Harpoon B2B Ride

[irusk]

I think there are a bunch of us signed up for the B2B ride this weekend. A few of us are nursing injuries or otherwise are not as fully trained for this event as we'd like to be (including myself) . Still, I'm planning on riding.

Please post up if you're planning on doing this, and note the group/speed you plan to ride, and let's see if we can get some carpools over to the start, and get folks together who plan to ride about the same pace.

I'll start:

Ian - Group 2 (17mph) 6:50 start

[scott_sweeney]

I'm in, think I'm with the same group. I'm carpooling from Stow with one of my neighbors. Will see you bright and early!

[michael todisco]

In, 19mph.....

[teamkimball]

I think I am doing Group 6, 22 MPH. Hopefully I don't blow up.


Peloton 1- Average speed 16 MPH...(5:00 AM registration, 6:00 AM Departure)
Peloton 2- Average speed 17 MPH...(5:30 AM registration, 6:30 AM Departure)
Peloton 3- Average speed 18 MPH...(6:00 AM registration, 7:00 AM Departure)
Peloton 4- Average speed 19 MPH...(6:30 AM registration, 7:30 AM Departure)
Peloton 5- Average Speed 20-21 MPH...(7:00 AM registration, 8:00 AM Departure)
Peloton 6- Average Speed 22+ MPH...(7:00 AM registration, 8:15 AM Departure)


Steve

[Red]

Last peloton - 22+ mph!

[cp43]

I'm in, I'll probably be in the 18mph group.

Chris

*edit, 18mph, not 17.

[Len_E]

I'm in. I like to take a shot at the 22 group. First time doing this ride so I'm not sure what to expect after, say, 120 miles. Todisco's description of last year's ride is waking me up at night.
I would like to carpool with someone. I'm in Holliston but can meet wherever.
-Len

[BLentrichia]

I'm going at 17 mph at least until Townsend. There will be many 22+ folks in the first releases anyway. I am interested in carpooling. My family has only one car.

[michael todisco]

Len....Todisco doesn't ride his road bike much and he pays dearly!!!! Glad your riding and judging from past PMC's we did, you've got nothing to be afraid of, unless something has happened to you that you're keeping private

[irusk]

I'm willing to take someone who wants to carpool. I'm in Sudbury if anyone's interested.

[teamkimball]

I can give somebody a ride also.. I can take 4 people

[teamkimball]

I can give somebody a ride also.. I can take 4 people

[Len_E]

I'll take a ride. I'm coming from Holliston so where can we meet? If you are taking the Pike where will you get on it. I can meet at the park-n-ride at the ramp or at a more convenient place for you before the Pike.
-Len

[argus]

I"ll be in either the 17 or 18 mph group.

[BLentrichia]

Ian, if you're leaving in the 17 mph group I can use a ride. I'll cover parking. I need to know where to meet you and what time.

[Red]

I suggest wearing our MRC kits. Show the colors! (and make sure to correct those that mistake us for Team Landry's)

[BLentrichia]

Well I need a ride - how's this for last minute? Anyone have room?

[irusk]

Wow, that was quite a ride. Longest I've ever ridden in one shot. But what a blast! Thanks again SK for driving, and thanks to Brian, Gary, Annie, Michael, Tim, Mame, Scott, Chris and everyone else in our group for the company. Don't think I would have been able to push through that distance alone.

[scott_sweeney]

Great day-reeeeeally long (the "extra" 10 miles turned out to be essentially a 10 mile climb) but felt strong for the most part. Definitely the longest one day effort I've ever done as well. IPA has never tasted so good!!!!!

[michael todisco]

2nd year for me and was glad to have participated in this really fun and at times, painful ride... that extra 10 miles uphill push me to the limit... Beer was great, food was mediocre, band was good.....

In the 22mph group was Steve K. looking really serious at the start line, he talking about saving extra time by shaving his ass, hmmm... glad I rode with 19mph group.... Also in that group was Len. He was feigning his usual lack of fitness but I knew better. Even on his worst day he is a force to be reckoned with. I was going to hook on with them at the 100 mile stop but did not want to leave my riding buddy in no man's land....

Let's do it again next year! All the painful memories should be gone by then and only the good ones will be left....

[teamkimball]

Saturday was a great day... The new longer course was excellent. I started in the 22mph group with Jim, Vic, Len, Candiello, and Cort. We were all in great shape until the 1st water stop. I came out of the can and everybody had left. I tried to hammer for a couple miles to catch up without any luck. We were lucky that a bunch of people were all in this boat so we re-grouped. I was able to connect with Jim, Vic, Candiello and misc others so all was not lost. By the time we got to the Monster Hill it was Jim, Vic, me and 1 other guy. We stayed together until mile 110.

At the 110 mile water re were able to hook up with Cort and Len. To our dismay all the water was gone. I worked hard to convince everybody that we could ride the last 36 miles on Coke. After about 15 min of sitting around the group caved in and we started again. I had no water but had 3 bottles of coke. Note to Self, after drinking 1 bottle of Coke it started to taste like crap and I started getting a really bad head ache. At mile 128 we ran into some people handing out bottles of water an were able to re-fuel some. Wow!!! what a life saver. By the end we were all pretty tired but nobody got dropped and I think we must have averaged 21 - 22 MPH for the last 30+ miles. Not a bad finish to a long long day. We had tons of MRC riders out on the course. Totally fun!!

Thanks for a super group. Oh and the hose shower was kind of cold but it was much faster than waiting in that huge shower line. There may be a very interesting post coming up from Annie, Mame, Jim, Vic, etc... They missed the last bus and stayed until 10:30 in Vt playing drinking games. Oh, do tell.....

[Len_E]

146 miles in warm weather and over some pretty good hills.
No water at the 110 mile "coke n' pickle juice" stop
45 minute line for a 2-minute shower
Chicken that was cooked under a heat lamp
Missed last bus home
Free beer and pizza in the middle of Vermont on a Saturday night
Sign me up for next year
-Len

[Red]

What happens in the Harpoon brewery stays in the Harpoon brewery!!

We had a blast hanging out - free beer and pizza all night! Though getting back to Boston after 1am was a little later than expected! I'm still exhausted I think.

Great ride and day overall though. As Kimball mentioned, some jerks in the 22+ group decided to wait until half the peloton had their backs turned at the first rest stop and then bolted from the scene. Many of us scorched ourselves trying to catch them as we didn't know who was where and in what group. Fortunately, Steve, Vic, Len, myself and a few others re-grouped and made it an enjoyable last 100 miles. Kudos to Steve for maintaining organization to the group. Somehow he convinced us all that the last 35 miles could be done with little hydration, save some water bottles of warm coca-cola.

Lots of fun seeing folks at the BBQ. And I do think that Ann, Mame, Vic, Len, Dan, and myself had the best possible time that we could while being stranded in the middle of VT waiting for a ride home!