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Aledo's Ride for Heroes ride reviews
4/08/03
Rides of 10, 30, 43, & 72. Since this was my first ride of
the season and I had not been on my bike since last December due
to a move, I chose the 30 mile route. They started the longer
riders first, and progressed down to the 10 mile. The rest stops
were good but they ran out of cookies early. Bananas and oranges
were plentiful. A high school jazz band played at the first rest
stop. At the end of the ride, there was a burger, chips and
cookie meal provided by Jerry's BBQ and the Fire Department.
Melissa Hubenak and her band sang at the end of the ride. She
sounded pretty good. Great ride, friendly support staff and nice
seating area for the after-ride entertainment made for a good
ride that I hope they continue in years to come.
Kim Blake
Team C.U.R.E. DFW Chapter
Here's my
story or opinion
BP America Ride ride reviews .
3/16/03
The BP America Ride was enjoyable, but did not seem to be well
planned. The start at Rhodes stadium was delayed due to the poor
routing of traffic caused by the many people wanting to
participate in. The organizers should have realized that you
should not direct traffic onto the ride path. After a late start
the ride started to become interesting. This was the first free
ride for many people training for the MS150, so there were quite
a few unfamiliar riders out on the roads for this one. Many
people were not comfortable starting out with a large group. The
roads for the ride could not have been chosen by anyone who has
spent time riding a bike, and the rest stops were spaced a little
far for most riders. It was common to see groups of riders taking
a break in drive ways and parking lots along the route. The
support was out for the major intersections, but were not present
on the back roads at all. The breaks were well supported, and the
drinks and snacks were plentiful. All of the people giving
support on this ride were very friendly and seemed to be enjoying
the day. Considering that this was a free ride, and it allowed
many people the chance to experience a larger ride, This ride was
overall a "Good Ride"...
Steven Langley
Bluebonnet Express ride reviews
2003 Bluebonnet Express
Obviously the planners of this event were not expecting a turnout
nearly as large as Sundays. The start had to be staged several
times, and even then the traffic of riders didn't thin out until
after the first break. If you were to divide the 52 mile route in
half, it would be easy to say that the first half of the roads
were pitiful. There were so many broken bikes due to the road
conditions that at least 10% of the total people were walking
between the start and the 1st break. I overheard more complaints
than laughter along this stretch of the ride. Once the halfway
point was passed however, the roads cleared up quite a bit. There
were a couple of long rolling hills that had some riders walking
the grade, but this was a very enjoyable ride if you made it
through the rough stuff. The people at the breaks were great,
especially the Boy Scouts, who were happily cutting up fruit and
mixing up fresh Gatorade. God blessed America with good troops in
the scouts to help us out! One thing that definitely lacked was
the number of SAG vehicles. They were probably over burdened by
the bad roads, but there were people at every rest stop waiting
for a SAG vehicle to take them back to the start / finish line..
Despite all of this, it was a beautiful day for a ride, and many
people were enjoying the sunshine and blossoming bonnets…..Steven
Langley
2005 Big Chill Bike Ride
This ride was overall a disappointment. The route markers were very, very
confusing and no one really knew which route was which, because the route colors
changed. The roadside help was good, and the rest stops were fully stocked, but
the "good bowl of chili" at the end was Hormel out-of-the can (or so it tasted).
The concrete was good, and was not difficult to ride on, but the overall
experience was not good.
Brandi E.
2005 Bike The Bend
Just wanted to thank you all for the great job you did with the Bike the Bend
Ride. I rode the 62 mile course and it was great!
Please give a special thanks to all of the volunteers who worked so hard to keep
us safe and well fed on the course. Your rest stops were the best I have ever
seen.
Let’s do it again next year!
Best regards,
Bill Sudell
2004
I just wanted to drop a note and thank you for the wonderful ride
that you staged on Saturday. The event was very well supported
which made for an enjoyable day on the bike. I would like to
thank all of the volunteers and riders that made this event
possible. This ride could be used by other organizations as a
model for what it takes for success. I hope this brought great
support for the Fort Bend Literacy Council. I look forward to
seeing you for a great ride in 2005.
Thanks, Gene C.
2003
I really enjoyed the "Bike To The Lake" ride. The
Saturday route to Lake Somerville was outstanding. The
ALA personnel, the SAG support, the break point
support, the volunteers from Lee High school, and
everyone else that devoted their time to this ride
should be commended.
I was disappointed that Mother Nature did not
cooperate with us on Sunday. I was looking forward to
riding back to Houston and completing the loop.
Believe me when I say that this ride has the potential
to be a very popular ride in the future.
Again, I would like to thank everyone behind the
scenes and look forward to riding again next year.
Chris Loudermilk
2003
The ride was awesome. The roads were in good shape except for
gravel in some of the turns. Plenty of traffic control and rest
stops. It was drizzling in the morning but by start time it was
just overcast. With a head wind at the beginning and some long
climbing hills it was a good challenge. The tail wind at the end
was great to bad we can’t have that happen every time. By
the end of the ride the sun was out and it turned out to be a
good day. There were a few dogs along the way but if you were not
going up hill they were not to hard to shake loose. I think we
might make this one a annual event.
Thanks to all that came out. Rene C.
Fort Davis Cyclefest ride reviews
2004
On a scale of 1(poor) to 10(excellent) this rider gives this ride a 10 - "Ride
was excellent, well supported, no stop signs (only yeilds) for 75 miles, hazards
had been premarked with spray paint, plenty of parking the the start. You can't
get lost out there"....Laura G.
Hotter-n-Hell 100 ride reviews
2007:
The ride went flawlessly! It started out cool and got hotter n hell towards the
finish line. This was my first ever ride. Actually, I only started riding a bike
around July 8th. But I still finished the HHH in under 7 hours. Thank you to all
of the helpers who have made this such an enjoyable experience for all of us.
..... Rick M.
My wife(50 miles) and I(100 miles) both rode it. We had a great time. I cannot
say enough about how well it was organized and staffed. The rest stop volunteers
were amazing! They worked sooo hard to get you back on the road quickly! A true
first class event. If you even ever think about doing this ride it is a must!!!
The 100 mile route is extremely flat. We will be back next year! .....Mark F.
2003 Hotter N Hell 100 - In answer to the posed question, I
guess 8,000
people do it to be a part of it and to challenge
themselves. That's why I did it. I only started riding
in Jan. '03, and quickly set my sights on going to
Wichita Falls.
I prepared to be ready to fend for myself in the event
of any mechanical troubles, and was fortunate to have
none. Oranges, bananas and cookies were fine by me at
the rest stops, which were plentiful along the way and increased
in frequency the deeper towards 100 miles you rode. I took along
gels and PowerBars, which is how I had trained, so I was ready
for that.
My only complaint, the Powerade, which was the
official replacement drink of the ride, was so watered
down in their preparation of it that it had little
flavor and I'm not sure it helped me much. I snaked
some Goldfish at the 70-mile mark, and the salt helped
me out the rest of the way.
Lots of stops, volunteers everywhere -- meeting you at
your bike rather than you going to find them -- the
course well marked and marshalled throughout. I had my
own DPS escort for a couple of miles about the 90-mile
mark, and the big overpass a mile from the finish was completely
shut down except for bikes.
All in all, great day and a great sense of
accomplishment. I'm working on getting back
there...hopefully this year. --- Clint
2003; Please explain to me how anyone could like that experience? The roads sucked, the porta potties were life threatening, there was only bananas and oranges at the breakpoints, the route was poorly supported, or non-supported, there were no bike shops roving or stationary, very little SAG support, blah, blah, blah..... Oh, and it was hotter than hell! Please explain to me why 8,000 people would ride that ride? The only thing I liked was the jets flying over at the start line!!!! :))))...Sharon C.
The overall ride was just what I expected. Challenges were
everywhere from the heat to the distance. The only thing I would
change is to have maintenance vans on the roads. There were so
many folks that needed help with mechanical problems. I think
there were enough break points that it took care of any needs, as
for as fluids and eats. The lunch break was great and at a good
location. Thanks Team C.U.R.E SAG team.
If you are out for a challenge I recommend this ride to
anyone....Rene Contreras
MS150 Houston to Austin ride reviews and Pedal Partner stories.
Tell others about how your Pedal Partner has encouraged/inspired you or who you are
riding for!
4/23/07
With
great team support from Team C.U.R.E. (www.teamcure.org)
I was able to finish the long 100 mile First day past the rolling hills and
rough roads causing cramps at ~ mile 75. Day 2! With 80 miles to go we were up
at ~4:30am and after a pancake breakfast we sat back down on what feels like a
seat of pins about five inches wide. Literally slapping the quads back into
action on the second day you go right into the hills and through Bucher Park
(The Park). In the park you ride over about 13 short hills climbing about 75
feet for most and some climbing about 150 feet. This is where you dig deep, Real
Deep! Calling on everything you believe in and remembering those that you ride
for …you make it out of The Park. Totally inspired by what you just did and with
more adrenaline pumping through your body you finish out the last 40 miles and
cross the finish line one more time for the Cause!
Never give up,
NEVER!...RC
8/25/05
I am riding for a little girl I saw five rides back, it was my first ride. I was
asked to ride with a friend so he would have someone to talk to,,, I saw him at
the start and the finish, he was much faster than I. So I was alone for 150
miles, thinking and being by myself. On the second day, it was sweltering hot,
no one was behind me or in front of me, I hung my head, watching and following
the white strip on the side of the road to give my neck a rest. I looked up to
see if there was a rest stop or even a shade tree coming up for a little relief,
I saw none but did see a very colorful umbrella off in the distance. I watched
as the umbrella got closer and closer. It was sheltering a family in the back of
a green 72' Chevy Pick-up, along side the truck was a young Hispanic girl in a
small wheelchair. Once I could tell it was a child in a wheelchair, for some
reason, I could not take my eyes off of her. My peripheral vision kept site of
the strip but I was focused on the girl. As I pedaled closer, she looked right
through my mirrored sunglass into my eyes. She simply mouthed "thank you",,,,
that's all it took,,, I don't know her name, don't know where she is, but I will
ride ,,, knowing that maybe, her, her daughter or grandchild may be cured OR she
will live to enjoy a daughter or grandchild. I am thankful to endure the pain to
help her, I try not to take it for granted,,, Martin.
2/9/05
This will be my 2nd MS150 (2005 ride). I rode last year (2004)
and it was a wonderful experience. My Pedal Partner is Susan. She
has MS and has benefitted from the great work that the MS
Foundation does. It is a privilege to help raise money for this
great organization. I am a Type 2 diabetic and a pacemaker
recipient. So I ride for Susan and I ride for myself. Cycling is
great and I love it. ..............Don (Pacerman) Hall
2003; IT'S ALL ABOUT THE CAUSE!!!!! The MS150 gave us some great memories and a friend with a busted chin! The Chicken at the end was not the best. The route was great with rolling hills and generally good road conditions! The Park was the Park baby! Nuff said about that! Great volunteers and the best break point had to be #5 on the second day, we like the cover!!!....Ron Contreras
I am riding the MS150 for:
I myself am a first time rider. I have not ridden a bike for over
10 miles in my life. I signed up for the Race because it seemed
like a fun thing to do with company friends while benefiting a
good charity. My sister was diagnosed with MG last year and I
know the diseases are related, but it was not my main
motivation...until I met someone else. The first time I
"felt" the importance of this ride and what it means to
others was in a conversation with a fellow church member. She was
so thankful that I was doing something to fight this disease, and
she continued on with her experience with the disease and how her
sister(Mary Wilson) had suffered until her death this last
November. All I know is that I have a Peddle Partner now for the
ride, and the feeling that I will make a difference to one
person. I am riding now for someone, not something.
Its makes a difference.....
The MS foundation does not come out ahead of the rider's in terms
of benefits. The foundation may raise money, but the Rider's get
great exercise, camaraderie from their team, the sense of
accomplishment for completing the ride, and the greatest feeling
inside that you made a difference to someone in need. I recommend
this experience to anyone willing to try!
Jenny Dupnick
************************************************************************************************
MS150. To say it was a great experience would
be to understate things considerably. The best parts however,
were those I describe here:
As you pass through some of the small towns on the route, you see
people standing on sidewalks and in doorways cheering on the
riders. The encouragement is great, but the best encouragement
comes from those who are standing there with posters and
photographs of loved ones stricken with multiple sclerosis. So
often, those posters read things like "Thank you for riding
for Thomas" or somesuch, giving the name of the loved one.
When I arrived in Austin, I thought I was going to fall over I
was so exhausted. I was elated, too, of course. As I wheeled my
bike out of the arrival area for riders, a woman approached me
and said "thank you for riding." I assumed she was one
of the many fine staff and support people who assist every year.
I said "thank you" to her and said that I thought she
and her fellow staffers did a great job and that none of it would
be possible without them. She smiled and said, "No, you
don't understand. You're riding for me." I realized she was
herself a victim of MS. She said said, "thank you"
again, and touched my shoulder. Almost with tears in my eyes, I
croaked out, "your welcome."
This is what riding the MS150 is really all about. I'll be riding
again in April. I can't imagine a better way to spend a weekend.
Iain Simpson
From Zubin Mistry
***********************************************
The MS 150 Houston to Austin is quite demanding on ones body
& mind however this is not what I want to talk about.
The topic of my letter is to thank our SAG crew. Guys I could
have not done this without you. Jobina I am convinced that you
are an angle. I believe I was the last person in at lunch on Day
2 & you were still there for me.
I would also like to thank the lone-clapper at the top of the
biggest hill in Austin. She told me "3 more hills &
there all smaller".
Single-Malt '65
Chris
2002
July 27, 2002
The ride went well. The last 10 miles or so were into the wind.
The guy I was
riding with didn't want to do any work so that kind of sucked.
Also, we had a
skater drafting off us as well.
One of their rest stops was about a mile off the route. You had
to ride
through a section of gravel because the pavement was torn up.
When we figured
that out, we had to double back. At that point, we were pissed
off because we
were in the first group and they were long gone. I actually saw
someone fall
on the gravel too. It was ugly. All in all, it was an o.k. ride -
not
exceptional....................C. Loudermilk
The Space Race
ride reviews
2003-Packed House…I mean tons of people! The day was great
with cool temps and plenty to see. The route was ok, but it
seemed to have a lot of turns? The break points were great and
seemed to be evenly spaced, but it didn’t appear like there
were very many SAG vehicles and I heard a lot of people talking
about the distances being off. Hey the food was great, with
sausage/biscuit breakfast and hamburgers at the finish!
Overall....Great Job!…Will Lockett
3/8/2003
The space race was a challenging yet enjoyable ride to say the
least. The distance I rode was posted as a 100 mile route, but
turned out to a wonderful and rewarding 82 miles. The weather was
beautiful and everyone was very happy to be enjoying the
atmosphere of smiles and laugher created by the exuberated
riders. I rode through the areas of my childhood in and around
the Liverpool/ Danbury area and relived many memories. The
support for this ride was spectacular to say the least and
everyone along the route cooperated with the many new riders
brought out by the great weather. The last few miles of saddle
sores were quickly forgotten once we rode back into the Space
Center and enjoyed the treats from McDonalds that were awaiting
us. I would repeat this ride as many times as possible and
believe it would be well worth the travel for anyone looking to
get in some great sun and fun.......Steven Langley
2002
Texas Coastal Cruise ride reviews
Coming from the Northwest side of Harris County it rained on me
three different times, but because of my hard headedness I kept
heading toward the University of Houston Clear Lake Campus. I got
a little concerned when I showed up and people with bikes loaded
were leaving for home. Evidently the TCC Organizers are more hard
headed than me because the ride was still on, but with some
concern. This was the first time for me to do this ride so I did
not know what to expect. I did not know the routes and the
traffic was questionable too. Add to those unknowns the fact that
we were going to have rain I could understand why people were
leaving, but I considered all these things and I still showed up.
I was not the only one, there were about 600 of
us and most of us even had smiles on that morning. I had a couple
of great team members there and let me tell you if it weren't for
them I probably would have turned around after the first big rain
that hit us at about 12 miles out. Thanks guys, my toes that
looked like grapes at the end really thank you! Through rain and
then more rain and road splash the hard core (or is that
foolish?) made it back. It was a nice ride even with the tricky
route ...due to the rain. And hitting the Kemah Bridge from a
stand still, twice...oh yeah I guess I should mention the
smell!...but remember the volunteers were great….
even though they ran out of Ibuprofen. I'll probably do it again
and I guess I have raised the bar for my self, now I suppose it
will truly take a hurricane to keep me from riding???......Ron
C.
Texas Cycling
Classic ride reviews
2005 Texas Cycling Classic, Woodlands Cycling Club.
Saturday, October 8
Start: Montgomery, Texas (near Lake Conroe)
This ride benefits Elves and More, a wonderful program to provide bicycles for
disadvantaged children (check out www.elvesandmore.org).
This year the benefits from the ride were donated to children who are victims of
Hurricane Katrina. This is super well-organized ride, with distances of 23, 42,
63, 87, or 110 miles. Montgomery is northwest of Houston, and the ride route is
hilly and scenic, as it snakes through the Sam Houston National Forest and
country roads in Montgomery and Grimes Counties.. The ride started and ended at
the Montgomery High School Football Stadium, where there was plenty of parking
and REAL
(flushing) restrooms in the stadium. This was a poker ride, also, and the riders
had to get seven poker cards--either at the rest stops or at the end of the
ride. The best poker hands won several really nice prices. There were four
bicycles given as the top prizes. At the finish of the race, the riders were
treated to a barbeque dinner and live music. The only thing missing was beer,
but I fixed that with a can I had iced in my car!
Here are some comments that were heard from the riders:
* Great group of volunteers
* Perfect weather
* Tons of food, snacks, drinks, and a good variety too
* The rest stops were fully manned, good camaraderie, abundance of
food/drinks/ice.
There was a competition for riders to vote on the best rest stop, so this raised
the bar for creativity and quality of treats. One rest stop even had frozen
popsicles!
Ginny James
Tomball
VFW Memorial Century April 13th 2002 ride reviews
VFW Memorial Century April 13,
2002
The first annual means "leaves room for improvement".
For a first time effort, it was a good but not great outing. We
think the lack of pre-registered riders might have caught the
organizers off guard in stocking breakpoints and feeding the
riders at the end. We would have liked some beans and potato
salad with our meat and bread.
The route was smooth rolling the first 25 miles, until it turned
off of FM 1488, then the traffic was a little heavy. The weather
was beautiful. Thank you Ron C., Andrea and Greg for the team
support, it's always nice to see friendly faces at the finish.
Ron and Janet Mueller
2002 Tomball VFW Memorial Century
Good Ride
Good Support
GREAT Bar-B-Q
This one will go on my yearly list of rides to do.
Enjoyed it.
Tom Lago
2005 Gator Ride
My Girlfriend and I rode the Gator Ride in Baytown last weekend 3/5/2005. It was her first distance ride so we chose the 43 mile route. Pros/Cons: Pros- The Fred Hartman Bridge is a beautiful structure and a great hill to ride over, near the start. The Boy Scout pack at the last rest stop provide valet service for your bike and the kids were just great. In the Baytown portion of the ride, the police support was fantastic, they designated bike lanes on public streets with cones, blocked traffic liberally and they were all very friendly. Not too many sections of bad pavement. Most of the folks helping out were very friendly and positive and the hot dogs at the end of ride were nice, although the beans and rice were lame. Cons: A crossing by the Lynchberg Ferry is required on all routes. Our wait time was close to an hour and this disrupts the flow of the ride mentally & physically, having to stand in line with your bike that long. Some rest stops had a selection of fruit water and power-aid. Some also featured salty snack foods like crackers and goldfish which really didn't fit in well. The Power-Aid was barely drinkable, powdered Gatorade would have been nicer. A section of the ride actually takes your through a group of refineries and the fumes tend to be a little irritating (unless you like the smell of PVC). Overall Impression, Good folks from Baytown trying hard to put on a fun ride through the highlights of the local area. If they can figure a way to eliminate the Ferry issue, it'd be a lot better ride. Scale of one to ten, I'd say 7........M. Franklin
2003 Gator Ride thoughts...not bad, not bad at
all. It was a nice scenic ride with some different items thrown
in such as a ferry boat ride. There was very good organization
from the ride registration, to the packet pick up, also with
traffic control. There were plenty of friendly and helpful
volunteers and there was plenty to eat and drink at the
breakpoints. And as always, it was nice to have some food at the
finish, I don't like going away hungry.
The only negative was as you approached the finish line, they
detoured you away and out of town for a few more miles. Just
thought that was strange since my cycle computer showed 42.6 for
the 40 mile ride. (and some 60 mile rider said his computer
showed 64?)
But overall we give the ride a big "thumbs up" and
would recommend doing it.
......Ron & Janet Mueller
2003...For my first road bike
ride, the Gatorride was awesome. Starting off in a
huge crowd, then only a few miles into the ride, you see the Fred
Hartman
Bridge in the distance, which when you crossed was amazing.
Despite the
cool weather and windy condition; I completed the 62mile route
and enjoyed
every mile of the challenge.......Paul
Richardson
The Gator Ride was a ride in a
Half. My Aunt Janet Mueller and I toughed it
out all the way to the end. It was a ride that really challenged
you in your
endurance and your will to finish. There were many Sag Wagons
filled with
bikes, but Janet and I were determined to keep pumping until we
crossed the
finish line in the cruel conditions. With that ride behind us we
are PUMPED
UP for the MS 150. Janet and I are so excited for the MS 150 that
we can not
wait any longer........Jason
Masvero
The misty, cold, windy ride didn't
keep some of the newest Team C.U.R.E. riders away. Jason Masvero
and myself attempted our longest ride yet, to beat the elements.
I can't quite decide which I would rather encounter, wind or
hills. Our first twenty miles were accompanied by some mist and
after that, the headwinds kicked in. It was like hitting a brick
wall. It made the flat terrain very challenging. By mile 40, we
found a portion of 62 milers had opted for the 32 mile route and
we were enticed by the two pick-up's filled with saggers, ready
to take us back to the start and call it a day. We kept going.
For those who gave up, the last 22 miles were the easiest part of
the ride. Pushed along by the tailwinds, we finished a lot faster
than the first and second 20 mile segments. The volunteers at the
rest stops were great, with no shortage of carbs to fill up on.
By mile 50 I was informed I was the last one on the course, I was
followed to the end by a truck escort and YMCA vans who passed by
asking if I was o.k. One of my co-workers couldn't decide if I
was determined or dumb! I finished, and I feel great. Thanks
Gator Ride personnel, you were great! Hope you have some better
weather next year.............Janet Mueller
I rode the Gator Ride 2002 on March 2. It is always a fun ride
but it really demonstrated the need to ride with a partner. We
had already decided that we were riding the 32 mile route. It was
a salubrious beginning and after my riding partner and I stopped
at the first rest area, we could see the low clouds on the
horizon. No problem and we stepped up the pace just in time to be
hit with the cold north air halfway to stop number 2. I hate the
wind and turned around but my partner shamed me into finishing
the course. With the mantra "The WIND is my FRIEND" we
got to the next stop, she trailing me, and from then on it was a
great ride. I really appreciate the people of Baytown and the
volunteers along the way. It wasn't nice for them either but they
were real troopers......Norm Wigington
2003 jingle Bell Ride
great event - everyone had a great time...ateam
Lion's
Biking for Sight ride reviews
2004 Lion's Ride for Sight
I thought the ride was great. The route, the breakpoints,
everything....Matt R.
Loblolly
Liberator ride reviews
2003 Loblolly Liberator
Even though the turnout was only around 200 riders or so, the
support for this ride was awesome. Every rest stop had at least 5
people helping. The breaks were well laid out, although 1
additional break point was definitely needed on the 81 mile
route. Each break was well stocked with water, sports drinks,
fruit, cookies, and even some great, homemade, bite sized,
muffins. The routes were marked very well with signs displaying
clear directions for each route. The roads did leave a little to
be desired, especially highway 21 E, which should be avoided.
This ride took you through some great countryside and beautiful
yet challenging hills. The organizers of this event were very
helpful and receptive to suggestions. After completing 81 miles,
the return check-in was a welcome site. There were sandwiches,
fruits, and best of all, complimentary massages waiting for all
of the riders. The wonderful folks at the center were very
friendly and happy to provide a service to the riders. With a
little more publicity and advertising, this could be one of the
best rides offered for the early season crowd....Steven
Langley
"Ride for the Roses" ride reviews
2004 Ride For The Roses
Ride for the Roses, a ride that we will always remember. We got
to Austin early Saturday afternoon, so we could have plenty of
time to enjoy the expo. Not quite as big as the Hotter N Hell
expo but sufficient. Monty and Karen both got a good deal on a
helmet. While we were there we marveled at the carbon fiber
equipment everything but carbon fiber underwear was out for
display. The prices for the carbon fiber equipment were so high I
told Monty it would be cheaper to lose three pounds. After the
expo we went back to the RV Park for the spaghetti dinner. Karen
and Monty prepared the best spaghetti dinner. We put down the
carbs and got to bed for an early start. Monty wanted to get to
the parking area early so we could be front and center to see
Lance and friends. Well Monty’s early bird insistence paid
off. We were the first ones there and got to park right next to
the fence by the Start /Finish line. We were in the camper with
the big American flag flying and the Team C.U.R.E sign on the
side. After settling in and getting ready for the day Monty
insisted that we get over to the staging area.
Once again Monty’s early bird insistence paid off. We lined
up on the second row, in lane three as assigned by the
organizers. It was an excellent spot to view the stage set up for
Lance, Will, Robin and Michelle. That’s Will Ferrell, Robin
Williams and Cheryl Crow for those that are not on a first name
basis. After Will did his Bush impression and Lance and friends
started the ride we were still in a dilemma. How could we ride
fast enough to catch Lance? We knew that there would not be a
chance since we were in lane three. Too much time would go by
before we could even get started. Just about that time the
announcer said lane three get ready. Our hearts started pounding
so fast we thought we would pass out before we even got started.
We might have a chance to catch Lance and his friends. Just when
lane three rushed to the start line the announcer says he has
made a mistake. The recumbent and tandems must go first. We
thought to ourselves we still may have a chance. The tandems were
gone and it was our turn. Off we went to see if we could catch
Lance.
Monty takes off so fast I can’t keep up with him but I am
following at a good pace. I pass Cheryl and her friend and I
think to my self I can’t be too far behind so I continue my
blistering pace. I look at my water bottles, there getting mighty
low better stop at the next rest stop to refill and rest. I think
to my self there is know way I can catch them now my feet hurt I
am almost out of water so I pull in to rest stop four. I see
Monty in the distance and look at him. He immediately motions for
me to look to my left and low and behold none other that Lance
Armstrong is there in the middle of 10 to 15 riders. I made it I
have my chance to meet Lance. I get my water bottles filled and
grab a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and walked over to where
Lance was to snap off a couple of pictures of Monty with Lance.
We got on our bikes and off we rode Lance and I oh don’t
forget the other twenty riders. Thanks Monty for your insistence
on being an early bird.
After that we got to ride and see Lance a couple of more times.
The bands after the ride were great and Karen said the twenty
dollar message was well worth the ride and trip.
Thanks again to Karen and Monty for hosting the spaghetti dinner
it was great. We will be there again next year with God’s
willing. If you see the camper with the American flag flying and
the Team C.U.R.E banner stop by and give us a shout.
...from Rene Contreras. See Photos (Ride for the Roses)
2003 Ride For The Roses
I did the Ride for the Roses Sunday.
It's totally awesome to be there with 5500 cyclists. The event
raised over $4 million this year, doubling last year's donations.
The expo was a blast - lots of great bike stuff to drool over,
lots of cool Lance stuff to buy :-)
I saw Lance only from a distance as he addressed the riders at
the start on
Sunday.
I did the century route. It was my 4th cent this year, not a
difficult course, but the weather and some other factors made it
the most brutal ride I've ever
done. It was overcast and cold from a front moving in. The wind
was insane - probably 25-30, gusting all over the place. It was
literally laying the grass flat. There was nowhere to hide from
it and it was only helpful when it was directly behind (which was
less than 15% of the ride). We had to lean hard into the
crosswinds. I made the whole 100 (well, really 102 plus the 8
miles from the hotel to the ride start), but I suffered bad.
I was dehydrated from air travel Friday, not drinking enough
Saturday and not drinking enough early in the ride Sunday. I also
got low on fuel. I wasn't
hungry at the first rest stop. I should have forced something
down, but didn't think about the amount of time that had passed
since breakfast (ride to the
start, wait an hour shivering in the cold, then 24 miles into a
brutal headwind to the first RS). Also I was still fatigued from
the miles I've ridden this month
(the first week of Oct. I did Cycle North Carolina - 400+ miles
in cold, rain and wind) - it didn't occur to me that I needed
more of a recovery, but my legs felt fatigued. All that and the
weather made my ride a brutal sufferfest.
By 40 miles I felt like I'd done a cent already. By 60 miles I
was contemplating the SAG wagon, but the thought of all the
cancer survivors on that ride made me suck it up. I imagined
people suffering way worse for months, or years - no warm, cozy
van to climb in and make it stop. No, my suffering could not
compare, and I could finish this little bike ride.
My other big mistake was trying to keep up with my group too
long. They kept trying to pull me back in, but working to stay
there just wore me down faster. When you hit the wall like that,
it really doesn't help to be pulled, you just have to go your own
pace. It took me a long time to convince them of that. Or maybe
it took me a long time to convince myself to insist. I knew that
my friend Julie would stay with me and I felt bad that I would be
keeping her in the saddle and out in those brutal conditions way
longer if she left the group and rode at the pace I could keep.
When I finally did drop out for good, she stayed and so did
another guy, Tom. He had hooked up with our group and was one of
the guys helping to pull. He also helped convince them that I
needed to go my own pace in order to survive the rest of the
ride. Then he dropped back and rode with Julie and me.
He had all kinds of great adventure stories too, the conversation
took my mind off my pain (and the dismal display on my computer)
as we putted along.
For the last 10 miles, the weather gods treated us to a driving,
cold downpour. My shoes filled with water, my tights were soaked
and heavy and I
was barely making 13 mph - I felt responsible for my two
companions getting drenched when they could have easily been back
before the rain started. The last 2 miles, we had to turn
directly upwind, I thought my bike would just stop. But I made
it... in the company of my two soaking wet angels.
Despite the pain, frustration and embarrassment I felt for so
much of the ride, I had the love of a friend and the kindness of
a stranger to bring me home
feeling better inside. Maybe that's what the Ride for the Roses
is all about anyway.
I'll be there again next year.....Keri Caffrey
2003 Ride For The Roses
So here’s the story: I was at the Ride for the Roses in
Austin today. The rally got off to a very late kickoff, and the
staged starts left my group (one of the 100 mile groups)
beginning almost an hour late. On top of that, I hit the last
rest stop before the 70/100-mile split and there was a 25-minute
wait (literally) for the portos. Unbeknownst to me, there was a
2-hour cutoff to make the 70/100-mile split. So when I arrived
there, I started down the 100-mile route (which was now closed)
and was promptly yelled at by a very rude cop and forced to turn
around.
A few frustrating miles later, as I was heading back on the
70-mile route and cursing under my breath, these 2 guys pulled up
next to me and gave a very friendly hello.
“How are you today?” one of them asked jovially.
“S&!##y.” I replied angrily. “I can’t
believe these idiots closed the 100-mile route. We drove all the
way down here from Dallas for this crappy ride. I can’t
believe these morons screwed up my ride. I paid a hundred bucks
to ride a hundred miles. This sucks.”
No reply.
“I’m going to cancel the credit card payment for this
ride fee,” I added with rude vindictiveness.
The guy paused for a second, and then said, “Well, I guess
you do have a reason to be annoyed. Try to enjoy the rest of your
ride, anyway.”
As he pulled ahead of me I saw that he was wearing an honor bib
and a memorial bib on the back of his jersey. Then the guy he was
riding with pulled ahead, and I saw that he was wearing two
memorial bibs.
Well, at that point I wasn’t feeling very proud of myself.
So I pulled back up to the two riders and asked about the cancer
victims they knew. It turned out the guy I spoke with has a
father who’s a cancer survivor. He also had a close friend
who recently died of ovarian cancer; she was 32 years old. His
buddy lost BOTH parents to cancer. To top it all off, both of
them had flown in from Denver just to do this ride, in honor and
memory of their loved ones.
I certainly had something to think about for the next few miles.
It was a little humbling to be reminded that the few hours it
cost me to drive down from Dallas and the fact that I didn’t
get to ride an extra 30 miles was not, in fact, the greatest
tragedy ever to befall humanity. Actually, my complaints seemed
pretty trivial at that point. In my preoccupation to get out
there and do another century ride, I had lost perspective and
forgotten all about why the Ride for the Roses was even organized
in the first place.
After the next rest stop I decided to enjoy the rest of this
ride. I put in a good effort and rode hard the last third of the
route. The winds didn’t seem as bad, and the rough sections
of road didn’t bother me. As the bike hummed underneath me,
I noticed how beautiful the route seemed, how clean the air
tasted, and just how great life seemed in general. I felt
privileged to be part of a worthwhile cause that raised over 4
million dollars this year to help present and future cancer
victims. I was glad that I was riding just as a participant, and
fortunate enough not to be doing this in memory of a loved one.
No day is ever perfect. But this was a pretty good one.
Yuri
2002 "In my case I am riding
for two people for different reasons. First I am riding in memory
of my
grandmother, Norma Davis, who passed away many years ago from
lung cancer, and my grandfather, John Davis.
While my grandfather does not have cancer, he was an inspiration
during my grandmother’s illness with his
support and constant attention to make my grandmother comfortable
through her illness.
I am also riding to support a family friend, Ray Addler, who has
been and continues to battle cancer.
Ray was an inspiration to me simply by influencing my interest in
cycling. He has completed many long trips,
including the Blue Ridge mountains and cross country treks, and
got my family more interested in the sport
of cycling. A sport I now call my own. He continues to struggle
with cancer, but still has hopes of riding
again."..As for the MS(Tours) I have gotten involved with it
through a friend whose
wife has MS. Her MS is "recurring/remitting" (I believe
that is the term he used) and you never know
when it will strike. She has many "normal" days, but
when the "bad" days hit it can be very scary.
I also have other friends with relations who have MS, so I ride
to support and help them...Corey Green
copyright2002
I am riding the Ride for the Roses in memory of my Uncle Gene who
though an active runner died unexpectedly of
cancer four years ago, and his brother Ray who is now battling
cancer. Both of these guys are the proverbial great guys with
hundreds of fiends and community contributions to their credit.
When Gene passed away thirteen
hundred people out of community of about 20k came to his
visitation. You just couldn't find better people than anywhere.
For MS I was first inspired by a college friend (SWTSU) who's
mother had MS. In recent years the cause has come closer to home
with several close fiends who are effected by MS in their
families, and in the past three years my
father has been diagnosed with Aggressive/Remissive MS.
(Unfortunately this is not his most critical health concern at
the moment)
With so many personal contacts to these two diseases I can't help
but feel compelled to help. ......Sean Humphrey
copyright2002
Team C.U.R.E. welcomes our Asinis to Town! Follow their
progress at Quattro
Asini
Back to the TOP
2001
The early part
of the day was great ! Finish line is always great. I did hear
from some of the hundred milers, that some of the break points
ran out of water. ...Ron C.
It's not "Hotter than Hell" but the Katy Flatlands 100 came close. I kept looking over my shoulder for the circling Vultures as I came down the loooong stretch on 529, but saw only Will & Steve. They were wearing all Black with Skull & Crossbones logo's on their shirts with the words "TEAM CURE". I just had to finish & they did too. Dick G
| Practice
Ride 9/8/01 Hey Everybody, Sealy
Crossroads Classic |
"Bike
to the Beach"-HEB MS150 ride reviews
2003
The morning started out in a long line of ready cyclists. As we
winded into the Brooks Base parking area you could see the
anticipation on the faces of both young and old riders. Knowing
they will be tested this weekend but remembering that the reason
they are there is to ride for their wife or their husband or
other family member or even somebody they know nothing about,
except that their Pedal Partner has it a lot worse than they do
this weekend. So giving up is not an option for most. Seeing all
those Orange Bandanas was inspiring
Day One; 94 miles of rough roads and wind that seemed to face you
no matter which direction you headed. Oh, do you other riders
remember the hills? I don't remember them from the last time I
did this ride but that year we had a tailwind that pushed us all
day Saturday! Sometimes Mother Nature does pity us cyclists. This
year with the headwind those same hills two years ago seemed to
have grown two fold both in number and size.
Day Two; a much shorter day with only about 60 miles to do. Some
of that same type of ROAD again. We just had to face it, and
block out the fact that we were going to be on rough road for
most of the day. Oh, yeah the wind was still there too but mainly
later in the ride. Oh and the hills? There were a lot less hills
on this day!!!
What a great finish! This ride has one of the best finish
locations in this part of the country! Seeing the water seems to
sooth some of the pain and agony. The volunteers at the finish
were as enthusiastic as they were at the beginning on Saturday.
There was lots of great support out there. The food was good all
weekend ok maybe a little jelly to go with that peanut butter
would have been better? Great job guys! Thanks for taking care of
us! Hey you know what? I'm starting to forget those Hills and
even the Rough Road and even the Wind too; remembering the Cause
always helps to forget any rough parts of the ride! See ya out
there next year.
.........Ron C.
2001
What a ride!! Our small team of 4 riders from
Conceptual MindWorks, Inc. (that's Team CMI) had a great time
working together on the ride. With beautiful weather on Saturday
(read TAILWIND - does anything else matter?) and great teamwork
on Sunday, we managed a hefty 19.7 mph. Besides that, as a 4
member team we raised just about $6,000 for MS. The best memory
is of me having my flat right after lunch in Kenedy. But, lo and
behold, our company volunteer (she does registration in San
Antonio and checkin in Beeville) drove by right when we needed a
floor pump. The almost headwind on Sunday reminded us that, yes,
we were headed to the coast. But we cascaded our paceline and
kept up the speed. We finished in Corpus Christi at about 11:00,
all four of us crossing the line together. What a ride. Thanks,
Kay Maynard, for all of your organizational skills, and we'll see
you next year. .........Steve F.
Back to the TOP
WOW !!!! What a ride! The fact that I was able to ride for my Pedal Partner just made this ride even better!!! Not sure if I you could wish for better conditions than what we had on Saturday morning. Cool morning just cold enough to make you wear an extra shirt, but not cold enough to make you regret getting up that morning. The wind was in our favor and even slow pokes like me were able to look good! A little hilly, but the wind helped there. Lunch was good and thanks to Debbie C. and her crew(Team C.U.R.E.) who did such a great job, we were almost too comfortable. We hit the rest of the rolling hills with the finish line in mind. We got in a little after 2:30 pm, showered, ate(Carabbas chicken w/mushrooms was great) and mingled for awhile before we decided to catch a movie!!!! The "Musketeer" was showing at the local movie house"Plaza 2" on SH181 nice addition to the day...$2.00 for the movie...I think we'll do that again next year!!! Lights out at 9:00pm, not too much snoring or maybe I was too tired to hear???
Sunday we had the same great support from the Lone Star
Chapter, but we also had THE WIND. No big hills, but just enough
wind to remind you what you were doing! I was talking to my Pedal
Partner at that point, not sure if she heard me... but I
was talking to her! Brunch was good, but I did hear a few
complaints about the peanut butter sandwiches...(maybe a little
too heavy?), but once again Team C.U.R.E. support helped! The
company was great throughout the ride thanks for pulling me
guys!!! We finished the ride near the bottom of the Harbor bridge
with fanfare and salutes to the flag thanks to Team C.U.R.E. 's
cheering squad( red white and blue ribbons and flags everywhere)
near the finish line. I would like to give a special thanks to my
wife Patty, and my daughters for sacrificing multiple weekends to
support me in this fundraiser, with out their support while
training and on the weekend of the event I could not do these
great rides!!!!..Great job everyone!!!! ..........Ron C.
Back to the TOP
I want to thank our sag support team (Steve, Michael, Angelica,
Rodney, Christy and Francis)for a terrific job during the Bike to
the Beach! I think it was apparent what a difference a support
team makes. Especially when you don't like peanut butter
sandwiches. A special thanks to Richard and Kyle for hosting some
of us on Friday. Also, a special thanks to our cheering team on
Sunday. MOM, fantastic spaghetti! You have not lost your touch.
Jo Joe you are the best massage therapist a team could ask for!
Thanks so much for the TLC you gave the team on Saturday night.
Ron, Don, Jo Joe, and Daniel the support and camaraderie during
the ride made for a memorable experience. I can't wait to do it
again! To all of you that missed the ride. I can't tell you how
wonderful it was to make the turn from Portland towards the
Corpus causeway with a tailwind pushing us to the finish. It was
the most beautiful end to a ride I have ever experienced.......Debbie
S.
Back to the TOP
MADD
Country Road Classic ride reviews
2003;
Registration on site was very easy and quick, they had more that
enough staff. The start: this is the only part of the ride that
was not very well organized, all the rides took off together,
making the first few miles a bit scary for new riders. The rest
stops were well marked, evenly spaced (at +- 10 miles) and well
staffed by very helpful and friendly staff. We rode the 37 mile
route; we had our first hill workout for the MS150 hills......Ruel
B.
October 7, 2001 This ride can be best described as the complete
opposite of the Katy Flatland. If you like hills, this is the
ride for you! The route takes you in and around Montgomery (west
of Conroe) and even through the Sam Houston National Forest. The
104 mile ride takes you into Huntsville. It is very well
organized (run by the Woodlands Cycling Club) with excellent SAG
support (I had to SAG last year). Unfornately, this year, a group
of losers (that's how I will refer to them - use your imagination
on that one!) managed to burn down 6 or 7 portable toilets. More
terrorism! Anyway, the organizers were able to replace a few in
time. I rode with the first group of about 12 riders for 30 of
the 52 miles. Then I noticed my heart rate was way too high and
my legs were complaining a bit also. I was still able to manage a
19 mph average. It is my understanding that there are quite a few
bicyclist on these roads on the weekend. Even though it is about
an hour from my house, I would consider going there to train
(despite being chased by dogs)...... Chris L.
Back to the TOP
Midnight
Bike Cruise ride reviews
2004 Montgomery County Food Bank Midnight Bike Cruise
This was the first time we had ridden in this 10 or 20 mile
event. It was a fun and festive atmosphere, and a band was
playing some good pre-ride music. There were free snowcones, the
kids could play in the moonwalk, get their face painted or ride
their bike in a mini obstacle course. The volunteers were
friendly, helpful, and appreciative of the large turnout on an
ideal night.
The route had very little vehicular traffic, but it was somewhat
dark with not much to see. The one and only break point was not
well identified. It was at the split for the long route and short
route and we sailed right by it on our tandem pulling a
trail-a-bike. Also there were no snacks at the finish, but Jack
in the Box tacos at 2 in the morning taste pretty good.
Overall it was a good time for a good cause and we will consider
doing it again.
Ron, Janet, and Eric Mueller
2004 Montgomery County Food Bank Midnight Bike Cruise
My wife and I are avid bikers and hve ridden in the Midnight Bike
Cruise the last 3 years.
I would like to express my appreciations for the efforts and work
put in with all the people involved with this one. There were
more law enforcement people; which was great. The route was
better laid out and to me it seemed to be more fun. We ride from
our house to the ride and it was great.
Congratulations on a great job!!!!!!!!
Thank You A.G.Davis
Novemberfest
Metric Century ride reviews
Review of Novemberfest Metric Century
2005,
My first ‘organized’ ride after getting back to riding after eight years off the
saddle, it was a great experience. The Center was well prepared and organized
for the event, with cyclists segregated by mileage prior to the start of the
race and released in small groups to smooth the flow off the start. Taking the
27 mile route, I was slightly challenged by the hills but more so by the winds
that occasionally came up. As mentioned by previous riders, some of the roads
were a little rough for a road bike but very lightly traveled by vehicles. This
gave adequate opportunities for conversation whenever finding someone keeping
the same pace for a while. The rest stops were well stocked and well staffed, no
shortage of fruits, carbs and liquids.
After finishing the ride I spent some time at The Center enjoying the festival.
The BBQ lunch was very good, and I quickly put back the few calories I gave up
during the ride. A variety of old-fashioned games were presented, as were a
silent auction with some great items to bid on. A tractor-pulled hayride gave an
opportunity to see much of the grounds, and house tours were conducted
throughout the day. The Center also had many beautiful crafts and tasty baked
good gift tins for sale that were all created by the residents of The Center.
All of the residents were also out enjoying the festivities; it was wonderful to
see their enjoyment for this yearly event.
A good time for a good cause, I’ll be back in 2006….Mike
2004,
The ride was excellent and refreshing and had a suprisingly good
turnout for the weather conditions. The road quality was not
spectacular and the rest stops were not stocked adequately.
However the BBQ dinner and the festival at the end was quite
nice. Overall, a very nice 27 mile route. ..........Brandi
Novemberfest 2004
There was a pretty large crowd that turned up on the cold and
cloudy Saturday. My friend and I decided to ride the 27 route at
the last minute, instead of the 10 mile route. The road was fair
in some conditions but poor in many places. Traffic was very
light and the scenery was very peaceful.
The first rest stop was a big disppointment. They had some
bananas and a few cookie crumbs. It turns out that someone had
locked the keys in the car so all the bagels and cookies were
locked in. They had water coolers and cups of water, but there
were a lot of riders who were not happy at the lack of carbs at
the rest stop. I was pleasantly surprised at how many people
showed up because it was windy and cold. The second rest stop had
awesome bagels and oatmeal raisin cookies. I must have eaten 2
bagels and 4
cookies--and I felt totally energized for the rest of the ride
in.
From Jennifer Mach
2003 Novemberfest Metric Century
To those who don't know me yet, my name is Silvio Bruna, probably
the newest person to apply for joining C.U.R.E. Team, having
faxed my application in on 11/07/03.
Thanks to Ron for the opportunity to add to your Rider's Corner.
As you know, the Metric Century Bike Ride, in association with
NovemberFest, to benefit The Center for mentally challenged
persons, took place this past Saturday November 8, 2003, with a
tour winding around Stephen F. Austin State Park and surrounding
countryside.
There were 10, 27, 44, and 62 mile routes, all beginning and
ending at Willow River Farms, just outside of San Felipe, Texas.
Since I am a new comer to the bicycling world, I chose the
longest ride of course. Personal preparation for me started about
three months prior, with maximum 20 mile rides around my
neighborhood, and one 40 mile ride on Wed. 11/05/03, all on nice
flat concrete.
I say this because this ride was my first, and it was quite an
experience. I did not realize the difficulty of going up the
"gentle, rolling hills" on the Texas countryside, when
compared to zooming them in my car at 80 miles or faster. The
roads presented with a lot of pot holes, and large separations in
between concrete blocks / pieces. This was tolerable in my
mountain bike with thinner tires, but I can imagine that it was
rougher for those thinner road bike tires.
All in all, I enjoyed the whole event, especially when seeing
some of the Down Syndrome children outside the festival building
when I arrived 4 hours and 20 minutes after starting. Thanks.
Hope to meet some of you soon....
Silvio Bruna, D.C.
Pineywoods
Purgatory Bike Ride ride reviews
2003
Not to counteract the MS Bike to the Beach ride, but the ride
that occurred simultaneous this past weekend in Lufkin, the
Pineywoods Purgatory, is one of the best rides this cycling
family does.
Smooth roads, manageable hills, scenic routes, outstanding
support from friendly people and break points that every ride
could learn from. And oh yes, fajitas at the finish! (and free
massages)
I would tell anyone to do it next year...save your MS efforts for
the springtime...........Ron & Janet Mueller
2002
The Purgatory ride was a great one again this year. But some of
that Lufkin district pavement out there is really rough on a
bike.We had lots of rolling hills but some were big...I was going
41 mph down one hill after going about 5 mph up it. It was
getting hot but generally the weather was fine.
The person at the registration table said they expected about 700
riders. I sort of think there were a few less. Some pre-ride
publication stated that some day they have a goal of 2000 riders.
The TxDOT Lufkin district actually sponsored a break point, and I
was going to e-mail the person I met from that Dept. and tell her
they did good....Ron M.(2002)
Purgatory was nice! (The Pineywoods Purgatory Bike Ride)
Outstanding organization, great rest areas with all kinds of good
stuff with very friendly volunteers. A course of rolling hills
surrounded by trees with minimal traffic. Weather was clear,
cool, & sunny. Lufkin is a nice country town that you don't
really see doing 70 on Highway 59. They said over 90% of their
riders are from out of town and if this is like they all have
been I can see why. I would recommend any one do it, it was a
nice time. And we wore the team CURE apparel with pride!......Ron
M. (2001)
Back to the TOP
Positive Spin for ALS
ride reviews
2005
A Positive Spin for ALS was one of the most challenging rides next to the Hotter N Hell. The route the first day seemed to be up hill with the wind to our face the whole way. (Grueling). The second day was much better with the wind to our backs until we got to Cherry Hill and her sisters. The route support was excellent with REACT, Rest Stops and all the SAG vehicles. Good work ALS.
Tour De
Peppermint ride reviews
Tour De Peppermint, November 2, 2003
The Tour De Peppermint was a great ride. The weather was good
except for the wind. However I should expect that at this time of
the year. The volunteers were the best. We had cheerleaders at
almost every rest—stop keeping us motivated and rolling
along. Water, bananas and oranges were plentiful. Some of the
volunteers even held your bike while you were replenishing your
supply. I did not have the heart to let them hold my bike, it
just didn’t seem right. There were only around 475 riders
triple what they had last year. I think it should get a little
stronger in the years to come.
The best part was meeting up with Colby. Colby is from College
Station and has been riding for almost a year. We traded war
stories along the way and it seemed to pass the time. When we
turned the corner into the wind and had to reach deep into that
place where all your energy and will power is stored we were all
business. Boy I am glad that he was at the ride because with the
wind blowing as hard as it was I definitely had to have someone
to draft off of from time to time. Hope to see you down the road
Colby and thanks for the company.
Good job finishing the ride Roy Getting.
I did miss having some fan fair at the end of the ride. Maybe
next time, right Elizabeth.
...Rene Contreras
2002 Tour De Peppermint -The start was a little chilly in the
morning at 47 degrees, but the wind wasn't bad at all. We were
expecting to see the sun but not even one time did the sun come
out, and the temperature started to drop even more during the
ride. We did the 100K. The event was very well organized and we
were provided with a list of contacts before the ride and all
Captains cell phones for emergency purposes. They offered hot
chocolate, coffee and fruit before the ride; I thought that was
very nice. The route was well marked with minimal hills and not
much traffic. The roads were in fair condition, some narrow roads
though. Kim did the 20 miles and she recommended having one rest
stop next year in the 20 miles route because there were many
children on that route and they didn't have any breaks. Also, if
possible, they may want to add another choice of 35 or 40 miles
besides the 20 miles and 100K. Ryan and I rode this ride together
and I was thrilled with that. It took us 5 hours and 15 minutes
to finish and we completed 70 miles in total. Overall, a very
good ride for their 1st year in existence. I hope they continue
next year and also offer the ride on Sunday. Talk to you in the
next ride.
Elizabeth Gourneau-DFW chapter Team C.U.R.E.
2002 Tour De Peppermint -We were all greeted by the people
running the ride. They pointed out the food, hot chocolate and
coffee
(YESSsssss!) before the ride. At the end of the ride, there were
2 people giving massages for donations. I
think that money went to the Tour. I was massaged into a puddle
of mush. A lady came up to me some time after
that and joked that she'd seen me get off the massage chair and
try to walk. Apparently, she was someone in
charge of the ride. She told me that this was the first ride and
asked how they could improve it next year. She
seemed very sincere and explained some of the problems they'd
identified and what they will do to improve it next
year. She told me why they didn't have a rest stop on the 20 mile
ride. The route had been evaluated by police and
cyclists. All seemed good at the time. The cyclists told her that
"no one would stop at a 10 mile rest stop."
Later she found out that these were hard core riders. Other
people explained that the rest stop were social
events for those of us not out there for a race. We NEED that
stop! One place where we almost missed a turn
across a large 6 lane street was supposed to be manned by two
brothers. One of the brothers had broken his leg the
night before in a football game, so he was not at his post. (Poor
kid!) They also lost a bunch of
participants due to it being on Sunday. They said they would
think about the day change next year. It was fun
and I will probably do it again next year.
Kim Blake - DFW Chapter Team C.U.R.E.
Here's my
story or opinion
Tour De Donuts, 2006
The Tour de Donut ride was my first ever biking event. I have ridden locally for
exercise for an hour at a time but this ride looked interesting and challenging,
was local for me, and the Make A Wish Foundation was a good reason to
participate. The day started before the ride with a little rain, but by the time
the ride started the rain had stopped. The temperature was in the 60's and
expected to go to the 70's. My bike is nothing fancy but I guess it is
classified as a Mountain Bike -- wider and cleated tires, etc.. I rode in the 28
mile division, I wasn't about to try the 55 mile division since this was my
first ride and I didn't have a rode bike. I had no idea what to expect so off I
went with the crowd. I was "cruising" at a comfortable speed for most of the way
at first but tried to pick up speed between the 1st and 2nd rest stops. The rest
stops served donuts (and other things), for the riders--this was the "Tour de
Donut" ride. Each donut eaten subtracted 5 minutes off your race time. The last
10 miles of the ride had a head wind of about 10-15 mph which made it hard to
keep up a good speed. This was the longest single ride I had ever done, but now
I'm hooked on them. The support personnel were trememdous, cheerful and willing
to assist in any way possible. Thanks to all who organized, sponsored and
volunteered to make this ride a success. -- Fred
Tour De Houston, 2007
It was one of my favorites. I did 70 and it was the first time I had rode 70 and
I didn’t have any problems. I think they did an excellent job with the ride and
I would definitely recommend this ride to everyone. The rest stops were like
stopping at convenient stores. The best part of the ride downtown was after the
20-mile stop. There was a turn off that took you off of Galveston road just
about a mile down. It went through the Clear Lake area and even by the lake.
There were even designated bike lanes. The ride back was great it was mostly in
tail wind. ...Tammy B.
Tour De Pants, 2004
Did the Tour de Pants yesterday 75 mile run.
Sign up tables poorly marked regarding pre-registered and day of.
Lots of confusion. Port-a-potties no where to be found around the
start area. Lots of riders asking questions with little
assistance available. No maps in the goodie bag and, in speaking
with other riders, the event planners ran out before all could
have one. No set up for water filling, etc at the start line.
Route was limited to five rest stops, only two with
port-a-potties from what I saw. Stops, other than #3, were only
manned by 2-3 people, which led to confusion and lag time. The
first stop, 15 mines in, had no Gatorade. The second no Gatorade,
bananas, cookies etc. left when we got there as well. Nice group
of people manning the 45 mile stop (3). Stop four apparently was
more of a "social opportunity" for those working the
stop to speak amongst themselves rather than servicing the
riders. The same could be said of the last stop. Post tour food
pretty well wiped out by time we pulled in. Next time I will be
sure to pack food for the ride if this is what they consider
acceptable. Glad the money went to charity otherwise, I would not
be happy for what I got for the money.
Good repair (Wheels in Motion) and SAG service along the route.
Overall, cloud cover led to a relatively comfortable ride
considering all those rollers and hills (mile 60 and last two)
during the second half of the ride. Services led a lot to be
desired. At minimum, you would think that The Ticket could pull
assistance from some of their sponsors to properly man the (and
additional) rest stops.
The time of year gives this ride a lot of opportunity to being a
valid tune up to the HHH. Maybe The Ticket should recognize it by
hiring a professional service to organize it for them and help
it's popularity grow while reaping the benefits of having their
name associated with a successful and well thought out event!
signed....Mark & Donna Y.
Rolling
Hills Challenge ride reviews
One of my favorite rides this past year has been the Rolling
Hills Challenge
in Columbus, TX. The scenery is beautiful and the ride itself has
a nice
small-town feel. The Columbus Lions club puts it on and you can
really feel
the community effort during the ride: at one rest stop there were
homemade
cookies (yum!!) and at another rest stop, the local boy scouts
made peanut
butter and jelly sandwiches for the cyclists.
Pauline Chiou
Morning Anchor/Reporter
KPRC-TV Channel 2
Texas Hill Country River Region Classic ride reviews
2003 - This year's Texas Hill County River Region
Classic(THCRRC) was very good. The weather was a little more
cooperative this year. Although it was a little cool in the
morning hours, there was no rain and it warmed up nicely as the
day wore on. We stayed at the Gardner State Park again this year,
which is a very large and nice campground. The ride also starts
at one of the pavilions near the center of the park. This made it
very convenient for post-ride shower and clean-up. The route was
the same as last year with the 52,68 and 100 mile routes boasting
a 5 mile climb followed by a speedy decline. Elizabeth chose the
68 mile ride which included some climbing early followed by
roughly 50 miles of moderate hills to the finish. I chose the 100
mile due to the challenging hills and scenery. I don't recall the
finish being so tough last year. The last 20 miles include a
steady diet of up and down. Throw in a couple of river crossings
and you have yourself a perfect "America's Funniest Home
Video" clip. I for one took an incidental bath on the second
crossing. Funny stuff. Overall, it was a very nice ride that I
feel has some of the best SAG support I have every witnessed.
Baked potatoes were given out at the finish courtesy of the local
Boy Scout troup. Nice job guys. Thanks to everyone that was
involved with this ride, you did a really great job.
Ryan and Elizabeth Gourneau
Texas Time Trials
ride reviews
2004
The Texas Time Trials
By John Hughes
“Twelve hours of reflecting upon the beauty of the universe
and watching the stars and moon walk across the sky. Twelve hours
of getting introduced to the effects of knee pain.” —
Catharina Berg
The Texas Time Trials, held October 7-9, attracted many of the
best one-day ultra racers in the country. The top four men in the
John Marino Competition (JMC) for ultra racer of the season were
all racing. Only nine points separated John Guth, Jim Trout, John
Jurczynski, and Sam Baugh. Although not in the running for the
overall JMC, Chris Hopkinson, from England, would also be a
factor. Hopkinson had won the Sebring 24 in February with a
course record 431.8 miles, and just a month before Texas had set
back-to-back cross Missouri records.
Nancy Guth, the women’s JMC leader was racing her fifth
24-hour race of the season, trying to improve her total in the
JMC best-three 24-hour race standings.
Mark Patten and Catharina Berg, who rode a phenomenal 456 miles
at the Davis 24 in April, came to race tandem.
The competitors could chose among four races:
Tejas 500 Mile RAAM Qualifier, which had three start times: 6:00
p.m., Wednesday, October 7 (48-Hour time limit) Midnight,
Wednesday, October 7 (42-Hour time limit) 6:00 a.m., October 8
(36-Hour time limit) 24-Hour, starting at 6:00 p.m., Friday,
October 8 12-Hour, starting at 6:00 a.m., Saturday, October 9
6-Hour, starting at noon, Saturday October 9
Baugh and Jurczynski chose to ride the Tejas 500, which carried
three JMC difficulty points. Baugh had calculated that he only
needed to beat his rival by 30 minutes to win the overall JMC.
Hopkinson, who was planning to race the Furnace Creek 508 only a
week later, entered the 24-hour race (which had two JMC
difficulty points). Patten and Berg, who also had their eyes on
the 508, chose the 24-Hour Texas Time Trial.
Trout also entered the 24-hour. He was returning to racing after
taking the summer off for the birth of his daughter, Bethany
Josephine.
The Guths, having finished the blustery Last Chance 1200K only
three weeks earlier, also entered the 24-hour.
The races all took place on a 20.01 mile looped course located
just west of Cleburne, TX. The challenging course started with a
steady climb of about eight miles. Riders turned right and
enjoyed a gentle downhill for about two miles. Riders made
another 90-degree turn and for about six miles climbed a series
of fairly strong rollers that were gradually gaining altitude. In
the last two miles the racers flew down to the bottom of the
valley and the start-finish
Baugh led the Tejas 500 and Jurczynski was not able to hold his
pace. Jurczynski has crashed four times in the last year and has
recurring knee problems. “I settled into a survival pace on
the hills and tried to make up for it on the flat and downhill
sections. Meanwhile, Sam was having a great race. I figured I
would be lucky to finish and if I could finish a best case
scenario would be second place.”
After 300 miles of the Tejas 500 Baugh had an hour’s lead
over Jurczynski. Unfortunately he began to have serious stomach
problems. After several hours of severe discomfort and vomiting
blood, Baugh wisely withdrew.
Jurczynski won the event in 33 hours 4 minutes. Baugh now thinks
that the stomach distress was due to too much ibuprofen.
Jurczynski said “The course was hillier than you might
expect in Texas, but having only one stop sign and no traffic
lights to contend with was a plus. The eight-mile uphill section
didn't seem very difficult until the wind picked up. On Saturday
I heard many racers describing that stretch as
‘brutal’.”
Jean-Luc Friang finished in 37:07 and Kerry Newgaard crossed the
line in
42:36; both qualified for RAAM. Ed Mulheren, riding in his second
RAAM
qualifier of the season, dug deep and finished despite a sprained
knee. Mulheren finished in 46:33, proving again the one can pedal
longer than they can stay awake. Only four of the nine solo
racers who started the Tejas 500 were able to finish within the
time limits.
While the solo riders were beating themselves up on the 20-mile
loop, the four-person relay team, Team CFC, had a blast racing
for 41 hours and 35 minutes.
The weather was cooperative, with mild temperatures. The 48-hour
start of the Tejas 500 had dense fog and later there were
thunderstorms. Although cloudy part of the weekend, there was no
precipitation until the awards ceremony.
The evening start of the 24-hour race gave riders plenty of time
to get psyched up. Catharina Berg, who stoked the tandem,
recalls: “When the gun went off, we were a bit more than
ready to get started and shot off like a bullet. Way too fast. We
finished the first lap with the fastest time ever recorded (51
minutes). I knew it was too fast, my muscles and heart rate was
telling me so.”
They faced the typical tandem dilemma: Patten thought she was
pushing the pace and she was sure he was setting the pace. After
the first mile, they saw no other racers until they started to
lap riders!
Despite Patten’s problems with indigestion during the night,
and Berge’s knee pain the next day, they rode a very strong
race and finished with 440.22 miles, a course record. Reed
Finfrock, who won the Mens 50-59 division of the 2003 JMC, came
to Texas to crew for the duo.
Interviewed later Berge said: “I called this my 'worst
performance and most valuable experience'. Worst because I was
ready to DNF. Most valuable experience, because I realized the
importance of goals in overcoming adversaries and the importance
of the brain in putting up with pain.” After the awards
ceremony, she was unable to walk and had to be carried back to
the car. Furnace Creek, a week later, was out.
Chris Hopkinson was the fastest 24-hour solo rider, with 400.20
miles, also a course record. Hopkinson said he never pushed the
pace. He even stopped twice to sit down and eat pizza with race
organizer Dan Driscoll!
For 24 hours John Guth and Jim Trout battled for second place.
Guth finally took second with 380.19 miles and Trout finished
only 20 minutes later, with the same mileage.
Nancy Guth won the women’s 24-hour with a course record
300.15 miles. Afterwards she said: “John and I have done
five 24-hour events this year, and this Texas one was definitely
the most challenging, with relentless climbing and Texas-style
wind that determined to wear one down...but the ambiance was warm
and friendly, the support outstanding, with laps well noted, a
roving support vehicle, and race crew constantly calculating to
see if they could help in any way.”
SIDEBAR:
Climbing comparison for 400-miles
Tejas 24 15,000
Iowa 24 11,000
Davis 24 10,000
Michigan 24 9,000
Sebring 24 5,000
The New Hope Baptist Church hosted the race, providing pizza
throughout the event, pancakes on Saturday morning, and a chili
dog feast at the awards ceremony to each and every rider, crew
member, and volunteer.
The Texas 12-Hour Shoot-Out was a very competitive race; the top
four men were all within five minutes of each other. David
Carpenter won with 10 laps (200.1 miles). Carpenter had finished
second last year, and pushed himself 20 miles farther in 2004.
Debbie Breaud set a new women’s record with 180.09 miles.
Mike and Nancy Myers, having recovered from the Last Chance 1200,
set a new tandem record with 195.95 miles.
The 20 mile loop course made it easy for riders to support
themselves from the backs of their cars. This format made the
start-finish an exciting and social place for the riders
preparing to ride, crewmembers waiting for riders and the
volunteers.
Dave Dannels won the Texas 6-Hour Challenge with 120.06 miles.
Jim Deming, the winner of last year’s 12-hour, finished
third and commented, "The six hour seemed much tougher than
the 12-hour did last year". Greg Blanks and Scott Sutton
sprinted for fourth place, with Blanks winning by a hundredth of
a mile!
In all 88 riders from 13 states took part in the four different
events. The staggered start times added to the excitement of the
race. The entry of new riders helped motivate riders who were
already on the course. All races ended in time for the awards
ceremony that was very well attended.
When the dust had settled participants had been given 34
trophies, 28 age group medals, 14 finishers medals, 225 TTTT
jerseys, 200 TTTT hats and 225 T-shirts. The riders, crew and
volunteers had eaten 250 hotdogs, 39 giant CiCi's pizzas and 300
pancakes.
Jim Trout said “The production was excellent, punctuated
with outstanding awards (trophies and cash for top finishers).
The atmosphere was light and friendly; the race started with a
prayer from the church pastor. The 20-mile route was challenging
(about 750ft climb/lap), but fun.”
Race organizer Dan Driscoll said afterwards: “When asked why
I put so much work into this, I answer ‘It's the
people.’ It is simply the greatest to watch people helping
people. Two of the highlights of the ride were watching the
volunteers pitch in to make it happen and eating breakfast with
Sam Baugh.”
For more information go to www.tt24tt.com
8-1-05:
“I have to deal with
cyclists practically on a daily basis on Kelly Rd in Aledo. Today I was towing a
30 ft travel trailer down a hill on Kelly Rd. and came up behind a cyclist. I
honked my horn to let him know I was going to pass him. Instead of looking back,
he moves over in the center of the road without looking at all !!!! 10 tons of
truck and trailer is not very maneuverable on a two lane road. Luckily I didnt
hit the BLEEP. If you guys want respect on the road, try giving it
first.”…Aledo Driver.
Last updated 08/27/07
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