Truck Damages Bridge at Tar Heel, NC

It is estimated that the bridge over the Cape Fear River on the Tar Heel 200 Permanent will be closed to traffic for the next two months while the bridge is being repaired.

Details of the mishap have been reported by the local news with catchy titles like “Bridge to No Where” and “So close, yet so far.”

Apparently, a “gut truck” (one carrying dead pigs) smacked into the bridge which in turn overturned the truck. You could say it was offal.

MikeO and Fearless Leader Al, who rode the Tar Heel 200 on Saturday, surveyed the accident site first-hand. Thanks to Al, we have a report and close-up pictures:

We found the bridge closed to Tar Heel. We were able to get around as there was only a bike width space available on the bridge, but once they start repairs, there will be no way across. A week ago Friday a dump truck crossed the bridge with it bed fully raised and ripped out a lot of the bridge structure and the truck bed is still on the bridge. I am attaching pictures of the bridge.

A Wilmington TV station reports of the inconvenience for the locals in terms of fire and police services, not to mention commuters working at the abattoir and local truckers employed by same.

The bridge was slated for repairs next year. But it seems that that date has now been moved up.

Randonneurs seeking a comparable Permanent might look to the 201km “Lookin’ Out My Back Door.”

Let’s Ride!

How Clouds are Made: Tar Heel 200, June 15, 2011

The sound of Mother Nature’s siren song mid-week was overwhelming. With lyrics like: low temperatures; low humidity; cool breezes; sunshine, blue skies—how could one resist her spell?

We were not disappointed. Janis, Martin, and I were treated to a veritable show of cloud making by Mother Nature, herself.

Between Godwin and Averasboro on the return, we speculated about the nature of several white plumes reaching upward from the horizon toward the sky. Because farmers have been burning their fields of late, we wondered whether the plumes were smoke, “dirt devils” (i.e., “dust devils”), or real clouds forming, if not all three.

Martin and I stop to witness what may be actual cloud formation. When warm air ascends, it cools. Cooled water vapor condenses, forming clouds. This process of cloud formation is explained by a meteorologist here.

What a gorgeous day to be on the bikes!

Let’s ride!

Tar Heel 200 Permanent: Halloween 2010

Dear boos and ghouls, what wonderful weather for an end-of- October ride, which delayed our start a few minutes due to clothing adjustments on my part as riders patiently waited. In fact, we continued to peal off layers for the next 40 miles.

Bicycles and breakfast at the start control.

Speaking of the witching hour, Martin is surely metamorphosing into a monster. Just for the month of October, he knocked out 1,300 RUSA kilometers on the way to eclipsing 1,000 total personal miles for the month.

Monster-man Martin using all of his faculties attempting to suppress a smile.

When engaged, Lin easily took county line sprints on his recumbent projectile. Even when I jumped early, the rocket man took me down.

Although he wasn’t wearing a costume, one can easily picture Al, here, in superhero garb as Underdog.

Unfortunately, two months ago—53 days ago to be exact—Al broke his hip and collarbone in a cycling accident and was subsequently confined to a wheelchair. Just eleven days ago, Al got back on his bike. And today, he rode one hundred and twenty-five miles, completing the ride. Superhero, indeed!

Now for some Halloween pictures. Not too scary . . .

In a tightly contested race of hotair generation today, this balloon near Dunn nudges into first place.

You’ve heard of tall cotton. How about big cotton, here, near Erwin?

Finally, a “haunted” house in Erwin.

Thanks for the ride, Boos!

Let’s ride!

Tar Heel 200 Permanent: Heating it Up, 8/8/10

With forecasted highs in the low-90s for yesterday, it must have sounded something like a cold wave to an eager group of seven randonneurs riding the Tar Heel 200 Permanent out of Benson, NC. The group consisted of Cole, JayJay, Jerry, John, Isaac, Tim, and me. Here are some of the heat-seeking randonneurs at the start.

In spite of the heat index, for the most part the pace was up-tempo—as if personal tests of endurance—turning the event into a great training ride. Tim challenged first, once we turned onto Wade-Stedman Road. He streaked from the back of the pack on his single speed to the front, pulling strongly. But it was Isaac who earned the “King of the Mountain” jersey, barely nipping Cole at the crest of the bridge over I-95.

Then there was Jerry, arriving back at Benson first. Although he did not threaten the course record held by Mike D, Jerry’s time of 8:53 was respectable considering all the obstacles he had to overcome: 1) sit-down breakfast (Stedman), 2) sit-down lunch (Tar Heel), and 3) obligatory ice cream stop (Stedman). Back from his recent ride across Iowa (RAGBRAI), Jerry entertained John and me with funny stories from that event.

I finished under ten hours, time enough to haunt the Stedman and Erwin walk-in beer caves and prepare as many ice socks. Speaking of which . . . Here is the “catch of the day” shown off by John.

Somebody identified this big boy as an albino sockeye, a state record, we are told. This begs the trivia question: Which NBA player—of all time—had the biggest feet? (Here is the answer.)

We were a little disappointed that the paving at/near the Averasboro Battlefield Museum had not progressed from two weeks ago. Instead, we were treated to an authentic pre-Civil War era road? The hard-packed surface posed no problems for our bikes, and the route saved us some bonus detour miles.

I’ve been studying what makes Tim such a strong rider, and I made a few discoveries. On the one hand, Tim rides hard nearly every day. That’s got an awful lot to do with it. But there’s something else. Hint: Look closely at whose bike he’s riding. (If you can’t read Italian, just type “Basso” into an on-line Italian-English dictionary for a translation.)

Not only that. Check out his rocket propulsion system: fuel canisters disguised as drink bottles adjacent to tiny booster jets, which he rotates counterclockwise into position just before takeoff. Tim calls it his “RUSA approved CO2 turbo boost rocket launcher.” Tim’s selling the parts cash only, but not the technology.

It was great having a chance to ride with everyone, including JayJay with whom John and I had the opportunity of visiting at ride’s end over sodas. I also enjoyed getting the chance finally to ride with Cole and Isaac. Here’s to many more RUSA outings.

Let’s Ride!

5 Questions with.. Maria

Maria started riding with the Triangle group late last year, and in that short amount of time, she's become one of the regulars. If she's not riding, she's volunteering. But she is riding- a lot! She's on pace to top 5000K this year. I asked Maria if she'd kick-off this semi-regular feature, "5 Questions." She agreed, so here we go..

1- How did you decide randonneuring was something you needed to do?

Gradually. I initially started because I wanted to do some Ironman distance rides with 'non-racing-minded' riders. Conversion from triathlon to randonneuring just happened because of the near-perfect mix of challenge and fun on brevets and permanents.

 2- What's been your favorite ride so far, and why?

It's hard to find just one. They've all had some aspect that falls in a favorite category - favorite route, favorite stranger reactions, favorite food, etc. My most memorable was my first ride- Dean's "Tar Heel 200" permanent. I just showed up after trading an email or two without ever having met Dean. Risky. The thing that impressed me the most is that we were out there. Alone (several of us). Unsagged. Just riding. For hours. All day. Taking care of whatever might come our way. I thought it was thrilling and dangerous.

 3- Greatest tip to pass along to others?

Take care of your bike (and gear) and it will take care of you: clean it after every ride, lube it and I even sing to mine sometimes. :-P Also, learn from the long-timers. People who've done this for awhile have solutions to all kinds of crazy issues associated with biking long distances in all kinds of situations. 

 4- Do you have a Big Randonneuring Goal that you're shooting for?

Near future, R-12, riding all the NC permanents this year and successfully completing a 600 km. Far future - riding rando-style across the US...PBP and LEL are also in the back of my mind. Maybe not next year, but eventually.  

 5- What's that one song that always seems to pop in your head on a ride?

Probably because it's on my iPod, but "Fantastic Voyage" was playing during a control stop on Jerry's "Howling Grits" permanent populaire and I often find myself humming some of it at some point on any ride.

Maria didn't say if her "Fantastic Voyage" is the 1994 Coolio version, or Lakeside's 1980 original, so here are both. Thanks, Maria!

Stay tuned for the next "5 Questions.."

Tar Heel 200 Permanent: Dueling the Heat, 7/24/10

You’ve heard the old adage about people who don’t have enough sense to come in out of the rain? Indeed, we learned just last week that some of them are called “randonneurs.” Well, what about people who ride a hundred miles in the heat, on a day when even dogs have the good sense to cool it? Like this one . . .

It was so hot on Saturday’s ride we got a vacation from the dogs on vacation. Sure, there were a couple of “friendlies” like this one that came out to greet us. But due to the hot-weather exercise ban, it didn’t cross the line.

I was surprised that things heated up so quickly. At the first control, I heard somebody shout, “It’s my quarter; I found it first!”

But under the circumstances, the three of us who ventured out Saturday did a remarkable job of keeping our cool. Gary and Al were well prepared. In addition to light-colored jerseys, note Gary’s haircut and Al’s sleeveless jersey providing additional surface area for evaporative cooling.

Then there’s acclimatization. All three of us had logged significant hot-weather riding miles of late, including some long rides. Gary is back from a week-long bike tour of parts of Wyoming and Utah. It was obvious when he showed up with his fixed-gear that he was still loaded for bear.

Soon after leaving the Erwin control, we were elated to learn that the rumors we’d been hearing about the paving of NC 82—the battlefield road—all the way from Erwin to the Cumberland County line were true.

Gary’s response as we turn onto Iris Bryant Road is captured by his body language.

Some sections of NC 82 have not yet been paved. But based on the number of orange markers dotting the roadside, something major is about to happen. I don’t think the DOT plans to put out tomato plants.

The closer we got to the Averasboro Battlefield Museum, the more serious things became. The pavement at the museum is completely gone, a fact indicated by a detour sign:
It’s fitting that Gary is pictured here, since it was he who penned the phrase, “authentic Civil War era pavement,” pavement that will soon be history. More and more of the Tar Heel 200 “speed sucking pavement” as it is referred to by NC randonneurs Cole and Isaac is itself being sucked up.

The detour sign should have been poking in our collective craws rather than in Gary’s ear, since it added six miles to our ride on such a “lovely” sightseeing day, that is, with the exception of Al, who ignored the detour on the return and consequently beat both Gary and me back to Erwin.

With all this progress of late, the Tar Heel 200 may eventually become nothing more than a time trial course. There may be a message awaiting me on my voicemail from Le Tour folks upon my return.

Here is some Americana nostalgia just south of the town of Godwin, NC, on our detour . . .

What worked keeping our cool? We all showed up with Camelbaks (i.e., fluid reservoirs). We stopped periodically to top off drink bottles and fill our fluid reservoirs with ice. I’ve learned that ice lasts much longer in my fluid reservoir than in insulated drink bottles. Moreover, the ice in my fluid reservoir provides an additional benefit, cooling a good portion of my back. Borrowing a trick from our bulldog on ice above, Gary and I both prepared ice socks, which we wore around our necks. In extreme heat, I wear neither gloves nor skullcap, which allows air flow over these crucial heat-dissipating body parts. Those who wear cycling sandals in the heat would have an additional leg up.

My ride plan included monitoring my heart rate during the heat of the day and to adjust my speed accordingly. A spike in heart rate may indicate overheating, dehydration, or a combination of the two factors. Anyone who rides in extremely hot weather should be aware of the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke. I was pleased that my pulse after the Tar Heel turn-around control, while cruising River Road at 16-17.5 mph with an ice sock around my neck, was about the same as when I push a mower on a warm day.

I knew how crucial it was to stay hydrated and that to effectively accomplish this I needed to regularly consume carbohydrates in addition to water and electrolytes. The constant sipping of ice water helped cool my core. I’ve learned that keeping the “food” I carry in drink bottles iced makes it more palatable. I also drank cold tomato juice at each opportunity. If one is looking for a quick-fix hydrator, tomato juice is a near-perfect choice.

Now a little bit about how the body stays cool in extreme heat. Tell me you didn’t see it coming! While the body has a mechanism for generating heat (i.e., muscles), it does not have a built-in air-conditioning system. Moreover, our muscles generate a lot of heat when we ride on hot days.

Sure, the body diverts blood from the core to the skin in order to dissipate heat. And, yes, the body produces sweat, which can be an effective cooling agent. But there is a price to pay for these services, which ultimately guarantee neither performance nor cooling in some cases.

Blood diverted to the skin is not available to exercising muscles, slowing cyclists in the heat.

While sweat can be an effective cooling agent, it does not cool the body by itself, since perspiration is body temperature. Moreover, there is an energy cost in producing sweat.

Our physiological adaptations to heat are dependent upon purely physical cooling mechanisms which may or may not be working in our favor at the time they are needed most. It may be too hot and humid, for example, for evaporative cooling and sweat to act as an effective cooling agent. There is no convective cooling, for example, when a cyclist is standing on hundred-degree asphalt if the wind is not blowing. Nor is there convective cooling without a head wind even if a cyclist is traveling at 15 mph.

I entertained the thought while riding that knowing something about the physics and physiology of thermal regulation was a bit academic, superfluous. I recall thinking that perhaps I was being way too cautious in planning and executing my plan while riding in the heat. That could very well be. Maybe one has the luxury of entertaining such thoughts when things are going well. But what if my body had not been responding as well as it was? Indeed, there is something to the conventional wisdom based on the collective experience of untold numbers of people which warns against overexertion on hot, humid days. The question is where one’s own tipping point lies. When things begin going badly, they can unravel in a hurry.

The previous thoughts seemed less academic, when I found myself dawdling a little more than usual at the Stedman control. My deliberateness in the air-conditioned confine allowed my pulse to return to near-resting level. Now, with a fresh “ice sock” around my neck, my subsequent pace was good considering the heat.

Just after the battlefield detour, I noticed my riding speed had dropped a bit and that my pulse was beginning to climb. Even when I slackened the pace, my pulse did not follow suit. I slowed some more. No reduction in pulse. That got my attention. I did not want to cross over the line into heat exhaustion. A short time later, I began to feel a little woozy. This really got my attention. Just ask our favorite bulldog on ice above about the signs of heat exhaustion and he will unhesitatingly yelp, “Barf, barf!”

Cramps may be another sign of impending heat exhaustion in some people. Although I was a bit edgy, my stomach had not revolted, nor was I cramping. The Erwin control came none too soon. I knew that my faculties were intact upon noticing a newly created, paved, marked turn lane leading directly into the control that hadn’t existed on earlier rides. I thought to myself, “Wow, this is nice!” On the other hand, maybe I was hallucinating. I’ll check next time to see if the newly created special turn lane is still there.

The sign on the convenience store control entrance read “No Loitering.” I thought to myself, “This is great; I can hang out, cool off, and have the run of the place without being bothered by loiterers.” I kicked off my shoes and stood on the cold floor in my stocking feet in the walk-in beer cooler with the frigid air blowing directly on me. I used the opportunity to eat and hydrate.

I saw Gary utilize another trick to cool off: pour cold water over his head and body. In due time, we were revived. We set out on the last leg of the journey: Gary first, then Al, then me.

While I coasted to Dunn, I sensed warm beads of perspiration forming on my face. A good sign!

So that my ride experience would be complete, I flatted my rear tire just after turning onto Old Fairground Road north of Dunn. I laughed out loud, thinking to myself, “This is great, I can find some shade and take another break and fix this thing.” I was pleased to learn that I did not have to wrestle the tire onto the rim of my newly acquired hand-built wheels. Now with some luck and no major mechanicals, I should be back in Benson soon.

I never really beat my worthy opponent the heat. I just sort of fended it off for a good portion of the day. Things could have been worse. But for today, I was successful. Congratulations to both my riding companions for successfully completing their rides, especially to Al who, with this ride, keeps his R-12 aspiration alive.

This ride is dedicated to Gary pictured here:

Best wishes to you and Sara.

Let’s ride!

Putting the Tar in the Tar Heel 200, March 27, 2010

Great news for Tar Heel 200 Permanent riders who last year amassed over 8,500 miles on their bikes between Benson and Tar Heel, NC. Anyone who has ridden the route knows that by far the most uneven pavement is located on River Road in Bladen County.

In mid-winter, there had been hints that River Road might be getting resurfaced. Those of us who regularly ride the route hoped it was true and not just wishful thinking.

Andy was the first to notice the possibility in the middle of February, when he noticed blacktop shoulders had been added. In a hilarious spoof, he referred to them as "bike lanes." He also pondered whether it was a harbinger of a badly needed resurfacing project. A spoof is one thing, but don't tease us, Andy!

A week later, I noticed a short stretch of road which was completely resurfaced as well as a slew of paving vehicles lined up alongside the road. Could it be true? We certainly hoped so.

Well, yesterday I got a first-hand view of the progress. Maria had floated an inquiry in my direction to ride Saturday. It turns out we had different but mutually compatible goals. Maria was hoping to test her fleche bicycle, while I was hoping for a riding buddy with whom to get in some more pre-fleche practice miles. As we approached the Bladen County line, I couldn't believe my eyes. Was it a mirage? Had the road been widened and resurfaced?

Later on down the road, we approached the crew in the middle of resurfacing even though it was a Saturday.

The sleek new pavement has got to be good for an additional 2-3 mph with the noticeably reduced rolling resistance.

It appears that the new layer of asphalt is about three inches thick. With ever the eye of the artist, Maria commented that the only thing that would be missed would be the tar snakes.

The possiblity of doing a night-ride this summer (mentioned by Andy) has greatly increased, since cyclists need not be concerned about rough pavement.

I borrowed the lead-in picture from the River City Cycling Club of Elizabeth City, NC.

Next up? The North Carolina fleche followed by the Morrisville (Raleigh) brevet series.

Thanks for the entertaining company, Maria. I probably would not have ridden yesterday alone.

Let's ride!

Tar Heel 200 . . . Well, Blue Devils Too, February 20, 2010

When Jack informed me two weeks ago that he and a couple of his riding buddies wished to ride the Tar Heel 200 today, how did he know amid the streak of poor riding weather we’ve been experiencing of late that today would be a perfect weather day for riding? As it turned out, I just couldn’t resist riding along.

Even these cowgirls whom I’d just passed couldn’t resist hitching up for a ride today along Stedman-Cedar Creek Rd.

Nine enthusiastic randonneurs turned out for the Tar Heel 200 Permanent and would experience a thirty-degree temperature warm-up under mostly sunny skies.

The route was new to four riders and it would mark the longest-ever ride for one: congratulations, Steve!

Also, quietly taking care of business,

Janis records her R-11 today! Congratulations! We’ll celebrate next month when you bag number 12!

It was too cold to pull off the gloves to take pictures until we reached the first control. But it was just in time to catch the smack talk which began in earnest. Apparently, the fact that the name of the route included “Tar Heel” provided just enough spark and the fact that we are fast approaching March . . . All North Carolinians know what that means . . .

Wayne drew first blood,

exhibiting his UNC cycling jersey. It escalated from there with Steve showing off his Duke jersey.

Order was finally restored when Alan jumped in . . .

. . . with his official NC Randonneurs jersey. Alan won the jersey contest as determined by the highly partisan judge. Thanks to all the contestants for their show of team spirit and good sportsmanship.

After collecting their prize money, all of the contestants made nice and rode together for the next 111 miles without incident. No one got sprayed with HALT!

Wayne and Steve are even seen hanging out together dining on scrumptious convenience-store gourmet in downtown Stedman over a gallon of vodka.

Speaking of jerseys, here’s Bob with the original wool jersey that will never go out of style. If it weren't for this jersey, there would be no retro!

Bryan shows his wool as well, including wool cycling cap. Until just now, I didn't know that Mt Dew was Italian.
Now something for our loyal RTP readers: a little quiz about randonneuring. The reader is asked to pick the statement from the following pair which truly characterizes randonneurs. For true randonneuring aficionados, this will be easy. For others, we’ve provided helpful hints in the form of pictures. We’ve also phrased the questions in such a way that novices can respond correctly.

Statement one: Randonneurs prefer to ride in pelotons.

Hint: Is this a true peloton or merely a double paceline?

Statement two: “Preternaturally calm and lushly-bearded randonneur types” has been used to describe our species.

Hint: This is a picture of preternaturally calm and lushly-bearded randonneur types.

If you chose the second statement which accurately describes some randonneurs, you are truly an aficionado of the sport! The actual quote comes from here:

If New York City were truly bike-friendly there would be a "freak-out tent" at least every ten blocks, and they would be staffed by preternaturally calm and lushly-bearded randonneur types who would gently talk you down after distressing encounters such as this.

For your effort and undying devotion to the sport, you win a free on-line subscription to RTP. All you have to do is log on occasionally to receive all of the updates.

Andy alerted us the fact that there have been upgrades to River Rd in Bladen County, namely, an asphalt shoulder. Could it be that there are plans to resurface this stretch to the Tar Heel Ferry Rd turnoff?

This is what it would look like if it were paved!

As compared to this . . .

Note that Mike still prefers the “old” pavement here to the newly paved shoulder. I noticed most riders did.

Returning to Benson, everyone is in a festive mood. Thanks to Jack (in yellow) for orchestrating the ride.

Thanks for the company today, guys.

Let’s ride!