Steve, Peggy, Ray, Nelson, and I rode Nelson’s Cheeburger! Cheeburger! 200k permanent today. This route leaves out of Van Alstyne and heads straight west to Forestburg, then makes the return trip. It crosses the upper reaches of Lake Ray Roberts in four places, gving some great scenery there, as well as offering some great views of the rolling hills around Forestburg. We started the ride at 7:30 am.

I threw way more clothes than I thought I’d ever need in the truck before I left for the ride start, but when I arrived in Van Alstyne, it was 44 degrees, so I put on everything I had. It warmed up nicely within a couple of hours, and turned into a beautiful sunny day, in spite of the cloudy day forecasts. Forestburg is just 15 miles from Montague, where the worst fires were, but we saw no fire damage on the route, and there was no smoke in the air today.

The nice little ENE tailwind we had on the way to Forestburg quickly turned into a hard blowing ESE headwind after we turned around, making the second half of the ride much tougher. The 17.2 mph average I carried into Forestburg quickly faded as we headed back. I always seem to wear out late in these rides, when I’ve made one of my marathon bass fishing trips the day before, and today was no exception. I hit the wall at around mile 80, and was pretty much just turning the pedals after that. Any time I end up in that situation, I always think back to Mark Metcalfe’s thoughts on the subject: “You’d be surprised at how many miles you can still ride, after you’ve reached the point of just being able to turn the pedals.” That thought always seems to help me finish these rides.

Near Valley View on the return route, at mile 84, I passed the 10,000 mile mark on my Corsa. That’s easily the most miles I’ve ever put on one bike. As usual, I had a blast riding with this group. Thanks for having me along, y’all! We finished up with a great dinner, and I headed home, thinking I would get there before any rain arrived. I was mistaken. At 8:00 pm, I was sitting in the parking lot known as the Dallas mixmaster, in a hail storm. I think it was all small enough to not damage my truck, but I’ll have to check in the daylight tomorrow.

I ended up with 126.5 miles, and finished the ride in 10:20. My Garmin showed 4,700 feet of climbing.

Jeri Baughn became the first person wanting to ride the new Peachy Keene 200k permanent owned by yours truly, so I joined her for the ride this morning. Mark Metcalfe also came to ride with us. It was 56 degrees at 8:00 am, ride start time, with high humidity, dark clouds, and an already howling wind. The wind and humidity made it seem much cooler, and I put on my leg warmers before the ride started. It ended up sunny and in the low 80’s in the afternoon, a big change from morning, like some of these spring days can be.

Jeri said before the ride that she would likely struggle with the time limit, especially with the wind, so Mark and I didn’t try to stay back with her, and rode ahead almost from the beginning. But we also rode an easy pace. Mark was nursing a gimpy knee (and no matter what Mark tells you, it was NOT me that let 20 pounds of air out of his rear tire), and the morning coolness and dampness had my asthma flaring up pretty quickly, so we were both content to ride an easy pace.

This route starts in southwest Arlington, and heads southwest through Kennedale and on to Keene, then to Cleburne for the first control. Then it heads pretty much straight south to an information control west of Covington, then on to Itasca, then Maypearl, and Alvarado, before returning to Arlington. It’s rolling hills much of the way to Cleburne, but the trees surrounding the narrow roads helped to keep the wind off of us. South of Cleburne, there are fewer trees, and the wind was pretty tough. Just past Itasca at mile 65 is the trip up Orphan hill, then it’s all easier riding down to the valley where Maypearl is, and with a tailwind the rest of the way.

On the few days he rides slower and I can keep up with him, it’s always a blast to ride with Mark. His knee held up ok, so hopefully, he’s well on the road to recovery with it. Today’s ride was a reminder that there’s nothing wrong with riding an easy pace on one of these long rides, and it can be a lot of fun. I’m usually trying to keep up with riders that are faster than me, and tend to be wiped out after the ride. Tonight is the least tired I’ve ever felt after a 200k.

Thanks for a great ride, Mark. Unfortunately, Jeri missed a turn, got in time trouble, and DNF’d. I hope she is able to finish it next time. I ended up with 124.6 miles, and finished the ride in 10:35. My gps showed 4,200 feet of climbing, which is a LOT more than the 2,400 feet that bikely showed, but still one of the easier 200k permanents.

Peachy Keene route

I got a chance to review a new product: the Long Bike Tote hitch rack. The Long Bike Tote is built by Tom and Lucia Howorth, near Fort Worth. The Howorths aren’t recumbent riders; they’re tandem riders. Tom wanted a hitch rack that would hold his tandem low and nicely behind a small vehicle. He never found one, so he built one. A couple of area bike shops figured out the rack works for a recumbent, too. And Rick Gurney at Plano Cycling, knowing I had a garage full of recumbents, called to see if I wanted to get with the Howorths and possibly test and review one.

I already use a hitch rack to transport my bikes. The rack I’ve been using is what I’ve considered to be the best recumbent hitch rack ever made: the later vintage Sportworks recumbent rack, called the Sportworks Universal Bent Bike Rack. This rack uses two ratcheting arms, is the sturdiest built rack I’ve ever seen, lets you load or unload a bike in 5 to 10 seconds, and holds it very solidly.

Of course, even the Sportworks has its limitations. Besides not being made any more, too long a bike won’t fit on it. And there is the issue of how long a bike you can carry sideways with the wheels on, anyway. I won’t attempt to pronounce the maximum wheelbase a bike can have, and be safely transported sideways. But I will say that, for me, that length seems to be about 66″. That’s the length of my wife’s prototype Xstream, and also the longest length the Sportworks Universal Bent rack will carry without modification. That was one of the factors that led me to purchase the prototype for my wife, rather than a production Xstream. It’s over 3″ shorter than the production Xstreams, and while it was too short for me to get the recline I wanted, it’s plenty long enough for my wife.

The overall length of the Xstream is 92″, and my Tacoma’s mirrors measure 83″ tip to tip, so the overhang outside my mirrors isn’t too much on the truck. That mirror measurement on my wife’s Corolla is just 76″ though, and even the Xstream’s length is a bit bothersome on it. I had modified an old style Sportworks recumbent rack module (the kind with the two spring arms, like the bus racks) to hold my Nimbus, and then my Stratus XP. The Nimbus had a 68″ wheelbase (and 700c wheels, which made it even longer overall), and my SXP has a 71″ wheelbase. I did not feel comfortable at all, carrying either of those bikes on the rack, even on my truck.

As soon as I saw the Long Bike Tote rack on their website, I had one of those “Why didn’t I think of that?” moments. The Long Bike Tote uses a fork mount for the front of the bike. I had not seen that done on a sideways-carrying hitch rack before. That instantly shortens a bike by 12 or 13 inches. I headed right out to my garage and modified the old style Sportworks module to carry my SXP with a fork mount on the front. That reduced the overall length of the SXP from 97″ to 85″, and it felt MUCH better behind my truck. And the Long Bike Tote gives the option of removing the rear wheel too, resting the frame on a support, which can shorten a bike even more for transport. With the rise in popularity of the dual big wheel long wheelbase recumbents, and problems transporting them, this seemed like a worthy product to review.

When I spoke to Tom, he mentioned his desire to get the Long Bike Tote in front of the recumbent community, and expressed his willingness to make some modifications for a recumbent version. I told him that I really wanted to be able to carry two long wheelbase recumbents on the rack (the website showed only an add-on for a short bike). I also felt the distance between the two bikes on the rack needed to be greater, because of the large seats on recumbents, and I asked about more sideways adjustment for the second bike, to help with centering, and eliminating interference between the bikes. Tom put together a prototype for me to try out.

The rack works very well. The front bike tray has multiple mounting holes, so you can adjust it side to side, depending on whether you’re removing both wheels from the bike, or leaving the rear wheel on. It has holders for the wheels, which you can slide to wherever works for your particular bike. It has a wheel tray on the end with a velcro strap for the rear wheel (and it looked like the maximum width tire that would fit was about 1 1/2″), or if you remove the rear wheel, you use a support with a rubber v-block on top, and velcro, to hold the frame instead. The height of this support can be adjusted. The rack has a removable pin which will let it tilt down so you can access the rear of a vehicle, and is available for either a 2″ or 1 1/4″ receiver.

The rear bike tray is held in place with a clamp, so it can be infinitely adjusted side to side, to help avoid interference with the front bike. We tried my SXP and my wife’s Xstream on the rack, with the rear wheels left on, and also with the rear wheels removed. With both wheels off the Xstream, it measures 68″, well less than the 76″ mirror distance on my wife’s Corolla, so sits nicely behind the car. The bikes feel solid on the rack, but with the bikes just attached to a fork mount, and either rear wheel or lower frame, I had the urge to add a strap up higher to help secure everything, and Tom said that he also ties the bikes that way. Also, if you take the rear wheel off, you need to add some kind of chain keeper, to keep the chain from slapping against the bike frame as you drive.

So there you have it, my thoughts on the Long Bike Tote. For me, I still like my Sportworks rack best. I’ve become spoiled with the 5 to 10 second loading and unloading time for most of my bikes on it, and now that I’ve copied Tom’s idea and modified the old vintage Sportworks module, I can even carry my SXP (or a future production-length Xstream) on it, without feeling like it’s sticking out too far. But, I also liked the Long Bike Tote rack, and would recommend it for people looking for a recumbent hitch rack, especially those with the long wheelbase bikes that are so long, they defy being carried sideways with the wheels on. Tom and Lucia Howorth also seem like great people, and I wish them well with this new venture.

Here are some photos. There are more on the Long Bike Tote website.

Stratus XP and Xstream on the rack, rear wheel left on the Xstream.

Stratus XP, both wheels removed.

The Xstream, both wheels removed, fits nicely behind the Corolla.

Multiple mounting holes on the front bike tray, a clamp for infinite adjustment on the rear bike tray. That post on the rear bike tray is a wheel holder.

Something over 40 riders left Cleburne at 7:00 am this morning to ride either a 200k, 300k, or 400k brevet. I rode the 200k. As tough as the hills are on this route, I knew that would be all I wanted today. It was 67 degrees with the wind already blowing at start time. I can’t remember the last time I started an early morning ride just wearing shorts and a short sleeve jersey. It stayed cloudy all day, and the wind blew harder later in the day.

The 200k version of this route is an out and back that goes from Cleburne to Glen Rose, then from Glen Rose to Bluff Dale, then back. It goes down Goatneck Hill early in the ride, then climbs it near the end. It is a hilly route; there aren’t many flat miles. I knew from the beginning that I would be riding most of this ride by myself. It was a given that the only way I was getting up all these hills was by spinning my way up them, at a slow pace. With me being the slowest rider up the hills, and probably the fastest down the hills, it was not a day for me to be a social butterfly. I chatted and said hi to everyone the first few miles, then watched them pedal off into the distance on the first hill.

Peggy, Steve, and Nelson were still at the Glen Rose control when I arrived, so I left with them. After they all stopped briefly in front of the Dinosaur Valley State Park for Nelson to take a photo, they soon disappeared in the distance ahead of me. This stretch of the ride is the hilliest, with two big climbs just before Bluff Dale. But the hill that was the toughest for me was a short, steep hill just after Dinosaur Valley. As tough as it was going out, it was even tougher coming back. Before I reached the top, I was in my lowest gear, at 4 mph, with a cadence just over 70, and my heart rate was over 170. There’s not much left in the well at that point. I definitely need more hill work. But I did pedal up every hill, without stopping. I was thinking that this ride would make a good annual benchmark. As long as I can pedal this route without walking a hill, I haven’t slipped into too terrible of a fitness level.

Peggy, Steve, and Nelson were still at the Bluff Dale control when I arrived. We left at the same time, they continuing on for their 400k, I turning back for my 200k. With the two climbs near Bluff Dale soon behind me, I was feeling better about my prospects of finishing strong…….. until my struggle up the hill near Dinosaur Valley. That was a reminder to save something for Goatneck Hill, near the end.

When I arrived back at the Glen Rose control, Jim Rimbey, Cheri Brown, Debbie Breaud, and another rider (who’s name escapes me now; he was doing his first 200k) were still there, so I joined them for a good bit of the remaining miles. I fell back enough during the Goatneck climb that I never quite caught up with them again.

This was a good training ride for me, and the scenery is really nice, with Brazos and Paluxy river crossings, and great views of the hills and valleys in this area. But it was also a reminder that my hill climbing sucks. I finished in 10:17. My on the bike time was 9:26, so my time spent in controls wasn’t bad. I was just slow. My gps showed 6,041 feet of climbing. My heart rate average for the entire ride was 143; that probably explains how tired I am. I ended the day with a great dinner with Mark and Linda Metcalfe, and headed home.

Some random thoughts from the ride:

* If you are slow enough, there are plenty of rando droppings on these rides; I never did have to buy water.
* I think I could have walked some of these hills faster than I climbed them on the bike, but I just wasn’t willing to do it.
* At 4 mph climbing these hills, even grazing cattle drop me (but I do reel them in when they run out of fence).
* At 4 mph with a 30 mph crosswind, I seem to be a bit wobbly.
* While bombing down hills at 40 mph and climbing the next one at 4 mph, it occurred to me that if I had a device installed for counting gear shifts, I would have set a world record for a 200k.
* Small chainrings and large cassette cogs are good.
* I am more wiped out after this ride than I was after October’s 300k.
* I wonder if anyone has ever designed a point to point 200k permanent that is all downhill.

As of this evening, Rose is the owner of the prototype Xstream. Congrats, Dear!

Ride like the wind! Errr………… I mean, ride IN the wind! Yesterday morning at 7:30 am, Ray, Nelson, Mark H, and I rode out of Prosper to do Nelson’s new Live Long and Prosper 200k permanent, which is an out and back to Forestburg. And of course, the wind was howling.

This route works it way northwest until hitting FM455 west of Sanger, then stays on FM455 to Forestburg. It was a quiet, enjoyable morning that passed without any problems until we were almost to the second control at Bolivar, when Nelson had to stop to air up a tire. He made it to the control, then had to replace the tube there.

We rode on to Forestburg, through the grasslands, gaining altitude in the rolling hills. There aren’t many trees along this stretch, but the tops of the hills give a scenic view of the countryside. We arrived in Forestburg at 12:30, and took a longer break there, at the old Forestburg Country Store.

The first stretch coming back from Forestburg was almost a headwind, making those first hills a bit tough. The other stretches that were tough were two jaunts straight into the wind, one for a couple of miles on FM2153 and one for almost 5 miles on FM1385. But we handled the wind well, and navigated the course without any serious problems. We didn’t quite finish the ride before dark, arriving back in Prosper at 6:55 pm. I ended up with 129.2 miles. It was a good route and great company for the day. Thanks, guys, I had a great time!

Around 30 riders showed up for this ride starting at Richardson Bike Mart. It was a nice turnout on a beautiful day. The wind did pick up some as the ride went (big surprise, huh). Early in the ride, the lead group was riding a pretty moderate pace, so I joined them, along with Steve and Greg. The closer we got to the first control at mile 22, the faster the pace got. I was dropped on a couple of hills, but managed to catch the group.

But on the Hwy 66 bridge, just before the control, I was huffing and puffing along at 24 mph, and still being dropped. I wasn’t quite ready to leave the control as the group started to leave, and realizing I wasn’t going to be able to hold their pace as the ride became more hilly anyway, I just took my time leaving the control, and rode alone, at my own pace, for the rest of the ride.

I thought the three biggest problems with this route were traffic, traffic, and traffic. That kind of traffic is even worse for a single rider, than it would be for a group. With 20/20 hindsight, I guess I should have fallen back to the group behind me.

I ended up with 66.6 miles total (does that sound like the devil’s ride or what?), with an on the bike average of 15.1 mph. I finished the ride in 5 hours and 2 minutes. Steve and Greg had gotten quite a distance in front of me, and I was very surprised to not see them or their bikes when I reached the finish, and had no idea what might have happened to them until Paul showed up and told me. Gotta love those BONUS MILES!

The start.

T-shirt given to me at the ride.

Seven of us left the McDonalds on Green Oaks near I-20 at 10:00 am this morning to ride the Velo Venus 109k Populaire. Peggy, Steve, and I were the three recumbent riders. We were joined by four upright riders: Mark and Linda Metcalfe, Cheri Brown, and Debbie Breaud. For those of you who don’t know Debbie, she is a very accomplished long distance rider, who hasn’t been doing nearly as much riding recently.

The south wind was already blowing as we left, heading south toward Venus, and picked up more and became more southwest as we made our way along the route. This route stays mostly on small rural roads, and so has lots of turns. It seems a bit tough to me for a less than 70 mile route (that may be because the wind has been howling both times I’ve ridden it), but I do like this route. Lots of turns means lots on opportunities for bonus miles, and sure enough, we missed a turn at around mile 19, and did pick up about 4 bonus miles.

The route turns around at the first control in Venus, heading north, then west to the next control at Garden Acres Rd and I-35W. The wind had shifted southwest enough that this stretch wasn’t nearly as much of a tailwind as I had expected. In fact, the parts of it that headed straight west were pretty tough.

The last part of the ride did give us that tailwind, though. The day was warmer than forecast, and in spite of the wind, would have to qualify as a beautiful day for January. It was a great group of folks to ride with, and we had no flats or mechanical issues, so in spite of how tired I was at the finish, I had a smile on my face, and would have to call it a very fun day.

I ended up with 72.0 miles at a 15.1 mph on the bike average. My total time for the ride was 5:55. Thanks for joining me, everyone. I had a great time.

I did my final ride of the year this evening after work, joining Mark Metcalfe for 25 miles on the Joe Pool dam.

I ended up with 169 rides this year for 6,708 miles. That’s an average of 129 miles a week. This is in spite of the fact that I was recovering from lung surgery in January, and doing chemo from February to April. All in all, a good riding year, I’m thinking. My recovery has come a long ways.

Greg and I joined Steve on this ride this morning, leaving Italy at 7:30 am. This is a simple out and back route that goes southwest down US77, turns south on FM308 at Mertens, then east on FM339 to Dixie’s at Mount Calm, then back.

The wind was already howling when I arrived in Italy, and the roads were so wet, you could swear that it had been raining. After mine and Greg’s ride of a few weeks ago, I swore I wasn’t going to ride in 40 mph winds again, but in spite of the forecast for 17 mph winds in the morning and 20 mph winds in the afternoon, there were 40 mph gusts long before we reached Mount Calm, making the first half of the ride brutal. There were several hills that would normally be fairly easy for me, but today I was in granny gear pedaling at 4 mph up them. Some of the crosswinds were very scary, too, on stretches going to as well as coming back from Mount Calm. And the fact that I picked up a bad cold this week didn’t make any of it any easier.

On top of everything else, Steve had the flat from hell at around mile 25, that ended up taking us three tubes, two co2 cartridges, and way too much time to fix. This, plus the less than 12 mph average we were having against the wind, and the fact that we didn’t get started for several minutes after 7:30, put us in time trouble, and we didn’t arrive at Dixie’s until 11:37, one minute before the time limit!

Coming back from Dixie’s was a whole other story, with an on the bike average of over 20 mph. I hit 41 mph coming down one hill, and there are no hills on this route that deserve that kind of speed, on a normal day.

We survived another adventure, finishing without further disasters. I ended up finishing in 6 hours and 37 minutes, with 77.0 total miles, and an on the bike average of 14.9 mph. A Subway sandwich definitely hit the spot after the ride. Thanks, Steve and Greg.