T.R | Title | User | Personal Name | Date | Lines |
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1371.1 | Count me in | BALMER::MUDGETT | did you say FREE food? | Fri Nov 17 1989 23:16 | 17 |
| OOOOOOOh boy does this sound like fun. Count me in and I'm going
to try to nag my 11 year old son into coming along for a portion
of it. We will just be able to go on the saturday rides.
1. What is the terain like down there?
2. Is it warmer than...say....Baltimore Md.?
3. How many miles in a century? (only kidding)
4. Is this like a club ride?
I tried to send you mail but SHALOT isn't reachable.
Fred Mudgett
|
1371.2 | info for Balmorians :-) | SHALOT::ELLIS | John Lee Ellis - assembly required | Mon Nov 20 1989 10:57 | 25 |
| Fred,
This is sanctioned by the Tarheels (the Charlotte club),
in that it appears in the club newsletter ... but it is
essentially one of those fun-but-eccentric events I put on,
rather than a mass event.
Terrain around Charlotte is reasonably smooth rolling hills,
not flat, but not choppy or mountainous. It is the Piedmont.
Good for cycling. (There are choppier hills west of Catonsville,
if that gives you any indication.)
Climate is measurably warmer than Baltimore, I've found, but
not by much - 5 to 7 degrees, say, and of course a bit more
inland, so not as sea-affected (or bay affected). Charlotte
gets much less snow (a trace) and cold weather than Annapolis, etc.
But as to whether any particular weekend will be balmy, we'll
just have see. I'll post the forecast.
I'll also try to indicate shorter loops from the century route,
for your son. (This is an English century, of course.)
Hope you can make it!
-john (who's just been snowed upon walking into ZK)
|
1371.3 | Yup it's snow alright. | BANZAI::FISHER | Pat Pending | Mon Nov 20 1989 11:06 | 7 |
| "-john (who's just been snowed upon walking into ZK)"
We want you to remember what it's like up here!!
ed
(take me back with you.)
|
1371.4 | Solstice Century #1 - 3-Dec-1989 | SHALOT::ELLIS | John Lee Ellis - assembly required | Mon Dec 04 1989 00:32 | 33 |
|
Solstics Century #1 - 3-December-1989 - "Catawba/Nitrolee"
--------------------------------------------------------------
Under brilliant blue skies, at 8:15am and 40 degrees (and falling
all day!), and with wind chill of 15 degrees Kelvin, I believe,
we headed out, south down the Lancaster highway at a 22mph average,
buoyed by a 25mph NNW wind... which didn't drop one iota all day,
especially on the way back.
Since one forecast had predicted snow flurries, with 28-39 degrees
temp-range, we felt pretty lucky.
The roads were quiet and clear all over, with much of the route
over backroads such as SC99 and SC97 and US21, through small
SC hamlets, and past wide places in the Catawba River, shimmering
in the relentless sun.
Riders were heard to mutter "I've never been this cold," and the like.
Speeds of up to 10mph were reached on the open flats battling headwinds
on the way back. I emphasize that this was rather an unusual cold snap,
for those of you who may be contemplating coming down for the series.
The ridership included an ultramarathoner from out-of-county
(a UMCA member from Gastonia), and the whole ridership (aforesaid
Gastonian) completed the 105 miles of the century.
* * *
For the next ride I've already arranged a Secret Check Point,
which will, I hope, attract still more riders.
-john
|
1371.5 | Sorry, that's classified | BOOKS::MULDOON | I'll be right back - Godot | Mon Dec 04 1989 12:25 | 14 |
|
RE: .4
>> For the next ride I've already arranged a Secret Check Point,
>> which will, I hope, attract still more riders.
But John,
How will you attract riders if you keep the
checkpoint a secret?
:^)
Steve
|
1371.6 | theories of checkpointing | SHALOT::ELLIS | John Lee Ellis - assembly required | Mon Dec 04 1989 13:06 | 10 |
|
Haha... actually, only the location of the checkpoint is secret
(and what will happen to you when you get there!).
The BANC 600km qualifier in June had a secret checkpoint - the
brevet organizer was reading the Sunday paper in a lawn chair
under an awning by a chilled spring (of drinkable water), as
we sweated by ... it was easy to persuade us to stop.
-john
|
1371.7 | checkpoints | BALMER::MUDGETT | did you say FREE food? | Wed Dec 06 1989 01:35 | 11 |
| Hey John,
I've got some ideas for secret checkpoints if you're interested.
We can have everyone (even the most hardened riders) stopping
dead in their tracks!
Speaking of temp. I swear this last weekend has been like Alaska
here in Maryland. Hopefully this weekend will be warmer.
Fred Mudgett
|
1371.8 | "in their tracks"? I'm curious now! | SHALOT::ELLIS | John Lee Ellis - assembly required | Wed Dec 06 1989 09:54 | 14 |
| Hi Fred,
Hmmm... my imagination runs wild. I'd like to hear your ideas!
As you can see from the write-up of last Sunday's ride, it was
cheerful but mighty breezy and crisp. FYI, the other Tarheels
ride for that day did approximately 1.5 of their 30 mile route,
and then the ride (with its leader and one other rider) was
adjourned to a nearby cafe, after the wind blew the leader into
a parked van ... well, almost.
But I had a good time on mine. Gore-Tex does a good job.
-john
|
1371.9 | [sound of locked brakes] | SKETCH::PAULHUS | Chris @ MLO6B-2/T13 dtn 223-6871 | Wed Dec 06 1989 14:03 | 4 |
| re. checkpoints: I remember reading about a car rally where one
checkpoint was run by female employees from the local Playboy club, in
costume. Variation on the theme, I admit, could be traffic stoppers.
- Chris
|
1371.10 | An awfully cold wait | BANZAI::FISHER | Pat Pending | Wed Dec 06 1989 17:51 | 3 |
| re:.9: they'd freeze their tails off waiting at the halfway point.
ed
|
1371.11 | June 21st... Druids or beach attire? | KUDZU::ELLIS | John Lee Ellis - assembly required | Wed Dec 06 1989 22:55 | 11 |
|
RE: .-1 and .-2
Of course Ed is right, but definitely something to remember
for my next Solstice Century Series (June?)... or should that
be double-c's? :-)
-john
PS: The Secret Check Point has offered to make hot cider, but
of course that is a secret.
|
1371.12 | Century #2 - neither ice, nor ice, ... | SHALOT::ELLIS | John Lee Ellis - assembly required | Mon Dec 11 1989 11:51 | 29 |
1371.13 | #3 - 16-Dec-1989 | SHALOT::ELLIS | John Lee Ellis - assembly required | Sat Dec 16 1989 21:03 | 27 |
| --- Solstice Century #3 -- 16-Dec-1989 -- "Beethoven's Birthday" ---
Amidst prospects that this would be the best attended ride in the series,
with up to eight riders from at least four counties (one in MD) ... the
weather, not satisfied with ice last weekend, returned with a "chilly"
temperature range of 22 - 32 degrees, and a brisk northerly wind.
Still, the ride organizer stood ready to ride if any one showed up,
and, since no one did, couldn't think of anything better to do ...
and, besides, wanted to give the Secret Checkpoint some practice.
The ride religiously followed the Sharon SC - Smyrna - Kings Creek
route, and reached the Secret Checkpoint whilst he was feeding the
farm animals. However, the Checkpoint had replenished the Fig Newtons
he'd eaten when last week's riders didn't show up, and the peloton
had a good feed before heading back into the cheerful breeze.
A mile from the destination, the entire peloton, enthused by their
success thusfar, decided to make it an even 200km for the day ...
thereby working up a good appetite for the evening's Tarheel Bicyclists
Christmas Party ... where Queen City bikers can relax in an atmosphere
of crankshafts and Christmas Cookies.
The series takes a rest next weekend from the frantic pace so far,
but let's cross our fingers for the 30th!
-john
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1371.14 | #4 & #5 - Polar Bear | SHALOT::ELLIS | John Lee Ellis - assembly required | Tue Jan 02 1990 11:49 | 22
|