psychling
Well-Known Member
My first brevet.
I should have anticipated that having to read a cue sheet with 79 turns over 250 miles would frustrate me. Also, I didn't have adequate night light riding equipment, making me more dependent on following other riders. I did a lot of things wrong, the most important of which was to not recognize these two factors.
I followed a few fast upright guys out of the block for the first 40 miles until they all decided to ... stop. To do what, I don't know. (Turns out it was the first Control and some riders used the occasion to ... still, I don't know).
I sat on the bike for about 15 minutes, waiting for someone to head back out. Finally, I spied one intrepid DFr clicking in and ready to take off. I asked if I could hang on his wheel and he said "sure, but I'm fast." I stayed at least 50 yards behind him so as not to piss him off. Hellacious tailwind for the next 50 miles to Gila Bend.
Then he stops again. Another Control. And then heads off to a Burger King. Not wanting to stop every 3 miles to look at a cue sheet I went into the BK with him, filled my water bottles and ordered a plain chickenburger with nothing on it. Another guy joined us in BK. It was then that I realized how dependent I was on other, more prepared and experienced randonneurs, for navigation.
Twenty minutes later we took off into the wind. That's when I discovered this was a `ride,' not a race. They rode seriously but relatively slowly. I decided to `do my part' and took the lead on and off for about 50 miles offering whatever draft a bent can give to a DF. Didn't help much.
After a while I'd ask "how many miles to the next turn?" They'd tell me, I'd look at my Garmin and take off.
At one point they said there was 30 miles of `no turns' with a 1% - 2% grade. They were doing 15.5 mph. So, I thought I'd get some exercise, took off and wound up pushing 22 - 23 mph up the `hill' for 30 miles til the next `turn.' And then I stopped. And waited.
Finally, with about 75 miles to go one of them tells me that they resent navigating for me if I'm not going to `pull.' I realized that they were tired, didn't argue that I pulled for 50 miles, apologized and thanked them for telling me. They told me to "hold a steady 17.5." It was a trade-off. They'd navigate and I'd pull ... sloooow.
It got dark and I couldn't see the Garmin. So I told them I wasn't going to pull anymore and "please accept my apology but I'm going to follow you." One of them said it didn't matter anymore because now that it was dark there was no wind. NOT!.
Whatever.
I sincerely appreciate the help from these guys. And recognize that I don't have the interest, patience or restraint to follow a cue sheet that looks like a crossword puzzle.
Put it all together and it took me exactly 16 hours to finish only 250 miles with 2,329 feet of climbing. I compare that to the Balltown 200 in 2009 where I did 200 miles with 10,500 of climbing in 12 hours. 400K brevet
I'm really sorry I frustrated the other riders and have deep respect for their intensity and commitment. Some people like `orange.' Some people like `blue.' Neither good, better nor bad. Just `izzzz.'
(Since this was the first time using the Garmin 500 I learned - after 23 miles - that you have to hit the `start' button for it to begin operating. This isn't just me `aging.' It's `natural' lifelong ignorance. Who wants to read the instructions?!!)
I should have anticipated that having to read a cue sheet with 79 turns over 250 miles would frustrate me. Also, I didn't have adequate night light riding equipment, making me more dependent on following other riders. I did a lot of things wrong, the most important of which was to not recognize these two factors.
I followed a few fast upright guys out of the block for the first 40 miles until they all decided to ... stop. To do what, I don't know. (Turns out it was the first Control and some riders used the occasion to ... still, I don't know).
I sat on the bike for about 15 minutes, waiting for someone to head back out. Finally, I spied one intrepid DFr clicking in and ready to take off. I asked if I could hang on his wheel and he said "sure, but I'm fast." I stayed at least 50 yards behind him so as not to piss him off. Hellacious tailwind for the next 50 miles to Gila Bend.
Then he stops again. Another Control. And then heads off to a Burger King. Not wanting to stop every 3 miles to look at a cue sheet I went into the BK with him, filled my water bottles and ordered a plain chickenburger with nothing on it. Another guy joined us in BK. It was then that I realized how dependent I was on other, more prepared and experienced randonneurs, for navigation.
Twenty minutes later we took off into the wind. That's when I discovered this was a `ride,' not a race. They rode seriously but relatively slowly. I decided to `do my part' and took the lead on and off for about 50 miles offering whatever draft a bent can give to a DF. Didn't help much.
After a while I'd ask "how many miles to the next turn?" They'd tell me, I'd look at my Garmin and take off.
At one point they said there was 30 miles of `no turns' with a 1% - 2% grade. They were doing 15.5 mph. So, I thought I'd get some exercise, took off and wound up pushing 22 - 23 mph up the `hill' for 30 miles til the next `turn.' And then I stopped. And waited.
Finally, with about 75 miles to go one of them tells me that they resent navigating for me if I'm not going to `pull.' I realized that they were tired, didn't argue that I pulled for 50 miles, apologized and thanked them for telling me. They told me to "hold a steady 17.5." It was a trade-off. They'd navigate and I'd pull ... sloooow.
It got dark and I couldn't see the Garmin. So I told them I wasn't going to pull anymore and "please accept my apology but I'm going to follow you." One of them said it didn't matter anymore because now that it was dark there was no wind. NOT!.
Whatever.
I sincerely appreciate the help from these guys. And recognize that I don't have the interest, patience or restraint to follow a cue sheet that looks like a crossword puzzle.
Put it all together and it took me exactly 16 hours to finish only 250 miles with 2,329 feet of climbing. I compare that to the Balltown 200 in 2009 where I did 200 miles with 10,500 of climbing in 12 hours. 400K brevet
I'm really sorry I frustrated the other riders and have deep respect for their intensity and commitment. Some people like `orange.' Some people like `blue.' Neither good, better nor bad. Just `izzzz.'
(Since this was the first time using the Garmin 500 I learned - after 23 miles - that you have to hit the `start' button for it to begin operating. This isn't just me `aging.' It's `natural' lifelong ignorance. Who wants to read the instructions?!!)
