David Roderick - 5/1/2015
The rains stopped, the clouds parted, the sun shown down and made for a great day for the Ohio Randonneurs 200K brevet. No one complained about the tail wind the last 34 downhill miles of the course either. We had 23 riders start, and 22 finish, including a few newcomers to the “dark side” of cycling. Having to share the start with the COP Spot ride proved to be of little consequence since our riders were out on the road well before most of the Spot riders arrived, and finished well after most of the spot riders had finished. A big thanks goes out to Ric Noland and the Cyclist Connection crew for hosting our series this year. Rob did a great job on the grill. He kept the burgers and hot dogs coming hot off the grill for our post ride picnic. His wife gets a big thanks for getting a new grill and charcoal at the last minute, when it was discovered that the Cyclist Connection grill had broken down. Debi’s date bars and some liquid refreshment from the “cooler” showed our appreciation. I want to personally thank, as most of the riders did, the volunteers that manned the controls. On the 300K we’ll have more tubes available at the controls thanks to Cyclist Connection.
The weather had taken its toll on the route since we originally submitted it to RUSA, creating patches where pavement was to be imagined. Luckily we had no significant injuries due to those patches. There were several flats on the brevet. I chalk those up to the bits of gravel that always pop up after rains on any ride. Hopefully some of the rough patches will be dealt with by the time the 600K rolls around. The 600K will be a combination of the 400K, a return to Cyclist Connection and a possible sleep over at the Best Western, and then the 200K. The 600k can be ridden straight through and probably should be if riders plan to do any longer rides later in the season.
Next up May 16th is the 300K. We’ll be heading towards the Southeast for it. Again, there will be a flat first segment, followed by hills in the middle, and a finish on the flat segment back to the start. The roads for the most part should be much smoother, but the route portion that climbs through Tar Hollow could be rough. We’ve ridden through Tar Hollow on previous brevets when Bob Waddell was the RBA. We will be starting earlier for the 300K and finishing later. Lights and reflective gear will be required. Bike inspections will also be required. Riders can get their bikes inspected the night before the ride outside of the Best Western host hotel. Again, if you choose to stay over the night before or after the ride, the Best Western is offering a discount off their regular rate, just mention Ohio Randonneurs. The cue for the 300K will be posted the Tuesday before the ride. There will be no “day of ride registration” for the 300K. Registration will close Tuesday at midnight before the ride. Riders who wish to volunteer to man controls, get their fees waived, and can pre-ride the brevet with David Miller. You should contact him soon. If you wish to simply volunteer, let me know. I need to man five controls, and serve a picnic at the turnaround.