Southeast - New Bern, NC MS150
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Has anyone ridden the MS150 ride out of New Bern, NC? My daughter and I just signed up for it. We’ll be riding with a team out of her new school in Durham.
Coming from Charlotte, I've never ridden in that part of the state. I'm kind of assuming that since the rides must stick somewhere near the coast, things must be essentially flat. Not that I don't enjoy the hills - I'm just thinking that this might be a good ride to do on a fixed-gear bike. Of course, that also assumes no wicked head or tailwinds!
Bob
skiffrun
06-30-07, 03:20 PM
MS-150 rides centered on New Bern are ... ... ... F-L-A-T.
The one & only "hill" is the flyover overpass across the "river" at the start and end of the Sat ride (assuming you do the 75 m or 100 m rides, not the 30 m).
One guy I know says you only need two gears for the New Bern MS-150: one into the wind, the second away from the wind.
The wind can be oppressive. Just about every year but last the city park which serves as "MS-150 central" was under water due to a hurricane by Wed following the Sun ride.
In 2005, about 20 miles into the Sat ride, there was an extremely exposed section where I managed 11 mph. One rider I know who usually completes the 100 m in four hours reported he could only manage 15 mph. The forecast for the Sun wind conditions were so bad they cancelled the 100 m option. I did not ride on that Sun, but my wife did. She says the winds on Sun were much worse than on Sat.
If there is a hurricane expected within several days after the MS-150, bring the bike with multiple gears. If nothing is stirring when you pack on Friday for the trip to New Bern, pack the fixie.
Thank, skiffrun. That's just the background I was looking for.
I didn't even think about the hurricane potential. I should have, as I remember the Rockingham to Myrtle Beach MS150 was re-routed because of hurricane aftermath action a few years back.
My first concern was the wind - yeah, I'll bring both bikes just in case. Sounds like the fixie flip-flop hub may need a 14 tooth cog on one side and an 18 on the other!
Thanks - Bob "Excuse me while I pull over and shift..."