Quote from Bud_Bent on Apr 27^th, 2009, 10:24pm:

 
Bud, now when can we see you & Rose completing your series? Greg & Alexis? Anyone else?
 
There's the cover photo for the RBENT calendar right there!  What a hottie!   Smiley
 
Bryan, it looks like y'all have taken to bents really well.  I'm glad you guys can ride together and hopefully get as much enjoyment out of them as you did your DFs.
Back to top      
 
Rbent calendar? You nut.

Sorry for the late check in, My work week is pretty busy at the start!
 
Peggy, I'm so sorry to hear about your crash!  Glad you weren't injured in a worse manner.  I was bragging to Dan about you during the ride, and you just gave us more to brag about on your behalf  Of course, huge congratulations go to both Steve and Peggy for their first 600k, and to everyone who finished their rides this past weekend in that wind.
 
The 600k was great (or at least the 500k that I rode).  This is of course coming from someone who bailed out just before the turn into the wind on the 2nd day.  That is pretty cheap to leave the ride after some good tail and cross winds!  However, I would have rather been there slogging it out with you guys.  The muscles were fine, the energy level was fine, but that silly left knee was beginning to fuss non-stop.  Since I didn't want to spend another - almost 2 months - off the bike, it was time to retire.
 
My only goals with this 600k were to take it super easy and not get injured.  I'm still debating whether that happened or not.  I'm definitely not injured (the knee should be fine if I take care of it this week), but like Nelson, I set a Personal Recumbent Record on the 200k so I'm a little baffled at the take it easy part .  I guess it was easy enough since I felt fine after backing down to a more reasonable pace for the finish of day one.
 
My only regret about the ride is that the knee waited until that steep little climb at mile 280 to start fussing (before Lake Murray).  I really thought that if I were going to have trouble, I would have known before starting day 2 and I could have simply remained at the hotel.  I would have been quite happy to have only ridden day 1.
 
High points in the ride were most notably getting to ride with all of the LSR and rbent gang that I could temporarily stay with.  I loved getting to visit with everyone for a bit, and I received the added bonus of being able to visit with the super fast finishers since I was back to the hotel well before I should have been.  
 
The route was as everyone has said, absolutely beautiful.  I can't wait to get back out there for another shot!
Shellene
 

Quote from aikigreg on Apr 27^th, 2009, 10:20pm:

 
 
It certainly beats the one of Greg from a couple of years ago!!!!  

I plead the 5th.....

As much as you all obviously love looking at  / talking about el conquistador  (hey we all have pet names for it, right?), I think Paul is referring to my many road rash pictures from last year.  

I'm afraid I wasn't in much of a picture taking mood on the 600K (certainly not 400! like John) but did manage to take a few pictures on mostly the first half of the first day.
 
I uploaded them to flickr after developing last night.
here's the link to the set.
 
http://www.flickr.com/photos/nelson_ralls/sets/72157617466216351/
 
Take Care,
Nelson.