All:

My first Hotter 'n Hell Hundred (HHH) was yesterday in Wichita Falls, TX. With a combination of 13,000+ cyclists and temperatures over 100, I witnessed everything from helicopter medivacs to big crashes to dozens of people under trees in the last few miles looking like Civil War battlefield casualties. Questions to those who rode yesterday: Is this normal or excessive for HHH, and what did YOU see that was amazing?

From the stories I've heard of the HHH... that's pretty normal when the temps hit 100+. Get 12000 of just about anything going in the same direction at the same time and accidents are going to happen. Collin Classic this summer looked much the same though in terms of the dead and dying laying on the side of the road. Fewer numbers, but probably much the same % of participants. I survived the 100k, but I have little doubt I would have been in serious trouble had I gone for 100mi.

Did anyone take pics during this ride?

These aren't the best in the world and do not show any carnage but they are from Saturday's HHH. We rode 25 mi. on our Trail-A-Bike setup (this is our 2nd year together). We finished in just under 3 hours. We hit both reststops along our route and a couple of other stops to visit grandparents and make a phone call along the way. It's very possible we mingled with some of the 50mi-100K BF riders along the way. It was warm and humid and was getting warmer after we finished around 10:00. The water hose near the finish was a welcomed sight. My son played in it for about half an hour after we finished. The last couple of years have been relatively mild so riders may have become a little complacent about the wicked mixture of heat/humidity/unforgiving sun/and blast furnace headwind the last few miles. I'll try and obtain figures on the casualties (I live here). Now the few and talentless pics.

I brought my camera but not on the ride (a bit big). I know Lecterman snapped some shots at the beginning showing some of the huge mass of cyclists. I don't know how many city blocks the starting group stretched to, but I know there were groups forming on some of the side streets to filter in after the starting cannon sounded.

Those mass starts remind me back when we used to do the twice annual Rosarito-Endsenada 50 mile rides. More than 10,000 cyclists taking over the streets of Rosarito. I think most of the crashes we saw were caused by intoxicated cyclists....

BTW, anyone doing the one coming up in a couple of weeks?

From past rides I think there was more carnage than usual. I think many were just not prepared for the heat. This is my story:

What a day. I was one of the lucky few that got to ride an extra 10 miles because some knucklehead held up a sign after the rest stop on mile 80 (around mile 84) and sent us off the course. He graciously gave us an extra 10 mile ride through some hills and into the headwind. When I got to mile 90 on my odometer there were several volunteer firemen at a crossroad stopping all the riders and handing out water. They told us at this point we had 20+ miles left to go and we had been directed off course. They were trying to arrange shuttle wagons back if any one wanted them. (there were several takers). They then gave us directions to get back on course and off we went. By the time we were back on course and were able to stop and refill water at the 90 mile rest stop my odometer was at 101. Did I mention that my thermometer on my computer ranged between 114 and 120 during most of this time. I ran into a riding buddy at the 90 mile rest stop and could not remember his name. I then could not remember where I left my bike.

But off we went. I kept thinking only 8 more miles to the beer barn. I can safely say that a cold beer never tasted so good. We then put a beer in our polar bottle and rode the last 4 miles as a victory lap.

I can now look back on this and laugh because I survived. I have done the HH 100 for the last several years and I have never seen so many that were walking their bikes, collapsing under any shade they could find or simply stopping by the side of the road and just lying down. The newspaper in Wichita Falls reported that all told around 1000 riders were sent off course I personally saw around 200. I was one of the lucky ones that made it to the Firemen while they still had water. I understand that soon after they ran out.

To a non cyclist this joke seems funny but someone could have been seriously hurt.

Final results:

111 miles
18.7 avg.

Your son looked quite the cyclist with his jersey & shorts, complete with Camelbak. I hope my daughter will be as interested when she gets older (20 months). For now she's happy to ride in her Burley Solo. How old is he ? What type of trail-a-bike do you have ? Geared or just one gear ? What's the farthest you've ridden with him ?
Thanks for the pics !
The ride sounded rough....12K riders !!! Yikes !!

We met a guy after the ride who had just completed his 22nd consecutive HH100. We asked where he thought this one ranked in terms of toughness and his opinion was it was in the top 5. Very subjective obviously but this one was high on the brutality meter.

I'm sure there were a lot of people that knew their limits and shortened their rides...and there were probably many who didn't. Personally, I felt ready for it. I ride in the heat all summer and did several long rides in the heat leading up to the ride. I figured with proper nutrition and a reasonable pace that I'd be able to get through it....and I did!

I've ridden the last 8 HHH and this was the most difficult due to the wind. My first was 1999 which tied a temperature record for that date, 105 F, and it was the worst HHH for me because I was not prepared. The 2000 temperature was also 105 but not as windy. I saw more medical emergencies in 1999, don't know why because this year was tougher and with more riders. After the ride the official registration was slightly under 12,000.
Checked the National Weather Service (NOAA) records and they show a high of 104 for the day and wind gusts to a maximum of 38 mph. I'd say the wind while I was riding was mostly 15 to 25 or so, but it was relentless, like riding uphill into the heat with no breaks.

Al

I saw more carnage in the first 10 miles than I've seen before (this is my 4th).
More crashes, punctures and heat related problems.
When I got to the finish there were alot of people being treated for heat
problems in the medical tent
Spinbackle did someone on a blue serotta by chance mention your son
was either dragging his feet or not pedaling? maybe at shepard? if so that would be me.
If it was a woman on a yellow bianchi, that would be my wife. . .

Flat tires and exaustion are hardly "carnage". However, I think more than 1 ambulence per 1000 cyclists indicates a serious problem for an organized ride. What caused these crashes?

I think the carnage was the riders that had given up and were laying under trees,bushes, or curled in the fetal position in the sun by the side of the road. It was these type of issues that were taxing the EMS system to the limit. It was a sight to behold. The number of crashes were not outside the norm, the number of heat related issues were as bad as I have ever seen. It could have been much worse had they not shut Hells Gate when they did.

Too many people going too hard for the first 80 miles. The heat snuck up on them, they got dehydrated, cramps set in, and either had a miserable last 20 miles in the convection oven, or sagged out.

From what I saw, it was a good thing they closed Hell's gate when they did.

The kiddo is almost 7 (in about 6 weeks). He enjoys our forays on our "Superbike" but does tend to get bored easily (not usually in a ride when there are other riders though). We mostly stick to a local MUP and hit the road on organized rides. The furthest we've ever gone is ~27 mi. at the "Duncan Dehydrator" in Oklahoma. 25 or so is about our (mostly my) limit until we can get ourselves a proper tandem. I'm gonna try and build one up over the winter. We may try the 50 mile route next year.
The Trail-A-Bike is an Adams Starter model. It is a single speed. He can keep up with my cadence until we hit ~30 mph (we do pass numerous singles on downhills and we just coast but we do pay for it on the climbs). It is attached to my '87 Stumpjumper Comp with some street tires. The whole setup is kinda heavy so that's one of the reasons I'm leaning toward a real tandem next year.
He loves the Camelbak (had a Skeeter, now has a new Mini Hawg). I catch him just spitting his water on the ground or sometimes letting it drip from the hose...he has never run out of water though. And I have stressed the helmet issue from the get go so it's second nature for him. Next ride is in October...25 miler.
BTW...Burley (you have a Solo) makes a real nice trailer bike (so I've heard).

Scott

The last three years have been relatively cool for the HHH so that makes for quite a contrast to this year's high temps and resultant toll of casualties. On a happier note, did anyone else see the "quad" with the family? Dad, Mom and two young girls all dressed identically in stars and stripes jerseys? I spoke to them at the motel and they told me they did the 100 miles. The girls were probably 7 or 8 for the younger and maybe 10 for the older. They were a rolling photo op.

Zagnut

I'm sure I heard you but don't remember the Serotta (don't you have a fleet of 531 Treks?) We had plenty of comments from the other riders. He (my stoker, or stokid (props to Sheldon Brown)) really enjoys the attention and comments he gets. We have a system worked out where I request a "Turbo Boost" and he pours on the power..and I can really feel it, to get us up some short inclines. My last few requests for "Turbo Boost" were met with "my engine's all out of power." We made it up the last few short climbs (leaving Sheppard AFB and under a train bridge) okay though.
Lotek, I'd like to try and hook up with you and some of the other BF'ers next year if possible.
Later

Scott

This from the Dallas Morning News cycling Blog:

Before 10 a.m., riders filled only a few cots in the emergency medical tent at the finish line. By the afternoon, riders crowded the more than 40-cot tent, said Dr. Keith Williamson, the ride's medical director. At 11 a.m., riders staggered in with that "1,000-mile stare," he said. By 1 p.m. they were being carried in.


"It was simply the hottest Hotter 'N Hell. The hottest ever," Dr. Williamson said.

Sixteen people went to the emergency room; nine for trauma and seven for heat-related or other ailments. Nobody went to the intensive care unit and only two or three were admitted to the hospital. It's usually 10 to 15. Dr. Williamson gives credit to his medical staff for doing its best to stabilize people at the finish line.

Several folks received IV treatments of hypertonic saline. That's a method employed by only a few other athletic events worldwide, such as the Boston Marathon.
Even though they kept folks out of the ER, that doesn't mean they had an easy job. Dr. Williamson said he saw some of the worst cases ever. One man went into seizures, and the doctor said he recorded a few riders with a core temperature of 106 degrees. (That's the point where tissue starts to break down and leads to heat stroke.)
"I have never seen that before at the Hotter 'N Hell," he said.
Dr. Williamson also shed more light on how he measured the heat's danger. He used a combination of the following:
- Dry bulb temperature. This is what most people commonly refer to as the air temperature.
- Wet bulb temperature, or humidity.
- Globe temperature. This is a black metal ball that measures radiant heat to figure out how much heat is being generated by the sun's rays and absorbed.
Those combined figures read 84 at 10 a.m. Dr. Williamson said the American College of Sports Medicine advises against letting anyone compete outside after that figure reaches 85. When he advised crews to close Hell's Gate at 11 a.m., that figure was 89.
Dr. Williamson, who has ridden the HHH himself 10 times, said he understood why people were upset, especially those who believed they would have fared well.
"Some people absolutely would have been OK, but the vast majority of people would not have been. We could have had significant casualties," he said.
Those final 20 miles are hotter and harder, mostly because of that south headwind, and that performance decline always shows up in the time splits, he said.
And if you need just one more reason to believe it was really, really hot, consider the Texas Christian University medical researchers who were studying conditions of people suffering heat-related problems. It was so hot that their instruments stopped working and had to be 'revived' in an ice chest.

If you didn't see what was going on, don't discount use of the term "carnage". Figuatively , of course. There was little in the way of bloody flesh compared to the struggling dazed riders and the dozens of people laying under trees or just in the sun on the side of the road, their bikes thrown down beside the road. Late in the ride we passed a VERY cute young lady in short cycling shorts and a little halter who had flatted. The female with us noted that it HAD to be bad out there as nobody stopped to help the hottie. One of our guys said, "You OK" She said, "Yeah" . He said, "Good" . End of conversation . Never missed a stroke.
The SAG wagons were full. We've been riding in heat like this all summer and there is a thin line between being OK and not.

I have done several hhh's, this was my fourth century, numerous 100k. This was the hottest I have experienced, although the high may not have been a record it got hot so early. I was fortunate not to be misdirected off the course, but I did see a lot of dead and dying soldiers by the road particularly the last 10 miles. I am now a believer in the pickle theory, i ate at least part of a pickle at several rest stops and although i got hot and tired i never cramped. The weather man just missed by one day- today it rained in wichita falls.

I can give personal testimony that this year's Hotter than Hell ride was really Hotter than Hell. I rode my first HHH last year and was surprised to have finished in just under 5 hours of riding time. Last year it was relatively cool with temperatures in the 80's for the first 3/4 of the ride before the overcast clouds cleared somewhat and the temperture soared.

I went back this year to experience a real Hotter than Hell ride as I looked back on last year as really not a "hot" ride. Now I can truely say that I did the Hotter than Hell and survived; but just barely.

I made it at a reasonable pace for 70 miles before the conditions got to me. I was really suffering at the 82 mile rest stop and a wise decision would have been to take the SAG wagon in. The medical personnel at the rest stops were great with lots of cold towels, fluids, massages, and concern. I decided to press on to the next rest stop at the 92 mile mark and with another 20 minute rest I was off to the finish line.

It isn't just the temperatures that get you at the HHH. With the low humidity and the wind your sweat evaporates as fast as you can take in more water. Generally low humidity provides cooling but with one putting so many fluids through your system it is easy to get your electolytes out of balance. I had some sport drink with the water but I don't think I had enough. And then there is the issue of the radiant heat load. The HHH is not one of the scenic rides as the asphalt roads have almost no shade on them for the 100 miles of the course. Without any cloud cover, the sun just bares down on you.

I spent Saturday night in Wichita Falls and when I drove out of the city on Sunday at 10:30 a.m. It was 78 degrees with cloud cover and a slight misting rain. At that same time on the day of the ride it was already 90+ degrees and heading for 104. What a differnce a day makes.

BAL, good write up. I had to cut down on the sports drinks about half way through the ride when my stomach started tying its self in knots. I managed a few long drinks every 5mi or so, and the Cliff Blocks I had with me helped as well. In addition I had taken a double shot of Electolyte Stamina that morning to ensure I had a strong supply of salts in my system through out the day. All in all, I can say without a doubt, it helped!

Scott, I remember discussing the "turbo" with someone, I would
imagine it was you.
Yah I had a few lugged treks, sold one to a nice kid in Norman, have another
yet to be built.
We should plan a BF meet n' greet on the Friday before HHH, I would imagine
trying to coordinate at the start to be a bit of a challenge.

Marty

Friday evening meet/greet sounds like a great plan here as well. Perhaps at the very least try to organize a selected parking area that some of us could meet up at pre-ride as well. The couple of guys that stayed at the same host house I did all parked near the tent city this year. I'll be back next year for sure!

Great then! We have a whole year to plan/think this thing over .