Guitar Ted Death Ride Invitational: August 19th, (Saturday) sun up to sundown. Starting in Pfieffer Park, Cedar Falls, Iowa. Navigation by map provided at start. No fee, no support, and no prizes. I'm going for a long gravel grinder that day and you are welcome to come along. The approximate mileage is just under 150 miles. There will be only three towns on route and all three have convenience stores to re-supply from. The course is one large loop and will end at Pfieffer Park. There is parking available at the park.
Okay, that's the pertinent information. Here is what has been happening on the course developement and a little tidbit or two of information on it. I had originally sat down and planned a route through places I wanted to ride through, but the distance was far too great at 170 plus miles. I had to do some editing! I sat down this weekend to hash it out over some maps, (thanks to b.d. sahib!) and I came up with some major modifications. Right now, the course is estimated at 148 miles. I will have to confirm that for you all that are interested later. I have also found a way to pull maps off of the Iowa D.O.T. site that will work nicely for the navigation needs of anyone that decides to ride along.
The course will start in Black Hawk County, pass southwards and slightly eastwards to Tama County making a "U" shaped turn to the West and then straight North. Entering the southern portion of Grundy County we will turn west into Hardin County. We will follow the Iowa River valley for a short spell then peel off straight to the east out of Hardin and into Grundy County again. Cutting straight across Grundy County, we will arrive back into Black Hawk County and Cedar Falls hopefully before the sun sets. The towns passed through will be Traer, Gladbrook, and Steamboat Rock. Don't let the proximity of the towns fool you! I have at least 50 miles between Traer and Gladbrook, for instance.
Well, that's about it for updates now. I have to start riding the course now to verify that all the roads are there, so more updates will be posted as they become available. In the meantime; read about a real endurance event and be inspired! It's one of the best ride re-caps I have read. It's long, but well worth it. See if the closing paragraphs hit you like they did for me.
And speaking of re-caps, go check out Mr. 24's re-cap of the Ponca XC......er Marathon event that took place this past Saturday in a warmer climate than Iowa has had lately. 48 degrees this morning! Brrrr! I thought I was done with jackets for awhile!
Ride your bike today.......OUT!
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