IR 400k

251 miles
+11,000 ft

This year I made the mistake of driving 1.5hrs the morning of the ride for the 5am start.  Of course, I didn't go to sleep the night before at a decent time, maybe 11pm.  I had get up at 2:30am the morning of the ride in order to make the 5am start.  By the Jasper control (half way point) I could barely keep my eyes open.  At the Jasper control I actually napped on and off for about an hour.  It was a tough battle through the night, I was so happy to reach the Seymour control which means a flat 20 more miles to the graveyard (finish). 

The most difficult section of this ride is the Bedford-Jasper segment, which is loaded with steep rollers during the hottest part of the day. 

The Bike:
After a couple brevets not using a handlebar bag, I've decided that I like the handlebar bag, so it is back on. 
I like this bike setup and may keep it for the foreseeable future.
My frame bags are never very full, a trick I learned from Mike Hall. Fumbling around with overloaded bags takes time and increases the chances of losing stuff. 

Gear Checklist:

Sunrise the 1st morning

Sunrise the 2nd morning.

 

 

 

 

 

Famous road on the route due to the 3 walls we climb.  

Final tally:

Training log: 5/14/2017-6/3/2017

Combined a couple weeks on the training log, I've been slacking. 

I have been holding off on the running to try and save my legs for the busy rando weeks. 

Still commuting to work, around 90miles per week.  Weather is beautiful, so no gear list needed. 

Wednesday 5/17 I knocked off 20miles of single track with friends.  I need to keep putting miles on that Pugsley, I still have intentions of Tuscobia 160 this winter season. All the red was not planned.

Line up!

This training log also has mileage from IR's 400k starting 6/3.  More to come on the 400k. 

This training log bike miles: 422miles
By feet: 0

IR 300k

Indianpolis-Seymour-Indianapolis
187 miles, 6,100 ft of climbing. 

This year I was able to finish the ride in about 15hours.  The ride was pretty straight forward with no issues.  The weather was absolutely perfect, unlike last year's 40degF light rain conditions. I feel stronger than last year, but the rides are still very difficult. 

Still riding the CrossCheck without handlebar bag. 

300k Checklist

Love the open road early morning bike pics!

Training Log 5/7/2017-5/13/2017

Weekly work commute: 90 miles
Fleche continuation on Sunday, 73miles
Indiana Randonneurs 300k, 187miles on Saturday. 
Weekly total by bike: 350miles
No energy to run this week. 

More from the IR300k to come. 

Ohio fleche 2017

Team name: Sagamores of the Wabash
Fleche information: wiki_fleche
2016 fleche write-up: 2016_fleche
247 miles in 24 hours. 

Fleche is a very fun form of randonneuring. I love the team aspect and look forward to another opportunity at a fleche in the future.  

This year's fleche was nothing compared to the 22hrs of constant rain, a couple mechanicals, and a spill on railroad tracks last year fed us.  This year was almost dream conditions.  We had great tailwinds for almost the entire route.  Cruising long straight roads for what seemed like hours keeping an easy pace of 20mph was stuff out of stories.  The bike gods were re-paying us for putting us through Malebolge last year.  It was such an event free ride there are no great stories to attribute to it. I ride without stories is just a ride.  

The Bike:

Gear:

Pics:

Love the bike Lineup

Into the Night

Detour

Training log: 4/30/2017-5/6/2017

Weekly commute to work: 72miles
Ohio Fleche Total miles 223, miles on Saturday 150.

Ohio fleche info to come.

By bike: 222miles.
By feet: 0miles. 

042017 Indiana Randonneurs 200k

126 miles

4,214 ft of climbing. 
Indianpolis-Story-Indianpolis

I rode to the start at Major Taylor Velodrome, about 25miles.  I left my house at around 5am, in thunderstorms.  I arrived at the start at around 6:40am, in thunderstorms.  It rained until about noon, a nice constant rain.  I had a puncture at about mile 40, of course in the thunderstorms. 

I would have posted some beautiful Indiana back country pictures, but my phone did get wet and began acting up.  The only picture during the ride I was able to take is below, which gives a feeling of the ride:

This ride was also the test of another version of my bike. All frame bags, no more handlebar bag.  

I have to say I like not having any extra weight on my handle bars, I believe this will assists my hand discomfort on rides of 600k and up.  

Gear:

Bike frame: 

1. Pump
2.  GPS
3. Front Light
4. Rear light
5. 2 water bottles
6. Revelate Designs Tangle bag
7. Seat tool bag
8. Revelate Tank bag

Tangle Bag:

1. 2x bread bags for feet
2. 2x spare tubes
3. Spare shift cable
4. Ziplock bag for brevet card/wallet/phone/pen/chapstick
5. Eye glasses (sun and clear)
6. 3x cheese sandwiches
7. Windbreaker/rain jacket

Tank Bag:

1. 4x larabars
2. cue sheet

Seat tool bag:

1. Rear light
2. allen wrenches
3. Multitool
4. spoke wrench
5. adjustable wrench
6. zipties
7. Hollowtech tool
8. chain popper

Body:

1. watch
2. cycling cap
3. helmet
4. cycling jersey
5. cycling shorts
6. base sock
7. teva shoes
8. High viz vest
9. ankle bands.  

I did get chilly, my windbreaker didn't keep me warm in the rain like my Frogg Toggs do.... this will be a decision between the two I will have to make before, what looks like a chilly rainy fleche this upcoming weekend.

I'm sure more adjustments will be made as my rides continue this season.