Wednesday, June 11, 2014

sandi_1609 - SAE03: Mesquite Bike Rally

BIKE: Roadie DATE: 7 June 2014

ROUTE: 20 mile route

TEMP: 83*F

WIND: strong wind from the South

TRIP: 25.57 miles

AVERAGE CADENCE: 63

START TIME: 08:10hrs

END TIME: 10:30hrs

TRIP TIME: 1:25:23

GOAL: to finish the ride

OF NOTE: the wind was constant from the S/SW.

this ride: Mesquite Bike Rally. this is the first ride of summer for me. my goal was to finish the race under 2 hrs. I MADE THAT GOAL!!!

there were a lot of riders at the start. they estimated about 3K.

the start went off quietly and quickly. the police and road crews had the start well marked off with the traffic still able to move. the intersections were well managed. the only rest stop on my route was well stocked and friendly volunteers were ready to help. the rougher areas of the route had been repaired and nice to ride over.

after the ride, the refreshments and food were cold and delicious. Panera really did a nice job. hope to see them again.

my ride personally was lonely. by that i mean i rode alone. hubby had started about 10 minutes ahead of me. i chatted with others as i waited to take off. finally, we were waved on and off i went.

after getting onto my first challenge on Rodeo Center Rd, i climbed with medium incline fairly easy. i surprised myself by not goin' into the lowest gear. after turning onto New Market Rd, i pretty much coasted down the road to Beltline. a quick ride on Beltline to get onto Newsome, a road i had not riden b4 on my bike. another quick jaunt to EastGlen and i was really feeling good. a quick ride on Berry to Scyene and we were on Scyene. i was able to keep with the riders as we got to the split at Larkin/Scyene. those rider the longer route turned left as i continued on down Scyene. pretty much was able to keep my momentum until the right turn onto Lawson, where i quickly lost all the momentum and ended up in the lowest gear to climb the hill.

Lawson is a road that gradual climbs with a few good hills that r quite challenging. after climbing each of the hills, i was able to get up some decent momentum/speed to help get up the next climb. tho i always ended up in the lowest gear.

just after the final hill on this steady incline, u see the steepest part of the climb as u reach I-20. with what i call a small hump to deal with, i was in the lowest gear as i climbed the road. all in all, i did quite well. i did not give up nor did i slow my rhythm down. tho i was winded when i got to the intersection, i smiled and pulled off and rested and refueled. after about 10 minute break, i started off again. with the 'hardest part' conquered, i continued on the route with a new confidence. 8)

as i rode on, i wondered on how i would handle the climb on McKenzie Rd. i didn't do so well the first time i rode it. but i was on my Cannondale. and since riding a good road bike, my confidence was climbing in what i could do. after turning right onto Beltline, i wondered if they had made a mistake but i rode on and followed the signs. when i reached the turn for McKenzie, i goobered. i did a u-turn. DOH!{hit forehead with palm of hand} i realized my mistake and made a u-turn on Beltline and 'retraced my steps'. i was a little embarrased when i saw the officer, again, i nodded saying, ''ello again. dummy me.' i actually was feeling pretty good and wondered about the road. when i came around the bend in the road, i saw the challenge and readied myself. as i rode down the hill gaining momentum from the downhill start, i wasn't all that confident i would be able to make it up. but i pedalled on. as i made my way up the steep hill, i noticed that i wasn't struggling all that much. this bike i am riding is really nice. i am really happy that i have it. this ride is so much easier with a lighter bike and really good tires. i made it to the intersection for the turn onto Pioneer where i put myself in a cruising mode to conserve as much energy as i could for the climb on Bruton Rd.

Bruton Rd gradual climbs to Hwy635. the bridge itself was not much of a problem as the riders were allowed to ride the right lane without having to stop. the road itself is a bit rough, which is not all that great for keeping a fast pace without pedalling continuously. but it kept the legs moving and the bike rolling. after turning onto Sam Houston, i knew i was gonna make it and finish rather strong. i wasn't tired out or anything like that. i thought about riding home on the bike. i felt that good.

the road on Sam Houston was quite rough with a lot of cracks in the road, some of which were marked with spray paint. with this road being a 2-lane, it was challenging to miss the rough stops when cars were coming at me. but i managed and got onto Scyene Rd and headed to the finish. it was a short ride to the turn in to the finish line.

the end of the ride was anticlimatic. not much happening after the ride was finished. i did however chat with a few people as i waited for my hubby to complete his ride. he rode in about 1 hour after me. the ride was great for me as i was able to meet each challenge and complete it.

until the next ride...8)

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