Brevet Ride Report Thread
Org: Great Lakes Randonneurs
Distance: 300km
Date: 6/1/13
Start: 7am
Finish: 10pm
total time: (15hrs)
on bike time: 12hrs 33min
Report:
Joe (Deet) and I drove up to Delavan from Chicago early on Saturday (4am). I had been fighting a pretty nasty cold for the prior 2 weeks, so in the days leading up to the ride, I was strongly considering re-riding the 200km instead of the 300km. But as we arrived in Delavan, I committed to the 300km with Joe. Weather called for 50% thunderstorms and 10-20 mph SW winds for most of the day. Luckily the weather cooperated and we only had a very brief, light shower. Thankfully, the wind did not play a big factor in the ride as it had on 5/11/13 GLR 200km.
The first 45 miles to Brodhead are the same on 300km as the 200km. During that portion of the ride, Joe and I were joined by Bob Booth from Madison who was on the 300km as well. Our paces were all the same, so we ended up riding the rest of the 300km with Bob. Bob is a huge rando nerd (in a good way)...full of info, he regaled us with his stories of trials and tribulations of the many rides he had completed...he had even rode the PBP (Paris-Brest-Paris). We arrived in Brodhead around 9:45am, a full hour before I had arrived there on the 5/11 ride...which gives you an idea of just how intense the headwind was on 5/11 ride.
Leaving Brodhead for New Glarus, we entered the hillier portion of the ride and were treated to some beautiful Wisconsin countryside. As we made our way to New Glarus, we had a couple short, but very steep climbs on Nye Road. Luckily, I've got a road triple, so I was able to spin up these without much problem. After New Glarus, came the 4 tops which are a series of climbs from valleys to the top of 4 ridges. The grades on these weren't as steep as on Nye road, but definitely challenging climbing. I was impressed with Joe's climbing ability, he only had a compact double and motored up these ridges well ahead of Bob and I...the dude was a beast. We arrived in Barneveld way ahead of the cut-off, so we took a bit extra time to eat and rest.
Leaving Barneveld for Oregon, I thought most of the climbing was over....wrong. While the climbing wasn't as intense as the prior sections, but it was still a bit of a mental slap in the face as I wasn't prepared. The first 20 miles was a bit of a slog, but eventually pulled it together. The wind also seemed to have moved to the West, giving us a little boost.
From Oregon back to Delavan is the same course as the 200km ride. This entire portion went by fast. Also, it gave me some experience with night riding. Upon entering Delavan, Joe got a flat, but we made quick work of getting it fixed and motored into the last control just before 10pm. Oddly, Joe and I had set a goal of 10pm on the way up from Chicago....I honestly didn't think we would make that goal at the start of this journey...I really thought we'd be later, but it was nice feeling to accomplish it. Bob's wife met us at Motel 8 with a six pack of New Glarus pale ale and we cheered our finish. Overall, a great ride.
At the start:
Wisconsin Countryside:
gratuitous bike shot:
Bob and Joe:
Well deserved beer (New Glarus of course!)
Views: 461
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Eric Peterson on
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Nice ride report! I also recall in past years thinking the climbing on the 300K was over after Barneveld.
How did your new light work out, and is that a Banjo Brothers seatpost bag on your bike?
--Eric
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Permalink Reply by spencewine on
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The new light worked out well. I needed it for 1-1.5hours and only used about 25% of the battery, but it lit up the whole road on high and no issues with outrunning the light. And yes, that is Banjo bro's seat trunk.
Eric Peterson said:Nice ride report! I also recall in past years thinking the climbing on the 300K was over after Barneveld.
How did your new light work out, and is that a Banjo Brothers seatpost bag on your bike?
--Eric
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Permalink Reply by ilter on
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Org: Great Lakes Randonneurs
Distance: 200km
Date: 6/22/13
Start: 7am
Finish: 8:20pm
total time: (13hrs 20min)
on bike time: 11hrs maybe?
Report:
It was a hot & humid day, so Adam and I decided to take it easy. We took longer breaks at the controls, had two meals and also an emergency ice cream stop in downtown Edgerton. Still finished in our usual 13+ hour time, so I suppose we rolled faster than usual :)
It was nice to meet Eric on streets of Delavan and 4 other riders later on route. There was a first time brevet rider on his brand new bike. A good way to test a new bike! In Brodhead we were 4 riders waiting for the storm to pass & each of us received our share of "hey guys, it is raining, in case you did not know" or "you guys are so fast that you ride thru the rain drops, don`t cha? " or "we were wet before we were dry" or similar jokes/remarks from random convenience store customers.
In Edgerton, not knowing what to buy from the convenience store, as we were going to eat/drink at the Taco place next door, after five minutes of searching around, we ended up buying a six pack of New Glarus (Totally Naked) beer and splitting between the two of us with Adam. I am still yet to taste it, but I am sure any beer you carry on your bike for 30 miles is bound to be delicious.
Skipped the detour and rode through the construction on M (or MM?) which presented an off-road experience for half mile or less. It was a nice break from pavement and the road vibrations felt like a massage :) OK, that was an exaggeration.
Overall it was I think my most relaxed brevet ever.
Thinking about doing the new-to-me 400K route next. Hmm.
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Awesome ride report. Wish I was there. When are you considering the 400? July 13 or 27th?
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Permalink Reply by Adam Z on
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The ice cream stop before riding up to Carl's Shell made that segment much more enjoyable. Good idea, Ilter!
ilter said:It was a hot & humid day, so Adam and I decided to take it easy. We took longer breaks at the controls, had two meals and also an emergency ice cream stop in downtown Edgerton. Still finished in our usual 13+ hour time, so I suppose we rolled faster than usual :)
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Glad you enjoyed. I am thinking the 13th. In the mornings I think I can do the 400K, when I am tired at the end of the day I think I should do 300K, swings back and forth :)
spencewine said:Awesome ride report. Wish I was there. When are you considering the 400? July 13 or 27th? -
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Bob Booth, who was mentioned earlier in this thread, rode LEL & wrote a ride report:
http://www.minnesotarandonneurs.org/uncategorized/ride-report-londo...
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