Guitar Ted Death Ride Invitational 2009

The Guitar Ted Death Ride Invitational 2009

What: A long gravel road group ride for fun. Nobody gets left behind.

Who Is It For?: For anyone that loves to ride gravel, loves a challenge, and likes to have fun.

Where's It At?: In and around the North East Iowa communities of West Union, Strawberry Point, Elkader, and Elgin Iowa, with a few smaller burgs thrown in.

When Is It Goin' Down?: Friday, July 17th, 2009- We will be gathering at Echo Vlley State Park to chat, and have an Adult Beverage or two, then....Saturday, July 18th, 2008. We'll probably start sometime early morning, just after sunup till sundown or just after, who knows?!!

The Commentary: The GTDRI is nothing to fear, it's just a fun, yet challenging ride that anybody can come and try. The approximate distance of this years trek will be about 115 miles. Here's a look at the proposed route: http://www.mapmyride.com/ride/united-states/ia/west-union/787324184315 You can expect lots of hills! I figured this route on another program that indicates total climbing and it shows around 6,000 plus feet overall. That's only a guesstimate though. The point is, there will be lots and lots of hills. Part of the course will take in sections of the T.I.V4 route, (including the dreaded Dove Road section) and some of it will be totally new course.

Typical modus operandi is as follows: Get up at dark-thirty, gather for a pre-event breakfast, or not. Get riding by first light. Take an easy pace, yet keep moving as much as possible. There will be breaks to keep the group together. Stop somewhere for lunch. Continue onwards until the finish. Maybe a group supper, maybe everyone will go home, and maybe everyone will just want a cold beer! Who knows? Find out and join the fun.

Things to seriously consider: While GTDRI is a group ride that "leaves no one behind", you are still responsible for you! It is a self supported ride, so be aware that none of us are going to bail you out in the boonies. Ya gotta ride out yerself, or have a "Plan B" for getting picked up if you can't make it. Bring plenty of water, energy food, anti-cramp remedies, whiskey, or silver bullets to bite on in case of pain! Bring money, you'll need it! A cell phone wouldn't hurt either. There will be cue sheets, so if you fall off the back, or feel adventurous and racy, you can self navigate it, but most prefer the group mentality and follow the leaders.You had better be in some semblance of riding condition since this course will be brutal. We've been known to slog it through storms, heat, and wind. We've also finished well after dark before too, so think about bringing a light. Oh! Yeah.......there will be B roads too!

So that's it in a nutshell. It is a ride borne out of the times when I worked in an auto repair shop, didn't have time to ride much, and took one weekend off in the middle of summer to put in an all day road ride. I ended up referring to those rides as "death rides" since I usually bonked, got dehydrated, and suffered like a pig. I usually was waaaay out of shape, and I didn't know squat about nutrition on a bike back then. Now I do the ride on gravel and B roads, call it by a big, fancy name, eat and drink a little smarter, and still suffer like a pig! Ha ha!

So, if you have a mind to come, just show up. The more the merrier. I'll have more recon info and a link to cue sheets soon. Stay tuned!

Get out and ride yer bikes and have some fun already!