Rose and I took off this morning to test ride my new Mansfield Mambo 128k permanent that I’m working on. We left downtown Mansfield at 7:45 am. The route heads southwest from Mansfield, passing just north of Alvarado and continuing on to Rio Vista. It turns around there, but takes a more southerly route back, passing south of Alvarado, then going through Venus.

I made a lot of stops at turns on the route, making notes and corrections for the cue sheet. The next control after the start of the ride is at Rio Vista, the turnaround, and one of the concerns I had for the route was that there was no store anywhere between the start and the 39.5 miles to that control. But a last minute change I had made put the route crossing SH 67 three miles west of Alvarado, and there is a store at that intersection, at mile 19.5, which works out great for a quick stop half way to the control.

The first 26 miles of the route are rolling hills with quite a bit of elevation gain, and Rose was definitely feeling it at that point. But when you top the hill at mile 26, with its view of miles and miles of rolling hills to the west, the rest of the ride is much more downhill than uphill, and we made a lot better time the rest of the way, in spite of the fact that much of the return trip was against a mostly east wind.

There were lots of storms and showers around, the last half of the ride, but we dodged them all, only getting sprinkled on a few times, in spite of passing fairly close to serious rain several times. We made a stop at mile 68 in Venus, and as the raindrops started there, quickly headed north on FM 157, and were in the clear again. As soon as we got home, the rain poured here.

We missed an unmarked turn before we got to Venus (another note for the cue sheet), and got .4 bonus miles from that, to end up with 80.2 miles. The route has 3,050 feet of climbing. I think the route is going to make a very good permanent. Today was Rose’s new longest ride, and it’s a safe bet that this was also the most climbing she’s done on a ride. Good job, Rose!

Rose and I traveled to Celina this morning to tackle Steve’s Bobcat Bite 100k permanent. We rolled out at 9:00 am, along with seven other riders. I rode my Stratus XP, and Rose and I rode our own pace, watching everyone else soon disappear off in the distance in front of us.

It was Rose’s first 100k, and the first time I’ve ridden that kind of distance on the SXP. Its more upright seat is less comfortable for me for a long ride than the Corsa’s Euromesh seat, but it’s more comfortable for this kind of distance than the Nimbus was (RANS mesh seat vs Sun EZ mesh seat). I have to work to keep up with Rose, when she’s on the Xstream and I’m on the SXP.

This route starts in Celina, heads northeast to the next control in Howe, a bit more north, then west and south to Tioga and Pilot Point, then east back to Celina. The first leg of the route to Howe isn’t very hilly, but it is a pretty steady elevation gain, and it was against a stiff northeast wind this morning, making it pretty tough for Rose and I.

Soon after Howe, though, we turned west and then south, and the tailwind was great. On one southbound uphill north of Gunter, we carried enough speed from the last downhill that we barely dipped below 30 mph before cresting the hill.

It was tailwind fun all the way to Pilot Point, then 12 miles of boulder-seal and rolling hills against the wind to get back to Celina. Rose was starting to fade on this stretch, and struggled with those hills, but then finished her first 100k strong. Big congrats on your first 100k, Dear!

I ended up with 64.2 miles, and we finished the ride in 5:30. Lunch at Lucy’s afterward was great, and we really enjoyed visiting with Steve, Peggy, Mark M, Linda, and Greg after the ride. Who understands the thrill of your first 100k better than other randonneurs?

After the ride.

Seven of us rode my Peachy Keene 200k permanent this morning, leaving out of southwest Arlington at 7:30 am. Besides me, there was Steve, Peggy, Ray, Greg, and Mark and Linda M. This route goes southwest through Kennedale, then Keene, before stopping at Cleburne. Then it heads pretty much straight south, turning east a few miles west of Covington, going through Covington and on to Itasca. Then it goes over Orphan Hill, and down the other side to the next stop at Maypearl. Then it turns back north to Alvarado, then back to Arlington.

After all the dire forecasts from yesterday, it turned out to be a beautiful day. The front had already arrived at the start, and we had a north breeze, but we soon seemed to move ahead of the front as we headed south. It was mostly cloudy, and did get a bit warm with all the humidity, until we turned to head back north. By then the wind was from the north, and starting to pick up, and it was much cooler the rest of the way.

It was not a hammering pace among the group today, and I was able to stay with everyone for most of the ride. A couple of the bigger hills found me off the back for a while, but that’s the norm. The roads were in good shape for the most part, and with everything so green, some of these Johnson county roads with their canopy of trees overhead, were really beautiful.

I ended up with 124.2 miles, and finished in 9:59. Thanks, everyone. I really enjoyed the ride and especially the company.

Peachy Keene route

This morning at 7:00 am was the start of the LSR Two Flags Brevets in Denison. There were 200k, 300k, 400k, and 600k routes to choose from. I didn’t hear a count of how many rode, but it looked like a pretty good turnout. I rode the 200k. This route went east from Denison through Telephone and on to Direct, before turning around and following the same roads back for a ways, then dipping into Oklahoma and looping back.

I really liked this route. There are some hills at the beginning, some rolling hills at mile 100, and some tougher hills near the end, but most of the route is fairly flat. There is an abundance of the tall trees that you always see in East Texas, and the majority of the roads were really low traffic roads.

I didn’t get off to a great start, discovering at mile 11 that my Corsa’s cassette nut had unscrewed itself. I knew there would be no cassette tool to be found on the route, and I almost turned around, rode the 11 miles back, and called it a day. But through all the trials and tribulations I’ve had on these long LSR rides, I’ve never DNF’d one. I decided I wanted to finish today’s ride, too.

I tightened the nut the best I could by hand, and rode on, but by the Ivanhoe control at mile 33, it had backed off again. Nelson jammed a multi-tool in the end of the nut while I turned the wheel, and we got it tighter that way, but by the Direct control at mile 60, it had backed off again. I managed to get it tighter at that control. It wasn’t as tight as a cassette nut should be, and the smaller cogs made some noises here and there, but the bike shifted perfectly and the nut never backed off again.

Big surprise, the wind was tough. That seems to be an unchanging theme this spring, and today was no exception. I was very glad to get the tailwind at mile 90 where the route turns north and crosses the Hwy 78 bridge over the Red River into Oklahoma. The road soon turns more west, and starts climbing out of the Red River valley near mile 100. It was on that climb where three big dogs came after me. I remember thinking that a hill at mile 100 on one of these long rides is tough enough without three huge dogs chasing you.

My asthma didn’t seem to like the howling humid wind, with all the spring stuff in the air. At around mile 110, I thought I was hearing coyotes yipping off in the distance, then realized I was hearing my own wheezing (It probably can’t be good when you mistake the sound of your own breathing for coyotes).

At mile 126, the route crosses the Texoma dam back into Texas. This is a great view from a bike, but going south up on that dam against today’s wind was brutal. Then right after that are the toughest hills of the day. I ended up with 133.9 miles and finished in 10:12. I chatted a while after the ride with Mike and Nancy Myers, a couple from Kansas who ride a RANS Seavo, then had dinner with LM. I’m sure we’ll have some great adventure stories from the 600k riders, but 200k definitely reached my quota of riding pleasure for today.

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!