Anybody doing the North Texas Classic this Saturday?  The wife of a guy I work with has been involved with this ride for several years and he's asked me at least the last 5 if I'll ride it.  So I'll finally do it this year.

I wasn't gonna be free, but suddenly I might have time. If there are a few going out to ride, I might tag along. Anyone have any intel on the 40 mile route? Is it hilly?

Thanks for verifying what I expected Greg.  Were you like the only bent last year?  I haven't ridden in any of that area before so I may have to do the 60 and see whats up.

just how ugly is that 80?  I see a 4% that looks to be about 2 miles and a few other hills that don't look steep or long...

I plan on doing it. Come get in some good hill training.
 
Mike

Dear Greg, you wouldn't call the 40 route hilly?  
 
That was the hilliest 40 miles I've ever seen outside of Colorado. I cramped up so bad in the end that I had to SAG it in. Later I realized that I was 1.2 miles from the finish, but I couldn't get my quad to release so I could ride it. I will never ride that ride again until next year when I forget how much I hated it this year.
 
Until the end I was making good time, but there was one hill that I almost didn't make it up. Ended up zig zagging it at around 4 or 5 mph and cursing several different deities after I finally crested it. Had to fight the urge to throw my bike into the lake at one point.
 
I'm already planning out a training ride with more hills, so that next year , when I'm not riding that ride, I can finish stronger.  
 
So, in conclusion, I hate Greg.

Quote from aikigreg on May 11^th, 2013, 6:50pm:

 
Yeah, I usually do electrolyte tabs, but I was slow starting to use them this time. By the time I realized I was in trouble it was too late. Live and learn, I guess. In retrospect, I should have stopped and drank a bit, loosened up the kinks and finished under my own power, but I was just so frustrated at that point. I feel like I let down the whole recumbent community because now there are a few wedgie riders who think 'bents can't climb... (Even though I passed a ton of people just to get to that point, and I was ahead of them when I had to pull up.)  
 

Oliver, I became quite intimate with "Granny" on 60 mile route, as I almost never get out of the big ring where I usually ride.  Rode with Mike McDonald for a few miles at the start and then watched him ease away.  Mike said he lives in this area so he gets plenty of hill training, and it shows.  Good rider.  That early downhill going out I hit 40 but think I could have exceeded that had it not been for the congestion of other riders.  Mike said we'll get to ride up it on the way back.  I think I expended as much energy on the 60 as I would have riding the HHH.  On the last 20 miles I was fighting some cramps and had to work through them, though they didn't slow me much.  Hitting that monster hill a few miles from the finish, I dropped it into low gear and was easing up at a paltry 3 MPH.  I had been staying even with a DF rider who was maybe 30 to 40 yards ahead of me going into the hill.  He quickly hopped off his bike and started walking.  I'm rolling at 3 and was matching his walking pace.  I had a funny thought come to mind as we got maybe 50 yards from the top, which worked out pretty good.  For some reason he stopped and was surprised to see me I started to roll by.  I told him my plan was to keep even pace with him then he could tell his friends he beat a recumbent up the hill and he was walking.  Don't know for sure if he thought it was funny but I did.  Rolling time for this was 3:45.  Finished just after noon.  I'll have to prepare a little better for the next time.  DJ