Fleas And Trees 200k Brevet March 14 2015

Recently I took part in a 200 kilometer Brevet bicycle ride. This was the Lonestar Randonneurs route known as "Fleas and Trees" from Canton TX to Gilmer TX and return. I did not arrive at the ride start in Canton as early as I planned. In fact I got there about 15 minutes before the ride started. That was not a good idea as I had to rush to get ready.

There seemed to be about  20 riders ready to leave on the ride from the Canton Wal-Mart parking lot. Most of the riders in fact all but three of us were riding the 400 k route. After a quick safety briefing and welcome from the ride organizers we were on our way. The group stayed together for the most part to the first town which was Mineola. This town was not a control but most folks stopped anyway for refreshment from one of the convenience stores. From there I fell in with a motivated group of about  10 riders who were really pushing the pace up and up. I stayed with them for about 20 miles. I could not keep riding at their pace so I fell back and rode my own speed. A few other riders caught up to me. I had to stop about 15 miles out of Gilmer, the turn around point on this out and back ride to use the restroom. At this point I must have been the last rider on the course. A visiting Japanese rider passed me on his way back about 8 miles outside of Gilmer.

I got to Gilmer and made it through the town to the gas station/ convenience store that was the turn around Control for the 200 k ride. I went inside and purchased a drink and a sandwich and had my card signed. I took a break and ate lunch here. Another rider decided to wait for me though she had been waiting at the control for some time. She stated that she did not want to ride back all the way by herself. I was thankful to have the company as we could work together on the ride back.

There are quite a few hills between Mineloa and Gilmer. In fact this ride really reminded me of some the the areas that I used to ride through in west Kentucky and in Tennesee with the Nashville Randonneuring group. It was just hill after hill up and down up and down. I actually enjoyed it though as most of my bicycle riding here in Texas during the last three years that I have lived here has been more flat and with head winds. And this was different. On the way back we stopped from time to time to take breaks. Neither my co-rider or I had done a ride of this distance for several years. Eventually we made it back to Mineola. We stopped for a few minutes and ate a snack and refilled our water bottles. From there it was a slog back through light rain to Canton 25 miles away or so. Eventually we made it to the finishing control which was a gas station at the corner of Hwy 243 and 19. The ride was completed just 4 minutes short of 10 hours. We were glad to be finished. That was not a fast time but I was satisfied with my ride and enjoyed it.

Here are a few photos I took along the way.

Gravelthon 2015

This past Saturday the 7th of March I took part in an interesting ride. This was the Gravelthon gravel ride along the Trinity river levies near down town Dallas. This took place in conjunction with the All Out Trinity festival on the Continental bridge park and the Margret Hunt Hill bridge. We had a bunch of rain, ice, and snow for the two weeks before this ride. As a result the projected course of the ride had to be changed a couple of times. At the last minute the original course which was to be a loop on both sides of the river was changed. This was due to construction equipment driving on the levy roads and tearing them up due to the wet conditions.

The ride started about 10:15 am. I was a few minutes late getting to the ride start. So the group had started before me. The ride was not a race. The promoter billed it as an exploration ride. The point was to get people out and riding on the levies. Eventually there is supposed to be a bicycle trail running all the way to Fort Worth from Dallas along the Trinity river. The ride started out on some new paved bike trails that run underneath the Continental bridge and along both sides of the river down in the bottoms. From there most riders were going up on top of the levy and riding along the top. That is what I did. I rode down to where Westmoreland road crosses the Trinity. There was a rest stop set up there.

 From there I crossed the river again back to the west side using the construction bridge that is right under the Westmoreland bridge. Several other riders went along with me. I rode several miles in the direction of Grand Prairie on top of the western levy. I then went down and rode back to Westmoreland on a gravel road in the river bottoms. From there I crossed back over and returned the way I rode out to the Continental Bridge. It was a fun ride. I think if it is held again and the weather cooperates It will turn out to be a good event. I enjoyed it.

Here is a photo taken of me by Jan McNeil Lee on the way out.

And my bike was very muddy after the ride.