-kill-kill" tactics of previous years. This time, I decided to also try to learn from conventional wisdom and try for an "even-split" between the first half of the ride and the last half. Normally, from the gun I'd go out for a good chase - trying to pull back someone like Jeff Winters, who can even-split a ride with a 20mph rolling average. So, I'd go out with a 19mph average for the first half of a ride, and then watch it fall into the 14's by rides end - with fatigue, exhaustion, cramps, and general misery to follow. Again, getting back to my old formula - ride within myself. If I want to get faster, train for it when you don't have 12 hours to go. Short? Fast. Long? Go steady, even, and ride within myself. Let people go. Don't chase the tandem.

So, I stuck the cruise control on, and settled in for some scenery and a long, long steady climb into Baldwin City and the next control. The Col du Baldwin! Yesss, it's Le Tour time, baby - and though Phil and Paul stayed out of my head on this ride, the exploits of Voekler and Jens Voigt were still fresh in my head from watching recorded coverage of this years Tour', so I had a little mental inspiration on the way up the grade - with a terrific view of the valley below and a magnificent sun getting slightly higher in the sky above. Arrived at Baldwin City a few minutes before 7am... more water, a quick wash of the face and ready to depart again. Another trick employed that clearly others around me prepping for PBP were clear on: fast controls! First witnessed to absolute efficiency in Texas with the LSR group, storm the control, sign cards, water, restroom, food, fill bottles, go go GO GO! All in one seamless melee of activity and flurry, it seemed like everyone was back on their bikes and rolling out before I'd even gotten my brevet card out back then. So, today, don't RUSH... don't forget anything... but be purposeful, keep moving, use the restroom, know what food and drink you want to grab, pay, get card signed, and get out. Spencer has this one down, and I tried to time my moves against his and practice being efficient at the controls. Keeping the legs moving is a good thing and I never got that bodily "groan" of getting back on the bike after cooling down too much.

After Baldwin City, Spencer and I rolled along together for a little bit chatting about the weather and the possible promise of a rogue thunderstorm later in the day - watching as a beautiful line of thunderheads to the west was slowly coming apart. Compared to how they looked while on DG-460 earlier (my favorite piece of road anywhere around here), they had really become disorganized - so, fenders or no fenders, the rain was not to be today. It was a picture-postcard view, though, as we rolled over the large hill that overlooks south-western Douglas county. Brilliant green fields cast against a cloud-dotted crystal blue sky, the sun on our left, daylight moon on our right - and a lot of good road ahead.

Shortly after crossing through LeLoup, KS, the tandem and Kent, (and me still being terrible with names)... so, Karen and "Cap't", KCBC jersey... dangit... Dave? Terry? Dr. Amazing... I dunno. yeeesh. ...pulled up alongside me, and proceeded to pass. I like riding along with this particular tandem, as Karen always has a good story to tell. We all chatted for a bit, but the anti-headwind express was focused on getting to K-68. I latched on for a bit, but reminded myself: stay on your pace, its a long day... so I backed off, and settled back into my tempo. It was good enough to stay maybe 1/2 mile behind them, sometimes catching up, sometimes losing ground - but it was working. I watched them turn onto K-68 westbound to Ottawa, and I followed shortly after.

Ahhh, K-68, and shoulder-duty. This highway, fortunately, isn't the constant battle that a US-highway usually is, but I could do without the truck traffic from the distribution center about halfway across this run. After reaching the Ottawa city limits, I came across the tandem group again, but not in the way I would have expected: the bikes were huddled around a roadside lightpost, and the riders were all dismounted and wandering around in the middle of the road, their heads tilted down as they scanned the road surface for something dropped or lost. Huh?

I pulled up, dismounted as well, and added my bike to the parking arrangement as Karen revealed the curious reason for the stop, at about the time I noticed she was holding the saddle of her stoker's position of the tandem in her hand.

The seatpost clamp binder bolt let go, sending Karen's saddle and associated parts all over the roadway. We never found the bolt, so Karen limped it by sitting on the rack pack for a few miles, after Kent scoped out a lumber yard where they secured a bolt and nut arrangement to allow them to continue the day. Crazy! Only a few months earlier, the captain's seatpost itself snapped off at the frame -- so it's been an interesting year for them, parts-wise! After hearing they were set up and ready, I took the "too many cooks" approach and let the three finish business while I headed on down the road to find a restroom and resupply near the south end of Ottawa. My intent was to hit the Casey's store right upon reaching city limits and take the cue-sheet recommended Prairie Spirit rail-trail detour through town, to avoid traffic - but I took the main drag instead. I did the downtown stop/n/go for about 3 miles until arriving at a gas station for my stop. Not a control, just a resupply. After that, the unknown! I'd simply, usually, turned back for home at this point in Ottawa - but today, we'd be heading south and out of town.

At this point, I decided to try something new in my arsenal: Specialized arm "coolers". Seems like a good scam... like actually COVERING your arms on a day where the last bank thermometer read 94ºF and it wasn't even 9 o'clock yet was going to be a GOOD thing? After a few years of marveling at photos of the late, great Jure Robic on RAAM and other various riders on Furnace Creek and runners on Badwater wearing sheer white coverings on their arms and legs through Death Valley and such, it struck me that they might be onto something. After all, assuming the fabric is not insulating and holding heat onto your body, you're effectively putting your arms in the "shade". The bright white should reflect some of the sun's energy, also. These "coolers" boast a SPF rating of 50 - which doesn't wash off or fade with laundering. With sweat, however, the theory is that you benefit from evaporative cooling as you ride along - and you never have to hassle with reapplying sunscreen. Worst case, take them off and chalk it up as a few bucks I'd probably have wasted on something else anyways. On they were pulled... and trust me, in that heat it just felt WEIRD pulling on what initially felt like arm WARMERS. They ended up working out quite well, however, to my surprise.

Finally traversing the rest of Ottawa's endless string of stoplights I finally made it onto clear pavement with US-59 stretching out before me. Good shoulder. Kinda reminded me of Oklahoma with the reddish aggregate. Only a few miles south and I'd be at the halfway marker - suddenly it felt like a much longer ride, for some reason. There is something about riding on a big US highway shoulder: I feel slower. Maybe it's the traffic whizzing by. Maybe it's the feeling like you'd rather be on a quiet back road somewhere. Maybe it was the headwind. Maybe it was because for the first 3 miles it was all uphill - but in that sneaky, US-highway kinda grade. A little downhill respite and then it would roll uphill again. For only a 5-mile stretch, it was a little weird. Finally, Princeton, KS. and the halfway point!

Checked in at about 9:12, with Spencer and (sorry) "the guy he brought with him" already resting up and finishing their halfway breakfast/lunch. There was a local sitting there too with coffee and a smoke and they were actually talking about cycling stuff: Hotter n' Hell Hundred in Texas, the "whole Lance thing", and more... a little incongruous coming from a gruff-looking local driving a Dodge dually diesel pickup. He took a long drag off his cigarette as the conversation turned to John Brown highway (our next road) and the state of the road surface. Bob Burns had warned about gravel there - which didn't concern me and Spencer too much considering our choice of equipment. There was a detour provided, but we eventually decided to follow the local's advice and give the original route a try. Bag of Fritos chips and a quart of Powerade Zero - lime goes down smoother than a cold Fosters - refill of bottles, little more chatting with the local guy, and it was time to move. Right about then, the remainder of the group pulled up - the tandem with fixed seat clamp, Robert on the recumbent, and the rest. A quick chat with Karen and then Robert, and I mounted back up for a solo run at John Brown highway to Osawatomie, KS. Spencer and company had left already so I'd be in the big middle gap on the road. Five hours and change to the halfway - not bad. Of course, I know myself all too well - and the day was only getting hotter, so I was prepared to take things nice and easy. No matter what, at this point I was going to be on my longest ride in a year in the next section with no idea how my body was going to respond. So far, so good - no protest from anywhere, which was awesome - but what lay ahead I didn't know. Drink, and find a sustainable pace. That would be easy - as I wasn't going to be able to catch what I couldn't see and Spencer had left a while ago. No chasing.

John Brown Highway. While I don't know if there is anything spectacular about the road itself, historically, it's a far better name than some random county-assigned number. At first, I started laughing at the notion that this might be "gravel" -- no offense to Bob and his warning, as it's all relative: someone with high-pressure 23c tires would definitely be hating life on this road; but I have to thank Randy Rasa and a fair amount of gravel rambling over the past year or more for my perspective now; this was a fantastic road! Instead of gravel, it was really just chip-seal that hadn't quite firmed up - but it wasn't bad. Seventeen miles to Osawatomie. Settle in. This is one of those sections of road that I'll likely remember for a long time. It was quiet, farmland on either side - and really not much to see. It best describes the way I feel about randonneuring. In my minds eye I can see a wide-angle vista from a hilltop, waves of heat rising off the surface - and a barely distinguishable figure of a pedaling cyclist emerging into the frame. The sun was high and I was feeling good - well fueled, content. The only problem with these kind of perfect randonneuring roads is that feeling of "wow" when you have to stop. Like, when the vista is so neat I reach into my back pocket to grab the camera phone and fumble it. I'm a bit of a knuckle-dragger when it comes to bicycle stuff and it shows in my choice of technology. My trusty Palm Centro (you still have one of those??) once again proves that it's tough enough for a 17mph drop onto chip-seal - no problems. I decide to leave photos for another day, although after a 6-mile long gradual climb the over-the-shoulder shot of the road behind me woulda been sweet. A swig of water and I'm off again - utterly alone on a giant plateau.

Getting hot... but feeling surprisingly good. The bike and the body feel dialed, like I'm dropped right into the bike - harmony in motion.

Surprisingly quick, I start to recognize road names and I begin checking off the miles to the next town.... Pressonville Road...and the new intersection created to help prevent accidents on a blind hill. Then, I pass Bethel Church Road - which is gated off... and I wonder why. In fact, along John Brown highway, there are a couple minimum-maintenance roads signed - making me wish the clock wasn't ticking. Another time... I pressed on into Osawatomie, finally, and made my way to 6th street and to the Casey's in town for resupply. Not a control, but a welcome stop for sure. Caught up to Spencer and company there again - but we were all making quick work as the Paola control was only a dozen or so miles away. It was about 10:45am now. This is an excellent route - things that Karen had highlighted earlier in the day like the density of c-stores - evenly spaced enough that you don't feel like you're riding "in town" - makes it perfect for a hot day like today, as well as for a winter permanent route. Suddenly, I can see another R-12 formulating.

On the road to Paola, KS. is where I noticed that is was getting VERY hot, possibly crossing 100ºF for the first time that day. In the three miles leading up to the Casey's there it seemed the heat suddenly took on another flavor. I had been hydrating very well, almost turning it into a game with the clock. Early in the ride it was every ten minutes, take a swig. Then it became every five minutes. At this point, however, it was almost comical as I repeated in my head that every time I'd look at the clock, it was a good time to drink. 11:03? Good time for a drink. 11:07? Good time for a drink! 11:14? You guessed it... hey, bartender.... and on and on it went. Water was coming out now almost faster than I could put it in, so the first couple Endurolyte tabs were called into service. More uncharted road lay ahead as a Union Pacific train flew past just beyond the treeline to my left. 6th street turned into 327th street, which then brought me to Old KC Road on the southern end of Paola, and finally it became Silver Street with the next control in sight at about 11:20am. Bob Burns was there - having turned back at Eudora (per his plan) to get the van and meet us at the last control. It was welcome! Cold water for dousing the cycling cap felt great! Checked in with Bob and Spencer soaking up the air conditioning - although I didn't see any bank signs on the way in, it had to be much hotter now. More riders came in, the group that'd caught up at Princeton, with red faces and empty bottles. It was getting real out there. Robert Lee was MIA at this stage - and that was a harrowing sign: because he had designed the route we knew it wasn't because he was lost. Bob drove the route backwards to check on him. Time to push on -- more water, more fizzy tablets, cookie, and a 5-hour energy to stoke the engine a little. Ready to roll.

At this point, it wasn't even noon, more like only 11:35am -- I was thrilled, with only 30 miles or so to go, the ride that I'd started with expectations of finishing in under 12-hours "hopefully" was turning out to be a relatively fast showing for me, for the first time in ages. I had dreams of finishing before 2pm suddenly, but quickly dismissed them as too ambitious: easy, remember your pacing! NO need to rush --- last control checked off, and 6 hours to finish? In.. the... bag... just take it easy and don't die of heat exhaustion. Thoughts of the usual National Weather Service verbiage of "avoid strenuous activity" during the Excessive Heat Warning the whole area has been under for over a week now gave me a nervous chuckle. Yeah, right...

Back on Old KC Road it was easy to start checking off the miles as I rolled into the home-training radius. Hillsdale came quickly, where I reeled up Spencer and company again crossing the railroad bridge before 255th street. Karen on the tandem and crew caught up, and I made a half-way attempt to latch on for about a mile until folding back to my own pace. Kent and "KCBC guy" were putting on a good showing and quickly were 1/2 mile ahead, perhaps more. I'd pull some back on the climbs but they'd go again. Every once in a while I'd peek up to check their progress - but kept the willpower against chasing. Hard to do - but the consequences were too great. Drink, pedal, drink, pedal, eat, drink, pedal. We made quick work of Spring Hill, and then 199th street. I was holding a good pace, holding my position - as the "lead group" were staying just in sight, maybe 3/4 of a mile up. Then, some relief - reminding me how exposed the route really HAD been all day, we reached the trees lining Ridgeview Road between 191st and 175th streets -- sweet shade!!! Then, adding to the break, some clouds moved across the sky between us and the relentless sun. It's amazing... the temperature seemed to drop 15 degrees, but it was only an illusion. A few miles later, and the heat was back on -- but it was a nice, very welcome break. Making our way along, Bob passed by in his van - a highly dedicated RBA, indeed. I was suddenly thrust back in time to the Mississippi Valley 24-hour race where course marshals would drive the route, pull up alongside a rider and ask for status with a thumbs-up. If you didn't thumbs-up BACK, you got stopped and checked for signs of trouble. It was a hot day then, too... but this was hotter, more humid here. Bob pulled off at 167th, quickly re-positioned and rolled down the window with a thumbs-up extended, and I replied to the positive. Feeling good despite the miles and the heat, I think I might have actually been smiling. I noticed Robert Lee in the passenger seat, looking beat - but comfortable - very glad to get confirmation that he was okay.

Back into Olathe, and home turf... it was pretty difficult to swing through 159th street and NOT turn towards home... air conditioning, cool shower, real food, a nap.... no, keep going! Traffic lights conspired to allow me to regroup with the tandem and Kent and company, and so it was now a good group to head back through Olathe traffic and make our way over the last ten miles or so to Shawnee and the finish. What a day!

The hills of Renner Road began to show me that despite best efforts, I still might have been a few liters "off the pace" with hydration - just the slightest feeling of tightness in the quads and right calf made it clear: navigating through town, traffic and the stop-light rally had interrupted my drinking routine. Knowing the miles were falling and that the water was far better IN me than ON the bike I downed the rest of one bottle and started on the second in earnest right near the K-10 crossing. A few strokes, problems resolved. Considering the heat, I'll take that result - normally at this point I'm limping home on caloric deficit and smoked legs... today, I was feeling quite good! I returned to nearly constant drinking until the last bottle was drained, right around the 2 miles to-go mark near 87th street after navigating the nearly constant string of roundabouts on Renner north of 95th. Time check, and it wasn't even 1:30?? Holy.... my initial goal of a 4:00pm finish was LONG checked off, and it seemed that my Paola vision of a pre-2pm finish wasn't so daft as I'd thought! I even paused for a moment in my pedaling as we passed a road-side family lemonade stand under a big shade tree... almost stopping, but deciding that I'd come back afterwards. (it was tasty!)

Big smiles, and the final big downhill back over I-435 where we'd started the day in the dark less than 10 hours ago, we rolled in as a group around 1:35pm. Me beaming with a faux Cavendish move, tossing my bike across the "line" - 7 hours 45 minutes rolling time roughly, and a 16.3 mph average --- heck, I'm thrilled, as little as the numbers matter, honestly, it felt good to come out with a good showing. The feelings of nervousness from the last year, in one, giant dump, just fell off my shoulders onto the sidewalk in front of the c-store. Inside, strong A/C, food, drink, and Bob collecting brevet cards.

Jolly good to be back -- an EXCELLENT day.

Looming on the horizon on August 5th is the KCUC 400km tune-up for PBP... and I think I'm going to skip it. As good as I am feeling as I write this a week later, I'm completely confident I can do it - but I'm keeping my ramp-up slow. Awesome as it would be to pretend that nothing happened last year and I'm all "fixed", doubling the mileage load too quickly is a recipe for repeating the over-use injuries, perhaps. I'm biding my time for next spring's brevet series for the really long stuff... and if the urge strikes me there are a couple 300km permanent routes available, too. All in good time -- but I feel like I can start that once-a-month long-distance routine up again. That's a good feeling, lemme tell ya!

Songs stuck in my head:

Oddly, I can't remember ANY songs in my head... not sure why that is.

Stay tuned for the next one, stay hydrated, and thanks for reading.

I'm gonna go kick up my feet and watch some 'Tour coverage on DVR!

It's a finish

So, instead of building up the drama and posting about 'plans to ride', I've decided (partially because of the busy schedule mentioned in the previous post) to not post anything, until I actually DO IT. Same goes for goals, big announcements of intent, and the like. That takes self-induced pressure off of me and makes these pages far more tolerable and worthwhile.

I'm very pleased to mention, therefore: stay tuned for the next post about today's 200km Brevet that I proudly finished - in near record heat and without feeling totally destroyed. This is my first 200km ride since last July... almost a year, dang.... and the first ride longer than 75 miles in that same timeframe.

More to come - very happy as I write this. Very!

Still very much alive

Every time I have previously cited "work has been crazy" in these pages has been completely trumped by how this year has been. Work-wise, 2011 has been indescribably busy - and this is not the place to really lay all that out, only to say that its the reason for the quietness on this blog. I haven't had a chance to update anything, haven't had time to ride enough to warrant an update, and barely justifying having a social network account - used recently just to update songs that are stuck in my head and occasional remarks about the weather. I am riding to work, yes, but the commutes are only part of "going through the motions" at the moment. Okay, okay; I can't really say that the commutes have been drab and un-interesting, only that my mind is so cooked at the end of some of these workdays that I haven't had the bandwidth to NOTICE the world around me. Curiously, the traffic around me seems to be more understanding these days - or I've lost the ability to care about it too much. It's still FAR better than driving when it comes to relieving the stresses and toils of a long workday - but the rides themselves have been utilitarian and utterly unremarkable, and because the workdays have extended to occupy nearly every weekend since late April, there isn't any time to "recharge" with a ramble, meander, or distance ride out into the country with no destination.

A few high-points, however:

• some of the best sunrises in recent memory
• some of the best sunsets in recent memory
• laying to rest all of the "fit and leg issues" of the past 9 months
• feeling very strong again and seeing average speeds (like they matter on a commute) increase steadily
• seeing the number of cyclists encountered to/from work increase
• seeing that nothing has changed in the "wave-back ratio" department, unless panniers are involved

2011, as far as randonneuring, has been a big "zero" so-far. I don't like the self-imposed feeling of trying too hard with regards to long-distance riding any more than you probably don't like reading about it - but, I also don't like saying "can't" or "quit", so I find myself at-odds quite a lot. I still feel strongly that I have unfinished business with regards to personal goals and self-fulfillment - and that's all it's really about. The attraction is as palpable as it was the first day I cracked past 100 miles and kept going.

Perhaps the pull is becoming stronger again as I approach the big "four-oh" landmark in my life. All of the dreaming and banter over beers in the past decade and not having made good on it quite yet - albeit for the right reasons - is perhaps the swansong of everyone that ever picked up anything and considered it more than a hobby. Where do I take this introspect? Do I put it on the webpage for all to see? Can anyone learn from it? Does it even help *me*? If anything, the last year has refocused my desire to live healthy, and get back to that "fighting weight" - and I know its exhausting to read sometimes, but I need to do it. I am still a strong believer in the "if it doesn't kill you..." paradigm, and I'm still very much alive at this writing. Be warned - when it comes to the bike, I'm relentless.

I think a good, long ride will do me some good - and, for once, it sounds like fun... not forced.

Strength - it's coming, and all I need is a free weekend to open up to let the doors of long-distance riding swing open! Oh, look -- a 3-day weekend....

Interesting...

The Texas Rando Stampede 1200K - by Rod Geisert

For KCUC members and regional rando riders, commuterDude occasionally opens its pages for guest posts. This is one such occasion, so please be upstanding for Rod Geisert, recent 1200km brevet finisher - enjoy!

First, I would like to thank the Lone Star Randonneurs and the other supporting Texas Clubs for running just an outstanding 1200K ride. George Evans did a fantastic job with all the organization and I appreciate the effort it takes to put on huge ride like this. I greatly appreciated the neutral SAG that made sure we were safe and making our way down the road. Charlie and Patricia were the greatest at all the controls with giving us water and snacks if needed.

We started on the road from Columbia, Missouri on Monday and picked up Spencer Klaassen in Kansas City. Although a long drive it went quickly and we were able to get into Waxahachie in the early evening. Time to get some sleep and then tour around Waxahachie on Tuesday before the program got started. The courthouse was impressive. During the bike check I was told by the person checking the lights he didn’t like using the battery operated lights I had on my bike. He indicated that the batteries tend to lose contact inside over time on the road. I indicated that I had never had any problems but little did I understand the vibration I was going to experience with the Texas Chip & Seal roads for four straight days. Now I understand! Still trying to get the numbness out of my hands after a full week of recovery. The evening before the start George Evans gave a welcome, discussed the route and gave advice for the ride. Dan Driscoll indicated that we must push hard the first two days (ride was really front loaded) and then the ride would be much better the last two days. Got it! Ride tough for two days and the rest was in the bag. Little did we realize what the first two days had in store for us! We ate dinner and got to bed early to get up at 3 am.

Day 1:

At 4 am, a lot of riders were up and eating breakfast. The meals provided by the Texas clubs at the hotels throughout the ride were always well done with plenty to eat. Riders were all prepared to go outside the hotel at 5 am.

George gave a few words of encouragement and we were off at the shot of the pistol. I knew that some would be taking off hard and wanted to just settle in a large group to avoid being alone riding into the south wind. There was a nice group that formed as we rode out of town and I worked hard to stay in the group. For me it became hard to keep up with the group after about 15–20 miles. At times the pace was fine but I assume when others moved forward they pushed the pace. I felt like I was almost racing in the back. When I am expending more energy than I feel is sustainable I know to drop off. My friend Spencer (rides a fix gear) handled the pace well (at least longer than me) but I was done with this and was hoping to find another group to get into. However, there were just a few other riders behind me. Oh well, push ahead as best I can.

Spencer’s Fixie! I am always in Awe!!!!

A group of three riders came around and I hooked up with them. Little did I know at that time I would become good riding friends with the two guys with maple leafs on their vests. We got into Hillsboro and found a gas station that others were getting water and food. I was very happy to see Spencer waiting for me. After Spencer asked what happen to me with a smile we were on the bikes riding to the first Control.

First day was windy but the cloud cover kept the temperature down.

Our pace was good and I felt a lot better about not blowing up on the first 30 miles. We rode along with a group of recumbent riders. They were always in good spirits and would flat out kick us on the down hills and flats.

We crossed a dam which the road was under construction and after a short wait crossed all together. Another portion of construction came up later and this had dirt work which you needed to navigate the soft spots. All went well and we arrived in the Valley Mills Control about 10:30 am. Neutral SAG was there to sign our cards and we took a short break to eat and get water. Back on the bike Spencer and I rode some really nice roads with rolling hills for a number of miles. I did like the rollers in Texas. The ride to the next control went without any problems. Wind was pretty much a crosswind or in our face which meant we earned each mile today. The recumbent’s joined us and it was good to have more company on the road. As we rode two riders were coming back towards us. It was sad that they already decided they had enough of the wind and were riding back. This was probably better since the ride and day did not get any easier. I was glad that the temps were cool with the cloud cover which really made a huge difference handling the wind today. The ride went through Gatesville, TX where it was evident that a lot of bad people live here (LOL).

Gatesville must have 4 different prisons. Never seen so many in one place!

We continued on to Lampasas with Canadians Carey and Dick.

Nice rollers along the way!

As we approached Lampasas at 4:30 pm you could see the sky darkening.

Just was we made it to the control the rain opened up. Everyone ahead of us was at the station and I mean everyone. Rando’s everywhere!

Lampasas Control the sky opens up!

They were standing outside deciding what to do, eating food inside, and sleeping in front of the drink dispenser on the little carpet that was there.

It was quite a sight. The leaders of the pack were all checking the weather report and waiting for the storm to pass (Hopefully). Spencer and I took time to get some food and relax a little. My wife Sue was SAGing for us so we had the ability to change into different clothes when needed and she carried extra wheels in case a major mechanical occurred. Little did we know that this would be a life saver later on during the ride. The large group of riders took off when the rain decreased and we followed a few minutes later. The rain continued but was not as heavy so riding was not so bad. We continued on to Jonestown on wet roads. When we got to the Control in Jonestown about 9:30 pm riders were again eating and looking at the weather report. Checking my iphone it was clear that another major storm was moving through the region. Although it was tough with the rain at least the region was getting rain since they have been in a drought since at least last September. The group decided to take off with the police escort to block the road for the riders. That was really nice. We took time for the storm to at least move on and get some hot soup to eat from the microwave. Later heard that the group got into some heavy rain and hail so certainly glad we waited. There really is not much for hot food in the stores like we have in the Casey’s in Missouri (have a better opinion about Casey’s now). We grouped and started the last leg to Marble Springs. This section had some large rollers which would have been nice to see if it was not in the middle of the night. The recumbent’s were with us and it was helpful to have so many lights to see the road. One thing about recumbent’s is they really have a lot of rear lights to clearly make it easy to see them. However when tired and your eyes are having difficulty focusing, it really does crazy things in your head. I had to either not get directly behind them (no wheel suck for sure) or off to the side. They are a great group to ride with and I enjoyed my time working our way to the hotel. We reached Marble Falls just before 1 am. Once we came into the hotel there were people immediately jumping up to help us. Get your bags to the room; take your bike and then a great spaghetti meal before bed. Fantastic service that I was not expecting, but greatly appreciated. You guys ROCK!!! Spencer and I decided that we would leave at 5 am for the second day (oops it’s already Day 2).

Day 2:

Got up and ate a big breakfast in the hotel lobby. The thundering herd of Dan Driscoll was pulling together but we took off just before 5 am. It was nice that the wind dropped when we came into Marbles Falls last night and was still down early in the morning. After a few turns we entered a stretch of a gravel road. Interesting, made for a different kind of ride. I actually thought this was a real cool add on to the ride.

Nice rollers on Day 2

There was some nice scenery along this stretch and then we got a surprise with a drop down to a river bridge which had a pretty steep grade to climb up. All in all this was one of the most scenic days of the ride to Dripping Springs which we arrive just after 8:20 am. At Dripping Springs there not only huge numbers of Rando’s but ranchers enjoying their morning coffee. Discussions were of course concerning the weather and whether they got rain or not. The weather projection looked like it was going to be good for the ranchers but not so much for us. In Oklahoma we have 3 inch rains, which is the distance between one drop of rain to the next on the sidewalk. Sorry, just a little Okie humor! We got back on the road and worked our way to Canyon City where about 10 miles out we suddenly were hit with a cold wind and knew it wasn’t going to be good.

The weather is starting to look cold and wet!

We were standing under tree to decide what to do when it started raining and lighting flashes began striking in the area. As I looked back I saw an abandoned house with a porch about 50 yards behind us. Spencer and I rode back and just got on the porch as the rain, winds and lighting hit. Looking at the iPhone indicated a pretty good cell was coming through. We decided to wait it out. As we rested the thundering herd came through on the road. I yelled that we were in a good spot but only one rider came back as the rest motored on. All the best wishes I thought as we were in the middle of high winds, rain and lighting at this time. When the storm lessen, we got on our way and made it to Canyon City which the rain had started to stop. A large group (the herd) was at the store getting refueled. A number were clearly shaking from the cold rain and trying to get their body temperature back to normal. I was certainly glad we had waited for the storm to pass.

Beautiful scenery on Day 2

We were only about 10 to 15 minutes behind the group and much better for wear. When we headed out Spencer flatten on the hills leaving Canyon City. He could not find the puncher from the traffic roaring by us but he changed the tube and we headed on. In a few miles Spencer flatten again. This time he could find the problem which was a piece of imbedded glass difficult to see. He fixed the tire and we were on our way again. The ride along the Guadalupe River was stunning. Lots of houses with many options for rafters. Glad that it was not a busy weekend as there was no traffic on the road at this time. We arrive at New Braunfels about 3 pm where Sue was waiting. Spencer was able to switch tires from the car so he was good to continue on down the road. Took time to eat a hamburger and drink a malt with Sue which hit the spot. Spencer was certainly glad Sue was there with extra wheels on this ride for sure. We pushed on to Lockhart and we could feel the drain of the day on us. Finally reached Lockhart before 6:30 pm and enjoyed another burger and malt. We continued on to La Grange and arrived about 11:30 pm.

Sunset on the ride to La Grange. Road was not in the best of shape but at least it wasn’t Chip & Seal.

Spencer indicated he was having trouble staying awake. When we came into La Grange, the control store was closed but Sue was there and indicated she had been given permission to sign cards. The two Canadian’s Dick Felton and Carey Chappelle were there and had the same thoughts that Spencer had! Stay the night here and then ride to Sealy in the early morning. That certainly beat sleeping in a post office when we got tired so I was all in. We rode about a mile and got hotel rooms which gave us a nice hot shower and about 3 hours sleep. This was a learning experience for me. Nice move to get some sleep and head out early. I would not have thought to do this.

Day 3:

Spencer, Dick, Carey and I were up early and rode on to Sealy about 4 am.

Great morning with low wind and no hills.

As we rode we came upon a number of other riders heading into Sealy. There were signs along the road to encourage all the rando’s as we got closer to Sealy. One indicated it was only a few more miles (In Rando terms that means 10 to 15 more miles!) or just around the corner (means you only got a 5 mile stretch!) I felt much better with the short sleep we got and we all managed to pull into the Sealy control about 7:30 am. Many riders were just getting up and others still sleeping as far as I could tell. We continued to ride on knowing we were doing 200 miles today. We got a little turned around when we arrived in Magnolia trying to find the control. That can be a little frustrating but finally saw another rider heading in the right direction and followed. After that was sorted out, took some time to eat again and then move through the heavy traffic out towards Huntsville. This was the first time that I know the Chip & Seal was starting to get to me. With the wind, rough road surface and now just a little warmer (90 degrees) it was taking a lot more effort. I am thankful to my friend Spencer who can really power on always waited for me at the turns. It was greatly appreciated. This region provided more farm land as scenery. It was cool to see some flood rice fields and well as a variety of other crops.

Rice Field north of Sealy

As we rode along Spencer indicated that his rear wheel rim had cracked. I am sure a victim of the brutal Chip & Seal. Not good since he is riding a fix gear. Looked as if he could get to the next control so it was good that Sue would be waiting there for us to switch out the rim. I was still struggling with the wind and dealing with the Chip & Seal and was always dropped off Spencer’s wheel. Then along came the Thundering Herd. Pam Wright was whipping the herd along and I heard Spencer say jump on and Pam yelled the same. What a change! It was like having new life within the group. Not only was it great to have support from the wind but got to meet a lot more riders. Nice change of pace and the time went by quickly.

Saved by the Thundering Herd

Dave Minter from England pulled up beside me and asked what ground control was saying. I smiled and took my ipod out of my ear. Really had a great conversation and he was more than just encouraging. Many thanks Dave! Dan Driscoll was keeping the group together and the pace was perfect for me. We stayed with the herd for the remainder of the day. We got to Huntsville in great shape and Sue was there to help get us food and Spencer switched out his rear wheel.

Cracked rear fixie wheel! Thank goodness for Sue!

Quick meal and we were back on the road. The herd really worked together and was careful not to leave anyone behind. I feel I should have moved forward to do a pull but was struggling just to stay even in the group. We rode along and had a stop at little store to get the last chance for water and food. Everyone iced down and we were off again. There were a couple of mechanicals which we all put a foot down (Pam’s favorite phrase) and when the bike was fixed got back at it. We moved along well and I again enjoyed the company as did Spencer. It was nice to be with the group as we rode through the Sam Houston National Forest. The trees really helped block the wind as well it was a beautiful stretch.

Riding through the Sam Houston National Forest

Later during the evening I dropped back and rode a little with Charlie Fenske who is a very strong rider. After talking with him we realized that both of us had been at Oklahoma State at one time. It is a small world. Great person who was always pulling those who dropped off back up to the group. We did get some water and food along the road from a neutral SAG late at night which was really nice when we getting closer to Crockett. The group arrived in Crockett about 11 pm. When we came into the hotel, a group was out front to cheer us and get us into our rooms. Lots of snacks and food was already in our rooms. Again, the people taking care of us were just fantastic. I cannot thank them enough. Spencer and I decided to leave at 4 am to get a head start on the day.

Day 4:

We saw Dick and Carey again as they were getting ready to leave in the morning. We headed out and stopped to get a quick breakfast. As we rode along we caught up with Bill Olsen and a friend. We rode with them for a while then headed on.

Beautiful Last Day!

A lot more Chip & Seal roads which was just taking a toll and really starting to just beat us up. Again, the wind had turned against us so there was not really any help. I had a laugh as we rode by one country house which had a sign that read “If you can read this, YOUR IN RANGE”. I did pick up my pace a little. We caught up with Dick and Carey at Palestine and I rode with them to the finish. As we worked our way to the next Control, it was actually a nice day with the exception of the wind. We stopped at a store in Tennessee Colony where the people were just super nice. Spencer rode over to get some barbecue supporting a youth program and we on our way again.

Uphill to Tennessee Colony

We hit a long flat stretch which was 20 miles that seem to go on forever with the wind hitting us. Pam came by in a car and of course with the Texas yell encouraged us onward.

Dick, Carey and me on the long windy stretch to the Lake.

We finally came to the lake and crossed the dam where there was a great café to get some food. This café was just fantastic as they even served breakfast at noon so could get eggs and pancakes. My eyes were bigger than my stomach but I tried to consume as much as possible.

Fantastic Café at the end of the Dam!

The herd also arrived about 10 minutes after us and was ready to go about the time we were too as well. Spencer asked me if I want to go with them I decided I wanted to stay with Dick and Carey. Spencer went with the group and I cannot say how much I appreciated his help on this ride. We picked up another rider and the four of us went on to Corsicana. As we approached Corsicana there was an air show going on at the airport. It was really cool to see the planes and the show as we rode down the road. Unfortunately, the show ended as we were coming in and the traffic picked up. We arrived at our last control where the herd and a lot of other riders were eating and getting ready to leave.

Corsicana Control – the end is in sight (after ice cream)!

We took a short break and then headed through the brick streets of Corsicana to complete the last leg of the 1200K. The ride went well and it was great to have a neutral SAG give us cold pop to help finish the last 18 miles of the ride. The roads were busy coming into Waxahachie and we did get a toothless cowboy telling us to get off “his” road. All the riding and we got one idiot on the last 5 miles. Go Figure! It was nice to see the end and we worked our way into the city. We did manage to make one last wrong turn on the last mile but quickly corrected and could see the hotel. Dick, Carey and I rode in with guns blazing and got a well deserved reception.

Dick, me and Carey have Finished!!!!!!!

It was nice to finish with new friends who worked hard to complete this ride. Pictures were taken, beer was downed quickly and a well deserved dinner rapidly consumed.

Dick, Spencer, me and Carey

Forever Friends!

Thanks to the Texas Randonneurs for putting this event on. I will remember my first 1200K forever. The Chip & Seal certainly will be hard to forget.

Chip & Seal to the end but what about my rear end. HTFU!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Bike Week - Day Five

Bike week wrapped up with another dry commute, on a day that was otherwise a washout --- benefits, I suppose, of coming into work early, and leaving quite late each day this week.

The creek was high in a lot of places, which made for a rousing aquatic soundtrack as I rolled along towards home in the afternoon.  Also, the Switzer low water crossing was overflowing, but only maybe a couple inches deep so I rolled across.  Kinda neat... and defintely outside the norm. 

Arrived home, and did a few  bonus-miles doing laps in the driveway with the kiddos. 

All in all, a great week - and the first full five-day week for me on the bike since September. 

Looking forward to hitting it again on Monday!

 

Hope you all had a good week!

Bike Week - Day Four

I think the long layoff from consistent commuting, whether caused by scheduling or injury, has caught up.  I hate to complain, so I really won't, but it occured to me yesterday that I hadn't been on a bike for more than 2 days in a row  in a LONG time, and this morning I felt tired.  (Thursday)  Add in the rain, and no matter how hard I was pushing I could yield no more than 13 MPH.  Ugh...  It still beats driving, and so - instead of fighting against it and making things worse - I geared down, and slowed down to enjoy my surroundings.  THAT worked.  I arrived fresher, relaxed.  If I can remember that from time to time, I thnk I'll be better for it.  All in all, not much to say, but a good, good day.  The ride home was humid, and no falling precip -- so, I got to enjoy the swollen creek's soundtrack and meander along the trail watching birds hunt for worms and the like.  Hit the bed like a sack of dirt, though.... not unusual for my return to consistent commuting AND especially hectic workdays.   More about Friday's ride later on... 

 

Hope you are all well!

Bike Week - Day Three

I feel remarkably good. I am seeing progress where there was once frustration, feeling engaged and ready. Today was the first Wednesday back on the bike since August, when an after-work commitment with the kids had started. It'll be nice to get a full five days in a row on the bike. It means summer is close, school is ending, and that means less rushing around, more time with the kids at home each evening. I look forward to it.

Summer also means more time to schedule another DSR, and hopefully some trail adventures, bike-camping, and perhaps a longish ride or two. Also means more family bike trail adventures.

Its thoughts like this that get me through the work week...

Todays ride, I got ambitious on the way to the office, averaging 16 on the way in... Best commute time in a long while for me. Took it extra easy on the way home to compensate and relax. Overcast and lukewarm, it was surprising not to see more riders out.

Avoided the rain, somehow, but I doubt I'll be as lucky tomorrow... But part of me is looking forward to it.

Contemplating hitting the Tomahawk rec center breakfast rest stop in the AM, if its not a complete washout.

Stay tuned!

Bike Week - Day Two

I figure small updates are better than nothing.

Nothing overly dramatic, other than a terrific day of light winds, clear skies, and epicly smooth trail.

Ahhhh.... work is really a grind right now, so the bike is a PERFECT way to unwind at the end of a long, long, long day.

More to come.... tomorrow oughta be interesting, as rain appears in the forecast.

But, as I always contend - a rainy day on the bike still beats sitting in a car in traffic on a sunny day.

 

Thanks for reading!