Why Do You Ride

It's weeks from the 40th edition of RAGBRAI. I'm having fun preparing for the adventure which has the potential to turn into a sequel for Plans, Trains and Automobiles. It could be called Bicycles, Trains and Automobiles.  I plan to take the train from DC to Omaha, then join Team Skunk and the other 10,000 riders in the start town of Sioux Center, IA. The ride will take 7 days to reach Clinton on the opposite side of Iowa.

On the other side of the world in Korea, my buddy Dan went for a ride and was inspired to write a terrific tale about why he rides his bicycle. I like his reasons for riding. I also love to ride to get lost although bonus miles on a brevet aren't always fun. I love the adventure. Mostly I love riding and you realize that you are smiling for no reason. Riding makes me smile.

Check out Dan's post Bugs in My Teeth.

Frozen Seatpost

 If you ride enough brevets, you and your equipment are going to get wet. Especially if your bicycle is named for a species of salmon such as the Coho. Eventually water makes its way into every crevice including your frame. This is not an issue with proper preventative maintenance. Part of the recommended bicycle repair schedule is removing the seatpost from the down tube and applying lubrication. A coating of grease forms a seal that helps prevent water entering the down tube.

Unfortunately, a bond is formed when water reacts with a steel frame and an aluminum seatpost forming aluminum oxide. This bond makes removing the seatpost very difficult. One way to remove a frozen seatpost is to dissolve the aluminum oxide with ammonia. 

1. Remove the crankset and bottom bracket. 

2. Use a funnel and carefully pour ammonia into downtube and let it sit overnight to allow the ammonia to penetrate all the way through the downtube.

3. Flip the bike over, grab your saddle with both hands and twist. This is very difficult and took every bit of strength. Eventually, the seatpost will budge a very small amount. 

Prevention is far more simple than this solution. If you are stuck, the Sheldon Brown site has a comprehensive article about removing a stuck seatpost. 

Cycling at the Beach

Riding in Virginia Beach is down right dangerous. It's due to a combination of ignorant citizens and poor city planning. The city council pretends to hear about crimes against, and the accidents involving bicyclists however, little is done.

As I write this, the Tidewater Bicycle Association is speaking to the city council about safety along Shore Drive. Since living here, I often hear of stories of cyclists (and pedestrians) killed along Shore Drive. A riding buddy broke his neck when t-boned by a lady who didn't see him. He had the right of way. She was never charged.

The Tidewater Bicycle Association has a reward for information about an accident in early May:

Dunham was seriously injured in the incident, which police are investigating as felony hit-and-run. The circumstances are not clear, police said, but a witness described a possible suspect vehicle as a blue truck.

This morning I was stunned when I read this article about thumb tacks on the road at every intersection in the Pungo area of Virginia Beach on Saturday morning. Pungo is (was) one of the safest areas to ride in the area.

I've been a little skittish about riding around Virginia Beach for a few years after being run off the road by a large truck with a 2 foot lift. I've been thinking, why in the world does Bobke talk about carrying a bazooka in the Road ID commercial? Question answered.

See you on the road.

Wintergreen

A short rest on the way up.

On Saturday we headed over to the Blue Ridge Parkway. To get up there we rode along the rolling hills on Rock Fish Valley Highway through Nellysford, VA. The goal was to get away from the flatland and ride some hills. We headed up the Reeds Gap and its 15% grades. SHEESH, mission complete.

The grades were difficult on the way up and pretty much frightening on the way back down.

I took a couple novice flatland rider with me on the trip and we had a great time.

As we approached the climb, I noticed we were a rider short and pulled over at a gas station to wait and refuel the water bottles before the real climbing. 15 minutes later, he came up saying he had a flat. Ryan kept stopping to inflate the tire because he wasn't sure how to replace the tube. No problem, we'll give you a class right here. We got the new tube but it wouldn't hold air. So, he also received a class on patching a tube. A little over an hour later, we headed up the hill.

Ryan was riding well but the steep grades proved to be a little much. He stopped to rest and couldn't get on the bicycle. He almost fell over a couple times and I was concerned for his safety and told him to walk up to a flat area ahead at the Wintergreen Ski Resort. After a short rest we headed they headed up the hill. I took a short detour and chased them up. Then it happened.

We watched as Ryan's momentum slowed with each pedal stroke until he was hardly moving. He unclipped the wrong foot and fell. Laying on the side of the road with his feet and bicycle straight in the air. In between laughing and trying to stop without falling myself, I managed to get a photo of the spectacle.

After the descent, Ryan mentioned he was having shifting problems. I noticed he bent his hanger and derailleur in the fall. It looked like he could make it the 14 miles back to the car. When we pulled out of the parking lot, he fell again. I couldn't believe my eyes. I thought he was the biggest klutz, a member of the Bad News Bears. But that thought left when I realized what really happened.

As he shifted to an easier gear, the angle of the derailleur sent the chain over the cassette and pulled the derailleur into the spokes, stopping him dead in his tracks. His ride was done for the day.

We road back to the car, retrieved Ryan and his dead horse and headed back to the flat land after some BBQ.

Although his first ride in the hills was a chaotic failure, he had a blast and is ready to head back in the near future.

Tappahannock 200k permanent - Hot, Hot, Hot

The Tappahannock is one of my favorite rides in VA, partly because of the 2-hour drive from my house and partly because it has just enough climbing to keep it interesting. The majority of the route is on narrow 2 lane roads with little traffic.

The first 75 miles flew by with cooler temperatures (read only 90F), a slight breeze and some cloud cover. What a great way to spend the morning!

Unfortunately after leaving the Tappahannock control, the cloud cover lifted (or burned off), and the oven was on. Kim and Keith caught up to me on the road to Sparta. I hung on for ~4 miles but then started getting chills and thought it best to slow down and ride at a sensible pace marking the beginning of a very long afternoon baking errr..riding. A few miles later I found some shade to relax in, drank some water and ate a little.

Eventually I found myself in Sparta. Sounds exciting right? Sparta is a village marked by a post office/gas station. I think the majority of the population was chillaxing outside. They informed me that Kim and Keith had just left. A toothless (for real) fellow had a bag of ice that Keith left and was about to take it to his cooler. He was kind enough to ask if I wanted it. I left little doubt as to my need at the moment.

I had been thinking about ice socks for the previous ten miles and this gave me the opportunity to give it a try. I filled a tube sock with ice and placed it around my nape under the jersey. Not sure how much this helped the next 20 miles but it was worth it to have something feel cool. Dr. Lim formerly of Garmin now with Lance says it works so why not give it a try.

I was sitting on a bench having a beverage and some nuts outside the 111 mile control when Ron and Tom arrived and talked me into riding the final leg with them. Sure, why not. I felt great until the last 4-5 miles. I drank too much water and felt nauseous but needed to eat to avoid the monster. In the words of Jon Pasch, “Bro, this is not good.” I pushed onward making it to the final control.

Summary:

What a great way to spend a summer day. Riding a bicycle through the beautiful country side.

I enjoyed the permanent version of this route. The finish is different than the brevet version.

This will be a great October-November route.

Stay tuned, the adventure is not over…not even close!

Tom, Ron and I went to the Waffle House before venturing back home and had some grease to top off our empty fuel tanks. Once on the road I was good until I approached Williamsburg, VA. My automobile became Apollo 11. In indicator told me to check my breaks, next the ABS light went on. A few more miles and the dash lights went out. A few more miles and the headlights, dash, and air were all off. I pulled over and coasted up the exit ramp near Toano, VA. I called for a tow to a service station that would open on Sunday AM and got a hotel down the road.

I was standing out front of the service station when they opened on Sunday AM. They got to work on the vehicle. The battery was dead (ya think?). They told me nothing was wrong with the alternator. Hummm, truthfully I think they didn’t want to replace the bad alternator. Somehow I drove home. The car just spent the day at the dealer getting a new super expensive alternator.

Conspiracy theory:

1. Car paid off on June 1.
   
2. The title arrived in the mail last week.
3. There must be a self-destruct sequence programmed into a chip somewhere in the vehicle. “They” will get their money one way or another.

Lollygaging - Morrisville 300k

My take on Saturday’s 2010 Morrisville to Seagrove, NC 300k is a tardy. UMMM, the dog ate my write-up. Oh yea, I don’t have one of those.

We met in the usual place said hi, registered and RBA Al gave a brief to the riders. I started the day feeling strong and hung with the lead pack until Jack Bennett Road a nice little climb that starts with long false flat. I rode most of the way to the next 2 controls solo completing the first 100k feeling great.

I departed Siler City for the short trip to Seagrove with a group of 5 or 6 riders. My legs were still feeling great for about 10—15 miles. After a little pull on Coleridge Road, I lost some horsepower and slowed. Then I slowed some more and maybe even some more. The next 15 miles were a little miserable but mentally I am in the game and knew a rest waited up yonder!

The Seagrove Control came just in time. I refueled my fuel, and topped off the water. The volunteers at the control were a very kind and most importantly they had sun screen. Although as I dawned the lotion, I figured I probably would be jinxing the entire ride with rain.

I tore out of the control on a mission to make up some time. Flying up and down the rolling terrain and zipping around the corners until I mistakenly made a wrong turn onto Trinity Church Road and explored 4 miles of the wrong road. Finally I looked at the odometer and thought, I should be at the corner in Erect. GRRRRR. I’m sure I said a few words that I learned in the Marines and can’t repeat. The bonus miles kinda sapped my motivation and I proceeded to lollygag all the way back to Siler City.

Do you know what that makes me? A lollygagger. (Bull Durham)

To my surprise Ron and Sridhar were sitting in front of the gas station eating some delicious snacks when I arrived. While I was taking care of the logistics at the control, my jinx prediction became a reality with the first of several showers.

Ron, Sridhar and Matt the ROMA RBA rode on and off together until a stop at the Andrews Store. Notable here was the amount of rednecks coming from a nearby concert that kept buzzing our posse. Insert more colorful phraseology here.One stretch of road was lined with fireflies. However, with the lack of visibility and the slippery pavement, the pace became decidedly slow. Ron and I lollygagged to Al’s house sometime before midnight.

Morrisville-Siler City 200k 2010

Saturday marked the traditional the beginning of the NC brevet ‘season.’ This is not entirely the case with the additional offerings being offered on the calendar. Most of the riders had several brevets or permanents under their belt before toeing the line on Saturday. I still like to think of Al’s 200k as the beginning.

As a side note, Coho bicycles were rolling 5 deep on Saturday. I had the opportunity to check out Jerry’s ride with wood fenders and Wes’s with some serious gold flake. Nice machines gentlemen.

While we prepared bicycles in the parking lot and registered for the brevet, the ride actually starts days prior. It reminds me of a show like the Blue Angles. Their show starts before they arrive at an event. Once the logistics are set up, and the planes arrive. Everything they do when they are at a venue is choreographed. On show day, the real show begins. They march out to their F18s in a ceremony. Each member is introduced as they climb in to the cockpit. The ritual continues one by one. On a cue, number 1 plane taxis followed by the rest. Soon they are in the air performing a masterpiece of precision. The crew and pilots spend hundreds of hours preparing for 10 minutes of flying. A brevet is similar in that weeks of preparation go into a single event.

My preparation for the event in the crucial days prior was horrible and it showed within the first 10 miles as my gas tank emptied. A 24 hour post at work Thursday evening left me drained physically. I had poor nutrition on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. I could have done a little better on the food part. The biggest mistake the morning of the ride was not fully topping off the liver glycogen. It only takes a few hundred calories to do the trick. I think I had only1 Gu. OOPS.

After dropping from the pack, I decided to just ride and make the best of it but I still wasn’t eating and drinking enough. Sometime before the first control in Snow Camp, I started feeling a little achy all over. I came up with a plan that would change the day for the better. 1. Drink more water. 2. Eat more chow. 3. Get some electrolytes in the system. Shortly after leaving the control, I felt like great and rode strong. Of course that is easy with a nice tailwind.

My second mistake occurred at the Siler City control. Once again, I had an exact plan of what I needed to do and started executing upon arrival. I planned to top off water, grab a sandwich for the road, get card signed and depart. I was held up by the lottery players in the gas station. The NC lottery must have some good pay outs because this happened at every several controls on the Fleche as well. Things went as planned, I thought. I headed back to Snow Camp. When I arrived, I realized I left my card in Siler City. OOPS.

I continued with my plan, topped off water etc. Another rider mentioned he saw it sitting on the ice machine in Siler City. I debated returning to get it for a second but thought I should wait to see if Sridhar grabbed it on the way out. He arrived like Saint Nick with the card. SHWEWW.

Another successful ride with some good lessons learned. Thanks to Sridhar for grabbing my card and to Al for a great route, the sandwich and cold ESB at the finish.

Congrats to Mike D and his accomplishment of 100 straight months of at least 100 miles.

Fleche NC 2010

Fleche 2010 began well before the official ride start. According to RUSA, the fleche is a 24-hour event held on or around Easter weekend. This is an ACP-sanctioned event. No rest stop may be longer than 2 hours…A minimum of 360 km must be covered during the event.

First, we had to recruit team members for the adventure. This proved to be fairly difficult but there seems to be no shortage of the mad itchin’ for adventure. We quickly filled our tentative roster only to have 2 randonneurs back out due to prior engagements. They were promptly replaced and one of these had to back out due to prolonged illness. With that, the team ‘Riders on the Bubble,’ was set with team members Gary, Sara, Maria and me.

Next, Gary liaised with RBA Tony over the route and we received updates on the progress as the route evolved. I must point out Gary with Tony as tutor worked hard on the route and it was evident; the route was great.

Logistics was the next obstacle. We decided to drop vehicles at the finish and car pool back to Gary and Sara’s as the start was less than a mile from their home. This would require a full day driving in the car. My car ride tallied 7 hours. It was worth the trip as I had wonderful hosts and received a full and peaceful night’s rest.

After a quick ride to the starting control, we were almost nearly set for the impending adventure. Wait, no…we weren’t. Gary and Maria had to turn around and get a control card. Good to get Murphy out of the way prior to the event right?

Our route took us out of Apex, NC on the American Tobacco Trail before reaching the first control in New Hill. As we wound our way through the country side, we noticed several cyclists out for a Friday morning ride. It was along this stretch that we noticed the sign for a farmer selling ‘tomatoes.’

The winding route took us to Angier then we bopped to Benson. The temperatures kept rising. We reached the Smithfield control and I was cooked but no time to whine we had more miles to cover before sundown.

Arriving in Mt. Olive, home of the pickle fest, around 1800, I completed the chores were found some shade outside the convenience store to cool off and eat. It was cooler at 85F+ outside than inside the store. Note: chores usually include 1) get control card signed; 2) replenish supplies as required. Today it included cooling down. I ditched my civvies in a dumpster that I thought wouldn’t make too much of a difference when the ride began. This helped rid the bicycle of 2-3 lbs and made the rest of the rout mentally easier. I wolfed down a ham sandwich, a Coke and checked in via Twitter. I received a message from Branson who was doing the virtual eFleche from his desk. He stated the temperatures in Smithfield topped out at 90F.

We reached Kinston in the dark and made our way to Ayden for the next Control. Topping off and carrying some extra water we headed out towards Cape Carteret in the dark. We passed through Cove City, Trenton, and Maysville. The most difficult part of this part of the ride was staying awake and not crashing during the micro-dozing. Finally as the sun was rising, we approached Cape Carteret. I smelled sausage coming from the small restaurants.
We reached the 22 hour control with just enough time to sit and have a cup of coffee and a little food. I mistakenly chose to eat an egg and cheese bagel and when we departed the control I left portions of it out the parking lot and all the way over the intercoastal bridge leading to Emerald Isle.

We were truly on Riders on the Bubble as we headed up the island towards Atlantic Beach. Our pace guaranteed a finish baring any mechanicals. All members of Riders on the Bubble completed the ride. We were greeted by several riders that had completed in the previous hours which added to the motivation of finishing. I think I can speak for all of us by saying we would do it again next year. Thank you to RBA Tony Goodnight for setting up the ride and choosing a great location for the finish.

[I will post pictures later today.]

Ride Around Massanutten Mountain 200k

Yawn...Stretch...I finally mustered some strength and came out of hibernation along with beautiful spring weather just in time for the Ride Around Massanutten Mountain 200k Brevet. I figured all I needed to worry about was climbing the back side of Edith Gap and it would be about 90 miles of easy cruising. That was almost nearly the case.

We left Matt's house and rolled into Strasburg, weaved around the north side of the mountains and in no time, the slow climb up Scout Camp road to the crest of Edith Gap. The write up on the ROMA website says, "the only major climb of the day." That is only part of the truth. Sure it is the only major climb but it wasn't the most difficult climb. That would come soon enough. We would wind through the valley along the Shenandoah River towards the south side of Massanutten Mountain. The rolling hills in the valley become very steep in a few areas and provided the most difficulty of the ride.

The control at 100k was welcome. I downed a Coke and refilled the water and I was off. Soon the route turned north along the west side. I suddenly felt like a million bucks and peddled with purpose. It was time to have fun with smaller hills and trailing winds. I would be done in no time.

Until...about mile 105. On a descent all the sudden my wheels made a squealing sound like a dolphin. I stopped to assess the situation and didn't see anything wrong. Same thing on the next long descent. The squeal only seems to occur after 25 miles per hour. Eventually the wheel began producing resistance. I rode gingerly to the finish.

Possibly the bearings are shot in the rear wheel?

I'm ready for some more fun!

Gappity Gap Pics

Pics from the Gappity Gap 100k.

The Gappity Gap 100k starts in Sperryville, VA, climbs 5 miles Thorton Gap, Skyline Drive and descends into Luray. After rolling for a few miles, the route climbs Edith Gap and finally Edinburg Gap before turning around and doing the route in reverse.

This route provides a challenge. Both the 100k and 200k versions are available as a permanent, give it a try.

Surry Century Sep 2009

Livestrong Philly

Starting ride at miles from the start to beat the traffic.

I blame Lance mostly. Apparently the organizers of the Livestrong Challenge in Philly received the memo and created a truly challenging route. More than 6,000 participants lined up in staging areas anticipating the start of the days events.

My event began on the way to the ride’s start. Traffic along the route to the event was backed up for miles. I jumped out of the car at the first parking lot we could pull over at, grabbed the bike and rode 4 miles to the start. The traffic delayed the official start time by 30 minutes allowing most of the participants to arrive and get staged.

The first 30 miles of the ride were a crash-fest. Saturday night’s showers left the asphalt wet under some shady patches of road. The wet roads combined with tricky descents and hoards of riders equaled disaster for some. Before the first rest stop, I saw several riders on the side of the road picking up the pieces form wrecks. At one sloping downhill, a rider was lying in the ditch with a dozen riders ‘assisting.’ The ambulance crews were busy throughout the day.

Rounding another corner, I felt a wheel hit my rear wheel followed by the sound of metal on pavement. The rider behind me was paying attention to the course marshals directing traffic instead of the obstacle in her way (me). She wasn't injured physically.


The course was hilly one blogger called the area (p)hilly. Several climbs were measured at 16-19%. Cresting a steep ascent was often met with another before recover. I got a kick out of this and realized the true meaning of Livestrong Challenge. Thanks for the laugh Lance.

Cheer Squad.

Drum and fife at rest stop.

Philly is the City of Brotherly Love. Evidence was everywhere. All of the volunteers along the route were kind and helpful throughout the event. Along all of the steep climbs there were spectators cheering us on. They all seemed to be ringing a cowbell. “I got a fever…” Other friendly people were sitting on their porches offering cool refreshments and children had their lemonade stands ready for weary riders.

There were so many riders that were inspiring. Survivors and friends and family members riding in honor of a cancer patients or those lost. Many of the participants were not avid cyclists. They just had a desire to get on the road and do something challenging. They wore reminders on their jerseys or written on their legs. On the steepest climbs, these banners of courage gave me a lettle extra boost to reach the top.

An inspiring day.

Finished! Good thing...it's getting hot.

Alert

Kevin, in good spirits, recovering from an accident 3 months ago.

Riding a bicycle in the Tidewater area requires vigilance by both riders and motorists. There have been numerous mishaps this year alone in Norfolk and Virginia Beach. To put it into perspective, there have been 5 accidents on my commute route alone 2 of the fatalities. Three months ago, one of my riding buddies, sustaining a broken C2 vertebrae and arm. The month prior, another buddy, a local racer was hit by a turning car and sustained ankle injuries.

An article about Ghost Rides is found here at 24SevenCities.

The Foto by Wes blog provides advocacy information and general awareness about bicycling in Norfolk.

The Tidewater Bicycle Association's monthly newsletter provides VDOT bicycle laws. This month's letter from the President provides rider's responsibilities and tips for safe bicycling.

The area is not bicycle friendly and despite efforts by the TBA, it will not be any time soon. Recommendations my the TBA have been ignored. The city's answer has been several 'bicycle paths' that lead...to...ummm...I haven't figured it out yet. The don't lead anywhere! And they certainly don't lead anywhere where cyclists commute.

TBA's April Newsletter explains the areas issues in depth. The TBA President writes,

Our proposals to reduce certain side-paths from 10-12 ft down to ordinary sidewalk width (5ft) in places where little use was expected and then to reallocate the resultant space to on-road biking have been brushed off. Ditto for suggesting reductions in the generous landscaping being put in during most road expansions. It seems the city is quite willing to trade our lives for a few extra blades of grass.

Riding in the Tidewater requires you to be alert all of the time, take nothing for granted and obey the laws.

Parkway Ride

We headed inland to the Shenandoah Parkway for a training ride. The goal, ride up and down hills. Mission accomplished. The only downside of the day was spending more time in the car getting to and from the parkway than actually riding. We'll have a different plan next time.

About the hills. On one long climb I was slogging along turning a small gear, my heart rate was somewhere above 90%VO2. Whew what a climb. Then I noticed something strange during the hard effort, I actually had a big smile on my face.

Frederick 400k

I write this with a hangover feeling and a little post traumatic stress. The fog of war leaves me putting all the pieces together. Let me start by saying I had a DNF. I did NOT throw in the towel. The towel was thrown at me as we reached the Gettysburg control shortly after it closed. While tremendously disappointing, it is not the end of the world and I'm left with a hunger for more.

We left Frederick as a large pack of riders at 0400. I had no false hopes or aspirations to attempt to hang with the pack. I will ride my ride. I was soon left in the darkness with only my headlight paving the way to the first control.

As finished writing the required information at the first control (information control) I was caught by several riders. We left as a small group heading up Snickers Gap and rode on and off fairly together through West Virginia. We arrived at the control at C&O Bicycles in Hancock MD for some refreshments and a short rest before we headed to Pennsylvania.

Pennsylvania is where Trouble found me. At a water stop on the outskirts of Chambersburg, PA I had got sick. I took care of business, got some water and we got back on the road. I will NOT quit. I will finish. I figured I would see how I felt when we got to the next town 7 miles up the road. When we arrived, I felt ok and we kept moving. We wound our way through the farms reaching the control at the 18th Century Inn in pretty good shape. Heck, we still had 1.5 hrs in the bank.

At the control, we had some great food. A long table in the middle of the dining room was covered with any kind of chow you could possibly want. Treats, healthy wraps (very good), white chili, fruit, veggies and drinks. We probably hung out too long but we took care of business. When we got ready to leave, I felt like I'd been punched in the stomach but it wasn't that bad. Heck it's only 32 miles to Gettysburg...I can do that!

We headed down the road. We made a wrong turn but only a mile out of the way. On this detour, we saw hundreds of Amish kids playing volleyball at church. They had at least 6 nets set up on the lawn with 10-15 players on a side. They were dressed in their white shirts and black trousers. Horse and carriages were covered and aligned near a shelter belt on the far side of the game field. On the return trip, we noticed the adults in the church having fellowship and the girls were sitting outside the sanctuary in their dresses. Near them were hundreds of bicycles. Everyone waved when we rode by both times. We returned the courtesy.

This detour is also where my troubles really began. I began dozing off on the bike. I figured some caffine would solve the problem and it did for a short time. We reached the climb up Kellers Gap Hollow and through Pine Grove Furnace State Park. The first hills were not a problem and I was excited to get them done and finish the ride.

Pine Grove Road turned out to be the demise of the entire ride. I continued to fall asleep on the bike; more caffine, more Gu. Ride a little farther, doze again. Stop to walk the bike. Fall asleep walking. Ride. Finally I realized that we were in trouble. The control would be closing in 45 minutes and we were still on some dark mountain with no end in sight. The shot of adrenalin was enough to get me going but it was too late.

We arrived in Gettysburg nearly 4.5 hours after leaving the 18th Century Inn control. 4.5 hours to go 30 miles. We arrived after the control closed, the ride ended right there -- DNF.

Sure it was a failure on one hand but it was a fun day on the bicycle riding with great people. I've tried to figure out what to do differently to complete the ride.

I could ride faster! DUH.
Shorter stops at the controls. DUH.
Both of these are great plans but the real mystery is why I got sick, why did it take forever to get through those 30 miles and how in the world can I stay awake on my bicycle. The last one is the most puzzling. A power nap may have done more good than riding at this point.

This ride provided some hard learned lessons and I will keep them (as soon as I figure it out).

Stan -- thanks for hanging with me on Saturday.

A permanent and a malfunction

I received a message last week asking if I was interested in riding his Nottoway 213k Permanent. He mentioned that Kim a strong randonneuse from the beach would be riding and she was bringing some other riders for their first RUSA ride. I couldn’t refuse full day on the bike in the area. Besides it would make for a great training ride.

We gathered at the start of the road and we would start out rolling 5 deep. Disaster struck just 15 miles into the ride. One rider blew out her rear derailleur. An attempt to make it a fixie was made but it did not work and her ride was over. A good Samaritan with a pick up truck offered to shuttle her back to town and her vehicle. The country folk sure are nice in that part of Virginia.

In typical fashion, the wind would start out as a head wind and turn as we did. Most often, the wind in southeastern Virginia switches direction in a complete 360-degree rotation. The route features some small rolling hills and the wind. One of our posse, Pascal, from Belgium said it reminded him of home, with smaller hills.

Enjoy the photos.

Any thoughts on causes of the derailleur malfunction?

Toad at the beach

Last week, we were treated to a free concert at the ocean front by Toad and the Wet Sprocket. I rode down to listen for a while and visit with some friends.


It's what all the locals do.

300k take 2

That's a big hill and we keep getting closer!

It took me 2 tries but I completed a 300k this year; it was a long road and a short story. Last week I “headed down south to the land of the pines” and participated in Alan Johnson’s 300k starting in Morrisville, NC. I rode hard and had fun but in the end my feeble mind got the best of me and I got a DNF. My buddy Jon P. said, “Bro – just finish.” Aye Master Chief! So I cowboyed up and hopped back on the horse for another 300k.



This time it was the DC Randonneur’s Warrenton 300k. Friday evening I registered and completed the bike inspection. While operable headlights and taillights are important, I think they really wanted to get a look at Chuck’s craftsmanship. After the early Saturday morning safety brief we were off into the abyss.

Stanton & George

The ride was truly enjoyable. I rode with some hardy randonneurs like aciene George Winkert. George passed along wisdom whether or not he realized it. Of course I’ve probably heard it a thousand times ‘ride your ride.’ I believe this is the key to successful randonneuring yet it is easy to loose focus. I also rode with Stanton for a while, who is freaking hilarious. Stanton is not in a hurry but finishes his rides. Gentlemen, it was a pleasure.

Old Fence

The merchants at the controls were all courteous and thought we were a few fries short of a happy meal. A few of them had some mean Virginia country jambon sandwiches. I highly recommend.

Information control at Civil War Museum

The crew from DCR that set up the ride, did registration, worked the secret control and stayed until we all safely returned were top notch. The pizza was good too!

Tour de Cure

Why is it that spring seems non existent? It is cold, well chilly, then boom, the temperature spikes! We've been dreaming of warmer temperatures in the Tidewater for weeks but getting rain, wind and cool weather. Saturday, the cool weather left us and we were left with the most beautiful day of the year up to this point. (Nearly the same weather pattern as last year!)

I tepidly joined a group of cycling enthusiasts from work for the Tour de Cure charity ride for diabetes. I have gone back and forth on the decision to ride for months. One of our teammates and riding buddy, Kevin, was struck by a car last week on a training ride. He suffered a broken radius, a sprained ankle, multiple abrasions, a dislocated shoulder and a broken C2 vertebra. His recovery is coming along nicely and he is able to walk. I did not want let him down as he was riding vicariously through us. The evening prior to the ride, we met at Kevin's house for some pasta, pizza and camaraderie.

After a 'rendition' of our National Anthem, the ride began. We took our time crossing the line as we didn't want to crash. Our plan was to make it an easy fun ride or so we thought. I decided to get away from some of the teams packed together and lead our group at a brisk pace for the next 10 - 20 miles. The brisk pace was the trend of the day.

Our group would begin to splinter by the time we reached the 65 mile rest area. In the Tidewater area, a south wind in the morning always turns west then northwest as the day progresses. We'd been riding into the wind for most of the day and it wouldn't change. We became two groups all the way to the finish.

Saturday was a great day for a bicycle ride. I gave Kevin a full ride report on the way home and another rider provided status updates at the rest stops. He felt as though he was riding along.

2009 Morrisville 200k Brevet

The official ACP Brevet 'season' is in full swing. NC RBA Alan Johnson began his series with Satruday morning's 200k. The weather man called for a beautiful day and he wasn't wrong. Around 35 riders headed for a ramble in rural NC.

Overall, I had a great day on the Coho. Although some trouble started within the first 30 miles. Unexplicably, I fell of the pace. A short while later I developed some abdominal pain. For 15 miles, I trudged along in agony. I was caught and passed by several riders. I contemplated turning around and calling it a day. Dean caught up with me and offered some company; there is no way I was going to quit now. I decided I would suck it up until the control which would definately SUCK - big time. Luckily at mile 40, Dean pointed out a port-a-john near a soccer field. This was the day saver or perhaps the season saver?

After our natural break, we were on the road with several riders along our side. Chuck of Coho bicycles caught us and provided entertainment until the control. We paused at the control for a recharge and departed with a posse 5 deep. Chuck, Dean, Keith, Rob D. and I left the Siler City control in good spirits with trailing winds.

Rob and Chuck told some great tales, some of them tall, all the way back to Morrisville. The posse showed true randonneuring spirit slowing when a rider was struggling. We raced to county lines and even one city line. I won a couple sprints although I still reget to inform the group that it was never my intention to earn le malliot vert. At one point I couldn't read my cue sheet, I'd forgotten where we were. I asked Dean where we were. He said, I'm not sure but the county line is right there. I did give it a couple hard pedal strokes and I did win. Fun.

We finished the ride with smiles on our faces and were greeted by Alan with some tomatoe sandwiches and cold beverages. Several riders hung out for an hour or more cheering for the incoming riders.