A warm, fuzzy feeling...

April 25 300K Morrisville NC

The heat came out of nowhere, like freshly baked bricks thrown from a great height. Here in the Tar Heel state, we can take the heat -- after all, we spend a lot of time in the kitchen, mostly cooking grits. But Saturday's record-setting 92F (for you Celsius folks, the F stands for FIRE!) came on the heels of a cool, wet spring. No one was really ready for this, and before Saturday's 300K was in the record books, this sudden spike in temperature would KO several very fine riders.

An uneducated guess says about 30 lined up for the 7 a.m. start. Our little band of ragged irregulars joked about needing arm warmers or vests. Hell, it was already in the mid 60s. What we needed was zinc oxide.

A small crew worked its way off the front after the mile-long climb up Jack Bennett and we rode much of the way to the 100K control until three riders escaped at mile 45. Despite the heat, there were some frisky riders and some horsing around as fresh legs whipped up the pace. How would this play out as the day fired up? I vowed to do my reporting from the back of the pack.

There is a sizable hill on Coleridge Road, about 8 miles from the Siler City control, and we splintered once more as our climbers opened a gap. That included Lynn, a PAC Tour veteran who is a new rider to our series, and Justin, a 19-year-old student from Va. Tech who rides with great enthusiasm. Riding buddies JoeRay and Wes, who both come alive in the vertical sections, were also off the front. Those four were the first in to the turnaround.

I ambled along with JD and John M but slowly moved away from them as they chatted side-by-side. I reached the Seagrove control around 12:30 on my own.

By now, the day was blaze orange, like a hunting cap. Dean was working the turnaround and had a table set up in a shady spot of the Hardees parking lot. Lynn and Justin were there, talking with Dean; JoeRay and Wes were inside the restaurant eating a sandwich.

It did not take me long to realize that it would be a mistake to go inside, into the cool air. I did not want to put myself through the temperature swing, and I did not think I could stomach a solid meal. So I made the decision to have a few fig Newtons, a couple bananas, a little Gatorade. I would live on gels, if you can call that living, for the rest of the day. This was a little risky; it would be 30 miles before I would get another chance to eat. But I simply had to trust my instincts on this call.

I also knew that in this heat it would be very difficult to ride anyone else's pace, so kept my own company. The stretch from Seagrove to Siler City is much more difficult on the return leg. The plan was to take it easy through there, then pick things up as the road flattened out north of Siler City. Presumably, the air would be cooling by then.

As I was leaving, JD rolled in; he was a shade of green I'd seen before in heat-exhausted riders.

I was the first out of the turnaround but Lynn and Justin quickly caught and passed me. I waved at riders still heading out. The biggest smiles came from Gary and Sara, who were taking it easy in the heat. They would finish the ride in the cooler evening hours.

I fully expected to be reeled in by JoeRay and Wes, but they had not caught me by the time I reached Siler City, where I joined up with Lynn and Justin. I have learned that if you can't make up time on the road, you can usually gain some of it back at the controls. I got my card signed, grabbed a jug of water and was ready to roll in about five minutes. I left the Siler City stop with Lynn and Justin just as JoeRay and Wes rolled in.

Lynn and Justin quickly dropped me but they slowed considerably when they got on Siler City-Snow Camp Road, and I rode into their shadow. Justin's legs had turned heavy, and he fell off the pace. I grabbed Lynn's wheel for a 12-mile high speed run to Snow Camp. When we turned right onto Old Greensboro Highway, I tried to return the favor, and pulled us over two or three hills before the legs would have no more of it. Lynn is a superb athlete and rode effortlessly away on the last big roller before the turn onto Lindley Mill Road.

The death march began in earnest now. I drifted along, a stalled motorboat on a stagnant lake. I queued up the mental reel of every hill over the next 45 miles. This could prove to be a painful finish. But that's what we pay the big bucks for, right?

On a stretch with good sight lines I looked back and saw Justin closing in. He caught me around 40 miles out and we stuck together for the remainder of the day. His big challenge was still ahead of him -- an upcoming exam in differential equations. The last two hours were the highlight of the ride; the day had begun to cool, and trees now shaded our path. The conversation and company helped take the sting out of my legs. We'd both run out of water by the time we reached Andrews Store, 20 miles from the end, so we ducked in for drinks, chips and ice cream.

I took us up the small rise from Jordan Lake to 751, and Justin took us the rest of the way home. I was delighted to be off the bike, eating pizza and drinking Coke at Al's. Lynn was still there, and she was modest about her accomplishment. But congratulations were in order for her mastery of the heat and the course.

Justin had a slice and a drink, and then he was off -- another 12 miles to his home, giving him a double century for the day.

Another fun day on the bikes.

Other Bloggers

I really enjoy that so many people blog about the same events. Doc on a Bike posted his account of the 300K here, and Chuck has a post here.

Photos from Boni

A new crop of photos from my son Daniel in Boni, Mali, where he is serving in the Peace Corps. Thanks for the pix to my new Best Friend Megan, who visited there recently. The shots give a better sense of the terrain and steep rock faces in the area.

First, the Google Map, which shows the best look in satellite or terrain views.


View Larger Map

Earth Day commute

For the rainy days

Would you pay $99 to watch cycling races for the year? I signed up to http://www.cycling.tv/ early this year. I wanted to see more racing then is currently offered in the US. After using it for a few months I thought I would post a quick review.

Packages:
They have a few tiers for races, offering a couple different levels. Depending on the size of the races you want. There are also Giro and Vuelta only packages, if you only want the Grand Tours. Cost is between $25 and $99.

Races:
You mean there are other races then the Grand Tours and the classics? I've seen most of the week long stage races and tons of the Belgian one day races so far this year. Most of the races are shown live and all of them without commercials(No more commercials right before the sprint!!). They have shown about 50 races or stages since January, including a few Cyclo-cross and track events. The commentators are quite good with some being covered by former pro Magnus Backstedt. If you have only watched a race with Phil and Paul commentating you may need some time to adjust.

Quality:
If you miss an event the highlights and the recorded "as-live" are available in a few hours. Sometime I have to be a hermit and avoid the cycling news site until I can watch the race. The on demand videos are always available so you can watch last years Paris-Roubaix. The downside is you have to use the player they supply. It only runs in a small window or full-screen. The full-screen looks pretty grainy even using the highest of the 3 bit-rates they offer. I wish it had the ability to resize to make the player slightly larger. They have some free2view stuff so you can try out the quality before buying.

Overall:
The service has been good. I haven't had many issues with slow connectivity or playback issues, but there have been a few. Normally, I wait until the as-live is available to see the start and interviews then move further into the race. I did watch all 4+ hours of Paris Roubaix though... If you like watching the coverage on Versus but want it more then 1 time a week this is a great sevice. One thing to watch - some events are highligts only. Depending on the distribution rights, like the Tour and Versus, some events aren't live. The site doesn't explain this well and the race list seems more like a "guideline". It hasn't bothered me much but somebody may want an ironclad list before they fork over 100 bucks.

A great day on the bike trumps watching somebody else ride, but it is good entertainment on those rainy days.

Wow: Vintage Edition

Wow.

cycling caps by "Little Package"

What's not to love about cycling caps? They help keep you warm in the winter, cool in the summer, shield your eyes from rain or sun. They even help you look kinda like your favorite Classics specialist! Or-

just like Wesley Snipes.


The only downside for my fondness for them is that most don't fit my planetoid-sized noggin. To quote Mike Myers in "So You Want To Marry An Axe-Murderer?":

"Head! HEAD! My Gahd, that boy has a melon!"


So Little Package Cycling Caps to the rescue. Little Package is seamstress Caroline, and she makes every custom cap by hand. You simply drop her a note with what you're looking for, she replies, you send her your measurements and payment, and a few weeks later, viola! A little package arrives with your very own custom cap.


The quality of Caroline's caps is fantastic. For mine, she used cotton twill fabric that's not too heavy, not too light. Her stitching is beautiful, especially when it's in a contrasting color. She really sweats the details. Her caps are so nice, I feel a little guilty wearing them in bad weather. Even so, they held up perfectly when I did.

Caroline doesn't do screen-printing, but she will find whatever fabric and color you're looking for. She sews in wool and other materials too. She worked extra hard for the 'NC Randonneurs blue' and the Dutch oranje with national tricolor ribbon.

Chapeau, Caroline! Chapeau.

Scenes from an Unsuccessful Flèche

A fine time was had by all this weekend as Flèche Team The Procrastinators, living up to its name, crossed the finish line in Lake Lure just a smidge (translation: 2 hours) outside the cut-off time. We whipped the weather and the wind and the hills but pilot error and a couple missing street signs put us down just short of the runway. Thanks to my teammates Tom, Mary, Cap'n and Lin. We'll get 'er next time. These pictures will tell the story until we can scrape together a few words. Thanks to Tony for hosting another fun, wet day/night on the bikes.

PBP Contrôles

A Tenderfoot's Guide to the PBP Contrôles

With the hope of being of some assistance to English speaking randonneurs attempting PBP for their first time in 2011, I am documenting the controls as I remember them—I rode PBP in 2003 and 2007, the controls were roughly the same, though the route changed. In '07, I felt that my familiarity with the layouts from '03 were helpful, and it seems fair to pass that advantage on to new riders in '11. Though it appears controls were similar in 1999, they MIGHT be entirely different in the future. Bonne Route!

Signs:

• Les étrangers — Foreigners (you and me)
• Douches — Showers (yes, guys too)
• Couchage — Sleeping (beds)
• Dortoir — Dormitory (beds)
• Sortie — Exit
• Interdite — Forbidden
• Pousser / Tirer — Push / Pull
  (You don't want to look like an idiot at the door)

---

St-Quentin-en-Yvelines at 0km & 1228km

Spelled like the prison near San Francisco, but pronounced like "Sohn Keh-Tohn in Eeve-eh-lienz" (I think), SQY is really an agglomeration of seven towns (Élancourt, Guyancourt, Magny-les-Hameaux, Montigny-le-Bretonneux, Trappes, La Verrière, Voisins-le-Bretonneux), largely contiguous they'll look like one city to you, but the locals make a distinction. Make sure you specify "en-Yvelines" as there are other St. Quentin's all over France. They say there is an ancient hamlet in Guyancourt, but mostly this is a modern "new town". Pizza Pino is underneath Hôtel Campanile. Turkish "fast food" has become common in Europe (in the U.S. too, but here they call themselves "Greek") and there are little "Gyro" joints nearby selling Donner Kebab. "Go Sport" is something like an REI or Dick's Sporting Goods. The wisdom of participating in the official but optional pre-ride supper is questionable—In '07 lots of Americans could not find the place, adding to pre-ride stress. By all means DO participate in a pre-PBP test ride to shake out your newly assembled equipment and get a feel for navigating France. Camping is at the pond (aka Tank), built in the 17th century to power the fountains at the nearby Royal Palace of Versailles.

Mortagne-au-Perche at 140km & 1084km

You'll climb up into the cobblestoned town plaza way past midnight and find an outdoor stand grilling meat, and selling sandwiches & drinks. The real stop is another kilometre down the road. Even that is not an official control, so do not try to get your control card stamped. Entering the building, the bathrooms are straight ahead, food and drink to your right, a bar first (selling beer & wine), but after that is real food—green beans (haricots verte), mashed potatos (pomme de terre), soup, yogurt and lots more. When you reclaim your bike, continue in the prior direction—do NOT go out the way you came in.
Turn left and go downhill.

Villaines-la-Juhel at 223km & 1002km

It will probably be morning when you get here—this is my favorite control. As you enter town, bike racks are straight ahead, control card processing up the steps on the right. Food, showers and beds are across the street. There is a line to buy pastries at the card processing, but the real food is across the street. Don't try to lie down in the card processing room, they'll shoo you out.

Though we pass through countless thousand-year-old French towns, most
of the controls are in larger and more modern communes. Villaines-la-Juhel is a beautiful example of the former (the only control town NOT located on a national road), and though its population barely tops three-thousand, you'd swear every single inhabitant must be volunteering or just cheering the cyclists on at the control. Villaines-la-Juhel control opens on Tuesday at 3am and doesn't close until 11pm on Thursday—that's a lot of voluntarism! They take lots of photos here and post them on their town website, so smile!

Fougères at 311km & 914km

Pronounced "Foo-zhjehers", I think. When you pull in on Tuesday afternoon, there is bike parking on your right, but ride past it and up the hill to get to the bike parking at the card processing area. There are showers up there too. Ride back down the hill and re-park your bike in the other lot, then cross the driveway for food. Don't dally, the leg to Tinteniac is short and fairly flat.

Be extra careful around Fougères, I felt motorists there to be the worst. Maybe it was evening rush.

Tinténiac at 365km & 859km

Pronounced "Tin Tohn eeYak", rhymes with Cadillac, I think. Park your bike then walk ahead. Card processing is on your left. Farther ahead is food, indoor and outdoor. Outdoor might be sandwiches and indoor plates of hot food (upstairs?).

On the edge of Tinténiac you climb up into Bécherel then dive out of town. After that, I think its relatively flat to Loudéac. The sun will probably set long before you get to Loudéac. This leg is nearly twice as long as the last one—don't let that discourage you. Somewhere near Loudéac, expect to see the fast guys heading back already.

Loudéac at 452km & 773km

Also rhymes with Cadillac, I think. Around midnight, you'll ride in through the long maze of barricades and park, or lay your bike down at this, the most crowded of controls. To your left and up the steps is card processing and food. To your right is drop bags, showers and dormitory. Need a bed? Bonne chance! Mais, il est possible. Behind you is beer and mechanics (who likely do NOT speak English). Get ready for hills tomorrow.

Carhaix at 529km & 696km

Pronounced "Car-hay", I think. You'll get here Wednesday, mid-morning, if you slept at Loudeac. I think the Carhaix control is in a school that is closed for summer. If its cool (likely) you will be forgiven for forgetting that it is summer. Ride to the back of the parking lot, stop, dismount, turn right and WALK your bike through the hedges and onto the narrow sidewalk. Some folks try to ride through the hedges, in both directions—neither can see each other and the crashes can be ugly. Card processing and food are inside. If you need a bed or shower, grab your bike, walk back to the parking lot, turn left at the road, go down about a block (or two?) and there is another building on your left.

Head to Brest, via Monts d'Arrée National Park and Roc-Trevezel (great vistas!). Avoid the road edge, I think there are little but sharp pieces of flint in this area. Also, try to hold your line and not weave, or, at least be concious of cyclists trying to pass you.

Brest at 615km

Wednesday afternoon, you cross the Albert Louppe Bridge where the Élorn River ends at the bay. Looking inland from the Louppe you see the landmark Plougastel bridge. Continuing, you skirt the bay again, turn right and climb to the control. You never get to see the actual ocean, just the bay. Card processing, showers, food, etc. are all inside. There may be more food across the street. You ride out of Brest on a different route than coming in—no Louppe bridge. You rejoin the "allez" route somewhere after Landerneau. After Roc-Trevezal, I felt like there was loads of downhill to Carhaix—you should get there before dark.

Dreux at 1161km

Dreux was not a control in 2003—Nogent la Roi was. I did not make it this far in 2007—sorry.

Secret Controls

Expect a couple secret controls. The secret controls will likely also offer food. Bonne Courage!

A Short Break From Bike Posts...

To share pix that my son just sent from his Peace Corps post in Mali. Yes, that's him. I feel proud and petrified at the same time. He just signed up for Skype, and today we had a 45 minute video call -- for free. Ain't the Internet great?

Tar Heel 200 Permanent Inaugural Ride, April 4, 2009

Welcome a couple of new North Carolina randonneurs who inaugurated North Carolina’s newest Permanent this past weekend. I and everyone who follows are grateful for their pioneering spirit: their willingness to follow a mythical cue sheet, one that works perfectly in my head as the route designer but less perfectly on paper.


But then, again, sometimes it's not altogether the cue sheet's fault.
According to their ride report, the ride represented a number of “firsts.”

The route is a brand new RUSA permanent. It is the first permanent designed by the owner, and if our documentation is accepted, it will be the first official ride on the permanent, my cycling companion's first RUSA ride, my first RUSA ride, and my first Lanterne Rouge. Lots of 'firsts'.

What was their verdict of the route?

It is a perfect ride for newbie Randonneurs doing their first RUSA events, and I am sure it will become a favorite sprint for experienced Randonneurs.

Here's the ride report, complete with captioned pictures (diced with humor). I love the one at the first/last controle with the sign in the window . . . It's sure to become a classic.

Much thanks to Edward Robinson, RUSA’s Permanent Coordinator, and to both Susan Plonsky and Alan Johnson, RBAs, for their gracious help in making the Tar Heel 200 a reality. We riders thank you!

And congratulations to the riders on their string of firsts!

Morrisville 200K Brevet / April 4, 2009

Leg cramps. I knew they were coming, I just didn't know where or when. Maybe it was the unusually dry day, and the fast pace that brought em on. Whatever the reason, 40 miles from the finish of yesterday's 200K, I got the warning signs. Sharp twinges in both calves, thigh muscles coiling like dangerous springs when I stood on the hills. I popped another e-cap, thought it would help.

Three miles from the finish, I thought I was free and clear. I'd made it through the hills on Crawford Dairy and Hamlet Chapel Roads, made it up the gentle climbs on Martha's Chapel from the lake, made it up the last little climb on Carpenter Fire Station, the leg muscles simultaneously taut and tender, threatening to revolt.

Then we caught a stop light.

When I tried to put my right foot back on the pedal -- WHAM!!! The calf seized up. I yelled bloody murder. My two riding buddies, Bill and Russ, looked back, graciously let the green light cycle through while I collected myself. I knew I was in for it now. If I had to stop again, put a foot down at a stop sign or stop light, I was doomed. And it happened twice more before the finish, once at a light, once at the final turnoff to Al's house, where a line of cars was stopped for another light. I risked falling over, flopping on the ground like a gaffed flounder. I could see Al's house now, but I could no longer lift my right foot to the pedal. I got off, gingerly, pushed my bike the final 200 yards to Al's house. It was not pretty. In fact, I'd say it ranks in the top 3 of All Time Ugly Finishes. But it makes for a good story.

I can't say enough good things about the guys who provided the company on the final stretch home. Russ was out on his first brevet, and what a showing he made. He rode across the country last summer and he still had the legs to prove it. The real horse in our team was Bill, who sat tirelessly on the front for at least 25 of the last 30 miles. He rides with the North Raleigh Road Dogs, where they call him One Speed Bill (if memory serves). Not because he rides a single speed, but because he is so incredibly steady and smooth in the saddle. A high pace up and down the hills, but no surges, no lapses in concentration. He is the kind of diesel you want to hitch your trailer to as you coax your tired legs toward home.

Safely back at Al's, we set up chairs and greeted the waves of arriving riders. The riding conditions were ideal -- sun, temperatures in the low 70s, and headwind on the outbound leg that meant a healthy push all of the way home. I believe everybody finished, pushing their bikes into Al's yard with a look of tired satisfaction. There were some new faces. Besides Russ and Bill, I had lunch with Victoria and Curt, down from Charlotte, and talked with Lynn, another north Raleigh rider. There were lots of the usual suspects, including Mike, Branson, Dean, brother Rob, Byron, Sara and Gary, Paul, Chuck, Jerry, Joe, Wes, Alan N, Bob, Dan, "Daddy G" Geoff, Jack, and several I'm drawing a blank on, so forgive me. See all of those NC Randonneur jerseys in the pictures? We look sharp! Thanks to Mr. Branson for that. Brother Rich worked the turnaround, and Fearless Leader Al served up tomato sandwiches at the finish.

Another fun day on the bikes, even with the cramps, gramps!

Magpie Frame #1

You may not know Curtis Dobbins' name, but chances are you know his face. He's been riding, racing and wrenching on bikes around here since the 80's. He's made more friends than most of us put together, almost all of them while representing REI during the last 15 years.

Curtis has a dream, and he's close to achieving it. He's about to hang out his shingle as a custom framebuilder. His friendship with McLean Fonvielle planted that seed way back, and Curtis is now taking a big first step. Here's his first frame, a steel cyclocross build for himself. Check out the details..




Lugged bottom-bracket shell
TIG-welded elsewhere