GLR 300K

Click below for route and ride stats:
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/180088258

Had a great ride today on this second of the GLR Brevet series in Delavan WI.  I missed the first ride 2 weeks prior and debated about whether I should do the 200K or 300K today.  I haven't logged a ton of miles yet this year, and really have not done many long rides since mid March, so wasn't in the best shape.  While the 200K might have been the saner choice, I could not resist pushing the extra distance today, given a decent forecast for the day and I had nowhere else to be.  How can it get much better than having the opportunity to ride your bicycle all day?  I figured if I got too tired, just pedal slower.  There, problem solved.

Temps at the 7:00 am start were already a pleasant 65 degrees with forecasts calling for mid to upper 80s later in the day.  We began the 45 mile westward push to our first control stop in the town of Brodhead with a group of about 30, with about half opting for the longer 300K route, which split off of the 200K route just after the first stop.

Beautiful morning for a ride.

Half way to Brodhead already.

The early pace was moderate was quick enough, but not overly labored, thanks to a SSE breeze.  This was not surprisingly the fastest leg of the day.  Our group was first to arrive at the Brodhead control with many others arriving minutes after us. 

Lycra army descends on the Stop-N-Go

Cool retro Schwinn one speed

After a quick refueling, we were off to the northwest and a stop in New Glarus, little Switzerland.  This section is where the hills start becoming more pronounced.  While the pedaling was still comfortable, the cool feeling of morning was now a thing of the past.  Even though we had a nice tailwind during much of this section, you don't get a lot of cooling relief with the wind blowing at your back, but hey, no complaints here.

Our group, now at 3, arrived in New Glarus at just after 11:00.  We took a few extra minutes to ensure we got plenty of liquids and electrolytes (Sour Cream and Onion potato chips!) and were off to the next control in Barneveld, roughly the 100 mile mark and the far point of the course. 

Good place for ice cream

New Glarus Lumber

The leg to Barneveld was the hilliest portion of the route with several steep grades to be negotiated along the way.  I was watching my Garmin as Lee and I worked our way up the Barber Road climb.  It topped out at 13%.  I was panting by the time I got to the top.  Thankfully it was short.  As it goes, the tougher the riding, generally, the better the scenery.  This was a challenging and rewarding leg, all in one.  By the time we hit the control in Barneveld, it was about 1:00 and getting hot.  I always get a good feeling when I hit the far point of the course since every pedal stroke gets your one step closer to home.  I did not elate for terribly long however, as it was still 90 miles to the barn and we would be heading back into the wind.

Lee rolling into Barneveld control.

Our next leg on the way back to Delavan stopped in Oregon, WI.  Although the profile was easier than what we had just finished, we were getting hit by some nagging head and cross winds which required additional energy, something I was starting to run low on at this point.  This was the toughest leg of the day for me, because it was also at pretty much the hottest point of the day.  I got to Oregon and was feeling a bit beat up.  Lee and I took a longer break this time to recover a bit more.  I loosened the shoes up which really helped and drank lots of liquids. 

We rolled out of Oregon with a soft pedal up a hill for a half mile or so to our turn onto County A.  Highlights of the trip to Edgerton included some remote back roads of Wisconsin, including a mile-or-so stretch of gravel road which was soon to be paved.  I didn't mind this so much, given that some day I will be likely riding a brand new smooth road in its place.

We also saw many other riders out on what appeared to be another organized ride in the area.  As we passed through Paoli on our way to Edgerton, we passed by one of their rest stops.  Wished I could stop, but must press on.  A few miles later, I was hunkered down on the bars trying to stay low and out of the wind as much as possible.  I knew I wasn't carrying any kind of speed (just wanting to keep it moving forward), but then this young guy from one of the other groups passes by me like I'm standing still.  He didn't even appear to be breaking a sweat.  Go get em' I thought to myself.  I'm just going to go back to my one-speed tempo ... slow. 

I think we hit Edgerton at just around 5:00.  I was feeling a lot better at this point, knowing it was just another 27 or so miles to the finish.  It was still hot, but temps would be starting to come down a bit on the final leg as night time approached.  What finish would be complete without a spin down County Road M, a road one can love to hate.  This time, however, M was under construction, so we were detoured to the east and then south around the construction.  Just when I thought I would be denied my nemesis, the detour ended and we were kicked back onto M for about half of it's length between Milton and Delavan.  Oh well, grin and bear it.  I will miss the potholes and patches that are laid so skillfully that they are like scabs which make up about 50% of the road surface. 

Gotta a love "M".  "M" is for Monotenous

Lee and I rolled in a few minutes after 7:00, just over the 12 hour mark.  The end of another great day of riding in beautiful southern Wisconsin.  The GLR really puts together some great routes. Love coming up here!