200 on 100
Vermont is spelled with a capital “V”, surely no coincidence. With the loads of mountains and climbs available, it had to start with a “V”. I mean, if it was mountainous enough to draw a runaway “loose” nun who left the church for a sailor, it must be good, right? (Great nordic skiing there””Trapp Family Lodge, if you are there in the winter months as well).
Anyways, being a seventh generation “V”ermonter myself, who was raised on a family farm on Rogers’ Hill in West Newbury, VT (which was hand cleared and settled in 1763 by my G-G-G-G-G-Grandfather and still owned by my father) I have a deep love and feel for VT, liberal politics notwithstanding. So when I heard about the 200 on 100 “Dumptruck of Awesome” that was available, I just knew that I had to do it. And not only that, I knew that I had to share this beautiful “Ode to the V in Vermont” with all of my best cyber-cycling-soul mates. Okay, soul mates might be going a bit far there, but you get my meaning.
So, enough with the intro.
Break out the rollers, get on the trainers, find your winter gear; lay off the seconds, nurse that one glass of booze, hold the toasting to one drink, dodge Cupid’s chocolates and shoot the Easter Bunny because training for this bastard started yesterday and you’ll be paying for it on the 28th of June, 2012 in spades!
See you in the pre-dawn hours on the Canadian border with our eyes firmly fixed on the prize of the Massachusetts border. Let’s drive this dump truck like Mel Gibson leaving the compound in a post-apocalyptic world, baby!
Route and location details on the Cogal Event Page.
And where the hell is Steampunk? Did you guys dump him in a ditch somewhere?
@CanuckChuck
Absolutely! +1
Hello everyone. I just got back to Boston and dropped Kurt off. As I sit in the van, it is hard not to get watery eyes. Thelse past two days are so emotion filled one would need to be a robot not to be thankful to each and every one of you who helped make this a surreal dream.
Will try and write my report tonight. Steampunk is on his drive home to make vacation to his parents in Vancouver.
So many stories to share, such limited vocabulary to do them justice
What an effing ride! The road stretching on forever. The everlasting climb up Mt Snow. The amazing companionship provided by ridiculously strong riders. The degree to which we pushed ourselves to, and in @Tim’s case over, the brink (that one’s something else fer sure). The destruction of us and Vermont, courtesy Irene.
It was awesome. Dump trucks abounded. Seriously, so many dump trucks in VT.
As stated earlier, truest and deepest thanks to Rogerrr for organization, and to Matt, Marty, and TimA for SAG. Without you, this ride would have splintered and destroyed most of us. Except @Tim. He’s kwazy.
@frank
my favorite cycling pic. Just perfectly sums up the nirvana of the way of the bike.
@frank
frank! Have you forgotten that I am the most computer challenged person in the world? I have no clue how to enter that data into my ipad?
I will join everyone in thanking roger for putting so much effort in making this ride happen, as well as the SAG drivers who were extremely patient and helpful.
I congratulate everyone who participated for making this a special ride!
@MJ Moquin
No worries MJ. Sure, vision would have made the ride down into Readsboro safer (and less memorable), but I don’t think I had it in my legs to get up the next hump. All’s well that end’s well at “204 on 100”.
Speaking of beer, I actually owe you one since you left the Circus Boy (which I convinced you to drink AFTER breakfast) in the room.
@Buck Rogers
FWIW, my ride from Strava: http://app.strava.com/rides/12085249, which ended in Readsboro, VT at mile 204 instead of North Adams, MA (mile 221).
@CanuckChuck Awesome! Well done. I have now loaded the Strava app on my ipad. Does anyone know how to link my Garmin to the ipad in order to upload te data? Can this be done? Thanks!
@Buck Rogers
Not sure how it works on iPad but I suspect if you navigate to the part of the app where you upload data and plug in the Garmin, it will guide you through the upload. That’s how it works on the website.
@Buck Rogers I was able to upload from my Garmin using an Android tablet with USB ports. The table simply saw the Edge 500 as another USB drive and by navigating to the activities folder, I could select the correct file to upload. Question is, do you have a cable with mini USB at one end and the iPad connector at the other to even attempt this?
@CanuckChuck
That’s my problem, I do not have a mini usb/ipad cable. There are no usb ports in my ipad that I can find. I will try to get a cable soon. Thanks for the help!
@Buck Rogers
Not sure if such a cable exists, or if the iPad would even recognize the Garmin. You may be SOL unfortunately until you get use a laptop/desktop.
Fuck me! I never ordered a cogal pint glass! Any way to get one retroactively?
i thought north adams was not far out, and distance wise it wasnt. but when coming back to porches, it seemed an eternity. @buck and @rob, you guys absolutely blasted this thing apart. so many parts of this ride are starting to slowly evolve in my mind and being hours behind of most everyone, it’s wild to see how 2kph here and 4kph there on the flats adds up. with all those climbs coming in the 2nd half, you guys had to have set a hard pace up those mountains. amazing.
heres my strava. http://app.strava.com/rides/12097708 i did a lot of stopping towards the last 60km. my feet were in such pain that any little bump instantly set fire to all my nerves, feeling like the man with the hammer was slamming away at the balls of my feet. if i was lucky enough to see the imperfections in the road, i’d apply all weight to the sitbones while putting the cranks at 3 and 9, pulling up a bit so as to send all the vibration to my already numb posterior. absolutely not a charlie sheen winning moment.
@Buck Rogers
where the heck are those things? i heard everyone at the restaurant talking about them but i dont remember getting an email with the order form?
@CanuckChuck
I can only hope you have a much weaker prescription than i do. when darkness is combined with my poor vision, im a stumbling bat and literally feeling my way around just to get to the bathroom. when we saw you at the bar loading up, you looked pretty dang pleased all things considered. wonderful job claiming 328km worth of vermont road. you deserve it
@Buck Rogers
@roger
You guys can order them retroactively from the main cogal page. Frank just checks to make sure you were actually on that particular ride before processing the order.
@roger
I have a pretty weak prescription so, although riding in the dark without glasses is not ideal, it’s not the end of the world.
Since there is not official 200 on 100 route, I’m happy to have been able to ride just over 200 on 100, thus qualifying me to the T-Shirt I ordered the day before. AND I’ll be able to drink from my cogal pint glass without shame.
@CanuckChuck
dude you fucking did it . shame just isn’t . Tip a pint
So I ask to all and to myself …… What now???
@Tim
Come to the UK for
http://www.londonedinburghlondon.com/
Seriously considering this.
@Tim
knee replacement surgery?
But seriously, I am still processing it all and my knees have not been able to ride so I have been stumbling around wondering the exact same thing, what next?
@Tim
I have some unfinished business in Vermont after a bad case of gut raunch. I’m looking at June 27, 2013…
This just not less than a week after the Cogal, but I think 2013 can and will be graet as well. There are ways to include either Smuggs Notch, Stowe, Rt 17, parts of the 6 Gaps, and so on. It will definitely take some work regarding the directions/road markings ala dan henry’s as it won’t be all rt 100, but we can most definitely change it up.
Changing the starting piont might not be a bad idea either. But i do like having Porches as the finish/school bus start point.
@Tim
Imagining that you are feeling somewhat
“finished” — like this.
Amazing stuff by all, you guys are crazy fucking legends! 27kmh average? Jesus.
Next? Gotta get the Keepers in on this.
To my thirteen companions in this incredible adventure I have to say that no one did not finish. We all rode beyond our limits and all rode to the max. That includes my friend who’s stomach acted up and if it had not he no doubt would have been the first in the hot tub.
To Buck and Tim, with your gimpy knees you are true hard men and I hope they heal soon and stronger than before!
As to what’s next? Beers, bed, gentle rides under 175km and a lot of catch up at work.
@roger
I was thinking the same thing: Newport VT is where route 100 officially starts and I’m willing to bet has more accommodation options. Need to investigate. (Wait, WTF and I saying? I told myself I wouldn’t be riding this again next year… oh well.)
@Steampunk
I’m thinking about doing this the second week of September next year. The weather should be a little cooler. Plus I’ll be turning 40. Seems an appropriate way to celebrate to me.
@MJ Moquin
That could work. My problem is that I probably need to avoid the teaching semesters, which means I’m free from mid-April until the end of August. I also think that the more daylight hours available the better…
@Steampunk Excellent point. I hadn’t considered daylight hours and I’ll need as much as I can get! Looks like June it is.
@MJ Moquin you know I owe you big time for the amazing job you did so if there are no conflicts count me in as your SAG. I would enjoy the pay back and since I am near it is an easy trip for me.
Looks like there will be another local contingent to do the 200 next year. Tammy is amped to do the ride and I’m sure her enthusiasm will draw a fun group from south county together to go up to n. Troy and hammer south.
I like to suggest Newport VT as the starting point for next year: more hotel rooms to accommodate that fun group from south county and a few miles west of town is the official start of route 100.
@Rob
Rob, I am thinking the same thing. I do NOT see myself riding it next year but I should be living at West Point, NY and I cannot imagine missing it. I am currently planning on renting a van on my own dime (a la Roger) and driving SAG as well next year so I can shout out shit the whole way to the newbies on the ride, “Oh you thought that climb was hard??? Just wait until you’ve been in the saddle over ten hours and you STILL have a fuck load of climbing to do, Sonny!!!”. You know, motivating shit like that.
@Buck Rogers
That’ll be music to my ears because it’ll mean I’m actually in the saddle and not watching from the sidelines again!
@CanuckChuck
Definitely Newport next year for all the reasons that have been mentioned so far.
So here’s an idea. Just an idea. An answer to the question of turning around anddoing it again. There is a rout I found that is scenic running north south that is not All rt100. From n.Adams go north on 100 to rt9 , go east to rt30 n. to 35 n. to 103 n.join 100 to rt107 to rt14 which goes all the way to Newport. Almost all rds are labeled as scenic all in vt . Leave the car in N Adams , ride to Newport , sleep for a night or two, ride back on 100 with smugglers notch .My knee has seemingly recovered , I’m riding again and prone tofantasies fueled by late nights watching the TDF.
@Tim you know it’s probably a great idea but since I am not doing this again and I am signing up to sag ONE way (in the right direction) your on your own on this one my friend!
@Buck Rogers since we have been joined in some Vulcan style mind meld bonding experience on the upper reaches of the route 8 windmill climb I am so in on this!!
Ummm… I think I was on crack last night.
@Tim
Ya, I read that last night and said, “Okay, enough Grand Marnier for me. I cannot figure out what the HELL he is talking about!”
But, that being said, I would follow your wheel anywhere, well at least for as long as I could hold it!
Holy cow @Tim, have you switched from Allen Lim’s rice cakes to Cheech and Chong brownies?
Oh Man, sounds like they are at it again.
http://200on100.com/
Looks like I might have found my big ride for 2013. Wish I was still in VT as I would love to try to ride for a bit with them later this month.
@roger
mmmm yeah I love those brownies!!! Hahaha. They are giving me that something extra for a week in N. Conway , rock climbing ,doing strava segments and watching the tour. I’m wondering if it would be wise to get a one day license for a crit. as a cat 5 and risk being acrash victim just to have an opportunity to race again without paying for the full license , apply for an upgrade and that hassle. If I do I’ll make sure to hand out as many brownies as I can to all the other riders.
@Tim
Ahhh! Tim, I hope that you are kidding! Cat 5 crits are where bikes and wheels go to die! I refused to race Cat 5 crits this year and have only done circuit and road races as the crashing in those things is amazing!
Did you check out the link I posted the other day? It’s about Ted King, Johnson and Kelly riding from Burlington to Maine later this month and anyone can join them that wants to along the way. I am soooo bummed that I cannot be there to try to do a few miles with them. You guys that live up up that way really ought to try to link up with them for a few miles. It’s not everyday in New England that a REAL Giro pro rider invites people to come and ride with him!
@Buck Rogers
You might get away with using the Camera USB Dock adapter with your iPad. It’s $30, from any store. It’s meant for plugging your camera in via USB, but some folks use it for other things. I’ve heard it being used for USB Audio out… Hope that helps.