Yesterday morning at 6:30 am, Steve, Peggy, Nelson, Ray, and I rode out of McKinney to do the Boomer 200k permanent. This route is an out and back that goes north to Tom Bean, then west to Collinsville, then back. Like these long rides have a way of doing, this one turned into an adventure.
 
We had a tailwind as we rode the rolling hills north to Tom Bean at mile 33. We rode a fairly easy pace, and it was a pretty much uneventful leg of the ride until a scary moment coming into Tom Bean when I had a close call with an old man in a Dodge pickup. He probably should have given up driving years ago, and on this morning, he passed me just before a stop sign, then cut in front and slammed on his brakes.
 
On we rode, turning west toward Collinsville. Just after we crossed US 75 in Howe at mile 42, we hit a 5 mile stretch of gravel. Worse, they had just poured water on it, so it was gravel over slick mud. By the time we got past this stretch, my bike was the dirtiest it's ever been, with dried mud everywhere. It took serious cleaning on my bottle and Camelbak bite valve just to be able to drink from them again.
 
Scary moment number two came just a few miles before Collinsville. I was on Peggy's wheel, when she looked over at horses on the right and made a comment about them. I turned my head to the right and looked at them. What I didn't realize was that Peggy had stopped pedaling while I kept pedaling. By the time I turned my head back, I had pulled up halfway alongside Peggy, just a couple of inches to her left. When I saw how close we were, I was so startled that I jumped, wobbled the bike, and hit Peggy's left arm with my big chainring (sorry, Peggy!).  
 
Thankfully, neither of us went down, but when I looked at her arm, I saw a chainring tatoo, and a trickle of blood running down her arm. Once we got to Collinsville at mile 62, and she got her arm cleaned up, I could see that it was a scratch that wasn't very deep. I was glad of that, but still felt bad. I've never hit anyone with a chainring before. It's a reminder of how careful we need to be when we're riding close together.
 
We headed back east toward Tom Bean. Steve and Peggy went off the front for a few miles, and we regrouped in Dorchester. Scary moment number three came just a couple of miles before Howe when, riding beside Steve, he did a big wobble as he was fighting off a bug of some kind. It was really getting hot by now, and we made a quick unscheduled stop in Howe. Ray was having trouble with his knee, and I stayed back near him most of this stretch. I didn't mind the easy pace on this hot day. It appears that if I want to survive these really hot days without cratering myself, this is the kind of pace I need. I did kick up the pace for the last mile or so to Tom Bean, at mile 93.
 
The remaining 33 miles back to McKinney were brutal. It was against the wind, and another over 100 degree day where you could really feel the heat radiating off the pavement. And there are no stores on this stretch for an unscheduled cool-off stop. Steve and I rode off the front, and at mile 115 got a call telling us that Ray was at a Mexican restaurant at Westminster and mile 103, and was going to DNF. I'll let him share the details of that. Steve and I rode on, and my energy level was fading fast as we neared the end of the ride, but we reached the last control in McKinney at 4:30 pm.
 
We debated the easiest way to get Ray and his bicycle back to the start. An Xstream won't fit just anywhere. But Ray had given Nelson his keys, so we ended up just waiting on Nelson and Peggy, driving all the vehicles back to Westminster, and Ray treated us to dinner at the Mexican restaurant (thanks, Ray). I ended up with 126.3 miles, and finished in 10:00. Thanks for the great adventure, everyone, and I promise to try hard not to tatoo anyone else with my chainring in the future.
 
 

Bud, you are so correct, these LSR ride do have a way of turning into an adventure(whether you want one or not). The road construction & subsequent watering of the compacted stone just trashed everyone's bike.  
 
The chain ring incident could have been ugly, by it turned out fine(and no fault of anyone). And the then Bud & I are riding together on the outskirts of Howe ,when all of a sudden , this large,thick bug hits me underneath my chin, falls to the to my arm pit & starts to make a buzzing noise(I think it was a cicada). In the course of trying to flip the bug off of me , I got a little too close to Bud(sorry Bud).
 
The stretch from Tom Bean to McKinney was truly brutal(headwind ,hot ,chip seal , & no stores whatsoever). I was glad to have someone to ride with, thanks Bud(Nelson & Peggy stayed back to ride with Ray). What a way to keep the R-12 quest going, but we did. It's never easy & these rides do test your metal. The bikes were a mess, covered in gray powder...everywhere.  
 
Ray, glad to hear your're feeling better. The Circle K restaurant in Westminmister(on SR 121) was a great Mexican restaurant with live music. Thanks for the diner Ray, it was not necessary.  That's we ride together, we look after one another.
 
It took me almost 2 hours to clean both bikes. AND Nelson did check TXDOT's website for road construction on the route-NONE WAS LISTED!  
 
So, the next week's night ride should an adventure ,but fun(and not as hot).

Quote from AustinSkater on Jul 12^th, 2009, 1:31pm:

 
Bryan, yeah, my fault, I should have posted, sorry. It really wasn't any hotter than Rio Vista Rumble or other recent LSR rides we've done(IMO), but the road construction was really a beat down.
 
We're looking forward to the night brevet, and getting a chance to ride with everyone.  How was the ride in Arlington? Thanks for pre-riding the the Italy routes.  
 
Oh, total climbing for Boomer was 3,893ft(according to my Garmin).

Nelson - you are absolutely correct, and for that I am sincerely sorry.  My ego did control me.  I started feeling the effects of the heat (exhaustion) about 5 miles before the last control in Tom Bean. We stayed at the control about 30 minutes and I did feel better.  I convinced myself that we only had 30 miles to go, and if I went slow, I could make it.  
 
I use the "lap" function on the Garmin at every stop.  And for the 15 miles from Tom Bean to where my body quick functioning in Westminster, my avg. speed was 12 mph and I started cramping on every climb.
 
I have decided to no longer ride when the temp. is over 100 degrees.  That's why I fully confessed to Angie when I got home, and she subsequently called you and Peggy.  
 
To end on good news, I felt really well yesterday.  Absolutely zero knee pain, or muscle ache.  
 
Thanks again Nelson. I really appreciate your honesty and sincerity.  I take your words to heart!