When I first heard about the Cyclos Montagnards and the R-80
recognition for finishing brevets in 80% of the official time limit I thought
it was a silly idea. Randonneuring is a
non-competitive activity. The proposed
concept seemed to contradict this. After time the purpose of it finally dawned
on me. The point being that after years
of brevet participation one can become a little bored. New challenges are welcome. This year I participate in all rides on a
fixed-gear to raise the level of difficulty.
Combining that with the 80% time goal makes for a worthy challenge. One I was never confident I could manage, for
a complete series. Without specifically
trying I posted times faster than the R-80 limit on two 200 kilometer rides,
one 300k, and on two 400k’s so far this season.
All that’s needed to earn the recognition is the 600k. The time limit would be 32 hours instead of
the usual 40 hours. For me, on the
fixed-gear, that would demand riding straight through. A totally sleepless event, something I’d
never done before. My confidence was low
the week leading up to the ride, but my desire held strong. I was determined to give it my best
effort. If it didn’t work out it
wouldn’t be for lack of trying.
Hightstown to Browns Mills - 54 Miles
My dislike for 4am starts mattered little as I line up with
15 other riders in front of the Days Inn at Hightstown. It’s a pleasant morning with mild
temperatures and no wind. A few last
minute announcements from organizer Rick Lentz and we are given the go
signal. The field of riders quickly
departs for points south. I know better
than to try to hang with a large pack of geared bikes. I relegate myself to the last position and
watch as the group moves away from me. I
enjoy the solitude of those first miles in the darkness. I see a bike lamp coming up from behind and
am quickly joined by my friend Paul, who got off to a late start by a few
minutes. We ride together as the skies
begin to lighten and daylight slowly overpowers the darkness. We come across Todd at the side of the
road. He is in the final stages of
repairing a flat on his rear wheel. We
stop to assist with Paul loaning him a high-pressure frame pump. Quickly we are underway with Todd joining us.
This part of the route I have ridden
many times before. The roads are
utilized by a number of other rides. We
efficiently cover the final miles to the Wawa where three volunteers are
awaiting our arrival. We are the only
riders there. The rest of the group is
gone by about 15 minutes. We keep our
time at the stop short..
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| Paul rolls past New Jersey farmland |
Browns Mills to Williamstown – 56 Miles
Leaving the control we are in the vicinity of the Fort
Dix/MacGuire military base. Trucks buzz
by and aircraft scream overhead. There
is considerable traffic for the first two miles. Then we turn off onto quiet country
lanes. We pass by the Brendan Byrne
State Forest and turn onto Buzzard Hill Road.
I don’t recall seeing any
buzzards, or any hill for that matter.
Soon thereafter we pass by Nixon’s General Store. We spot two riders stopped in front. They are preparing to depart as we pass
by. It takes them a few miles to catch
up. One of the riders, Justin, is on a
recumbent. His riding companion, Bob, is
on his first 600k brevet. Both riders
are from Maryland. They ride with us
for a bit until they fall off the pace shortly before the control. We arrive at the Wawa to be greeted by my
friend and fellow randonneur Nigel and his daughter who is enthusiastically ringing a cow bell in our honor. By
prior agreement we intend keep the stop to 10 minutes. After refilling water bottles I am ready to
go. Paul and Todd are both mixing drink
powders. When we reach the 10 minute
mark I tell them I have to roll. The
desire to be moving forward is overpowering.
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| Todd cruises through the Pinelands |
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| Justin from DC on the Recumbent |
Williamstown to Salem – 33 Miles
I leave the control feeling bad about the situation. But, standing by idly when I know I need to
keep moving caused tremendous anxiety. I
just have to be rolling. I wait for the
traffic light to change at the intersection of Black Horse Pike. I look back to see Paul heading from the
control. I pedal slowly and he catches
me quickly. Unfortunately, Todd does not
get out in time to catch back up. I hope
I will see him later. Paul and I average
a nice pace over the moderate terrain moving closer to the very western part of
the state where the river separates New Jersey from Delaware. We come across Jon and Katie who are working
on the tandem on the side of the road.
The stoker’s crank arm has come loose.
We help them get it straightened out.
In short order we are back underway towards the control. After a few miles riding together the tandem
falls off the pace a bit. Paul hangs
back and I put a bit of a gap on them. I
hold my pace arriving at the control slightly ahead of them. The volunteer, Laurent, checks me in. I decide to eat a slice of pizza. Katie, Jon, and Paul arrive and settle
in. Paul says he is not feeling
well. The day has warmed
considerably. I’m guessing he is
suffering from the heat. He’s not certain whether he should continue. When I am ready to leave Paul says he will
depart soon with Katie and Jon who agree to stay with him. It’s a plan I can live with. I hate to leave him, but I need to keep moving. I see Todd on his way in to the control as I
head out.
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| Katie & Jon riding with Paul en-route to Salem |
Salem to Newfield – 37 Miles
Much of the 600k route was changed for this year, the
current section being entirely new. I’m
using the electronic cue sheet device for guidance. After navigating for a few miles I’m passed
by Michelle, who was at the last control at the same time as me. I avoid the temptation to match her pace.
There are more than 200 miles left which I plan to cover without rest. I stick to the ride plan and hold my current speed. After a few miles she disappears out of sight
and the temptation is gone. The
remaining miles to Newfield pass by without incident. In fact, I found the section quire
pleasant. On arrival at the control I am
greeted by Jim, a regular volunteer from the southern jersey contingent. He points to a rider sitting on a park bench
nearby and tells me he is dropping out.
After completing my check-in I walk over to talk to him. He is Rudi from Philadelphia. I recognize him from other rides. Rudi explains that he was caught up with the
lead group and rode faster than was reasonable given the hot weather. I assure him that he can recover from the
mistake. I invited him to leave the
control with me. I promise to maintain a moderate, but steady pace. He agrees to join me.
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| Rudi smiling through some of the many miles |
Newfield to Ocean City – 38 Miles
As promised I keep the pace moderate with Rudi following on
my rear wheel. We ride that way until he
finds his legs. At which point we spend
some time riding side by side and chatting.
I tell him that I’m planning on riding through the night without sleep. He
thinks it sounds like a good idea to beat the heat that’s forecasted for
Sunday. His intent is to join me if he
feels up to it. Despite using the ECS we
miss a turn. It takes about one mile
before I realize we are wrong. By the
time we get back on course a rider from behind has gotten by. We see him just ahead. I recognize him as Sam from New York. We catch up and ride together as the scenery
changes to more shore like surroundings. We traverse two bridges which are high enough to
be considered climbs. We arrive at the
Wawa control together. The volunteer,
Dawn, verifies our brevet cards. I
suggest to Rudi that we keep the stop brief.
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| Rudi and Sam en-route to Ocean City |
After a quick bite the three of us get underway headed to
the sleep stop. We are now in full
darkness. We negotiate our way through
the busy streets of Ocean City and over another bridge crossing. Sometime later the surroundings become more
wooded and rural. The sleep location is
a large cabin capable of accommodating 15 people. I have a drop bag with fresh cycling kit
waiting for me. My plan is to eat, freshen up, change, and depart as quickly as
possible. I budget a half hour for the stop.
Discussing the plan with Rudi along the way he indicates he is game to
ride through with me. The sign for the
East Creek Cabin leads us to a gravel road of about 100 yards which ends at a
rather large wood cabin. We are quickly
checked-in by Rick and Walt then given our drop bags and shown around. Another volunteer brings me a bowl of
vegetarian chili. I sit at a large table
and fill up on the food. There are three
riders there, one asleep in the bunk room.
Michelle and Patrick are the other two who plan to take some sleep
there. I learn that Paul has dropped out at the prior control. It takes 45 minutes for Rudi and I to get
everything done. We depart together into
the quiet night knowing there are three riders who are on the road ahead of us.
Eldora to Hammonton – 36 Miles
As we close in on midnight I felt the first signs of
sleepiness setting in. Thankfully Rudi
has an I-Pod on his bike with small amplified speakers. In the quiet of the Pine Barrens I can
clearly hear the songs. We ride side by
side undisturbed by any vehicle traffic.
The classic rock tunes keep me going, I find myself singing along to much
of his playlist. Navigating is the other function that helps me stay
alert. The directions seem confusing at
times. Mostly, because my mental
function is reduced by fatigue. It takes
lots of concentrating to keep from going off course. At one point a road name changed without being
noted on the cue sheet. We stop to consult
my GPS cell phone to confirm our direction is correct. I cannot afford any more bonus miles if I am
to finish within the desired time frame.
We arrive at the Hammonton Wawa at about 3:00am. Bob, the volunteer on duty, meets us in front
of the store. I need to adjust my chain
tension. I can feel the slack in it
while pedaling. I realize there is no more room in the dropouts to move the
wheel back. The chain will have to be
shortened to make it work. Bob has the
tools on hand to accomplish this and offers to help get it done. We work together for about one-half hour before
it’s accomplished. Rudi and I leave the
control at 4:00am, one hour after arrival.
Hammonton to Vincentown – 46 Miles
An unspoken goal I’ve had in the back of my mind for a long
time is to ride 300 miles within 24 hours. I thought it might happen on this ride. The opportunity slips away due to numerous unpredictable
time management issues. Most were unavoidable.
I’m a little bummed as the 24 hour mark passes with only 283 miles in
the bank. I then focus all my thoughts
and energy on achieving the bigger goal of the R-80 Series. I intend to keep a steady pace to the next
control without stopping.
Amazingly daylight begins to break through at about 5am.
This helps me feel a little more awake.
Rudi is hanging in there, but mentions he would like to take a long break
at the next control. I won’t be in a
position to spend more than a few minutes there. We both have different agendas and knew at
some point we may have to separate. We
helped each other get through the night.
At this point we would each finish the ride on our own terms. I begin to recognize the surroundings shortly
before the control. We are very
close. After crossing US 206 we enter
the Wawa Market and are immediately greeted by David. After getting our cards verified Rudi lays
down on the grass in front of the store.
David says he’s been told about my time goal. He encourages me to go for it. He tells me the actual mileage to the finish
is a bit shorter than what the cue sheet indicates. I know this isn’t true, but I appreciate his
attempt to bolster my confidence. There
are three riders ahead, but too far up for me to hope to catch anyone. I will have to finish the last section on my
own.
I want something to eat other than a Clif Bar. I dash into the store and grab the first
thing that looks good, which is an individually wrapped mini pie. After paying for the item I jump on my bike
and head out with the pie in my back pocket.
My total time spent at the control is seven minutes. David wishes me
luck. Rudi appears to be sleeping in the grass as I ride out.
Vincentown to Hightstown – 49 Miles
My departure time from the control is 7:30am. I need to
arrive at the finish before 12pm. That
seems like a lot of time to me. But, I’m
quite tired and the final section of the route features some climbing. I tear open the fruit pie and devour it while
riding through a flat section. Soon thereafter I feel an energy surge from the
sugar. I’m riding strong and feeling
pretty alert. After quickly knocking off
twenty miles I feel a big letdown. I know the energy burst from sugary foods
ends abruptly. I’m now in a
mini-bonk. My speed slows to 11-12mph on
flat terrain. I quickly consume a gel, with caffeine, and a Clif Bar. It takes about twenty minutes before I feel
the effect. My speed picks up and I begin
to feel better on the hills that are increasing in frequency. I’m passed by a local rider, not affiliated
with the 600k. I acknowledge him with a
casual nod and a wave. I’m sure I look
like a zombie at this point. We hit a steep
kicker and he slows up, shifting into an easy gear. I pass by him in a standing climb pushing my single
gear up the hill. I’m sort of hoping he
catches me again. I would like to ride a
few miles with someone to talk to. It
would be very helpful.
Unfortunately, he never catches
up and I can’t take the time to slow up.
The one hill I’m dreading is quickly approaching. Aggress Road at mile 368 is the most substantial
climb on the entire route. It’s not a terribly hard climb, if encountered on a
routine training ride. After 30 hours it
leaves a lasting impression. I’m
grateful when I reach the top without a problem. Also, I’m very happy my earlier chain repair
held up under the strain. With Aggress
behind me I’m confident of a successful outcome. My mood is jubilant for the last eight miles
to the finish. When I make the final
turn to the hotel I sprint it in (sort of).
Kyle, Bob, Rick and Walt greet me under the canopy. My card is signed at 11:17am, forty-three
minutes before the R-80 cut-off.
Epilouge:
I learned later that Rudi finished successfully. He rested for two hours at the Vincentown
control, waiting there for the next rider, Sam, to arrive. They rode together for most of the last section.
I also heard that my friend Todd had passed out at the sleep stop falling to
the floor. He was suffering from heat exhaustion. After some substantial rest he resumed the
ride finishing in good shape. Jon and
Katie also finished after taking sleep at the cabin. A total of fourteen riders
completed the 376 mile course, despite hot weather.
With the R-80 Series complete I am looking forward to the next
challenge. I am planning to traverse the
entire 444 mile Natchez Trace Parkway from Nashville, TN to Natchez, MS in late
September, on a fixed gear. I’ve not
fully decided how aggressively I wish to undertake the ride. My instinct is to try and kill it with a
straight through effort. Possibly setting a fixed-gear record for that stretch of
roadway. I doubt one currently exists. A straight through ride at any speed would be
the initial benchmark. I just need to work up the motivation to give it the effort.
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| Boo-ya! |
