1997 Bridge to Bridge Incredible Challenge The Ninth Riding 21 September 1997 Douglas B. Meade meade@math.sc.edu Jim Chubon Micah & Debby Froese Joel Froese Jack Kramer trijimbo@msn.com mfroese@hotmail.com joel@scsn.net jkramer@sctcorp.com
============================================================================== Editor's Remarks ---------------- This is a composite ride report with contributions from each of the above people. I have attempted to attribute contributions to the appropriate authors; I apologize in advance for any errors in this regard. Joel Froese took a few photos during the ride and at the finish. The full HTML version of this report will contain links to those photos. Otherwise, the images can be accessed directly from my account via the URL: http://www.math.sc.edu/~meade/images/b2b-97/ I hope you will find our different perspectives interesting and informative. Doug ============================================================================== This year's version of Bridge to Bridge used a somewhat different route than in previous years. Instead of starting from the bridge over the Catawba River on the outskirts of Hickory, NC, the ride started from one of several bridges over the drainage ditches for the Lenoir Mall (well, that's my best guess in the pre-dawn twilight as we made our way to the starting line). The route rejoined the traditional route at the 10 mile marker, in Granite Falls. Before going into more detail of the ride, let's provide some background and introduce the entire cast of characters. Our group of riders are all affiliated with the Carolina Cyclers in Columbia, SC. The Froese's (Joel, Micah, and Debby) are relative newcomers to cycling. Micah and Debby almost rode their first centuries on the local MS 150, held one week before B2B. Jack Kramer is the oldest and most experienced rider in our group, but this is the first mountain century he's been able to ride since moving to Columbia a little over 2 years ago. Jim Chubon lived in Columbia for a couple of years but now resides in Tucson, AZ. He was able to coordinate a visit to Columbia to be present for a family gathering for the birth of his sister's (Linda Larkee) baby. (Thanks Dale and Linda - and Melissa - for scheduling this for a time when Jim could ride B2B with us!) This would be Jim's fourth time to participate in B2B. I (Doug) am the only other member of our group to have ridden B2B before; this would be my fifth riding. One other member of our group is Brad Poindexter. He's our leader, but came down with a cold during the week before B2B and was unable to participate. JF> We arrived in Lenoir Saturday after a 150-mile drive from Columbia, JF> South Carolina. After checking in at Lenoir Mall and the hotel, three JF> of us took the cars up to Grandfather Mountain so that we could leave JF> my van and Doug's car to take us back to Lenoir the next day. This JF> gave me a sneak preview of part of the course. From Hwy 221 I looked JF> up once to see the Linn Cove Viaduct and from the map I could tell JF> the Blue Ridge Parkway runs parallel to Hwy 221 most of the way; it JF> is just a good bit higher. On our return we took the Parkway toward JF> Blowing Rock. By this time it was raining and we were anxious for the JF> cold front to move through before the start time Sunday, yet worried JF> about the temperature and wind behind it. JF> JF> That night we ate at Giovanni's Italian Restaurant. We called ahead and JF> were told they were full, but when we got there several minutes later JF> it looked half empty. We all had spaghetti, which consisted of a small JF> dish of pasta covered by a heaping mound of meat sauce, the opposite JF> of what we wanted to "carb up" but it was quite good. Our biggest pre-ride concern was the weather. A cold front passed through the Carolinas late Saturday night or early Sunday morning. The high temperatures for Lenoir were forecast in the 60's with strong winds. If this held true, the Parkway and Grandfather Mountain would certainly be colder and windier. Clothing choices were difficult; most of us chose shorts and short-sleeved jerseys (and carried a light jacket). Some riders wore long-sleeved jerseys and a larger number started in arm and/or leg warmers. The morning temperatures were close to 70 with an overcast, but non-threatening, sky. It looked like this would be a very pleasant day for a ride in the mountains. Pre-start staging required a short hike (over the aforementioned bridge) and through a youth baseball complex. DM> As we were beginning this cross-country hike, I'm pretty sure I had DM> a short and informal conversation with Joey Jackson, maintainer of DM> the B2B webpage. JF> After a nearly sleepless night (I can't figure out why) we woke JF> early to partake of the hotel's free continental breakfast and JF> were greeted by a nearly 70 degree temperature (we realized this JF> would probably be the high temperature for the day) We left the JF> hotel while it was still dark with several other groups of cyclists. JF> We managed the approx. 1 mile to Lenoir Mall carrying bags with JF> shoes and other essentials we would need at the finish; next year JF> we will remember to bring two pairs of shoes and leave one with the JF> cars at MacRae Meadow. After dropping our bags at the designated JF> spot, we had to traverse a narrow bridge and a softball park to get JF> to the starting line. This is were I lost the rest of my group; I JF> suspected and later learned that they worked their way to the front. JF> This however gave me the opportunity to pass a large part of the JF> field after we finally started. It was a very diverse field; I JF> saw mountain bikes, a Bike Friday (fold-up), a recumbent, and JF> numerous tandems. As the announced start time of 7am came and went, the crowd bunched towards the start. I led our group a little too far forward; we were not on the paved road surface. We all got onto the road and on our way without incident. The first few miles were generally uphill which seemed to have the benefit of minimizing some of the usual wild rushes to the front. This was one of the cleaner starts that I've experienced on Mt. Mitchell and B2B. JF> We moved along at a nice clip through Hudson on to Granite Falls. JF> We didn't even have to stop at any intersection, they are all patrolled JF> by police officers or emergency workers -- a nice touch. For a short JF> time in Granite Falls it becomes a closed course; the road is blocked JF> by a fire truck, cones, and hay bales. This gives us a small taste of JF> what the Tour de France must be like, complete with cheering crowds. The pack gave the accordion a good workout during the first hour, when we covered a moderately paced 20 miles. As our patience with the accordion wore thin, we moved closer to the front of the pack. Once Jack, Jim, and I found a comfortable place in the first 50 riders we had a pleasant cruise to the base of NC 181. We covered the first 50 miles in a relaxed 2:14 (22.4mph). Micah was only a minute or two further back in the main pack; Joel and Debby reached the halfway point a few minutes later. JF> We continued down several rural roads; I passed Debby and then met JF> Chris, who trained with us once at Caesar's Head, SC, but didn't know JF> if she would be able to make B2B. Then all of a sudden I see Giovanni's JF> Italian Restaurant; we had come full circle. JF> JF> This is were the fun begins; we blast through downtown Lenoir and JF> then begin hitting some bigger hills. I picked people off on the up-hills JF> and got passed (mainly by tandems) on the down-hills. By now I am JF> actually looking forward to the solitude of the climb on Hwy. 181. JF> When I reach the half-way point (just before the climb) my average JF> speed is 21 MPH. The lead pack was still HUGE as we turned onto NC 181 and began the almost 20 mile climb to the Blue Ridge Parkway. The pace was almost too relaxed for my taste during the first parts of the climb. This changed quickly (and almost imperceptibly) as riders - including myself - were dropped from the pack. I was very surprised that I was not able to find a group of riders to join after I was dropped. Everyone was either making a concerted surge to the front or was dropping like a rock. Jack was ahead of me from the beginning of the climb; Jim passed me as we turned onto the Parkway; the Froese's were all behind me. JF> Now comes the real test of an individual's strength and endurance. JF> The Highway 181 climb starts gently enough, but soon I am pushing JF> my lowest gear at 8 to 12 MPH. After a "pit stop" and picking up JF> some Fig Newtons & Gatorade I continue the climb. I am picking off JF> other riders one by one, the better climbers are far ahead of me I JF> suspect. I am glad that it is overcast and cool; I would hate to JF> have the sun bearing down on me since Hwy. 181 is a big, open high JF> way, not like the winding, canopied climbs where we trained. I keep JF> waiting for the break in climbing 2/3 into the climb that I remember JF> seeing in the ride profile, but each flat or downhill seemed to short. JF> Soon I could tell the mountain was cresting out, I was at Jonas Ridge. JF> For nearly two miles another road parallels us less than a hundred JF> yards away, it's not till later that I realize it is the Blue Ridge JF> Parkway. Finally I am on the Parkway there is still more climbing, but JF> now it really feels like I am in the mountains. The JF> Blue Ridge Parkway; JF> indeed is a park, complete with manicured lawn on each side and a JF> breath-taking overlooks every couple miles. It is getting colder and JF> I am still climbing, but the natural beauty of the Parkway makes it JF> worth it. I stopped at the first reststop on the Parkway (mile 71+) to refill water bottles. I was a little worried when I realized that I had emptied only one large bottle in almost 4 hours of riding. I felt good, but still that's much less than normal. I was back under way in less than 15 seconds. The road surface was still a little wet from an early morning shower on the Parkway. The air temperatures were also noticeably cooler. It was cool enough for me to wish I was wearing socks and to think about stopping to put on my jacket. By the time I thought seriously about this I was close to the exit from the Parkway and decided the natural canopy over 221 would provide enough insulation to not need the jacket - this was a good decision. While it would have been easier (physically) to be riding with a group, there was a certain tranquility to be riding by myself in a group of almost 1000 riders. During these times I often release many of the stresses that have accumulated in recent weeks and still enjoy the beautiful surroundings. JC> I had forgotten how beautiful this ride is -- the AZ mountains are JC> spectacular in a very different way! JF> After I cross Hwy 221 the Parkway flattens out some and even throws JF> in some descents; now I am really getting cold, I wish I had some JF> arm-warmers or a jacket. I keep peeking down the mountain looking to JF> catch a glimpse of Hwy. 221 and maybe the leaders if I'm lucky. At the JF> Linn Cove Viaduct JF> I remember to get my camera out in time to take JF> a picture of a rider in front of me and the riders miles ahead on the JF> Parkway as it wraps around the next mountain. After a descent of JF> several miles with speeds approaching 50 MPH, I am cold and hungry. JF> I stop at the Sims Pond rest stop to stock up on Fig Newton's again JF> (I love those Fig Newton's) and down two cups a grapes. The exit from the Parkway onto NC 221 (outside Blowing Rock) is at the 85 mile mark. I arrived at this point in about 4:20 (19.6 mph). This was about 10 minutes faster than in 1996. I tried to join a couple of small groups on 221, but none of these groups stayed together through any of the descents or climbs. I complete 95 miles in just over 5 hours and realize that the first finishers will be done in a matter minutes. The Parkway underpass is my signal that the entrance to Grandfather Mountain is just ahead and that this is my last chance to eat or drink before the finish. (I did drink most of a second bottle in the last two hours. Two bottles in 100 miles - just a few weeks ago it was two bottles per hour! - but my legs feel as good as can be expected so all systems are go for the final push to the finish. JF> Soon I am heading back to Grandfather Mountain on Hwy 221. This is where JF> it starts getting lonely, for several miles at a time I see no riders JF> in front or behind me, and those last 15, then 10, then 5 miles seem JF> to take so long. I begin to worry about the final climb that everyone JF> has warned me about, they described it as a death march with water JF> bottles, pumps, bikes and riders strewn along the road and others JF> pushing their bikes up. Soon I pass under the Parkway (noticing riders JF> overhead that still have to ride the 30 mile loop I just completed) JF> and after another couple miles I am at the entrance to Grandfather JF> Mountain. I pass through the gates to Grandfather Mountain in 5:17. There are still 2.5 miles and almost 1000 feet of climbing before reaching the finish. My most common speed seems to be 6mph. My goal is to maintain this average for the last 2.5 miles (25 minutes) - this would give a finishing time of 5:42. I reach the 2 MILES TO GO sign in 5:21 - one minute ahead of schedule. The next mile is brutal (I never think to count the switchbacks, but they seem to be getting steeper. At some point I give up on taking the inside line through the switchbacks, but I'm still passing quite a few riders. It's not uncommon for riders to take side trips down the parking lots just to get relief from the climbing. At one point I see a rider doing laps around a tree (each lap couldn't have been more than 20 feet) I wonder what he thought when he saw there was a parking lot only 100 feet further up the road. I know that there is a "flat" section of this road somewhere in the last two miles. I'm able to shift from my 39x26 into the 39x17 or 39x15; this feels great but the harder I push the sooner the flat ends and the final climb begins. I pass the 1 MILE TO GO sign in 5:31 - still 1 minute ahead of schedule. It's only a couple more switchbacks to the 1/2 MILE TO GO sign. I attempt to carry as much speed (maybe 10 mph) out of the last switchback and up the final incline. I know this grade is not as steep as what I've just done, but I never look to see how much further I have to go. I look up the road only to check that there are no riders tacking their way up this narrow two lane road and no sag vehicles backed up behind waiting for traffic to clear at the top. JF> Just inside the park I pass the 100 mile mark and am pleased that I JF> turned a sub-6 hour mountain century, but know that I still have a JF> lot of work to do. I am actually somewhat pleasantly surprised, it JF> is not as terrible as everybody said it would be; there are actually JF> some not-so-steep parts where you can catch your breath between the JF> "grunt" climbs. I pass the "1 mile to go" sign and prepare myself JF> for worse, then the "1/2 mile to go" sign. By now I am in my lowest JF> gear and standing, but I feel fine. At one point I take a half a loop JF> in a turn-out but then just continue slogging up the mountain. Finally JF> there are stopped cars in the road (and bikes) and I see the trouble: JF> the final JF> switchbacks. JF> The winding road is clogged with bikes, cars, buses and trucks carrying JF> back bikes down, but I keep up my slow, steady pace. Over the top, a sharp right, a couple turns of the cranks, and I'm done. The clock reads 5:41 - I maintained the 1 minute advantage over my goal. I am the 112th finisher. As I roll to a stop, I find myself next to Jim and Jack. Jack finished in 5:28 (#70) and had already disposed of his bike and grabbed some food. Jim had finished in 5:40 (#107) and was still using his bike for support. DM> If I had known he was that close in front of me, maybe I could have DM> caught him - NOT! JC> I had forgotten how steep the last 2 miles are--OUCH! I think I was JC> in denial about this until I realized my front wheel was pulling off JC> the ground an inch or two as I slowly cranked through the switchbacks JC> -- OK guys, maybe I need a frisbee on the back after all. (My normal JC> Tucson gearing is 55-42 x 11-21 with 650c wheels. I changed this to JC> 53-39 x 13-23 with 700c wheels for B2B; my frisbee will be a 26.) DM> Speaking of wheels pulling off the ground, there was at least one DM> finisher with the wherewithall to ride a wheelie across the finish DM> line - or was this possibly a bike with a broken suspension? (:-)) JF> As I turn the last switchback the JF> visitor center JF> looms above me, and the road seems a bit flatter so JF> I shift up a gear, a mistake a quickly take back. The last 100 feet JF> is lined with spectators cheering me on so there is no choice but JF> dig in and find that last bit of energy to take me to the top. I JF> finish in 6 hours 14 minutes, and am greeted by Doug, Jack, Jim, JF> Micah, and some friends from Columbia who also rode: Tim & Henry. About 15 minutes later (5:57) Micah becomes the 172nd finisher to roll across the finish line. Joel finishes in 6:14 (#238) and Debby in 6:55 (# 383). We are all very impressed with these times for first mountain centuries. This year's free food is noticeably better than the soggy subs and/or hotdogs from prior years. After this quick stop to eat and change clothes, we load the cars and begin the trip home. As we drive down the Parkway, we see riders continuing their push to the finish. JF> After catching my breath and downing some more Fig Newton, I wrap JF> myself in a foam packing "blanket" and watch other riders come up. JF> This proves to be interesting; some riders tack back and forth JF> across the rode to minimize the grade, those with triple-chainrings JF> slowly spin their way up. Others give up and walk up the final grade; JF> or even run! One fellow even had the foresight to bring a pair of slippers JF> with him and tape to fasten his shoes to the bike. Another poor guy JF> had his "nose to the grindstone" and didn't notice a van that had JF> stopped in front of him until he ran into it, but that didn't stop JF> him, he got back on his bike finished the c limb. I didn't see it, JF> but I heard a tandem captain had his stoker give up on him, so he JF> pedaled the bike to the finish by himself! After 40 minutes of JF> watching this spectacle our last rider finally shows up. Debby JF> finished in 6:55; we were all pleased that although we all rode at JF> our own pace, the entire group finished within an hour and half of JF> the fastest member (Jack at 5:28) Now we have to find a way down. JF> Between the bikes coming up there were buses, truck, & vans carrying JF> riders, spectators and bike down to MacRae Meadow. Besides all this JF> the park was still open to the public, so there were bewildered JF> tourist and even personal SAG's which specifically prohibited. JF> This made for a logistical nightmare for the organizers and the JF> Grandfather Mountain staff, but the spectacular finish is definitely JF> worth it. We all crammed into a van with what seemed like another JF> dozen riders for the ride back down the mountain. At the Meadow we JF> collected our bags, retrieved items from the cars and had the JF> complementary stew and drinks. We again met our friends from Columbia, JF> Chris and Lisa, who needed a ride back to Lenoir. So we retrieved JF> our bikes an managed to put 5 bikes in the back of my Dodge Caravan JF> (which surprised us all) plus Doug had an extra rail for his roof JF> rack, so we were able to transport all 8 bikes and riders back to JF> Lenoir. As we left there were still riders coming up Hwy. 221, and JF> we wondered if we would still see any on the Parkway. Cruising down JF> the Parkway, we enjoyed the scenery again from the comfort of a car JF> when we did indeed see what must have been the last rider on the JF> Parkway just after the Sims Pond rest stop, at his rate he would not JF> make it to the 10 hour cut-off at the park entrance, but I don't think JF> he would want that climb after 10 hours anyway. JF> JF> Back in Lenoir we drop Chris & Lisa off at their car and the went JF> to the Golden Corral buffet restaurant for some serious eating. We JF> made it back to Columbia by 10pm. I found it hard to get up at 7:30 JF> the next morning, but poor Debby had to get up a 4:30 to study for JF> a test that day! I now know that there were 907 riders and 732 finishers. The first finisher was Gordon Stiel in 5:07. The fact that there were more than 100 finishers in the 34 minutes that elapsed before I finished is a sign of the relative strength of this year's field. (In 1996 I was the 126th finisher in 5:57.) A full list of finishers and times is available from the Bridge to Bridge homepage on the WWW. (The B2B URL is: http://www.mindspring.com/~roadrash/b2b/) Miscellaneous Remarks: ---------------------- Based on the other stories that have been posted to the B2B homepage, I can now attach names to some of the faces and events I saw along the route. - Joey: I was the rider carrying the 68cm candy-apple red Waterford through the sand on the way to the start. A third Waterford rider had just suggested that Waterford's should have the right-of-way crossing the bridge, but this was not met with strong support. Also, if you were wearing a Waterford jersey, you stopped about 5 feet from us after you crossed the finish line. - Garth: You were not the first person to take a slow fall on the final incline. You at least had the good fortune to fall at the edge of the road. We saw another rider fall in the middle of the left lane, directly in front of one of the bike transport trucks. This rider was either suffering from violent cramps or was became quite entangled in his bike. It seemed like more than a minute before I saw any movement from the rider. (It was even longer before the driver of the truck got out to see if he could be of any assistance.) You are completely correct when you note that getting back on the bike is almost impossible on this grade. But, how did you recover from the cramps so quickly that you were able to sprint to the top of the incline - you were moving. - Another interesting site that we saw was a rider who came prepared to walk on the final climb. This rider had used duct tape to attach his riding shoes to his top tube and was wearing a pair of river shoes/aqua socks. I'm sure there were others who wished they were as well prepared. DM> I hope to return next year with at least as many people in our group. DM> Anyone in the Columbia area who is interested in joining us for local DM> rides or trips to the mountains should contact any of us via the e-mail DM> addresses at the top of this report. JC> THANK YOU to Doug, Jack, Micah, Joel, and Debby for a great weekend! JC> Hats off to the six of us for downing an estimated 30 plates of food JC> at the Golden Corral after the ride! Congrats to everyone for a great JC> display of climbing and having fun. See you next year! JF> Even though it was the most strenuous ride of my life, I really JF> enjoyed this ride. It was very well organized and the scenery made JF> everything worth it even though it was overcast. ==============================================================================