This was an amazing event. Me and 5000 of my closest friends out to enjoy a bike ride. I arrived at Queen's University in Charlotte and immediately saw that this was going to be an adventure. I was lucky enough to find a parking spot just around the corner on a residential street. This would be MY home base. The ball field had been transformed to Bootyville. Just walking through and seeing bikes of all sizes and makes with the crowd of people having fun and ready to ride got me excited and ready to ride. I was a bit apprehensive at first because I was there by myself. That quickly faded when I saw that we were all there for the same reason.
About 6:30 everyone started to suit up and you could hear tire pumps hissing all over as everyone was making the final checks to their bikes. We were instructed to make our way to the start line for a survivor victory lap. Promptly at 7:00pm the clock started and the cancer survivors were up front leading us ALL on our first lap, it was a moving experience to see. Many stayed out for a few laps, but the field started to thin out as teams sent out the first shift. Some teams were riding laps others riding time. The field was really thin, about 200 riders, about 9:00pm. This allowed many of us to get to know the course a bit better and we watched our speeds increase and the laps quickly clicked by. The first break I had I got my bike ready for night, headlight, taillight and iPod (I created a 4 hour playlist with some real driving songs, AC/DC, Kiss, Korn, and some good instrumental with fast BPM). I was expecting to get 7 hours out of the headlight battery and of course that was not the case. Everyone settled into a rhythm and the time and laps quickly passed. I was able to click off the 3 mile lap in 8 minutes.
When you needed to stop to get a water bottle refill you just pulled into the rest area. Drinks, gels, food and almost everything you might need to make it through the evening. I was finding that about every two hours I would need to stop to refill and down a gel and have a little pb&j (a cyclists best friend on long rides).
4:00 am and I noticed that the headlight was growing dim. The speeds we were going I needed a bright light to see the road. The way the course was laid out it was all right turns around the University. There were three sharp 90 degree turns. The second turn was at the top of a little climb so that one was a little slow. The other turns were at the bottom of descents where we were reaching 30 mph. Slower riders were instructed to keep to the right to let the faster riders pass. I was amazed at the speed of this course and that there were only two incidents for the whole ride.
I went back to the Jeep and contemplated changing into a fresh pair of shorts, socks and a dry jersey. I got changed and decided to catch a few ZZZs before the sun came up and I would be able to see the course again. I went for my phone to post on FB and my phone had started acting crazy. I reset it and nothing. I started to get a bit ill because that is my lifeline. I laid back and knew that everything would be better with a clearer head after a quick snooze. I did manage to get in a 3 hour nap.
My phone was still on the fritz and decided to leave it and would check on it at my next break. I went into the rest area and was amazed at the number of people up ready to ride. I got back in the saddle and started to click off the laps. There were at least 500 riders out on the course. This meant that it would be a bit slower. I settled down into my rhythm. It was a bit slower but I still managed to get and average speed of 18.5 mph for the entire ride. I was not there for time just distance. The goal was a lap for the years that my Grandfather (Dada) was alive before succumbing to cancer. He passed at 63. 63 three mile laps would be 189 miles. I just could not leave the course with an odd number. 200 was the mark.
It was the last 5 miles that I started thinking what am I doing. My legs are tired, my butt is toast and my arms hurt. My bike is the Specialized Transition. This bike is designed for time trials and triathlons. This bike was designed to go fast and slip through the wind. When you ride this style of bike you are in a forward position with you upper body weight resting on your elbows. The problem that I had was the padding. Normally, the pads are thick and absorb road vibration and protect the rider from the hardware underneath. I had flattened the pads from riding in that position for 10 hours. I could feel every bump and I really felt the hardware underneath.
The best thing was that I was really strong through most of the ride. I have never ridden this distance and did not know what to expect. I have ridden centuries (100 mile) before and the last one I rode was just last Sunday. I could feel that I was someone was there keeping me up, even though I was riding alone I never felt that way. There was an energy level from the other riders, but this was more. Yes, I am a bit tired but I would not trade the experience for anything. It was an amazing atmosphere. It really has to be experienced.
I will be back next year! Hopefully, I will have a few people with me to experience what I did.
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