Tour de Cure: Winds Over the Prairie

APT file photo (this route,not this event)

I decided somewhat belatedly to ride in Saturday's American Diabetes Association Tour de Cure. Garver had a big team and Diane had ordered me a jersey, so I showed up in time for the Century start with checkbook in hand. I immediately saw Chris, Jo, D. Wonn, and John Martin and knew the wheels that I'd need to follow! The route was pretty much "the usual", heading east and then south through England to Tucker. We started out with a pretty big group, but it rapidly thinned. Jonny Meyer stopped at the Scott rest area to stretch his cramping legs and I think several others that had not already been shed stopped there, too. I've ridden with these guys before and know to stick an extra bottle in my pocket, 'cause this train ain't stoppin'!

The wind went from bothersome to "screaming bitch" as we rode south. If we weren't teeth into the wind, we were riding in echelon, battling crosswinds, and the last 8-10 miles of open country were brutal. As we approached the Jefferson County Line, the rider in front of me rolled off after a pull and I was shocked by the wind we were riding into. I struggled to stay over 14 MPH, riding in my 21 cog and focusing on a tree line beyond the open fields as my goal before rolling off and dumping the load on Chris. It hurt, and we were glad to reach our only rest stop of the ride at Tucker City Park, the turnaround point for the 100 mile ride. We filled bottles, ate bananas, clowned on the three exercycles that were inexplicably posed in formation under a pine tree at the city park. 10 minutes after arrivng, we were back on the bikes.

Riding with these guys involves a lot of just hanging on for me. Their serious training pays off in serious horsepower and endurance, and, while I contribute and take some pulls, I know am a net wheel sucker! The return trip was not as groovy as anticipated, as we still had miles of crosswinds, but the true downwind runs were magic. David kept urging JMar to keep it over 30 MPH, then David took a pull and tore our legs off as we flew down the road at 32-33 MPH. It is a rush turning over that big a gear that fast for that long, listening to the sound of the tires on pavement and wheels slicing the air as the trailing wind is near silent. We were actually wishing for 11 tooth cogs, but the effort took its toll. I finally cracked as we rolled back into North Little Rock. Chris rode the last 10 miles or so to the finish with me and there was no place on my bike that I wanted to be. The route was mercifully only 96 miles and I was ready to be done.

I've done this route in the wind before and there is just nothing easy about it, but at least we had some tailwind on the way home. When your nose is on your stem, you're in your little ring and deep into your casette, and all you can see is open, wind whipped cropland ahead, it can really make you wonder what the hell you were thinking, but eventually you push the miles behind and finish the ride. And then it's good.

Thanks, guys, for the steady wheels (well, except for that one short moment of shear, rubber burning fear.) and the good company.

And thanks to the folks at Garver for their support of this event.