Ms. Wrong-Way

I have no idea what happened today, but I had a lot of fun so it was all good. Sorry in advance for the book :)

I went on the Hope Ride today in Hope, Indiana. I decided to do the 64 mile route and was curious to see how many people would participate in this ride. It had great advertising, even had an ad on a local independent rock radio station. Come to find out, 1,800 riders signed up - so hopefully they made a good amount for their food bank - which is what the ride is for.

Thankfully there was NOT a mass start. It was fun following all of the other vehicles with bikes on car racks down the interstate and country highways to the location in the pre-dawn light :) They fed us breakfast (which I kind of regretted eating, lesson learned). Couldn't figure out how to dress as we started with 50+ degree temps but it got to the mid-80's. So wore my knee-warmers and decided against a jacket. Arm-warmers would have been great (note to self). Leg warmers went into trunk bag at first SAG.

Now I've been riding clipless for two weeks with no falling over - so what do I do in the parking lot in front of everyone? Fell over of course :o I made the mistake of riding around the school but there were so many walkers and cars and people not paying attention...well..I got distracted when I tried to stop and forgot I was clipped in. No damage to me or bike :)

I've no idea what happened. I followed the markers, and was NEVER alone for very long. My speed was pretty good until later in the morning when it got a little hillier and a headwind got going. They had a SAG every 10-11 miles...

I was feeling pretty good as I pulled into the third SAG - had 39 miles on my trip odometer and only about 25 miles left until lunch - YES! Until someone told me that this was only the second SAG, and it was only 20 miles or so unto the route. WTF? Hold on here, I KNEW it was my third SAG stop, and my bike computer trip odometer left no question how far I had ridden.

Somehow I got off the route - though I always followed the markers and was never alone for long - and went from the 1st SAG to the 3rd and then to the 2nd. It is the only solution - but it makes no sense how that could have been possible. Not unless a lot of others did the same thing and we were just all members of "Team Wrong-way". They also only had lunch available until a certain time so if I left the route and just rode back to the school I would at least have 50 miles and get lunch - so that is what I did. I had quad problems earlier this week so didn't want to push it overly much.

I will never know what actually happened, and I will certainly return to this ride next year. It was great fun, even if I did miss the SAG at the winery - but I doubt they were handing out samples anyway :) They also had a pretty good blues band in the town square park at lunch :D

We had at least on other TE member at the ride, and I hope that she lets us know what she thought of the ride. I loved the roads we were riding, I will go back on my own at some time when I need a change of scenery :cool:

Oh no! I would totally do that. I am sorry it didn't go as you planned but way to go enjoying the experience as it played out!!!

Did you at least get back in time for lunch? I wonder if all those other people riding near you were also turned around, which makes me wonder if the signage was accurate. Hmmmm...

I'm glad you had a fun ride anyway. Way to keep it positive!

Roxy

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Originally Posted by warneral

Oh no! I would totally do that. I am sorry it didn't go as you planned but way to go enjoying the experience as it played out!!!

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I had lots of fun, regardless. It just bugs me what happened because I always had company going the same direction that I was going :confused: Doesn't matter though, looking forward to next year!

I kinda giggled a little at the title, then when reading that you went to stop 1, 3, then 2. Why do I giggle? I'm not mean, I just did that a few years ago. It was a *very* small ride and I was alone a lot. I did a big circle and ended back up where we started (after only 20 miles). I followed the road markings- turns out there were 3 sets of markings on that road from 3 different rides- I just followed the wrong set. :rolleyes:

Sorry 'bout the mix-up, but I'm glad you had a great time anyway. How odd, though... you certainly were not alone in going the wrong way apparently.

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Originally Posted by channlluv

Did you at least get back in time for lunch? I wonder if all those other people riding near you were also turned around, which makes me wonder if the signage was accurate. Hmmmm...

I'm glad you had a fun ride anyway. Way to keep it positive!

Roxy

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Yes, I did make it for lunch AND a root-beer float :) No losing weight today ;) My 3rd SAG was only 7-8 miles from the lunch location as the crow flies, so they gave me directions on how to ride directly there. There is no way that I would have made it if I hadn't left the route and my leg wasn't up to 30 more miles...

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Originally Posted by Tri Girl

I kinda giggled a little at the title, then when reading that you went to stop 1, 3, then 2. Why do I giggle? I'm not mean, I just did that a few years ago. It was a *very* small ride and I was alone a lot. I did a big circle and ended back up where we started (after only 20 miles). I followed the road markings- turns out there were 3 sets of markings on that road from 3 different rides- I just followed the wrong set. :rolleyes:

Sorry 'bout the mix-up, but I'm glad you had a great time anyway. How odd, though... you certainly were not alone in going the wrong way apparently.

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There were only 1 set of markings, but there were routes of 13, 25, 35, 50, 64, and 100 miles. All of the routes had the same Dan Henrys, but the splits were well marked. We had fun - and with 1,800 of us it was quite a different experience for me! 49 miles in 3:35. I wonder if I wound up following markers from last year. No way to know, but certainly no harm done!

It IS funny though :D

Well, that might explain why we never saw you. What time did you end up starting?

Nice, well supported ride. They change the route nearly every year, which I didn't know until today. I was not, however, a big fan of the crowds. I saw a lot of stupid behavior today. Apparently, it's perfectly acceptable for riders to take up the entire width of the road or fly past without an on your left. We also played yo yo for the last 15 miles with a group of seemingly experienced guys who had no idea how to share the road. They would pass us, then slow to a crawl. So, we'd pass them, and the whole thing would start over again. They blew through one of the busiest intersection on the route like idiots. Grrrrr.

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Originally Posted by indysteel

Well, that might explain why we never saw you. What time did you end up starting?

Nice, well supported ride. They change the route nearly every year, which I didn't know until today. I was not, however, a big fan of the crowds. I saw a lot of stupid behavior today. Apparently, it's perfectly acceptable for riders to take up the entire width of the road or fly past without an on your left. We also played yo yo for the last 15 miles with a group of seemingly experienced guys who had no idea how to share the road. They would pass us, then slow to a crawl. So, we'd pass them, and the whole thing would start over again. They blew through one of the busiest intersection on the route like idiots. Grrrrr.

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I changed from the 64-mile route to the 50 in hopes of seeing the two of you (and to go a little easy on my right quad - my hamstring was a little cranky when I first started). I did this at my SECOND stop - so I had already made whatever mistake I made. I arrived a little after 7:00 and got started a little before 8. There was a lot of madness there before the first SAG. Yeah, I saw some inconsistent behavior that had me a little nervous, but at least there were no accidents that I heard of.

Did you happen to see the "Garden of Armageddon?" We all just cracked up laughing - then there were the huge statues? that someone had set up in their yard. I wanted pictures of both but there were too many riders around for me to feel comfortable stopping.

What time did the two of you get started? I was pretty pleased with my riding time for the first 30 miles, then it seemed like I was fated to have a head-wind no matter which direction I turned.

I'm not sure I'm following you when you say you switched routes. The 64 mile route consisted of an extra loop that began and ended at the first SAG (meaning that SAGs one and two on the 64 miler were the same SAG). From there, you just followed the 50 mile route. In looking at the map, I can't figure out what you may have done.

We left a little before 9 and hit the lunch stop around 12:40.

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Originally Posted by indysteel

I'm not sure I'm following you when you say you switched routes. The 64 mile route consisted of an extra loop that began and ended at the first SAG (meaning that SAGs one and two on the 64 miler were the same SAG). From there, you just followed the 50 mile route. In looking at the map, I can't figure out what you may have done.

We left a little before 9 and hit the lunch stop around 12:40.

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That is what I thought... but there was a marker for the 50 mile route at the second stop, and a marker for the 64 mile route - and they split... oh well, at least I wasn't by myself, a good number of people were with me and I had fun. Thinking about it makes me wonder if we got off route at the very beginning and that my "second" stop was actually the first? Hard to believe that though, there were quite large numbers of cyclists with me before the first SAG. I will never know exactly what happened at this point and that is ok :rolleyes:

I hit the lunch stop around 1:20 or so - I really spent too much times at the three stops. I really enjoyed the day, it was all good :)

My theory is that you did the extra loop. If you got to the third SAG thinking that you should be closer to being done (because you thought you were just doing the 50), then that might explain it.

But, yes, you may never know. :) at least it sounds like you never got off the route.

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Originally Posted by indysteel

My theory is that you did the extra loop. If you got to the third SAG thinking that you should be closer to being done (because you thought you were just doing the 50), then that might explain it.

But, yes, you may never know. :) at least it sounds like you never got off the route.

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Well, the perplexing bit was when they told me it was the "second" stop when it was my third - and that I still had 30 miles to go after having done 39... Hmmm, but if that was the extra loop then it was very pretty and I am glad I did it :)

I was also told that the "50" mile route was closer to 56, which means the 64 mile route was also probably longer - so you are probably right about my riding the extra loop - I doubt the SAG mystery can be solved - and that is ok ;)

So now I have to let it go - and be thankful that it was a very positive day outside of the little mystery :D