My first DNF

Early Saturday morning I lined up for the start of the BFL 600k in Lumberton, NC. The forecast was looking ugly- light rain Saturday, overnight temperatures in the 20's, and gale force winds. I've ridden in rough conditions before, so that didn't deter me. I'd had a rough time at the 300k two weeks earlier, suffering from knee pain in the hills, but I hoped that I'd recovered enough. I felt good at the start, staying with a good sized group and making good time. Met some new friends from Ohio- apparently our forecast was much more favorable than theirs! I did one short pull on the front and started to feel the familiar twinges in my right knee, so I went back to the back to draft and spin. Problem with the back of the group is the accordion effect- the cumulative effect of lots of little accelerations just to stay with the group can cause as much damage as sitting out in the wind. I decided to get on Tim's wheel, he's nice and steady. That worked for a little while, but eventually Tim got tired of our slow pace and went to the front to pull. I stuck with the new fast pace for awhile, but it became obvious it was too much for me. The knee pain was back in full force, and we weren't even to the first control yet. I dropped of the back to spin my own tempo.

After the first control I rode by myself and was feeling better, but I think the damage was done. Another group came by with Mike D, Cap'n Ende, and Mark T. They asked me to jump on, but I needed to spin my own pace. I hate that they think I'm being anti-social, but all the work I have to do to keep up with these groups tends to hurt me and slow me down even more. I saw them again when I stopped for lunch at Andy's. The two groups had merged into one and I tried to leave with them, but they took off down the road while I waited for oncoming traffic and I didn't feel like hurting myself even more to try to catch them. I assumed I wouldn't see any of them again.

During the next stretch my right knee got much worse. Since I'd been compensating by working harder with my left I started developing pain in that knee as well. By the time I reached the control at Rocky Point, roughly 200k in I was seriously doubting the wisdom of continuing another 400k. The wind was really picking up and I was running the risk of seriously injuring myself if I pushed through the knee pain. I stopped for dinner and called my wife to talk it over. She was unable to talk sense into me, so I prepared for night riding. I had plenty of time to make it to the next control, so I planned to just keep spinning as easy as possible. If I made it 65 miles to Garland I'd get a bit of tailwind.

The wind got worse, and along with it so did the pain in my knees. After an hour or so I was pretty sure I'd made the wrong decision in continuing. My left knee occasionally popped, and I could no longer stand up in the pedals. I pulled a toestrap out of my bag and cinched it up underneath my left kneecap for some support. It helped a bit. Sometime during this stretch I was surprised when I was passed by the paceline again! How did I get in front of them?!? I pushed harder than I should and caught on the back, where I found out that Mark T had crashed and tacoed a wheel. They waited about an hour for Tony to bring a replacement. Apparently they yelled when I passed by, but in the wind and traffic I never heard them. I stuck with them for a short time, but it was killing me. After a stop sign they pulled away and I couldn't close the gap. Ian H fell back and wanted to pace me back up, but I was cooked. I wish I'd heard them yelling when they had Tony out, I would've piled into his truck and bagged the ride right there. Nothing to do now but soldier on.

I've never ridden in worse headwinds. It was gusting, so just as I'd manage to spin up and get rolling a huge gust would come along and nearly stop me in my tracks. I've since found out that we experienced true gale-force winds, with gusts up to 45mph!! Occasionally a gust would hit from the side and nearly knock me off the road. I'm pretty sure in about an hour and 15 minutes I traveled only 6 miles. During this stretch I remembered my #1 goal for this year is to have fun on every ride. This ride had ceased being fun, and now had become dangerous. Every pedal stroke could be worsening my knee injuries, and I couldn't push hard enough to generate heat and stay warm. I decided to abandon, and stopped to call Tony. Zero cell coverage! I rode on a bit and spotted a closed convenience store, stopped and tried to call again. I got only enough signal for it to ring once or twice, then got dropped again. I had to get going again.

After awhile I was surprised to see someone putting a bike into the trunk of a car. It was Bob from Ohio- he'd been dropped by the group and become so cold he couldn't shift gears anymore. He was shivering uncontrollably and slurring his speech. He'd started knocking on people's doors, looking for help and after a few houses wouldn't open their doors he found a nice local guy who agreed to drive him and his bike to Garland. Seeing him in what looked like a state of mild hypothermia, out in the middle of nowhere with no cell service really drove home the situation I was in. I didn't even hesitate to ask if I could ride along, and we stuffed my bike in the trunk as well. It was nearly 10 more miles before I could get a signal to call Tony, and he made arrangements for Mary F. to come pick us up and take us back to Lumberton.

I got a couple of hours of sleep in the common hotel room in Lumberton, then got up and volunteered to help Tony support the riders who were still out there. We went and got snacks and drinks and I drove them down to Sunset Beach. The two guys up front had arrived there during the night to find that Tony hadn't had a chance to stock up the control since he'd been called out on course to help quite a few riders. I helped get them fueled up and on their way, then greeted the other riders as they came in. Once everyone made it through I took all the drop bags back to Lumberton and then headed home to ice my knees.

I've always known I'd eventually have to abandon one of these rides, I was just hoping it would be a good story and not just something like a crash or a mechanical problem. I think this qualifies. I don't regret starting the ride, though I knew the forecast and my physical limitations. I do think I need to take more time off the bike and let my knees heal.

2011- Goals Met & A Record Set

I had a great year in 2011. Well, on the bike at least... financially it was another story. I was lucky enough to stay healthy and even luckier that my wonderful wife tolerates my crazy cycling adventures! My total bike mileage for the year was 11,071mi. That's a lot of time apart, so without her support and understanding I wouldn't be able to do this. Thank you Jo!

K-Hound award I received at the NC Randos year-end party

I had three goals at the start of 2011: K-Hound status (10,000km of RUSA credit,) to complete my first 1200K, and generally to have more fun on the bike by worrying less about speed and time. Turns out that riding enough permanents and brevets to get to 10,000k is great training for a 1200K... I completed the 1200K in August at Tony G's Taste of Carolina 1200 and finished the year with 10,222km of RUSA credit. In the process I also completed 2 full ACP Super Randonneur series. Not bad for my 2nd year as a Randonneur! None of these rides were super fast, the only rides I ever finished first were solo permanents, and I enjoyed each and every one of them. On New Year's Day I rode a 200K brevet to complete my R-12 for the second year in a row, so I've started 2012 off right!

1200K medal at the finish of the TC1200

RUSA doesn't make a 10,000K medal...

ACP medals for two full SR series

My wife gave me this sticker for my car

I rode in my 3rd Bike MS New Bern event just 4 days after completing the TC1200- it was the best Bike MS ride I've had yet! I didn't bother trying to ride fast or ride the century both days, instead I rode with my wife and a few others from our team, the Selma Cyclepaths. We did the 75 mile routes both days at a reasonable pace and stopped at most of the rest stops to enjoy the amenities. Imagine my surprise to find that the rest stops are stocked with homemade baked goods, Girl Scout cookies, and friendly volunteers. There's even a full lunch at one rest stop, and a couple of stops had live bands! The fast guys blow past all this stuff.

The Selma Cyclepaths had a great year also- we won Top Fundraising Team for the 7th year in a row, raising over $134,000 for the National MS Society's Eastern NC chapter! Our goal for the year had been to raise $150,000- enough to make us the first team to reach an all-time total of 1 million dollars. 2011's fundraising total was still a record year for us, and we'll settle for reaching the million-dollar team status in 2012!

Top Fundraising Team award for the Cyclepaths

I've been thinking a lot recently about what goals I'll set for 2012. I'm thinking about RUSA's American Randonneur Challenge- 2 domestic 1200K's. For me that will mean attempting the Shenandoah 1200 and then the Taste of Carolina 1200 again. No total mileage or RUSA kilometer goals, I think those will come naturally in training for the 1200's. I'm also toying with the idea of riding every RUSA permanent in NC, if I can do that I'll have 5,500km in the bag! The big goal is once again just to have fun on the bike. If I remember the lessons of this year's Bike MS ride I think I can do it, and 2012 will be another great year!

Taste of Carolina 1200K

2011 was a Paris-Brest-Paris year. P-B-P is THE event for a randonneur, and it only happens once every 4 years... but this year it happened during a recession. It was obvious early on that it would be impossible for me to afford to travel to Paris, so I had to resign myself to following my friends from afar during August. But then Tony Goodnight of Bicycle for Life announced the inaugural Taste of Carolina 1200K! This would be the first weekend of September, 1200 kilometers, which is 750 miles... the same distance and time limits as P-B-P, and here in my home state. Much more affordable. The moment I found out about it I determined to complete this ride!

Day 1, Saturday: Of Mountains and Cramps

After a late departure from Raleigh on Friday evening, Geof and I checked in with Tony and got a few hours sleep in the common hotel room in Greensboro. We were up before 3am Saturday morning and preparing for a 4am departure. We rode through the McDonald's drive-thru for coffee and a McMuffin, then gathered with the others at the start. 21 randonneurs started the 1200K, 2 started the 1000K, and quite a few others were there for a short 200K.

I felt great through the early part of the ride, staying with the front part of the group as we left Greensboro heading toward the Blue Ridge Mountains. There was a separation at a traffic light and I found myself in a small group of 5 riders off the front. Turns out they were all veteran 1200K riders, each with more than one of these grand rides under his belt- I was the lone rookie. The pace was easy to handle- we all worked well together, taking reasonably short pulls on the front and maintaining a steady effort. No one was pushing the pace on the easy uphills, saving our strength for the serious climbing to come.

Shortly before sunrise we were caught by another group from behind and our numbers increased. This group contained lots of folks I knew, including a few who were fresh back from P-B-P and only riding the 200K. The consistent effort I had enjoyed so far this morning was replaced by a more typical randonneuring group style- coasting and braking on the downhills, then hammering uphill. I kept up with the group for awhile, but the hills and rollers were getting bigger and these intervals took their toll on me. At about 50 miles in, shortly before the first controle, I started feeling the early onset of cramps. Not a good sign when I knew the serious climbing into the Blue Ridge started at about mile 70... I dropped off the back, let the group go and tried to spin easy and get over these cramps. Had to get off the bike and walk it out a couple of times, but I made it to the controle.

While I was at the controle I loaded up on electrolytes and tried to walk around a bit. The front group left shortly after I arrived, the majority of them heading back the way we came since they were at the turnaround for the 200K. Note to self: never match the pace of those who are only riding one sixth the distance! I still had that crampy feeling when I left the controle. I was alone, a little behind Geof but I knew I'd never catch him or keep up with his pace. I plugged in my iPod and resigned myself to the idea of riding the next 700 miles solo...

I'm not sure if I read the cue sheet wrong or if I was distracted by the cramps, but here I screwed up. I was looking for a turn and I thought it was 3 miles down the road- it never materialized. After another half mile I stopped, pulled out the iPhone and checked the map. Turns out I had missed a right turn less than a half mile out of the controle! I rode back, adding 7 bonus miles and losing 20 minutes of precious time. There were hills in them thar hills, and I was still fighting the cramps so these were bonus miles I didn't need. The climbing was getting more serious, and on every uphill I'd have to stop and walk off a cramp. I began to wonder if I was going to DNF in the first 200K. Joel caught me, he was riding the 1200K just a couple months after breaking his hip in a training accident. Chapeau! We rode together for a bit, but when we got to the big climb on Highway 89 I couldn't keep up with him and let him go.

Highway 89 is about a five mile climb into the Blue Ridge Mountains. I'm not sure how many times I had to stop and walk, but the combination of spinning a low gear and walking from time to time finally worked out the cramps. By the time I got to the top I was feeling much better. Good thing, too because this was just the start of the serious climbing. The route came close to the Virginia border, then dipped back down into Sparta. I stopped at Twin Oaks for food and finally met some of my fellow riders: Joel, Tim L, and John O. were there and eating. While I was eating John P. and Vance showed up, the a rider whom I had just met named "Gator."

Tim & John O. left shortly before I did, then I rolled out alone. After awhile I caught up with them, but there was constant climbing and descending, so it wasn't really what I'd call group riding. I needed to just ride my own pace anyway, and eventually John and I were ahead of Tim and he was out of sight. When we got to the Mountain Grocery controle at the 200K mark we figured he'd roll in right behind us, but the next rider we saw was Vance, then Gator. Turned out that Tim had missed a turn and gotten some bonus miles! We had a nice long stop at the store, then Tim, John, and I got back on the road.

This section was heavy with Labor Day weekend traffic as we headed into Laurel Springs, a popular hangout for bikers in the mountains (I'm talking about leather-clad Harley-riding bikers here- not lycra-clad, shaved-legged bikers.) Figuring the biker bar would be too busy and take too much time for food we moved on down the road back to Sparta and stopped at a Hardee's for a bite. It was about 6:45pm by now and time to put reflective gear back on for night riding.

The three of us stayed relatively together, though there was still enough climbing left that we weren't riding as a group, rather just keeping one another in sight. We paused when we reached the sign for the Eastern Continental Divide and tried to convince ourselves that it was all downhill from there. At about mile 178 we reached the right turn onto Hwy 89- the big 5 mile downhill descent out of the Blue Ridge. John and Tim suggested that I go first since I had the best headlight- the Lumotec IQ CYO N plus. I turned right and immediately started accelerating down the mountain.

The highest speed I saw on my Garmin before the pucker factor kept me from glancing down at it was 45mph... That was about the same time I noticed the beginnings of a speed wobble. As the speed got even higher the wobble got worse, and at one point I thought I was going to lose control of my bike. It felt like it went on for a long time, but it was probably only a couple of seconds before I remembered that you're supposed to lay a knee alongside the top tube to suppress a speed wobble. As soon as I did that my bike stabilized and I started picking up speed again! I have no idea what my top speed was, since later in the ride my Garmin dumped all its data... but you'll read about that on day 2.

We reached the controle at Salem Fork at about 10PM where we grouped up with Vance, John P, and Gator for the 64 mile ride back to Greensboro and our first nap. I had estimated we'd be there at about 3am, but it was 3:45 by the time we arrived at the Best Western. Geof had gotten a room for Sat. night and had told me before the ride that I was welcome to share. He'd given Tony a keycard for me, so I headed up to catch someshuteye. When I opened the door I knew immediately that I needed to find another spot to sleep. Geof was spread eagled across the bed and snoring like a lumberjack! I left him and went in search of new digs. Luckily one of the fastest riders had just left and given his keycard to Tony, so I was able to get into a room and have a quick shower and get some sleep. The climbing in the mountains had slowed me down considerably, so to stay on schedule I really was only able to get about an hour's nap before my iPhone alarm was ringing and Tony was knocking on my door.

Day 2, Sunday: Of Sleep Deprivation and Headwinds

Back on the bike and on the road at about 6:30am I was with Tim, John O, and John P. We made our way out of Greensboro, south towards the Uwharrie Mountains. Just over 20 miles in we hit a bit of climbing on Caraway Mountain Rd. and I found my rhythm. I was out in front of the others over the big climb and descended to the convenience store on the left. As I arrived I saw another rider leaving but couldn't tell who it was. Joel, Mary, and Curt were at the store and preparing for departure. They told me that was Geof going up the road. I hadn't expected to see him again until the finish! I bid them Bon Route and went in the store to stock up on much needed snacks and fluids. John O. and Tim arrived, then John P. arrived just as I was ready to leave.

Back on the road I was back into my rhythm again and feeling surprisingly good. No lingering cramps or soreness from the previous day's climbing extravaganza, so I was making good time. Before the ride I got myself a little iPod shuffle, mainly for the long battery life. It had lasted me all day on Saturday and I'd charged it in the hotel while I slept. I cranked up the tunes and cranked out the miles. Soon I caught Joel, Mary, and Curt but didn't want to lose the rhythm so I just said hello and went on by. A few miles down the road I saw them in my mirror catching back up, so I eased off a bit and they caught me. Joel wanted to have a little chat and see how I was doing, since the last time he'd seen me on Saturday I was walking out the cramps on Hwy 89! We talked a bit and then they said their farewells and eased off the gas. I got my flywheel spinning back up and put the earbuds back in, still feeling good.

It was about Noon when I got to Troy, and the cue sheet lists a Quick Check store on the left. When I pulled in I saw Geof standing there wearing his Texas Rando Stampede jersey, getting ready to roll out. I asked if he wanted to ride to the beach together, then short-stopped the store and we got on the road. It was good to catch up with him, both literally and figuratively! He told me about his ride the previous day and it was nice to have some company on the road, but I was no longer in my comfortzone. It's tempting to push too hard on the uphills to try to match another rider's pace, then when there's a gap it's also tempting to push too hard in the flats to try to catch back up. I was doing it again, and I was feeling the compounded fatigue. We got to the controle in Ellerbe around 2:30pm and stopped for a sit-down burger at the restaurant across the street.

Our long lunch stop was just what I needed to recover, and it also allowed Joel, Mary, and Curt to catch up with us. They were riding by as I was getting ready to roll, but for some reason my Garmin had shut itself off. I'd charged the battery back in Greensboro while I slept, and I had three USB batteries with me for supplemental power. It wouldn't power back up- it does this from time to time and the only fix is a reset, holding the lap & power buttons down for 5 seconds. After the reset it powered back up & showed plenty of battery, but doing that dumps all the data! I was disappointed, but didn't have time to worry too much about it & got on the road to catch up with the others.

The five of us rode together for a short time, but I couldn't get into my comfort zone. Joel, Mary, and Curt were keeping asteady, easy pace but I felt like I needed to spin a bit faster. I went off the front and soon I saw Geof coming to catch me. He caught & rode right by, but this time I forced myself to stay in my own zone and not try to catch him. Time to turn the iPod on and get back into my rhythm. It was harder to maintain a good speed this time, fighting headwinds out of the south generated by Tropical Storm Lee coming up out of the Gulf. Still, I made it to Laurinburg a bit behind Geof and just in front of Joel and crew.

Joel, Mary, and Curt short stopped it, so Geof and I left shortly behind them. When we caught up we found them riding with Micah, who was riding a single speed and also was one of those experienced 1200k'ers in my little group of 5 early on Saturday. He, Geof, and I soon grouped up and had a gap off the front of the rest. We took turns in the wind, but I was pushing myself to stay with the other two and the pace was about all I could handle. We stopped at a store in Rowland and put on our reflective gear for the coming darkness. Geof commented that we needed to pick up the pace! I told them I was at my limit, but back on the road the speed had definitely picked up. We had about 75 miles to go before our sleep stop in Ocean Isle, so I said my goodbyes and eased off a bit. Tunes went back on and it was time to fight the wind alone again.

Out in the country at night it's pretty peaceful on the road. The cars give you more room than they do during the day, probably because of how visible we are with all of our lights and reflectors. I'm convinced that during the day car drivers treat cyclists with disrespect out of contempt, but at night they really can't figure out that we're cyclists until after they've passed! Country dogs, on the other hand, are another story. Their owners let them run free, and they love to chase bikes. The ones that are most dangerous are the ones that don't bark- all you hear is the skittering of paws on pavement and heavy panting. I managed to escape all of them unharmed. As I was entering Tabor City a silver minivan drove slowly up beside me and a menacing voice from inside said "You best get off the road!" When I reached the controle at the Shell Station (the only thing open at 11:30pm in Tabor City) the minivan was parked there with it's doors open. Inside were some wanna-be gangbangers, and I had to fight the urge to comment on their ride. You usually expect a Mercedes, a Hummer, or maybe an Escalade...

I loaded up on caffeine, since by this time I'd been riding for 40-something hours with only an hour of sleep! I had about 35 miles to go, but with the headwinds and the sleep deprivation I figured it was going to take awhile. The caffeine helped for about an hour or an hour and a half, then I really started to worry about my ability to keep riding. I was starting to have little bouts with double vision, and at some point I decided to find a spot to take a nap. I pulled into a church and set myself up on the porch. I set my phone's alarm for a 30-minute nap, but I lay there for at least 10 or 15 minutes without being able to sleep. Each time I started to fall asleep I'd wake up with a start, I was afraid that I'd sleep through the alarm and DNF the whole ride! I got back on the bike and kept going. Then up ahead I spotted a glowing Coke machine beside a roadside car garage and pulled in to caffeine up. That damn machine ate $1.25 and wouldn't give me my Coke.

As I was punching, kicking, and cussing the Coke machine I spotted Joel and crew riding by, so I jumped back on the bike and got right behind them, using their taillights to keep myself awake and on the road. I couldn't ride in their group, I was afraid that in my sleep deprived state I'd be too dangerous. Most of the way I stayed 3 or 4 bike lengths behind Curt, but in the last 8 or 10 miles I was dropping back and then sprinting up over and over just to wake myself with a bit of adrenaline. Finally we rolled into Ocean Isle, just after 3am. I took a shower and got in bed for a serious 4 hour nap.

Day 3, Monday: Of Tailwinds and Saddle Sores

I woke up around 8am and got ready for another day on the bike, then went across the street from the hotel for breakfast. I took my time, and everyone else had rolled out before I was finished. Tony kept encouraging me to get going, telling me I could catch them if I hurried. I was in no hurry, and I knew I'd rather ride my own pace than try to group up with anyone else. I applied some sunscreen and got back on the road at about 9:30am for a solo ride to Tabor City.

It was during this stretch that I encountered one of the most rare and legendary things in all of cycling: the tailwind on the return stretch. I saw Vance arriving in Ocean Isle fighting headwinds, and I yelled "Go Vance, Go!" but he yelled back "I'm done!" It was too bad, but the same wind that he was fighting was helping me make good time, and I arrived back at the Tabor City controle around Noon where I saw Joel, Mary, and Curt again. They had a longer stop than I did, and I got back on the road to enjoy some more tailwinds whipped up by the tropical storm. The rest of the ride back to Laurinburg was solo, and I rolled in there at about 5pm to find Geof, Micah, and others.

The weather had been kind to us through the whole ride, but now we had Tropical Storm Lee breathing down our necks. The forecast called for rain Monday night and all day Tuesday, so most of us changed our plans and decided to push on past Laurinburg to try to make it to Southern Pines before the rain. I'd developed some "saddle interface issues," so I took advantage of the restroom and Tony's supply of witch hazel for a little on-the-road first aid. I also deployed the "third sock." Some of you know what I mean... Once again I donned the reflective gear for night riding and replenished my supplies from my drop bag.

Geof had spilled a gel flask in his front bag and was busy cleaning that up, but I was ready to go so I got back on the road solo. I had the iPod going and was once again making good time. After a little over 20 miles the cue sheet had me looking for a left turn, and I passed an unmarked street and immediately started wondering if I'd missed it. Once I'd ridden a half mile past where the turn should've been I turned around to ride back. Back at the unnamed street I met Micah, also trying to figure out if we were supposed to turn there. I fired up my iPhone and checked the map, only to find out that there was no left turn, we just needed to continue going straight and ignore that cue. Micah called Geof and told him, then we got back on the road.

I rode with Micah for a few miles at a slow pace, having a nice conversation- I thought we were soft-pedaling and waiting for Geof to catch up. After awhile he said he needed to speed up, which was fine with me- I was starting to stiffen up a bit. We upped the pace, but Micah wanted to push harder than I did, so I let him go up the road. A couple of miles later Geof blew past me and rode up to Micah. I could see the two of them up the road all the way to the controle at Hope Mills.

At the controle I had more caffeine and some food, and Chuck showed up looking fairly dazed. He went behind the store for a nap while the rest of us got ready to go. Once again I was ready to roll and didn't feel like waiting for the others, so I rolled out solo. Even in the dark I could see ominous clouds were forming, and occasionally lightning would illuminate the horizon. I stopped at an all night convenience store to change the battery in my helmet light, I was having trouble reading my cue sheet. Geof and Micah rolled up and we went into the store for caffeine, then Joel ,Mary, and Curt passed by. The three of us got back on the road, but on a bit of a downhill I pulled away. When I got to Joel & crew I paused long enough to ask how everyone was doing, then just kept going- once again I'd gotten my rhythm and wasn't feeling like slowing down.

Geof and Micah caught up to me once it started getting a bit hilly coming into Southern Pines. Then they passed me and went up the road. I saw them again at the controle store, and it wasn't too long before Joel, Mary, and Curt rolled in. We went down the road to a Microtel and scored a couple of rooms for cheap. Geof, Micah, and I piled into one and I slept on a couch-like window cushion thingy. It was about 4am, and I set my alarm for 7.

Day 4, Tuesday: Of Torrential Rain and Solitude

After a few hours of shuteye I got up and got ready to go. It had rained while we slept and the roads were pretty wet. I went to the lobby of the Microtel and had some of their "breakfast" and "coffee." Geof and Micah weren't ready to go yet, so I got on the road solo again. I was convinced that they would catch me in the first 20 miles or so and leave me behind anyway. I was feeling pretty good, my legs were a bit sore but not as much as I had expected after 670 miles! After the first 23 miles I stopped ata convenience store for a Frappuccino and a honey bun. I thought perhaps Geof & Micah had passed by while I was in the restroom.

As I got into the Uwharrie Mountains the rain started. It was surprisingly cold rain, which felt great on my sore legs and actually invigorated me. I rode through a couple of hard showers, then the sun came back out and it was beautiful. I was really enjoying myself now, I knew I could make it to the finish... I had enough extra time to handle just about any mechanical problem and I'd been able to tolerate the saddle interface issues that had caused many other riders to abandon. At one point Tony passed me in his white van and stopped on the side of the road to take a picture as I passed. I was well provisioned from my last stop so I kept riding.

Coming into Asheboro the clouds were more ominous. The rain started coming down in buckets before I pulled into the Sheetz controle, and I spotted a white van parked beside the store. There was someone inside, so I assumed it was Tony and he didn't feel like getting out in this rainstorm. Imagine my surprise when I knocked on the window and discovered that this was a house painting crew who had no idea why some crazy cyclist wanted to get in their van! Luckily the van had been parked on the downwind side of the store, because I think there might have been a tornado nearby- the wind was blowing the rain sideways and all of the store's outdoor displays blew down and were scattered across the parking lot. I decided to get myself a sandwich for lunch and hang out there until the storm passed.

The rain didn't stop, but the wind died down enough to get back on the road. Only 30 miles to go, and I made my way through Asheboro, recognizing some of my old haunts from back when I went to school here at RCC. I left Asheboro and made my way back to Greensboro, but shortly before I got into town the rain started again quite heavily. This was the hardest rain yet, and I was dealing with Greensboro traffic at the same time. It was raining buckets as I made my way down Hwy 68 back to the Best Western.

When I arrived at the finish soaking wet there was Biker Bob waiting, offering to take my bike and sign my card. My finish time was 83 hours 10 minutes. I asked where Geof and Micah were, but Bob said they hadn't arrived yet. I'd just assumed they had passed me while I was stopped somewhere. Volunteer Jennifer took my picture and gave me my 1200K medal. Since I was already soaked I walked next door to the parking lot, drove my car back over to the Best Western, and got my dry clothes. Geof and Micah arrived and I went and took a shower, then waited for others to arrive. We greeted Joel, Mary, and Curt who arrived along with Tim, then a few others trickled in. Once they'd all had a chance to clean up and get in dry clothes we all went next door to a Ruby Tuesday for a big meal.

I had a blast on my first 1200K, and I can't wait to do it again next year!

It's been awhile since I wrote...

I can't believe I haven't blogged since the Hot Springs brevet at the end of April! Here's what I've been up to in a nutshell:

-On May 8th I rode the Carthage Coffee Run 200K solo- a little rain at the start, then the sun came out. Then headwinds on the return trip.

-May 22nd I rode the Siler City Express 200k with Wes Johnson. Hilly...

-May 25th I rode the Get 'er Dunn 100K with Dean and a few others- even though this ride starts just about 5 miles from my house this was the first time I've ridden it.

-May 29th I rode Leesvile-Leasburg-Leesville 200K with Geof, Tim, and David. This was David's first 200k, and he chose a hilly route on a really hot day. Geof & Tim went up the road, but I stuck with David and he refused to give up. Chapeau!

-June 5th I rode the Showdown in Black Creek 200K with Geof, Hoffman, Tim, and I think Mike D. and Lynn L. A little rain in the first half.

-June 7th I rode Tim's Whirligig 100K route with Tim and John O. John and I both hit 5000K for 2011 on this ride!

-June 9th I rode the Howling Grits 100K with Maria, Alan J, and Vance. Great food & company!

-June 12th I rode the Tar Heel 200k with Tim L. John O. was supposed to join us but overslept I think.

-June 19th was the Benson Mule Pull 100K with Geof, Hoffman, David, and Tim L. Once again Geof took off, this time with Hoffman. David and I finished with Tim.

-June 26th was the Kerr Lake Loop 200K with Geof, Lynn L, Ian H, Tim L, and Chris W. Fast pace on a pretty hot day.

-June 30th I rode the Get 'er Dunn 100K with David S, then went to the Slow Spokes ride in the evening.

-July 2nd I rode Tony Goodnight's Bicycle for Life 400K brevet out of Salisbury. This was a great test for the upcoming Taste of Carolina 1200K since it started at midnight for a bit of sleep deprivation and took us to the Blue Ridge Mountains for some serious climbing. I felt good at the end- very encouraging!

-July 10th I rode the Carthage Coffee Run 200K with Ian, Geof, Lynn L, David, Tim, Cole, and Isaac. The heat was a major factor, and David was feeling it toward the end. Hung in for the finish though- rando tough!

-July 19th I rode Leesville-Leasburg-Leesville 200K solo. It was cool early in the morning so I tried to make good time. Short stopped the controls since I was by myself. Finished with an excellent time, especially for such a hilly route.

-July 24th I rode L-L-L 200K again, this time with Byron. A more relaxed day, but still hot and hilly. Took about an hour longer than last time, mostly in longer stops.

-August 7th I rode L-L-L 200K solo again- this time about half an hour slower than my best time of 7:56.

-August 16th I rode the Tar Heel 200K solo and realized that I'd been spending all my time training for climbing. Windy flat rides suck. The time on this one was about an hour slower than the last month's L-L-L run, even with approximately 6,000ft less climbing!!

There's 3100 kilometers of rides I neglected to blog about. I'm sure Martin has been wondering what happened to me. Next post will be my report from the Taste of Carolina 1200K!!

Bicycle for Life Hot Springs 200K Brevet

Geof and I decided to test our climbing legs last weekend by riding the Bicycle for Life 200K up in Hot Springs, NC. 125 miles with an approximate elevation gain of over 10,000ft should be a good dry run for the rando bikes to see if Geof's rig is ready for Texas and if mine is do-able for the Taste of Carolina in September. I put a wide range SRAM cassette on the LeMond so I'd have a "bail-out gear" if I needed one. (I did!)

I met Geof at the camera shop and gave him a ride home, then we piled everything into his Honda Fit (great gas mileage) for the drive across the state. Amazing how much stuff you can fit into a Fit... As usual we got a bit of a late start, and then along the way we made a few stops: dinner, a grocery store, and yes- a Wal-Mart! I wasn't sure if Geof would even set foot inside one but he did ok, and I don't think the experience scarred him too badly. My $10 sleeping bag sure did come in handy, though! When we finally rolled into Hot Springs at 12:30am the sidewalks were rolled up and no one was around at the campground. We set up and crawled into our tents for a few hours' sleep, hoping that we'd be able to find someone in the morning and settle up for camping.

We got up at 5:30am and fixed coffee and breakfast, then started getting the bikes and gear ready for the ride. Before I knew it we ran out of time and it was just about 10 minutes till the ride was supposed to start at 7am! I high-tailed it over to the start and got my registration stuff taken care of. We saw that Chris and Annette Camm were there, but didn't know any of the other riders. I'm not sure what the exact number was, but probably 8-10 total.

The route starts in Hot Springs and immediately starts climbing. Most of the first 26 miles is uphill! Lee and Luke- 2 local Asheville guys took off from the gun, and Geof went with them. The rest of us followed, spread out on the climb and each of us spinning uphill at our own pace. I had to roll my armwarmers down and unzip my vest, the climbing was really warming me up. At the top of the first climb was Tony, ready to shoot a blackmail picture of each of us huffing and puffing our way over the summit. On the other side the vest was rezipped and the warmers pulled up as I tucked into a screaming descent in the cool morning air. On the way down we saw the Fléche riders climbing up to the end of their 360K route. Chapeau gentlemen!

After the descent we started climbing again, and I got together with Geof, Rick, Chris, and Annette for a great ride through beautiful mountain scenery:



At one point we came to a T-intersection with a stop sign, but we were a few miles early for the right turn indicated on the cue sheet. Still, the road sign said Big Laurel Rd, and our next turn was a right to remain on Big Laurel so we turned right. Turns out we were wrong. We climbed a mountain and descended the other side before we finally came upon a road sign that told us the road we were on was now called Walnut Creek. I was able to get a roaming cell signal and slowly load up maps on my iPhone to confirm that we were indeed off course, and by quite a lot. Chris, Annette, Geof, and I turned around and started back. Shortly we came upon Rick and he turned around and joined us. We had no idea what had happened to Lee and Luke, we had seen them make the wrong turn before us, but they never turned around. We climbed back over the mountain and descended again to the point where we had gotten off course. Note to self: I need to spend more time familiarizing myself with the route before a mountain brevet. We got 16 "bonus miles" and added about 2,000ft of climbing!

Back on course it was more uphill until we finally made it to the first control. Good thing, because I was out of water and needed a store badly. We refilled and got back on the road, which of course was headed uphill... After this climb we were given a bit of respite, with another screaming descent. On the way down we spotted Lee and Luke climbing up toward us, not sure how they got there but they were headed back toward the control. We kept riding through lovely rolling mountain scenery and eventually they caught us and slowed to our pace to join us. Soon we entered Asheville where there was once again cue sheet confusion. We trusted in the local's knowledge and went the way Lee and Luke said was correct, and after only a few more bonus miles we found control number 2 and restocked the fluids and snacks again. This time Chris and Annette turned around one of their signature short stops and left before us, we wouldn't see them again the rest of the ride.

The next section had us riding north along the French Broad River until we got to a road that would cross the river and let us turn south again. At this point Lee decided to leave the ride and head on home, he wasn't worried about RUSA credit anyway. Luke stayed with us, so it was him, Rick, Geof and me. We had more confusion when we reached the correct mileage for a right turn onto New Leicester Hwy, but the road was actually called Old Leicester. We turned anyway, but then were unable to find the next turn, a left onto Old Newfound Rd. Once again the iPhone came in handy, a quick check of the map showed that we could backtrack and get on New Leicester Hwy, then take it to Newfound Rd. Back on course again we soon found ourselves faced with another mountain to climb. It wasn't long before Geof and Luke were out of sight around the switchbacks and I was alone with the climb. This one was really hard for me. I needed food- by this time it was around 2pm and we hadn't stopped to eat any real food yet. I spent most of the climb in my bail-out gear (34/32!) spinning along at maybe 5mph. At one point I had to stop in some shade and rest for a minute. I had 2 shots of Hammer gel and half a Clif bar, 2 Endurolytes and lots of water then got back moving again. Just after the summit I came into the small town of Canton and spotted a convenience store. Sure enough, there were Geof and Luke looking about as tired as I felt. We had a nice, long stop and we were eventually joined by Rick as well.

Back on the road we made a few quick turns through town and then fought a mean headwind all the way to the penultimate control at Iron Duff. I was never able to keep up on the little climbs, then I would put out too much effort trying to bridge the gap and get back with Geof and Luke. At one point I made it back up to them, but then just couldn't keep up the pace and was soon dangling out in the wind again. Around this point I was also realizing that in my morning rush I had forgotten to apply sunscreen. The hunger, climbing fatigue, sunburn, and wind were really wearing me down. At the control store I had a long to-do list. Bought sunscreen, water, a snack, and a fizzy caffeine drink. Applied the sunscreen while conversating with a little old lady who was smoking a cigarette out on the bench. Filled my bottles, one with water and the other with Mountain Dew, and I was ready to go.

I had thought that the others would have been making a shorter stop than me, but they were still milling about. I was sure that the worst climbing was ahead of us- the climb up Betsy's Gap, and I figured that the guys would catch me and pass me by at some point, most likely before then. I went ahead and took off, telling them I'd wave as they passed me on the climb! I felt great on this section. Just like on previous rides, as soon as I get out by myself and start riding my own pace I do really well. I think that trying to push hard with the strong guys up the hills and trying to bridge the inevitable gaps is both physically and mentally exhausting. I probably go slower over the whole course from burning myself out like that in the first place. I know I've been in situations where I'm close to the dreaded bonk from riding like that, and I've barely been able to turn the pedals over. Now I was by myself, climbing in my own rhythm, and enjoying the scenery. There were quite a few big hills, and I kept wondering if I was starting the big climb but they would always turn out to be just really big hills.

When I hit the big climb there was no question this was it. Slowly but surely I ground my way up. Turn after turn I'd wonder if I would come around the curve to see the top- only to see more uphill and switchbacks. Still, it was gorgeous up here and there was very little traffic. The sunscreen had helped a bit with my sunburn, my skin didn't feel so hot anymore. I was reluctant to pour any water on my head to cool down, I figured I'd need to drink all that water! I even shot a little solo video:



When I finally got to the top I was surprised that I hadn't seen Geof and Luke. That was a long climb- probably 4 miles or more- and I was going up at about 5-6mph! Oh well, no time to worry about that, it was crazy descent time. I zipped up the jersey and took off. By this time I was really getting the hang of curvy descents on the LeMond. It's a different feel than the Specialized- not quite as twitchy. This descent was soooo much fun! I was sure I'd be picking bugs out of my teeth later from the ear-to-ear grin that was plastered across my face as I flew down the mountain I'd climbed so slowly for the last hour or so. Even when I was down off the mountain and in the valley I was still going downhill, so I was flying and making up for all the time I'd spent creeping along. I sped through the towns of Luck and Trust and then over one last little climb before arriving back in Hot Springs. I didn't see Tony anywhere, so I got my card signed at the Iron Horse and had a pleasant conversation with a gentleman from Durham about randonneuring. He's a cyclist too, and he sounded pretty interested! About 15 minutes after I arrived, in rolled Geof and Luke. Shortly after they showed up in rolled a Dart team that contained John P. and his ear-to-ear grin! We all stood around talking and taking pictures for awhile, then I headed back to camp for a shower. My time turned out to be 12 hours and 7 minutes- not too shabby considering 23 bonus miles in the mountains!

A Tornado-Free NCBC 300K

Randonneurs pay special attention to the weather forecast. Usually when it calls for rain or cold we just bundle up in wool and soldier on, but that was not to be the case for last weekend's NCBC 300K Brevet. A line of dangerous thunderstorms was bearing down on our area and had already produced tornadoes and damage west of us. Some discussion ensued about the safety of holding the ride anyway, and eventually RBA Al Johnson made the decision to postpone the brevet by one day. It turned out to be a VERY good decision as the Triangle area was hit with a reported 62 tornadoes on Saturday that led to over 20 deaths.



Sunday was a much better day, and about 20 riders lined up at the start. It was a tad cool, but we warmed up nicely as we left Morrisville as one big group. It was an easier initial pace than the 200K a couple weeks earlier. As we approached the Chatham County line I heard Martin behind me say "I guess since Jerry's not here nobody's going to go for the county line." I hadn't been paying attention, but since I had a reminder I jumped and took the "sprint" uncontested. I took advantage of the small gap that I had on the group to get my point & shoot out for a video.



The usual suspects who always push the pace seemed to be absent, but Annette kept speeding things up on the front as we approached Jordan Lake. I got on her wheel and soon I noticed that there were only a couple others with us. She pulled all the way across the lake and almost all the way to Lystra. I took over after she pulled off, but Lin passed me on the downhill so I got on his wheel. Once the road turned upward again I was back on the front, but before I knew it Tom passed me with no one on his wheel, so I jumped on it. I was getting pretty much a free ride to Jack Bennett with the front group! Once onto the climb on Jack Bennett I got into my climbing rhythm and found myself out front solo. I wasn't surprised though when Geof showed up to join me at the top, and there was a group of front runners just behind him.

We kept rolling and enjoyed the nice fresh asphalt of Andrews Store Rd. Shortly before we got to Frosty's Kim told me she'd forgotten to put any food in her pockets, it was all stashed in her seat bag. I rummaged around in my front bag and passed her a chocolate chip Clif bar. Always nice to have some good karma to cash in later! Up Chicken Bridge, Castle Rock/Old Switchboard, then past Lindley Mill and we were on the rollers to Snow Camp.

It was a short stop at the control at Snow Camp, but still the Camms took off before the rest of the pack. Then Tim left, saying he had a front tire going soft and hoping there would be a volunteer with a floor pump at Siler City. The rest of the group was leaving and Geof wasn't quite ready yet. I was kinda waiting, but didn't want to get dropped if he put the hammer down to bridge the gap, so I took off. I knew he had the ability to catch, so I was just worried that the group would get too much of a gap on me. I caught them in short order and it wasn't much longer before Geof was back in the fold.

At Siler City the Camms were almost ready to leave just as we arrived. I was still filling bottles when they took off, and I saw Tom go with them. Tim had replaced his leaky front tube and was ready to join the main group again. I went ahead and took off with a small group, knowing that some of the strong riders who weren't yet ready to go would catch us on the hills to Seagrove. If I want to have a good time on one of these brevets I have to minimize my time off the bike. Sure enough, the hills took their toll on me- Geof, Mike, and John caught us shortly. I got dropped on the way into Seagrove and was the last of this group to arrive at the control.



I needed a break and some solid food, so I ordered a ham & cheese and had a sit-down. Unfortunately that meant that everyone left except Mike and John. Great company to be in, but I didn't have a prayer of keeping up on the climbs. As we left Seagrove it was obvious that I couldn't maintain their pace uphill, so I intentionally let them go and settled into my own rhythm again. I pretty much resigned myself to the idea that the entire 2nd half of the brevet would be solo. As I was on the return I saw other riders coming in for about the first 10 miles. After that I was alone with the road, the bike, and the occasional car. I got back to Siler City and saw riders leaving the control as I got stopped by the light. Joel was volunteering and had set up in the parking lot with drinks and snacks, and Tim was there eating a sandwich at the back of Joel's truck. I didn't even get off the bike, just rolled up, got my card signed, grabbed a Rice Krispy treat, and continued on my way.

Still solo all the way back to Snow Camp, but when I arrived at the control there was Geof, Mike, and John. I took a little time here, replenished the fluids and ate a snack. We all left together, but once again I was having trouble finding my rhythm in the group. It seemed like I'd always have to brake on the downhills to keep from running into the wheels in front of me, but they'd get a gap on me on the uphill. Having done that before I knew it would only take a couple of those before I'd burn myself out trying to close those gaps after the uphill. I just started riding for myself, keeping a steady effort and maintaining my cadence. I got ahead of the others for awhile, but they would close the gap some on the uphills because they were putting out more effort than I was. Then on the flats they would soft pedal and downhills they would coast, while I maintained my steady effort and I'd pull further ahead. This went on for awhile until Geof caught up with me and passed on a hill. I didn't change anything- chasing him would blow me up, so I just kept going.

Mike came up to me and said hey were stopping for a nature break and asked if I wanted to wait and ride in with them. I hope he didn't think I was being anti-social, I just needed to keep my own rhythm going and not try to keep up with someone else's. They stopped and I kept going. A little while later they caught me and passed, and soon they were out of sight. I was passing Frosty's so I didn't have too far to go, but the pollen was really starting to bother me. I got that can't-breathe feeling and had to ease up even more. I decided that I'd stop at Andrews Store, and there were Mike and John also taking a break.

Once again they offered to ride in together and I tried to talk them out of it. Not only did I not want to slow them down, but I didn't want them to speed me up! I finally relented to the peer pressure to ride with the group, and they waited while I took a much needed break before we left together. Quite a few times in those last miles I was gapped off on a little incline, but they kept easing off and waiting for me. Nice folks. I would've understood if they'd gone on without me. We rolled into Alan's place at 7:52, just one minute after sunset! I did turn on my light, but just for safety so cars could see me. I was still wearing sunglasses. Alan had sodas and pizza for us, and a birthday cake for John. This year's time of 12:52 is 2 hours and 26 minutes faster than my time on this same course last year! Almost all of that time was made up at the controls!

Triple Hump

Geof put out the word that he wanted to do some hill training to prepare for his Texas Rando Stampede 1200K ride, so I suggested the classic Triple Hump in Stokes County. I modified the route a bit, but kept the 3 major climbs: Sauratown Mountain, Pilot Mountain, and Hanging Rock. I've never attempted any serious climbs like this, so I was nervous. Would I even be able to do it?

I couldn't get to sleep Saturday night, my mind wouldn't stop fretting about the next day's climbing- not to mention the descending! One of the things people forget about riding mountains is that sure, the climbing is hard but the descending is more dangerous. I'd had about 2.5 hours of sleep when we left Cary early Sunday morning to meet David in the parking lot on top of Hanging Rock at about 9am. I brought the Specialized Allez instead of the LeMond rando bike- perhaps saving a pound and a half would make the difference between survival and utter failure. Geof brought Claire, his newly built custom randonneuse, and David was riding his Soma Stanyan.

It was chilly and foggy atop Hanging rock as we prepared to set off. I put on arm warmers, but elected to leave behind the jacket and knee warmers since I wasn't running a bike with bags to stash the layers once peeled. The forecast was for mid to high 70 degree highs later in the day. The ride starts with a screaming descent of Hanging Rock and it was COLD. Pretty sure all three of us were experiencing some shiver-induced speed wobble! Once down the mountain it was still cold and foggy, but at least we were traveling at a more reasonable rate of speed. A short ways down Moore Springs Rd. we passed a convenience store and noted their sign that advertised Hammer Nutrition products- made a mental note to stop on the way back before the final climb of the day. The ride over to Sauratown Mountain was chock full of "rollers." Of course, back here at home they would be classified as big hills! The climbing served to warm us up a bit, but inevitably we'd crest the hill and go speeding down the other side again.

Before we knew it we were at Sauratown Mountain, which on paper looked worse than it turned out to be. MapMyRide had it as a 5 mile climb with an average 4% grade, but that was taking into account the 2 miles leading up to the turn onto Sauratown Mtn Rd, so when we thought we were starting we only had 3 miles left to the top! Also this road is mostly straight, with only 2 big turns so it's easier to maintain a climbing rhythm. I kept Geof in sight for quite awhile, and in this fog that meant that he was probably within 50 or 100 feet of me! Eventually he gained enough of a gap that I lost sight of him, but when I suddenly broke out of the fog into bright sunlight near the summit I could see him just ahead. At the top he had maybe 2 or 3 minutes on me. David was just behind us. Climbing and sunshine had warmed us up so the layer peeling commenced, and everybody had a snack before we set off for the day's second screaming descent.

When we re-entered the fog on the way down Sauratown the temperature dropped drastically. I was wishing I still had my warmers on. My companions disappeared into the mist as my shivering caused me to have to slow down to avoid the wobbles. Thank goodness the organizers of the Three Mountain Madness had spray painted "SLOW" on the road just before the big curve because in this thick fog we couldn't see that far ahead! As I came around the curve I spotted Geof & David on the side of the road and I worried that something bad might have happened. It was hard to stop on such a steep slope, but when I got to them I discovered that it was just that Geof had flatted his rear tire. Turns out it was a cheap tube, and the heat from heavy braking caused a leak. He patched it while I held Claire so she wouldn't get too dirty and we continued on our way.

Flat #1

The first serious climb was behind us and I was very happy with my performance. I'd read about climbing and descending techniques, so I was just trying to find my rhythm and keep my heart rate from getting too high. It worked. Now we were on our way to climb Pilot Mountain. I've driven that road before- it's the quintessential mountain road with steep twists and turns and switchbacks. The kind of road that you drive up in 2nd gear and overheat your brakes on the way down. MapMyRide has it as a class 2 climb: 3 miles at an average 7.1% grade, and in that 3 miles you climb 1,100 feet! I've ridden centuries with less elevation gain than we were about to do in just a few miles.

The roads between Sauratown and Pilot were more of the same rollers, with at least one really good grinder thrown in for good measure. The chilly fog had been replaced by sunshine and warm temps, and the arm warmers came off again. As we approached Pilot Mountain I got away on a downhill and built up some speed, came around a bend and saw the Surry County line. Geof and David were way back, so I took the sprint without challenge. They were starting to catch up to me about the time I made the left turn into the park to start the climb, and I saw Geof stop to have a nature break. I thought I'd take the opportunity to get a bit of a gap since he'd most likely pass me very shortly on the climb anyway. The first bit wasn't bad at all, but then the grade really kicked in and I had to find my comfort zone again. I figured I could go a little harder than I did on the last climb, so I tried to keep my heart rate below 180 (about 90% for me.) I was running a compact crankset (50/34) and a 12-26 cassette, so pretty much the whole way up I was in a 34-26! I used all the tips and tricks I've read about; alternating sitting and standing, taking the outside line since it's not as steep, relaxing, and controlling my breathing. It all worked. It was very hard, but I never felt like I was pushing beyond my limits. At one point I saw Geof behind me but I didn't try to speed up or worry about getting caught, just kept riding my comfortable pace. I reached the parking lot at the summit and no one had caught me! As a matter of fact it was a little while before Geof came along, seems he had been having shifting problems and couldn't go all the way down to his lowest gear (not sure I would've even made it to the top with that issue!)

At the top & still smilin'!

We took pictures and posted status updates to Facebook from the top of the mountain and then started the descent. I went first, and on the very first turn I misjudged how tight the switchback was and "overcooked it" a bit, crossing the double-yellow and raising the pucker factor drastically. I think I was a bit timid on the next few turns because Geof and David were close behind me, so I got braver and started taking the turns with more gusto and built up a little lead on Geof. I didn't want to force him to brake too much and have the same overheating problems he had on Sauratown. Soon I could no longer see my companions in my mirror, and I was really getting the hang of this descending thing. When I reached the visitor center at the bottom I stopped for water and hoped Geof and David would see my bike parked there. Once my bottle was full they still hadn't arrived and I started to worry. When a minivan stopped on the way down to tell me that one of them was on the side of the road up there with a wheel off I was pretty sure Geof had flatted again. I waited a bit, but finally decided to ride back up to them so I could come back down again! Sure enough, everybody was fine but Geof's patch job couldn't take the heat from the braking and Claire had gone flat again.

Flat #2

He did another quickie patch job and we rode down to the visitor center, but the tire was flat again by the time we pulled in. Geof finally had to just put a brand new tube in it. It was a cheapie Kenda tube that kept going flat, probably a good lesson to learn before Texas...

Flat #3

Now that Claire could hold air again we got back on the road and hit a store in Pinnacle for liquids and snacks, then headed back along the rollers toward Hanging Rock. We were treated to fantastic views of Pilot and Sauratown Mountains and some really fun roads. Just before Hanging Rock we stopped at the convenience store and sampled their Hammer Nutrition products. Location, Location, Location! One quick right hand turn and we were back to climbing. This time Geof had a lead, so I was just happy to keep him in sight. There'd be no way to catch him since he would just speed up if he saw me coming. At first I tried to close the gap a bit, but it was definitely better to just find my own rhythm and get it done. There's no way to catch Geof on an uphill if he still has air in his tires.

At the top I wasn't too far behind, I still had him in sight when he turned into the parking lot. All in all I had a great day on the bike and found out that I can actually do this climbing stuff!