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May 2007 - Posts
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Good morning and happy Friday! And what a happy Friday it is - the Spurs are in the NBA Finals, my son passed 8th grade geometry, and the Baton Rouge Tour de Cure is this weekend!
 First things first. For San Antonio riders, our ride schedule continues this weekend. John "The Punisher" Tenison will lead riders on another hill country odyssey begining at Valero HQ on Saturday. Because the tempuratures are heating up, we'll be starting our rides sooner. This weekend's ride will start at the North Garage at 07:30 am sharp. Because of the heat, you should have two water bottles with you (at least) or a camel back. Send John an e-mail at john.tenison@valero.com if you are interested in joining him. To see our complete summer ride schedule, click here.
The Baton Rouge Tour de Cure is also this weekend, and I'm really pumped about this. Approximately 20 Texas riders will be leaving Valero HQ at 07:00 am tomorrow to make the journey to St. Francisville to do this event. This is the first time Valero has ever been involved with this Tour, and we have two brand new teams participating - Krotz Springs and St. Charles.
 Monika Harper is the Captain of the Krotz Springs team. Monika is a very special member of Velo Valero. She has traveled for years from Louisiana to participate with us in events like the Texas Tour and the Bike to the Beach. It feels great to be able to return the favor at last and join her and the riders she has been training in her own event.
 Darrel Plants is the Captain of the St. Charles team. I'm really forward to meeting Darrel, because he has recently assumed the title of "The Funniest Guy on the Team", just based on the e-mails he's been sending me.
I'll be sending photos from the ride next week, assuming we survive the two days we'll be staying at this haunted hotel in Jackson...
 Finally, I know I'm begining to sound like a broken record on this but - Mark your calendars for the Valero MS 150 Bike to the Beach, which will be held on October 20-21. The good news is that if you register before June 15, the fee is only $25; after that, it goes up to $40. To register on-line, click here. Make sure you register with team Velo Valero and Captain Peter Ray. Based on what we've done already this year, I'm convinced this will be a monster year for us on the Bike to the Beach. We already have 32 riders signed up - including CEO Bill Klesse - and it's only June 1!
- El "Born on the Bayou" Hefe
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Good morning! Hope everyone had a wonderful Memorial Day weekend.
Baton Rouge Tour
The last of the spring Tour de Cures is coming up - Baton Rouge on June 3rd - and I'm already sensing the excitement of the teams in Krotz Springs and St. Charles, and among the 20 or so Texas riders who will be participating. More details to come...
Velo Valero Around the World
Summer is approaching, and this means team members are going to go on vacation. We started something last year that is really cool that I want to continue this year. If you travel on vacation, bring your team jersey, and get photographed with it in front of notable tourist sites. Then send them to me, and I'll post them to our Velo Valero Around the World photo gallery. We already have some great stuff in there - Janet and Stephen in Tennesse, Diane in Alaska, Walter in Cambodia, and Darrel in Belize while on Guard duty. NOTE: I got this idea when I was in Anchorage last summer, and I saw a show at the Fly by Night Club. The nut who runs that place, Professor Whitekeys, encourages people to travel with cans of Spam and be photographed with them in front of famous tourist destinations, then send them back to the club to post in his gallery. He has some great stuff in there...
Best Irish Music to Cycle To
 While riding Saturday, I was dropped by John, Chuck, PJ, and Alan toward the end, and so I pedaled the last 10 miles by myself. Riding solo is something I like to do every now and then - just me and the road - no kids, dogs, bosses, or cell phones. It's a time for me to think, and it's when I usually have some of my best ideas for things. This Saturday I started compiling a list of the best music to cycle to by Irish artists, something I'm sure each of you has been waiting breathlessly to hear....
Warning - this is another one of those rambling personal odysseys. If you are here for bike team news only, you can skip this.
 As I've said before, I'm 50% German and 50% Irish. The German side is responsible for my sense of order and administration, but it's the Irish side that is responsible for the sentimentality, the exuberance, and the sense of humor. (Both sides are responsible for my love of a certain frothy grain beverage.) Ireland is a tiny country of 4 million people that sits in the Northern Atlantic off the coast of Europe. Most of Ireland gets rain 300 or more days a year, which explains the incredible green of the "emerald isle". I had the opportunity a few years ago to visit Ireland, and to do things like walk the Giant's Causeway, sample beer in the tasting room of the Guiness Brewery, and visit the hallowed halls of the library at Trinity College. It was in many ways a dream come true. I learned a lot about myself and about the Irish people while I was there. Because of the intense green, the constant mists, the towering cliffs, the roar of the sea, and possibly the Guiness, Ireland is a mystical place where people tend think deep, timeless thoughts, and it's reflected in the music of folks like U2, Van Morrison, Sinead O'Conner, the Chieftans, and The Young Dubliners. So, without further adieau, here's my top 10 songs from Irish artists to cycle to, in no particular order. Free free to comment as you see fit - these lists are by there very nature arbitrary, and are designed to provoke arguments in pubs.
NOTE: As I've said before, if you listen to music while cycling, use one ear bud, or keep the volume low enough so that you can hear other riders call out hazards and other things. Even better, get a small set of external speakers, and mount them to your handlebars.
1, 2, 3, 4 - U2
U2 is my favorite band. I grew up with them, and some of the biggest milestones in my life - high school, college, the birth of my kids, the death of my grandparents and stepfather - all had U2 music as the soundtrack. The band and I are both in our mid-40s, and lead singer Bono and I have lots in common - for example, male pattern baldness, and a knack for philanthropy (although I'll admit he does it on a much larger scale, has a much better day job, and looks much better in wrap around shades). I can ride to anything by U2, but these are my favorites -
- "Pride (In the Name of Love)" (Unforgettable Fire) - A great song to start a big ride to - powerful, with an intense chorus. If this doesn't get your heart pumping at a ride start, nothing will.
- "I Will Follow" (Boy) - This is obvious - a great pace line song - steady beat, one chord change, simple message: I'm on your wheel... This song came out in 1980 when I was in high school, and I still remember doing the pogo to it at school dances with my friends and scaring the hell out of our teachers.
- "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" (The Joshua Tree) - Listen to this in the middle of a ride when you are beginning to doubt your ability to pedal another mile. It's a song about longing and redemption that always give me a second wind.
- "Bad" (Wide Awake in America) - One of the great all time songs, and one that was improvised in the studio, which explains why the words make no sense. This live version from Live Aid is the best. When Bono screams "I'm wide awake, I'm not sleeping!" at the end, you cannot help but feel alive and ready to pedal for a few more hours.
5, 6 - Van Morrison
Van is a critic's favorite who has never had much pop success. He's put out an album a year for over 40 years, and each is powerful, original, and special. He's recorded so many incredible songs, it's hard to narrow it down, but here's two -
- "Into the Mystic" (Moondance) - A great song for the an early morning ride when there's still fog on the ground, like the second day of the Bike to the Beach. When Van wails about rocking your gypsy soul, you know you're listening to one of the most powerful voices on the planet.
- "Satisfied" (Common One) - In this song, Van sings about how damn happy he is, which is very out of character, because he's such a cranky old recluse most of the time. For me, this song captures how good I feel after I cross the finish line of a long ride, when all the months of training and planning have paid off. It's the look I see on the faces of first year riders when they finish their first ride, and they know that they have done something that never thought was possible a few months earlier...
7 - The Commitments
The Commitments was a band of authentic, unemployed Dublin kids assembled for a movie made by Alan Parker based on a novel of the same name by Roddy Doyle. The band lasts for a few gigs, before it disintergrates due to drunken infightng and sexual tension between the band members. IMHO, this is the greatest rock movie ever made.
- "Destination Anywhere" - The only original song on the soundtrack, this one captures the joy of riding your bike in a place you've never been before, and seeing incredible things along the way. (Whenever and where ever I go on vacation, I always include at least one bike ride.)
8 - Sinead O'Conner
Sinead is a wonderful Irish artist whose personal controversies have unfortunately overshadowed her musical accomplishments. There's lots of songs to choose, but there's one in particular I really like.
- "Daddy I'm Fine" (Faith and Courage) - This is song she wrote for her father, in which she explains why she became a singer and made the life choices she did. It's powerful, unapologetic, and full of pride. When she wails about being a "Strong, independent, pagan woman" making her living "singing", you know it's from the heart. (Make sure you play the edited version if you listen to this around kids).
9 - The Chieftans
These guys have been releasing albums of authentic Irish folk music forever. They did an album of collaborations with contemporary artists in 1995 called "The Long Black Veil" that is one of my favorites.
- "Mo Ghile Mear" (The Long Black Veil) - Sung by Sting, this song starts slowly, then builds to an incredible crescendo of pipes and drums. The title is Gaelic for "Our Hero", and always makes me think of Veronica Ray, the matriarch of the Ray family, and the namesake of my daughter. Also, as we all know, everyone who rides with Velo is a hero in one way or another. This is a great rousing song that is good when your energy begins to ebb and the Gu has stopped working.
10 - The Young Dubliners
This was a recent discovery - I stumbled across their album,"The Real World" at the library, and found myself listening to it for weeks. Like U2, they do a great job of fusing traditional Irish themes and sounds with contemporary rock arrangements. They also use more traditional Irish instruments such as pipes then U2 does.
- "Touch the Sky" (The Real World) - This is a song that I found myself singing along with every day on my way to work, especially the "Hey Hey Hey" chorus. Another one of those high octane songs to energize you while you are on a long ride.
That's it - let the food fight begin
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Good morning and happy Friday! This Friday is happier than usual because it's a three day weekend for most folks. I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend, and that you get to spend quality time with your favorite friends, family members, pets, hobbies, virtues and/or vices - we all deserve it after the incredible spring we've been having!
Summer Training Rides
Saturday Morning, 07:05 am update - just talked to John. Looks like there's a break in the rain, so he's heading to the ride start! Wheels up at 08:00 am!
In San Antonio, we are going to continue our training program through the summer. For now, John "The Punisher" Tenison has rides scheduled throughout the month of June - click here for details. We have some new routes planned that start and end at Boerne Lake, which should be fun. As always, send an e-mail to john.tenison@valero.com if you have any suggestions on routes.
One thing we will be doing during the summer is folding our intermediate and advanced riders into one group, and suspending our new rider program until the Fall. This is to give the ladies who have been working with the new riders - Zora Bilicich, Slyvia Rodriguez, and Andrea Shull - a break. I can't thank these women enough for what they did for us this year. The New Rider program is one of the hardest Board positions to fill, and they did an incredible job.
This weekend, John has a ride scheduled for an 08:00 am start from Roger Soler's in Helotes. We'll be working on the map this afternoon, and will post later in the day. There will be two distances - 40 and 65 - and we'll take advantage of the smooth new pavement on 471. Since the weather gurus are predicting scattered thunderstorms all weekend, there's a good chance the ride may be rained out. Check the web site at 07:00 am tomorrow to see if the ride is on. If we do get rained out, we'll reschedule for Monday at 08:00 am, with the same start and route. Once again, check the web site for updates.
MS 150 Bike to the Beach Early Bird Registration
Mark your calendars for the Valero MS 150 Bike to the Beach, which will be held on October 20-21. The good news is that if you register before June 15, the fee is only $25; after that, it goes up to $40. To register on-line, click here. Make sure you register with team Velo Valero and Captain Peter Ray. Based on what we've done already this year, I'm convinced this will be a monster year for us on the Bike to the Beach. We already have 23 riders signed up - including CEO Bill Klesse - and it's only May!
See ya' on the Road!
- El "I needed a three day weekend" Hefe
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Here's a wonderful account of the Long Beach/SoCal Tour by Wilmington Team Captain, Alan Dedman. Thanks for sharing this with us Alan! And congratulations on the accomplishments of your team!
To see all the team photos from this event, click here.
Well this is the start to the final Tour De Cure, California for me this year. It’s Saturday May 19th, 2007. I awake to my 4 a.m. alarm, go downstairs and hit the button on the Espresso machine, take medications, and prepare breakfast.
Having “carbed” up the night before, I eat a breakfast with more carbs and protein; it’s the way I like to start my ride day. I finish my breakfast and put my cycle togs on. I load my bike into my vehicle; all the small stuff was loaded the night before, and I’m set to go. My first stop is to meet Bob Roger and others at his house and then ride round to the park for the start of the ride.
A group of us arrive at the Park Gates, and join a line of other riders waiting to pay our entrance fee and find the Tour de Cure area. We park adjacent to the tents and get our bikes prepped for the ride, a final check on the tires, a few more pumps just to make sure we’re up to pressure; on the tires I ride, the pressure is at 120 psi, a quick rotation on the chain and a steady flow of lubricating oil as it goes round, followed by a quick wipe to remove the access.
At the registration tables, the volunteers who help to check us in are just as enthusiastic and give us a warm welcome. For a small group of riders we have raised, between us a large amount of money.
There are quite a few riders now checking in, and we’re gradually getting all our team riders together, especially for the group photo before the ride, complete with all our volunteers.
What a great bunch of people, and what a way to start the day. With the photo shoot out of the way, we’re getting ready to start the ride.
The ride is supposed to start at 07:30, so we get to the Arch of Balloons, the starting point, and prepare for the “off”. Unfortunately we’re told that some of the rest stops are not ready and there will be a delay of 15 minutes. There are six of us who are going to ride the 63 mile course, and waiting for the delayed start is not on our agenda, we don’t need a rest after 12 or 13 miles, we’re still fresh.
We’re planning on a stop much further on. Well we hit a staggered start, Mark and Miguel lead off, they sneak around the start point and they’re away leaving Andy, Bob, Fred and I to listen to the pleas of the TDC organizers to hold our positions and start at the rearranged start time. Yeah right, we’re just as eager to get underway and miss the group start, which can be notorious for crashes and other mishaps.
We take a side path and we’re off, followed by some other riders too who weren’t that willing to wait. We leave the park and hit the road, hoping to see Mark and Miguel, but there’s no sign of them. The pace is easy; the weather is slightly overcast, with what we normally associate with a “Marine Layer” making for ideal riding conditions. The temperature is in the low sixties, and along with this overcast weather there’s a little dampness in the air, enough to spot up your sun glassed and the only head wind is what we are generating with our forward speed.
The initial stage of the ride, the first mile or so is on residential roads, with of course plenty of traffic signals. We must have caught every one of them, they had just changed to red or changed as we approached them, I got the feeling someone may have been following us with a remote that changed these lights as we got near them.
Well we have a small group of riders, setting up a small pace line, one of who a talk to, and elderly, wiry gentleman who’s name is Conrad. We’ll it turns out Conrad is a bit of a “Greyhound” he has some pace in them legs, but we stick together.
Fred is taking a turn in front, and then is given a break by one of the other riders, and we all seem to rotate in taking turns to pull the line. We’re in the early stages of the ride and the road is fairly flat and straight, we’re on Westminster and passing a Nature reserve and a Naval Weapons dump. I’m in front taking a pull on the line, I know Conrad is behind me, and my computer is telling me we’re between 22 and 23 mph, again traffic signals loom ahead, they're green at the moment, but you just know they’ll change as we approach. They do, and we come to a stop. Little did I know but it would appear that we got a better start than we anticipated from the last light, as Fred and Bob and Andy, were pulling up a little later. We regroup and wait for the light.
On the green we all set off again, a little way ahead will be our first turn, a right on Springdale, we’re still in a good group. We pick up another rider, not doing the Tour de Cure but a guy out for a leisurely ride. He kept the pace with us; I wish he hadn’t the squeak coming out of the rear derailleur was more than we really wanted to hear. If we had stopped somewhere long enough I would have given the guy a little oil, as I carried a small bottle in my shirt, but there were no really long stops, he eventually turned off and lets us ride in peace.
We’re now approaching Huntington Beach, Main Street. Where Main Street joins Pacific Coast Highway this is the halfway point for the 35 mile riders, they make a right, we make a left. The lower end of this street is really more pedestrian friendly and geared up to the tourists. We ride down this street and keep our speed to a respectable crawl, until we reach the junction with PCH. We’re in the left turn lane waiting on the filter signal. And we wait, the traffic flows along PCH and we wait our turn, the lights go red, then change back to green again; we obviously don’t have enough to trigger the timer to get the signal to change. Luck at last, a vehicle pulls up behind us, but still too far to trigger the pressure pad, so we all get in a single file and get the driver to pull forward. We thank him and exchange a few friendly remarks before we’re on our way. Heading south on PCH we have agreed to call in at the first stop which is just before Newport Beach. On our way to the stop, we pass some of the beach which is intermittently visible, and see some early surfers enjoying some of the waves, they didn’t appear to be that high though, current weather conditions weren’t in their favor, today it was our weather, well at least this morning it was.
We pass Bolsa Chica State Park and cross the bridge over the Santa Anna River, the first stop is just ahead. We make a quick right at the next traffic signal and just pull into the SAG Stop. We refill our water bottles, grab some fruit, or there were packets of granola and trail mix. I had a packet of Granola, my mouth was pretty dry, this stuff had the same affect as trying to eat “kitty litter” I think. I quickly got a little cup of liquid and eventually got it into some consistency that allowed you to swallow.
With our water bottles replenished we leave the stop. As we ride south in the bike lane, there’s another lane which runs between the Bike lane and the curb which allows visitors to park there vehicles. We are coasting past parked vehicles, when one lady decides to open her door of her SUV without checking the mirror, how we missed the door and her I don’t know, we had some cat like reflexes there. The comments that we shouted at her, weren’t very endearing, but she did have some cups of coffee in her hand, which must have been her main focus at that moment, I just hope she didn’t spill any of it.
We’re on a steady incline on our way through Corona Del Mar and past the Pelican Hill Golf Club, it’s Conrad and I setting our own pace, Andy Bob and Fred are little way behind us. Ahead we see the left turn we’ve been looking for, Newport Coast Drive. We have a choice, either wait for a break in the traffic to get over to the left turn filter lane or stay where we are and cross at the lights. Looking at my mirror fixed on my helmet I see an opportunity to pull to the left. I shout out to Conrad “Clear”, and we drift across. We timed this right, because as we approach the light, a vehicle in the left turn lane had been there long enough and changed the filter signal to green, allowing us to carry on cycling without stopping and take the turn.
We now start the climb up Newport Coast Road, we’re currently 116 feet above sea level, as I pull alongside Conrad he tells me to go on, he’ll ride at his own pace. I leave him and attack the hill, I settle into a steady cadence and gradually feeling good I begin the climb, my speed at this time is 10 M.P.H., and I’m maintaining all the way. The road bears round to the left slightly and I see the top of the climb ahead of me. I am now at 645 feet and picking up speed towards a set of traffic signals which turn out to be San Joaquin Hills.
I have no other riders around me; I see no signs and carry straight on, down the other side of the hill I just climbed. Within a short distance I see the 73 Toll Road ahead, this doesn’t look right; I now have this feeling that I should have taken a left on San Joaquin Hills, as I go under the 73 overpass. A quick check in my mirror, nobodies coming so I cycle across to the median, walk across the ground ivy and begin to climb the hill again, back to the point where I should have made that left turn. What’s ironic about this is I went up the hill faster on this side than I did on the original climb, I’m now think that maybe I can catch the others, that sort of spurs the extra effort to get back there.
Having reached that signal, there’s a group of riders taking a breather. I asked them if this was the right direction “Yes” they replied, straight on down to Back Bay. They did give me an odd look when they saw what direction I had come from, obviously knew I had taken a wrong turn, but didn’t say anything. As it happened we eventually all met up again shortly after, and rode as a group.
At the intersection of Spyglass Hill at a set of traffic lights, emergency services were in attendance, lights flashing, and as we slowed we saw a disturbing sight of a fellow cyclist sprawled out on the road, receiving attention to his injuries. Fortunately it wasn’t one of our riders or even one of the tour riders, but it does make you realize what can happen if you don’t pay attention to your surroundings, and maintain a sense of alertness. That’s one of the reasons why I where that “geeky” mirror on my helmet, I like to know who’s coming up on me.
Well we’re back riding as a group and we come to another set of lights and stop. The rider to the right of me says, in a very British accent, “Thanks, I have a few shares in your Company and they’re doing very well.” I told him to buy some more, you won’t be disappointed. We exchange a few more ex-pat pleasantries and ride on.
This group was riding at a good pace, but still I had not met up with Bob or Andy or Fred, and I expect Conrad got a second wind and was way ahead of me. We eventually reach Jamboree and go straight on to Back Bay Drive. This is a narrow road used by joggers and people walking and other cyclists out for an easy work out. The speed restriction is 15 M.P.H., but this road is too enticing to remain at that speed, it has nice little left and right curves you can really ride into, I checked my computer later to find out we were at between 28 and 30 M.P.H., on this early section, it’s a real kick, and it’s all pure effort. The scenery of Upper Newport Bay, this section of inland water which is refuge to quite a bit of wild life is beautiful and only adds to the spirit of the ride.
We have to slow down for a sharp left turn, and there’s a Tour rest stop, at the stop is Bob, Mark and Fred, just pulling out, so I tell them Hi, I took the scenic route back there, and got lost. I carry on riding with them and told them the 73 looks to be in great shape as I carried straight on not realizing where I had to make that left turn. I’m told Andy, who was originally with them had rode on ahead, and had not bothered to stop. We kept a good pace and headed on back to Jamboree at East Bluff.
When we reached Jamboree we turned right and began climbing some more hills, this would bring us back to Pacific Coast Highway. Again the climbs are steady, and they appear to be a bit steeper. Ahead of me I see Andy at a stead y pace and catch up to him, I can see Bob, Mark and Fred behind me, still with some climbing to do. As Andy and I crest the hill we go down the other side, tucked in on the frame and I reach 39.7 M.P.H., and using this speed I managed to easily assail the next incline, with another downhill thrill but not as fast. We are now approaching PCH, and that has quite a steep climb, problem is at the bottom of this hill is a traffic signal, that wasn’t being very friendly and brought us to a stop. When the lights changed, its slow climb, and gives the legs a bit of a burn. I reach the top and stop, I’m waiting for Andy, Bob, Fred and Mark to regroup and head in on the home stretch.
Andy reaches the top and he tells me he has a “flat” rear tire. So we drop the wheel out of the frame strip the tire and tube out from the wheel begin to replace the punctured inner tube with a new one. I’m not sure when Andy last cleaned his wheels, but the carbon dust really coated my hands, they were black, it looked like I had been gutting squid. As we are repairing the wheel, Fred, Bob and Mark ride on past, we tell them we can manage and to carry on. We get the wheel inflated and back in the frame, but things are not quite right, the tire hasn’t seated in the rim of the wheel and there’s a bulge that stops the wheel from turning. So we deflate the wheel and reseat the tire. This time as we inflate it we check to make sure it’s sitting in the wheel rim correctly, no inner tube trying to get out.
This accomplished we’re rolling again, back through Newport Beach and sharing the road with a red Ferrari Enzo and a little later a brilliant yellow Lamborghini is parked on our right. I have to give credit where credit is due, those Ferrari’s can really get from one red light to the next in a very short time, we on our bikes on the other hand also make the same trip, but takes a little longer the end result is the same we all come to a stop. When the lights change we’re on our way again and on our way to Huntington Beach.
At this point Andy is beginning to feel a little drained, and tells me to go ahead, he’ll be okay. As I’m about to pick up the pace again when a group of riders go past me and I give it some extra effort and catch the last rider. We are setting a great pace, we’re cruising between 25 and 27 M.P.H., along PCH. At this rate the ride will soon be over. We remain at this pace for the rest of the ride.
As we approach Seal Beach Blvd, we pass Mark, I give him a shout but he doesn’t jump on the group. We stop briefly for the lights at Seal Beach Blvd and then we’re off again. Just ahead I see a familiar jersey, it’s Conrad. He joins our group and I tell him the pace will be brisk.
We cruise through Seal Beach, only to stop momentarily at 2nd Street, before we pick up the pace again; we have about 5 miles or less to go. Our next turn is onto Loynes we make a right there only slowing down slightly, we’re in a group of about 8 riders, 5 of which all belong to one club, and thankfully they have been tolerating our company. At the end of Loynes were back on Studebaker and the homeward stretch. As we make a left on Studebaker, I pass Bob and Fred, and give them a shout, were kicking up the pace again, and the sprint to the finish is on.
Conrad, who’s no spring chicken, is beginning to feel it, and is telling me he doesn’t think he can maintain this pace. We’re now at 28 to 30 M.P.H., and I’m giving him every bit of encouragement I can, I tell him to just to hang on, we’re almost there, c’mon you can do it. I must admit I’m feeling good and what is even better, the lights that seemed to have had it in for us on the way out were now with us on the return, we’re green all the way, and the pace is not slacking off any.
At last we make the final right turn onto Wardlow, and back to the park entrance, only then does the group slow down. We cruise back to the finish line on the park pathways, I’m really pleased Conrad held on, but he is hurting. Just before the finish line the camera is set up and you get ready for the pose. I’m not sure what or how the shot came out, but you can judge for yourself, I look really pleased with myself.
There was one last task to complete before departing the scene that day and that was the presentation of the check to the American Diabetes Association Los Angeles Director, we raised $9,295.00 collectively between 19 on us, and the Company boosted our efforts with a $3,000.00 donation.
Our total fundraising was $12,295.00. Our Champion for fundraising was Miguel Garcia, who raised a staggering $2,510.00, well done and thank you, and last but not least a big thank you to all our volunteers who supported the event that day and have given us support prior to the ride, and of course all our Sponsors. This was one big TEAM effort, way to go!
RIDE FACTS:
Total Riders Velo Valero 16
Total Miles 62.7
Gross Ride Time 4 hrs 17mins
Net Riding Time 3 hrs 29mins
Average Speed 18.0 mph
Highest Speed 39.7 mph
Highest Elevation 645ft
Total Elevation Gained 2,508ft
- Alan
To see all the team photos from this event, click here.
Alan on the road!
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 It's time to put on your dancin' shoes and uncork the champagne, because we did it!
Back in December the Velo Board agreed in principle to the concept of Velo Valero going nationwide in 2007. In February we negotiated with the American Diabetes Association (ADA) on becoming a National Team for them. This required us to participate in multiple events, obtain executive sponsorship, and raise at least $100,000 across all the events we participate in.
I must admit, I was a little worried at the time - $100,000 is a lot of money.
But I should have known better - this is after all Valero, and failure isn't in our vocabulary.
To date, we've had 5 teams paticipate in 4 events - Napa, Texas, Long Beach/SoCal, and Philadelphia. In June, two other teams - Krotz Springs and St. Charles - will participate in the Baton Rouge Tour de Cure. All across the country we have 240 registered Tour riders and we've raised a total of $111,066. And, the dollars are still coming in! (Click here to see the latest fundraising chart.)
On May 6th, 65 Velo Valero riders joined Benicia Team Captain Dan Rubio, Jr. for the Napa Tour de Cure. Participating in this ride was Alan Dedman from Wilmington, and 12 riders from the Texas team. Click here to see pictures from this gorgeous ride through the California wine country.
This weekend, we had 4 teams participate in 3 events. For two days, Velo Valero was truly a nationwide phenomenon. We had Alan Dedman leading the Wilmington riders on the West Coast, Peter "El Hefe" Ray leading the Texas crew in the Mid-continent, and Stephanie Corcoran and Mark Schneeweis leading the East Coast teams. The numbers are staggering: we had 133 riders in three different time zones who pedaled almost 10,000 miles over 48 hours. To see the photos from these events, click below -
On June 3rd, I look forward to leading a group of Texas riders to join with Team Captains Monika Harper and Darrel Plants and all rest of the Louisiana riders on the Baton Rouge Tour de Cure. This will will effectively end our spring campaign for ADA, and what a great campaign it has been! Thanks to all of you who ride, who volunteer, and who care about this cause - you made this achievement possible.
Finally, mark your calendars for the Valero MS 150 Bike to the Beach, which will be held on October 20-21. If you plan on riding, it's not too early to register! And if you register, make sure you register with team Velo Valero!
- Peter
P.S. The "dancin' shoes" reference is for PJ, who is a big fan of Dancing with the Stars.
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Good morning and happy Monday!
This will be a relatively short blog, because I'm running on fumes. Riding 138 miles over two days after staying up 3 nights last week until midnight and beyond watching that incredible series between the Spurs and the Suns has left me totally wasted. As soon as I'm through with this, I'm going to settle into my couch and watch two hours of glorious television - the 400th episode of the Simpsons, followed by new episodes of the Sopranos and Entourage. If I don't nod off first...
 What can I say - the Texas Tour de Cure was our best ever! The weather and the routes were incredible, and the rest stops were really special (my personal favorite was the Mardi Gras theme, complete with beads). Approximately 30 team members went toobin' along the San Marcos River on Saturday afternoon, then we enjoyed the Saturday night celebration arranged by ADA. It was a Hawaiian theme, and I was dragged to the stage to prove once and for all that not only can white men not jump, many of them can't dance either. During the awards ceremony, Velo Valero put the smack down. We won awards for the Largest Overall Team, Top Overall Fundraising Team, Presenting Sponsor, Top Fundraiser - Third Place (Seth), and Top Fundraiser - Second Place (David). We continue to set the standard for fundraising cycling teams in Texas - over the years we accumulated more hardware than Home Depot. And we're not through yet!
 I don't know where to start when thanking people. I'll keep it short and focused now, and provide more details later. Firstly, all of us who rode this weekend need to thank Event Chair Laura Vaccaro, her committee, and all the volunteers for organizing and orchestrating the event. All we had to was ride 100 or so miles over two days and drink a few beers on the river. She and the volunteers had to make sure 1000 riders had a good safe ride, a place to sleep, three meals, and some world class entertainment Satuday night. Sounds easy? It wasn't. I will never cease to be amazed by Laura's heart and her energy, and that of all the volunteers who helped with the event.
I'd also like to thank the Velo Board of Directors for all the hard work and long hours conducting our training programs, managing our team store, running our fundraisers and packet pick-ups, and helping me proof all these e-mails I send out (among countless other things). All of them are unpaid volunteers who love cycling and love this team - they make my job so easy (except for the hula dancing part).
I'd like to thank all the folks on the team who worked tirelessly to help us raise a record amount of dollars this year - $56,000 and counting. I'd particularly like to thank the folks who raised more than $1000 - David Sloan, Seth McConnel, Ken Mayfield, Amanda Burden, Ricardo Divala, Lee Morris, Jeff Richetson, and Deanna Durham. Ricardo and Jeff are first-year riders who made an immediate impact on Velo Valero with their fundraising efforts.
 Finally, I'd like to show my respect and admiration for all the first-year riders, folks like Ben Cantu, Ricardo, Jeff, and Pat Harrington. Each of them climbed a personal mountain in participating in this event. I've been cycling and fundraising for 8 years now, and I know the exact moment when I got hooked. This was in 2000 when I was on mile 145 of the Bike to the Beach, and I saw the ocean for the first time. My legs were cramping and my bike weighed a ton, but my heart (and legs) never pumped that fast before (or since)! ...I was reminded of this when I was riding with rookie Pat Harrington during the last 5 miles or so on Day 2. I had told him that there were a few fast rollers before I-35, then it was a straight blast for 2 miles to the finish line. As I saw him disappear over the last hill, riding faster and faster, all the pain and exhaustion drowning in a sea of adrenalin, I knew exactly what he was feeling. Pat had become a cyclist, and he would never forget that moment. Congratulations to all the first time riders - we're glad to have you!!
...That's it for now - the tank is empty and the couch is calling. I can't wait to get the updates on the SoCal and Philadelphia tours from Team Captains Alan, Stephanie and Mark. Plus - the Baton Rouge Tour de Cure is only two weeks away!
If you want to share a short Tour de Cure rider testimonial and favorite picture with the team, send it to cycling@valero.com. I'll post them all, like we did during the Bike to the Beach last year.
See ya' on the road!
- El "Hula" Hefe
P.S. Click here to see the first round of photos from the Texas Tour.
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Good afternoon and happy Friday!
 I'm really excited about the Texas Tour de Cure this weekend - we have wonderful weather in store, it's a great cause, and I've got 30 toobs reserved tomorrow afternoon on the San Marcos River. The only thing I'm worried about is the Spurs play the Suns tonight at 8:30 CST, and so that means I'll be up all night watching the game and the post-game, yelling at the TV, and kicking the dog every time Nash hits a 3. And after all this, PJ will be by the house bright and early at 5:30 to pick me up. If I'm a little grumpy tomorrow morning, it's nothing personal - it will just be due to the lack of sleep...
Tour de Cure Rides This Weekend
This is a big weekend for Velo Valero. We have a total of 133 registered riders across 4 teams participating in 3 events - the Texas Tour, the SoCal Tour, and the Philadephia Tour. If each of the registered riders pedals an average of 75 miles, thats almost 10,000 miles being traveled by Velo cyclists for ADA this weekend alone. One of the goals the Board of Directors and I established in December was to become a National Team. At the time I wrote, "Valero is a Fortune 50 company, and I want us to be a Fortune 50 team." Friends, we are there. I felt it two weeks ago when I got to ride with the Dan, Alan, and the rest of the Calfornia folks in the Napa event, and I'm definitely feeling it this weekend. Thanks to each of you that rides, fund raises, and volunteers to support this team!
Status of Fundraising
Most importantly, we continue to make steady progress towards reaching our goal of raising $100,000 as National Team. As of noon today, we were at $96,743, with plenty of off-line dollars still not accounted for. Click here to see the details. I especially want to recognize the incredible efforts of David Sloan ($16,410) and Seth McConnell ($10,220), who really went the extra mile for ADA this year. I also want to recognize all the Team Captains across the country - Dan, Alan, Mark, Stephanie, Monika, and Darrel - and the hard work they've done to help us meet this target.
Bike Raffle
 The independent accounting firm of Patricia & Jones picked the winning raffle ticket on Wednesday. The winner was Board Member Ken Mayfield. The Board decided to distribute the dollars raised from the raffle to the fundraising totals of first year riders on the team participating in the Texas Tour, and who were close to fundraising break points. These folks are are first ever Velo Valero "Rookies of the Year" for the Tour, and I'm so proud of what they have accomplished. These folks and the total dollars they raised are:
- Ricard Davila - $2000
- Jeff Richeson - $1500
- Patrick Harrington - $500
- Ben Cantu - $500
...and the New Name of the Team Mascot is...
 Rusty Cranks. The vote was close, but this name got 20% of the votes cast as of noon today. Thanks to everyone who voted! If you haven't seen him yet, Rusty is in the lobby outside the cafeteria at HQ, and will be there until after the Baton Rouge Tour in June.
That's it for now! I have to go and get my traditional pre-ride hair cut (to make me more aerodynamic, of course).
Those of you riding in Tour events this weekend, have fun and ride safe!
See ya' on the road!
- El "My Dog Hates Me" Hefe
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 If you are riding in the Texas Tour de Cure on May 19-20, please read the following:
05/16/07 - It's hard to believe the Texas Tour de Cure is only 2 days away!
The Texas Tour de Cure is only days away, and I don't know about you, but I'm getting really stoked! Event Chair Laura Vaccaro and Cindy Rodriguez and her team from the ADA are doing an incredible job with last minute event details, and the weather (at the moment) promises to be very biker friendly - low 80s, partly cloudly, marginal winds. I can see the rolling hills between San Antonio and Austin already! Here's some last minute info you need to now to have your greatest Tour de Cure experience ever -
Be Loud and Proud!
As Captain, I can't contain this any longer because i'm so damn proud of what we've accomplished. Valero is once again the largest team with 75 riders and, more importantly, we are the top funraiser at this point with $54,225 and lots of off-line dollars still being accounted for. (Click here for latest totals.) For this reason, I want each and every one of you to be loud and proud this weekend. We are going to have a great time with great friends for a truly great cause - it doesn't get any better than this!
Saturday Start
- Some folks are meeting at the Jim's at 1604 and Blanco for breakfast at 5:45 am
- The ride starts at the Harcourt Assessment building (19500 Bulverde Road).
- From 6:00 - 7:30 AT&T is providing a light breakfast, and Starbucks is providng coffee
- Registration begins at 6:30 am, if you haven't been by a packet pickup yet
- All riders must turn in a signed waiver and emergency contact sheet (it's in your packet)
- There are 3 start times based on distance -
- 80 miles - 07:40 am
- 50 miles - 07:50 am
- 15 mile family fun ride - 08:00 am
Luggage
Each rider is limited to two pieces of luggage. Mark them with the tags in your packet - they are linked to your rider number. Bags will be delivered to the Butler Hall dorm at the Day 1 finish line. Look for the luggage truck as soon as you get to the starting line and get these dropped off.
Team Photo
 Team photo from 2006
The official Velo valero team photo will be taken at 07:15 am by the stage. Try to have your bags dropped off before then, along with registering and/or turning in your waiver. That way afterwards you can head straight to the starting line. We want everyone to wear a current or 2005 team jersey for this photo.
Dorms
- Keys to your dorm room will be issued at the finish line. There's a fine if you lose these.
- The beds in the dorm are just bare mattresses - you'll need to bring your own sheets, pillows, blankets, and/or sleeping bags.
- The dorms have community showers. You must bring your own towels and toiletries!
Route Maps
...are available on the Texas Tour de Cure web site. Go to the bottom of the page to see the maps. It's always a good idea to print these ahead of time and study them.
Toobin'
 Toobers in 2006
Many Velo Valero team members go toobin' on the San Marcos river Saturday afternoon. We'll gather at the finish line and walk to the Lion's Club rental facility in the park. To accomodate the 80 milers, we'll gather no earlier than 2:00 pm. If you want to toob and can't locate the team, call my cell at 210-862-3644. If you plan on toobin', click here to let me know the distance you are riding Saturday and your cell phone number. Let me know by end of day Thursday so I can try and reserve the toobs from the Lion's Club.
More Saturday Hijinx
The ADA has an official Saturday Celebration and dinner from 05:00 pm to 07:15 pm. Dinner will be provided, along with live entertainment and awards. This will have a South pacific theme, which should be pretty groovy.
There are lots of other entertainment options - two movies, shuttles to the Outlet Malls, and of course, downtown San Marcos. Two important things to consider -
- Absolutely no alcohol can be consumed on the Texas State University grounds, including Sewell Park during the Saturday Nigh Celebration. I'm 50% Irish and 50% German - if I can make this sacrifice, you can, too. This does not apply while we are toobin' and when we are off the campus grounds.
- Make sure you get some solid sleep Satuday night, because there's a big day of cycling on Sunday, and the 80 milers start at 07:30 am sharp! Plus, if there's a game 7 between the Spurs and the Suns, you'll want to ride fast and hard to get in front of a TV before tip-off.
Sunday Start
- Breakfast is served beginning at 06:00 am
- There are 3 start times based on distance -
- 80 miles - 07:30 am
- 58 miles - 07:40 am
- 25 miles - 07:50 am
Sunday Finish Line
- Finish line is at Akins High School in south Austin
- Lunch will be served beginning at 10:30 am
- Massages and live entertainment will be available
- Shuttle service to San Marcos and San Antonio begins at 11:00 am.
- Event concludes at 03:00 pm.
Miscellaneous and Sundry
- If you are a Valero employee, make sure you go to the Intranet SignUp facility to sign up as a rider for this event so you get your volunteer credit!
- if you are registering the day of the ride, make sure you have your fundraising with you - no one can pick up a packet without raising at least the minimum ($150)
- Finally, if you have any off-line contributions to your fundraising, please enter them on your personal web site. If you need help with this, please contact Fundraising Board Member David Sloan (david.sloan@valero.com). If you haven't done this yet, your funds aren't reflected in our team total (which is almost at our target of $50,000!)
More Information
Click here to read the offiical TDC Rider Guide.
Send an e-mail to cycling@valero.com if you have any other questions or concerns. Otherwise, I'll see ya' on the road!
- El "Take me to the River" Hefe
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Happy Tuesday!
We are rapidly counting down towards the weekend Tour de Cure events - there's lots going on in Velo-ville this week, so you're getting a rare treat - a Tuesday blog entry!!
We will continue to sell raffle tickets for the Cruiser Bike until we draw at 05:00 pm CST today, or we sell the 400 tickets we printed. You can buy them directly from me, or buy them on-line at the team store (click here to access). The San Antonio Team is very close to our target or $50,000 - we are just a little over $1000 away - so every penny counts. Talk to your co-workers, friends, and family members - surely there's someone that wants to be the proud owner of a new cruiser bike! The bike is in the office next to me if you want to look it over.
 We are now ready to start voting in our Name the Mascot contest. To register your vote, click here. You can vote as many times as you'd like, ala American Idol. If you have a suggestion for what to name the Mascot that you haven't submitted yet, please send it to cycling@valero.com and I'll add it to the list of candidates.
Finally, Wednesday is the annual Ride of Silence across the world. This silent, slow-paced, 6-mile ride is in honor of cyclists who have been injured or killed on public roadways over the last year. The San Antonio event will start at the downtown HemisFair Park archway; be there by 6:45 am to get lined up. For more information, click here. Wear your Velo Valero team jersey if possible!
- EH
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Good morning and happy Monday! Next weekend we have a trifecta of Tour de Cures in Texas, California, and Philadelphia. I'll have more details on these events later this week. In the meantime...
Weekend Rides
What a glorious weekend to ride! After a bizarre three months of wet and windy weather in Texas (including a tornado that almost blew my brother's house away), we finally got two days of clear, cool, and wind-free conditions.
...I started the weekend by riding home from work at 5:00 pm on Friday. The ride home was completely opposite from the ride that morning. Because of a lack of shoulder on the road, I found myself at one point trapped between two lines of cars inching their way down the 1604 access road. The gap between the cars in most cases was just wide enough to fit my bike through, and on either side of me I saw angry rush hour drivers ready at any moment to bludgeon my with their Blackberries. I really like the bike to work concept, but I need to spend more time investigating a safe route home.
On Saturday morning, I joined the group doing the Comfort to Kerville ride. I've always done the shorter loop, with the cutoff on River Road, but this was the first time I did the challenging hills of 1341. This is a gorgeous stretch of road, with one hill after another, including two monster ascents that really get the heart pumping. I had a flat, which Luis generously helped me repair, and rode the 1341 stretch with new rider Pat Harrington, who is really coming on strong for the team.
Also on Saturday, Zora led a group of 12 Velo riders on the MPO's Walk and Roll ride that left from Brackenridge Park. According to ZB, it was a nice ride once you got out of downtown, but the traffic was a little heavy, particularly on the way back.
On Sunday, Carl and PJ led a group of riders on the Helotes hills. Here's their ride summary -
We had ten people show up for the ride yesterday starting at Roger Soler's. We could not have asked for a better day to ride. Not too hot, no wind, rollers at the start of the ride, the middle part of the ride and the end of the ride...but mostly flat otherwise , and most important - riding with great friends!! Riders included PJ, Stan and Cindy, Luis and Stella, Patrick, Richard, Mike and David Shorr. Some of the riders went for lunch at the Mexican Food restaurant up the road from Roger Soler's after the ride ended...
PJ pointed out that Cindy Lear had her best average time ever on this ride - she's really been training hard and improving every week. Way to go Cindy!
Name the Mascot Contest
As mentioned last week, we are having a name the team mascot contest. I'm taking the best suggestions today and tomorrow, then will let you vote, American Idol style, on the official name. The mascot is a huge wrought iron statue of a cyclist my father-in-law gave me during the Board Retreat in April. It is currently sitting in the lobby outside the cafeteria to remind folks every day what an extraordinary thing the Velo Valero teams are doing this spring for ADA. We've gotten permission to keep him there until after the Baton Rouge ride on June 3rd. If you have a suggestion on what to name him, send it to cycling@valero.com by end of day tomorrow.
Napa Photos
I finally got all the Napa photos loaded and captioned. Click here to access them. The photos speak for themselves - it was a great ride for a great cause with truly great people.
...That's it for now! If you're doing a Tour de Cure ride this weekend, make sure you are carb loading and doing light cardio work throughout the week.
- El Hefe
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Good morning and happy Friday! I finally caught up on everything, so I have a little time to crank out a team newsletter...
Feeling Pumped
I'm feeling pretty pumped this morning, because I actually rode my bike in today with a co-worker and team member, Mike Ashton, in addition to Board Member Patricia Jones. I missed the official San Antonio bike to work day last Friday because of the Napa ride, so I felt compelled to do something this week. I've been a working stiff since I graduated from UT in 1985, and in 22 years of slaving away over a hot computer, I've never ridden my bike to work. It was a gorgeous clear morning with a light breeze, and as I passed all the cars clogging up 1604, I thought to myself, "I really need to do this more often..."
Next weekend is a busy weekend for Velo Valero. The Texas riders are doing the Texas Tour de Cure, the east coast folks from Paulsboro and Delaware City are doing the Philadelphia Tour, and the Wilmington folks are doing the SoCal/Long Beach ride. It is a vast, multi-state cornucopia of cycling, fundraising, and good times that dazzles the senses. I'm so proud of what Velo is doing as a National team this year. It was soooo cool in Napa last week to see the event t-shirts they passed out to all the riders because the Valero logo was proudly displayed on each one indicating that we were now in the big leagues as a supporter of ADA. It's also cool to know that in every Tour event this year, on every t-shirt that Valero logo will be there - along with being on signs, publications, web sites, and so on. Each one of you that is riding and volunteering made this possible, and you should all feel very proud about this - we are making a difference!
Texas Training Rides
In Texas, we have one last weekend to prepare for our Tour. Here's our event schedule for the weekend - try to attend at least one ride, but even better - try and do two. As always, check our training schedule for all the ride details.
On Saturday morning, John Tenison will be leading our advanced riders on the always popular Comfort to Kerville loop. This challenging 42 mile loop starts at 08:00 am at Comfort City Park, which is approx. 30 minutes from Valero HQ (so plan accordingly).
 Also on Saturday, Zora Bilicich will be leading riders who want to participate in the MPOs Walk & Roll Fest. The event starts at 08:00, and Zora would like folks to arrive at 7:30 am wearing Valero team jerseys. Send her an e-mail at zora.bilicich@valero.com if you'd like to particiapte.
 On Sunday, Carl Crawford has once again volunteered to lead a group of riders. Send him an e-mail at carl.crawford@valero.com if you want to join in. He's be starting at 08:00 pm from the Roger Soler's in Helotes, and doing the Helotes hills.
Name the Mascot Contest
David Sloan, our fundraising board member, suggested we have a "Name the Mascot" Contest. The mascot is a huge wrought iron statue of a cyclist my father-in-law gave me during the Board Retreat in April. The team mascot is currently sitting in the lobby outside the cafeteria to remind folks every day what an extraordinary thing the Velo Valero teams are doing this spring for ADA and we've gotten permission to keep him there until after the Baton Rouge ride on June 3. He's looking pretty stylish now, because Andrea Shull put a Top Fundraising Team t-shirt on him, and he's wearing my daughter's bicycle helmet. His only problem is he doesn't have a name. If you have a suggestion on what to name him, send it to cycling@valero.com. We'll announce the winner before the Tour rides next weekend!
Napa Ride
As I mentioned earlier, the Napa Tour was awesome. I'm hoping sometime soon I'll have the time to write up a recap of the event. In the meantime, click here to read the ride summary prepared by Alan Dedman, captain of the Wilmington Team. Alan drove up from Wilmington and did the century, and managed to average over 18 mph even with some mechanical problems! To see photos from the ride, click here. Thanks again to all the folks in California who made us feel some welcome on this ride!
Castroville Veteran's 100
Finally, I need to include a little something about a ride team members did last week. This was the Castroville Veteran's 100. Here's John Tenison's recap:
Napa wasn't the only Velo Valero ride last weekend, though Sunday got washed out, I believe (it rained all afternoon at my house anyway). We had a great CAV 100 ride - Valero participants in the attached photo. Our NuStar representative Pat Harrington did 65 miles (his longest ride to date - way to go Pat!). There were 103 riders all told; from Velo, only Henry did the full century. Farm Road 2200 from Devine to Yancey was spectacular - you could smell the wildflowers, there were so many of them. The volunteers were super friendly and helpful, and the ride was well organized. We need to add this ride to our calendar for next year.
Pat, John, Henry, Luis, Stella, and Carl at the Castroville 100
See ya' on the road!
- El "Walk & Roll" Hefe
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This account is from Alan Dedman, Captain of the Wilmington team. Alan rode up from Wilmington to do the ride, and did the full century.
Alan nears the finish line
It hardly seems like a year has gone by already, and I’m already back at the Veterans Home of California, Yountville, Ca, for another fund raising ride on behalf of the American Diabetes Association.
Its 05:15 and I arrive as the volunteers are arriving and getting everything set up. The weather for the day is forecasted to be hot and windy, even at this hour, it’s a little cool but an occasional little gust has that welcome hint of warmth, a sign of things to come for the ride. Unfortunately, I didn’t hear the wild turkeys calling as I did last year, hopefully they made it past Thanksgiving and decided to go some other place, but there was a gaggle of geese that flew past, giving the occasional “honk” on their way.
Well I’m all prepared, pumped up and raring to go. The bike has been given a final going over, there are new tires, new chain all lubed up, new bottom bracket. I still haven’t seen any other Benicia team members so I’m not sure how many are going to be riding the Century.
I eventually meet up with 2 other riders from the Benicia Team, one of which, Chris, is going to do the 100 and the other rider Jim will most probably see how far he gets, there’s a rest stop (S.A.G.) at around the 59 mile, that’s on the return section, he’ll make his mind up there.
It’s about 07:00 and we 3 decide to hit the road, as we are going through the start line we see a bunch of other Team members, including Laura and Stan from San Antonio going to the registration desk. After a quick hello and good luck wishes, were on our way.
We go through the Town of Yountville, obeying all the traffic laws; we noticed several postings of a $300.00 fine for failing to obey traffic signs. Although there was no intention of breaking the law, we also had no intention of topping off the Town coffers. The first 5 to 10 miles were done at a leisurely pace; we picked up a small group of riders and had a turn each at pulling the line up front, gradually increasing the speed to around 19 mph. The head wind that threatened to put in an appearance did, but not with that greater force, enough to know that it will be with us for the outbound section of the ride.
Chris and Alan, Velo Valero "Century Men" at the Napa ride
Somewhere along this section, we had unfortunately managed to lose Jim, our 3rd rider. I noticed this as we were approaching Calistoga. Going through this town, our other riders decided they needed a “pit” stop at a local Shell Service Station, so it came down to Chris and I. We decided to pick up the pace a bit and taken advantage of the near flat road conditions, we kept in a single file, obeying the law, except when it came time to take a turn in front.
The sun, although still early, was now out, hardly a cloud in the sky and we were rolling past vineyard after vineyard, absolutely breathtaking, the scenery is magnificent. There are some very old houses and hotels, one house we saw could have made a great location for a scary movie.
We’re now getting into the ride, keeping a steady pace, and ahead we see another group of riders, 5 or 6 in this group which I see can be caught and join up with to make for an easier ride, it’s always easier to ride in a group, makes it easier to maintain speed, and you can get a bit of a rest at the same time. We eventually join this group just before the start of the hill. They were not really setting any pace, and it seemed like we were backing off to meet their speed. We really didn’t need to slow down.
At the current speed we had been doing we had an average of 18.8 mph, this was above my time for the last ride, so I really wanted to maintain or even better it for the whole ride. Anyway noting that they were dropping off a bit, I pulled out to the front and tackled the hill, setting a good pace, but alas near the top, my legs were beginning feel the burn, and Chris came up and took the pull. With a few more yards to go we crested the hill, and took that well earned rest of freewheeling down the hill, my computer recorded a top speed of 34 mph. This was a bit disappointing as I like to get a good speed going downhill, but looking at it from another point of view, this meant that the return climb back over the same hill was more progressive than a steep climb. As we bottomed out and came back onto a small but progressive decline, we applied pressure on the pedals, but mine was kind of disastrous. As I pedaled, every third rotation I felt the chain jump, in the smaller or higher speed cogs on the rear cassette.
I’m beginning to think the worse, I still have a long way to go and I know there are mechanics on the course but finding one is another question. I change up to a lower speed gear, which means I have to pedal faster to maintain the same speed as the others.
This appears to work, for a short time until I start to get the same response in this gear. So I shift to a larger gear again and so on until I’m left with the bottom 3 gears.
Needless to say this is getting to be hard work, were approaching Jimtown and my front wheel hits a fairly large object in the road, something that the rider leading us failed to point out. Generally this is a courtesy to following riders to point out hazards in the road so that following riders can take evasive action. Anyway this object causes a pinch flat and my front tire gradually goes down after a few miles.
I stop, Chris comes back to assist me, I remove the wheel and the tire and replace the inner
tube. Refit the tire, inflate it with a CO2 canister and we’re off again, unfortunately we missed a whole group of riders that were moving very fast, that would have been fun to have joined them. Still my chain is jumping and I’m trying to think of what I can do to fix it. Were in the town of Healdsburg, approximately 40 miles from the start and getting near the point where we start the inbound leg.
Bikes near the vineyards at one of the rest stops
We push on, still with my sick machine until we come to our first rest stop. There I try to locate a mechanic; I’m told there should be one there in a few minutes. Well I think we spent about 10 minutes there taking refreshment, I took a liquid meal replacement drink, followed by a bottle of water, and refilled my water bottles, dropping some tablets, that help replace the electrolyte, stop cramping and all the good things that make you feel bad go away. Chris managed to tighten up a few spokes; one of the volunteers had a tool box there with a spoke key, so he managed to adjust his rear wheel.
Well we set of, pedaling to a one-to-three clunk, one-to-three clunk, coming from my bike. The sun is well and truly up by now, nice and warm and the saving grace is a good following wind playing on our backs, the same wind we had had in our face on the way out was now assisting us, well at least me. Shortly after leaving the rest stop we pick up another rider. He had a Campbell’s Soup jersey on, same colors, looked like a humongous can of Tomato Soup. What was most noticeable was the huge amount of salt that the guy had lost, because his jersey had this great big faded white stain across his back and shoul | |
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