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News May 21, 2009 Trifecta Upgrade & News BentLovers & Friends First the news. Way to go Doug for the excellent showing in the Ride of Love, both the riding and the contributions made to Camp Smile-A-Mile!!! Here is a report from Doug: The ride of Love was a much easier ride for me this year. I actually felt pretty good after the ride. My new strategy paid off well. I stayed at the very rear of the ride ( 62 riders), riding along with the "sweep" rider. Whenever we had to climb a hill, I purposely went easy up the hill, and let the main group get 50 yards ahead. Then, judging by the size of the next downhill, and the size of the uphill after that, I timed my efforts so that I could Yo-Yo within this 50 yd. cushion. Since the sweep rider remembered me from last year, he didn't mind allowing me this cushion. It made a huge difference, and I saved my brake pads. Since I had my Garmin with me this year, I was able to map the ride and see the elevations for myself. I had been told there was more than 12,000 feet of climbing, but it turned out to be more like 8,500, I believe. Still, we started at 148 above sea level, and reached heights of over 1,000 feet, so there was indeed some good climbs along the way! The last 12 miles of the ride, I got to visiting with more folks up front, and found myself in the front 3rd of the group. It didn't take long to remember why I didn't want to ride there. It was constant slowing and Yo-Yoing, and a mental drain watching the guy in front of you. We must have had angels watching over us with the weather. There was cloud cover 80% of the ride, which helped tremendously to keep the heat from affecting us. After lunch, we enjoyed a 2 hour shower, courtesy of mother nature. Although we heard loud rumbles from behind us, we never saw a flash of lightning, and when we pulled into camp Smile-A-Mile, There were blue skys and sunshine. With the police escort and great support at the breaks, you couldn't ask for a better supported ride. Even if you got a flat, they would pick you up, and you could ride in the van while someone else changed your flat. Once repaired, they would drop you off at the front of the ride, so you could rejoin. Luckily, and thanks to Bacchetta, I never had to use their services. Only 3-4 riders had to be sagged because of exhaustion. A half dozen or more riders opted to take a car ride during the worst section ( mile 75- 112), knowing they were not going to make it on bike. The recumbent from MS wasn't one of them! In Alabama, recumbents are non-existent, at least within this group of riders from Tuscaloosa. I had many riders ask me how "hard" they were to ride. Interestingly, toward the end of the ride, there were more questions about how "comfortable" they were. The Ride of Love, with 62 riders, raised $108,000 for camp SAM. I want to thank everyone who donated this year, and you can count on me next year to represent all you good folks from Mississippi and RideSouth. Doug Morgan More news; Lock your Hobie! We have had two reports of stolen Hobie kayaks that were taken from the Reservoir area. It is easy to run cables through the Mirage slot to secure these boats. If you have information or see suspicious deals on incomplete Hobies, call the Reservoir Patrol. The boats were taken from owners' boathouses. Choctaw Ride postponed. We had planed for this coming weekend, but have opted out to have some more-local fun! Memorial Day weekend offers a chance for three winning rides from the Ride South shop . . . a trifecta, if you will! We will have the ever growing Rise & Shine Bread Ride at 7:30 AM on Saturday, as usual. If you are new to that ride, we feature two routes, the Bay Loop and the Rez Loop. Of course, we will have fresh, hot, homemade oat bran bread for all comers at 10:00 AM! Sunday, at 2:00 PM, we will ride the area . . . riders choice, as usual. The upgrade part comes in Monday. We are challenging you to upgrade your route! We encourage you to go to the next level! We will round the Rez, as usual, but offer the extended version to Pelahatchie. Launch time will be 7:30 AM, Memorial Day and there is no time restraint! We will have free American Flags for everyone on all three rides to honor our brave servicemen and women! Biathlon kicks off on June 6th! Remember to sign up for the first ever Reservoir Biathlon! Bring your bikes and boats out for a great time and good fun! Details are listed in the attached flyer! We will be closed on Monday, except for the rides. Happy Memorial Day! View All News |
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