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General Category >> Ride Reports >> Mesquite Rodeo Bike Ride
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Message started by TonyWard on Jun 5^th, 2010, 1:20pm

Title: Mesquite Rodeo Bike Ride
Post by TonyWard on Jun 5^th, 2010, 1:20pm

Had a great ride today! 63.5 miles at 16.3 avg

Had a 16.8 mph avg at mile 45 when I started battling cramps so I had to slow it down. Despite probably not eating enough and drinking enough I had a great time. I don't remember it being such a good ride the last time I did it (2008) but I am definately adding it to the calendar for next year.

Good to see John, Ken & Jay there. Met a couple of other bent riders as well. I think I need a nap!

Title: Re: Mesquite Rodeo Bike Ride
Post by jayg on Jun 5^th, 2010, 3:12pm

TonyWard wrote:

Nice seeing you, Tony. It was a fun, fast, but warm ride. Some wiped out riders at the last rest stop on the 75K route. How bout those great drinks and eats at the finish?

Title: Re: Mesquite Rodeo Bike Ride
Post by johnnybent on Jun 5^th, 2010, 4:54pm

I met the trio of clowns in the parking lot. It was a maze until the twenty rest stop. They threw it all at us today. The wind, the heat, the hills, and some chipseal for good measure. Tony rode by me while i was assessing the fine workmanship of the chipseal, stayed on his tail until this long, long hill. then I never saw him again.

Title: Re: Mesquite Rodeo Bike Ride
Post by FlyingLaZBoy on Jun 6^th, 2010, 7:23am

Mesquite always does feed their riders well... Glad you enjoyed the route! Anybody take any pics?

Title: Re: Mesquite Rodeo Bike Ride
Post by johnnybent on Jun 6^th, 2010, 3:30pm

There was one sign which gave me a little concern, "do not stop here", something bothered me that if I had a flat in that area should I go on or take the chance with the local wild life.

Title: Re: Mesquite Rodeo Bike Ride
Post by TonyWard on Jun 6^th, 2010, 3:35pm

I was trying to get the guy I was riding next to at the time to go wade out into the swamp and retrieve the Frisbee that was out there...........for some reason he wouldn't.

Title: Re: Mesquite Rodeo Bike Ride
Post by TonyWard on Jun 6^th, 2010, 3:38pm

johnnybent wrote:

Were you right on my tail on that climb before the rest stop? I had to stop at the top and stretch my legs (that is where the cramps started) so I spent long than usual at the rest stop refilling water, eating, stretching, etc. I think you rolled out when I was getting my water filled. When I was riding east down the I20 service road I saw another bent riding west up the other side but couldn't tell who it was (probably you).

Title: Re: Mesquite Rodeo Bike Ride
Post by johnnybent on Jun 6^th, 2010, 5:00pm

Yea I was behind you. When I saw the hill, i geared down and started spinning, hopping for the best. I don't spend much time at stops if cause the acid builds up and burns. I dump water on myself to keep temp. down. I try to eat well before a ride, avoid salt,soda pop, drink a mix of gatoraid type drink and water during a ride. There was another bent leaving just behind me whom I thougth was Tom(?) McClure, he always rode the yellow faired bent at the rallies for over a decade if not longer.

Title: Re: Mesquite Rodeo Bike Ride
Post by jcsadowski on Jun 6^th, 2010, 6:49pm

Bob McClure does not have his big yellow fairing on this year. He changed bikes.

Title: Re: Mesquite Rodeo Bike Ride
Post by mleuck on Jun 6^th, 2010, 10:01pm

jcsadowski wrote:

Bob McClure does not have his big yellow fairing on this year. He changed bikes.

What is he riding now and will he put the yellow fairing on it? Life isn't complete without the banana bike

Title: Re: Mesquite Rodeo Bike Ride
Post by jcsadowski on Jun 7^th, 2010, 7:57am

He is riding a Ryan Vanguard. He is thinking of putting the tailbox on but not sure about the front.

Title: Re: Mesquite Rodeo Bike Ride
Post by Bob McClure on Jun 7^th, 2010, 1:40pm

Yeah, the high bottom bracket on the Rotator Tiger was aggravating my sciatica due to a bulging disc in my lower back. I wanted to replace it with a Rotator Pursuit (its LWB brother with a somewhat lower BB), but couldn't find one with a medium frame. Found a good deal on the Ryan Vanguard, so I settled for that so I could get back on the road.
There are two problems with the Ryan regarding a full fairing: 1) the underseat steering requires a rather wide front fairing to clear it; and 2) the standard gearing (probably ca. 110 gear-inches in the top gear) is pretty inadequate for a fully faired bike. I'm spoiled by the 140-gear-inch top gear on the Rotators. With 140 gear-inches, I can still be applying power on a nice downhill at 40+ mph. Also the Ryan seats me higher than I would like and that complicates provisions for entry and exit of the front fairing. I'd probably have to engineer some kind of front-hinged, tilt-up arrangement for the front. As John said, I may build a tailbox for it, but the front fairing is doubtful. Meanwhile, I'll keep looking for a medium frame Pursuit.