Quote Originally Posted by withm View Post
LOL - I did that ride yesterday. It was probably the best one ever, winds notwithstanding. In all, there were 899 riders registered - a huge jump from the 400 or so from years past. Now if only they could design a route that didn't have that silly leg running up and down Rt. 1. Most of the people in my group rejected that leg entirely, and substituted other roads instead.

The wind - gusts over 25 kt by the end of the ride - certainly made it interesting.
I wish I would have known you were riding on Saturday, it would have been nice to meet up. This was my third year of doing the event. The routes, in my opininon, were not that well marked and lots of people were lost. At one point I was in a nice pace line rolling along then we all turned together and I realized the road wasn't on my cue sheet (they must have been doing the 35 mi.). Several of us turned around and then I was on my own again.
The trip down Rt. 1 and back was a waste, just a mileage eater. It was boring and there were lots of small stones to avoid along the shoulder. I didn't even think about substituting those miles for something more interesting, but I'm not familiar with the area so just stuck with the original plan.
The winds at Holts Landing were pretty powerful. At times it felt like the bike and I were going to be picked up and blown sideways. Did you have an encounter with the dog on Burton Farm Road? The event organizer called the police to monitor the situation and have the owners pen the dog.
All in all, it was a great experience and a fine day. On Sunday I rode the Junction and Breakwater Trail from Rehoboth to Lewes. I always enjoy that ride.