The wind played a huge factor in the first 25 miles. The course included lots of road that protected you from the wind but those roads were tough… Gravel, climbing – so it wasn’t like you could just chill and rest. The first group slowly thinned as the ride progressed. Being in the front group all day, it was clear that everyone around me was interested in working together to battle the wind yet no one spoke about it – its just what everyone did.. The majority of the group took turns eating the wind, some stronger riders hung out in front longer than others – just cause that is what they decided to do. I had my time in the front several times but the group was large enough where you could sit in for a while. At one point when we hit around mile 23 – 25, it was a wide open field straight on head wind and a few guys were cheering on the guys in the front because it was brutal. One of the Toasted Head guys – his name escapes me at the moment – he was like 7′ tall and I would find him and sit in as much as I could. I thanked him after the ride for saving me from eating wind all day.
Once we turned the corner and had that tail wind, life was grand. I was relieved because I fought like hell to stay with that group in that headwind cause I knew it would’ve been a nightmare riding it alone. BUT the backside of that course, even with the tail wind, had two big climbs. one was “Hilltop”. It was a VERY loose dirt gravel climb approximately a mile long that continually pitched steeper and steeper. According to Bob the promoter, that was the event’s showcase climb and it stung like hell. I was dropped on that climb and then murdered myself for a couple more miles to bridge back. Then with less than 10 miles to go, there was “Doughnut hill” where you stopped for a apple cider doughnuts at the top. The doughnut made the climb well worth it and that brief break made the remainder of the ride easier. That top of the climb was on the road behind Bam Margera’s house. Since I was a Jackass fan, I thought it was neat.
Some of those gravel roads were literally trails. The storm the night before made a huge mess, we were constantly dodging debris, sticks and logs. Made for lots of fun.
If you find yourself in a position to do this event, it’s worth it.
Mike Williams 