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General Category >> Ride Reports >> Goatneck 2009
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Message started by robert.j on Jul 25^th, 2009, 2:19pm

Title: Goatneck 2009
Post by robert.j on Jul 25^th, 2009, 2:19pm

I was surprised to see several Rbenters as it hadn't got much ink on the forum. Bud, Mark, Greg, Steve and wife, John - I'm probably forgetting a few. Great day for ride - tolerable winds and temperature. This was my first time on the Goatneck, so wasn't sure what to expect. I'd heard it was hilly but the ride map elevation chart didn't look too intimidating. Decided to give the 41 mile route a try. I found it "hilly" (meaning very few flat stretches) but not really very severe hills. I think I only dropped to the middle chainring 4-5 times climbing hills. I can't say for sure which hill the infamous "Goatneck Hill" even was! For me it was a fast ride, averaging 16.2 which is the first time in at least 2 years I've averaged over 15 on a 40+ mile ride. Support, rest stops and traffic control were all first class, and road surfaces were smooth. I thought it was a super ride and will definitely put it on the calender for future years. My only gripe was that the best downhill stretch was into the wind!
Greg and Mark sounded like they smoked the course, at least up until the point of Greg's mechanical, which I'm sure he'll want to give the details.
Here's a few pics. Quality not too good as it's my phone camera.
http://s199.photobucket.com/albums/aa186/sproulfan/Goatneck_2009/

Title: Re: Goatneck 2009
Post by Bud_Bent on Jul 25^th, 2009, 2:47pm

Good to see you this morning, Robert! I also headed down to Cleburne this morning, to ride the 69 mile route. Like most rides like this, this one was crowded at the beginning, especially with how far back I started, and so it was a bit slow the first few miles, before things started to thin out enough for me to be comfortable speeding up. It's a pretty hilly route for a hill slug like myself, but it's a fun ride with great scenery. I was taken with how low the Paluxy River was; that's the lowest I've ever seen it. But the Brazos was flowing nicely. There was a stretch of new chipseal on the 69 mile route, but most roads were, as Robert said, in great shape. And the traffic control was great.

It was the usual challenges of riding among thousands of uprights on hills. I would pull out and pass everyone on the downhills, then watch most of them pass me on the uphills. I didn't stop until after Glen Rose, at around mile 40. Greg was at the stop, but I only talked to him for a second before getting in line for the porta potties. After a quick pit stop and downing two bananas, I checked how long the lines were, waiting for water, and decided to ride on. I had planned on making this my only stop, but now would need to stop again for water.

At the mile 50 rest stop, just before the Goatneck Hill climb, I stopped, and found a woman waiting with a pitcher of water, so it was a quick Camelbak fill up, and I was on my way. The south wind was picking up a lot by the time I reached Goatneck Hill, but you never seem to get much wind on the steep part of this hill. It was a bit hot climbing it, along with a couple of the other steeper hills, but I never felt overheated. In fact, I felt good the whole ride, but I did start to fade at the end.

I finished at 11:41, with a total of 69.3 miles, 3:58 on the bike time, and a 17.4 mph average. I put my bike up and headed for the shade to down some fluids and relax. I ran into Mark L and Dan D, but didn't really see anyone else I knew. Mark and I talked and cooled off in the shade, and as it became obvious that no one else we knew was going to show up any time soon for a lunch trip, the nearby chicken sandwiches got to looking pretty good, Mark bought me one (thanks, Mark), and we sat and had a sandwich.

This is always a fun ride, and like all summer rides around here, there were plenty of people who seemed to be reaching beyond their capabilities mileage-wise, and some were in difficulty beside the road near the finish, even as early as I came in. Goatneck always seems to be well run and attended. I'm going to try and make this ride every year.

Title: Re: Goatneck 2009
Post by sstexex on Jul 25^th, 2009, 3:10pm

And there didn't seem to be as much traffic as I remember. In fact, most of the traffic seemed to be sag wagons!

Title: Re: Goatneck 2009
Post by Kwijybow on Jul 25^th, 2009, 3:44pm

Sounds like a good day for it! Especially the low traffic. I'm in Houston, I couldn't find a hill if I wanted too. But Oh My! What happened to Greg's bike? is that a broken stay?

Take Care,
Nelson.

Title: Re: Goatneck 2009
Post by aikigreg on Jul 25^th, 2009, 6:46pm

Steve and Pegs were there? Sorry I missed you guys. Yes, the t-shirt ride fairy was true to form and visited me with a sag ride today. I started having a hard time keeping up with Mark and at first I thought I just wasn't very recovered, and then my cassette starting making the worst noise. Then i figured the derailleur had gotten out of whack. Rode to the Rest Stop and couldn't find anything wrong with the wheel ntilI pushed on it and the sucker moved! Took forever to figure out why. A bolt vibrated out of the my seat stay and it was no longer attached to the deailleur hanger. No big deal, but ruined the ride.

Still I got to see Bud, which was a treat and he was doing some damage on the ride. Good job! That course wasn't made any easier with all that fresh chipseal.

Saw a guy on a p-38 with fairing - Frank??? Plenty of others I hadn't seen as well including another guy and girl on bacchettas together.

Title: Re: Goatneck 2009
Post by robert.j on Jul 25^th, 2009, 7:38pm

Greg, the couple on the Bacchettas were the "Steve and his wife.". He's "sstexex" on the forum. Sorry I don't remember his wife's name.

Title: Re: Goatneck 2009
Post by sstexex on Jul 25^th, 2009, 8:08pm

Katie.

It's confusing having 2 Steves running around!

Title: Re: Goatneck 2009
Post by aikigreg on Jul 25^th, 2009, 9:26pm

Crap - sorry. I waved to you guys when you came across the finish line, Steve. Good work out there!

Title: Re: Goatneck 2009
Post by aikigreg on Jul 25^th, 2009, 10:50pm

One positive: just looked at the data and saw my average for the 1hr 50 minutes / 39 miles was 211 watts. I'll take that number all day long.

Title: Re: Goatneck 2009
Post by mleuck on Jul 26^th, 2009, 11:24pm

robert.j wrote:

I had a 21 mph average when I got to Glen Rose, Greg and I had way too much fun with a group of 8 or 10 riders up to that point. Ended up finishing with a 20.3 average. To me Goatneck Hill didn't seem as bad as the one right before you got to the 50 mile mark.

Thanks for the pictures!