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https://rbentonline.org/YaBB.pl General Category >> Ride Reports >> Spanish Fort 200K https://rbentonline.org/YaBB.pl?num=1227410921 Message started by FlyingLaZBoy on Nov 22nd, 2008, 9:28pm |
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Title: Spanish Fort 200K Post by FlyingLaZBoy on Nov 22nd, 2008, 9:28pm Ray Torrey, you must be a masochist, designing a route like this... ::) ;) For now, that's all I can say... :D |
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Title: Re: Spanish Fort 200K Post by aikigreg on Nov 22nd, 2008, 10:24pm still....ahem...rubbing out your cramps? Me too. I can only take comfort in the fact that Ray came in an hour and a half behind us :) Bud, you're the only sane one among us, choosing to work instead of riding this beast. I'm fairly sure that stretch where we turned back towards Forestburg alone had 2000 feet of climbing. I had a good time, in spit of nearly having to walk up a couple hills. Paul and I tried our best to own this course, but it owned us instead. I've gotta say though, Paul is ready for Sebring. He just wasted me up every single hill. He should have some great pictures when he posts tomorrow. Thanks for the company Paul, and I was so very happy to see everyone this morning. Sorry we didn't stay long, talk of the tape: 130.46 miles 9:30 minutes? I can't remember when we pulled into the parking lot before spending all that time taking the pictures. 7:47 ride time 16.7 mph average max speed avhieved 46.2 mph - and the Carbent was rock solid at that speed. max HR of 181, avg 147. Garmin shoes 4499 feet of climbing, the lying b*tch. More like 44999 |
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Title: Re: Spanish Fort 200K Post by Strada177 on Nov 23rd, 2008, 8:04am I love the route ,one of my top 2 or 3 LSR routes. Great roads & beautiful scenery. The story of the day(in my opinion) was Peggy. She's just tough. She was battered & bruised after he biopsy on Wednesday, tackled this tough/challenging course. We finished with a course time of 10 hours,57 minutes(and that include 1 flat at the Forrestburg control & 2 unscheduled stops for her to catch her breath). Bike time-8hrs,51min,39secs-14.8 mph avg. Max H/R-173,Avg-130. Top speed-43mph. My computer read 131.10 miles. We took a relatively leisurely pace & rode with Nelson ,Ray ,Mark & Linda. We got separated from Mark & Linda(we stopped at the Spanish Fort High school for a little rest break when Mark & Linda pulled up. Mark had a flat on the course. A piece of grass/straw punctured his tire). We re-group at the high school. We all rode together until Nocona. Ray had injured his foot at the gym earlier in the week,his foot was feeling pretty sore at the control in Nocona. Nelson was/is fighting the effects of a head cold. They wandered over to a Subway for some rest. Peggy was feeling pretty tired & wanted to finish. 48 miles to the finish,with a lot of hills into Forestburg. We took off with Mark & Linda & a few miles ,Peggy & I got separated from Mark & Linda(I believe Linda was suffering from asthma & leg cramps-Ugh!). The section into Forestburg has some tough climbs. The control closed at 5;00pm. We arrived at 4:20pm. Peggy & I usaed the facilities & bought a Dr.Pepper(Bud ,no RC) ,& an ice cream cone. 25.10 miles to go. Again ,the climb out of Forestburg to Bolivar had some tough climbs. Peggy was really feeling it at this point. She kept going. With about 9 miles to go,we were riding in total darkness. No problem, click on the Phenix lights(on high) & we pedaled to the finish. We pulled in the last control at 6:27pm. The control newly opened & modern with a grill. Fantastic burgers & onion rings. We were waiting for everyone to come in. Appox. 30 minutes later-Ray & Nelson arrived. Then about 20 minutes later ,Mark & Linda arrived. We ate & shared our experiences of the day. It really wasn't as cold as forecasted. I saw a bank sign in Nocona that read 63 degrees. It was sunny as we arrived in St.Jo(Control#3). Thanks to all for a great day. I would like to say special thanks to Ray(route owner). Great ride. Now ,Ray is having surgery to repair his Achilles tendon on Wednesday. All the best. He's going to be off the bike for a while(& the new bike is on it's way). Everyone overcame certain challenges on this route. Congratulations to everyone. Bud ,you were missed. Nelson ,take care of the cold. |
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Title: Re: Spanish Fort 200K Post by Strada177 on Nov 23rd, 2008, 8:19am Part II-It was really nice to ride with Mark & Linda. A very nice couple. A special thanks to Mark for getting Peggy's flat tire changed at the Forestburg control as I rolled in behind them to get my permanent card signed & buy water/food. All I did was blow up the tire & put it back on the bike. |
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Title: Re: Spanish Fort 200K Post by Mrs Strada on Nov 23rd, 2008, 10:01am Thanks Nelson for putting together this ride and to Ray for a great route. I would not have missed this for the world. We were one banged up group!! I tried to get Steve to ride with Paul and Greg, Steve would of had no problem hanging at that pace , He rode so strong all day. I don't like to think that I hold him back :'(. But It's always great to have him with my when I started to get down on a ride he knows just when to push me and when to hold my hand ). Because of trying to protect my upper body I had to change the way I climbed hills using only my legs and pushing with my upper body against the seat . This put a lot on strain on my knees, by the end of the ride my knees hurt more then anything else", note to self don't do a ride with this much climbing and change how you ride" . I think that even with all the hills this is a must do ride . Great roads no hills that are to tough(nothing like goatneck or cherry pie hill) just lots of hills . Ray I would love to ride this route again in the spring.Ray I don't know how you rode with your foot the way it was. As always you amaze me. Nelson with that very bad cough. Nelson, you may need to see the doctor for that cough. Mark and Linda, it was great to get a chance to ride with you both. Thanks Mark for changing my tire and for looking out for me all day. Great day with even better people(minus Bud) !!!!!!! Peggy |
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Title: Re: Spanish Fort 200K Post by bikerteam on Nov 23rd, 2008, 10:44am Thanks everyone for the kind words. While this is a great route, and I'm glad to be the route owner, the real story of the day is all the individualism through team work that was displayed. I'm so absolutely impressed with everyone, it's simply beyond words: Steve - as always, rides strong, but stays with us slower folks, and keeps us encouraged. A true Randonneur and friend. Paul - like a race horse that's contained. At some point, the instinct kicks in and he's gone. Greg - the consumate over achiever. While having severe arthritic issues, especially in the cold, he pushes beyond normal limits. Peggy - a few days removed from a triple (I think) biopsy. Quite a bit of soreness. As always, Peggy rode like a rock. Mark - still feeling the effects of a broken rib, was always there talking everyone through their difficulty. Nelson - probably should have stayed home. Had a bad caugh, and it got worse as the day went on. Nelson, as always, rode strongest the last 20 miles. Linda - Battling newly found asthma all day, with probably 50% lung capacity. It wasn't until about the 100 mile point where we stopped and I offered her my inhaler. Me - on Friday I was disagnosed with a bone on my heal that's bulging my achilles tendon. I was scheduled for immediate surgery this Wed. I sufered through the day. I have to pay tribute to my wife Angie. For the past 4 years I've participated in this wacky sport of Randonneuring. Angie has absolutely 100% of the time encouraged me. Never once has she asked me to stay home, or do something besides ride my bike. She is an awesome companion who I'm dearly in love with. If only I knew who to repay such selfless kindness. This has to bring inspiration to everyone. It's through shear determination that we push ourselves to the limit. |
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Title: Re: Spanish Fort 200K Post by Bud_Bent on Nov 23rd, 2008, 12:06pm Congrats, everyone. It sounds like everyone had their share of challenges to overcome. |
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Title: Re: Spanish Fort 200K Post by Kwijybow on Nov 23rd, 2008, 12:28pm It sure was a fine day to be riding! Sorry you had to work Bud, this has to be my favorite route! Basically I've been asleep since I got home, still coughing though. Linda was such a trooper working through breathing and cramping issues and Peggy was as strong as ever despite being bruised and battered at the start! I don't like thinking about Ray's issue, I'm glad the bike riding did not aggravate that injury especially with spotty cell coverage! I think the Spring would be a great time to ride this one again, when the trees are starting to come back. There is actually a semblance of fall foliage along portions of this route, not something you see too much in Texas! Take Care, Nelson. |
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Title: Re: Spanish Fort 200K Post by FlyingLaZBoy on Nov 23rd, 2008, 3:41pm I was glad the start temperature was ~42 instead of the anticipated ~32, it made for a much more pleasant start... Greg and I had decided to go off the front after 10 miles or so, but he and Ray started to do that almost immediately, so there we went. After 10 miles, we took a nature stop, and Peggy, Mark, and Linda caught up, but then Greg and I went off ahead after that, only seeing the others briefly at the Forestburg control for the rest of the day. We had a nice tailwind all the way to Spanish Fort, which helped climb some of the hills we encountered... This route uses some of the Muenster rally, but apparently with lots MORE climbing... A few times, there was no shoulder, and traffic backed up behind us while we chugged up the incline at 8mph or so.... http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g73/flyinglazboy/SpanishFort/PB015.jpg But also some very nice downhills -- there were at least a half dozen times we were coasting at 35 or greater, and once with a high of 44 for me... Very nice road surfaces, in general, by the way...!!! But even with the climbing involved, Greg and I had an almost 19 mph average by the time we got to the Fort. http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g73/flyinglazboy/SpanishFort/PB024.jpg http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g73/flyinglazboy/SpanishFort/PB026.jpg http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g73/flyinglazboy/SpanishFort/PB028.jpg THEN, you get to go west for a few miles, but eventually turn back south, into the wind, for the next ~60 miles... and encounter LOTS more hills, and a fairly steady 1% overall grade, since you're coming back up from the Red River basin... Nasty, nasty, nasty... And many times, you climb one hill, to immediately see another one looming in front of you a mile away. And all this, into a ~15 MPH wind... http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g73/flyinglazboy/SpanishFort/PB056.jpg Greg had mentioned that there were several 10% or better climbs... I believe it. I felt pretty good overall, keeping 10mph or better up even the nastiest of them... then, for the last 20+ miles after Forestburg, the backs of both of my legs started to revolt during climbs -- hamstrings, etc. trying to cramp up... But we pressed on, through a couple last nasty climbs into Bolivar and on to the finish. That first half average of almost 19 had dropped to 16.6 at the end... you do the math... [Side note: did you folks find/use the water bottles we left for you at Forestburg?] Our overall goal for the day was to get finished before dark, and we just made it, rolling in about 5:10 or so... but stopped out front to take a couple pictures with the big Texas flag before it got too dark, before getting our cards signed inside. http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g73/flyinglazboy/SpanishFort/PB070.jpg http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g73/flyinglazboy/SpanishFort/PB071.jpg My left knee was hurting, and was really stiff with I got out of the car at home later... (but felt good enough this morning to do the GDB Sunday ride) That's definitely the hardest 200K I've done to date, mostly due to the 2nd half -- constant uphill grade, hill after repeating hill, and the headwind all combined. And Greg actually seemed to feel stronger than me the last 10 miles - not sure where he found it! Thanks for the company, and glad everybody finished safely. My pics are at: http://s53.photobucket.com/albums/g73/flyinglazboy/SpanishFort/ |
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Title: Re: Spanish Fort 200K Post by FlyingLaZBoy on Nov 23rd, 2008, 4:17pm And here's a brief video of a 30+ mph downhill coast..... :) http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g73/flyinglazboy/SpanishFort/th_PB082.jpg (http://s53.photobucket.com/albums/g73/flyinglazboy/SpanishFort/?action=view¤t=PB082.flv) |
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Title: Re: Spanish Fort 200K Post by FlyingLaZBoy on Nov 24th, 2008, 11:06am Just for funsies, here's a comparative elevation chart between the HHH100 and the SFort 200K, set to the same relative scale dimensions... And may I emphatically state that the downhill you see from Mile 98 to Mile 120 on SF is a deceptive buncha BS... it's only ~0.2% overall... http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g73/flyinglazboy/SpanishFort/HHH100VsSFortElevation.jpg |
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Title: Re: Spanish Fort 200K Post by Strada177 on Nov 24th, 2008, 12:57pm If you just look at elevation change ,there are other LSR routes that have more climbing than SF. Cheesesburger-Cheeseburger is close(and harder route in my opinion), El Caballo de Simon route(5,600 feet) has more elevation change than SF. SP was very challenging(I'm not disputing that) ,but if you want a nasty LSR route try the "cupcake route"-165K"-5,200 feet of climbing(in a shorter distance than SF). AND anyone that rode 6 laps or more of at the TT's climbed 6,000 feet+. |
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Title: Re: Spanish Fort 200K Post by aikigreg on Nov 24th, 2008, 2:05pm I'm very glad everyone made it back ok - Paul and I ran into some traffic those last few miles and with the blind turns and such it might not have been the best after dark route, so I was calling everyone left and right to make sure everyone made it back safe. Elevation in itself isn't such a big deal - gear down and spin - but it's the length of the grades and the wind that makes Sp Fort a beast. That 12 mile stretch of winds with a solid incline just wore my behind out. Then you get to do it again for another 8 miles before hitting that nasty stuif on the way back to forestburg. My legs were toast on a couple climbs and I was just spinning the cranks. Thankfully my body recovered a bit by Slidell - enough to turn the pace back up a bit and take the last sprint from Paul, who just flat out turned on the motor and sailed up every hill. The man is part billy goat on wheels. Thanks for the kind words, Ray, but I doubt I deserve them. As proven on this very ride, many people were able to just just as much with a whole lot more things going on, including yourself. I definitely needed yesterday and today to recover though - I couldn't even open a bottle of water yesterday. I'm sad I'm going to miss the 400k this weekend, but we've got to plan a ride Dec. 6th! |
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Title: Re: Spanish Fort 200K Post by Kwijybow on Nov 24th, 2008, 2:17pm At my mother's house in Alabama I have a hard time planning a route that has less than 1000'/10 miles. It would be interesting to see some of the elevation profiles of SIR's permanents that touch on the Cascades. That said I find Spanish Fort a pretty tough route, tougher for me than CheeBurger, maybe close to the Cleburne 200K. However Spanish Fort seems tougher to me because instead of an initial relative downhill section at the beginning it starts out on a climb to about its highest point in the 1st 28 miles. I'm generally a pretty slow starter and this is hard on me. Sure is great scenery though! Take Care, Nelson. |
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Title: Re: Spanish Fort 200K Post by aikigreg on Nov 24th, 2008, 3:05pm Bah, don't believe the hype - Nelson, you are an animal! ;) I actually found the Cleburne 200k to be easier than SF. It's the wind in your face for so long that gets me. If it had been a windless day Saturday, I'd count it #2 behind Cleburne. Y'all need to check out the rest of Paul's shots - pure genius. Paul, did you get those two videos you shot of my leg extension at all? |
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Title: Re: Spanish Fort 200K Post by FlyingLaZBoy on Nov 25th, 2008, 8:53am OK, they're uploaded, same folder on PHotobucket PB |
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