On to the new season! This year I'll be trying to qualify for Paris-Brest-Paris, which will be held August 18-22, 2003. According to the rules, the qualifier brevets have to be completed between March 1 and June 15, 2003. Please see the RUSA Planning Ahead for PBP website for further information and entry requirements. Important: If you're an American rider planning on entering PBP you must have a RUSA membership number prior to riding the 200k.
Brevets in Texas are, like many places, touchy with regard to weather. The early brevets can be very cold and the later ones very hot. Since I tend to have problems with dehydration the later brevets are a bigger problem for me personally, especially since they're so much longer.
I rode the Austin brevet starting at Round Rock, Tx on 1/25/03. An early start at 6 am so everyone could test their light setup. Well, actually a 6:15 start because someone's tire exploded like a pistol shot just as we were ready to start! It was 37 deg F with mist in the area, but it was mercifully dry at the start.
Everything went fairly smoothly, with only a couple of short false starts after missing turns. After the first 10-15 miles I settled in to riding with Jean-Luc Friang and Stan Truxilo, both of Austin. We got to Cameron (the halfway point) at 10:50 and ate at the Texan Cafe. Chicken fried steak was on the buffet, but I settled for the red beans and rice, ensuring that I wouldn't have to pull too much of the way back.
The weather started misting on the way back, and with a fairly consistent temperature (ranging from 37-42 deg F) it was cold at times. It never rained hard enough for rain gear, though, and conditions were generally OK since there was only a slight wind.
Jean-Luc, Stan, and I finished in about 9:30. Lots of riders were present, with about 20 starters. The first finishers were at 8:05, according to the brevet cards left under Russell Hahn's windshield wiper. A nice ride, with lots more fun to come.
I rode another 200k on March 8, 2003 beginning in Lometa, Texas. Lometa is a tiny little town northwest of Austin on the edge of the Hill Country. The ride headed out of town at 7 am, with a somewhat different motley crue than usual. It looked like there were about 10-12 riders. A few of the long-time randonneurs from Austin were present, including Russell Hahn (the brevet administrator), Gary Decker, Jean-Luc, and Bonita. Several new riders were trying their first brevet, including folks from Houston (home of the killer hills called "highway overpasses") and Austin. We straggled out of town in a ragged group, with Jean-Luc disappearing off the front before the rest of us cleared the first block.
Stan Truxillo and I settled in to ride together as we had done back in February. The larger group was dropping back slowly, although they were close enough that they caught up to us when Stan stopped after 20 minutes to pack up a jacket that was suddenly too warm as we started the first climbs of the day. We slowly slipped away from the group, though, and didn't see them again until we stopped at the first control. We feasted on the usual convenience store delicacies (gatorade and yoohoo) and then continued on. We were careful to stock up on water and food because the next 50 miles had absolutely no facilities.
The views in the next section were wonderful, but of course they only came after the climbs so you were quite aware of the price. This section of countryside appeared to produce nothing other than hundreds of stacks of boulders and squarish rocks destined for weekend landscaping projects in Austin.We started noticing the signs pointing to "Regency Bridge" (was it an actual bridge or a community named after a bridge?) off to our left as we crossed several county roads but we never seemed to approach it. Apparently all roads led to "Regency Bridge" except for the one we were on. The wind was starting to pick up, and we had a quartering headwind that was slowing us somewhat.
Finally we made a couple of turns and were excited to see signs saying that the famous bridge was 8 miles ahead of us! Unfortunately, we rode 6 miles and then saw another sign pointing up a gravel road that said the bridge was still 2 miles away. Such is life, I suppose, but it was a tremendous letdown nevertheless. I guess we'll never find out whether we were missing the "Royal Gorge" of Texas or simply a village of 3 homes that happened to house a member of the local sign crew. Perhaps it's best that we let mystery cloud our eyes lest we should be disappointed.
Somehow we had made turns totalling 180 degrees but still had a quartering headwind. Finally we made it in to San Saba and, after asking several people about a place to eat, found Ma and Pa's Diner. Despite the somewhat prosaic name the diner was very nice inside and had really good food. After finishing our main courses we even splurged on pecan pie. If you haven't had a good southern pecan pie it's truly an exquisite sugary mouthful. Estimated at 4000 calories a slice (well, almost), it really lifted my spirits. Stan moaned a bit on the ride later but in my opinion a lunch on a bike ride isn't complete until you are overstuffed.
After spending almost an hour at the diner we hurled ourselves once more into the breach. We saw another brevet rider on the outskirts of town but our paces weren't compatible so Stan and I pedaled on into the increasing headwind. By this point the wind was directly in our faces and would continue for another couple of hours or so. Finally we made a turn and had a bit of tailwind, the first of the day as far as I could tell. We slid into Lometa at 5:13 pm for a time of 10:13 and were finished.
A good low-traffic route with wonderful views through a very hilly part of the hill country. A bit windy but all in all a very nice day.
A small group gathered for the start of the Austin 300k, beginning at 6 AM in Fredericksburg, Texas on February 22, 2003. About 8 riders were on hand, including riders from Austin, the Dallas area, New Orleans, and College Station (myself). I knew or knew of most of the riders, but their faces were somewhat obscure because of various attempts at defeating the cold. The starting temperature was around 40 degrees with a cold wind, although it promised to be a nice day with highs in the 60s and a clear sky.
The group pulled away from the starting point (the local Walmart) and its first split occurred quickly as some riders missed a turn before we had gone a mile. The riders rejoined quickly, though, and we formed a somewhat untidy group as we left town and began to string out along the road. I found myself riding with Russell Kelley from Farmer's Branch (a suburb in the Dallas area), enjoying his light and mostly riding by it since my light beam was swallowed up in the flood of light from his headlamp. He uses a very bright high-intensity light that lights up the entire road. Normally a very fast rider, Russell was fighting a cold and had been sick the previous day with a high fever. This worked to my advantage because it slowed him down to close to my speed and allowed us to ride together. Russell finished the Boston-Montreal-Boston ride in ~69 hours in 18th place, compared to my completion of PBP in 88 hours in ~2500th place. Considering that he completed BMB after crashing, going to the hospital for 4 hours, and then finishing with a separated shoulder it's apparent that our normal riding speeds are somewhat divergent.
We gained a couple of "bonus" miles due to a wrong turn (they're "bonus" because they're free and are above and beyond the route mileage since you have to return to the course at the same point you left it), but otherwise were riding well through the first section. The roadway was relatively hilly, but the hills were spaced out nicely and didn't seem oppressive. We got to the first checkpoint at London (the Texas London, of course--easily distinguished from England's London because the Texas one doesn't have a subway system and has a population of about 150) in the latter part of the morning and found the ride leaders Jean-Luc and another rider from Austin. We ordered sandwiches and had a nice lunch after signing in (the cafe was the control point). The lady at the counter was very nice and made a wonderful sandwich. We left half a gallon of water for the riders following us and continued on.
We took off as a group of 4, but separated gradually. We rode through an area of rolling steep hills but the amount of climbing wasn't too bad. Occasionally the wind was at our backs, and we pushed the pace up to the mid to upper 20's and were riding well. We were matching the two lead riders' pace and at times were only separated by a few hundred yards but we stayed behind them until they were stopped by traffic in a small town. Russell and I dropped back after stopping in a futile search for water, though, and we separated from them for good.
We rolled through the town of Castell (pop'n conservatively estimated at 30) and started smelling barbecue! We tracked it down to the local general store/feed store/restaurant and got something to drink while waiting on the food. The pork tenderloin sandwiches (the only thing on offer, apparently) really hit the spot. Perfectly lean and with about an inch thick slice of meat, the sandwiches were superb. The owner talked to us while we ate, telling of the fly fishing and "Sunday drivers" who stop in. He told us the road on over to Llano was pretty hilly so we ought to have fun on the next section. We bought some gatorade and water, neither of which we finished. We left it with a note for the following riders.
The ride to Llano was filled with rolling hills but was pretty and had lots of interesting views. Russell had a flat on the outskirts of Llano, for our only mechanical problem of the day. In Llano we found the control at the "Circle K" which was now named something else. Upon asking, the clerk confirmed that it was formerly a Circle K so we had her sign off on our brevet cards. Russell resorted to his secret weapon and purchased a microwaveable burrito. He confided that he ate 32 of these burritos on Boston-Montreal-Boston. I'll have to consider it, but settled for gel and Sustained Energy for the moment. Once again we left half a gallon of water for the riders behind us.
The road out of Llano didn't seem too bad, but our speeds dropped way down. I was feeling the effects of pushing the pace earlier, the wind was now mostly a headwind/crosswind, and we were gradually climbing through some small ranges of hills. Russell had recovered greatly and now was slowing to match his pace to what I could manage.
We next took the "Willow City Loop", a section of range that did not have fences along the roadway but instead had cattle guards and occasional fences perpendicular to the roadway. Add in the low-water crossings with 1-5" of water flowing across the roadway and the black cattle that were free to enter the roadway and it was a section that I was happy to complete in the daylight. You couldn't even enjoy the regular downhills because of the sharp curves, cattle guards, and flowing water on the road. The section culminated in an extremely steep, long climb. We stopped and took a photo near the top, then continued on. Even more climbing presented itself after the false top of the climb but the grades had flattened considerably.
The next control was an information control. Our brevet cards told us to look around and write down a landmark. Since we were standing next to the "Verizon" building we noted that and continued. We put on warmer clothes, reflective gear, and lights since it was cooling off and getting dark.
My headlight was OK until it started dimming. I flipped on my backup and had brighter light for a few minutes and then it abruptly died. My first light was still on, but it was more like an anemic firefly than its normal bright self. I had a headlamp on and Russell's light was extremely bright or I would have stopped and replaced my batteries.
We finished by touring a number of obscure areas of Fredericksburg, zigzagging through residential streets, highways, etc., until we reached the Walmart. Done, at 13 hrs 57 minutes. A really pretty ride through a wonderful area. Lots of climbing but the climbs generally afforded nice downhill runs and scenic views. This route has to be one of my favorites.
I rode the Lone Star Randonneurs 300k on Saturday, March 16, 2003. Because the ride began in Cleburne, Texas, my drive to the start required me to start my day at 3 am. Considering that the previous day's schedule ended only 2 hours prior, I wasn't exactly chipper as I drove to Cleburne.
I arrived at the start and found a fairly large group of cyclists, with 30-40 riders taking part in either the 200k or the 300k being run that day. My brother Billy rode his motorcycle up to meet me at the start. Quite a contrast between us with me in lycra and nylon and him in leather.
As we started the temperatures were cool (50 deg F) but a pleasant day appeared to be in store. The first stretch went by quickly, with only a brief hiccup in our ride as we got lost. We missed a turn, leading to a bit of exploration on the outskirts of Glen Rose (home of dinosaur tracks and a nuclear power plant). We corrected after adding about 3 bonus miles to the route and retracing our route to find the turn that led into town, and then had a picturesque ride along a route lined with houses constructed using petrified wood.
The rest stops were manned by several volunteers who provided a variety of snacks, drinks, etc., generally spoiling the riders with their help. This was greatly appreciated and helped move us through the checkpoints quickly.
The route showed some great views as we wound up and down the hills. At one point or another I rode with Dan Driscoll, Don, Seth, and others along the out-and-back course. We reached the second control point in the latter part of the morning, and discovered that most of the group we were riding with were turning back because this point marked the midpoint of their 200k. A few of us (Gary Smith, Bill Fox and one or two others) still had another 35 miles or so to the turnaround for our 300k.
As we approached the halfway point we started meeting returning riders. It became apparent that we were fairly far back from the others, as they had a substantial lead. Our group was very nearly the lantern rouge of the 300k, although one rider was still behind us at the midpoint of the ride.
After a quick stop at the control point I said goodbye to my brother, who was returning home after his motorcycle ride, and continued on with Gary and Seth. Bill had made a very quick stop and was out on the road ahead of us. I rode with Gary and Seth for a long stretch but finally started dropping back and lost contact with them on a series of hills. The wind was blowing against us for long stretches of roadway, although it usually died away when blocked by a steep hill (small comfort).
I finally arrived at the last control point where I found Bill and Bob (?), but no Gary or Seth. I looked at the sign-in sheet but they hadn't arrived yet. Finally, just as we were departing Gary and Seth were spotted coming up the road. They had missed the turn and added in a few more bonus miles to the ride.
Bill, Bob, and I set out for the final stretch a couple of hours before dark. Bob increased his pace after realizing that he needed to finish before dark because he did not have a headlight, leaving Bill and I to finish together at 7:40. The wind had died away completely with twilight's arrival, leading to a very nice slow cruise into town. Done, in 13 hrs 10 min.
The 400k brevet is a bit different from the 200k and 300k. For this distance there is a substantial amount of night riding that brings in the problems of nighttime lighting, dealing with the change from a warm day to the cool night, and the psychological damage imposed by the participants continuing riding while sane people snuggle up in bed. The brevet was held April 12, 2003 and started in Mineral Wells, Texas.
The ride was organized by Dallas RBA Dan Driscoll, event director extraordinaire. The drivers of the neutral support vehicles (headed up by Gay) leapfrogged through the control points and provide a fairly substantial amount of food and drink to the riders. The ride started at 7 am, allowing me a few hours' sleep before driving to the start. The 7 am start meant we didn't need lights to begin since the sun was just peeking over the horizon as we headed out. The start was fairly calm despite the relatively large number of riders. Although I didn't see a head count, it looked like around 25 400k riders, with a few others riding the concurrent 200k and 300k.
The usual suspects quickly headed off into the distance ahead of me, but I tried to ride a bit more conservatively than usual because of the length of the ride. The riders started to coalesce into groups as everyone's pace sorted things out. We soon reached the first control point at a convenience store/Whataburger (Dan's stops are fairly closely spaced at about 35-40 miles). Although the wind was light it was behind us at this point, and we continued swiftly on towards Graham, the 2nd control. My wife and my mother met me at the control point, providing a quick lunch. Although they have each driven personal support for me in the past they had decided that this year I was on my own other than at this one stop (sob). Oh well, I'd just have to struggle on like a good soldier.
The groups seemed to be well sorted by now, and I continued with the same 6 riders for most of the day. One of the women in the group, Kay, completed the Odyssey 2000 around-the-world ride. She was a source for several stories about the adventures (and misadventures) of that experience. I had followed the web diaries of several of the riders during that year long extravaganza, and it was fun to hear more about it.
The ride wound around Possum Kingdom Lake and crisscrossed back and forth through the river valleys as it took advantage of every hill that could conceivably be included. Although the route doesn't have quite as much cumulative climbing as PBP (on a per mile basis) it came fairly close. Some of the views were truly great, and the bluebonnets were out in force as the wildflower season was near its peak. Some of the stretches of roadway were bathed in the smell of bluebonnets, particularly as night fell and the wind died down even more.
Our pace fell somewhat as dark came and the tiredness settled into our legs, but we continued on. As we neared the end I looked at my bike computer and asked one of the other riders if they wanted the good news or the bad news first. After hearing her reply I told her that we only had 35 miles to go but our pace was only 11 mph. You should never attempt that kind of math late in a ride, it's just too tiring thinking "3 more hours! My butt hurts now!"
We finally finished shortly before 4 am, with my total time being 20 hrs 50 minutes for the 263 miles. The distance was slightly over the required 400 km (423, to be precise) but it was OK because we knew that Dan was just trying to prolong the joy as long as he could.
I rode the 600k put on by the Fort Worth RBA, Dan Driscoll, on May 3-4. The weather forecast called for temperatures in the low 90's accompanied by heavy wind so I wasn't looking forward to starting the ride. As we stood around and kicked the tires waiting for the start, however, it was apparent that the weather was both cooler and calmer than predicted. About 20 riders were attempting the 600k.
We began the ride by heading west, and had a modest cross-wind. It was cloudy and cool (upper 60's), with rain in the area but the closest we got to the rain was some wet pavement as the thunderstorms either dissipated or stayed out ahead of us. As we turned south to begin our 117 mile run into the wind we were grateful that it was only blowing 5-10 mph. Even with that wind we took full advantage of the tandem (ridden by Dan and Diane) that was part of our small group of 5-6 riders. We rode mostly together for 60-70 miles, then separated as we rode through the hills. Groups formed and split on an ad hoc basis as riders either surged ahead on the hills or sought shelter from the wind on the flats.
The ride went through some beautiful areas of bright green grass and wildflowers. The cows didn't seem to appreciate the beauty but we sure did! The southern half of the area we were riding through had had more rain and was greener, but wildflowers were everywhere. Yellow, blue, purple, and red flowers were out in abundance.
It's prom season in Texas, so we watched for teenaged drivers as the evening wore on. As we rode through Huckabay we enjoyed the booming music and strobe lights leaking out of the old stone high school gymnasium into the twilight--it made the contrast with the calm cool evening even more enjoyable.
Our group finished the first day's 227 miles at about 10:40 pm. The weather forecast for the next day had been changed from cool and rainy to the upper 90's and winds of 20-30 mph so we debated the merits of various start times, coming up with several different "right" answers. Most people opted to sleep for 5-6 hours and begin at 5 am, but I decided to get up and leave at 2:30 to minimize the amount of riding I would have to do in the hot, windy afternoon.
There's something that's just wrong about checking into a hotel at 11 pm and leaving a 2 am wakeup call, but somehow I talked myself into it. After gorging on kolaches and ensure (what a combination!) I showered and hit the bed. It seemed that no sooner had I laid down than the phone rang with the wake up call--time to go!
The wind was now howling out of the southwest, leaving me with a quartering headwind to start the 2nd day's ride. Very little traffic was on the road, so I noticed when an SUV pulling a small U-haul trailer went past me. About 5 miles down the road I noticed even more when I rode up a climb and found them upside down in the middle of the pavement. A pickup pulling a boat had already stopped; after asking whether I was a law officer (on a bike in rural West Texas at 4 am! He must have been smoking something!) the driver of the pickup said no one was hurt and he had already called the police. The driver of the SUV told me the trailer started whipping around in the wind and flipped over along with the SUV. I spoke to the woman passenger for a few minutes, who was OK except for a minor cut on her arm. She asked me whether I felt safe out there by myself on a bike as she stood by her wrecked vehicle. I refrained from any comment other than to say that most people were friendly and I felt safe.
By leaving in the middle of the night I had worked myself out of the neutral support vehicles' times at the control points. The first control point, a convenience store/hamburger joint, was closed when I got there at 4:30 so I made note of that and wrote down the time on my brevet card then continued on north. This section was nice because of the quartering tail wind.
After turning in Graham I started to encounter the wind in earnest (the "snake in the grass" that had been lying in wait). Pedaling into a 25+ mph headwind isn't the funnest thing to do. About the best flat-road speed I could do was 10 mph; doing the math with a 60 mile section of headwind leaves one with a depressing answer. As the heat built up towards the upper 90's I welcomed two stops at control points in the headwind section. Sitting inside a cafe eating German chocolate cake and drinking a coke was much nicer than fighting that wind!
I finally reached the southernmost control point at Caddo. It was still not manned by the support vehicles but they had left a stack of goodies under a big shade tree by the closed convenience store, a very thoughtful and much appreciated help. I guess I looked pretty pitiful standing at the store, though, because a pickup pulling a small boat stopped and gave me some ice-cold water. Another rider pulled up shortly after that, the only bicyclist I had seen all day.
I rode the last 35 miles to the finish with a modest tail wind over most of the section. My heart sank as I rode up and over Metcalf Gap when the tail wind swirled around and became a head wind, but it was caused by the shape of the hills and the tail wind resumed on the other side. Such a flipflop in my emotional state! I finished at 3:53 pm for a total time of 33:23. Done and ready to enter PBP 2003!!!
Mark
copyright May 2003.
