bmike

Route - 188+ miles. 12,800 feet of climbing, according to the official cue sheet, and close to the Topo software I use. (which has been debated to be up to 20% high)


We started out at 4am, pedaling away in the dark and fog. My dyno lights worked fantastic, and I added a tiny LED on my helmet. (a Danolite, from Peter White)

Navigating from a cue sheet on unfamiliar roads at night was a bit of a challenge - but not as bad as I had feared. I stayed with the lead group through the first 45 minutes. Riding in a group (about 40 riders did the ride) in the dark was fun - a sea of red LED tailights off into the distance.

The morning was cool - and I watched the light change as the sun came up. I was nearly pegged by a mini van somewhere in Mass - I saw my reflection in the drivers glasses - and had to shout obsceneities before he stopped. (He started pulling out from a stop sign!) I veered and skidded... adding a jolt of adrenaline to my morning.

I rolled into the first checkpoint feeling strong - riding my own ride, eating, drinking, etc. I like to get in and get out - before my legs stiffen up. (Some folks speed between checkpoints and then rest awhile) I caught up to some of the folks I was riding with in the pre-dawn hours, and left before them, choosing to ride alone, at my own pace. I never saw most of them again. Somewhere between checkpoint 1 and 2 we hit a bit of climbing, and I leapfrogged with 2 other riders, cathching them on the descents, them passing me on the climbs. We aren't racing - so I just stuck at my pace, confident that I'd get through.

I felt strong through the first 2 checkpoints. Climbing my way through (see attached route and profile) Mass and CT. I had ridden a century before noon! After the second checkpoint I hit a wall - literally and physically. My lunch took awhile to digest (I ate Gu and liquid energy on the bike - and solid foods at the rest stops). My turkey sandwhich didn't sit very well - and I started a long stretch of climbing. I was pretty miserable for the first hour after lunch - struggling along just keeping moving. I was passed by 4 fixed gear riders at this point. Yes - 4 people did the ride on fixed gear bicycles - 1 gear, and no coasting. Incredible. They passed me climbing up a steep bit - and I saw them again (only briefly) later in the day.

Rolling into the 3rd checkpoint I was dying of thirst. I should have stopped and reloaded, but I wanted to wait for the control. I still felt strong - having completed 145 +/- miles, with 10,500 feet of climbing. I called the GF, in a great mood, feeling really good going into the final leg.

The last stretch was tough. We had a brief downpour - which was welcome as I had been suffering a bit in the heat. Cooled off I started looking at the clock - and I wanted to finish under 14 hours, so I knew I had to push just a bit to make it. I gambled on stopping for water - and in the end I don't think it payed off. I made a small navigational error which added 1.5 miles (and a steep hill) to my ride - only 10 miles from the end. The last 10 miles I rode standing - my shorts had caused some serious pain on my male components - and I didn't have any power to climb hills - even short ones - while seated.

I finished in 14h14min. Had I left on time (oops on my part getting rolling) and not made the nav and hydration mistake I would have finished under 14.

Route and profile:




The 400k is the weekend of July 8th. 27 hour time limit. More night riding. No sleep till Brooklyn.



A few things that went right:

I planned my work schedule around the event. I managed to schedule a
meeting in Boston and then crashed in a Waltham hotel to get a good
nights sleep. This is in contrast to the 200k, where I drove from
Western NY (work travel) to Vermont, packed the bike and gear, drove to
Western Ma. (girlfriends place), got maybe 3-4 hours of sleep, then
drove in the morning of to ride! A good nights sleep does wonders for my
body's morale!

Night navigating - I've been out training at night and in the rain - but
I know my own local routes - I was nervous about navigating with a cue
sheet in the dark - on unfamiliar roads. I stayed with a group throught
the first few miles - getting confident and chatting a bit. As the pace
picked up with the lead group I dropped off the back and enjoyed a
wonderful morning. The dual Schmidt E6's worked well, along with the
Danolite LED headlamp.

Modified position on the bike - I was way stretched out and hunched over
on the 200k. (My set up seemed great up to about 60 miles, never
bothered me on my local group and loop rides) My neck, shoulders, and a
bit of my back were "done" after mile 80. I've pulled my stem in a bit
closer, and raised my bars. The current setup was comfy for the 300k.
Hoping it works well for the 400.

Access to Food - The 200k had me reaching into my jersey pockets each
time I would want a bite on the bike. I added a "bento box" style of bag
to my top tube. It holds a bunch of Gu packets and a clif bar - it
worked very well - no more reaching around back, searching through a
pocket that I cannot see. Undo the velcro flap, peek inside, and grab
what I want... (expired packs still drop into the jersey pocket)

Food - Between stops I relied primarily on Gu, Perpetuem, and HEED. I
started the ride with no real breakfast - so some fruit, a Clif bar, and
a bottle full of Perpetuem got me through the morning. The Perpetuem
seemed to sit in my stomach - and as the day warmed I switched my second
bottle to HEED at the second checkpoint. I ate fruit and solid food at
the controls - watermelon, bananas, a turkey sandwich, some beef jerkey
(never tried that before - but I was craving it as soon as I saw it!).
Later in the ride I'd stuff some treats in a pocket for later - usually
pretzels and a cookie or two to break up the Gu monotony.

Things I think I can do better:

Routine - I got a 10 minute late start out of the parking lot as I had
to grab my ankle bands and couldn't decide on arm warmers or jacket. I
now have a checklist that will reside in my gear bag - I'll run through
this prior to locking my car, rolling to the start line, and realizing
I'm missing something as we head out of the lot!

Control Routine - I've tried to commit to memory a control list - I did
things different at each control - and I was always concerned I had
forgotten something. Key for me was feeling scattered as I rolled in
thinking about food and drink. The next time out I'll stick to a routine
- including clearing the odometer, flipping my cue sheet, setting my
stopwatch, getting my card signed, then diving into food, water, etc.

Resetting my odometer - I missed this on the last control - and about 2
miles in I realized my cue sheet didn't seem to agree with my computer.
I did mental math the final leg - which may have kept me sharp - but in
the end just frustrated me.

Navigation - Never chase / follow another cyclist, unless you know they
are on the ride! I missed the (ahem, arrowed) turn onto 117 as I
followed a cyclist with a rear rack and bag for about 3/4 mile! A small
error - but one that could have turned ugly had a kept going,

Water / Fluids - I had easy access to food on the go - and while I
carried 2 bottles on the bike, I realized that depending on
temperatures, this won't get me through 50-60 miles. I resisted
(foolishly) stopping at a convenience store to refill on several
occasions, thinking I would push through. I think this hurt me in the
last 15 miles - I was tired and dehydrated - had I stopped for 5 minutes
as I ran low on liquids, I probably would have finished feeling slightly
more relaxed and possibly in a slightly better time.

Shorts can hurt - I do love my Ibex cycling shorts and tights. I now
know I do NOT love them for long rides. After about 120 miles I
discovered a very unfriendly seam location on the front side of my
shorts. The joint between panels and the pad just happens to be where
the top of my male anatomy likes to comfortably sit. This caused some
serious pain on the last leg - and I rode the last 10 miles standing as
I couldn't sit and let this rub further. I'm questing for new shorts for
loooong rides.

Watch the shoulder! - I took a nature break somewhere in RI along a busy
stretch of road. Being on a shoulder only a few inches wide, I decided
to leave the road (at slow speed) before I unclipped both feet. This
proved humorous, as my front wheel dove into sand, and I fell to the
clipped in side of the bike. A knee twinge and bruised ego resulted, and
my sunscreen and sweat covered legs were now breaded in sand. Note to
self - do not leave terra firma until on 2 feet!

Cars and accidents - I witnessed a slow motion car wreck on the final
leg of the 200k. I was nearly hit by a minivan (even though I shouted, I
saw my reflection in the drivers glasses, and I was lit up like a
christmas tree) in the dawn hour of the 300k - skidding to a stop and
almost losing the bike from under me. Later in the day I stopped at a
light in CT and watched a small car plow through a red light - with
oncoming pickup trucks squealing their brakes and skidding a bit. With
less than 20 miles to go I snaked through broken glass and the line of
cars as police directed traffic around an accident on Mass Rt. 30. Is
this normal? Seems I get to see all the best and the worst the driving
world has to offer as I enjoy a day on the bicycle!


Looking forward to the 400k. Will modify my tactics a bit, and stay
clear of sand, minivans, and cars.

supcom

Great job, bmike! Overcoming the trials that invariably come with long rides is true Randonneuring. And a few bonus miles just add to the fun

Good luck on the upcoming 400K. Looks like you got it dialled in and are ready to go.

FormerBMX'er

Hats off to you! I would need lots more miles and a completely new riding position to be able lay down that many miles in a day, especially on these banged-up New England roads.

Machka 

Congratulations!!

I'm glad the Bento box worked for you ... I really like mine, it makes the food so much more accessible, which becomes critical on the longer rides.

The routine thing was something I had to work on during my first year of Randonneuring too. Also a tip - when you pack your stuff in the bags you have on your bicycle, always pack your stuff in exactly the same location all the time. When you reach the 600K distance, you'll know why I say this. You'll be out there at the 475 km point, with your brain feeling like mush, and trying desperately to remember where you put your ... whatever. If you always pack it in the same spot, you'll just automatically go to that spot.

BTW - I think I know at least one of the fixed gear riders. A girl in her 20s, right?


And is any part of that route the same as the BMB?

bmike

Yes, one of the fixed riders is in her early 20's, and was recently featured in an UMCA publication on the Furnace 508. I noticed the bike at one of the controls from one of the photos... there were 3 fixed Ralieghs and 1 Rivendell Quickbeam.

I do pack everything in the same place everytime, and use small stuff sacks for organizing like components - tools, food, clothes, etc. I'll need to upgrade to a larger bag for the 400 and the 600. The large Ortlieb seatpack I use is great - but I'm at its stuffing capacity! Looking at going with a Tubus Fly and one of my larger panniers (or the pair (lightly packed each) of my small ones).

I'm doing the Boston Brevet Series (primarily due to schedule - the Westfield, MA is closer to me) - and according to the website they use much of the BMB course through Mass. I live right on the BMB route and ride a local section of it regularly. I'm planning on riding the section from where I am in Southern Vermont up to Middlebury for a weekend light touring ride. Perhaps meeting the GF for an overnight and re-supply.

Its funny how "long" ride is sort of relative. I look at my typical 50 mile loop as pretty short, especially after riding 190 miles. Brevets seem to redefine what is possible. Looking forward to the 400 - not sure how well I'll do. I'm off the bike all next week for work - so I'll have to do some long tune ups this weekend and next...

Machka 

Yeah, that's her. She's a really strong rider!

I wish I lived right next to the Middlebury Gap right now!! I'd love to ride it over and over to see what it is like. I just have nothing to compare it to, and can't imagine what it looks like, but I've been told it is one massive, steep hill. The stories and legends about that hill have grown to the point where it is about a 30 mile climb with an average overall grade of 12%+ and steeper bits (going on for several miles themselves) which people have mentioned are anywhere from 15%-18%. With a description like that in my mind, I'm thinking you've got Mt. Everest over there!!


And yes ... the whole idea of "long" is relative. When people say they are struggling with a certain distance, one of my suggestions is to ride something longer!! I bet you look at the century now as not that bad of a distance!!

The Octopus 

Thanks for the excellent, enjoyable ride report, and congratulations on a successful ride!

I'm pre-riding part (the hilly part!) of our 400K this Saturday with our RBA to check the controles, and then we have the official running of it on 6/10. Can't wait!

bmike

I've not ridden Middlebury, but I've driven it. Its long and steady. I've read that BMB riders actually don't think of it as not the worst climb on the route - as it is always there, and steady. The harder climbs are leading up to it. Short (compared to the bigger Eastern passes) but steep - and usually there are 3-4 of them in a row, with changing grades that don't let you get into a rhythm. I'm going to order the BMB insiders guide from UMCA - hopefully that will shed some light on the climbs.

I have course marshalled for the Green Mountain Stage Race - which finishes atop Appalachian Gap - to the north of Middlebury. Its alot tougher. Gradual switchbacks that seem to go on forever, until the steep bit at the top.

A century does seem short now. I look forward to doing one this weekend, hopefully finishing before noon!

bmike

Riding it with the RBA! Thats one way to get to know the route!
Good luck.

The 400 I plan on is 7/8. Looking forward to that.