Jackson to Hattiesburg: A 115 miles supported ride. I added a little at the end for a total of 122 miles. There were 75 miles of Hills and then 40 miles on the relatively smooth LongLeaf Trace, and finally, a short, 7-mile, cool-down ride with Jeanne.
Most of this is a post I made on BROL but with added photos and comments for here.
Rode the RideSouth signature ride Saturday and had a great time. The hills on the first 75 miles were a big challenge to me since I have no hill climbing experience and the bike was heavy. I had over-packed both food (which I could have bought at many rest points) and gear; second guessing weather and contingencies.
Actually, I also over-packed myself, i.e. “carbed up”. The night before the ride Jeanne and I went to Jackson on sort of a date. We stayed at the Hyatt in Ridgeland. The room was large with a partition dividing a sleeping area with a king-sized bed and a working/sitting area with a large lounging couch (which would fold out into a second bed, if needed). The large LCD TV on the wall was nice but we didn’t watch it. We arrived about 4:00 PM, checked in and then headed to the RideSouth bike shop to browse until the 6:00 pre-ride briefing. It was about a 30 minute drive. Not too many at the meeting; I guess the regular riders already had the particulars. (writing in process)
We started out from the RideSouth shop near the Jackson, Ms, reservoir approximately 7:00 AM Saturday morning. We then rode back roads ‘til we hit the LongLeaf Trace in Prentiss. There was a patrol car in front and one at the rear of the pack. There were also two motorcycle-mounted Officers keeping tabs on everyone as we grouped according to our individual speeds. And, they all were with us until we hit the trace in Prentiss. Thanks guys.
We left in a warm drizzle, 50 to 60 degrees warm. I wore short pants, short sleeve shirt, a light-weight rain jacket, and my wonderful sandals with wool socks. With the wool socks my feet can get wet and I don’t even know it; I love them.
Wool socks: I have 12 pair of wool socks. I bought them at Sam’s for $5 a pair. I bought my wife 3 pair which she wears around the house with her pj’s on and sometimes to bed, and always on the bike. I think she wears some of mine. I should have bought her more or bought me more since she seems to have access to all she wants.
I rode the Stratus XP. What a super bike for a long ride. After 10 hours I had no issues, no sore butt, no hot feet, no sore knees, no nothing; maybe a little stiff from the same position but less so than if I had driven a car for that long. I had the fairing and it was worth its weight; the coast-down on one hill hit 35 mph.
I had a small weather-proof bag on the handlebar-crossbar for convenient items. Then, behind the seat, the Aerotrunk; it holds too much, like in “you can put too much in it”. I had the tools you might imagine (tubes, pump, multipurpose hex/screwdriver/etc, pliers/knife, chain tool/links, patches, first aid), weather jacket and gloves, nutrition (fruit, e.g. apple, banana, grapes; Boost, two or three bottles; GU, 6 packs; a can of nuts; etc.), extra AA/AAA batteries, and two sausage biscuits from McDonalds. I was determined not to boink, and I didn’t. I also didn’t eat everything. Elsewhere on the bike I had a cell phone, front light, blinking tail light, Garmin GPS, and a Pocket Power DC-DC converter with USB connection to recharge the Garmin Edge 305 (On a single charge my Garmin is good for about 80 miles+). Oh, and a 32 oz water bottle, and a Power Aid bottle and a Camel-Back water bag. The bare bike weighs about 31 pounds and I, also bare, 240 pounds (but not bare on the bike); no idea what all that other stuff weighed. Would you believe that I was last up the hills?
About one half mile from the start the back tire started rubbing the underside of the Aerotrunk, maybe after a couple road bumps. By the time I stopped and tightened the straps the crew was out of sight and I didn’t catch them until the 15 mile rest stop. I didn’t get a rest, actually didn’t need one, and left the service station when they did. I managed to stay out of last place for a while, for about 10 miles, dropping back on the climbs but flying past some on the down side; thanks to the fairing and my somewhat strong legs. After that the hills became more frequent, with some in the rolling category but many challenges. I never did push the bike up a hill but did pass one rider taking a walking break. My only slightly negative thought about the Stratus is that at 4 mph it is not real steady with me as the engine but may get better as I practice hills; of course I understand that many LWB bikes tend to be a little wobbly at low speeds.
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All alone but with fewer curves
and hills later on in the ride. |
I became consistently behind but usually in sight of 3 other riders. I was always aware of the trailing Highway Patrol car and SAG behind me. I remember passing two guys fixing flats; don’t remember them passing me later but they must have. I was focused on keeping up and it was starting to lessen my enjoyment of the ride. At about 50 miles I decided not to focus on the group ride aspect and to ride alone. I pulled over. The Patrol car passed, the SAG driver didn’t want to but I took her phone number and she then went on; I already had numbers to call but not necessarily her’s; we had multiple SAGs.
There was one guy way back but he had his wife following in a car and by his choice was pretty much on his own. He put forth the most heroic and admirable effort. He may have been older than me, not sure. I’m 66. He said before the ride that his average speed was normally about 10 mph. I would not have taken this challenge at that riding level. I am impressed. In my mind, I was last, he was ahead of us all. I noticed a Motorcycle Officer going back to check on him several times and asked about him when the Officer came back by. He always seemed to be doing fine. I saw him at the 75 mile lunch stop, Prentiss, but did not see him after that. That might have been his designed stop. At least 5 other people rode from Hattiesburg, joining us in Prentiss for lunch or meeting us on the way and, thus, limiting their ride to the trace, an 80 mile round trip.
After I let go of trying to keep up with the others, the ride became much more enjoyable; although I was already having a good time. So, now, I took some pictures (but not nearly enough) stopping on one bridge and shooting a movie of the ragging waters, talked to a very nice couple in a truck who did a U-turn to get a better look at the bike. They confirmed my well written directions (NASA always uses more than one computer to do their calculations, I like to have complementing instructions). I stopped on a small country road, almost single lane, to eat a banana and a young woman walked across her yard to talk.
Later, I pulled over and talked to 3 other guys getting gas at a station just to reassure myself that the hills were mostly over with. The joker in the bunch first told me the worst was yet to come but then he just laughed and said it should be smooth sailing all the way into Prentiss. It was, mostly. You get the idea, a much more relaxed progression.
I arrived at Prentiss, the north-west end of the trace. Some were still eating lunch, some had already left. There was a lunch box there for me. I ate it, sans the box. Went to the bathroom, got back on the bike. It still felt good. When I left there were some organizers still at the station but I think all the riders had gone. I went fairly slow up that incline out of Prentiss, about 4 miles of it. After that I pressed and spun hard. I was not tired. (Nutrition is important.) This is my trace. I may actually put more miles on it than anyone else; well maybe, riding a recumbent anyway. After the last 75 miles the trace’s hills didn’t even look like hills anymore. I started running at 18 to 22 mph and started passing other riders. I am always strong at the end of a ride. It was 40 miles to Hattiesburg and I only stopped once to refill my water. While at the fountain 4 riders passed me and I had to re-pass them again. The GU helped but the fairing and Q-rings did most of it.
This was an outstanding event. It was extremely well organized. Thanks to Jim Snider, owner of RideSouth, and all his associates (wife) for all the hard work. The route was great. They, i.e. Jim and a few regulars, rode the route 4 or 5 times to proof it. The people at the stops were all expecting us and at one grocery store when I walked in a clerk told me where the bathroom was without me having to ask. The Highway Patrol was wonderful. Even after I stopped riding with the group an Officer would come back to check on me, every 15 to 30 minutes. Once I came over a hill and an Officer was sitting there waiting to make sure I didn’t miss an obscure turn. If you want a century, and a challenge but one not dangerous to your health, this is a ride for you.
Of course, there is a little more, such as afterwards eating at Leatha’s BBQ (3 or 4 stars) but I need to go work on my new bike barn.
| Stats: |
| 122 miles |
Distance with a cool-down loop at the end) |
| 10.5 hours |
Total time on and off bike |
| 13.2 mph |
Average Speed to finish, not counting cool-down ride |
| 35 mph |
Max speed |
| 9664 |
Total cal |
| 129 bpm |
Average heart rate |
| 160 bpm |
Max heart rate |
| 3180 ft |
Total ascent |
| 3260 ft |
Total descent |
All according to a Garmin 305
[URL=”http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/Ride-South-Signature-Ride”]RideSouth Signature Ride Map[/URL]
