I rode but Alexis did not. I ended up giving the registraton away to someone onthe bikeforums website, so thankfully someone got to use it. Unfortunately he broke a spoke 20 miles into the ride and had to sag back. I didn'tthink I'd make it to the ride at all, considering the rain the nigh before, but there were only a few wet spots and a small amount of mud to contend with. I only saw two bents at the start, but I was right at the front. I saw one Bachetta highracer, and a burley. I rode the full 75 miles - very few riders out on that route.
Thank goodness Bud and I rode in Aledo last week; otherwise I am not sure I'd have made the whole 75 miles. Bud, the first 50 were pretty easy. There were a few long grades, a few short and steep ones, and one long and steep, but I was able to climb them all in the middle ring of my new crankset, which performed beautifully. Thanks to Bud's tune-up, it was the quietest ride I've ever had on the P-38. I was maintaining a little over a 16mph average, which meant that almost no single rider passed me. I was passed by the occasional triathlete hunched into his aerobars, and by several pacelines, but with the stiff wind I managed to reel in anyone else that passed me, and in the later miles left a few pacelines in the dust as well. Some of the downhills were brutal against the wind, having to pedal just to make 12mph.
Somewhere between mile 50 and 55 came Cattle Barron road. Supposedly the toughest 3.5 mile stretch of Parker county. It was actually kind of tame. It would have a long medium grade hill, level off, then another. Plenty of time to rest between stretches except for the last hill, which was VERY STEEP - I almost had to stop halfway to get my breath back, but I persevered and rested at the top. There was one funny thing about CB road - I got a whiff of what i thought was a nasty pig farm, and instead passed by the sign for the (I kid you not) J.M. Smelley Dairy.
No, CB road wasn't the big deal - but after it, you had to endure a solid ten miles of medium grade hills that went on for a full mile, then a short downhill before seeing the same again, and mostly into the wind. It was extremely demoralizing and I took my first break for more than a quick pee stop just to rest my knees. On the last leg I ran into a guy on an upright who would calf cramp when he tried to stand on the pedals and climb, and quad cramp whenever he tried to spin up a hill. Several times I towed him up by having him grab onto the back of the seat.
Had one paceline from the last rest stop on the 75 mile part of the route finally get withing taling distance of me and said "you're awesome - we've been trying to catch you for miles." I didn't have the heart to tell them it wasn't any skill of mine - I was practically dead and running the granny much of the way - they just sucked worse.
About five miles from the finish who do I run into but Terry on his dual 26" wheeled Baron. Poor fella was doing the walk of shame up one of the very last hills back to the school (and of course I had to tell on him!). We finished the ride together and had lunch, which was free for the riders. At lunch we met Ken who had done the 75 mile route as well. I recognized him as soon as he sat down, but I'm so horrible with names. Sorry Ken!
Anyway here's what you need to know. Awesome scenery, awesome support, awesome food and rest stops, and easily one of the most challenging rides I've ever been on. Make sure you include hill training if you're going to ride this ride, which you SHOULD. Get it on your calendar for next year.