I'm a newbie here on this forum. I searched and found some info from you all on RAIN (thanks Mr. Octopus)

My main concerns are

1. Should one meet his/her sag at alternate locations rather than the rest stops? Are the rest stops really crowded especially early on?

2. What type of food/drink is provided at the stops? There is no mention of what will be available on the website.

3. What time would you recommend arriving at the starting area?

4. Have any of you done this ride without sag? I've done 3 centuries completely on my own relying just on rest stops and convenience stores. Do you really need rolling sag the whole way?

The other main concern I have -being in the saddle that long- I'll have to deal with on my own!

Thanks in advance for your help....Crystal