Clydesdales/Athenas (200+ lb / 91+ kg) - Mille Lacs Ride Report (Photos)

We're all alive. We all succeeded, details to come. Photos to come!

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I'll let everyone give their own reports....

Here's mine:

The day everyone arrived was beautiful, but a little chilly. Becky called me from the campsite, and I went to get her to kill time. I'm not much of a camper, and wanted everyone to see my place in case it got so cold that night they wanted to sleep there and would know there was enough room. On the way to get Becky, Caincando and Tomdaniels were right behind me! So we hung out until Pupsocket showed up and decided to crash at my place.

We talked for a while, ate some spaghetti, built a bonfire and roasted marshmallows and then everyone spread out to find a place to sleep. Oh, Wolfgang got loose again, but he got caught quickly.

We woke up, and I had to take care of the dogs and stuff after they left so I was going to meet them at the ride start. Well, I forgot I had never used my closed panniers, and they didn't fit my rack. I had to find tools (it took a tiny allen wrench) and adjust them, and then I filled it with my bike tools, 5 bottles of gatorade, pedals for Caincando, and some misc. At the end of the ride I took the Pannier off and it must have weighed 40 lbs! Put the bike on the car and made it there right before closing.

The ride was level and gorgeous. Terrierman, there is no way I could do 70 miles with hills right now. Maybe in the spring?

The traffic was a little scary... lots of trucks pulling boats that came close. But that was only during the last 10 miles of the ride... before that it was country road and railroad paths. We barely saw anyone else... except the ones who were combining the ride with a pub crawl.

There were more hills in the last 10 miles than the rest of the ride combined, and Becky and I cut over to the railroad path again to finish. Actually, a SAG person told us to...it was safer and flatter.

Got my first ride T-shirt! I'm very proud of it!

Then we shared a meal and went our seperate ways. I feel I've made good new friends. We made a good riding group... everyone had a sense of humor and a good nature and it made the day a joy! Lots of fun stories and it was great to get to know each other in such odd circumstances. I had only met pupsocket before. Caincando takes a mean-looking photo (you glowerer, you!) but he smiles in real life! I'm just really glad I met everyone!

And how far everyone drove! Pupsocket from WI, Becky from AK, Tomdaniels from Iowa, Caincando from almost-Iowa! I just wish you all lived closer so we could ride regularly!

We weren't sure if the self-timer was set right, so solveg offered to trigger it with a rock. (standing) Pupsocket, Caincando1, TomDaniels, BeckyW:

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Sunrise over the water:

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Caincando1 before the ride:

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Just before hitting the road for the first time. Caincando1, BeckyW, TomDaniels, solveg, Pupsocket:

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Solveg striking a pose at a rest stop:

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Solveg showing off, TomDainels:

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Ooooh! I'm glad you caught me no-hands! Now I have a new Avatar. Someone threatened to post it in A&S... me riding no-hands in the middle of the road. Please don't.

And that photo of Caincando is how he looks in real life!!!! That movie star glint in the glasses is ever-present!

You take really nice photos, pupsocket! Just beautiful.That one at dawn is stunning. But how about a ride report?

WOW. What a wonderful end to a fabulous weekend in the Twin Cities.

Saturday evening was great, hanging out at solveg's place (Thank you!!) and getting to know everybody. What a beautiful setting (I'm absolutely enchanted with this part of Minnesota - both the lake and the cities), and what a wonderful group of people! The campfire was a lot of fun - Pupsocket apparently has magic fire-breathing powers! Toward the end of the fire's life it was nothing but a smoky mess, but he blew on it and POOF! The log burst into a crackling fire.

We woke up just before sunrise Sunday morning, which was truly a beautiful sight to behold. Had some breakfast and drove the bikes over to the ride start, then got started when everyone arrived and was checked in. Starting out felt great, but then I started to get frustrated with my (lack of) speed on the flat rail trail. The first 5-6 miles ARE the hardest (well, except for the last few this time, but I'll get to that later), but everyone was really encouraging, and Cain came up and rode beside me for a while, which somehow helped me get up to a more reasonable 11-12 mph pace. We got to the first snack stop around mile 13, and I was still feeling good.

Between the first and second snack stops, I started to have a hard time. Starting to feel saddle-sore, and legs/arms/shoulders were starting to ache, but there were some nice long barely-downhill stretches where it was easier to go faster. I'd surpassed my previous longest ride (17 miles), and was starting to feel it, but was also starting to realize that yes, I would be able to finish!

We got to the 2nd rest stop, and I was really starting to tire. I was getting dehydrated too, even though solveg kept reminding me to drink! We had a choice at this point - continue on the road (somewhat hilly), or go back to the trail which is flat, but adds a few miles. The group left it to me to decide, and I chose hills. I think it was a mental thing as much as anything. The first hill looked awfully daunting (Said to myself, "If I can get over that hill, I can finish."), but it turned out easier than it appeared. After that, I kept telling myself after each peak, "It could all be downhill from there, I can make it, if I can get to the top, and I WILL get to the top!" That actually helped a lot! I had to walk one hill, even though it was a little one - I'd lost my speed when I stopped, after solveg saved me from a semi that was heading for me from behind. She'd called out, all I heard was an alarmed yell, and actually thought she'd blown a tire! But I pulled over and stopped, and obviously did not get hit. Thanks :)


The last 5 miles were back on the trail, and it was sooo hard to keep the pedals moving. I was really slowing down (to 7 mph on a flat trail at one point), though I did manage to keep it at 14 mph for a while. Solveg stayed with me for the last stretch, which I really, really appreciate! We got back to the ride start, and the others were there cheering (maybe they were tired of waiting for us? ;) ).

Really, everyone was SO wonderful to ride with, and I got some good pointers about my bike size and some mods to make for now to help me go faster.

As solveg said - nice group meal after the ride, and we said our goodbyes and went our separate ways. Next year - 70 miles :)

I'm beat, and will sleep HARD tonight! But all that keeps going through my head is, "I did it! I did it!! I did it!!!!!!" :D

Ride report. Seen as this was my first organized ride and the first time I'd ever met these people, I opted to stay with the group for the first 2 legs of the ride. It was great getting to ride with everyone. I needed to get a little cardio workout so the last 10 miles I busted loose. I told the group to take off and I'd either catch up or see them at the end. After they were out of sight I took off. This was the section that ran on the busy road and the traffic was a bit much, this was the only section with rolling hills. I really don't remember much off it, I just kept an eye on my cadence and keep it up about 95rpms. After about 3 miles I could see Tom about 1/4-1/2 mile ahead of me. I tried my darndest, to catch him, but couldn't do it. I ended up with a 17mph average for the last 11 miles.

Nice pics, nice stories! Way to hang in ther Becky. Just wondering, do you ever drink the night before a ride? I've read that one should consume enough fluid/water to make you get up twice during the night to tinkle. We did a 72 miler with Socal forum riders on Saturday. I fought with Gina the night before to drink plenty. I was called quite a few different names that evening, but the next day she did the ride without the usual heat exhaustion headache!:D

Drink not only during the ride, but before too. Preventitve maintenance, .....sort of!:p

Compound.

Compound entrance.

I fought with Gina the night before to drink plenty. I was called quite a few different names that evening, but the next day she did the ride without the usual heat exhaustion headache!:D


:roflmao::roflmao::roflmao:

You should have seen the looks of death Becky was shooting at me be mid-ride when I asked her for the zillionth time if she was drinking. I do believe I got called "mom" a few times.

HHMM Some of my pictures aren't showing up. I'll try some more.

After about 3 miles I could see Tom about 1/4-1/2 mile ahead of me. I tried my darndest, to catch him, but couldn't do it.

I heard that more than once during the day... "Tom's got legs!"

View

Sunrise.

Stop one.

Stop along the road to take in the sights.

Nice pics, nice stories! Way to hang in ther Becky. Just wondering, do you ever drink the night before a ride? I've read that one should consume enough fluid/water to make you get up twice during the night to tinkle. We did a 72 miler with Socal forum riders on Saturday. I fought with Gina the night before to drink plenty. I was called quite a few different names that evening, but the next day she did the ride without the usual heat exhaustion headache!:D

Drink not only during the ride, but before too. Preventitve maintenance, .....sort of!:p

I was trying to, and drank over a gallon of water on Saturday, but I think the night before I was actually just making up for the slightly-dehydrated feeling I'd had the day before. I'm really glad solveg kept after me - I drank over half a gallon (possibly close to a gallon) during the ride, but I was still definitely dehydrated. Drank 4 more bottles of various healthy/hydrating stuff on the way back to the cities.

BEAUTIFUL pictures! I wish I'd taken more.

Yeah Becky made it! Becky and Susan(aka den mom) and there new shirts.

Congrats, especially to Becky! Outstanding job and I tol' ya you could do it ;) :D

But how about a ride report?
That will have to wait, out of time. I was able to squeeze in a 2 hour nap. Now it's off to the night shift.

It was a great trip, solveg's hospitality, good food, lots of good new friends. Some were stronger riders than other, but for the most part we rode as a group, which was nice.

More later, promise!

Karl

one more little thing!

Becky.....

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I hope Tom checks in soon... it's a long ride back to Iowa.

Caincando1: You gotta* use that sunglasses photo as a new Avatar! That photo rocks.

I hope Tom checks in soon... it's a long ride back to Iowa.

Caincando1: You gotta* use that sunglasses photo as a new Avatar! That photo rocks.

I cropped it and reduced it, but by the time that I got it small enough for the program to accept it it was micro tiny. How do you get you're so big?

This is still to big.

I made it home about 8PM. Had some chili, drank two Sierra Nevada Pale Ales, and watched a bit of TV with the missus.

It was a great group to hang with. The ride was both beautiful and amazingly flat for someone who grew up in the hills in Missouri. I've ridden 3 previous organized rides and this one was better organized than any of them. There were more SAG stops than necessary and I constantly saw SAG vehicles.

I had a lot of fun riding in the group chatting and then shooting out down the trail for sprints. The last 10 miles Caincando1, Pupsocket, and I dropped (with some warning) the ladies and took off. In the last 7 miles or so, my legs asked me what I was waiting for so I kicked the Stratus up a few gears and decided to kick some ass. I was so keyed up that I decided to keep it above 20 mph for the last 4 miles or so. At one point, I had a 4-wheeler riding the parallel unpaved trail deciding whether to pass me or not. I think he was trying to gauge the speed of this huge guy on a 'bent (about 22 at the time).

Anyway, turns out that Caincando1 was about 3/4 of a mile behind me the whole time in the drops trying to catch that "yellow dot" of a jersey. I didn't even realize I was dropping him. :)

Thanks again Solveg for your awesome hospitality.

Because I paid $25 and got a red star! It will still look good small... it will look remarkably bigger as an avatar! It's still way cool.

Tom made it home! The gang is all safe... I can turn off the porch light now!

Well done lads, it sounds like you all had a ball. Whens the next one?

AWESOME!
Glad to NOT hear of any mechanical malfunctions.
It sounds like Becky's wheel held up? I had my fingers crossed for it!

Thanks for the certificate, Tom! But it was the first organized ride for all of us (except perhaps tomdaniels - he'll have to chime in to clarify my fuzzy memory).

Edit: oops - I should read all the posts before makign a reply :)

Well, looks like a few more are in order then ;) I'll just have to fix that :)

Wheel held up fine, even when I dropped off the asphalt onto gravel (1-2" drop) at one point (when I was trying to make a quick stop when solveg yelled to me)!

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I'll let everyone give their own reports....


pedals for Caincando, and some misc.


You're so thoughtful. I lubed up my pedals before he left. They didn't make a peep the entire day, until the last mile. Literally a mile from the end, it started to squeak. I looked down and my cadence was 99 and I figured I only had a mile to go, so I just kept cranking on it.

I just wish my avatar pic was as cool as Caincando's now. That is very cool

Becky should be checking in any moment now..... she'll have to give us a saddle sore report.

Caincando, if you look at the group shot from the night before the ride, you'll see we were matching on BOTH days..... must be because we were the only Minnesotans and we all dress the same? You should get pupsocket to send you the high res of your avatar photo and get a print made of that.

Tom has a new avatar, too! I like it! especially that hand sticking in on the left of the very talented bicyclist riding no-handed!

Well done lads, it sounds like you all had a ball. Whens the next one?

Next year!

Becky should be checking in any moment now..... she'll have to give us a saddle sore report.



Well, I haven't made it home yet! Apparently I was more tired than I thought - woke up this morning feeling not-so-great (not-so-terrible, either), and had some doubts as to whether I could safely make an 11 hour drive. Well... I got as far as Des Moines (and even that took over 5 hours because I kept stopping), then realized that suddenly I was on I-35 somewhere in the southern Iowa countryside! I'm not sure where those 20 miles went, but it wasn't a good sign! Another 50 miles, and I was weaving kind of like I was in the last third of the bike ride, so I decided to just stop and get a hotel, do some work from here, then finish driving tomorrow.

Saddle sores... not bad! I was sure I'd rubbed myself raw, from what it felt like during the ride, but it was actually just minor chafing that's already mostly healed. Muscles... still sore, but it's a good sore.

And you, solveg? Back home in the city and everything squared away?

I know pupsocket had a bunch more picture.

And you, solveg? Back home in the city and everything squared away?

Woke up at 4, worked all day, then at about 4 I started to pack up the cabin and load it in the trailer. Finally got on the road at about 6:30, but had to turn around (at about Happy's) because I forgot to clean out the fridge.

Got home about 8:30? Just finished unloading. I am TIRED!

I was thinking on the way home that we should RIDE up to Mille Lacs next year! We can park at my house. It's 90 miles to the cabin (we could do it in 2 days and camp), ride the 70 mile ride, and then ride home! 250 miles!

I was just thinking* this... not really suggesting it... :D

I know pupsocket had a bunch more picture.
I posted pretty much everything I took, the rest are just duplicates. I do have that one of solveg on the verge of falling down by the beach...

BTW, did the one of me on the drive home turn out?

No, that was the Kitchen* I fell down in!!!! (I was cooking and my dog laid down right behind my feet)

I posted pretty much everything I took, the rest are just duplicates. I do have that one of solveg on the verge of falling down by the beach...

BTW, did the one of me on the drive home turn out?


Yes it did, I didn't realize that I hadn't posted that one yet. It's on my home computer so I'll post it later tonight.

No, that was the Kitchen* I fell down in!!!! (I was cooking and my dog laid down right behind my feet)
:D

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Weekend Report

I didn't get to bed early enough after work late Friday night, so I didn't leave the house until 1 pm the following day. Lots of errands put me up at the lake around 4:30. Finding the campsites vacant, I called and waited for the gang to come retrieve me. There I met everyone, including Bella and Wolfgang. Drinks, snacks, skinny dipping, dinner, and the campfire followed. The addition of several air mattresses and sleeping bags turned Solveg's nice little lake home into a bona fide flophouse. :)

Sunday dawned chilly, so everyone dressed in layers for the ride. The first 12 miles were directly into a strong, cool breeze, and the first snack stop was a welcome one. The middle part of the ride was a pleasant back road ramble with the sun and wind at our back. The last part of the ride saw lakeshore but lots of traffic to go along with it.

While the ride was the reason for the get-together, the time spent together off-saddle was just as enjoyable. The strong consensus was for a repeat next year with the goal of riding the full lake circuit route. I'll definitely be there, and I hope the rest will too, along with any newcomers!

Karl

Becky's got a new Avatar, too! Yay! Pupsocket...join the group!

Outstanding everybody! How great to see a Clyde club ride. :beer:

Cool reports. I used to spend some time up on Mille Lacs. We owned a lot up there (near Garrison) and would go up in the summer and camp. The scenery brought back cool memories. I still get up to a friends place on Webb Lake near Hackensack, MN once in a while and across over by Minocqua, Wi. I love the Northwoods lakes!

Congrats on the ride guys. Sounds like a blast!

I'm HOME! Hooray!!!! :) I just want to say once more - I had a blast, and can't imagine hanging out and riding with a nicer group of people.