2 Attachment(s)
3-State, 3-Mountain Ride Report
What a day it was to be on a bicycle. The day started off dark, rainy, windy, a dash of thunder and lightning tossed in for good measure, chilly, wet, etc. The start of the ride was delayed by about forty minutes as the worse part of the storm passed through the area. The photos below are the only ones I took from my car as I made my way to the start. Upon arriving I started getting myself ready and had an eye on the sky all the time for I knew it would not be long until we were hit. Just as I finished airing up my tires the skies opened up and riders quickly returned to the safety and warmth of their vehicles. At about five minutes before the posted start time I made my way to Finley stadium and got pretty darn wet in the short distance I traveled. I immediately began to question to my sanity. I sought shelter within the confines of the stadium with a majority of the other participants and we patiently waited for the storm to pass. It took every thing I had not to return to my car but I remained undercover. At last we were told to make our way to the start of the masses gathered. A lot of nervous energy in the air.
With the start the rain again began to fall again and I just kept hoping I would warm up soon. It did not take long. We made our way to the first mountain - Suck Creek. What a climb - not hard but long (about 5 1/2 miles). The descent was not a lot of fun given the wet roads, the large number of people and a road that was hard to see due to the thick cloud cover and a nasty crosswind that had kicked up on the downhill side. By the time I made it to the bottom I was one very cold cyclist. I elected not to spend a lot of time at the SAG and hoped that returning to my bike would generate some body heat - again it did not take long.
Ladd Mountain await us and the climb was a bit tougher than the Suck Creek. But wait, we were greeted with message painted on the road - this was not a "real mountain" we were climbing. I'm still trying to process this one.
The second real mountain was off in the distance - Sand Mountain. A shorter climb but a more difficult one. The grade was a bit steeper and there were numerous switch backs to navigate. Up the mountain the riders went. This downhill journey was a bit more fun for the roads had dried and the nasty crosswinds we encountered on Suck Creek were not an issue. Sadly, as I made my way around one of the switch backs I encountered a group of EMTs working on a down rider. Seems he was drafting a tandem when one of his tires blew. I was told he went straight up in the air and landed on his back. He appeared to be in a lot of pain when I passed him. I hope he is okay and did not suffer any major injuries.
A quick stop at the fourth SAG and off I went to tackle the last big climb, the one I was worried about. The one that I had been told was really steep. All accounts proved to be true. Burkhalter Gap was everything I had been told. Steep, tough, short (only 2.5 miles) and very steep at the top 20-24% grade). By this time the field had really thinned out and every rider I passed was working hard to stay on their bike and to make their way to the top. I was keeping a close eye on my computer counting off the tenths of a mile to the top. I seldom looked up the mountain but keep my focus on the area immediately ahead of me. When I started to encounter cyclists walking up the mountain I started my pep talk. It goes something like this, "you are not getting off this bike!, Keep pedaling! You are not walking, don't even think about it!" And so I pushed on with the other riders. Near the top a group of ladies were present with bells and strong words of encouragement. I did not realize my pep talk was audible but one replied "don't even think about getting off your bike - keep pedaling!" A quick glance up the road told me I was so very close and I dug deep. The bells, the words of encouragement and a bit of stubbornness got me to the top. I almost cried! A quick refill of my bottles and private pat on my back and back on my bike. At this point the sun had finally come out to play and its warmth felt so good.
The last 15 miles included some minor climbing but each hill felt major given what my legs had conquered throughout the day. The final downhill into Chattanooga was fun and I caught myself with a huge grin plastered on my face.
I tip my hat to the Chattanooga Bicycle Club for hosting such an awesome event. I tip my hat to the City of Chattanooga for making all the cyclist feel so welcome. I tip my hat to the police and traffic personnel for making it such a safe ride. All major intersections had officers posted at them and all traffic was stopped to allow cyclist safe passage. It was a grand day and I'm glad I hung in there and rode. I think I'll return next year with the hopes of warmer, drier weather.
