Routes less traveled

I received gps tracks from a few of the Rhonde teams. Using Google Earth, I've compared the different routes that teams took.

- light blue was the original route (before we got flooded and had to make revisions)
- red is Make Way for Ducklings
- yellow is Big Gay Wheels
- orange is Secret Poop
- purple is Threshold


If you have your GPS track from the ride, send it along and I'll add it.

Ronde recaps

I don't find myself holding $705 in cash very often (ever?) but this is what it looks like in case you are curious. Thanks again for your generous support, raffle entries, and participation to benefit Bikes not Bombs.


I've already found a few very nice recaps of the Rhonde. If you wrote one, send me the link. If you want me to publish your thoughts or pictures here, send them to me and I'll post them.

Also, I'd like to do a future post showing the various GPS tracks for teams that had a Garmin to track their route. Send me your route link if you don't mind and I'll post them all up so we can see who (if anyone) followed the course exactly and who took the most detours, etc.

Colin's report

Chip's report

Chip's other report
Fries is cracking a smile but I assure you he was all business! Dude sprinted through those mud puddles like it was the bell lap

Natasha's photographs (the last one is my favorite. Pure determination)
Natasha's write up on cxmagazine.com (jealous?)

Hup New England facebook (the fun never ends)

Gregor's photos from Cutler (I had no idea he was so official! Very cool to see an area I did not cover during the race)

Threshold's recap (beer makes it worth it! And you are right, it should have been Ronde, but it's too late now, and the spelling does help the tweeting and googling)

Pink Beacons had fun and may have entered the blurry depths of the pain cave at times

Kevin's was a late entry but clearly that is because of the days he must have spent painting the beautiful portrait at the end!

Rock on!

It's 10pm on Sunday and I am still on a huge sugar and adrenaline high. You guys and gals all rock for coming out today and making the event happen. Despite my erratic directions and less than stellar road markings, you were all troopers.


I'll have more updates soon but here are some highlights.

- $705: amount raised for Bikes not Bombs (friggin' awesome since roughly $400 of that was from the raffle alone!)
- 67: participants (and I think 67 friends)
- 100: Hupcakes consumed (Hannah, you rock. Watch out for Ryan Kelly though because I think he has fallen in love)
- 3:30pm: about 45 minutes later than I expected for the first arrivals (sorry!)
- 16: number of flat tires (two of them being tubulars, sorry Pete Smith!). Actually this is a total guess though I would be interested in knowing how many
- 2: number of SRAM rear derailleurs that got a little too close to the spokes for comfort
- 1: restaurants in Boston that would be willing to host 60+ spandex-clad, stinky cyclists (thanks Gerry)

Thank you all for taking part and for being good sports despite my sometimes cryptic route. I have thick skin and welcome feedback so don't hesitate to tell me how I could make the ride better next time (maybe just email me, not the whole list though because my skin isn't that thick).

Also, I hate to see the cx momentum stop so be sure to attend Matt and Mo's fund raising event at the new Ride Cafe in Lexington on April 1st. While ipods are pretty cool raffle prizes, they are raffling off a $7500 titanium bicycle which is definitely cooler than an ipod (sorry Chip)! Also, if you didn't know, Mo brought a ton of vegan cupcakes and cookies (without even being asked to do so!) and set a blistering pace for her teammates on the ride. Matt was definitely the hero of his mechanical-ridden team. Two great people just trying to recoup some hefty expenses from pursuing their dream. Help them out if you can.

A giant thanks to you all for making this event happen!

Hup Hup!
Scott

Ready yet?

March 21st - update

Wow! The list is now over 60! Thanks to everyone that has committed to the ride. I finished my recon efforts and started marking some of the most difficult to follow trails so you don't get totally lost.

The starts will be staggered to avoid massive groups on the roads and in the trails. I'll share the start times the morning of the 21st when we all meet in Washington Square. I'm also not sharing the rider list until that time. Gotta keep the suspense high, right?

March 21st

Nearly 45 people have committed to an unknown route of roughly 65 miles on March 21st. On March 6th, I scouted the roads, trails, and singletrack that will make up the adventure. Overall, the route is relatively flat. For 65 miles, there is less than 3000 ft of climbing. There are, however, a lot of trails, mud pits, and even a few spots where one might choose to walk instead of ride. Overall, the route took about 4.5 hours (riding) and that's without pushing too hard on the roads. I expect that most people will be able to carry an average speed of 14+ mph so it should take between 4 and 5 hours as long as you don't get lost...





The route takes you through some scary haunts.
Be careful, the trails will draw blood!
The ride will commence at 9:30am on the 21st with route details and map info. I'm still looking for an exact meeting place but you can expect it to be in Washington Square in Brookline. There are two coffee/breakfast spots and a Starbucks so everyone should be able to find some pre-ride fuel to meet their needs. Everyone is expected to meet for the initial info debrief. There will not be any ride-specific support so pack what you think you'll need. No sag wagon here!

The first groups will be sent off at 10am and continue based on expected completion time until everyone is off. The first team to the finish line wins.

At the finish line we'll have beers on tap thanks to the Washington Square Tavern and hupcakes for everyone that finishes. Who knows, maybe some other fun goodies too.

Thanks to everyone who confirmed their groups. The ride has a diverse mix of road racers, mtb riders, cx specialists, men and women (no kids though).