DC - WABA 50 State ride.

[cc_rider]

x-posted w/ SE

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A friend reminded me that the WABA 50 State ride was this weekend.
http://www.waba.org/events/2007/50statesride.php

Saturday August 25. Starts from Connecticut and S, 7:30 sign up 8am start. Hits all 50 state named roads in DC. About 65 miles and it gets pretty hilly in NE and NW. Self supported.
Shorter ride version hits the original 13 colonies.

Last year I rode part of it (maybe 15 miles) as a warm up for the Reston Century. This year I'm skipping Reston and doing the WABA ride instead.


And in case anyone is interested in Reston
http://www.restonbikeclub.org/restoncentury/

[songfta]

I'm doing Reston, as I can't do the WABA ride (work issues). Kinda hemming and hawing about whether to do the century or the double-metric - I'll likely decide on Sunday morning.

[cc_rider]

I noticed this morning that Reston has added a double metric.

Just heard that the heat index for Saturday will be over 100. Maybe I should rethink my ride plans.

[lebowitz]

The DC ride is grueling if they use the same route as last year. It's a great opportunity to go to places like Anacostia and NE that I never see. Highly recommend. My friends and I have a small group going , I'm on the Yellow Miyata 710

[cc_rider]

I'll be on my blue Trek 750.
Might even wear my black helmet with the Bikeforums sitcker on the side.

lebowitz - I'm expecting a better picture this year :D

[BarracksSi]

Oh, that looks interesting. My attendance will partially depend on when I'm supposed to report for work; I've got a gig that night in PA. I'll probably just do the 13 colonies since the 65 miles might smoke me (need to be in one piece for the evening).

[gurana]

Forgot about this one. Perhaps next year. Would somebody that does it mind posting the cue sheet afterwards?

[lebowitz]

One of the friends I made on last year's 50 states made our group a map (she works in GIS) which outlines all of the 50 state streets. This is not the route but gives you an idea of where we went. Thought you guys would like this.

http://www.lebo.org/50StatesRide.pdf (http://www.lebo.org/50StateRide.pdf)

[deskjockey]

Holy crap. that's one heck of a ride. 8 hours! Yikes. I know it starts at 8, but still. Wow. this really is an all day affair.

[cc_rider]

8 hours??? Who said 8 hours???
That's too leisurly. I'm pretty slow, and I'm allowing 5 to 6 with stops (and I'm doing a quick look/photos of a couple of project sites along the way)

[deskjockey]

The cue sheet attached lebowitz mentioned 8 hrs. I'll try to make it. I can imagine it will be a warm one. What sort of crowd attends? large/small? Fat? :)

[cc_rider]

Not a big crowd. I think we had 200 to 250 riders at the start last year.
WABA served coffee and donuts, which will be ok for 7:30 am.
If the heat is too much, there are good bail-out places all along the way. That's my plan if the heat index does get over 100.

[deskjockey]

Not a big crowd. I think we had 200 to 250 riders at the start last year.
WABA served coffee and donuts, which will be ok for 7:30 am.
If the heat is too much, there are good bail-out places all along the way. That's my plan if the heat index does get over 100.


I second that. One can always turn around and easily head home (just gotta work your way through new neighborhoodsd).

[BarracksSi]

Shoot -- depending on the route, I might be able to bail out a block from home.. lol

[meb]

Did everyone ride as a group last year?

Is ther a ride leader?

Do you receive cue sheets for both the 50 states ride and the 13 colonies ride?

[deskjockey]

Holy crap....that was a hot 64 miles/5 hours. Wow. Wow. Wow. Wow.

There were cue sheets but no leaders. I'm not sure how many were at the start, 100? 200? Probably a lot less based on the weather. I don't think a lot did the 60 mile route. If you did, speak up!

[BarracksSi]

I got up a little late (too late for the ride), but went to work a little early anyway. You guys were barely halfway through by the time I arrived at work.

[lebowitz]

I did the 63mi ride!

Six hour ride for me yesterday. By the end (~5pm) my group was stopping every 30-40 minutes because of the heat. I drank 9 full water bottles and a gatorade. Had one water bottle on the bike and 2 in the jersey.

To clarify: Last year the 8 hours included lunch in Eastern Market and various other stops

[meb]

Holy crap....that was a hot 64 miles/5 hours. Wow. Wow. Wow. Wow.

There were cue sheets but no leaders. I'm not sure how many were at the start, 100? 200? Probably a lot less based on the weather. I don't think a lot did the 60 mile route. If you did, speak up!

The mountain bike I intended to do the event had a flat on the way home at 2 am., the folder at work in Alexandria was the next best running option for completing the distance but with metro closed, retrieving it was not an option before start time, so after a failed attempt at swapping rears from a down mountain bike (bearing problems on rear from the other), I elected repair a recumbent. I wasn't in good enough shape to handle the hills on a recumbent, so I had to abandon at 27 miles due to leg cramping. I'd like to retry it on a road bike when repaired, but I lost my cue sheet after abandonning.

Till I lost the group I started with, there were persons at the front of the pack that knew the route well, probably from earlier riders. After that, there was a lot of stopping at turns trying to determine if that was the correct turn. I overshot Maine with the next street being a T not Maine so I looked back and eventually saw a number of others turning on Maine. I got to following some cyclist I thought were part the Tour and made a wrong turn following them before asking if they were part the Tour-they said no, I needed go that way before turning left. There often was a pondering of which way to go, (i.e. cross the bridge on the sidewalk when there were two bridges present 90 degrees apart or no street signs) until another rider came by that knew the route.

[BarracksSi]

After giving directions every week to people driving through my neighborhood, that story seems perfectly normal. ;)

[cc_rider]

Followed the route as far as the 7-11 at Hawaii Ave. Almost noon and TOO HOT. Myself and two others decided to head back downtown from there. Headed back to where I had parked in Arlington, but at M and 25th my rear tire flatted. Instead of squating in the heat fixing it, I Metroed back to Courthouse. Still, I finished with 53 miles for the day.
Had a good ride. Might take the cue sheet out on a cooler day and finish the rest of the ride.

lebowitz - good to finally meet you.

[lebowitz]

Here is the the cue sheet: http://www.flickr.com/photos/lebowitz/sets/72157601680859727/

[meb]

Here is the the cue sheet: http://www.flickr.com/photos/lebowitz/sets/72157601680859727/

Thanks-I'll give it a try.

[gurana]

Hope you all had a good time in the heat and all. A family member asked me about this ride on saturday. When I was explaining it to him, it occured to me that the $10 didn't really get you much... just the cue sheet really.

I think that a ride this long really should be supported a little more. It wouldn't even take all that much really. Three water stops, perhaps with some light snacks at the middle stop (begals and peanut butter?). Actually, I'd settle for a marked route.

[deskjockey]

Essentially, this was a very informal organized ride with no support. Snacks and cue sheets were provided at the start, but that's it as far as support. Heck, fueling/rest stations were informal (merely mentioned on the cue sheets) and consisted of the 7-11 near Catholic U., Anacostia Park which had one water fountain and a bathroom, and an air conditioned building at mile 55 at American U. A few of us stopped in front of an elementary school where a a grounds keeper was watering the law with a garden hose. Ummm...hose water.
Must have gone through 8 + bottles. After our group finished, we joked that someone should have been there to greet us, esp. for doing it on such a tough day. Thankfully, we created our own little group and kept each other motivated throughout.

[gurana]

Here is the the cue sheet: http://www.flickr.com/photos/lebowitz/sets/72157601680859727/

I used that to make a routslip map... I'm sure the cuesheet would make more sense if you were out there, but trying to follow those directions on a map was difficult in some places. Hope I didn't miss anything...

2007 WABA 50 state ride (http://www.routeslip.com/routes/60731)

[lebowitz]

I used that to make a routslip map

Thanks that's really cool!