I did that '06 in the Nor'easter. I suppose it was only marginally worse than the '05 ride in the dying gasps of Tropical Storm Tammy (7" of steady rain that weekend and wind). At least in '06 we had less rain. But wind driven sand is always a joy for your drivetrain!
Ahhhh...the fond memories of the Seagull!!! If only it weren't such a darned good time!
The first time I did the ride in '00, it was sunny, mild, and calm. Last year was supposed to be good too (but foggy in the a.m.). So it can happen!
Yeah...weather is often a big part of the challenge. This year, they've moved the weekend. Perhaps too much juju associated with Columbus Day??
I'll be doing it (if we can get reservations squared away soon) with DH and the BPVC crew. My personal goal is to break a 5 hour ride time. I'll be sucking a lot of wheels to do that.