now THAT was a bad idea ride

Trademark that. I was warned.

I knew it was going to be rough going in.

I saw the elevation profiles, the % grades.

I saw the temps.

I knew there was likely no spots to resupply on the course.

And yet, I loaded up, put on my sunscreen, brought as many bottles as I could carry and set out.

With one gear.

30PSI in the 700x45 Hutchinson Toureg tires on the Aeolus 3V wheels.

38x15 gears... lights, tools, two sandwiches, two cliff bars, sleeve of margarita blocks USB battery and a cable for the phone and garmin, bandana around my head (sweat catcher) and around my neck (germ and dust catcher). Stuck a 4th bottle in the mini-frame bag.

I chronicled the ride using instagram stories, quick video clips throughout the day. 

There was a lot of climbing. There was a lot of sand and big rocks, and sticks, and spiderwebs and deer flies. Two ferocious dogs that chased and barked and nipped at my heels (twice). 

There was a death grip descent and then a drop over a log, looked clean, went over it only to see what was hiding was a SECOND log. I for sure thought I was going over the bars, but managed to hold my body position back and keep from pitching forward and just barely recovered and nose rolled over the second log. If it was a mm or two further away from the first log i'd have eaten shit pretty badly in a really remote area. 

Of course there were the wide open dirt road descents. that were not straight. 

Did I mention we haven't really had much ran in the last couple weeks? And this stuff is mostly sand? 

It was slippery as fuck out there. BUT even on the steepest grindy bits in that tall gear, those tires held on like velcro and the width saved my butt countless times over in the lose sand. No it isn't as good as the big 3" tires on the MTB but it was still better than most CX bikes can run.

I did have to walk up a few hills. One just went on and on and on and it was hot and i just couldn't keep pedaling. So I got off, and started walking, and then realized I could eat while I walked, it was about half way. Good time to eat. Then a CCB rider on a red specialized saw me walking up and slowed way down and asked if I was okay/needed anything. I just said - singlespeed - sudden dawn of recognition across his face and he was rolling again. 

Saw Melissa and Tracey out there. Talked to them for a few minutes, I needed the break, had just climbed some stupid steep stuff, lots of as slow as possible but still moving forward climbing before seeing them. 

heard a few thunder booms while chatting with them, they headed down the stuff I went up and I kept moving. Saw some signs of rain drops but never got wet all day. 

Ran out of water even rationing it. Looked at all the houses for someone outside I could ask to fill bottles up from a hose, no one. No stores.

Popped out at the DPW garage where I did the first singlespeed MTB ride in Arcadia, and knew there was an Ice cream shop up the road from there, but the route turned off well before that and well... i followed the route.

Made it to Don's house a few miles from the end of the route. And yes, There were LOTS of times when I could have just said fuck it and headed back, skipped a section, but i didn't, i, like a dumbass, followed the course exactly. And had to ride the last 10 miles completely out of water in the hot sun in upper 80 temps. okay well i think i saved the last swig of water until maybe 5 miles to go. 

At Don's i drank a couple bottles of ice water there - gave myself a brain freeze, he had a bottle of ice coffee ready and i left with that and two full big bottles of water. And rode right up the big fucking hill. 

BTW the bandanna was really helpful for filtering out all the dust.

And then finished all three bottles just after getting on the East Bay bike path for home. Legs recovered enough to sprint down cranston at full speed, was a surprise. All recovered and more hydrated and fueled (finished my last sandwich on the coventry bike path - the downhill with a tailwind part). 

The gear was fine except when it wasn't which means it should have been a bit lighter - maybe a 38-17 instead, but in the end, I made it home. chatted with John Harris just after the 100 mile mark. 

got home - drank a bunch of water, ate a big salad, then some potato chips, had more water and tried to sleep. 

Got up, got on the same bike and rode in. Felt pretty good actually.

it was a long day in the saddle, but a good day...

The consistent ear worm? for some reason this

It was a lot of work, lots of low cadence grinding, high speed downhill death grip (i do now want hydros on this bike - the Spyres are great cable brakes but they are NOT hydros).

might have to put the wideos up somewhere to preserve them... maybe IG feed...  will think about that

anyway

wear your mask

amor fati motherfuckers

heddwch

G

PS embedded the videos over on the IG: https://www.instagram.com/ge_willi/