Roll Call - Little Red Riding Hood

[Flybye]

Who's in?

If you are interested in meeting with other TE'rs, send me a PM and we will see if we can get something arranged for Friday evening and/or Saturday morning.

I'm in for 100!

[Lifesgreat]

I'm in too. Probably for the 80 though. My biking didn't go as planned this spring. :(

Two years ago, the TE'rs went to dinner Friday night at a pizza place near the Crystal Inn. It was yummy.

[Flybye]

Sorry you aren't up for the 100 - There's always another ride! Do you remember the name of the pizza place? That sounds like a great plan.

[BikeDutchess]

I'm in - trying for the 100 but it won't be fast. Will probably check out the dinner event the night before.

[Lifesgreat]

I think this was it:


http://firehousepizzeria.com/

[yellow]

I'll be there. I'm staying with Shiraz & friends, can't remember where, in Logan on Fri night. I'm planning on riding the 100 (isn't it more like 107 or something?).

I'd love to meet up for dinner. I'll drag Shiraz along, cuz, well, you know that she's not social AT ALL! ;)

[Shiraz]

:D:D Hey sounds like its going to be fun! Yellow, Flybye and I plus several other ladies will be staying at the Best Western Weston Inn on Main street in the big suite room. Since I need to get back for the family wedding I need to get an early start on Saturday and can only do the 60. I'm going for the fun. Flybye and I riding the McCammon loop today at 1230. We chatted yesterday about meeting at the park Friday first. She said she would post something in the next couple of days.

:DI 'll be sure to work on my social skills before next weekend!!

[Flybye]

After consulting with Shiraz (who will be my wheels for the ride to Utah) :D we have decided that we will meet in Bowery park at 6:00 on Friday

- You will be able to recognize us because Shiraz is beautiful and has poor social skills ;)
- I will be the one having an asthma attack :D. I had to bail on the ride that Shiraz and I took today because I felt like I was sucking air in through a straw. I am now experiencing the privilege of having a husband that is a pharmacist - he is researching which inhaler to ask the doctor for. Don't I feel lucky!

Anyhow, we will find a table and put a sign of some type that says TE or Team Estrogen on the center of the table. We are both very excited at the prospect of meeting other TE'rs.

Lifeisgreat, Bikedutchess, and Yellow - can't wait to see you all. Bikedutchess, will your daughter be riding with you this year?

[Alex]

I'm staying at the Best Western Weston with two friends. We are signed up for the 100. I'm not sure what time we will get to the park on Friday, but I will look for the TE table. I will be easy to spot. I'll be sporting several nasty bruises from today's rather spectacular mountain bike crash. :( (I might have to break out the spray tan stuff just to make sure I don't scare small children.)

Alex (who is shopping for new MTB tires cuz it can't be my bike handling, right?)

[CyclaSutra]

But will the free pasta be good? Me and Jo junior will be HUNGRY! That Firehouse place was great.

I'm bringing two galpals from Jackson. Kelsey will want to ride the metric at least, but I'm planning to be more mellow to keep my friend Cara company on her mtn bike. She thought the 36 would be all she could do, but I'm trying to talk her into 46.

We're going to drag the Airstream to a nearby campground, but it looks like I've waited a bit too long to get a rezzie at Hyrum Lake. Will call Monday.

Can't wait!

[Lifesgreat]

Got a postcard from the Little Red folks. An excerpt:

Friday, June 6th from 5-8 pm at Wellsville City Park: Packet and Jersey pick-up and Western Rendezvous dinner party. Free BBQ chicken, salad, ranch potatoes and three kinds of desserts are just the carbs and protein you'll need. Enjoy live music of Tangle Ridge, Utah's best western/bluegrass group! Food for the first 800 Little Red bikers in line. No RSVP needed.


I will plan on being at the park at 6 to meet TE friends and am still interested in the Firehouse food. The LRRH food sounds great, but with my food allergies, I don't know if it would be be the best thing for me to eat right before a ride.

I am at Crystal Inn. Also, do you think we need to make a reservation at the Firehouse place?

[eofelis]

I'll be there!

I'm driving from Grand Junction, CO with 3 other gals on Friday. I'm not sure of the hotel we are staying at.

I signed up for the 100, but I'll probably only do the 50. I haven't ridden much lately. (I did get out for about 35 miles today.)

I'll be on a black Surly Pacer bike with a rack and black rack trunk.:p

[Flybye]

I am especially concerned about not getting enough carbs, why ride, after all, if on cannot consume enough calories to put a huge ol' smile on the face? What Shiraz and I thought we'd do was eat the free stuff at the park and then either bring stuff to eat in the room or get something from a restaurant in town or both :eek:. Shiraz, I am sure, is not as concerned about food as I am, she is small as a bird!!

I can't wait to meet everyone.

Alex, you are right. You NEED new tires. Wrecks aren't EVER our fault unless their are witnesses who call the crash "a spectacular display of courage".:cool: You will be the envy of every woman. Maybe I'll try to get some road rash between now and then, too. How are you feeling?

Cylca - Isn't your airstream named "Stella" - Seinfield?? I am thinking that would be a great name for your baby.:p

Surly- Will you be at the park? Glad you have company to get you though the ugly part of Utah - everything in between Arches and Provo!


Life- It couldn't hurt to make a reservation. I am glad you'll be at the park. I am also glad you aren't eating - more food for me - hehehe!!

[malkin]

I'll be staggering around early Saturday morning looking for coffee and friendly faces.

[Lifesgreat]

Life- It couldn't hurt to make a reservation. I am glad you'll be at the park. I am also glad you aren't eating - more food for me - hehehe!!

You take carbo loading very seriously :p:p:p I have been carbo loading for the last 10 years and have the lbs. to show for it!

Seriously, do you want me to make a reservation? If so, how many and what time? The restaurant is about 15 minutes from the park.

Cycla-I have a 1979 Airstream Land Yacht. I LOVE IT! I won't be pulling it with my Honda CRV, though since it is 31 feet long. . .

I will be in a maroon CRV with the Utah plate HILSLUG.

Remember to bring money for yard sales :)

[BikeDutchess]

I'm staying in the Best Western Baugh on Friday. We have a gal's room (for me, my daughter, and my friend) and a guy's room (for my DH and my dad, who will be Big Bad Wolves in Wellsville on Saturday). My daughter will be riding again this year, but she's only doing 35 miles (her ballet has been so all-consuming this year that she just hasn't had much riding time). She has a couple of friends to ride with and then will be hanging out in Wellsville with her dad & opa until I stagger in.

Not sure about the dinner plans yet. I had originally thought to do the LRRH dinner. But standing in line with 800 women for food just does not sound that appealing (as great as all those women are!), plus I'll have to find something to include the guys too.

I'll be looking for you TE'rs either Fri eve or Sat morning!

[yellow]

I'm a cranky, crowd-averse middle-aged gal and wasn't planning on standing in line for dinner at the check in. Visiting casually, yes, standing in line with a bunch of anxious people, no.

So, I'll take a shot at this: Firehouse dinner attendees seem to be...
yellow
Lifesgreat
CyclaSutra + 2 friends

Others that seem to be tentative are...
Flybye
Shiraz
BikeDutchess

If you should be added to the attendance list, let us know. If the group seems to get large-ish, then we can make a reservation. How does that sound?

:D

P.S. I'm not really that cranky most of the time...

[Flybye]

Here is a picture from a GREAT ride we did a couple of weeks ago.

So you'll know who to look for I have cropped Shiraz and I from the picture.
I am the one who is not vertically (ahem) challenged!!

Several of the women from this picture will be at LRRH but do not have TE user names.

[Shiraz]

Carbs, oh yes! Here is a quote from the book"Eat, pray and love" I am reading by Elizabeth Gilberts that is fitting :

No carb left behind! And that my friends is why I run and bike:p:p

I do prefer chocolate carbs over potatoe carbs!!

Thanks for posting the pics Flybye.

[Alex]

Alex, you are right. You NEED new tires. Wrecks aren't EVER our fault unless their are witnesses who call the crash "a spectacular display of courage".:cool: You will be the envy of every woman. Maybe I'll try to get some road rash between now and then, too. How are you feeling?



FB, I didn't exactly dig deep in the suitcase of courage today, but I did sort of rummage around in the change purse of this might hurt. Got on the road bike for a few hours and was pleasantly surprised to discover that I felt great (so long as the bruise by my inner knee doesn't come into contact with the top tube).

There were no witnesses to yesterday's crash. DH told me not to wait for him, so I was ahead of him on the trail by quite a big margin. Let's put it this way. I had time to crash, dust myself off, and still get to the car and wait awhile for him to appear. The LBS is closed today, but I plan to get some new, wider, and grippier tires tomorrow. My new mtb has narrowish cross-country racing tires that just can't seem to hang onto rocks in the turns. (I've fully embraced the theory of equipment failure!)

To make this LRRH-related, I will check with my friends about dinner plans, The pizza/pasta place sounds nice. Waiting in line with 800 others, not so much!

Alex

[CyclaSutra]

I'd love to do the Firehouse with my friends as long as we make it early enough (6?) so we can still enjoy sunset, campfire and s'mores at Stella, my Airstream. Funny story about how I named her...

After my 1967 Safari's third window blew out while en route to San Fran to vacay with my sister (after two compartment doors flew away, all within a year), I was so sick of crying over the trailer. I wanted a name that was period-appropriate but calming and not self-destructive (which is why Marilyn got nixed).

Yellow (the not-cranky, wonderful person from TE) came and picked me up at the Salt Lake KOA to spare me staying in the now-full-of-fresh-air trailer. We hung out in her hot tub and talked about serendipity and being open to suggestion. Sure enough, the next day in The Kura Door spa, a masseuse walked up and said, "Is either of you named Stella?" No ... but that's a good name!

I only found out a month later that the wife of Wally Byam, who founded Airstream, was named Stella. Ever since she got her name, she hasn't lost another piece.

Dining out is so much cheaper when you're off the sauce... I'll be sure to have some other carb calories to make up for it. I seem to remember they had an amazing alfredo dipping sauce for the bread sticks?

[Flybye]

Stella, my Airstream. Funny story about how I named her...

"Is either of you named Stella?" No ... but that's a good name!

I only found out a month later that the wife of Wally Byam, who founded Airstream, was named Stella.


I guess that I figured that you named her Stella because of one of my most favorite scenes from Seinfeld....................

Click and watch, SO FUNNY!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TGfdpnsIy4E

[CyclaSutra]

Flybye, if I had ever seen A Streetcar Named Desire, it prolly would be funnier to me (hanging head in uncultured shame).

I've got a campsite (#10) for Fri-Sat at Guinivah/Malibu, five miles north of Logan in Logan Canyon if anyone wants to come over for s'mores after dinner! Can't wait. We'll be the ones with the shiny spaceship, license plate TRSH.

[Flybye]

So, I'll take a shot at this: Firehouse dinner attendees seem to be...
yellow
Lifesgreat
CyclaSutra + 2 friends

Flybye
Shiraz
Louise
Kathy
Susan

Others that seem to be tentative are...

BikeDutchess

If you should be added to the attendance list, let us know. If the group seems to get large-ish, then we can make a reservation. How does that sound?

:D

P.S. I'm not really that cranky most of the time...

Hey there- it really sounds like most everyone wants to meet at the Firehouse, so Flybye and Shiraz and company will play along. We have officially changed plans again. 6:00 at the Firehouse. Can someone make reservations??


CyclaSutra ; malkin ; Lifesgreat ; surlypacer ; yellow ; BikeDutchess ; Shiraz ; Alex - I sent all of you a pm with the changes. Did I forget anyone???

[malkin]

Oooh you double dipping diners are making me wonder why I didn't plan to go up for the night before!

Maybe next time I'll plan better...

[BikeDutchess]

Sadly I'm going to have to bow out of the TE dinner - and it sounds like so much fun, too. But I have to do the family thing to include the guys. Maybe I can join you ladies next year!

[CyclaSutra]

Uh, last time there was a man or two and children. They just sat far enough away so as to not be overcome with estrogen at dinner!

Mmmmm carbs!

[Alex]

Please add me and my two friends to the group assembling at the Firehouse. :D

Thanks!

Weather dot com is forecasting a high of 64 for Saturday. Sounds lovely!

Alex

[yellow]

Okie doke, here's the list for dinner at the Firehouse:

Lifesgreat
Shiraz
Flybye
Susan
Louise
Kathy
CyclaSutra + 2 friends
Yellow
Alex + 2 friends

Currently totaled at 13. I'll wait a day or so more and then make a reservation (just in case the Dutchess and her court want to join us)!

[yellow]

Friends!

Firehouse does not take reservations for Friday nights...so we either chance it or make plans to go somewhere else.

Also, I think we should make it 6:30. Since packet pickup starts at 5:00 and the whole process (getting your waiver, listening to the safety speech, and then picking up your schwag) takes about 0.5 hour, 6:00 might be pushing it to get from Wellsville to the pizza place. 6:30 would be more comfortable, I think.

I'm still up for the Firehouse. Just bear in mind that we might have to wait.

Y'all let me know if you think we need to move to "plan B".

(LAZB got a complete drive train cleaning today, complete with cluster, chain, and crank removal. Sooooo shiny! She's ready for Saturday!)

[Alex]

I've already picked up the packets for my crew, so we could go a bit early to the Firehouse and try to snag a table while the others are doing the packet pickup/don't ride wide briefing thang.

Let me know!

I thought the briefing was good and I swear I passed that group of women in the "don't ride this way" photo last year.

I am doing my very best to keep the rain away on Saturday. I went to REI tonight to buy a pair of rain pants. That should help ensure us a sunny day! ;)

Alex

[Lifesgreat]

I am still up for the Firehouse. I have to pick up my packet at the park and hoping to be there at 5 to do so. I think 6:30 would work better too. Yellow, you still have my cell phone number, right?

[yellow]

Yellow, you still have my cell phone number, right?

Si, chiquita. You are permanently in my cell phone. PM me if you need mine again.

[CyclaSutra]

6:30's fine... I wonder if Olive Garden would take reservations? Hmmm...

[Flybye]

We are in with the 6:30 plan.
Yellow, I'll pm you with my cell phone number.
Alex, why don't you plan on getting us a table at the Firehouse?

[Kano]

Not going to be there, darn it -- put in my vote that they do it next year! Had to post, though. Wondering if Cyclesutra knows yet: alien boy child or alien girl child?

Karen in Boise

[MM_QFC!]

Hi all,
I previously posted on the Crazy Drivers thread about being hit by a car on 4/27. Still nursing injuries, including a mild concussion and grieving my destroyed bike too...soooooooooo, I'm totally bummed that I have to miss riding the LRRH century this year.
PUH-LEEZ ride safely, use common sense and courtesy out on the road and obey the traffic laws, so that I have any hope of getting the chance to ride it next year, willya??!
Every rider on the road reflects on all of us, so I'm counting on you!

Thanks and enjoy those tailwinds for me!
Mary

[Flybye]

Hi all,
I previously posted on the Crazy Drivers thread about being hit by a car on 4/27. Still nursing injuries, including a mild concussion and grieving my destroyed bike too...soooooooooo, I'm totally bummed that I have to miss riding the LRRH century this year.
PUH-LEEZ ride safely, use common sense and courtesy out on the road and obey the traffic laws, so that I have any hope of getting the chance to ride it next year, willya??!
Every rider on the road reflects on all of us, so I'm counting on you!

Thanks and enjoy those tailwinds for me!
Mary

I was going to send you a pm today because you were on my mind. I am glad you took the time to put a message on this thread. I was wondering how you were doing. I wish we would have the opportunity to meet one another. I am glad that you are healing well. I will ride more safely this year, for sure. I hope that all the ladies ride safe so that this ride is around for years to come.
Thanks for the tailwind wishes.

[Lifesgreat]

Got this in my email:

Dear Little Red rider,

You received this message because you are confirmed to ride with us this Saturday at Little Red. Please come prepared for cold weather in the morning and cooler temp's all day long. Logan is typically about 6 degrees cooler than Salt Lake and the forecast is for temp's to be additional 10 degrees below normal for this time of year.

Saturday morning forecast is for a very cold 39 degrees when you wake up and low to mid 40's by the 8 am start. Dress warm! We expect partly sunny conditions during the day with highs in the low to mid 60's - and a chance of a passing shower.

We ask you to come prepared: consider riding with a windbreaker or rain jacket on (or carry one in your jersey), arm & leg warmers are handy if it warms up and maybe even light full-fingered gloves if your hands have a tendency to get cold. Two pairs of socks or shoe covers may help . Hopefully the weather will be perfect but we also rely on your preparation in case it turns cold or showery.

If you are coming to the free Friday night BBQ and packet pickup from 5 to 8:30 pm, dress warm since the party is outdoors and there is a chance of rain.

We are easy to find but here are the directions from Salt Lake: I-15 North to exit #362 (Brigham City), follow Hwy 91 to 89 towards Logan and about 5 miles from Logan, watch for Hwy 23 and the Wellsville turnoff. Turn left (north) and go about 1 mile to Wellsville City Park. Turn right into the driveway before the Church and the Park is just ahead. Travel time is about 2 hours. For those of you coming in from the North (Tremonton, Idaho) via I-15, we have learned that UT-30 was closed June 2nd for repairs. You will have to continue South on I-15 to the same exit as above exiting to Brigham City. Please plan accordingly. We look forward to seeing you!!

PS Please make your friends aware of the above forecast. Just to be sure - plan on two sets of clothing; one if its cold and another if the forecast is wrong, and it turns out to be warm and beautiful. Then you will be prepared for everything.

Best regards,
Jerry Bergosh
LRRH Event Director
C/O Big and Bad

[Flybye]

The weather looks pretty good if you ask me! I hope the wind forecast is right! I am shoving off a smidge after noon today - see you all there!

http://www.wunderground.com/cgi-bin/findweather/getForecast?query=84339&hourly=1&yday=158&weekday=Saturda

[CyclaSutra]

Yay! Leaving in an hour or so to drive through drizzle. See you there at Firehouse at 6:30! Sorry to those who can't make it. Will ride super-safe for you.

The baby's gender is still a mystery, and I've had no premonitions, but I'm calling her JJ (Jo junior) until further notice.

Jo + 2 friends and one JJ (who loves alfredo sauce)

[Kano]

The baby's gender is still a mystery, and I've had no premonitions, but I'm calling her JJ (Jo junior) until further notice.

Jo + 2 friends and one JJ (who loves alfredo sauce)

No preonitions but you're calling HER, huh?

and JJ loves alfredo sauce? Hmmmm....

My oldest, Orianne, LOVED oreo cookies before she hatched!

Alfredianne..... Pretty name!

Karen in Boise

[yellow]

Well, I wouldn't say the weather was bad, but it wasn't great. At least it wasn't hot. And at least it didn't rain a whole bunch.

Lots of wind, some sprinkles, some sun, but overall not a bad day. Rode for a while with Shiraz and her friend (who I consider my friend as well) from Pokeytello but they rode the 60 so that they could get back to Whydaho for a wedding. Then I rode with Alex and friends for a while. Then I just wanted to be done with it...I'm not a fan of wind, and there was a lot of it in the afternoon. Found a good paceline with about 20 miles to go, so I latched on. I saw sulis a couple of times. She looked great and had a great ride!

The ride was a new route this year. I liked it. It was green and pretty. Still some rider misbehavior, but I think overall the riders did better this year than last.

We had a fun dinner Friday nite at Firehouse where the Idaho, Utah, and Why?oming crowd got to chat and be entertained by CyclaSutra. We gave her a couple of books (The Juggling Pug and Duck on a Bike) to get her kid book collection started.

I took a few pictures at dinner Fri night and in the morning before the ride. I'll post them later after I get around to downloading them!

[Alex]

Wind, sun, wind, hail, wind, rain, and then some wind. I had an excellent time and I loved the route. Hit a new all-time high mph on the first big downhill, but a nasty little cross-wind brought me to my senses and reminded me that brakes should sometimes be applied! I was a lot less brave on the next big downhill, but I lived to ride another day, and that counts for something. :cool:

One of my friends had a cross-wind pitch her into some gravel and she ended up in a small ditch when she lost control of her bike. I was probably about a mile ahead of her at the time, so I didn't see it. She did some damage to her bike, but was able to finish the last 20 miles with the gears that were still functioning.

I heard there was a 12-woman wreck somewhere after the lunch stop. Some broken hands and gashes that needed stitches. :eek:

Dinner on Friday night was fun. I rode ever so briefly with Yellow today. She is amazing. I could see her red jersey up ahead on the biggest climb of the day just blowing by everyone else like they were standing still!

Alex

[yellow]

OK, I have a few good ones.

Here we are at dinner looking at CyclaSutra's kid's new books. From the left, Shiraz, Flybye, CyclaSutra, friends of CyclaSutra


http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c1/tasdan/Rides/LRRH%2008/May-June08012.jpg

From left, friend of Alex, friend of Alex, Alex, friend of Shiraz (and me), and yellow. I feel so fortunate to hang out with such beautiful women!

http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c1/tasdan/Rides/LRRH%2008/May-June08018.jpg

Here are Lifesgreat and another of Shiraz's Pokytello friends. Lifesgreat's "deer in headlights" look is due, I think, to her wonderment (sp?) of the craziness of this group.

http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c1/tasdan/Rides/LRRH%2008/May-June08016.jpg

My very beautiful friends Shiraz and Flybye. I need to take "how to be a girl" lessons from these two.

http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c1/tasdan/Rides/LRRH%2008/May-June08014.jpg

Here CyclaSutra explains that if you ride wide, you have to eat your lunch from a shingle:

http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c1/tasdan/Rides/LRRH%2008/May-June08019.jpg

And finally, a ride day picture. Yes the sun was out. Briefly. From left, friend of Shiraz, friend of Shiraz, Flybye, friend of Shiraz, and Shiraz. Notice that we carefully placed everyone to approximate the profile of a moderate climb and descent.

http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c1/tasdan/Rides/LRRH%2008/May-June08022.jpg

[Lifesgreat]

That deer in the headlights look was due to my thought that "they can't see the food in my mouth"! :D There, I smiled with some teeth.

I had a fun time at dinner Friday and enjoyed the cooler weather for the ride. Hail, rain, WIND that shifted during the day so there were cross/headwinds the entire route, and a new route contributed to memorable ride.

Alex, I was hoping for a new speed record coming out of Clarkston, but the ambulance helping someone and then the other accident with the lady being held by her friends while she was laying face down in the weeds eliminated that thought.

My cardio was a lot better than in past years, but since my longest ride of the year was only 1/3 the distance I rode yesterday, I was quite sore.

I am ready for next year!

[BikeDutchess]

Temperatures were great. Headwinds both ways sucked. Loved the new route. The staggered starting groups were a good idea - in the faster groups I saw much less (although still some) "riding wide" abuse although my daughter in the slower group reported counting 7 wide. The scenery was gorgeous.

I managed to do the full century (only my 2nd century ever and 1st LRRH century!) thanks to my dear friend who pulled me for the last 20 miles. My legs were not having their best day and I bonked at 91 miles. Cliff Bloks are miracle drugs.

Altogether a great day.

I made my friend nervous by taking pictures while riding. She's on the left. In the middle is Sara(h?) from California who flew in just for LRRH and rode on a bike she rented in SLC. She also took pics of us at the "Welcome to Idaho" sign but we lost track of her before we could exchange email addresses. Sara(h), if you read this please PM me!

[Shiraz]

Here is a summary from the directionally and socially challenged rider:)

Flybye, Susan, and myself left Pocatello in the rain and wind gust of 40-45mph for Logan. We met up with Yellow at Al's bike shop where we lusted after new bikes. Some strange man tried to sell my friend Susan a bike and himself. He didn't even work there! We checked in and dropped the bikes at the hotel and trekked on over to the park. Susan and I managed to get lost driving to the park:rolleyes: Yes it is true!

After the packets were picked up, some minor shopping completed we had a quick piece of cake to maintain our theraputic sugar levels and we were off to the Fire House Grill for great company and food. I of course managed to get the black from the plank on my face. It was great to meet CycleSutra and her friends, Lifesgreat and Alex and her friends. Yellow's gift to baby JJ were adorable. What a thoughtful friend Yellow is!!

We split our suite hotel rooms up between the "hot flashers who need 65 degrees and below and the flanels sleepers". We laughed until our checked hurt at my friend Louise because she STUDIED THE MAP for fear she wouldn't know where she was going. "Don't worry, you will have no problem!" Well Susan and I should have studied the map or at least paid attention to the lesson. We managed to do the loop twice for the 60 route! I am not sure why we got turned around. As we approached the turning point at the bottom of the hill, my friend Susan said .. "We have got the get off this circle".:eek: I agreed!

We really had a great ride overall felt really strong and maintained a great pace and would have finished by noon as hoped if we had of studied to map a little better. Oh well! I still made it home in time for the wedding and danced until midnight with family and friends.

Yes there was still some very scary riders who rode down the yellow line with everyone yelling CAR BACK! And a lady cursing down the big hill swerving from left to right as I am trying to break, keep a safe distance behind her and find a safe path behind her.:eek:

Thanks TE ladies for a great time! I will work on my "SKILLS" for the next ride!:D

[eofelis]

I had signed up for the 100, but I haven't been riding a lot so I ended up riding the 62.

I came from Grand Jct, CO with 3 other women and met a 4th GJ gal in Logan. Two of those gals did the 100, two others did the 80 and I rode the 62 on my own.

It took me a while to decide what to wear, good thing I brought all my warm cycling clothes! My friends left the park for their ride very early, 7 am, before the mass start. I left at 7:30 am. I had a dog run out of a field to bark at me in the first few miles. He ran off when I yelled at him/her.

I got to the first aid stop at 8 am. They were just setting up, but I got some fruit. After the Newton aid stop, all the other riders started catching up to me. I had several large pods of riders passing me very fast, very close and not bothering to say "on your left." :mad: Most of those riders went the other way at the 80 mile turn off.

I saw a lot of people riding wide even when cars were trying to pass. A few times I yelled "car back" and no one singled up. Oh well, I tried.

I kept all my layers on all day: short sleeve jersey, long sleeve jersey over it and rain jacket over it. Leg warmers, toes warmers, full finger gloves. I tried taking off some layers but then I got cold.

My bike computer is confusing and when I was looking at it riding along, it didn't seem right. I decided it was set on km instead of miles and didn't want to bother to reset it. I also idly noticed that I had two computer magnets on my wheel. I haven't been on my road bike a whole lot lately and hadn't paid close attention to it, but I wondered why it had two magnets.

Later on when I knew how many miles I had ridden I noticed my computer was double that. When I called my bf from the Newton lunch stop he confirmed that he played a prank on me because he wanted me to think I rode the 100 miles :p. (I had told him I was going to ride 50) So my computer said I rode 124 miles:p

[sulis]

Well I'm a bit late, but better late than never.

Despite the wind and cold and a few sprinkling rain showers that everyone else has already talked about, I had a great time. It was tough to decide what to wear before leaving. But I ended up with fleece lined tights, arm warmers and my wind jacket. There were times that I wished I had taken my heavier jacket but I survived. I found it fun to see how everyone chose to dress for the ride....lots of difference body temperatures.

I saw Lifesgreat before the start. And during a long straight away saw the AV jersey fly by me - I knew it was Yellow so I called out. She came back and we chatted a bit. I caught up with her at the end too.

I ended up riding 80 miles. I'm really pleased with that as I had not trained at all for this ride. You can count on very few fingers that number of times I have ridden this year. But there is something about riding with others that increases your energy. The rest stops were stocked with a great variety. Loved loved loved the licorice and grapes and the bite size Luna bars - wish I could buy those somewhere. I adored the giant downhill - it made all the climbing worth while. I did not mind the route change this year - if it helps keep us out of the way of so many cars ang allows us to keep the ride going forward, than I can deal with that. The last 20 miles were absolute killer though.

True to my pre-ride post, I did what I could to encourage the No Wide Ride motto. Sometimes it was more successful than others. I was consistant with announcing my passing and always said thank you to anyone who singled up or moved over to allow me to pass. Hopefully positive reinforcement will help to encourage better riding by all of us. :D

At one point, I don't quite remember where, I did come upon a pile up just moments after it happened. It was very scary for the riders I am sure. And I hope no one was hurt too badly. However, the group had passed me just a few minutes earlier and were riding 4 to 5 across the road. So when they turned the corner they really were putting themselves in a hazardous situation.

Upon my return to Wellsville I overheard a conversation between some volunteers that the police had indeed been ticketing people for riding wide.

[Kano]

Upon my return to Wellsville I overheard a conversation between some volunteers that the police had indeed been ticketing people for riding wide.

I suppose in a way it's mean to say GOOD! But if it takes a fine for people to learn the lesson that we bikers have to share the road too, then GOOD that the police were enforcing it!

I want this ride to stay around until I get to do it at least once!

Karen in Boise

[Flybye]

Life as a mother and wife and owner of a batch of puppies has kept me from posting so far.

I rode up with Shiraz and others who aren't converts to TE (yet ;)). We had great conversations and solved many of the current day world dilemas in our two hour trip to Logan. We stopped at Al's for some ride snacks/drinks and headed to the Best Western Weston Inn - a recommend for next year. We unloaded our bikes and set out for the Firehouse.

Dinner was great. Yellow took some great pictures that she posted earlier. Don't let her fool you by her comments, she is very much a beautiful individual, both inside and out. It was great to meet her. Some people you just click with and I now consider her a friend. She is a strong and knowledgeable rider. I enjoyed meeting Alex, Lifesgreat, and Cyclasutra. How fun to be able to put a face to a name. It was also fun to meet their friends that came along (more TE converts???)

We headed back to the hotel for more conversation and some sleep.

This ride was my first century. It took 7-71/2 hours of actual on the bike time, even though I started at 8:30am and finished at 9:45pm. Yes, you read that right. Buckle up, the story is a little long, but a fun and adventurous one, to say the least.

Wow, what was with the wind in the first place? I was like the rest of you - too warm, too cold. I even got hailed on briefly. I purchased a jersey and long finger gloves in the park the night before the ride and was extremely happy with that decision. I had given myself permission to bail on the ride if it was too windy. I was happy that the wind was a head wind on the first of the ride, because that only meant one thing, tailwinds coming home, right?? I CAN NOT BELIEVE THAT THE WIND SHIFTED AT LUNCH!! Headwinds both ways? I might have bailed at lunch, but I didn't know how I was getting home to Idaho, so I kept on riding...........................

Things started to get interesting around mile 20 when my cell phone rang. My dog back home had her first puppy and I got the play by play discourse from my kids about how they discovered the first pup and how my husband had to cut the sack off of it to save it because the mother dog, Roxie, didn't know what it was (her first pup from her first litter) and ran and hid. While we were on the phone with each other, my dog had two more pups. The kids were so excited that I had to hear the story three different times, once from each of them. I ended the phone conversation and hit the road.

While I was riding, I thought through the process of how I was going to get home if Roxie had a difficult time birthing the rest of the puppies and my husband had to take her to the vet. Even though I rode down with Shiraz and company, my husband and kids had planned to leave Roxie under the watch of our neighbor and pick me up in Utah. This plan was hatched before we knew that she'd have her pups that day - in our minds it was more of a precaution than anything.

It was about this time in my ride that I reached the intersection where the 100 mile riders were to go North and the 80 mile riders were to go East. I had spent about 40 minutes on the phone and lost enough ride time that I missed the cut off for the 100 mile course. The closed course sign was up, although they were letting riders through as long as they understood that the sag wagons were done with the loop and that the lunch station might have slim pickins' by the time we reached it.

I left a message with Shiraz hoping that she'd catch the message and that I could abort the ride and head home with them, as they were riding a shorter course. I was hoping to spare my very busy puppy delivering husband the job of coming to get me and free him up in case of an emergency. I took the 80 mile route while I hoped for a return call from Shiraz.

I hit the lunch station and ate. Again I called home and told my husband that I couldn't catch a ride home as I had not heard from Shiraz. My neighbor, who is a blessing in so many ways, offered to come to Logan and pick me up. What a lifesaver this woman is.

I rode into the park with 80 miles, had my faux champagne, and hit the road again. :) I was able to ride into the Logan with 90 miles under my belt, or is it spandex waistline?? I met my gracious neighbor. We ate dinner, picked up my luggage from the hotel, toured the U of U campus via the car, and headed for home.

I needed 10 more miles to make 100. I wanted it so badly that I was willing to get it done even if it meant sliding into the driveway at 11:59pm!!
We reached Blackfoot (my hometown) at 9:00 pm. I knew that if I went home and saw my husband, kids, and puppies (10 was the final count at 5:45) that I would stay home and be disappointed with 90. My wonderful neighbor dropped me off at the bike path, where I FROZE my rump roast off and finished up the last 10 miles. I cruised into the driveway at 10:00 with a big old smile on my face.

It was a great end to a great day. My first century. My first time having a dog with puppies. A great big bear hug by a wonderful man. Smiling, animated faces of three kids talking in unison and telling stories of how amazing it was to see their beloved dog have babies. A fantastic neighbor who would do anything for someone in need. A dog so proud of her babies. A hot bath. A good nights sleep. A God who answered my prayers for a safe ride.

I will post ride and puppy pictures later! It's 5:00 here and people think that they need dinner.

[Flybye]

Another thought...I agree that it is good that women were getting ticketed for riding 3+ wide. It was frustrating when I needed to pass and couldn't. At one point I asked a group if they would ride two wide so that I didn't have to cross the yellow line to pass them.
I think that things were better this year as far as riding wide goes. I really don't know how to avoid the congestion for the first 10 miles or so. Having an early rest stop seemed to help.
If this year was a trial for next, I wonder how they felt that the ride went. I sure feel like the Utah bike club did their job well.

[CyclaSutra]

WOw! Everybody had great rides, sounds like, but Flybye, that's amazing. I don't think I would have had the chutzpah to put my butt on the saddle for another 10 miles after being in a warm, cozy car! My first LRRH three years ago, I did take the wrong route, following a bunch of ladybugs onto the metric route. Once I figured that out, I ended up "inventing" a route with the map to try to make the 100. I only ended up with 96 at the park that year, and you bet I just decided that was close enough for government work. You are one tough lady!

On Friday, I towed Stella down to the Malibu campground in Logan Canyon, so disappointed when I backed her into a slot full of black mud! Cara, Kelsey and I decided it would be more fun to shop in the rain than sit around a cold campsite, so off to Logan. Cara got a new helmet for $37 (! much cheaper than in JH), Kelsey got a $3 workout shirt from a thrift shop and I lusted after down jackets – "I'm so tired of being COLD" – but didn't get one.

Dinner was fabulous chatting with fun TE ladies and I was so touched to get my first baby gifts from ANYONE... adorable books from Yellow. I couldn't decide-- duck on a bike or the juggling pug -- they're both my favorites.

I headed out with Cara on the 45 route while Kelsey sprinted ahead for 102. Spent the first 10 miles answering her questions about how to ride a road bike, etiquitte, shifting, when to pass, etc. We were both appalled at the riding wide (and peeps stopped IN THE ROAD waiting for their friends) for the first 5-10 miles, but it got much better once we passed most of the wobbly ladies on mtn bikes. The hail hit us at about mile 5, and I kept telling myself it was only sleet. No waterproof layer. But I bailed and stood under a horse trailer for a minute anyway, worried it was going to get bigger.

My knickers were a good choice, but I wished I had located the pair I got from V on TE, much better chamois. Long-sleeved jersey also stayed on and zipped all day, plus an undershirt. Windbreaker came off briefly.

Wow, being preggers, and not on the bike much I guess, makes you tired! I really think 45 is ALL I could have done. THe last 5 miles I was so whooped, I couldn't walk over to the last rest stop. I had to skip the fake champagne, I just was sort of tired of the madness. We nabbed Wendy's, then back to the campsite for a nap!

You know, I've only gained 2-3 pounds so far of baby weight, but spandex certainly brings it out! I look, uh, more preggers than I am. Here's a pic of little JJ on her first long ride, Cara's creative wardrobe choices and us by the campfire.

OKY Dokey, photos not attaching well. I'm going to try to post this and add photos later.

[Flybye]

Well, better WAY late than nevuh-evuh :rolleyes: I would have posted earlier but our pc monitor bit the dust the day before the ride. We were messing around with it last night to ship it off for repairs. We unplugged it and plugged it back in and BINGO - it works. Sheesh. It's kind of like smacking something to make it work - only perhaps we were the ones that needed smacked :p !

Here are some shots from Little Red. The first picture is of friend #1, friend #2, Flybye (me), friend #3, Shiraz, and Yellow. Next a picture of a portion of the start crowd, and last, Little Red Riding Hood in the flesh.

[yellow]

Hey! Didjall see these??

Shiraz

https://www.zazoosh.com/webroot/event_data/00145/photos/00145-25-1498.jpg

Yellow

https://www.zazoosh.com/webroot/event_data/00145/photos/00145-02-2635.jpg

Flybye

https://www.zazoosh.com/webroot/event_data/00145/photos/00145-02-0720.jpg

You have to search by helmet color and type of bike!

[Flybye]

I hadn't seen these - how fun and thanks for sharing!

[SadieKate]

Three posters girls . . . :)

[Shiraz]

Thanks for finding the pictures. I forgot to even look!

[BikeDutchess]

Yeah! Sara from California saw my post above and sent me the border crossing photos! Thanks, Sara!