Recollections of Riding

OK, at long last I've finished writing up the whole Asheville experience, and trying to express what it meant to me, how I felt doing it, and all. Currently, it's all text, but I'm intending to add some pictures eventually. It's supposed to be a rainy weekend, maybe I'll have time to do it then. Look here

Meanwhile, the Death Valley folks are off, out to do their thing. For most of them, it's a first time ride. I envy them!

Back.

Home. Tired. Elated. Amazed.

My simple, largely unimportant facts:

Completed the 100 mile course in just under 7 hours, with an average speed of 15.1 mph. Climbed. Descended. Climbed some more. Ate. Climbed. Went slow, went fast. Mashed. Spun. Cheered and was cheered. Applauded and was applauded.

More later, I'm tired.

Mo' Money

Up to $2185, with new donors:

Jerry Lewallen
Brian Collier and Kris Dykstra
Mark and Kristy Vukovich
Donna Phillips
George and Elaine Hopkins
Maggie and Leon Easter
Ken Hawkinson

We fly out tomorrow morning at 6 from Grand Rapids, and should be in Asheville by noon. Weather looks wet for a couple of days, then drying out a bit Saturday for the ride.

Fundraising update...

Five days before the ride, my total is $2010 - not bad for the all-too-small effort I've put in to it! It's really the first fundraising I've done in my little ol' life, so I was pretty much going in blind. Next year I'll have a better idea of what to do...

Ye Olde Liste of Donors:

Brenda Merrifield
Rosemary Rogalla
Brian Walker
Susan Meisenbach
Kathryn Dykstra
Peggy Wilson
Amber Kippley
Barbara J. Berry
Rosemarie Eppard
Kimbelry and Jeremy Boss
Brian and Ruth Dykstra
Virginia Leonard
Jennifer Wever
Matt and Ruth Quinn
Dick and Peggy Foster
Dennis and Anita Werling
Nancy and Herb Strong
Darrell and Ginger Dykstra
Peggy Essenberg
Allison and Jason Duckworth
Virginia Johnson
Mary White
Sirena White
Stuart and Tia Peterson
Betty and Clarke Hansen
Craig and Julie Williams
Amanda Meehan
Wendy and Craig Stark
Kay and Robert Teadt
Bob and Mary Ellen Kauss
Kent and Mardell Harriss
Lee Brice
Don and Jodi Smith

Great things about a mountain bike...

A couple of hours riding mostly on roads on the mountain bike - call it 20 miles.

So what's positive about riding a basic mountain bike compared to a high-end road bike? Well, on the road, there isn't much. Having crazy-low gears is kind of fun, and handy when you're consciously trying to avoid stressing your legs grinding up a hill - you feel like your climbing ability is limited not by your legs but by the grip and your ability to balance at like 2 miles an hour. Otherwise, it's slow, clumsy, and lacks the grace you feel on a roadie, even with relatively narrow, high-pressure slick tires front and back.

What was cool, though, was following a little dirt path off the bike trail, buzzing around in the woods for 20 minutes or so, and then coming home. That sort of spontaneity is lacking on a bike that's not intended for anything but a smooth, paved road. Not that really ever choose a mountain ride over a road ride more than a few times a year - for a given amount of effort, I want the most speed and distance as possible.