The Sunshine 1200K. the 2015 Inaugural running.

This year is about getting the groove back on the bike, and finding the groove on bass. both things have slowly been happening. My main push for riding was to get some big rides on the  calendar. Well, it is a PBP year, and there were only 2 domestic 1200k's this year one of which looked really interesting to me. Dave Thompson posted about running a 1200k around much of florida in a unique way. I was immediately intrigued as were about 100 others! I knew several of the sign-ups, as well Dave himself who I had ridden both Texas and NC with. It promised to be a good ride. There were logistics with this format beyond a standard loop, or out and back route.

PROLOGUE-all the armchair riders said the same thing about Florida; flat. hot. windy. 
OK, I will do lots of flat perms and brevets in spring training. I did Keith Sutton's 300, and 400 in Va in april as well as the local 300. It never got hot here though, so acclimation to heat was off some. Make that a lot. The format was really cool for this ride. meet in Ft. Meyers beach on the gulf coast, ride a ferry to Key West, and make a huge sweep out of the keys and up the atlantic coast to Daytona. Then we'd march across the 'hills' of the Clermont area outside Orlando, through orchards and such. Climb a 'mountain' on route to Lake Wales. the final day would get take us home to Ft Meyers..Cool.

I took 2 days to drive down. I had a terrible sore throat that was worst at night time and made sleeping difficult. Upon arrival bike assembly was required so they could be hauled to Key West. on Sunshine eve we riders boarded a ferry boat to get to Margaritaville. 

Claire boards the truck

mr. Bill walks the plank

DD. king of the stateside hooligans

Breezin' with turbo.

West, east, and in between

There were riders here from all points on earth! Japan, europe, australia, UK, canada, and of course USA. about 50 riders. a crew of 8 pre-rode the course 2 weeks before us. they made it look pretty smooth. they did have some flats which is gonna happen over that many miles but the roads were raising concerns. were they rough, or what? I showed up on good tires, my trusty gravel kings, which had not flatted, but I added liners. I packed a half dozen tubes too. I thought my bag was pretty well stocked for 4 days on the bike. 

if it fits, it ships!

the key west express took about 3 hrs to get us to the dock. that was a fun way to get down there, I would do it again for sure. we shuttled over to our hotel, and began the wait. it took about 2hrs to get our room which chewed up touring time. finally Tim and I got to walk the streets for an hour or so. we had lunch at Willie T's, an open air bar with plenty of fans equipped with misters. nice. we ventured south on Duval st. where we were propositioned, saw chickens walking around, street people, Hemmingway's place, scooters and cruisers, you name it all mingling in a very layed back way. 

next stop was bike inspection, and a dinner/meet and greet. upon inspection the bikes received these little nuggets:

keeping up with the randos

friends and family enjoyed watching the dots go around the map. I think all the big rides should do this! it also allowed the organizers to know where all the riders were at any given moment. Tim and I headed back to the hotel and cashed in our drink coupons and sat up on the roof to watch the sun settle over Duvall st.. it was time to nap before the ride..

DAY1-Key West to Jupiter 265 mi.

lining up at oh! four-hundred

lots of fun folks 

sleepy ones too

Dave and Dick were at the ready with plenty of munchies and drinks as they signed cards and offered last minute support. I had a muffin and banana. coffee too. most riders got this pic for posterity-

let's roll!

some party people were there too, and a when they found out what we were about to do one young lady wanted to drop the flag and group said hell yeah! go for it!

ready?! GO!

And with that, we were off. The pace was ok for about a mile. the rocket bike took off, and we motored at about 17-18 for a bit. It was only a few miles to the the long cue: at 3.6 turn R on A1A, Go 98.4 mi.! about half the field beat the red light. the pace ramped up.

zipping out of town

within a mile I let the front pack go. there were too many miles to go and plenty of randos coming. I had no allusions of a 17-18 mph day. there were a lot of plastic bikes running up front, so i waited for some fendered steel to catch me, and it did soon enough. the next hour was nice and the light was breaking up ahead. I had been imagining this opening for some time and it did not disappoint! It ain't a real ride if you don't see the sun rise and set from the saddle :)

set the controls for the heart of the sun

I spent some time with callista and werner for the first half of the run across the keys which was mostly long bridges and tiny towns. we made a good call on this long one and chose the path. for much of the way on A1A there was a bike lane, and later an actual secondary path with smooth asphalt. this was also where the shade was later on. the light rolled to the south of the road.

no cars here :)

leaving 7 mile bridge I felt my rear tire losing air. i babied the bike a mile or two to town and changed it at a store on Vaca Key as it was now nearly 7 am. my friends kindly waited for me.

#1. who's counting?

we buzzed on up the road at a good pace. the headwinds here are very real, and quite unrelenting. I would guess 12-15mph gusting to 20 at times. at mile 70 there was Dave and Dick handing out refreshments. there were 12 riders there so I pulled in but my pals rolled on. before I could fill up they were all gone. i used the floor pump quickly and took off. I solo'd the rest of the way to Key Largo. It was getting hot now. I actually stopped once at a bus stop and cooled for a couple of minutes. I was not getting along too well in the heat already. I started obsessing over the 98 mile mark, and when I finally hit it the store wasn't there. Duh! It's at 102, keep going. I finally arrived in Key Largo, and Charlie was leaving. he had crashed, but was OK. another rider not so good. Before I left the store a few more bikes rolled in. I hit the road and headed into the next stretch of long open cues which would foreshadow the days ahead. 15 miles out was a long 9miler that I took a quick stop on, only to see a RUSA banner up ahead 200 meters when I resumed. A secret control! Humans with water and food! RBA John Preston and a helper were here. I had some cold oranges, a banana, and filled my bottles. While here, Vickie  rolled up. we left together, I was happy to have some company. 

It was about 20 miles to Florida City where there would be stores and fast food. my buddy Tim pinged he was chillin at McD's 3 miles away.. when we got there Jose' was on the floor with cramps. I immediately took off the shoes, my pack, and ordered a big burger, fries, and blueberry smoothie. It was my first solid food at the 11th hr. and first bit of AC and a seat too. No hurry up stop here for sure. i donned my sunsleeves and the four of us rolled out as Bill Olson and another came in. the next section went by Homestead and then lots of palm tree nurseries and coconut groves. 

these are full of magic water

the open roads going east were still torture with the incredible headwinds! this was also a 40 mile stretch to Miami with no services. Vickie knew of a marina about midway before coral gables. we grabbed a soda and ice here and headed for the high rollers in high rises.

as we neared civilization, vickie and Jose' got up the road a tick. Tim and I eased our way through rush hour and eventually wound up on paths along the road for the next 7 miles. the homes were spectacular, especially the super pimp moderns. 

slow going

but what sights to see!

soon we made it into the city, and i had a squishy rear tire :( I stopped twice to add air. I had pinched it on the bumpy pathway it seemed. I was going to get to the 175 mark in Miami Beach even if it was on the rim. it was...

air stop

crossing onto Miami Beach

Mickey D's again at mile 175. funky folks all over the place. we took the bikes inside! I changed the flat after snacking.  a rider threw a tube at me. good thing. #2 wasn't the last for day 1. Tim and I headed out with another rider in sight at 7. after a couple quick cues, we had a 16.5 mile run up miami beach and the sickest row of high rises anywhere. it was cool riding here as the sun set. all the resorts and hotels had nice glow. we rolled up between a couple and spent a moment on the boardwalk to hear the surf.

we had some company at the end of this stretch, but let them go when we saw a 7-eleven. the next store was at mile 216 (about 20mi). all in all the Miami crossing was about 4hrs!
Tim and I rolled through an industrial area, and on toward Ft. Lauderdale. the high rises resumed, and there was a party zone with the ocean roaring to our right. of course that wind was howling too. somewhere up here i flatted on the front end. while changing it I noticed a broken spoke too. no wobble, no problem. we made it to the next store and saw dave and dick again. they were sagging a rider to jupiter. I went for some caffeine and off we rolled. Tim had a red bull and got away on the grinder to palm beach. I had to stop and patch flat #4 in Palm. I napped on the bench too. this whole stretch totalled about 70 miles of amazing high rise properties, peppered with houses in the really affluent areas like boca raton and palm beach. this fact kept it interesting in the wee hours. at mi 245 I ran into the canadians carey and chris. we would cover the final 20 mi together after climbing a steeep, high bridge onto Singer island, arriving in Jupiter at 4:55 am 25 hrs after the start. I was covered in black dirt, and beat down pretty good. I jumped in the shower and was sleeping at 5:30. I got a roomie at 6:30 and that ended the sleep. I was up, dressed and looking for a partner by a quarter to eight. That turned out to be one Texan-Charlie Adams.

Day 2-Jupiter to Daytona 185 miles

Charlie and I headed out before the control closed, agreeing nice and easy does it. We eased through a nice neighborhood and past a park where we rolled through these banyan trees. we got onto the first of many trails and bike paths we would ride today..

Charlie and I took turns leading the way early. It already seemed hot out. wind and humidity were strong too, as we would be waterside the first half of the day. Around mile 20 or so, half way to control 1, we saw a store and decided a cold drink was in order. while there, Chester from canada showed up. he was suffering from the heat and was taking a breather. we crossed another of the many bridges of the day, and began the 19 mi cruise up Indian river rd.. this was fairly scenic and more old school than the glitz of day ones' amazing blue glass high rise cribs and yachts.

those little shade balls are precious

the horizon in the pic above is where we were headed. it seemed to take forever, but we made it finally. 45mi done. volunteers Ed, and friends came by the store with big smiles (and gopro camera on a a stick) Chester joined us and off we went. 43 miles on A1A/ Ocean Ave. this was a looong slog. we found a store near vero beach. the only thing on this stretch as we were back to high dollar houses, ocean, and nothing else. notice a theme? we took over the 7-eleven in the back, sitting on the cool floor. I managed to eat a sandwich and chips, a V8, and banana. we filled our bottles and packs in the sink, wet down our sunsleeves, and charlie made an ice necklace. off we rolled, and we spent much of the next part on a trail on the opposite side of the road because it was shaded and safer than the slim shoulder by the fast cars. there were killer views too along this stretch.

somewhere along this stretch Charlie began to pull away slowly. i know the road was flat but it seemed like a climb. I had little to spare and Chester was spent, spinning a few cranks and then coasting, over and over. Soon cars were coming at us with lights on and wipers running. Rain! Psych. we chased the dark cloud for over an hour and never caught it. we did see one more store with a subway. and no A/C, dammit. oh well, fill 'em up.

it's rough out here

finally we were getting close to Merrit island and i was feeling better-cooling off and finding some legs. not chester, so i waited on him to blow cookies or faint or whatever needed to do. the neighborhoods up here were really cool near cocoa beach. out of nowhere, susan came blasting by and vanished up the road. we would see her and others at the store at mile 115. susan is a nurse and did everything she could to revive chester. mustard, pickles, a battery charger for his garmin. we rolled about dusk. more groovy houses and salty things. by dark we were on a busy hwy and stopped to get chester more water and food. we cleared titusville (ugh) and marched onto the canaveral seashore. chester was off the back after a huge bridge and susan and i were cruising. i really wanted to kick it, but she was just too much, determined to get to the barn and rejoin her pals on the next morning. I had to let here go. the next 20 miles were a funky solo affair across the eerie, abandoned NASA area. I saw some critters, and went by a pond or swamp with about a half million frogs singing at a deafening roar! at the end of it I sat there for a moment and chester showed up. we rode for a few cues and i was sleepy, wanting something fizzy and caffeinated. of course, there were no services from the last control at mi 115 to Daytona at mi185. we asked a cop about stores and he pointed a mile or so off course. close enough, we went for a drink. it was close to midnight. back on course, with about 15 to go, we got to work. soon we were on the last few cues and who shows up? the canucks! we make the last couple moves along the halifax river and turn onto the biggest bridge of the ride. if the flatlanders here in NC have a few cat. 2 overpasses on some routes then this is an HC for sure. up and over, roaring down the other side to a stop light. left to the hotel, the longest 4 miles of the day. hello Oceanside Inn. almost 5 hrs gained back, I am gonna get a real nap. there were big deli trays out and I had a killer sandwich. made another for the next day too. the take-away again was the daytime heat was just so oppressive that it was hard to pedal at a lively pace, and frequent little rests were needed. eating solid food was difficult too, and I really only did the one time in vero beach around mile 60..

Day 3-Daytona to Lake Wales 161 miles

good morning, Daytona

so there is nothing like old riding buddies, especially in epic situations. I come downstairs to prep and go after a 3hr nap. I toss my drop bag on the pile. there are some riders chowing down. I see my bro Tim. I decide to make another deli sandwich, why not? I chase it with a coffee and orange juice. we chat about the day 2 over breakfast and check out. It is fairly nice out at 8. Won't be for long, and today is the 'hilly' day to boot.. ;)

we only had a few quick roads to get on Intl. Speedway / us92 which we cruised for 17 miles. at the end of that stretch was a store, and several bikes pulled in for a quick drink. we went from 2 to 6 or 7 riders which remained in fairly close proximity to each other for most of the day. at this point, after trolling a small town, we headed into the rollers. there were a couple nice ones too. after 2 straight days of flat headwinds it was fine with me. I didn't get far on to the 11 miles of cr42 when I flatted. in minutes, Dave and dick rolled up and helped me out.  a floor pump, extra tube, and a moist towlette and smile from Dicky boy and I was rolling (that was #6). I made the control at mi 42 in Paisley while the other riders were there. Michelle was getting a flat fixed there. a volunteer had a truckload of stuff. ALWAYS a welcome thing! we roll about an hour or more, over some hills including one called thrill hill. it's HOT again. we're about 8 miles from the days summit- sugarloaf mountain. there is a nice store and everyone pulls in and eats because they have a grill, booths, and air conditioning. I eat half of the sandwich I packed with some chips. 
ok let's go get this climb done. before the grinder is roundabout and I am off the front alone. the sheet is lacking info here and i stop to figure it out, and Marti comes along and says 'gps this way' so I follow and pick up the pace again. the whole climb is only about 4-5 10ths of a mile, but the last bit is steep to the tune of about 17%. it's a big deal around here! up on top was Marion with shaded chairs and plenty of refreshments. Yay! we cheered as all the other riders appeared one by one over the crest of the hill. 

awesomeness 

           super awesome:the fenstad oasis

up on the hill lives a couple, the Fenstads,who have had a water cooler and cups for riders and runners for over 10 years. very cool! we had an info control here which was to answer the question 'how much $ has been raised?' they have a donation receptacle by the water station that goes to charity. very nice.. 

off we rolled  down the hill on some really rough roads. I figured someone would flat, but didn't. soon we were on another ridge and around a really pretty lake and cherry trees. It was only 20 miles to mascotte, another control. major cooling inside with 2 naked smoothies and a banana. shoes off too. did I say how hot it was?

It was 5 o'clock, and the next section was really cool so we took off so we'd have plenty of light. I didn't make it far and had flat #7. lucky again, Marion rolled up and had a floor pump. 

I'm getting good at this

I was able to catch back up and join the others and soon enough the road ended. we hopped on the Van Fleet Trail- a 14 mile rails to trails paved carless sanctuary. I was visiting with Peter from UK and having a good time swapping stories. we were headed south and also getting no wind because of all the shelter. the one thing we were all looking for on this trail were the alligators. we found them not quite halfway down..

what are you lookin' at?

I goofed around a bit long here and had to put in a little effort to get to the end of the trail at which point we headed east again. back to work, damn wind. after 4 miles we headed S on 

old grade rd and it was a soft uphill for 6 miles. blinkies were coming on as it was dusky now. by the time we reached the Lake Alfred control it was 8:30 and fully dark. the store clerks were busy getting ready to close and not messing around. there were riders behind us. Mickey from japan got there in time but 2 others did not. we left some water and stuff for them and we left the store with an even bigger group. another long climb ensued and a mile from the top and the next town my front tire was going down so i jetted ahead to a corner with a street light and started the repair on #8..Tim stopped to check on me, and threw a tube my way. I was rolling soon, but never caught them due to mixed up cues thru the town. on the away out there was a road that looked like the surface of the moon! I rode down the jagged center stripe in the road. cursing like a sailor in the dark. all the cues were short 1 and 2 milers. it was taking forever to close this day out but I made it just past midnight. the volunteers had some nice pasta and goodies at the hotel. Tim and I got a room and got 4hrs sleep. pretty good, since we'd ridden 611 miles and I'd slept 4hrs since the start..deeelux. 

Day 4-Lake Wales to Ft. Meyers Beach 150 miles

alright now. I think I was out before 7 with vickie and Jose'. It was nice out. At mile 6 i flatted in back and let my friends go. I changed the tire at a church. It was sunday, i figured it couldn't hurt. #9 would be my last flat, but not my last problem. I was rolling alone, nabbed the info control which was the gas price, and turned the corner. up ahead I caught Marti, she was upset about the control she missed, and I helped her out. we started working together  and made some good tempo. she went for a drink and her bottles were empty! with 20 to go, I gave her one of mine. Like angels, Dave and Dick showed up, asking how we were doing, and hearing our tales, pulled over so we could fill up. our friends ahead did too..

through the next section was a prelude to the afternoon. orchards. and more orchards. I was tempted to grab an orange at times. coming into avon park i hit some RR tracks a little hard. I popped a second spoke up front and the wheel was wobbling too much. I stopped and let the brake out to stop the rubbing, and eased into the store about a mile later. there were bikes everywhere! the californians were there, and so were the folks I was with yesterday. we had a quick talk, they had all heard about my ride- the record number of flats was already legend throughout the field. I said i may need a wheel but I was using a dyno. like that,  battery powered lights, tubes, and stuff hit the table. these amazing people i had known for three days were willing to give up some of their gear to get me in. gotta love some randos I tell ya. I watched them leave as I went to work. I posted to FB my location and situation, tagging my NC boys, knowing they would be done in a couple hrs and if needed I hoped I could get a dyno wheel from one of them them. 

the wheel had a spoke gone from ea side, close together. I removed the broken one and started truing. I got it really close and packed up. the next road was nice. 6.8 miles with a tailwind. I think it was the only one of the ride. I held 20mph all the way. back into the wind for 10, then after a wooden bridge, (where I inspected tires for splinters) another 8 miles on a road that changed to dusty dirt and gravel. WTF!? after that it was heat in the desert. very slow, lonely riding. 50 miles with no services. I have no idea how anyone did it on 2 bottles. seriously. it looked like this for miles and miles.

on a long stretch of highway was a retirement park with a guard house so I rolled up to see about water. i got my answer just looking in. ya just can't make this shit up at this stage of the ride...

i got back on the highway and saw a sign for fruit, and a half mile later was getting waved down by a rider. Timbo!!

our soon to be riding buddy Werner was there too.

he was not having a good day either..

there wasn't any water here, but..

mmm, watermelon. WET. 

we took off and headed toward Arcadia which was still 8 miles away. about halfway there we passed a couple of closed stores, but I saw a man outside a church. I asked if there was a spigot on the building, and he said "come on in and have some iced tea and water". they had pitchers on tables in the fellowship hall and a big ice machine. hallelujah. back on the bikes and in to town. the store had a beer cave. yes I will chill out, thank you. 

we moseyed to the taco bell to eat sitting down and rest. Werner was really hurting and telling us he went too hard and made some rookie errors. he asked if he could join us and we said sure. by the time we left, we had 100k to ride, and 7 hrs to get it done. no prob, right?

the sun was shining, blazing was more like it. Werner had very little in the tank, and was stopping at every chance. we had a couple short cues, then a 7 miler. near the end of that, we paused and a lady pulled up in her SUV and asked if more riders were out here. "yes" we said. "well, there is one laying down back there, wasn't sure if he was alive, or what." 'oh, we are on a really long ride. sometimes we do that." ''OK, y'all be safe." True story..

the middle half of this stretch is one long stretch. 25 mi down SR30. and yup, no stores for 50 of the 60 miles. Werner is dying. he can only go about 6mph by himself. the math doesn't get him there in time. we've done the math, and need about 12mph to allow some stops. Tim tells him about some badasses quitting on the first day. and that we have like 10 1200's between us two. he says- ' if you make it to the last day, you finish it.' Werner says "you guys are great, i can't thank you enough" I say "thanks man, let's go". Tim flats and tells us to keep going, he'll catch up. We see a dude with a cooler on the roadside. he has no water, the earlier riders got it all. Another angel shows up right after that and we get the fluids we need. one more hallelujah. we get it moving and some clouds start to roll in. looks like storms around us, but we never get rain. like a turtle, we eventually get to the outskirts. we are talking time, and we stop and I tell Werner the story of YoA! he again is amazed by randonneurs and the stuff we do. 'Dude, you are one of us and about to pull off something so tough very few even try it" "well, I'll never do it again" hehe. right..

we put on our reflective stuff, and light up. gonna be a dark finish. after a long stretch we were closing in. Werner needs a break at every traffic light. Tim tells me to run in if I wanna get a YoA! time. I hop on it, and I feel crisp and sharp. I am scooting in town at 17mph like a boss. I had the timing just about nailed but blew by the hotel street when I misread the cue after all those miles! I pulled a U-turn and landed in the driveway at 88:59. The welcoming committee was big and loud. Really cool. Tim and Werner came along about 15min later. It was a pleasure to help a rookie finish the ride. It was an honor to share the duty with my Bro Tim Lucas, a class act and great rando.  We were burnt to a crisp, and glad to be done. By the time we went to sleep we were talking about the next big one. 

Any rider will tell you what a great job, David and his band of merry rando volunteers did with this ride. with the logistics involved, and expansive route, it was no small feat to pull off. Chapeau!!! I recommend it, if you get the chance. quite challenging, but hey, if it weren't, why do it? I'll do it again. but with a bigger camelbak, and more tubes and tires :) G-

Hey! Where did he go!?

hello again. I hope you all are well. it has been a while, for sure! well here is what's up:
I got my driver's license and stopped commuting daily. this happend right after the last post before that little 1200k. which, went pretty good, finishing in 75 hrs with Jerry & Ian after a splendid overnight ride in the mountains! 

I took some time off the bike. I was a bit burned out after living on them for 7 years. I got into bass guitar, which has been a long time love of mine. Of course that became another 'gear habit' I didn't need but, oh never mind..
It took no time at all for the fitness to fade-by winter I was up about 15 lbs. In january 2013 I rode a 300k. ugh. my endurance was 'ok', but speed and power were gone. it was a bit of a downer. when I showed up in the spring for the local series I was convinced I would ride back into form by the 600. not. even. close. I suffered thru all the rides, with the 400 taking nearly 5hrs more than the 2 previous years. I was not a happy camper, to say the least. One of my best buds, Tim, said I was "spending too much time playing in the dirt." He was referring to my renewed interest in mountainbiking. He was probably right..The rest of the year was a slog too. I did take some bass lessons, and saw some killer concerts. Music was good! I also sold some bikes and parts. They grew back..

I decided in 2014 I was going to turn it around. s l o w l y. I took a shot at an R finally and made sure to get a 200k in every month. with a car this is easier to accomplish. when spring came I was riding. often. still not commuting much though..from the series start 'til june I went every weekend for 13 straight weeks. results were coming gradually. july 4th was a hot as hell 300k out of salisbury,nc. spent most of it with Tim and we had fun but weren't fast. oh well. I had a weird drivetrain prob that took some time to figure out and missed the next couple longer rides. My redeaming ride of the year was the 'picnic ride' (200k) in August. I took my Bianchi Pista fixed gear and solo'd the course in 7:39. I probably spent the 39 min. off the bike and could have really done it close to 7hrs..I felt good about that day. I did keep the streak alive and got my first R in january!
This year has been an even better ride. I saw a post by a friend saying they were putting together a 1200k in Florida. since I am not going to France, this sounded cool. I signed up the minute it opened up. I needed a big goal. A target. Let's train. 
I rode one of Tony's 300k's in january. It was cold, and slow. I did another in February, and it was cold and slow too. the rest of Feb was a loss, it was just miserable weather this year. Things picked up in march and I managed a couple more perms. April was the big ramp up-100k, 200k, then a 300k in va, and a rainy 300k here. A week later on may 2 we returned to Va for a 400k. it went well, I rode the whole thing with Lynn, and other than finding out the rain had killed my garmin (i'll do separate post on that) it was a smooth ride. we love those roads up there! ya gotta go! after that, it was 9 days to Florida..
whew, that report is next, stay tuned...

ToC 1200K pre-ride jitters?

nah, more like excitement! there are less than 36 hrs to the start, and I can hardly wait.
after a nice 60 mile test run yesterday, I was a bit concerned with my climbing. I just had a 9 day break from the bike, and wasn't feeling zippy at all. Claire was not 'perfect' either. 3 hrs of maintenance fixed the drivetrain and she's running like a top now..all that's left is a few final kit selections concerning a jacket (we will see rain for sure, hurricane Isaac is lurking), wool, spare shoes?, and packing the different drop bags tonight.

what I am most excited about is all the cool people coming to do the ride. local buddies, and friends from 1200's past. this is gonna be fun! bon route to all!!

head games

so here's the quick and low-down on the rest of the series this year. it was me against myself..after a fun, (rainy) 200k, the weather was choice for the next rides. I felt like I was in a fairly good place too. Lady Luck was not in my pockets or saddlebag :(

The 300k was off and running nicely. as we approached the snow camp control, I felt a little swish in the back end. yup. kinda soft, so i pumped some air and off we rolled the 11 miles to siler city. soft again, I had to fix it..as the front group rolled on, i cursed the darn thing because it (the tube) was 'glued' into the tire! arrgh! I chased and chased and finished with a nice time. solo for 200k, I had no other probs, and was home before dark..

Sidetrip! after a shower and some food. i pulled on the compression tights and hit the hay. I was up at 4:30. it was raining. temp in the low 50's.. I left the house at 6:15 and was on the bridge at old reedy creek at 7, where 5 other guys on mountain bikes were taking a long planned epic trainer-100 miles of single track and trails! due to the rain, the single track was out. I hung with them for about 40 miles and headed home. the cold was not doing the knees any good. 4 of those guys made it all the way. congrats!

The 400k was again on a lovely day. This time I made it beyond siler city and somewhere on old coleridge I punctured. Damn! as 6 bikes vanished up the road I changed the tube. off I went. hammering to seagrove, and on to the turn around, short stopping each one. The return was warm. I rode a bit with Tim, and we ate in seagrove. I then proceeded to rock out back to siler city with new pal Paul from atlanta. a terrific 'bent rider. we scooped up the florians, ian, and ed there too..it was hot tempo to the finish! 16:51 time.
joe ray and joel were a half hour ahead. damn flat...

600k.NEW TIRES. can everything else go right? sure it can. don't make a wrong turn or fall asleep. oops. a little booboo in the first half threw us off for a while, but I regrouped in white lake. easy trip on down to wilmington. left there at 12hrs. nice. fairly easy ride back to white lake. took a nice break, cleaned up put on a fresh kit and rolled about midnight. went in the store for a coffee with cindy and ed. incredibly, the temps dropped into the 50's overnight. this didn't help with staying alert! had to stop about every hour or so, and really struggled thru the night. we hit a store in wade about 5:30. biscuit and coffee, 15 min nap, and the sun came up. things got a bit easier. made angier about 8, and had 2nd breakfast-pancakes, yogurt, juice, coffee. viola! rode the last 40+miles non-stop and really strong. 29:50. A PR., and under 30, but was hoping for better.

what are the new tires? rivendell ruffy tuffys. what were the old ones? gran bois.
to be fair, they had about 3000 miles and had only flatted once prior to the bad luck.
in my hasty fix on the 400k, i bumped a brake shoe and it was rubbing the tire. almost burned thru the sidewall which clinched the deal for a new set..

Tim's tale of the Cascades 1200K

here is riding pal Tim Lucas' write-up of the epic loop of the pacific northwest known as the Cascades 1200K..

since I missed the ride, I had to share his story.  good show buddy!  way to go!! 

Cascades 1200K

Day One:  I stayed at the base motel in Monroe Washington Friday evening.  Breakfast at 5:00am and 80 cyclists from around the world roll out at 6:00am for an EPIC cycling adventure.  Cloudy, cool morning quickly turns into a cold rain that last for several hours.  I settle in, getting as comfortable as I can.  Pedal hard, stay warm, weather will change eventually.  Nice long climb getting into Mt. Rainier National Park keeps the engine warm.  Now exiting the park to the south we cruise beside a creek between cascading waterfalls on both sides of the road.  At times the sound of rushing water is so loud you can’t even carry on a conversation.  It’s a very mystical place.  We have lunch in Eatonville at mile 95.  I’m riding a bit with Ed from Portland, OR.  We stop at Subway with several others. Ed’s one of those guys that always carries a big smile no matter what’s going down.  Finally mid-afternoon it stops raining and we’re in Packwood, (mile 140) at the base of White Pass.  We now have a 17 mile, 2800 ft. climb.  3 hours later I reach the summit and take some pics to prove I was there.  Now it’s whee time.  This is my favorite descent on this trip.  Smooth asphalt, wide shoulders and easy turns make it fast and furious.  Clear Lake control, (mile 170) our final stop before the overnight control.  I’m frigid as well as several others.  I have the shakes really bad from that cold descent.  I have to hold my hot chocolate with both hands to keep from spilling.  Volunteers give us lots of warm stuff to calm us down.  I settle a bit but pedaling is the ultimate cure.  We go around the huge lake, then on to Naches.  (Sleep control, mile 208)  Arriving at 11:00pm, Shower, Dinner includes hot soups, then to sleep in the gym on mats and my air mattress that I carry in my drop bag that I have access to each night as well as a fresh set of clothes.  3 hours sleep the first night.

Day Two:  Up at 4:30 am.  Fresh made blueberry pancakes hot off the griddle.  This support crew is Awesome.  These pancakes are the best ever.  I’m rolling by 5:30am.  We’re doing an out and back to Lodgepole campground near the top of Chinook Pass.  We cycle 45 miles up to Lodgepole into the wind. We’re served more food and coffee from volunteers.  Back down to Naches.  Now we travel east of the mountains into the high desert plains.  In previous years temps soar into the 100’s here but not today as we settle in at around 85 degrees.  It’s very pleasant after yesterday’s cold rain. Long rollers to start and grades are shallow so some recovery riding for me.  I’m 305 miles into the ride when I have my first flat.  Some glass in the rear tire.  Pack up my stuff ready to go and notice front tire flat as well.  Dang it.  I remove a thorn from that tire; I think it came from the tumbleweed that blows across the road every now and then. It’s ironic that I have two flats from different objects at the same time.  There is a lot of snowmelt irrigation here and there are acres and acres of hops.  Now I’m getting thirsty.  Wow, this is a lot of hops.  Stocking up for those long winters I presume.  We have lunch in Fruitvale.  Afterwards we travel around the city on greenway bike trails.  We cruise back into the desert.  On the way to Mattawa we cross the Columbia Riverthen we turn right.  There is a road here but it goes straight up to the top of a plateau.  Surely this isn’t right. I unfold the cue sheet and it reads. “Yes, up that Hill” Ouch!  I’m in my lowest gear and I have to stand to turn the pedals.  Gotta be 15+ degrees.  This bites!  I’m finally over the top and more of these plateaus up ahead but none like that one.  Getting dark now and I see several bicycle lights ahead of me and several behind me.  The road is straight for miles.  I finally roll into Quincy around 12:30am.  (418 miles)  Another hot meal and a shower then to bed on a gym floor again.  Only 2 hours sleep this morning.

Day Three:  Up at 4:00am.  I chat with John Morris from Durham briefly before he takes off.  I grab a continental style breakfast this morning as the cooks aren’t ready yet.  I’m rolling by 5:00am.  Today we’re cruising around several lakes to Dry Falls.  We have a headwind and it is angry, very angry.  This is madness.  I have a hard time just holding on.  Dry Falls is another beautiful place but then we have to climb to the moon to get out of there.  We go west then north to Bridgeport, across the river to Brewster.  We have more spectacular river views.  We’re now in Malott at the base of the mountains. (Mile 535)  Loup LoupPass is a 17 mile climb and takes me another 3+ hours to summit.  I’m leapfrogging with several riders including my new Japanese friend who keeps reminding me how many meters of climbing we have left. We reach summit just before sunset.  Now we throw on everything we have for the cold descent.  2 deer cross my path within a mile.  I’m now riding brakes while others ride by.  Sunset is a bad time for dodging deer.  At bottom we have another 25 miles to the overnight control in Mazama.  I’m doing some sprints trying to stay focused.  I catch up with Matthew from southern California on his recumbent, and he appears to be struggling a bit on the last section.  I usually don’t ride well with others being I cycle a very inconsistent pace, but I chill a bit and make a friend.  We both stop a couple times and walk around to clear our heads.  It’s a beautiful evening and the summer Milky Way is brilliant in the night sky, glowing so brightly you could read a book by it.  It also brightens my spirits.  We’re now cruising the Lost River and it kinda sets the mood.  An hour or so later we make the control.  3 Canadians arrive shortly afterwards and we grab dinner, showers, and this time we have rooms with beds.  Yea!  2.5 hours of solid sleep this morning.

Day Four:  Breakfast call at 3:45, I crawl over there around 4:15.  I’m very sluggish this morning as yesterday took everything I had.  I’m hitting the pain pills early today.  I start rolling at 5:10am, thinking that I’m getting an early start.  There are like 20 or so bikes still at camp when I leave.  Fewer miles today but the event’s biggest climb is the first order of business for today.  Its 18 miles up to the top of the world,Washington Pass.  A couple hours in and I’m relaxed feeling great.  My pace is better than my previous climbs.  About 3 miles from the summit we ride past the snow line.  I have a flat shortly afterwards.  Did I mention that it’s like 36 degrees and raining?  I’ve kept warm by climbing but I quickly get the tire changed because the engine is cooling down.  The mountain peaks come into view every now and then so I stop to take some pics.  This is a wondrous place.  I am in awe and really enjoying being here.  I take a little too much time goofing off, posing my bike against a snow bank, taking some video.  All is good.  Finally I jump back on the bike and finish up the last mile to the summit.  A rider is there loading his bike into a support vehicle; his ride is over.  I pull over to take a pic of the sign.  Support volunteer, I never got his name so I’m naming him “Nick” because he reminds me of Nick Nolte.  Please forgive me if you ever read this report.  Anyway, he walks up to me and asks if I want to load up my bike.  “Why would I do that?” I respond.  “Because the next control is 56 miles away in Marblemount and you’re not going to make it before the cut-off.  I am the sweeper he claims and you, meaning me, is the last man standing and it doesn’t look good.  What about those 20 bikes I left at camp?  They are DNF’s going on the truck he responds. How could this be?  I am confused.  On top of the world one minute then my heart just sank below the pits of hell.

Tim’s Big Screw-up:  I did not follow up on my homework for this ride.  The course was shortened from a 1240K to a 1201K.  I was basing all my knowledge from ride reports and cues from previous years.  I had wondered why breakfast was so early today but didn’t put the pieces together until it was too late. (Almost) I calculated time and distance to the Marblemount control.  I knew some serious downhill’s coming up but also a climb up Rainy Pass, though this was only a couple miles long.  What about the last 30 miles to Marblemount I ask?  “Nick” claims rollers, and then some flatter sections.  There is my glimmer of hope.

Day Four Continued:  Physically, I’m feeling great.  I just need to put together the ride of my life.  It’s time for a little attitude.  I mount the Ridley.  Going to take your picture, “Nick” asks.  “No” I’m going to finish what I started!  The rain is making the descent a little hairy, plus I’m shivering now from cold and it transfers to some serious bike wobble.  Zoom the straights, knees squeezing the top tube to kill the wobble, braking hard before the turn, standing and pedaling through the turn to produce a little warmth.  Repeating several times.  I’m out of the saddle going up Rainy Pass.  Near the top, “Nick” rides up beside me.  I’ve changed my mind; I think you’re going to make it.  Down again.  Support truck ahead has food.  Matthew is pulling away as I approach.  My hands are frozen.  I brought the wrong gloves for this.  They find me some liners that help.  I get some fuel and I am off.  I’m now getting into the rollers.  I’m more into calculating numbers now than my surroundings.  Giving it everything I have.  Finally I catch another rider. (Hey/bye)  I ride up on the 3 Canadians.  They are changing a flat but seem to have things under control and about finished.  I roll into the little town of Newhalem just 14.6 miles from the control and Ed is waving me down.  You are still very short on time but this store has coffee.  Do they have gloves, I ask?  My fingers are frozen.  I have to use both hands to change gears.  “Grab some coffee and I’ll see what I can do”.  My friend Ed from earlier in the ride had to DNF the ride when he locked up his knee on a freak awkward pedal stroke and now he is helping others.  This is a great sport!  I grab coffee and Ed brings me his personal waterproof gloves and saves my life.  I wolf the coffee.  I now have 1 hour to finish this last 14.6 miles to Marblemount.  Please God, no serious hills and no flat tires, amen!  Thank You!  I get Matthew in my sights but I can’t catch him.  He is killing it as well.  We slide into the control 5 minutes before closing.  It takes me a couple minutes to dismount.  I am totally wasted but ecstatic.  My new Japanese friend shows me his pretty watch.  Nice, oh crap, sign in duffes you have 3 minutes.  Several others there and a couple more roll in just in time. 

Whew!  That’s it!  We can ride easy from here on.  No hard sections and the limits are now relaxed a bit. Just got to stay awake and focused.  I might add it’s still cold and raining but eventually the rain stops during the next section.  I’m riding again with Matthew, and we’re joined at times by team Canada and teamJapan.  Our last control is at Granite Falls.   We stop at McDonalds.  23 miles to go.  This international group stays together the rest of the way in.  Lots of minor issues, from my flat, number 4, a couple guys climbing really slow, batteries that need changing, etc.   It’s a slow trek but I’m happy!  We roll in together at 10:55pm.  750 miles, around 40,000 feet of climbing in 88 hours and 55 minutes. Then add some very cold rainy weather, and you have EPIC!  That totally rocked!  Post ride Beer and Pizza!  We then had a breakfast party Wednesday morning.  Western Omelet and a chocolate milkshake!  Packed up my bike, washed clothes and wasted the day away under beautiful 70 degree, clear skies.  Dinner with John fromDurham then departed for home.  THE END  

ramping it up

yeah, I made a little name change. after losing a bunch of weight (but still feeling fat sometimes), and trying to broaden my horizons, I think it's time to drop the old title. done.


the Morrisville (Al's) series is underway. given the cool temps and rain, we still had about 30 riders on board the last saturday of march. Ian was pedaling strong on the new moulton Gilbert put together for him. myself, the florians, mike and tim were all that was left at the turnaround. the six of us spent the return trip together for a very nice ride. the last 50 mi were dry, and the sun shined on us for the last hour or so! a good day done in 7.5 hrs with tacos and salsa for recovery. I went out the next day for 100k with Bryan whose perm fell thru. 


Bryan tried again on monday and I joined him for a nice roll on the Triple L. this is a great route for hill work and quiet roads. I'll probly do it once a month til June :) 7000ft of climbing is a good thing, but I must remember my knee bands!!


yesterday was the NCBC spring rally. the course was interesting for a fast 100k. the first hour or so was the usual nerves and sorting out before things "mellowed" a bit. there were still a couple dozen for the second half, cruising along at good speeds to finish in just over 3hrs at 20.7 avg..I felt OK on the hills and took the polka dots to the podium. of course, I took my plastic bike and that helped a little ;)
for recovery today I headed out on the MTB. just a 20miler to relax and run the trails since I hadn't been on them in a few weeks and well, if I'm gonna ride 'em all day next weekend..


this weekend is going to be big IF-1. I feel good. and 2. the weather cooperates.
my plan is to shoot for a (barely) sub 12hr 300K. basically short-stop to seagrove, eat, and short-stop back. if all goes well and I feel good at the end; I head home, recover, SLEEP, and get up at 5:30 to be on the trailhead to start a 7AM ride:100 miles on singletrack and doubletrack.. the ride is nearby. if I blow up, I'll be able to ride home. slooowly..
I just saw the weather and after many sweet days it looks like the classic return of 'screw up the weekend and be pretty on monday' :( if the trails are soaked late in the week, they will be closed. not sure if there is a plan B for this one. we need the singletrack loops to keep us from going crazy going around Umstead all day. stay tuned! I think it would be a great back-to-back well ahead of the next long ride. saddle time, baby...


have a great week. I'll be at the benelux ride downtown tuesday eve., and keeping it simple after that 'til the weekend..

springtime

hey everyone. I hope you all have made it through another winter. spring ( and pollen) are in the air! since my last post I have continued on an unusual journey in cycling-new bikes and rides. first off, I am signed on to ride the cascades 1200k in washington. that means training and that's where new bikes and rides came in. a chance trip through umstead park got  me thinking, 'hey man, lots of hills in here to grind'...right in my backyard. my new weapon is a gary fisher sawyer 29er.  it's a killer bike and I've had a blast riding and meeting new bike friends. shoot, I entered 2 races! the 2nd one was the bushwack where i came in 23 out of 100 on a 28 degree morning! super fun! i'm commuting through the park pretty regularly.

there have been some new brevets as well. I rode my handsome cycles speedy devil on 2 rounds of Mike D's carolina crossroads 200k in november, including the 'end of year ride and party'..jerry has a new route from raleigh as well-'the bomb'. martin has a new perm I want to try too.  on new year's day about 10 folks showed up in Salisbury (early!) to do Tony's brushy mountain 200k. it's a really nice route! give it a shot. TX rando stampede buddy John Preston was up from Fla and joined us. he did really good for a flatlander ;)
'twas a chilly start with rain at the end, but a great day for sure. 

i've been using some different gear for a while now, and feel I can give a good review. 
hopefully I will start putting those reports up very soon..

happy roads and trails...