Fancy Foot and Leg Work Populaire: May 29, 2011

Janis likes the Benson Mule Pull Populaire. Today she owned it, staying ahead of the boys from start to finish. Sure, she had a head start. Thirty minutes. But that was all she needed. I bet she’d be great at handicapping horses. That's her with Martin post-ride in the parking lot of the start/end control, Swift Creek Coffee House, Garner, NC.

Since joining RUSA in 2009, Janis, along with her regular riding buddy, Andy, has done a 200km ride each consecutive month: 26 now and counting. And since the announcement of RUSA’s P-12 in January, Janis has done at least one monthly sub-200km Populaire. Truth told, Janis is well on her way to eclipsing 5,000 RUSA kms this year.

Somewhere in between prepping my bike for the start and obtaining a receipt and signature on my permanent card, I’d noticed that Mike H had worn his bedroom slippers to the start. It was good that I didn’t tease him, for I later learned that they weren’t bedroom slippers, but the latest in haute couture clothing: Sanuks, which according to the web site, “They're not shoes, they’re sandals.” According to some reports, they are extremely comfortable. Martin quipped, “They’d be perfect if they came with pedal cleats.”

But there’s more. After removing his Sanuks, dude then pulled what looked like a glove liner over his foot! Was I looking at cycling socks with toes! What in the world?

Like I said, no crime in wearing bedroom slippers to the start of a ride. That’s cool, dude. But socks with toes? I began to calm down once I learned that Mike’s wife bought them for him. What self-respecting guy would dare instigate the first move on something like that?

I had a very similar experience years ago when my wife bought me some low-cut athletic socks. No way was I going to wear those thingies in public, especially around by basketball buddies. Well into the 90s, my athletic socks sported colored rings just below the knees. Only after learning that “His Airness,” you know, “MJ,” wore low-cut socks, did I reluctantly don them, initially, only to cut the grass, however.

And so now it is with these Injinji things, except that I think Mike is way ahead of the curve on this one. In fact, I gave my wife permission to pick up a pair for me just in case this thing goes viral and all the cyclists show up with them at the next brevet. I don’t want to get caught with my toe socks off. Discreetly, I formulated a backup plan: I did some checking and learned that I could get some mail order from Nashbar.

In spite of the engaging pre-ride fashion show, the three of us started the ride on time. Aversboro Rd carries us through a section of Garner, where we saw a number of banners congratulating the hometown phenom, Scotty McCreery, winner of this year’s American Idol announced just last week. On the way back through Garner, the huge outdoor YMCA pool looked especially inviting. Kids of all ages were enjoying themselves.

On the uphill on Rand Rd, just a few miles into the ride, I spotted the first mule of the day in the pasture across the road from Rand Elementary School. Perhaps Monk would understand, or at least relate to, my need for sighting at least one mule on this ride.

Later, on Holland Church Rd, we spotted a huge, beautiful blue heron near a pond.

The route is surprisingly rolling, catching all of the creek beds on the way to Benson rather than following a comfortable ridgeline. Martin had a good workout, since he was attempting to single-gear it to Benson on his superfluous-gear bicycle. He wasn’t complaining. At one point, in fact, he was doing some one-legged pedaling. Mike and I couldn’t figure out whether Martin was cramping, had “hot foot,” or was just showing off. According to Martin, he was “training.” That’s his story. As a witness, who must stick just to the facts, all I can say for sure is that he was doing some pretty entertaining one-legged gyrations.

At the outskirts of Benson, our group of three passes Janis who is on the return. Familiar with Benson, Martin shoots to the front and straight to Burger King, while Mike and I pull up short, deciding to tether our bicycles outside Miss Maude’s Café on Main Street. Benson is an “open” control. Mike taking care of paperwork during "down time" inside Miss Maude's Cafe, Benson, NC.

We order iced tea, and after a few indecisive minutes, inform the waitress which lunch special we’ll have from those posted on the menu board sitting on the counter. The waitress comes back fifteen minutes later informing us that we can’t have lunch yet. We then locate a breakfast menu and reorder. By now, Martin locates us inside Miss Maude’s Café (the bikes parked outside are a dead giveaway). He mentions that by now Janis has a huge lead on us. After serving us pancakes and eggs, I was impressed that the waitress asked if we’d like some syrup and butter to go with our pancakes. It was just a few minutes before 11 AM when we began to eat. The three of us had a great time in spite of the delay.

"Fact" and "Fantasy" (l-r), according to Martin, inside Miss Maude's, or, if you prefer (r-l), according to Janis, "Dean Martin." Have it your way.

On the return, Mike and I discuss topics I enjoy immensely: nutrition and hydration.

After a few more rolling hills and a more dedicated sun bearing down, I requested a brief stop in order to put on some sun block. A couple of us use the occasion to obtain additional fluid.

A Harley Davidson at the next-to-last control triggered some stories about Martin’s two-man Blue Ridge Parkway bicycle excursion last year, particularly what it did for his conditioning and confidence. A great story.

Back in Garner, Janis is awaiting us. Even after getting our cards signed and obtaining the obligatory cashier receipts, the four of us stand around in the parking lot chatting for some time, the warm sun beaming approvingly. At one point, we cajole Mike into modeling his toe socks for Janis’ sake.

I’m telling you, it’s the next big thing. I’m getting me some toe socks.

Oh, yeah, read the reviews. You might need to get a sock size larger than you normally wear, and that toe beside the big toe that is longer than the big toe in some/many/most/all people? Apparently the design hasn’t caught up to that evolutionary fact yet.

By the way, while I doubt that the next ride report will feature pedicures, you never know who might step up, putting his or her best foot forward.

Thanks, guys, for the great ride!

Dean/Raleigh

Tar Heel 200: The Three Rs Edition

Scheduling necessary R-12 rides in December around the weather and seasonal commitments can be a balancing act with the push and pull of compromise. A few days back, when Andy announced he was going to ride, four more of us jumped, in part because we knew we would have some great company.

Most normal people never even entertain the idea of winter riding. That was definitely me prior to randonneuring. It also explains the expressions on the faces of small groups of people sitting over hot, steaming coffee and toasty egg McMuffins awed by randonneurs donned in reflective gear readying to be swallowed up by the 6:30 AM darkness and the 22°F “feels like” temperature on the other side of the window separating normalcy from adventure. RandonneursЯUs!

You might be wondering about the rationale of a 6:30 AM start time. Obviously, Chef Andy had something special in mind. After all, this was supposed to be a “winter” ride. Part science, part culinary art, Andy’s appetizer called for the coldest part of day and a dash of darkness. For entertainment, we were treated the first mile to the festive Holiday city lights as we cruised down Main Street in Benson. The main dish included overcast skies and a slight headwind for the glutinous 62-mile return leg. The ambiance couldn’t have been better: temperatures hovered all day in the 30s and we weren’t bothered by the sun until 3 PM. Vaseline rather than sunscreen. Our compliments to Chef Andy for such a satisfying experience!

One can imagine that the three Rs referred to in the title are all about the basics of winter riding like clothing, lighting, hydration, and caloric intake, for example. True, we did discuss those things from time to time. But “the three Rs” refer in this case to R-9, R-11, and R-12.

But let me start at the beginning. Dr. John is heading to New Zealand for an extended stay. Helping him pack, we’d uncoupled his new Surly Travelers Check and had stuffed both it and him into a kiwi crate for shipment. But he begged us to let him and his bike out for just one last spin before he departed.

It seems he had some unfinished business—namely, the completion of his second R-12!

Well, he got ‘er done today. Congratulations, Dr. John!

Although John was the big winner, there were also two other winning Rs today: R-9 and R-11. Janis, Andy, and Jerry completed R-9s, while I completed R-11.

To say that Jerry completed his R-9 today is a tad misleading, since he actually extended his streak to R-45, closing in on an amazing fourth consecutive R-12!

By the way, Janis and Andy both officially completed their 2,000th kilometer today in just nine short months since joining RUSA. Congratulations!

Thanks for the company!

Let’s ride!

Siler City Express Permanent, June 13, 2009

Back in February, while on the Nottoway Ramble Permanent, a scenic 215km jaunt through the historic tidewater area of Virginia, the route owner, Ron, and I schemed to ride a subsequent Permanent come June. Why June?

Ron’s February ride marked the eighth consecutive month he’d ridden a brevet or Permanent of 200km or more. Continuing the progression, a June ride would qualify him for the R-12 Award. Ron is no stranger to North Carolina randonneuring, having completed the brevet series out of Morrisville. So when he chose Mike D’s Siler City Express for his qualifying ride, he knew exactly what he wanted:

. . . some hills; a couple of steep climbs; great scenery; and a few barking dogs thrown in for motivation to get the adrenaline going.

Sridhar and I agreed to join the fun.

Ron’s recumbent drew a lot of attention along the route. Several retired regulars at the convenient store in Erect wanted to see how it worked. A small group gathered outside to see Ron off. Closer to Seagrove, a lady outside her house, watching us pass by shouted, “Recumbents are cool.”

We traveled without incident until Sridhar flatted on the last hill on Ophir Rd. He changed the tube only to have the valve stem on the new tube malfunction after it had been inflated. At the turnaround, Sridhar noticed some mountain bikes in the back of a pickup and borrowed a floor pump from the owners to top off his tire pressure.

At the turn-around control, watching all the people come and go—motorcyclists, boaters, mountain bikers, weekend vacationers of all sorts—I noticed a fellow wearing an Operation Red Sleigh T-shirt. As he walked by, I said, loud enough for his benefit, “There goes a cyclist.” Later, we chatted about area cycling. I asked him if there weren’t a fair amount of climbing on the Operation Red Sleigh ride to which he responded, “You’ll get your exercise.” He then asked us what roads we’d traveled. When we mentioned Ophir and Flint Hill, he nodded, adding, “You’ve had a workout.” The conversation ended with our new friend plugging his July charity ride out of Seagrove, which provides toys, meals, and necessities to children and their families just before Christmas. Check out their website here complete with a rocking You-Tube video on a worthy cause.

Leaving the Mt. Gilead control, Ron and I played cat-and-mouse up and down the hills. I think he has a special downhill gear mounted somewhere in that chain and pulley system spanning his bike.
The hills, rolling countryside, and ridgelines provided scenery that alone made today’s outing worth while. The afternoon pop-up thunderstorms in the forecast never materialized. Rain never threatened.
Afternoon temperatures climbed into the low 90s. Several times I cleaned the perspiration spray off my sun glasses caused by road buzz on the fast descents over the chip and seal road surfaces.

When Ron said he wanted to stop long enough in Seagrove to eat something, I quickly agreed. Even though I thought I’d been eating and drinking enough fluids, I was surprisingly thirsty. I quaffed three tall caffeinated fountain drinks and one ice water in addition to eating a grilled chicken sandwich. I was rejuvenated, and didn’t suffer too much climbing the rollers on the backside of Old Coleridge Rd.

Congratulations to Ron on qualifying for his first R-12 Award!