My STP report...

[bikerchick68]

This past weekend I am happy to say my friends and I successfully rocked the STP!

We started off at 5:35AM (which meant getting up at 3:30AM to load stuff, eat and drive to the start line... aaack! 3:30 is NOT a good time to get up! The first 10 miles were a bit hairy like any big event... 9000 riders did this and some are more stable than others, so we were careful not to get tangled up and crash. Others unfortunately did not fair so well... there were about 10 crashes just in the pack we went out with... all were able to continue, but as you know, starting off with a crash is not good for morale...

The scenery was outstanding. Everything is SO green... and we had views of Mt. Ranier and Mt. St. Helens as well... from mile 80-100 there was a black top bike path. This was the only area where I had any difficulty... because it was 98 degrees! I SUFFER in the heat. I was getting chills and bordering on heat exhaustion... then a guy crashed in front of my friend Rich and I. Rich swerved to avoid him and his Dura Ace 10 front derailleur exploded all over the bike path!!! I had never heard or seen anything like it. Have you??? At least he still had 9 gears... oy vey! He had to stop and move his chain manually for any climbs after that...

We made it in to the 100 mile mark and I completely doused myself head to toe in water. That helped a TON in bringing my body temp down. We rested there and had a baked potato with extra salt (thank you Jim for reminding me to eat salt!!!) and then continued on. At mile 120 Rich had a rear flat which we stopped to fix... we had just finished pumping it up and a moto sag stopped to offer help. I have to say the support for this event was the BEST I have seen on ANY event I've ridden so far. Really, really good... I think they had moto's assigned to every 20 mile stretch and they just drove back and forth covering their area... it was truly exceptional.

We got back on the road and kept going... from mile 100-154 it was rolling hills... up, down, up, down... frankly I was hoping for more down than up! LOL...

At mile 150 there was a truck with our luggage so we stopped, grabbed our back packs and then were off to search for our hotel. We got in, ate a Subway sandwich and showered. We all were close to giddy and had an extreme case of the giggles... but finally slept. First day- 154 miles...

The next day the hardest thing was the first 3 miles of putting your butt back on the saddle! But then we were off and knew we only had 55 miles to go! WOOT!

We rolled at 8:20 or so and crossed the finish around 12:30... the party at the finish line was OUTSTANDING! People cheering when I rolled thru dang near brought tears to my eyes... think I was a wee bit tired??? The BEST thing was that they had these huge trucks with mobile showers!!! Our luggage was there at the finish, so we grabbed it, showered then wandered the event. Got some food, a couple jerseys and just enjoyed the live blues band... it was VERY cool!

Then you hop on the bus back to Seattle... overall it was a terrific event and one that I would do again. My average speed for the 209 miles was 14.1. Not fast but I was very pleased and felt like I rode a strong, smart pace. Total elevation gain was 5300 ft. Pretty mild as double centuries go...

The only negative incident was on day 2... a man was hit by a drunk parolee. His helmet saved his life... I heard he is in fair condition now. The parolee is back in jail... he left the scene (big surprise) and they arrested him 8 miles down the road... I don't know the riders name who was hit, but saw the police, fire and ambulance fly by... he was a few miles behind us when it happened. Anyway, think a positive thought for him OK?

Hope you enjoy the pics and weren't bored by the looooong post!

[mimitabby]

Bikerchick, i was right by you near the finish line, i heard your friend talking about his derailleur blowing up AND I saw you picking your bike up for a photo so I got out of the way!! I'm so sorry i didn't know it was YOU!

Sounds like you had a good ride. It was horribly hot for a while. (I was driving a car) i had to wait in Winlock to meet up with my team; there's almost no shade at all in that part of that town; and i sat there under a blade of shade next to a building for over an hour, watching fried riders go by.
Good to know that immersion with water helps!!

[Bklynmom]

It is great to read about your ride! I can only imagine 154 miles a day --totally impressive.

I have a my first big ride coming up and it was excellent to hear about another big ride that went so well. Congrats!

[dex]

Sounds like you had a great STP experience, too! Yay!

I think I'd do it again...though I'd plan to ride farther on the first day, instead of stopping in Centralia and doing 100 miles each day. Or heck, maybe I'll just train harder, get faster, and join the ranks of the One Day Finishers. (It's good to have goals, right?)

[bikerchick68]

oh Mimitabby!!! Dang, I wish I had known too... how fun would it have been to get to meet in person...

yeah, the heat was oppressive especially with the humidity, which I am not used to at all... I was INCREDIBLY grateful to all the local citizens who hooked up hoses with misters for us to ride thru... they were along the route at different points and we rode thru every single one. At one point there were two little girls holding up hoses for us to ride thru... I could've stopped to hug them they were so darned cute!

Bklynmom... I hope your ride is terrific! Just pace yourself and ride your own ride. I'm not as "fast" as others but I have excellent endurance at my own pace I'm pretty danged proud of myself to be honest.

Dex... yep, I was actually glad we went further. It made for a more relaxing day 2. I could have finished with a faster time. At the end of the 154 we were at 14.7 mph avg... but day 2, I wanted to just cruise and ENJOY the scenery ya know? Being from out of town, I really enjoyed how incredibly pretty everything is... glad you had a good ride too, and REALLY hope the knee heals quickly for you. Nothing worse than knee probs.

[Trekhawk]

WOW BC!!!!
I just found this post and wanted to say well done. The pictures are great and it sounds like you had a fun time.

[Kathie]

WOW! Can I be you when I grow up?! Seriously, that is awesome!

[Jo-n-NY]

What a great report and wonderful pics. It sounds like a wonderful ride.

~ JoAnn

[indysteel]

Great job!!! Thanks for sharing your ride report.

I did a 160 mile ride this past Saturday and went nowhere near my bike the next day. Kudos to you for getting back in the saddle on day two and rockin' out another 55 miles!!!!!

[bikerchick68]

Trekhawk... thanks SO much! I've told friends who aren't riders... and they know it sounds like a lot... but it's nice to receive congrats from riders who GET IT!

Kathie... aw, thanks... It could be one of the coolest things I've ever done...

Jo-n-NY... thanks so much... I'd do it again in a heartbeat! It was a great ride...

Indysteel... you GO! 160 miles is a loooooong way huh? It was funny, on the bus ride home, I was sitting there realizing it's insane to ride a bike that far Really puts it in perspective when the bus trip home is 3 hours...

[indysteel]

Indysteel... you GO! 160 miles is a loooooong way huh? It was funny, on the bus ride home, I was sitting there realizing it's insane to ride a bike that far Really puts it in perspective when the bus trip home is 3 hours...

It was surreal driving back home from the end of the ride to Indianapolis. I kept thinking "I just rode more than double this on my bike!!!!" Crazy, but oh so much fun. And my ride wasn't even as scenic as yours. I'm gonna have to look into the STP. I wish it was easier to travel with my bike. Sigh......

[bikerchick68]

yeah, I know what you mean about travel. I took my bike to the shop where I bought it... they boxed it for $30 and then Fed Ex'd it. Cost $80 to get it to Seattle... and then $114 to get it home (they charged more there for the service)

If I continue traveling to ride, I'll buy a case to pack it and take it on flight... but that is really no cheaper... the charge for the oversized luggage, I've heard is up there...

[GLC1968]

Awesome ride report and GREAT pictures!

Thanks so much for sharing! If we do relocate to the PNW, I'm definitely putting this one on my list of must-rides.

[bikerchick68]

GLC thanks! It is a REALLY pretty ride... especially for someone who lives in the desert... which is what San Diego really is... it's just so green! Yup, it's a must do if you can get there... apparently it sells out every year.

[indysteel]

yeah, I know what you mean about travel. I took my bike to the shop where I bought it... they boxed it for $30 and then Fed Ex'd it. Cost $80 to get it to Seattle... and then $114 to get it home (they charged more there for the service)

If I continue traveling to ride, I'll buy a case to pack it and take it on flight... but that is really no cheaper... the charge for the oversized luggage, I've heard is up there...

Sorry, thread hijack.....

As I was looking at some pictures someone posted of the Death Ride on RBR.com, I was just thinking the same thing. I have a friend with a custom Ti bike with couplers that makes it easier to travel because the bike fits into standard luggage. She just got back from doing the Triple Bypass and only spent an additional $20 having someone at a local LBS doublecheck that the bike was put together properly (or course, they incidentally cracked her carbon stem while checking the headset). I'm going to be in the market for a custom frame in a couple of years, so it's something to think about. Otherwise, there's no easy, cost-effective way to do it. I can't tell you how jealous I am of all of you who live out West. When I consider the biking, hiking, national parks, etc., I go green with envy.