bibliobob

Really sorry that I missed you after the ride last night. By the time that we got back from Madison, I was painfully tired and fell straight into my bed.

Don't feel too bad about only doing the 150. You're still my hero, as the 100 was still pretty challenging for me!

I was pretty happy with my performance, though, as I trimmed about 45 minutes off of my time from last year. This, despite the fact that it was a good bit harder this year. I missed the first two miles on my Garmin, but it said that I did 4996 ft. of climbing in the 60 miles, which took 3:59 of riding time.

Nobody can match Pete for speed and distance, but I hope to get my time down further next year (perhaps on a racier bike with a modern drivetrain) and possibly do the 150.

In any event, it was great to see you and the family, and I hope that we can get a bigger group back together next year!

Chrome Molly

A few photos from the route. It's a very scenic area and worth riding at whatever pace one chooses to do.

Barrettscv 

I enjoyed my 6th Dairyland Dare. I met a few friends while on the road and chatted with a few new people along the way. I don't ride with anyone for more than a few miles. I like to milk all the speed I can from each descent, while I'm perfectly happy climbing at 4 mph for ten minutes at a time. Most cyclist drop me and pull out of sight on the next uphill, and no one enjoys 40+ mph on the descents more than me. I was careful and kept my speed to about 20 mph or less while traveling down Rosey Ln. I know the lose gravel caused at least one trip in an ambulance on that descent.

After 5 straight years of 150km rides, I was very satisfied with the 100km distance this year. The route had several long 400ft vertical climbs, each with a 12% kicker along the way.

Salubrious

At least the wall in Governor Dodge is short. Sorta...

hodgykins 

Great pictures Peter. How was the Iowa ride? Great to see you again and great job at DD!

hodgykins 

No worries the Lake Louie's, Scotch, and fine time spent on the patio chatting was worth the trip!

Chrome Molly

I decided to ride in southern Minnesota along the root river. I posted some pictures in the where'd you ride today thread. It was a great trail and a nice ride to work the kinks out after the DD. Good to see you again. Hopefully next year also.

Salubrious

Yup! Nice and flat

hodgykins 

Wow nice ride. Madison was a bit overcast all day...not nearly as nice.

I will be at the Dare no doubt...look forward to all the fun!

thinktubes 

Thinking about signing up for 2015.

Is it doable with 50/34 + 12/28 gearing? I'm in Chicago (flat), but can usually crack out 100 miles in 5:30.

iab

You'll be fine.

smontanaro 

Agree with Dave. My "hill bike" has a 32/24 low gear. While I don't exactly spin up the steep parts, I've yet to walk up any either. I think the first year I did DD, my low was 42/24. Again, no walking, but I'm now a few years older, and that ride was probably a bit more painful than my failing memory lets me remember.

thinktubes 

Sounds encouraging...how about 50/34 + 12/24? Trying to get this put together with existing stuff. I'm hoping to get away with only having to purchase a compact crank/bb.

iab

The Dairyland Dare and Horribly Hilly roads are only 3 hours from Chicago. Its still warm. I would recommend going there and giving it a try. The roads have little traffic and are quite lovely. I did the 150k with a 42/24 bailout, but obviously ymmv.

thinktubes 

The DD site has disappeared....

bibliobob

Hope that they haven't done away with it. Attendance seemed to be down this past year, perhaps to not having it be part of the Triple Crown series....

bikemig 

I'd really like to do that ride; I'm hoping they're running it this year as well.

Barrettscv 

The organisers, Stuart and Michelle, might be close to burn out. The bureaucratic hassles with the authorities might be a factor, also.

gomango

Doesn't mean you have to quit riding there.

A bunch of us are meeting in Spring Valley, Mn this May and doing a 75 mile ride.

The Almanzo had its last run in 2014, but the riding down there is spectacular.

RobbieTunes

Let's give it some pause....
1-The vast majority of the organizing volunteers are from Lands' End. This is, er, their "busy time."
2-The silence on the web site and Facebook page also indicates the possible exclusion of Lands' End as a sponsor.
3-The local authorities' knee-jerk reaction last year was stressful for all involved, and some cyclists showed their rear view.
4-The sponsors spent more per rider last year than ever, with lower rider turnout (most likely due to the Triple Crown ending).
5-There are some "go or no-go" decisions to be made, budget-wise, where it counts.

Dodgeville and Iowa County are not obstacles, from what I gather, but from what I did gather, some cyclists this year tended to act like:
1-They were buying some kind of product, and demanded both more for their money and some kinds of guarantees.
2-The volunteers have nothing more to do than handle Dairyland Dare matters.
3-They were honored guests and not invited visitors.

Many pushed the envelope, perhaps thinking "it doesn't hurt to ask." Well, it does.
It ticks people off. The same people volunteering their time and efforts do not like someone asking for "one more thing..."

This happens when a product offered blurs the line between a retail, for profit offering and a volunteer-driven event that is guaranteed to lose money.

I've been communicating with our support there, and of course, they're pretty thrilled to have us back, if that works out.
It appears someone needs to step up at higher levels.

One thing we can do, if communication lines open again, is ask "what can we do?"
This makes a huge, huge difference.

On my end, I'm going to set my budget at $500, for my trip, ride, entry, lodging, and my donations to the VFD, etc.
On top of that, if we are accommodated by the VFD again, I will have a plaque made, and prepare letters of thanks to the local papers.

If the ride does not go on, I will still prepare letters of thanks to the local papers. A little goes a long way.
You'd be surprised how many people know that Bartali happened last year, and how many people in Mineral Point look forward to the Dare.

bikemig 

I've been wanting to head that way for a ride for a while. I've heard a lot of good things about the cycling there.

gomango

You and all C&Vers would be more than welcome!

I am figuring out dates after the first of the year.

Some of the guys on here are Almanzo regulars and have done much better at the actual event than I have.

I still rode down there a half dozen times last season and had a blast.

Would also love to return this year to the DD as well depending on our son's travel schedule for soccer.

He is playing seven tournaments in the United States this summer and I don't have all the firm dates yet.

Chrome Molly

While I hope the DD isn't ended, I think we can certainly get together down there for a fun and spirited C&V ride. I think some of us know the DD courses well enough to put together some highlights into an awesome C&V ride. I'd be up for all the scenery, fine food and drink, great camaraderie, with one or two less of the steep hills. There are also many other rides around there (on and off road) that can morph it into a two or three ride weekend vs a one and done. Last summer the days surrounding iab's fantastic event were also very memorable.

As far as the DD, I did get the vibe that many of the carbon based participants were put off by the lack of timekeeping. That's basically the law there now, so I think they'll get over it. It doesn't need to be an enormous event to be an excellent event in my eyes. I'm a little confused by the killing the golden goose factor (as far as the local government and economy), but stranger things have happened.

It would also be great to do about a 70-75 mile Almanzo based course. The 103 is nice and all, but you need to really be up for a self supported ride that distance on gravel.

The same thing seems to happen every year. I sit in December and try to plan the events for the next summer. Triple Crown became the Almonzo and DD, so now it's time to pick and choose again. I'd be up for hosting a ride in the northern Kettle Moraine area (from my parent's place). That's scenic and not too difficult.

But as Robbie says, let's not get ahead of things either...

smontanaro 

I, for one, was kind of jealous of some of the other rides @RobbieTunes did when we convened for the Centenario Bartali celebration @iab hosted last summer. I'd be happy to see what some of those other routes look like in person.

Salubrious

One thing that had to have affected the DD this year was the cost of late entry.