CruzLike
Guru
Last Saturday’s ride was a ride I have been looking forward to for many years. For one reason or another I have missed the two other Flat 50’s.
Flat 50 is a local ride for me. It is a competitive and non-competitive 25 and 50 mile ride through Hancock County. It’s flat pasture and farm land in east central Indiana. http://www.hancockflat50.com/
A week before the event I looked at the weather and registered. The forecast was to be a cool start around 60 degrees. I was looking forward to the fall weather.
I also noticed the route has changed also. For my followers of Strava, I have often ridden the route and named the ride Flat 50 …. I and others have been riding the route in preparation only to have it change.
Just to get familiar with the route I drove it the Monday before. I thought the route had a mix of freshly paved to “seasoned” roads. It went down and up a few valleys and up a steep hill that we went down on the old route. I did wonder if the name of the ride meant the same. I didn’t think it was as flat as before.
One other aspect of the ride I was looking forward to, was meeting some local riders. I spend a lot of time on Zwift and don’t mingle as much as I should.
Saturday morning, I sprung out of bed, hopped in the van and drove the long 5 miles to Greenfield. Rarely do bikers have this luxury to be close to their ride.
There was a lot of waiting. I was there at 7:30 for a 9:00 start. I was eager to start this ride. The weather was cool, and I thought I was a competitor.
About 10 minutes before 9, they started lining up. I sat there as they made announcements about the ride, who it benefited, thanking sponsors……… I’m listening, and I began shivering then began thinking. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dEtm_Q2LK9g Let’s get on with it.
Finally, the ride starts. We passed through the gate with our timing chip and we were off. I started about 40 riders back. I kept an eye on the leaders making sure they didn’t take off. We started the first few miles leisurely. Slowly the lead group dwindled down to about 20. I was riding in the back watching for the next rider to fall out of the group.
After about 11 miles, I thought it would be a good time to eat a gel pack and drink a little. While I was preoccupied, the leaders slowly gapped me. I was a little concerned that I could get back. I had some creeping doubts on how long I will ride with the leaders. I began to chase them down. About 3 miles later I caught the 9 rider lead group passing a few stragglers along the way. We began a nice 6 mile downwind run on a straight road. We were averaging 26. I guarded the back while a revolving pace line worked in front of me. I was enjoying a nice 180 watt rest.
This next section of roads was unfamiliar to me. This was also leading to the “hilly” section of the flat 50. As I rode, I kept wondering how much longer before I got dropped. I didn’t realize how fast things can change, it wasn’t very long.
As we slowed for a turn, we crossed a bridge. The bridge was not smooth. As I crossed the bridge reclined on my seat. I began shaking like a 1st grader being shook down for lunch money by a bully. I heard something hit the ground and it was my cell phone. Good bye lead group, I must stop. I turned around picked up my cell phone just thinking of my big plan and hopes fading away. I’ll get to the big plan later. I got my wheels turning again. I was behind about a ½ mile. I was uncertain that I would return to the lead group. I did look on the bright side of this separation. The next few miles were up and down many 20 – 30 ft tall hills. I could blast down the hill at max speed and carry that speed into the uphill climb. At the bottom of one of the hills was a bridge with a grated deck. You know, the kind you can see through as you cross. I really hoped my back wheel would follow my front wheel as I crossed the bridge. I was committed since I was traveling 35 mph. Pucker factor pretty high.
Every now and then I would catch a glimpse of the lead group. It was encouraging to see them getting bigger. It had been 6 miles since I dropped my cell phone on the bridge. I had whittled the lead groups advantage down to 1/8 mile. I thought it would be a good time to relax a bit and have another gel pack. I reached into my pocket and they were missing. The pick-pocket bridge must have snagged then also. All I had for fuel was water bottle with HEED in it. Not much. My concentration came back to catching the group. Just ahead of me was the group along with the biggest hill on the route. This hill was significant because it was a marker in the big plan.
The “Big plan” was something that came to me as I was looking at the new course. I believe in the divine. I also believe that I was told to climb the hill, recover and then leave the lead group. I didn’t think it was the best plan being 14 miles from the finish. I didn’t expect waiting for the end to bare much fruit either.
I climbed the hill. Still feeling pretty good. When I got to the top I wasn’t dead. I recovered and caught the tail of the group. I had hoped that, when I left the lead group, I would have been well rested. That was not in the cards today. I rode on the back for a minute thinking how nice it was not to be chasing the group. Then my bike drifted to the right and I thought here we go. I rolled past the seven riders in a single file line. They were rolling at 25 mph. Some of them just hanging on. As I passed the leader, I watched him in my rear-view mirror. No response. I felt like Daniel walking through the lion’s den. As they faded in my mirror, I cranked it up going down a hill to 36mph and the race was on. The next 14 miles I would be the hunted. I looked at this as a 14 mile TT with a 36 mile warmup.
At 3 miles to go there were a couple wild cards. We entered the town with traffic and stop lights. I made it through the first stop light without delay. The second one was more challenging. I slowed down and ended up stopping for 10 seconds. All I had now, was one turn and 3 stop signs to blow. One of the signs was controlled by the police. The others I took my chances.
I crossed the line at 2:04:56. I was a minute ahead of second place. I was surprised that I didn’t get chased down by the group.
After the race many of the riders congratulated me and I had a chance to meet them for the first time. Some of the riders I knew through Stava but never met in person. One of the stronger riders may have psyched himself out. He commented that even if he chased me down there would not have been much to draft in the windy conditions.
https://www.strava.com/activities/1863657893
Flat 50 is a local ride for me. It is a competitive and non-competitive 25 and 50 mile ride through Hancock County. It’s flat pasture and farm land in east central Indiana. http://www.hancockflat50.com/
A week before the event I looked at the weather and registered. The forecast was to be a cool start around 60 degrees. I was looking forward to the fall weather.
I also noticed the route has changed also. For my followers of Strava, I have often ridden the route and named the ride Flat 50 …. I and others have been riding the route in preparation only to have it change.
Just to get familiar with the route I drove it the Monday before. I thought the route had a mix of freshly paved to “seasoned” roads. It went down and up a few valleys and up a steep hill that we went down on the old route. I did wonder if the name of the ride meant the same. I didn’t think it was as flat as before.
One other aspect of the ride I was looking forward to, was meeting some local riders. I spend a lot of time on Zwift and don’t mingle as much as I should.
Saturday morning, I sprung out of bed, hopped in the van and drove the long 5 miles to Greenfield. Rarely do bikers have this luxury to be close to their ride.
There was a lot of waiting. I was there at 7:30 for a 9:00 start. I was eager to start this ride. The weather was cool, and I thought I was a competitor.
About 10 minutes before 9, they started lining up. I sat there as they made announcements about the ride, who it benefited, thanking sponsors……… I’m listening, and I began shivering then began thinking. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dEtm_Q2LK9g Let’s get on with it.
After about 11 miles, I thought it would be a good time to eat a gel pack and drink a little. While I was preoccupied, the leaders slowly gapped me. I was a little concerned that I could get back. I had some creeping doubts on how long I will ride with the leaders. I began to chase them down. About 3 miles later I caught the 9 rider lead group passing a few stragglers along the way. We began a nice 6 mile downwind run on a straight road. We were averaging 26. I guarded the back while a revolving pace line worked in front of me. I was enjoying a nice 180 watt rest.
This next section of roads was unfamiliar to me. This was also leading to the “hilly” section of the flat 50. As I rode, I kept wondering how much longer before I got dropped. I didn’t realize how fast things can change, it wasn’t very long.
As we slowed for a turn, we crossed a bridge. The bridge was not smooth. As I crossed the bridge reclined on my seat. I began shaking like a 1st grader being shook down for lunch money by a bully. I heard something hit the ground and it was my cell phone. Good bye lead group, I must stop. I turned around picked up my cell phone just thinking of my big plan and hopes fading away. I’ll get to the big plan later. I got my wheels turning again. I was behind about a ½ mile. I was uncertain that I would return to the lead group. I did look on the bright side of this separation. The next few miles were up and down many 20 – 30 ft tall hills. I could blast down the hill at max speed and carry that speed into the uphill climb. At the bottom of one of the hills was a bridge with a grated deck. You know, the kind you can see through as you cross. I really hoped my back wheel would follow my front wheel as I crossed the bridge. I was committed since I was traveling 35 mph. Pucker factor pretty high.
Every now and then I would catch a glimpse of the lead group. It was encouraging to see them getting bigger. It had been 6 miles since I dropped my cell phone on the bridge. I had whittled the lead groups advantage down to 1/8 mile. I thought it would be a good time to relax a bit and have another gel pack. I reached into my pocket and they were missing. The pick-pocket bridge must have snagged then also. All I had for fuel was water bottle with HEED in it. Not much. My concentration came back to catching the group. Just ahead of me was the group along with the biggest hill on the route. This hill was significant because it was a marker in the big plan.
The “Big plan” was something that came to me as I was looking at the new course. I believe in the divine. I also believe that I was told to climb the hill, recover and then leave the lead group. I didn’t think it was the best plan being 14 miles from the finish. I didn’t expect waiting for the end to bare much fruit either.
I climbed the hill. Still feeling pretty good. When I got to the top I wasn’t dead. I recovered and caught the tail of the group. I had hoped that, when I left the lead group, I would have been well rested. That was not in the cards today. I rode on the back for a minute thinking how nice it was not to be chasing the group. Then my bike drifted to the right and I thought here we go. I rolled past the seven riders in a single file line. They were rolling at 25 mph. Some of them just hanging on. As I passed the leader, I watched him in my rear-view mirror. No response. I felt like Daniel walking through the lion’s den. As they faded in my mirror, I cranked it up going down a hill to 36mph and the race was on. The next 14 miles I would be the hunted. I looked at this as a 14 mile TT with a 36 mile warmup.
At 3 miles to go there were a couple wild cards. We entered the town with traffic and stop lights. I made it through the first stop light without delay. The second one was more challenging. I slowed down and ended up stopping for 10 seconds. All I had now, was one turn and 3 stop signs to blow. One of the signs was controlled by the police. The others I took my chances.
I crossed the line at 2:04:56. I was a minute ahead of second place. I was surprised that I didn’t get chased down by the group.
After the race many of the riders congratulated me and I had a chance to meet them for the first time. Some of the riders I knew through Stava but never met in person. One of the stronger riders may have psyched himself out. He commented that even if he chased me down there would not have been much to draft in the windy conditions.
https://www.strava.com/activities/1863657893
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