Category Archives: Ride Review

Ride Review for Lone Star Randonneurs’ OK is OK 309 km Brevet

Posted on by
2

At the end of 2011 I joined Lone Star Randonneurs to ride with them on some of their longer rides. First up for 2012 was the OK is OK 309 km Brevet. Going 300 km was a goal of mine so I jumped at the chance when this ride was announced.

The Good

The Lone Star Randonneurs get on with it. The forecast called for a stiff headwind for the first half of the day as we headed north and a stiff headwind for the second half of the day as we would be heading back south. There was discussion about the weather and everyone knew the conditions would make the ride tougher. Many cyclists would have caved rather than suffer through 192 miles/309 km of headwind. Not this gang.

The route, picked out by George Evans, was fantastic. Quiet, scenic country roads. About 4,200 feet of climbing, mainly rollers but with a few slightly longer climbs in there as well. The well detailed cue sheet made following the route easy.

Barn in Wolfe City, Texas  Read more... (737 words, 2 images)

Goal Achieved! Finisher of Rapha 500

Posted on by
1

Yesterday I achieved my goal of finishing the Rapha 500. I road 516 kilometers to pass the 500k goal of the competition. What a great way to end 2011!

Some highlights:

  • Road a century with friends and family on Boxing Day
  • I had a personal best for longest ride at 212 kilometers
  • Road with a new friend discovered through the Rapha 500
  • Helped a friend achieve a personal best and finish her first century
  • Managed to keep it rubber side down and finish with no mechanicals
  • Discovered several new cycling buddies on Twitter and Strava
  • Managed to stay awake to see the New Year’s fireworks

Rapha 500 Progress

Here are some photos from the rides:

Stopping at Catfish Corner for a photo

The gang at Catfish Corner

Just me and the cows

Discovering quiet country roads on Rapha 500

Fireworks ringing in the New Year!

Thanks to Rapha, Strava, my family and friends. The Rapha 500 was epic!

Ride Number Three For Rapha 500

Posted on by
Reply

Ride number three for the Rapha 500 was outstanding. Accompanied by friends and family, the ride was 100k heading on a loop southeast from Dallas.

Sadly, my Garmin and my iPhone died during the ride so I only recorded 39 miles.  Oh well!

 

Ride Number Two For Rapha 500

Posted on by
Reply

Ride number two was an easy Christmas ride with my brother Joshua.  We rolled around White Rock Lake and Lakewood.

The ride was just under 30 miles, about 47 kilometers.  With that ride I am now about 52% complete with the challenge with 6 days left.

 

 

Ride Number One For Rapha 500

Posted on by
Reply

Ride number one for the Rapha 500 is done!

I went 132 miles, about 212 kilometers, on December 23rd.  With a route that I figured out online the night before and jotted onto a piece of paper, I headed south from the house in a 22 degree wind chill.  Definitely winging it, but I figured that would be half the fun.

This was a solo ride as my buddy Ben was a late scratch.  We had planned to do it together but he is nursing an ankle injury and had to sit this one out.

 

Getting Prepared For Rapha 500

Posted on by
Reply

My goal for the Rapha 500 is to not only get the patch, but also to kick the crap out of the 500k mark.  Why not, right?

My buddy Ben and I are going far on the 23rd.  The theme of the ride will be to celebrate “Festivus” from Seinfeld fame.  We will start with an airing of grievances and feats of strength.  Then we’re just going to pick a direction and roll.  We’ll do a little mapping ahead of time but we’ll be exploring new roads so we’ll keep things pretty flexible.  My wife will be locking in “Wife of the Year” for 2011 as she has volunteered to come and pick us up wherever we finish.  This ride should be epic.

On the 24th I’ll join the Wild Stallions for their Christmas ride.  My friend Christy organizes the Wild Stallion rides a couple of times a week and always has a good group.  This ride will probably be 30-40 miles so I’ll look to add some on the end to get closer to 100k.  Read more... (273 words, 1 image)

Local Bike Shop Review – Bike World San Antonio

Posted on by
Reply

November 14th, 2011

readyforplanb.com review of Bike World San Antonio bike shop in Alamo Heights

I paid a visit to my brother’s LBS, Bike World in Alamo Heights, and had a great chat and a chance to learn more about the shop.  At first glance, it feels like a lot of bike shops, offering the full range of gear and road, mountain, fitness and urban bikes.  After spending a little time with them, though, you quickly get a sense for what makes this shop special.

Some highlights:  Read more... (921 words, 2 images)

  • A staff made up of experienced cyclists
  • One of the best fit studios in Texas with fit specialist Tim Tilton
  • A demo program that lets you experience higher end products before you purchase
  • A return program that takes some of the pain out of buying a bike for your child
  • A new coffee shop on the list of ‘coming attractions’

Mesquite Texas Rodeo Bike Ride Review

Posted on by
1

June 4th, 2011

Readyforplanb.com review for the 100k Mesquite Rodeo Bike Ride 2011

My hope for the Mesquite Rodeo Bike Ride was to get a chance to ride in a faster group to gauge whether I could achieve Goal #2, finishing the 100k at Hotter’N Hell sub 3 hours.  Year to date on my journey to plant-based cyclist I had logged 2,254 miles and was down 18.6 pounds.  

Saturday morning could not come fast enough.  I was tossing and turning knowing that I was about to head just east of Dallas to Mesquite for a ride.  The roads out in Mesquite and Sunnyvale are where we go for most of our longer training rides, so I was really confident about the course.  I was also excited to pay back Mesquite for putting up with us all year by helping them raise some money, and to check out just what they have managed to build with their annual Mesquite Rodeo Bike Ride.  Read more... (716 words, 1 image)

Ride Report for Day 4 of the Rapha Turkey Takeoff Challenge on Strava – AKA “The Marauding Minivan”

Posted on by
Reply

November 27th, 2011

Readyforplanb.com ride report for Day 4 of the Rapha Turkey Takeoff Challenge on Strava.

On the final day of the Rapha Turkey Takeoff Challenge on Strava I was greeted with temps in the thirties and the wind blowing over twenty miles per hour.  With those winds Ben and I decided we would do a leisurely tour around Dallas and enjoy the ride rather than heading out to the country and just banging out the miles.  It turned out to be a great call.

We rolled down the Santa Fe Trail and cut through a very quiet down town, enjoying the wide open streets cutting through the high-rises.  The Christmas decorations were already up and the tourists were out by the Dealey Plaza.  Still, we both laughed at how amazing it was that in a city of 6 million people downtown felt deserted on a cold Sunday morning.

Other early highlights of the ride were rolling through the Bishop Arts District and the Katy Trail.  The Bishop Arts District has such a cool vibe, every time I’m over there I promise myself I will go more often.  The Katy Trail was bustling with runners and walkers.  Read more... (539 words, 1 image)

Ride Report for Day 3 of the Rapha Turkey Takeoff Challenge on Strava

Posted on by
Reply

November 26th, 2011

Readyforplanb.com ride report for Day 3 of the Rapha Turkey Takeoff Challenge on Strava.

After a travel day on Friday it was great to be home where I could enjoy warmer weather, my own bike, and familiar roads.  With one hundred and seventy miles to go over the next two days to finish the Rapha Turkey Takeoff Challenge on Strava, I was excited to get rolling.

Looking forward to a century on Sunday with my buddy Ben, today’s goal was a seventy mile ride.  For any ride over fifty miles coming up with a fun route is always good to keep boredom at bay.  With rain expected in a couple hours and concern over having a mechanical far from home, I decided to stay close and listen to a good book and hit some of the cool old boulevards around East Dallas.  Helping a woman fix a flat was the omen I needed to confirm I had made the right choice.

The Bridge at White Rock Lake in Dallas  Read more... (284 words, 1 image)