whats your secret? maybe you want to keep it a secret:),my plans are for the 2009 HTH,i have watched some of the "race''? on you tube which i guess it really is not a race,more of a pleasure ride ? i want to train thru this year and until AUG of next year, i commute to work daily ten to twelve miles,then i do twenty to twenty-five miles on sat or sun,i want to slowy bump the mileS up between now and the "09" HTH,PLEASE !give me tips on what to expect, is it Hills galore? should i do more hills ?,should i take more than two tubes?,will my two liter CamelBack and two water botttles,gels,etc.get me to each feed station? any feedback will be great,plus i will be there this year {not riding) to take in the sites and asking questions and signing up for 09 HTH,

HHH is flat. You can do it on a singlespeed (I've done it on a fixie). It's likely to have strong south winds, making the last 20-30 miles a challenge.

Here's all you need to know to complete the 100 mile route:

1. Stay hydrated. It usually gets very hot in the afternoon. Hydrate often and early. Two bottles or a camelbak is plenty, so long as you are drinking from them. You don't need both unless you are planning to skip some of the later rest stops (which I would not recommend for a first timer).

2. Ride at an appropriate pace. It's VERY easy to get sucked into a fast moving paceline in the morning when it's cool and your legs are fresh. Then you wear yourself out and by mile 70 you are toast. Learn how hard you can push and stick to it.

3. Eat some food at each rest stop. You don't need to carry any gels, bars, etc. Rest stops are every 10-15 miles and are very well stocked with food, water, and sports drink.

4. Make a point to ride in the afternoon heat during the month leading up to HHH - preferably on long rides. You need to be used to dealing with mid to upper 90's temperature for several hours at a time.

5. Watch out for the crazies in the first 20 miles.

That's it. HHH is really a pretty easy ride so long as you don't overdo it in the first half.

this is the perfect example i'am looking for!THANKS SUPCOM! I rode Monday in the 95 degree (heat index @105) and did well ,but it was only 20 miles, i know if i do 50 "out and "50 "in" by this time next year i should be ok? thanks for the tip on the stations(feed),people are telling me to ride this year,but i just do not see that happing,i figure it's best to plan waaaay ahead and make it a fun ride,thanks again for the heads up,are u there this year?

I think there's been some more posts on it in the Texas forum.

They do have shorter routes, it's not a 100 miles or bust. I don't know how popular the shorter routes are.

First try riding the Warmer Than Heck and see how you do.

True that you can 'wear yourself out' riding in a fast pack, OTOH riding in a pack
reduces your work effort by 5-15% depending on where you are in the pack,
and can be a life saver if there is a headwind. You can easily ride 3-4mph faster
with a pack of 10-20 and knock an hour off your saddle time. Might be critical
to be 5-10mi out at 2pm rather than 20 miles out.