RIDE REPORT AND WRAP UP

To begin with let me say two things. One, I’m delighted. Two, Oops.

I’m delighted with how the day turned out. It was a truly grand ride.

The oops takes a bit more explaining. I didn’t anticipate a significant detail. In our part of the world, the little town of Gay, GA absolutely explodes on the first weekend of May and October. It’s the “Cotton Pickin’ Fair”! This event draws folks from miles around. And our route was one of the two most travelled directions to Gay. That meant we had to contend with a lot of traffic during the early part of our ride. But the Fair factored in later in the day too. Our lunch stop is south of Gay, but also a popular destination, and right on the other most travelled approach to the Fair. This meant that the Bulloch House was positively overwhelmed. So we had to endure a considerable wait before we were seated.

Let me offer my profound apologies to the other riders. I missed the significance of the date when I scheduled this ride. All turned out well, and it won’t happen again. In extenuation I would like to plead youth and inexperience coupled with long and faithful service. That’s my story and I’m sticken to it.

We convened (most of us) a little before dawn, and made our pre-ride preparations. Present (in no particular order) were Kelvin Arcelay, John Cloud, Deb Kalish, Cindy Whitley, Lisa Price, H. L. Jackson, Chris Muntzel, Ed Clark, Scott Rutkowski, and your humble servant.

We got under way in the dawn gloom, slightly chilly, but clear overhead, little wisps of fog here and there. South down the Peachtree Parkway. We almost had the Parkway to ourselves at this early hour. A brisk climb up Rockaway Rd, to Senoia helped warm everyone up. For a wonder, no one needed to take a “nature break” in Senoia, so we proceeded on south to GA-85.

Usually the six mile stretch of 85 is almost deserted at this hour of a Saturday. That wasn’t the case on this day. We were absolutely flogged by the traffic speeding toward Gay. It was a real relief to turn off of 85 and head west into the rollers of GA-362. More, the Sun was well up and it began to seem like it just might warm up a bit.

We made good time to the break point in Greenville, and after a brief break, left in good order.

I should mention that I’ve been doing these rides for several years. In that time, no two of them have been even close to each other in character. This edition was marked by a group that started out determined and focused, and pretty much remained that way throughout the day. At the same time, the group seemed to be chafing at the restrained and disciplined pace. This gang wanted to turn the ponies loose!

Ed was a more than welcome addition to the group. He’s done this stuff before, and our riding styles compliment each other well. Coming out of the town of Pine Mountain, I asked Ed to bring up the rear as I led the climb up the flank of the mountain. I would then mark the turn onto GA-190 for the group, let Ed pass me, and I spent the rest of the trip across the top of the mountain riding “chaser” at the back. This works well. It’s almost impossible to hold the climbers in on this part of the ride. For that matter, it’s also impossible to keep the descenders throttled back on the screaming straight line descent into Warm Springs. This works well. There are good rally points at the end of each of these sections.

Lunch, as I’ve mentioned before, was delayed. I can’t blame the staff at the Bulloch House. They were working as fast as they could, and still managing to deliver excellent service and wonderful food. They were just simply overwhelmed by the numbers. It was Fair day in Gay. (I won’t make that mistake again!)

I should mention, Cindy Whitley and John Cloud both set new distance records for themselves. Neither had done more than a 65 mile ride before Saturday. Both did an excellent job of staying with the group, and contributing to the whole ride.

The trip north from Warm Springs was uneventful, and pleasant. The afternoon was warm, but not oppressively so. The general tone of the group was cheerful. We held the pace down for the first hour after lunch, for digestion’s sake, and then picked it up a good bit.

I should mention that there was one outbreak of sprinting insanity. This was on the last leg of the trip, coming down Huckaby Rd. There is an almost irresistible sprint line to the end of this road, and we did get an old-fashioned “stop sign sprint.” Alright, most folks had the good sense to simply sit and wait for sanity to return, but three of us just had to go play. And yes, I admit it. I was one of the group. (Honest, I didn't start it.) Doesn’t happen often, but it was a fun day.

As is the tradition for these rides, we formed up in a column of twos and took the lane coming back into town on the Peachtree Parkway. It’s our way of parading home in triumph, at the end of a long and successful ride.

We had a bit of socializing and a good solid snack at the end of the trip, and then all went our separate ways.

I’d like to thank each and every one of you who came out and rode on this perfect fall day. Congratulations to each of you. Everyone of you met some kind of challenge along the way. Each of you dealt with your personal challenges with gallantry and courage.

Bravo!

Numbers: Time on Bike = 8:40. Stopped time = 2:54. Total time = 11:34. Moving average speed = 14.3.

In parting, I’d like to point out that a Randonneurs USA sanctioned 200K brevet must be completed in 13:30. So each and every one of you could have accomplished that feat, and could in the future, if you so choose. It’s also an axiom among randonneurs, if you can do a 200K, then you can do a 300K. If you can do a 300K, then you can complete a 400K. If you can complete a 400K, then a 600K is within your reach. What comes after that? A grand randonee of 1000K or the grandest of all, Paris-Brest-Paris 1200K. Think about it.

Until we meet again, let me wish you all, Bon chance et bon route!

RIDE REPORT AND 200K WRAP UP

I'll get a full ride report out tomorrow. I promised I'd have the cue sheet out today, so here it is.

AUDAX 200 k (125 MILE)

GO MILES CUE COMMENTS
0.0 0.0 N/A Start at Bicycles Unlimited
0.1 0.1 R Peachtree Pkwy
3.9 4.0 R Robinson Rd
1.0 5.0 R Holly Grove Church Rd
1.0 6.0 L GA-74 (caution fast traffic)
0.2 6.2 R Rockaway Rd
2.8 9.0 ST Becomes Main St
0.6 9.6 L Travis St
0.0 9.6 R immediate onto Broad St
0.2 9.8 ST X GA-16 onto Luther Bailey
0.4 10.2 L Onto Dolly Nixon Rd
3.5 13.7 R GA-85/74 S caution
6.3 20.0 R GA-362
11.2 31.2 L Roosevelt Hwy
0.3 31.5 R County Farm Rd
1.6 33.1 L around square
0.1 33.2 R out of sqaure onto Roosevelt Hwy S
0.1 33.3 R into store
0.0 33.3 continue out of store
4.1 37.4 R GA-18
0.1 37.5 ST Caution very bad RR tracks
11.9 49.4 L US-27 / Main St
0.3 49.7 R into store
0.0 49.7 continue out of store
1.1 50.8 L GA-354
2.5 53.3 R onto exit ramp to GA-190
0.1 53.4 L onto GA-190
8.4 61.8 L GA-85 alt
3.4 65.2 R at light onto Roosevelt Hwy
0.1 65.3 R to stay on Roosevelt Hwy
0.3 65.6 L Bulloch St
0.1 65.7 L into Bulloch House
0.0 65.7 R Bulloch St
0.1 65.8 R Roosevelt Hwy
0.3 66.1 L to stay on Roosevelt Hwy
0.1 66.2 R at light onto GA-85 alt N
10.2 76.4 L onto GA-85 & 74 N
7.0 83.4 R Into store
0.0 83.4 reverse course out of store and
0.0 83.4 L immediate onto Flat Shoals Rd
7.5 90.9 L GA-18
1.7 92.6 L College St
5.9 98.5 L GA-362
0.1 98.6 R Kings Bridge / Hollenville Rd
6.8 105.4 R into store
0.0 105.4 continue out of store
3.4 108.8 BL onto GA-85conn
0.9 109.7 R Brooks Woolsey Rd
0.5 110.2 L Huckaby Rd
1.5 111.7 R Risging Star Rd
0.5 112.2 L Old Greenville Rd
2.8 115.0 L Goza Rd
1.2 116.2 L Bernhard Rd
1.1 117.3 ST X GA-85 caution fast traffic
6.8 124.1 R into parking lot
0.1 124.2 FINISH!!!

ONE LAST QUESTION ANSWERED

I'm referencing a question posted a day or so ago about last minute bike checks and day-before-the-ride riding.

If you have done what you should, your bike is ready. Don't mess with it.As for a "leg loosener," I'd advise against it. I've seen a lot of good long rides wrecked in just this way. Be patient. We'll do lots of riding on Saturday. (grins)

24 HOURS AND COUNTING

Ride time is 7:30. (Sharp)

Location: Bicycles Unlimited, Peachtree City, GA.

Forecast: Holding and good. Likely mid 50s at ride time, with a high in the upper 70s. Skys will be mostly clear, light winds from the north to north west. Rain chance is very low.

Get a good night's sleep tonight, and a good breakfast in the morning.

Look here on Monday for a post with a final report and a copy of the cue.

ALMOST THERE

Folks, there's very little time left until ride time. So only a very few things need to be said.

Last minute questions or concerns: Now is the time to let me know. I'm not in the shop today, but will check this blog regularly. I'll be in the shop tomorrow, until 5:00 PM, at 770-486-9252

Ride time: We will start riding at 7:30 AM on Saturday. We will start promplty, so be sure to arrive early. Sunrise will be at 7:35. We will have daylight as we start, but tail lights are a good idea.

Cue Sheets: I'm not bringing any extra cue sheets along. I'll post a cue sheet as part of a post ride blog post.

SUNSCREEN:

Directions to the shop:
From Atlanta:
South on I-85 to exit 61 for Fairburn, Peachtree City, GA-74
Go left at top of exit on GA-74
G0 7.6 miles and turn left onto the Peachtree Parkway
Go 3.2 miles and turn right into the parking lot You're there.

From Fayetteville and points north:
Take GA-85 south to the court square
Turn right on GA-54 (west) toward Peachtree City
Go 7.7 miles on GA-54 and start looking to the right
When you see McDonalds and Chick Fil A on the right...
turn right into shopping center
Bicycles Unlimited is at the opposite end of the shopping center, three doors from the Kroger.

From Griffin:
Take GA-16 to the West
Turn right on GA-74/GA-85
Go 3.0 miles and turn left on GA-74
Go 7.2 miles and turn right on GA-54
Go 1.5 miles and turn left onto the Peachtree Parkway.
Turn right immediately into shopping center. You're there.

Please park remotley from the stores. The shop will be open on Saturday, and will need the close parking for customers.

See you there!

COUNTDOWN CONTINUES

The cold front has passed through. An upper air trough has developed and stabilized, bring cool Canadian air into the state. The outlook appears stable for the next several days.

Current forecast for Saturday: Ride time temp is 53 degrees, falling to 49 by 08:00 AM, then rising to a high in the upper 70s. Sky will be partly cloudy. Rain chance is very low.

So get those last preps done today. Everything laid out. Tomorrow should be a nice relaxed day.

Be sure to get plenty of sleep tonight and tomorrow night.

One more day and a wake-up to go.

FINAL APPROACH JITTERS

I’ve been getting some questions that translate to, “What if I start this thing and find that I can’t make it?”

Okay. Everyone who has contacted me, everyone who I know plans to go. You can do it!

But what if…?

You won’t be stranded. Look, this is a self-supported ride. We don’t have the safety net of SAG wagons, road paint, crewed rest stops, etc. On the other hand, we aren’t doing this in a third world country. There is help, support, and relief all around you. We will support each other. We are strong, and determined, and resourceful, and well equipped. Relax! It will work out, and it will be fun!

But what if…?

Well, the correct attitude for this thing is to start it with the committed full intent to finish. Plan to succeed. Plan to finish. You will.

But what if…?

Alright already. Over the years that I’ve been doing this, I will admit that there have been a few DNFs. (That’s Did Not Finish) In fact there have been exactly four.

I am happy to report that they are all alive and well, and we are still friends. Two of those riders chose, before hand, to leave the ride mid-way, and arranged to be met in Warm Springs. (I’d prefer for you to do the whole ride, but this is a low stress way of doing part of it.) One year, one rider had a pretty severe asthma attack. We lowered the pace and got him to a good safe place to be met and picked up. That leaves only one other rider. This individual developed pretty severe knee pain. He admitted that he was undertrained. He arranged pick up in Warm Springs. He lives and rides happily to this day.

It is possible that you might have to abandon the ride. I do have a contingency plan to recover a stopped rider. However, that rider may just have to wait for quite a while before that pick up is made. The distances of this ride necessitate that. I think it very, I’d even say extremely, unlikely that any of you will need to abandon.

Relax. Fear is natural. Look it in the face and laugh at it. You have little to fear, and much to gain.

Current Weather Outlook: The cold front is arriving now. Current forecast for Saturday: Low 50s at ride time. High in the upper 70s. Partly cloudy. Very low rain chance. Still looks near ideal.

LAST MINUTE TECHNIQUE ADVICE

I’ve mentioned these things in previous posts, but here’s some practical advice on a couple of “cooperation items.” I’ve organized this stuff to match the different types of riders.

Climbers: You can really beat up the other folks on a ride. Your ability to ascend on the wings of doves is annoying and disheartening to your fellows. At the same time, it really buts you to slow on the hills, and in some cases, it’s down right painful. So how do you manage to not burn your tender knees going slower, and still not earn the total contempt and enmity of everyone else? Simple. Use just a little discipline and a bit of strategy. As you see a good climb coming up ahead, drop to the back of the group. Let a gap open up before the climb. Then gradually close up on the group as the hill (or mountain) comes on. If you close completely, please do not pass the group. This practice is demoralizing. What you might do is slow down for a few seconds, let the gap open again, and re-close it.

Descenders: You love the screaming descent. You can find another one or two miles per hour on even the slightest decline. If it’s steep, you will drop it like a fighter plane. You’d dive down a cliff, if you could find one. You actually scare the bejabbers out of most of the people you ride with. They like coasting down a hill too, but you come barreling past as if the other riders were standing still. The problem is that you will use power to get down a hill. What you don’t see is that this is a waste of energy, and you tend to panic the other riders into following your style. On this ride you should sit back and relax. Try sitting up. Become acquainted with your inner brake lever. You might even try something similar to the advice to climbers. Drop to the back as the descent appraches. Allow a bit of a gap to open. Then close it gently on the descent.

Sprinters: You are all about power and speed… in the short term. You love to jump on another rider and crush them. Given the right circumstances, you can even beat a climber, once or twice, on an uphill sprint. The problem is that heavy accelerations waste huge amounts of energy. You are the drag racer of the cycling world. You’re super-fast for the short run, but you can come up dry in a longer ride. Worse, you create gaps in the group, which others must then expend energy to close. Rest assured, you are beautiful, and your particular party trick is fun to watch, but save it for the weekly club ride. Just sit in and enjoy the scenery for a change. You won’t regret it.

Diesels: You live for the long flat, the series of low rollers, or possibly the long shallow “grinder” climb. If you can get up near the top of the gear range life is good. You can “motor” along at a really impressive rate. You think people like you because you can pull, and to a certain extent it’s true. But the problem is that you can really grind your fellow riders down. Sure, there’s an advantage to tucking in behind another rider. It’s something like 20% less effort at the same speed. But if you’ve pulled the train up to 25% more than their best sustained speed, your fellows are getting tired real fast. By all means use your talents to pull the others along, but do so with a bit of moderation. Watch behind you carefully. If a gap starts to open, slow down.

In short, folks, this is not a race. The idea is to work together, combining our strengths to bring everyone to the end of the day together.

Current Weather Outlook: A strong cold front should move through the area on Tuesday afternoon. This will give us a clear skies, and a bit cooler than usual temps. The outlook for Saturday is still stable, with lows at ride time in the mid 50s, and highs in the mid 70s under partly cloudy skies. Near ideal.

COMMENTS ANSWERED

Ooops!

Folk, it has always been my intention to respond to comments on this blog. I just slipped up late last week.

Arcelay posted two very cogent questions.

First: "What would be a good eating plan to follow at T-48 hours? T-24 hours? T-2 hours?"

Here’s the best take I can give you on this. Eat well, but don’t try to over-eat to offset future needs. The body doesn’t work like that. I wouldn’t get deep into experimenting at this late date. Two days before ride time, stick with a balanced diet, eating foods that you know work for you. The same pretty much goes for the last 24 hours before a ride. Don’t get hungry, but don’t try to “pre-fuel” or “carbo load.” These things mostly don’t work.

That last one is pretty tricky. At two hours before the ride, you should be eating a good solid breakfast. This is the time to go for a bit more carbohydrate, relative to the fats and proteins. Don’t skimp on the proteins either. Your muscles will be working, and the process of supporting and rebuilding takes proteins. But your primary interest is about 500 to 600 calories total, with around 60% of it in carbs.

The second question I missed was; "Steve…. So what would be good things to bring with us besides the obvious (tubes, air/gas pump, snacks, wind vest or jacket, sun screen, chamois cream, tools)?"

Here’s the best answer I can give you. Leave the pump, inflators, and tools at home. I’ll take care of that. The other items that you mentioned pretty well cover your needs.

In additon, you should carry a little cash for snacks and such along the way.

If you take meds, by all means bring them! But understand this, I am not a doc. If you have medical issues, get your doctor’s advice. I have a fair degree of experience, and I’m pretty good at first aid, but if you start foaming at the mouth, or going into a case of the twitching awfuls, I am not really going to know what to do, other than call 911.

You might want to bring a small light camera. (The photos can be used for evidence.)

I doubt you will have time to finish that novel you’ve been reading, so leave it at home.

By all means bring your good attitude, your best cooperation, your finest smiles, a good joke or two, and the anticipation of a long happy day with friends.

CLIMATE IS WHAT WE EXPECT…

…And weather is what we get!

As of this writing, the outlook for the Audax Ride is pretty close to the climate norms for this time of year. That’s low 50s at ride time, with a high in the mid 70s, and a very low rain chance. In other words, just about ideal for our purposes.

I’m looking at data clear up into Alaska, and well down into the south Atlantic, and I don’t see anything moving that is likely to affect the weekend forecast.

Of course, in this climate, anything could happen, and six days is a long time. I’ll keep watching, and keep posting.

Why this attention to the weather? Because this ride goes in any conditions, rain or shine, freezing or furnace hot. But it helps to have an informed idea of how to dress.

Speaking of which, if the above forecast holds, I’d suggest arm warmers, and possibly a wind vest or shell to start. Keep them light. You’ll be coming out of them before the day is over, and carrying them the rest of the day. And bring the sunscreen! We’ll need it.

I’d recommend a good flashing tail light, but other lights won’t be necessary. Reflective ankle bands are always a good idea. Bright colors on the jerseys, please.

KEY DETAILS:
Start/Finish: Bicycles Unlimited, Peachtree City, GA.
Start Time: 07:30 (sharp!)
Cost: $27.00
Distance: 200 kilometers (approx 125 miles)

Folks, it helps me if you can possibly pay up in advance. I need to purchase some of the food items before the ride. Also, if you are planning to go, NOW is the time to make absolutely certain that I know it.

BEAUTIFUL WEATHER

Question: So what should one do now?

Answer: It's wonderful here. Go out and ride. Take it easy. Enjoy the beginning of this long and delightful season. Savor the day. Let the Sun smile gently upon you. Watch the skys.

The Canada Geese are starting to train for their migrations. You might see a squadron forming up and doing some flight work at middle altitudes. The brown threshers have already left for their winter homes. Squirrels are getting super busy eating everything they can find. The deer are starting to get a bit frisky in this pre-rut season. Turkey and fox are often visible in cool early morning hours, just at dawn. If your of a mind to ride with lights, you just might see a coyote or two in the late evening. The trees are just beginning to turn. It's a good time to get on a bike and be out in it.

Don't overdo it. Ride gently. Savor the experience. A week from Saturday is the big ride.

Go back to the last couple of posts and re-read them. Put yourself in each part of this. Feel what it will be like along the way. See it.

Are you starting to get a bit twitchy with anticipation? I am.

Sunday afteroon, clean and do a thorough pre-event check of your bike and gear.

Home stretch starts now.

Have a great weekend all.

RHEARSALS TWO

The Return Trip

You’ve just pulled into the Bulloch House. Lunch awaits. The food is buffet style, country cookin’, and mouth watering, lip smacking gooood. You might want to save room for desert. It’s exceptional. You’ll probably eat about 1,500 calories, but if you’ve read some of my earlier posts, you will realize you can afford to.

After lunch we’ll sit for just a bit. Time to let lunch settle, re-apply sunscreen, get psyched for the second part of the ride. You may think that you couldn’t possibly get on a bike know. It feels so good to be sitting, and full of good food, nice and relaxed.

You will get on your bike knowing that the pace will be controlled and relatively low effort for the first hour after lunch. It’s nice to discover that it’s mostly down hill for the first five miles. After a good pleasant descent, we cross a small concrete bridge, and we begin the trip north on GA-85 alt in earnest. You will notice something. There appear to be the huge hills ahead of you. Do not be dismayed. You have long sight lines here. These are really just long “rollers,” but you can see the whole thing, foreshortened by the distance they look bigger and meaner than they are.

As you begin to get your “bike legs” back, and find that lunch is settling very nicely, you notice that the rollers aren’t all that bad either. The pace is on the low side of moderate, quite pleasant actually. And so passes the first 17 miles after lunch.

We will take a brief break in Gay, GA, fill bottles, attend to the “necessaries,” and then get moving again.

The first part of the leg leaving Gay is mostly down hill. We are descending into the Flint River Valley. You will cross the Flint on a large concrete bridge right at the famous “flat shoals.” If you look to your right you will see some of the rocks above the water. There are historic photographs of folks washing their Model T Fords on those rocks.

After crossing the bridge, you begin a long step climb up out of the river valley. Be patient, it will take the time it takes. Soon enough you will turn onto GA-18 and approach Concord.

As we enter the town of Concord you will get a brief glimpse of some of the few still standing anti-bellum structures in this part of the state. Then we turn onto College street and leave town. You are almost immediately back in rural Georgia again. It’s now 13 miles of mostly rural, low traffic, scenic roads to the next break point.

You arrive at the store in Digby, ready to get off the bike. This will be the last planned, on course stop. You are now about 20 miles from the end of the ride. Stretch, get a snack, fill bottles, sit for a few minutes. Gather yourself for the last leg, it’s not too tough from here.

From Digby, you will be riding on gentle low rollers into Brooks, Georgia, and then a few dips and rises to get you back to Peachtree City. At the edge of town we will change our riding style a bit. When we come to the four lane part of the Peachtree Parkway, we will form up in a column of twos and take the left lane. We will ride in this formation, all the way up the south end of the Parkway, parading into the finish in fine style.

Bravo!

REHEARSALS

It’s 11 days until the Audax 200K.

Try this, especially if you haven’t been on one of these rides before. Visualize the ride.

See yourself at the start, all gear in place, bike clean, lubed, tuned, and ready. You are rested and refreshed. You’ve eaten a good breakfast a couple of hours ago. You just finished your pre-ride snack. Your bottles are full. The Sun is just peaking over the horizon. The rider’s meeting is about to start. You are ready.

As we begin to roll south on the Peachtree Parkway, you experience an odd sensation. Your legs feel a little sluggish, but you think the pace just might be a little slow. Relax, both of these are completely normal. You’ve been resting your body for most of the last two weeks. You have a case of “lazy legs.” They will warm up. As for the pace, it’s controlled for just that reason.

In a few minutes we begin to climb the first real hills of the day. You’re still feeling a little bit chilly, but warming up nicely. At the beginning of the climb, you think this will be a cinch. Then the hill hits and you start to have doubts. Then, hey! You’re keeping up just fine. No problems.

About 45 minutes into the ride, the group turns onto GA-85, heading south. The group forms a paceline, and the pace really picks up. At first, you think, “I can’t do this!!!” But then you realize that you are fully warmed up, and the paceline helps you to ride at a very fast clip. It’s inside your range. After about 15 minutes of this wicked pace, the group turns west onto a road full of rollers. The pace slows and the riding becomes more conversational. You still feel strong, but you realize that, somewhere out there, fatigue is waiting for you. It’s okay. You can do this.

It’s a bit more than two hours into the ride when the group pulls into the store for the first stop. Your legs feel like you’ve done something, but you are still mostly a fresh rider. You’ve gone almost 35 miles. The stop will be short. Attend to the “necessaries,” fill your bottles, eat a quick snack, and saddle up.

The next stretch isn’t too hard. You’re fully warmed up. The body is humming. The pace is brisk, but easily inside your abilities. The road is not too hilly, actually flat in places. There is very little traffic, and the scenery is nice. The Sun is beginning to climb and the day to warm. You know you will shed some clothing at the Pine Mountain stop.

There are a couple of good hills just before entering Pine Mountain. You’re kind of glad to see this leg end. The turn onto the main street is a little crazy, but the stop is less than a mile away. Again, a short stop. Fill bottles. Eat. Stretch. Ready. Let’s go!

A soft cruise through town to loosen the stiffening leg muscles. The turn onto GA-35 and the long, gradual, mostly gentle climb up to the spine of the mountain. Only the last quarter mile of this climb is particularly steep.

You find yourself in the woods along the top of Pine Mountain itself. The views are spectacular. The woods are in the beginning of the Fall Turn. Occasionally you get long sightlines out over the valleys below. The air is crisp and clear. You feel a bit fatigued, nothing serious, but you will be glad to stop for lunch.

The “ridge run” along the top of Pine Mountain involves a series of climbs and descents. You may ask, “Just how many times am I going to climb this thing?” On the other hand the descents are a blast. Gradually you realize, you are never coming all the way down. These are just “mountain rollers.” It almost seems a shame when you hit the intersection with GA-85 alt. Now you have to descend off the mountain. That seems, for a moment, almost anti-climactic.

Then you begin the trip down! Flats, and then downhills. More flats, even a slight climb. Then the sign for “Trucks Check Brakes.” Are you getting the idea? The next descent is a total screamer. If you tuck and work at it, you’ll likely break 40 mph!

Now you’re approaching the traffic light. You have to brake heavily to make the turn. A short cruise around the corner, a trip donw the short main street of Warm Springs, and a turn into the Bulloch House Restaurant. You've done 65.7 miles, and the most demanding part of the trip is behind you. It’s time for LUNCH!

{Tomorrow: The Return Trip}

FOCUS ON FOOD

For the next bit, just less than two weeks, prospective Audax Riders should focus closely on getting proper rest, and on what they are eating. This is a time to make sure you are getting a good balanced diet. Don’t scrimp on protein. Eat lots of fruit and vegetables. Drink lots of water. And…

(This one hits me square between the eyes) You might want to taper down on the coffee or other caffeine products. Caffeine can make the stomach uneasy. Worse, it won’t be readily available for most of the day. Best to lower the dependency on the stuff now. Cold turkey on ride day could be pretty ugly.

This would be a good time to avoid all but the very lightest consumption of alcohol. The stuff dehydrates you, and has a general depressing affect on the body’s systems. We all want to be bright eyed and bushy tailed for the ride.

NOTES:
1) Have you let me know that you are going along?
2) Have you paid me yet?
3) Do you have any questions? If so, for heavens sakes use the comments feature of this blog to post them. I’ll answer as promptly as I’m able.

WHAT SHOULD I DO NEXT?

Great question! Likely, whether you did the Tune Up or not, your last week was a good, long, strong one, with a full, demanding weekend. Good.

Now: Take the next two days off. Really. Off. No riding. No swimming. Take a break. Let your body recover.

Wednesday: Get in a light easy ride or a gentle stretching workout. No more than an hour’s duration.

Remainder of this week: Very light, with at least one more day off.

The coming weekend: Do enough riding to stay loose, but not enough to get tired. Low volume, and very low intensity.

Next Week: Monday is a rest day. Tuesday and Wednesday are low/low days, low volume and low intensity. Thursday is a no training day. Do your final packing. Friday is a total rest day.
Saturday: GO LONG!!!!!!!

RIDE REPORT

The 65 mile tune up ride was yesterday. We had almost ideal conditions for cycling. The sky was mostly cloudy, with occasional bursts of sunlight, and the temps ranged from the low to mid 70s. We did have an almost constant headwind, which managed to swing around and stay on our noses all the way round the course, but it wasn’t too strong, just enough to be invigorating.

This course is deliberately tough, and I usually “push the pace” a bit. That’s quite deliberate too. There wasn’t a lot of conversation on this ride. Everyone was busy breathing. The numbers (see below) are misleading. This is a tough ride. It’s fun, and it’s pretty, but it is, fundamentally challenging. Anyone who can complete this can do the full course 200K.

The pace on the 200K is a bit easier. The terrain is much less challenging. It’s just longer. Usually the Audax 200K is marked by a lot of rider chatter, joking, and good camaraderie.

My sincerest congratulations to Cindy, Chris, Deb, and Jan. This was the fastest pace that I’ve done for this particular ride. You all are to be commended for some excellent riding, great skills, and just plain good spirits. BRAVO!

Numbers:

• 65.7 miles
• 3,278 feet gain
• 4:32:42 rolling time
• 5:23:00 total time
• 14.5 mph rolling average
• 12.2 mph overall average

It's plain to see from the numbers, this wasn't a big ring ramble. Not an easy ride at all, but doable, with the right training and attitude. Once again, the girls rock! Congratulations all!

SHORT AND SWEET

Final advice for the Tune Up.

Just do it.

Arrive early. Getting ready takes longer than you think, and we do want to leave on time.

Don't bother with a "warm up." On a ride like this, it's a waste of time and energy. You will warm up on the road.

Go over your checklist tonight. That takes less time, and is much lower stress than trying to find your socks on Sunday morning.

Come out prepared to give a little, allow other riders a bit of slack, and...

Expect to have some fun!

Have a wonderful Saturday. See you on the road.

FUELING THE TUNE UP

“How and when should I eat, and what for this 65 mile Tune Up?” That question prompted this post.

Before I address the question, let me say this. Folks, if you have a question, please post a comment. It’s almost certain that if you feel the need to ask, then someone else is in need of the same information. And simply put, I can’t answer your questions if you don’t ask them.

Now, on to the business at hand. On August 29, I posted an item about eating and fueling for the 200K, the same general principles apply to the 65 mile ride this coming Sunday.

First off, food you eat is not available as fuel for your muscles for at least two hours. So you must “fuel up” before you ride, and you must continue to fuel as you ride. This is more important on longer rides. It’s possible to do a short ride of an hour or two on calories stored in your body as blood glycogens. For longer athletic efforts, you must continue the process of fueling. If you do not, you will deplete your supply of glycogens. In extreme cases this leads to the dreaded “bonk.”

A bonk is simply this. Various systems in the body have multiple means of fueling themselves, but the brain’s only fuel supply is blood glycogen. When the glycogen levels begin to drop, the brain begins to starve. The brain has powerful self protective mechanisms. If you start to starve it, you will pay an awful price. Bonk symptoms include chills, weakness, nausea, vomiting, cramps, extreme mood swings. Not pretty.

This brings me back to the “3 B 4s of cycling.”

• Eat before you are hungry.
• Drink before you are thirsty.
• Shift before you need to.

If you wait to eat until you feel hunger, you will already be depleting glycogen levels, and it takes that two hours to digest and absorb food calories. Ouch!

Strategy for the 65 miler:

• Eat a good breakfast about two hours before ride time. This is your fuel when you come to the start line.
• Have another snack of about 200 to 300 calories at the first rest stop.
• Try to eat on the bike, and get another 200 calories during the second leg of the ride.
• Expect a longer stop at the second rest stop. Have a small sandwich or a couple of food bars, and maybe a banana. At any rate plan to take in about 300 calories of readily digestible food here.
• Eat another 200 calories on the bike during leg 3, or request a short stop 54 mile optional, and get a snack there.
• Be sure to drink lots of water as you ride. You'll need it to hydrolyze all the carbs you're eaitng.

This plan won’t replace all the calories you burn during the ride, but it will keep the bonk away. Do expect to be hungry after the ride, and do eat a good, protein rich dinner that night.

Ride happy and stay in touch!

65 MILE TUNE UP ~~ MENTAL PREP

What kind of ride is the 65 Mile Audax Tune Up? First off, it’s an Audax style ride. That means the group will stay together. No one gets left behind. One for all, and all for one! That will take some discipline. Climbers will need to moderate a bit, descenders will use some brake, and the big diesels will have to tone it down. Some gentle pacelining will be very useful.

Communications: Please feel free to let folks know what’s going on. If you are having trouble with your bike, or the pace, let someone know! Even more importantly, pass the word forward and back. Don’t assume that the leader knows someone has dropped off the back…. Pass the word! Don’t assume the leader knows that the trailing rider has caught up… Pass the word!

The route:
Leg 1 We will leave Peachtree City the hard way, riding north on the Peachtree Parkway. Up those hills. It’s only three miles. Then we pass through Tyrone, and proceed on to Palmetto. That takes care of the first 14 miles. We make our first stop in Palmetto. This will be a short one. Hit the head, fill bottles, make any adjustments that are necessary. The we ride.

Leg 2 We leave Palmetto, and ride mostly downhill to the Chattahoochee. Once we cross the “Hootch,” we’ll be climbing again, until we intercept GA-166. We’ll turn right on 166 and do the big rollers on the western bluffs above the “Hootch.” We’ll be heading north, up river, so each roller gets a little shorter than the one before. The road flattens out as we close on GA-92. At 92 we turn right, cross the river again, and come to the second stop. This leg is 25 miles long, so we’ve done close to 40 miles of this ride. We take a bit longer break at this point. Get something to eat, fill your bottles, sit down and take it easy.

Leg 3 We enter the “Chattahoochee Hill Country,” and climb up out of the river valley. This leg is about 14 miles, and takes us to an optional store stop, just outside of Fairburn. We will stop if a significant number of the group need it, otherwise we’ll keep going and finish the ride.

Leg 4 The Home Stretch. We’ll come back into Fayette County from the north. This leg is just a little longer than 10 miles. We wind our way down through the county, only encountering the occasional hill. There are a couple of long “grinders” on this last leg, including “the Beast” on Flat Creek Trail. There’s a short stretch on GA-54, and then some nice side road sections and path sections. Then we’re done.

In summary:
Leg 1 = 15 minutes of grunting, followed by 45 minutes of breath and cruise.
Leg 2 = two hours of cruise and climb, each climb followed by a “boomer” descent.
Leg 3 = 45 minutes of step climb followed by 15 to 20 minutes of relatively flat cruising.
Leg 4 = an hour of gentle hills and declines with the occasional grunt.

Honest, this is a good bit tougher than the actual Audax Ride. It’s a good gauge of your prep. It’s fun in its own right. Come on along.

WHAT IF’S

I get a lot of these questions about these Audax 200K rides at about this point in preparing for them. So I’m attempting to answer them in advance.

Q: What if it rains?
A: We ride.
Q: What if it’s cold?
A: We ride.

Q: What if it’s hot?
A: We ride.

Q: What about thunder and lightening?
A: If they’ve paid their $27.00 and they’re wearing their helmets they can come along too.

Q: Seriously. What about thunderstorms?
A: Seriously. We ride.

Q: I’ve never ridden that far. I’ve done the training, but I don’t know if I can do it.
A: If you never ride 125 miles, then you will never ride 125 miles. You can do it.

I promise, you won’t melt. If the weather is truly horrendous, we’ll get off the road until it passes. This is very unlikely. Heat is more bearable on the bike. Drink lots. Cold is more bearable on the bike. You work harder, you get warmer. If you’ve been doing even half of the training I’ve suggested, you should be okay. If you’re still in doubt, come out and do the Tune Up this weekend.

And lastly, most of these questions come from fear of the unknown. Honest, it’s normal, and it’s alright. Do you know get over a very tall obstacle? Throw your heart over the bar first, and your body will follow.

TAPER? HOW & WHY?

Properly, your taper should begin next Monday, and continue through the following two weeks. It’s pertinent to discuss this now for planning purposes.

The idea of a taper is based on the following principals.

• The body can not incorporate training stresses in less than two weeks.
• Training loads are a stimulus ~~ the body responds by growing stronger while resting
• An athlete needs most to be well rested when event time arrives.
• The body does not respond well to any sudden change of routine

So how do you taper, and what do you expect from it?

A taper is a gradual reduction of training load in order to rest the body and be fully recovered for the event. To accomplish this, next week reduce both the volume of training, and especially the intensity of training. Generally, you should ride between eight and ten hours next week. More importantly, those rides should be at a greatly reduced effort level. There should be no anaerobic work, no high zone aerobic work, and only a little (less than two hours total) of mid zone aerobic work during the entire week. Most of the week should be focused on very low effort spinning.

The last week prior to the Audax Ride, you should reduce the volume still farther. Only about five hours total riding time, and most of that before Thursday. No Riding on Thursday or Friday. The odd thing is that you may do one short workout ride of moderately high intensity on Monday. By this we mean, you may ride for one hour in the mid-aerobic zones, with as much as five minutes of Lactate threshold work. (NOTE: Do not do more than this!)

What can you expect from this kind of schedule? To begin with, the first two or three days of next week you will feel tired, and slightly out of sorts. You may feel like you aren’t getting enough rest, even though you are doing less work. This is a normal response to the reduced effort after a longer period of training.

By the end of next week you will start to feel like you are recovering and well rested. You may find yourself feeling a little frisky, and very energetic. You may start to experience a heightened sense of awareness and alertness. Expect this feeling of power and well being to become very pronounced along about Monday and Tuesday of the following week.

WARNING! That sense of heightened power can trip you up. Resist the urge to use the power! Be disciplined and continue to follow the plan. Do not give in to the temptation to “just do a little more” on your one short higher output ride. Please do not go longer or stronger. You will be tempted to do so. Be steadfast. You want to carry that power and solid rested feeling into the weekend, so that it is yours to use on the Ride.

Use Thursday and Friday to go over your gear and make your last checks. Get everything done by the middle of the day on Friday. Then get a good night’s sleep Friday night and the ride will be yours to enjoy.

65 MILE TUNE UP ~~ FINAL PREP

The following advice is aimed mostly at new Audax Riders, but it is just as pertinent for those of you who are returning to this ride.

Take it easy this week. Real easy.

Be rested for this coming weekend, with its 65 mile Tune Up Ride. Do consider this to be a training week, but the hard training will be on Sunday.

Here’s the basic plan:

• Monday: is likely a rest day
• Tuesday: Get a ride in, but keep the duration in the medium range and the intensity on the low side.
• Wednesday: Short easy ride
• Thursday: Medium duration and low to medium effort.
• Friday: Take a rest day!
• Saturday: A short ride at very low intensity
• Sunday: Use the 65 mile Tune Up as a training ride.

That will make this the last full training week before the actual Audax Ride. The next two weeks are for taper and rest. Further, using the Tune Up as a training ride also means you can use it for one last test of your full equipment set over a goodly distance.

Now go back and go over the various checklists I’ve posted and spend some time getting things lined up early in the week.

It’s getting so close now!!!!

WHY GO LONG?

Long rides are the stuff of dreams.

On long rides we have time to think. We can actually spend enough time in our heads to complete some long and fairly complex thoughts.

As more of the distractions fall away, and the rhythm of the ride establishes itself, we have time to look around us and see. It’s a pretty amazing world. There are signs and wonders, both near and far. How nice to have the time to really see them and appreciate the experience.

There is camaraderie. We spend more time with the folks we are riding with, particularly if we are pledged to stay with each other. We get to know one another in ways that we don’t have time for in the day to day. We share the work. We encourage each other. We discover a truth. Joy shared is joy augmented, pain shared is pain diminished.

Along about the fourth or fifth hour out an interesting thing occurs. The endorphins kick in. Pain and fatigue recede and become merely data. We are able to appreciate these sensations for what they are, messages. We realize that we can ride through them with no great risk. In fact, it gets to be a lot of fun. The light gets better, the bike gets lighter, the road rises up to meet us. Life is good.

And the food tastes fantastic.

Long live lon rides!

TIME TO LOCK DOWN

We’re closing in on the ride. It’s now just a bit more than three weeks to the Audax 200K, and only a bit over a week to the 65 mile tune up.

The “Lock Down” I refer to in this post’s title is this. It’s close to time to make the final decisions on your equipment. If there is anything major left to be done to your bike or your gear, now is the time to do it.

My hard and fast rule is, “No changes to equipment during the last two weeks prior to an event.” Notice that the 65 Mile Tune Up comes right at that boundary. There’s a reason for that. Runners don’t do races in brand new shoes. Every time I’ve ever violated my rule I’ve regretted it. Sometimes a lot.

Plan to ride the 65 miler with the same equipment that you will take on the 200K. If anything needs adjusting, replacing, or simply doesn’t work for you, this will be about your last chance to find that out.

Of course you won’t know what your final clothing choices will be until the day before the ride. It’s still way too early to outguess the weather. But even here, stick to things you know. Select a cool weather set that is tried and true. Pick an intermediate temp set to the same standards. Have a warm weather option lined up too. But the 200K is not the place to try out a brand new pair of shorts, or chamois lube, or sunscreen, or the latest “wonder food.”

Start making your final choices and preps now. Make your final adjustments to your bike. And then leave it be.

BRAGGING RIGHTS

Once you’ve ridden a “double metric” you’ve gone farther than most “hard core” riders will ever go.

125 miles. Approximately 8 hours riding time.

About 43,000 revolutions of your cranks.

You will climb a mountain before you see lunch.

You’ll spend most of the day laughing.

Someone will assume that because you are on a bicycle, you must be local, and they will ask you for directions to some place you’ve never heard of.

A century (100 miles at one time) is roughly equivalent to a marathon. So a “double metric” is about 1.25 marathons.

Starting in Peachtree City, 125 miles would take you to the south end of Lake Eufala, or to Albany, Georgia.

125 miles is higher than John Glenn’s orbital altitude.

You will burn about 400 calories per hour, or 3200 calories in the day. The normal subsistence level is 1200 to 1500 calories per day. So you will use more than two days energy on the ride.

You won’t burn any fossil fuels doing it.

You may break 40 mph on the descent from the top of Pine Mountain.

And no one in your office will believe a word you say.

HOW’S YOUR PREP GOING?

It’s now under a month until the Audax 200K (YES!), and less than two weeks until the 65 Mile Tune Up Ride.

Let’s do a quick check.
You have selected your bike
You have your bike serviced and in excellent condition
You have brought your bike to me for a pre-ride inspection. (see note on this)
You have identified several clothing sets (for different weather conditions) and inventoried them
You’ve inventoried all of the equipment and spares you will carry
You’ve decided on (and tested) your method of carrying stuff
You have ridden at least one of the Tune Up rides
You have been spending a lot of time riding your bike
You have let me know that you are going.
You have paid me (cash or check) $27.00 for food.

NOTE:
BIKE INSPECTION. Make arrangements to bring your bike to me. I do not charge for this inspection. The idea is to ensure that you are riding something that is safe, and has a reasonable chance of making the trip with no mechanical problems. Of course, you are responsible for any repairs that might be necessary.

ANOTHER NOTE:
I rarely say something like this, but really trim what you are carrying. Don’t carry a lot of unnecessary stuff. It’s heavy, and it will be a long day. Don’t pack tools. I’ll provide a pump, and emergency repair tools. Do carry a couple of spare tubes, and a patch kit.

What else should you consider? Keep riding. Follow a plan. Do the 65 mile Tune Up Ride. Post any questions you might have. Have fun doing it.

TRAINING ~~ THE HOME STRETCH

If you have been even close to following my training advice up to this point, then you are on track for the Audax Ride. The question then arises, “What training should I do from now until the ride?” Here’s a good general plan. Pay close attention to the advice concerning rest.

Week of September 8 – 14:
Follow Eddy Merckx Advice. “Ride. Lots.” Get in several hour and a half to two hour rides during the week. Let at least two of these be good solid interval workouts. On the weekend – go long! Try to get in a four to five hour ride on one of the days and a three to four hour ride on the other.

Week of September 15 – 21:
Take it Easy. Ride some during the first couple of days, but keep the intensity very, very low. You want to be rested for the 65 mile Tune up on Sunday. Friday, go out for about an hour and just spin easily.

Week of September 22 – 28:
Taper. Get about 8 to 10 hours of riding in. Watch your sleep. Get plenty of rest! Dial the intensity way down. Don’t let any one ride be longer than 4 hours. You are most interested in simply maintaining, staying loose, and being rested, well fueled, and well hydrated.

Week of September 29 – October 4:
REST!!!! Go for no more than two or three rides of less than an hour and a half each, early in the week. Get plenty of sleep. Don’t ride on Thursday or Friday. On Saturday, get up early and eat a good breakfast. IT’S RIDE TIME!

A BIT OF CONVINCING

Over the years that I’ve been taking people on these Audax Rides, I’ve seen a fair number of folks go farther than they ever had before. A bit less than half the folks who have done one of these things had never done a 100 mile ride before they came out and did a the 125 miler.

Some folks are probably wondering, still, if they are capable. I’ll state right now, that if you can do a 45 mile ride and feel good at the end, then you are capable of doing the full 200K.

Here’s a way to gauge it. Let’s say you are in that last group. You’ve done rides in the 40 to 45 mile range, and you didn’t feel completely used up afterward. Then you should come along on the 65 mile Tune Up Ride. Does a 65 mile ride sound like too much of a stretch? Of course not. It’s less than 50% more than what you have already done. The pace won’t be furious. Other riders will help you along. You’ll make it.

After the 65 mile Tune Up, you (and I) will have a very real appreciation for your ability to complete the 200K. We’ll talk about it then. I won’t hesitate to suggest that you skip the big ride, if that seems warranted. But if you can do the 65 miler, and you don’t feel trashed at the end, then you can do the 200K. After all, it is effectively, just two 65 mile rides in one day.

Here’s why. The 65 mile Tune Up, is deliberately designed to be a bit tougher than the actual Audax 200K. Sure, there’s a mountain in the middle of the 200K, but it’s not that big a mountain. More, the terrain on most of the 200K is much less challenging than the 65 mile Tune Up route.

You don’t have to make your final decision about the 200K until after you’ve ridden the 65 miler.

Next week, I’ll post some training guidelines for the last two weeks prior to the Tune Up.

Now, go get on your bike and… Have a great weekend!

MENTAL PREPARATION

Cycling is a mental sport. Have you heard that before? How about, “This stuff is 90% mental”? It’s not possible to spend much time around cycling without hearing something to that effect. There’s a lot of truth to those statements. But they are also understatements.

Let’s set aside, for the moment, questions about equipment. Of course there is the training aspect of riding, particularly endurance riding. That plays to the physical side of the ride. There is also an emotional dimension. And finally, in the driver’s seat, there is the mental aspect.

The mental, physical, and emotional dimensions of a rider all come into play on a long ride. All of these tend to (pardon the pun) cycle up and down as the ride progresses. When all three are high, and the equipment is working, life is good. For that matter, if mental, physical, and emotional states are high, it doesn’t matter if the equipment is working poorly, or the weather is foul, the rider is having a good time. Cool.

Let’s talk for a moment, about how these various internal states interact during a ride. In the beginning the rider feels physically refreshed, but often oddly lazy or “wooden legged.” Mentally the ride is alert. Depending on personality and experience, the rider might feel a bit apprehensive, or eager. Emotionally, the beginning of the ride could be anything from “day before Christmas” excitement to “going to the gallows” dread.

As the ride moves into the early stages, the body warms and adjusts to the task. The laziness disappears, and the body begins to operate smoothly. Physically we feel good. This contributes to a positive emotional state, and the mental state benefits.

However, as the day wears on, things begin to change. The body starts to fatigue. Possibly an area of discomfort (Shoes pinch, the saddle feels wrong, a hand gets tingly) begins to be apparent. The mental side becomes aware of these things. This may trigger an emotional reaction. But then another rider tells a joke, or a pretty view comes by, or a good descent occurs, and the emotions rise.

Like the old theory of biorhythms, these three dimensions fluctuate. When all three trend down, things aren’t going well. The rider will feel bad, and getting worse. On any ride of considerable distance, this will happen. It feels awful! How does one go on?

Part of the trick is to be prepared for it. Just about all cyclists will experience one of these “triple lows” somewhere 65 miles and 80 miles into a ride. Forewarned is the first step in preparation. Expect to experience a low spot. Prepare for it. Understanding that it will pass, helps enormously.

Then too, it’s possible to head these things off. I like to arrange to stop a bit before the trouble spots. I get off the bike, eat something, and change my socks. Presto! Life is good.

Whatever your trick is, remember this, Almost everyting will get better if you just keep riding. You can slow down. You can take a break. You can sing a song. You can exchange jokes with other riders. Just keep riding.

Also, remember, the mental aspect is primary. You can think your way out of a bad situation. Your mental processes are able to consciously select which emotional responses you will have to a given circumstance. It’s easy to focus all our mental energy on dwelling on how bad it feels. Suddenly the minor discomfort becomes the biggest thing in the universe. It can get there if allowed to. Or, you can decide to laugh at your discomfort and keep pedaling. You are stronger than you know. Look at the magnificent sky, breath the air. Think about the joy and freedom of the moment. Listen to another rider’s story, or tell one yourself.

Suddenly you realize that, you don’t feel so bad after all, and you have ridden 20 miles past the point where you thought it was all coming to an end.

The mind is a powerful thing.

NAVIGATION

Simply put, “How do I find my way around this route?” The primary navigation tool in randonneuring is the “cuesheet.” You find these at charity rides too. A cuesheet is a written series of directions to guide a rider along a predetermined route. Reading a cuesheet is possibly the most important and useful skill any distance cyclist can learn.

Before I go any farther with this discussion, let me state this. You will not need to do any navigation on our Audax Tune Up rides, or on the 200K Audax Ride. We will keep you “on route.” You will be riding with me, and other experienced riders who know the route, and the surrounding territory well. You may, with confidence, leave the navigation to us.

But if you are interested in randonneuring, or simply want to be a little more self-sufficient, then learning to navigate is worthwile.

In aid of this, I will provide cuesheets to any rider who wishes one, on the day of the ride. How does this help? Please read on.

Cuesheets tend to vary, but there are some fairly standard features. They are usually set up in columns. There will be a “Leg” or “segment” column, which will tell you how many miles to go from the last turn to the next. There will be a “cumulative” column, which will tell you how many miles it is overall from the start to a given point. There is usually a “direction” or “cue” column, which tells you what to do, i.e. RT for right turn, LT for left turn, etc. And there is a “comments” or “directions” column. This last will identify street names, landmarks, and special information.

Navigating by cuesheet is actually fairly simple. You will need a good cycle computer, that is accurately calibrated for you bicycle. It helps to have some kind of cuesheet holder. This can be as simple as a baggie, with the cuesheet folded inside it. The baggie trick works well. One technique is to slip the baggie into one of the legs of your shorts. There are, of course, any number of commercially available map and cuesheet holders, which mount on your bike’s handlebars.

A great way to begin doing this kind of navigation, is to come out on the Tune Up Ride, get a cuesheet at the start, and follow along with the ride leader as we do the route. This is also a time to ask questions about navigating by cue.

There are any number of routes available in cuesheet format. Once you are comfortable with the techniques, you can start exploring some of them. This makes you even more independent.

Come on out and try it.

OF (NOT SO) HIDDEN AGENDAS

In an earlier post I mentioned that one of my reasons for putting these rides together is to introduce folks to the sport of Randonneuring.

From the Randonneurs USA website http://www.rusa.org/
Randonneuring is long-distance unsupported endurance cycling. This style of riding is non-competitive in nature, and self-sufficiency is paramount. When riders participate in randonneuring events, they are part of a long tradition that goes back to the beginning of the sport of cycling in France and Italy. Friendly camaraderie, not competition, is the hallmark of randonneuring.

One of the keywords in that definition is “unsupported.” The idea is that each rider will prepare to support themselves. That means no SAG wagons, usually no paint on the roads, no easy way to abandon the ride. Each rider is responsible for themselves.

One of the cornerstones of randonneuring, is a series of events called “brevets.” In a brevet, the riders follow a predetermined course, stopping at checkpoints (called “controles”) to have their presence and time verified on a “brevet card.” All of this is done inside of a strict time. While times are kept, participants results are listed alphabetically, not by time. These are strictly non-competitive events. Any rider who finishes the event is considered to be just as good as any other, regardless of the time.

On a 200K brevet, the time allowed to complete the course is 13 hours and 30 minutes.

Hmm. This sounds familiar. Our Audax Ride is a 200 kilometer event. More, we’ll finish in well under that 13.5 hour time span.

Randonneuring is fun. It’s challenging. It might just be for you. This series of rides is a low risk way to sample the sport. Come join us.

COUNT DOWN

We're getting closer to the days:

20 days until the 65 Mile Tune Up Ride ~~ Sept. 21, 2008

33 days until the Audax Ride ~~ Oct. 4, 2008


Have a happy and safe Holiday.

EAT TO RIDE ~ RIDE TO EAT

Some of this is common sense, some of it is counter-intuitive, and some of it is just fun.

I’m talking about the Audax 200K, and food management.

First recommendation: Eat a good breakfast. Have breakfast at least an hour to an hour and a half before the ride starts. This is the fuel that will power your body when you start to ride.

Second recommendation: Have a quick snack just before we start to ride. This is the fuel that you will be using at the end of the second hour of riding.

Third recommendation: Plan to have a snack at the first rest stop in Greenville. This food will be fueling your climb over Pine Mountain.

Fourth recommendation: Have another snack when we stop in the town of Pine Mountain. You’re probably going to be a bit depleted by this point.

Lunch! After riding 65 miles (and a mountain), we’ll be stopping in Warm Springs, for lunch at the Bulloch House. This is buffet style, country cooking. It’s incredible. Expect to eat a hearty meal.

I get some comments from folks about the idea of stopping on a long ride to eat a big meal. We will sit down for this. We’ll do it in a leisurely fashion. We’ll take a bit of a digestion break after we eat. And finally, I’ll be controlling the pace to a very moderate level for the first hour after lunch. You will have time to digest, and time to gradually warm up. So it works out to a day with two good long rides, separated by a nice lunch break.

Most folks don’t really feel the need to eat much at the rest stop in Gay, GA. It’s only a bit more than an hour after we’ve left the lunch stop. But I notice that most riders do feel the need of a bit of a snack again when we make the stop in Digby, GA. That stop is about 40 miles after the lunch stop, and most have managed to burn down a lot of the lunch calories.

Now here’s the amazing part. When we finally arrive back in Peachtree City, most riders do have appetite for the post ride cold cuts.

Where does all the food go? Face it, we’ll have an actual on-bike time of about eight hours. Those are 400 to 500 calorie hours. That means that the typical rider will burn off between 3200 and 4000 calories. That’s close to three days subsistence for the normal (fairly sedentary) individual. That energy has to come from somewhere.

So one of the themes for this ride is “Eat, Drink, and be merry!”

THE 65 MILE TUNE UP IN DETAIL

Astute readers will remember the profile I posted for the 65 mile Audax Tune Up Ride. Those who haven’t done the ride might appreciate a bit more info on it.

Obviously it’s hilly.

The first leg is approximately 15 miles long. This is the warm up section. We have a brief stop at a store in Palmetto at the end of this leg.

Following the first stop, we head into more rural country. There are a lot of long sight lines, and pleasant vistas as we cut across southern Fulton County. This stretch is mostly descending, as we are headed for a bridge over the Chattahoochee River.

As soon as we cross the river, the ride character changes. We climb away from the river until we reach the turn onto Georgia Hwy 166, at mile 27. We proceed north on 166, riding a course of big booming “rollers.” We will be riding along the western bluffs of the Chattahoochee, and heading upstream. This means that each climb is a little shorter than the one before. The descents are amazing.

At mile 31, the route flattens out for a bit. It will remain relatively gentle until we reach the next store stop at mile 40. We’ll take about a 20 minute break here.

After the second stop, we turn back south, and begin a long step climb away from the river. We’ll slip past the town of Fairburn, riding just a bit south of it. Then we again ride a few gentle rollers through some of the most scenic parts of south Fulton County.

At mile 50, we cross Georgia Hwy 74. At this point we have an optional stop. If anyone is desperate for a “nature break,” we can stop briefly here. Otherwise we will continue through the hills in northern Fayette County, bending again to the west. This last leg is just a bit under 15 miles in length.

Come on along. It's a pleasant long afternoon on the bike.

HOW DO I CARRY IT ALL?

It’s 25 days to the 65 mile Tune Up Ride
It’s 38 days to the Audax Ride

This blog concerns itself with the upcoming Audax Ride. Audax Riding is a type of touring. So this post is going to address an aspect of touring. Luggage.

A tour is characterized by time. The tourist is usually on the bike for most of the day. Daily distances may be 100 miles or more. For any number of reasons, the best route for a given leg, just might take the rider a long way from stores, shelter, or other forms of support. Incidents occur. Night time riding could be a possibility, even a necessity. The length of a given day on the bike implies that the rider will meet a variety of conditions. The prudent tourist plans for this.

One of the inescapable implications of the above is that the tourist will carry more stuff, and will carry it for a longer period of time.

The “stuff” breaks down into several broad categories:
Food and water
Clothing
Tools and spares

A long day could mean the need to carry warmer clothing against morning and evening chills. Almost any day could include rain, and cooler ones require protective clothing. Longer days mean the need to pack food. The likelihood of out riding phone coverage, or of reaching more remote and less populated areas implies the need to be able to repair the occasional flat or break down.

What you choose to carry depends on your approach to riding, and on how far you are going. The simple fact is, longer rides require more cargo.

Now we come to the more interesting part of the problem. More stuff, means more weight. You will have to pedal that weight up every hill. Do you really want to support it with your body too? Generally, the idea is to put the weight on the bike, not on the body.

If one is going to load a bike, the bike should, obviously, have the means to be loaded. Eyelets for rack mounts are almost a necessity. But a problem with racks is the infrastructure cost. I’m not talking about money here, but rather, the idea that the means of carrying things adds weight and drag itself. Shorter to intermediate touring should be set up with an eye to reducing this infrastructure overhead.

An example of this infrastructure problem is water. Cyclists must have water. A minimum of two liters is the bare bones. Three liters is better. A back pack hydration system is easy to use, but a pack that can hold three liters (100 ounces) is bulky and adds a lot of weight. Three bottle cages and three plastic bottles don’t come close to equaling the weight of the pack, and they ride on the bike.

Each rider will look at these problems differently, and many different solutions are possible. My suggestion is to gather together all of the equipment, clothing, and supplies that you intend to take with you. Then look at ways to carry it all, on the bike, or on the person. Experiment with several of these methods. You might just trim the load a bit here and there. Go on some longer rides, two to four hours, with your “stuff,” packed as you expect to. Does this work? Now is the time to experiment. The final shakedown would be on the 65 mile Tune Up Ride.

WHAT IF IT RAINS?

Now there’s a question. The answer is, we go. Rain or shine. We go.

That said, the recent weather sort of demands a discussion of rain riding. I have a bike all picked for this ride. It’s one I enjoy using for this purpose. But if it rains, I’ll be riding this instead.

Right. That’s my loaded touring bike. Notice the fenders? That’s why I’m showing the picture. The fenders. Fenders are kind of a bike geek thing. They are until it starts raining. In the rain, fenders are wonderful. They keep the water from splashing up your back. The keep your wheels from throwing a spray back at your shoes. You stay cleaner, which means your rain gear works longer and better. But more, fenders along with mud flaps, can make you much more popular.

In the rain, a bike with fenders doesn’t throw a huge “rooster tail” of water and muck at the rider behind. Mud flaps improve this performance even more. If you look closely at the picture, you will see the “custom” mud flaps, I’ve constructed from a one gallon milk jug.

Suppose you don’t have fenders mounted on your bike. Suppose it would be difficult to mount them. Many bikes don’t have the necessary eyelets for a fender mount. What to do? SKS makes a really nice set of fenders called the Raceblade. Check this link for a look.

http://www.sks-germany.com/sks.php?l=en&a=product&i=5289300000

They aren’t quite as full coverage as the more permanently mounted type, but they can be mounted on virtually any bike. More, they can be mounted, and removed, in a matter of minutes. No screws, bolts, or tricky mounting hardware. And with a little ingenuity, they could be modified to include a set of “custom” mud flaps.

We can get these, and any number of other fender solutions for you in the shop.

It’s food for thought.

Upcoming Events:

65 mile Tune Up ~~

Sunday, 21 September

11:00 AM

Start/Finish at Bicycles Unlimited, Peachtree City, GA

Audax 200K ~~

Saturday, 4 October

7:30 AM

Start/Finish at Bicycles Unlimited, Peachtree City, GA

MOTIVES

It is important that this blog is as honest as it can be. If I am going to discuss equipment in any but the most general terms, I will have to mention specific products, companies, or businesses. These are not advertisements.

I’m not accepting any advertising on this blog. I will not accept any consideration for mention of products or services here. If I suggest that a given product or service is worthy of consideration, it is because my experience supports that suggestion.

In short, the only thing being advertised on this blog is the actual Audax Ride, on 4 October. I want you to come out and have some fun with me. My other intention is that this ride serves as an introduction to the sport of Randonneurring. That’s the motivation.

I will not be earning any profit from the ride. The $27.00 fee for the ride is simply a means of covering the expenses of lunch, the post ride snack, and some water along the way. I do this because, it allows me to arrange a group rate for both lunch and the post ride food.

So if you see a product on this blog, it’s there either as an example of something, or I’m endorsing it freely because I know it’s useful. Where something is an opinion of mine, I’ll label it as such. Where there is objective evidence, I’ll state it. If I’ve read or heard good reviews, but don’t know it from my own experience, I’ll indicate that too.

Now, back to our regularly scheduled programming.

MORE TRAINING TIPS

A few days ago I suggested some hill work for training purposes. The workout I outlined would be good for a couple of the shorter rides in a week’s activity. Some folks are, by now, wondering what else might be done to prepare for this event. We also just finished a discussion of equipment and gear to be carried. This post is going to combine both of those concepts and answer the question.

It is inescapable that most of you will be carrying more stuff than you are accustomed to. To get ready to do this, on a long ride, we invoke an old principle of race training, i.e. “Train heavy, race light.”

First task: Lay out all the stuff you plan to carry, along with your bike. Weigh the stuff. That’s your target event weight. Now start with your routine carry weight and add just a bit on each ride. Your objective is to get to the point where you are carrying at least 20% more weight than you plan to use on the heaviest option, on ride day. You should build up to this over the next three weeks. Just a little each day.

How should you ride on the days you are not doing those hill drills? Simple. Go long and slow. Really slow. The key here is to keep yourself way down in the aerobic region. So slow it’s frustrating. So slow you make the snails yawn. Really. This will build some deep muscle tissue. The other objective is to spend time in the saddle.

Ideally you are now putting in about eight to ten hours per week. You should increase that by two hours per week for the next three weeks. The fourth week is the 65 mile Tune Up. That, plus a somewhat reduced schedule in the week before, ought to give you a good 16 hour week there too. (Remember to get plenty of rest and recovery time in those weeks too!)

The 65 miler is when we (you and I) make the go/no go decision with regard to the full Audax 200K. If you do what we’ve been discussing, it should be a cinch.

What about the last two weeks between the Tune Up and the Audax Ride? Glad you asked. Taper for one week, gradually decreasing effort. The week before the actual ride, take it very easy. Remember, it takes two weeks for your body to incorporate training loads. So all you can do in the last two weeks before an event is ruin it by working too hard.

If any of this is unclear, let me know. I’ll be glad to elaborate. (grins)

PREPARATIONS

The Ironclad Rule:
Make absolutely no changes to your rig for at least two weeks prior to an event.
No new shorts, bike fit, saddle, bar tape, gloves, socks, helmet, pedals, tires, computers, heart rate monitors, food types, athletic beverages, etc. If your bike needs tuning before the ride, get it done now! If you are thinking about a new piece of equipment or food, get it and start using it now. A long event is not the time to be experimenting.

Fundamental Principles:
1) Take everything you will need.
2) Don't carry anything you don't have to.
3) Take nothing that you haven’t tested thoroughly.
4) Try to make everything you take do at least double duty.
5) Prepare for the widest range of likely conditions.

You will have noticed that there is a bit of dynamic tension between some of those principles. Each rider will need to resolve those issues, and each rider's solutions will be unique. "Need" can be totally subjective. Hopefully the rest of this post will help to clarify a bit.

What you must have with you:
1) Two spare tubes in your bike’s size.
2) Any unique spares.
3) A good bright flashing tail light with fresh batteries in it.
4) Sufficient ride food, or money to buy it at the stops.
5) At least two water bottles.
6) Your helmet
7) Any meds that you must have.
8) Identification and (if necessary) medical alert information
9) Your best smile.

Strongly recommended:
1) Sunscreen
2) A good lubricant for your shorts (you will need to re-apply during the day)
3) Reflective ankle bands
4) Sunglasses
5) A bandana or two
6) A spare pair of good dry socks.

Things you must do:
1) Contact me and tell me you are going.
The.Road.Dragon@gmail.com
2) Get $27.00 to me before September 25, 2008
3) Get me to inspect your bike at least two weeks prior to the ride. (A bit sooner is a good idea.)

Things you won’t need (because I’ll carry them):
Pump
Tools
First aid kit
Navigational equipment
Cell phone

About clothing preparations: Watch the weather as we get closer to the ride date. Early October is a time when North Georgia could do almost anything. Likely it will be temperate and dry, but it could be cool, and rain can’t be ruled out. Consider, if it looks like a day that will start cool, a rain jacket can double as a windshell. Remember, if you start out with it, you will carry it all day. Choose wisely.

AUDAX 200K IN SOME DETAIL

We will leave Peachtree City from the parking lot in front of Bicycles Unlimited. We will depart at 07:30 promptly.

Initially the pace will be moderate, as it will be early in the day and folks will not have warmed up yet. It seems there is always a bit of shaking down on this part of the trip. We wind through the streets of Peachtree city for about seven miles, and then leave the town behind. At about mile 9 we will be entering Senoia, Georgia. We cruise through the scenic and historic Main Street.

There is an optional stop at 10 miles, just as we depart the town of Senoia. This is a store, with a restroom. We prefer not to stop here, but sometimes it’s necessary.

At this point we are beginning to flirt with rural north Georgia. We continue southward, through gently rolling hill country. The scenery opens to some nice vistas at the edge of farming country.

Between miles 14 and 20 we come to a relatively long, almost flat stretch. We will increase speed here to a solid paceline speed for this stretch. It’s fun and exciting. At mile 20 we turn westward and get into some roller country. It’s a pleasant rural stretch, one that provides lots of good low traffic riding, and pleasant surroundings.

Just before 33 miles, we reach the town of Greenville. We will roll around the large courthouse, and then make our first scheduled rest stop. This is a good place to refill water bottles, visit the “necessary,” and stretch a bit. The stop will be a short one.

From Greenville we will proceed to the town of Pine Mountain, GA. This leg is about 20 miles long. There’s another quick stop at a nice store in Pine Mountain. Then we turn toward the Mountain itself.

We will climb the flank of Pine Mountain. This climb includes the steepest pitch on the ride, a quarter mile at about 6% grade. We follow GA-190 along the spine of the mountain, until it intersects GA-85 Alt. There are several spectacular views as we ride along the mountain, a couple of screaming descents, and several nice climbs. A fast, fun descent brings us to the town of Warm Springs, and lunch.

We will have reservations at the Bulloch House. Lunch is buffet style, country cooking. It’s outstanding. I strongly recommend saving room for desert.

After lunch, we allow a bit of digestion time. This is good time to re-apply sunscreen.

We ride at a controlled pace for the first hour after lunch. Fortunately the first five miles are mostly down hill. Then we begin tackling the rollers on GA-85. These appear to be worse than they actually are. The problem is one of optics. It’s possible to see the road ahead for long distances, and the rollers are seen in their entirety, foreshortened by the perspective.

About 18 miles after the lunch stop we arrive in Gay, GA, for the first of the after lunch stops. This will be a short stop to answer nature’s call and refill bottles.

From Gay, we ride about 20 miles to the rest stop at Digby. On this leg we will turn a bit east and descend to the Flint River. The bridge over the Flint crosses at the famous “flat shoals.” This is followed by a long step climb, and then turn through the town of Concord. A couple of long easy climbs late we arrive at the store in Digby.

From Digby it is only 20 miles to the finish, back in Peachtree City. This last leg is more flat than hilly, and the hills are mostly long low “rollers.” This leg has some long sight ling vistas, and it transits the small and quaint town of Brooks, GA. As we enter Peachtree City, we will form up into a column of twos to ride the final four miles of the four lane Peachtree Parkway in triumph. And, of course, we’ll have a good sandwich snack waiting for us as we finish the ride.

That’s the itinerary. Are you interested?

WHY TOURING?

In the beginning people got really excited about bicycles. Why? Because a bicycle gave the rider the ability to get somewhere. Prior to the bike, a traveler had a few options, walk, ride or be pulled by a horse, or ride a train. Walking was slow and hard. Travel by horse was expensive. Horses cost a lot, and they have to be constantly cared for and fed. Trains were expensive, and they didn’t always go where the traveler wanted to go. The bicycle was fast, inexpensive, and it went pretty much where the rider pointed it. It didn’t need to be fed. (If the fun factor is added in, the bike is almost irresistible.)

Interestingly, the situation today is a close parallel. Cars cost a lot. Gas is getting insanely expensive. Trains are all but useless in this country. Horses are a lost art. Other modes of travel are likely to be expensive, difficult, and limited by the constraints of someone else’s scheduling. A bicycle goes when and where we want it to. Bikes are still inexpensive. (Compare a really nice bike to the cost of a fairly cheap car.) They cost little to maintain. They can go when the rider wants them to.

Those are the practical reasons for travel by bike. But there is more. If you are oriented more to the journey than the destination, then cycling is for you. Let’s face it, travel by car, bus, train, or airplane is boring. When one travels by bike the trip is often a lot more fun than the destination. We are out in the air. We get to coast down the hills. We see things, hear them, smell them, touch and feel them. We have time to experience the features of the journey, that quaint house, the friendly dog, the interesting person, the stunning vista. We can see the sun rise and set. We get to marvel at the awesome spread of the sky. We hear the rain as it moves through the trees around us.

Things happen to us on the bike that would never happen in a car. I’ve had coyotes pace me in the night. I’ve had a huge hawk gliding along, wing pinions at eye level, as the two of us regarded each other, our faces less than four feet apart. I’ve walked into the refreshing coolness of a country café after an afternoon in the blistering heat, and eaten the best apple pie in the universe, washed down with iced cold fresh milk. I’ve pulled out of a freezing night, into an old fashioned service garage and spent an hour warming by the heat of wood stove, while a total strange offered me a cup of coffee and listened in fascination to the story of my travels. (That was possibly the best coffee I’ve ever had.) Every touring cyclist has stories of amazing things, signs and wonders.

Group tours, such as our upcoming Audax Ride, are just about the most painless way to sample this kind of thing. Come join us. You have nothing to lose but your chains.

MORE ON TRAINING

First off a bit of a preview of coming attractions. Below is a profile of the 65 mile Tune Up Ride we will do on Sunday, September 21, 2008. That’s a 65 mile ride with 3,278 feet of gain.

This next profile is of the actual Audax Ride, the one we will do on October 4, 2008. Notice that, in 125 miles it gains 4,483 feet. That big hump in the middle is Pine Mountain.

From these two profiles a couple of things should be evident. First, the routes are not flat. Second, the 65 mile Tune Up, while it does not have quite as much climbing as the actual Audax Ride, does have more gain per mile. In fact, if we did the 65 Mile Tune Up twice, for a total of 200K, then we would have climbed 6,556 feet, or 2,073 feet more than the actual ride.

I’ve stated before, the Tune Ups are to prepare riders for the ride. They are not as long, but they actually cover more difficult terrain than we will face on the day. So the question becomes, how does one prepare for all this?

The answer would be, in the words of Eddie Merkx, “Ride. Lots.” But there is more. Here’s one way to get more ready for the Tune Up, and by extension, for the actual ride.

It’s five weeks until the 65 mile Tune Up. More, here in North Georgia we are blessed with plenty of hills. It’s not too hard to lay out a route that includes at least one good climb every mile. So combine those facts along with this program.

For the next four weeks, include the following routine twice a week. Select a nice hilly route. Spend 15 to 20 minutes warming up gently as you approach your “workout route.”

Then do a six hill routine as follows:

• Climb two hills while staying completely aerobic. Keep gearing and cadence low enough that you are not even breathing hard at the top.
  Climb the third hill hard. Hit it! Go up it as fast and hard as you can, right from the bottom.
• For the next two hills (four and five) repeat what you did on the first two. Take it easy, and do not let your hear rate rise.
• On the sixth hill, begin the climb just as on the first two, staying fully aerobic, but when you reach the point approximately 2/3 of the way up, upshift at least two gears, get out of the saddle and go hard until you are over the top. (Don’t ease up until after the crest.)

You should be able to do about two repeats of that in a one hour workout. Then spend 15 to 20 minutes warming down as you ride back home.

This routine should help you increase your climbing capacity, and it will prepare you mentally for the much easier climbing we will do on the rides.

THE GROUP RIDE PARADOX

After this past Sunday’s Tune Up Ride, one of our group asked me a pertinent question. “I have ridden that kind of distance before, at about that kind of pace,” he said. “But after this ride I felt a good bit more tired. Why is that?”

It’s a good question. There are a couple of likely answers. The more obvious one is that this ride was through some relentlessly hilly terrain. Hills take a lot out of you. But I know this rider. The hills contributed to his fatigue, but not enough to account for all of it.

In a group ride such as this, each member must compromise to maintain the group’s integrity. The better climbers need to slow on the ascents a bit, the descent specialists need to brake and relax a touch, and the diesels need to reduce speed on the flatter sections. This results in everyone being a bit slower in their specialty areas, but everyone is also faster on average. That takes more energy.

There is another more subtle lesson here. On this kind of ride, each rider must trust the group. No one wants to be a “dragging anchor,” holding the group back. This can cause a rider to work extra hard at their particular challenge areas. That results in a lot of fatigue. A more correct approach is to relax and deliver only the optimum level of performance.

Here’s an example. Let us say that I am not a great climber. I know this, and I know that there are other members of the group who seem to just float up the hills. I don’t want to be a drag. So I exert myself mightily on the climbs. I’m fatiguing rapidly, and the climbers are still waiting on me. Soon I’m exhausted, and I can no longer deliver a strong pull in my area of strength, the flats. This slows the group further.

On the other hand, if I stay inside of my normal range of performance on the climbs, exerting, but breathing well and not going anaerobic, I don’t fatigue as quickly. I reduce the group’s climb rate by a couple more percentage points, but I can make up for that by delivering a good strong pull in the flats. The overall average will rise. I just have to trust that the climbers will wait, just as they have to trust that I won’t ride their legs off on the motor-sections.

This takes a bit of time to learn. It’s counter to a lot of what the cycling culture practices, but then so is Audax riding. This is a co-operative effort, not a competitive one. Cooperation requires discipline and trust. It pinches a little here and there, but it yields terrific results. Once the group begins to settle down and work together it is far more powerful than any individual member.

AUDAX TUNE UP – A RIDE REPORT

What truly amazing weather we have just had. To be gifted with this in August is especially nice. The weekend felt more like mid-October than mid-Summer. Wow!

It was a bit cloudy when we started, with the temp in the high seventies. As we rode the skies cleared to a fantastic cloudscape, with the temps staying reasonable and the humidity remaining pleasantly low.

This loop is, by design, quite hilly. It's intended to be a bit more difficult terrain than most of the actual Audax Ride. On the other hand, the route rewards. There are plenty of vistas, and quite a few pleasant stretches of scenery. The recent rains, along with the "high summer" sunshine has brought the foliage to a lush green beauty.

The group was a decent size for one of these things, with ten of us, Bill, Bob, Cindy, Chris, Deb, Kelvin, Matt, Roxanne, Scott, and I all out for a good Sunday ride. I’m happy to report that all ten of us started and finished the ride. The group accomplished the (sometimes challenging) task of staying grouped throughout the afternoon.

I’m always gratified when new riders come along on one of these, but especially so when the new rider is a new rider. Matt is pretty much new to all of this. He hasn’t ridden in a group before, and his longest ride to date was “about 20 miles.” I should say he acquitted himself admirably. Matt is getting ready for the MS 150 at Pine Mountain in September. He made a welcome addition to our number. Way to go, Matt.

Roxanne was new to us, but has been riding for quite some time. She came along on her road bike. (Some folks didn’t know that she even owned such a thing.) Roxanne, I should mention, was geared pretty high, and this is a hilly loop. She did quite well. Bravo!

Pretty much everyone had some challenge or other to deal with. I’m happy to say all did very well. We didn’t manage to make either of the two “power runs” I can usually lead on this loop, but on the other hand, the overall average was higher than it has been in the past. That indicates a more consistent ride on the road, and good discipline at the stops. Kudos to all! And to all, Bon chance, et Bon route!