Great day for a 200K

Today was a 200K in Edwardsville. This was my first ride in the St. Louis region this year. The weather forecast called for sunny skies, high of 56°, and light winds. I decided that this was going to a fun ride. If people wanted to go fast, I would go fast. If people wanted to go slow, I would go slow.

My wife dropped me off at the Edwardsville start about 6:30 for the 7:00 start. John Jost (the RBA) was there on his recumbent. The other riders were Bob Booth, Scott (who I had ridden with in 2007), and Jim, a recumbent rider that I hadn't ridden with before.

It was still chilly at the start so I had my big gloves, jacket, and shoe covers. We rolled out right at 7:00. We stay together for a little while but then Bob and Jim started to pull away. I decided to stick with them.

We were all feeling good so we did not stop in Pocahontas (mile 24.4). We figured we would be able to make it all the way to Breese before we need to stop. Jim was going a little faster than I would have gone but nothing that Bob and I couldn't handle. The flat route was ideal for a recumbent (imagine that, a route designed by an RBA who rides a recumbent, that is really good for recumbents). :)

There was a mild wind from the NNW that was helping us along. Occasionally we would turn to the west and get a sneak preview of the slight headwind that we would face later. We got to the first control in Breese (mile 51.4) at 10:12. I had some hash browns and chocolate milk. The hash browns turned out to be cheesy hash browns which tasted really good but were a little heavier than what I was looking for. We were back on the road at 10:31.

We head west and south for a little while before turning west towards Okawville. This is a deceptively long 9 mile stretch. The Gas Mart in Okawville used to be my favorite convenience store in the world when the long rides out of Edwardsville would stop there twice. Last year the Shell Station in New Baden made a strong effort to take the top spot. We got to Okawville at 12:11 and noticed two things: the Gas Mart had become a Circle K, and they had taken out the two booths that used to be there. We bought our food and sat outside to eat it.

We left Okawville (mile 78.3) at 12:44. There was a headwind now but nothing too severe. We took turn pulling but Jim's recumbent did not provide too much help for us upright folks. I pulled ahead a bit as we neared New Baden. There is one mile stretch on a busy road there so I did not want to slow down. Once I turned onto Ruth Schoolhouse road, I soft pedaled and waited for Jim and Bob to catch up. I eventually saw them behind me but it seemed to be taking them a long time to catch up.

When they did, Bob told me that his legs were tired and that he would need to ride slower for a while. He told me and Jim that we could go on without him. I told him that it was a nice day and that I didn't mind slowing down a bit and enjoying the day. Even though the tables in the New Baden Shell Station (mile 92) were calling to me, we decided that we could make it to St. Jacob before we need to stop.

It was finally reached the predicted high temperature and I was feeling great. I wasn't on a mission to set a personal best so slowing down just made the ride more enjoyable. We got to St. Jacobs (mile 107.6) at 2:55. We took off our jackets and enjoyed the sunshine. I texted Helen and told her that she should pick me up at 5:00. While we we snacking, we saw Scott ride by. He waved, but didn't stop.

We rolled out at 3:18. About 5 miles later we caught up to Scott as he pulled over to the side of the road. His left crank had come off the spindle and was hanging from his shoe. With the help of an Allen wrench and a rock, we were able to make a roadside repair (I supervised the operation).

I got a chance to talk with Scott and before I knew it we were back on Fruit Rd. I was still feeling great and was almost sad that we nearing the end. The four of us finished together at 4:44. I had a great time and still felt strong. Helen was already at the parking so I didn't have to wait.

After I got home, I played soccer with the kids for a while. I was tired but not exhausted. It was nice to have a local ride that did take up the whole day (or more).

Bike computer stats:
Time: 8:20 (9:44 clock time)
126.82 miles
Avg: 15.2 mph
Max: 26.0 mph