Red, white and blue recap

~100 riders showed for the Red, White & Blue ride. Shortly after 8 AM we rolled out of the parking lot of Christ Community Church on Air Harbor Rd. and made our way north up Lake Brandt. The early pace was brisk; Jerry, Jeremy, Scott and I teamed up and eventually met up with John and Stuart Larry David at Hwy 158.

The cool morning weather made the going pretty easy, though I could tell I didn't have much for the climbs. Over Gold Hill and into Madison we averaged a bit less than 18 mph. We stopped at the Exxon on 704, picked up another rider (John) and made our way to River Rd.

With a long, rolling road in front of us we were able to keep our speed up. But a long climb, and climbing temperatures, as we headed into Wentworth slowed us down a bit. We opted for another stop at the Pure station on 87 (a note: this is a very friendly place to stop -- they always roll out the red carpet for cyclists) before starting the final leg of the ride.

The heat started to take its toll. I spent the last 20 miles dealing with cramps, while others complained about the heat's effects. After one final stop at the corner of Church and 150 we pointed toward the finish. I was happy to see Air Harbor Rd; I had eaten very little during the ride, bonked badly, and rolled in at an easy pace.

Total for the day: 61.4 miles at 17.1 mph.