Ride Report Rwanda 2014

The 25 starts when? 8:00 a.m.? Shoot I bet hurry up and get over there. Wow lots of people this year. Should have gotten here earlier, have to park at Wahoos. Nothing like adding more riding to a long ride. What's this? A hill. That's right . . . have to ride up the Oakley driveway to get to the start. Who's idea was that? Out of breathe as the ride starts. And away we go.

I wonder how will the rain affect the trails? Rain could be good. Things could be tacky. Or . . . they could be muddy and the climbs could be like riding on flypaper. 29 miles just got a whole lot harder. Started the ride with some of the FUllerton Bikes crew. Dino, the man the myth the legend JSD, Amber (avmonter) and some others. What was I thinking? Where is the rest of the HAB Crew? This could be bad. I try to keep up. Boy are these trails like sticky glue. Can't stop. Riding with the Mayor and JSD and a couple chicas. Can't look bad. Dang it. Where is Dakit and blindman22 when I need somebody to slow the pace down?

Need a breather climbing Live Oak on the backside of O'neil.





Have to HAB some of this. This climb is bad enough on a good day. In quicksand . . . forget about it. Get left by the FB crew. The climb is no problemo for the machines.

Hey who are these guys?



That's it for the pics. Too busy trying to keep up. What no waiting for 15 minutes to lay down? Shouldn't we have taken five piss breaks already? Oh yeah, Dakit isn't riding this year. Catch the first break of the morning. We are skipping the extra climb on Bell View. Thank you.

Wow. Aid station already? No even tired. Oh it has only been 11 miles? I was in and out if there in minutes like a Nascar pit crew. Not too far until the best part of the ride . . . Tijeras. Finally have some fun on some singletrack and some rollers. What, no Waterworks. Water crossing. No problem. I have done this a hundred times. Have to look good in front of the FB crew. Doh! OTB. Pinche agua! Soaked head to toe. Tweaked wrist, back, and leg. How's the bike? Grrr. Newis SLX brakes . . . bent the lever!!!! Hey where are you guys going? No love from the FB crew. They just ride on. oaked, twenty pounds heavier, I try to catch up. Nope.

Last aid station. No bueno. This means . . . stinking asphalt climb from hell. HAB time. What's this? The legendary JSD HABing? I don't feel so bad now. Make it back to the Oakley trails. Legs burning. Back sore. Wrist shot. Uh oh. What way do we go? Lots of confusion. Poor trail markings. Follow the pink ribbons . . . wrong way. Doh! Just what I need, extra credit at mile 28. Finally music and . . . the dreaded Oakley driveway. Have to make it all the way to the top.

Who do I see in the parking lot? Brownie. Clean as a whistle! WTF?!?!!? "Oh I turned around after a couple miles." lol Just like Blackstar two years ago. A little water and Brownie is out. What is that guy? A gremlin? lol Was good to catch up with him and Julie, even if he was looking to clean and happy.

29 miles. 3,400 feet. 3 hours 44 minutes (4:20 total). Bested my time last year by at least 45 minutes.

 

Just got home... What a difference from last year! Last year we fought the heat; this year it was the mud! It's a great ride, but I wish I had a picture of me carrying the bike up Live Oak in the very beginning, because the tires were too caked with mud to spin. We all seemed to have a blast in the mud, but you know it's bad when you see a fat bike having trouble.

They cut out the little section from Heritage to Dove, which is probably a good thing. I imagine it's pretty wet and muddy back there today. The East Ridge climb in Caspers was rougher than last year. The tires just did not want to roll today, even on some of the little flat sections and downhills... I ride that loop pretty often, and I walked sections I've never walked before...

All of the aid stations still had provisions when I went through, and the people were as friendly as ever...(5:20 moving/6:15 total). I wanted to be sub 5 this year, but I'm happy with 5:20 in the mud.

The food at the end was great this year... And the barbecue was placed conveniently close to the finish. There was no escaping the aroma... The combo pork and beef brisket sandwich was exactly what I needed afterwards! The presentation at the end was enjoyable, and I have enough Simple Green to clean the bike for quite some time. It was nice to hear firsthand from Doug Grant about the progress he's seen, and the results he's helped bring about. God willing, I'll be back next year...

 

Great pics and review. Your description of the dirt as "flypaper" is perfect, my bike just wouldn't roll. The trail in your first two pics were way muddier an hour earlier for the 50 milers. I have never done so many HABs.

Some folks had complaints last year about understocked aid stations and a lack of food at the finish. Those complaints were fully addressed as this was the most organized Rwanda of the four I have rode. TY to Doug Grant and the many who have volunteered.

The FB crew was there??? I didn't see them at the beer tent...

I also had my best time despite the crappy conditions.
50.3 miles. 5 hours 16 minutes. 5370 vertical feet. I'll be back next year for this great event!

 

Nice RR and much better ride than I had today. 4:20 as a time? Really? Are you from Colorado?

 

So much mud! Seems like it was much better for the sub 50 milers.

Sometimes the suffering is good for you though. I had a good time, top to bottom and gave it my best effort@ 3:52.

So glad to see my brother finish, not long after. Very much enjoyed hanging out with the family, the bbq was rad. Glad it lived up to it's reputation.

Muscle milk, couple beers and the raffle. Can't believe that one family won so much stuff! Must have bought a bundle of tickets! Good for them.

I look forward to this event, again.


*After further Strava review, I don't think 3:52 is accurate. Gonna say, more like 4:15-4:20ish. I know, it's not a race. But just the for sake of accuracy.

 

936 participants this year with $100,000 raised. What a great event. Thank you to all the organizers and volunteers that make this long ass ride happen. My 4th and Vincent's 3rd year riding the 50. Weather was chilly at first, just the way I like it. The dirt, oh just a little tacky.

At the start


Team Vincent including the Grinch.


as we're about to roll out, the fully crew walks by. I asked, Are you guys doing the 50? No, 25. C'mon Amber, you did the L.A. Marathon, you've ran farther lol. kidding.
JSD and Amber


The grind


How did you guys like that mud?




1st checkpoint


2nd checkpoint


3rd checkpoint, ok enough pic's of checkpoints


Really happy to see the dirt in ok shape on the south end.


gorgeous views


Love the climb!


Remember that mud? Here we are again several hours later.


Oh what a joy. Legs are sore. No training whatsoever unless Snow Summit counts somehow, Didn't think so.
Plenty of grub and drinks afterwards. Awesome raffle too although we didn't win chit, we still had a great time. JSD won twice! Nice seeing Dino, Giddy, Brownie, Crazygramma and everyone else(can't remember all right now). Good times!
Thanks again to all involved to make it happen. You Rock! Can't wait for next year.

 

So wish I could of made it!#-o

Where are the SSlacker report and pix?

 

I didn't ride due to working tonight so I slept in then showed up for the raffle. I only saw Jose, Sam & Mikie as far as the SSlackers. I guess everyone else was at the Whiskey 50 or didn't ride in the event.

 

Weather, perfect. Santiago Peak view, like it was in front my face. And riding with 1000 other mtbkers, just awesome. Great ride and event, will do it again next year. Only problem, random guys would hold onto my back wheel on the climbs. They looked really muddy. What a great ride!

 

This was my first year doing the race and I had a good time despite the elements (broken finger, sore throat, two flats, lot's of mud). I feel fortunate to not have gotten any cramps like many of my fellow riders. I'll definitely be back next year but hopefully in much better shape.

 

Race??????

 

Strava. Every ride is a race. :beer:

 

Wow, allow me to correct myself so the nitpickers quiet down. This was my first year doing the RIDE. Better?

 

...it is a race against yourself (who doesn't use a cycle-computer to measure their time?), and a race against the cutoff times for some folks.

Does anybody else have any pics to post? The ones above are great.... I was too lazy to bring a camera or even take out my iPhone....

 

I can't wait to see some of the video from the drone that was flying over our heads before the start... That was cool!

 

Hope you didn't take offence. I was talking about me. I ride alone 95% of the time and i am my only competition. I'm too slow to compete against anyone else. lol.

 

My bad strobe, I meant to reply to the comment above yours.

 

Both the out and back in the Oneil mud were tough, especially on Dirty Coyote on the way back! Those manageable gradients of 10-12% felt like 25% in the mud. Still a fun ride though.

 

Relax guys, J was just trying to be obnoxious...his best trait besides his 80 mile MTB rides. ; p

 

Thankfully the ride back through O'Neil wasn't as bad as at the beginning. HAB up Live Oak in the beginning, but folks were in good spirits, joking and chatting as we slogged through the mud. I ate a chunk of mud on the way down to the paved section at the bottom of O'Neil - the thing shot into my mouth and hit the back of my throat before I knew it (trail mix....yum!). Legs were gone on the way back from Caspers, but came back after resting at Dove Canyon. Seems I was working twice as hard in some of the muddier spots to go twice as slow. I wanted to ride strong to see how I would hold up (Finished 50 miler in 4:45) but now it's a pain to climb the stairs at work....55 mile Catalina Gran Fondo coming up May 17! :bang:

Also BIG kudos to the folks who worked on the bikes at the Dove Canyon and Casper rest stations - they brushed off the dirt on my bike and kept the chain lubed, otherwise I definitely would not have been able to finish.