GW '21: Things Didn't Start Out So Well

The Scene: Riders lining up for the 150 version of Gravel Worlds

Saturday, August 21st, 1:00am-ish:

I awaken to loud voices in the hallway outside of our motel room and then many loud, slamming doors. I am wide awake lying in the bed at the Graduate, a large 14 story motel near the Haymarket area of Lincoln. It's hot and clammy until the air conditioning kicks in, then in about five minutes I need covers. The air kicks off and doesn't come back on for an hour. (I know, I was awake this whole time), and then room re-heats due to the radiation of the absorbed heat of concrete and buildings during the many 90 degree-plus days leading up to the event. So then I have to kick off the covers. This scenario pretty much repeats itself until the 3:45am alarm goes off. 

Awesome.....

Tony and I get up and throw on some clothes so we can go to eat the 4:00am breakfast they have arranged for the cyclists here. We also are to meet Pell Duvall, another Trans Iowa veteran and veteran of many other gravel events. He and his friend, Scott Redd, also put on the Omaha Jackrabbit Hundy for several years. Pell had his wife with him for support, but wanted to let her sleep in and had asked us for a lift down to the start. 

At the breakfast a gentleman from Colorado sat with us. It was his first go-round at Gravel Worlds. He'd done the Steamboat gravel race the weekend before. As we chatted, he exclaimed that it was hard to believe that they had come up with 12,000 feet of elevation gain in Nebraska, of all places. The gentleman's words no sooner left his lips when laughter was heard from Pell and Tony. I smiled. 

How many times have I heard about how "Iowa is flat!", and you know most folks think the same of Nebraska. Well, both Pell and Tony know better, and .....I actually felt sorry for the guy from Colorado. He was about to get schooled.

Moments before the 150 set out

We got down to the starting area which was pushed out of the parking area we used to use and now was in the street. They had a couple of city blocks set up "DK200 Style", which is how they used to do it back in Emporia. You were to figure out what your 'estimated finishing time' would be and line up accordingly to the signage the GW folks had posted on the street. There was a big inflatable and lit up start 'gate-hoop' with the chip timing line. There were loud-speakers set up all over which were blaring a non-stop live reading of the race's rules and admonishments. This went on for 45 minutes straight. You could hardly have a conversation, it was so loud.

I found this to be extremely annoying, but hey! It isn't my event. I found that hardly anyone was paying attention, which is ironic, and most everyone I spoke with had negative comments regarding the 'noise'. I would have preferred a rider's meeting, or, ya know- just find a way to communicate this more efficiently via electronic signs, or something less intrusive to the surrounding neighborhood. I don't know. It was downright silly though. 

I did have one bright spot in all of this. I saw John and Celeste Mathias, who were such big helps to me during the final years of Trans Iowa. John is a long-time veteran of gravel grinding as well. We had a wonderful chat there, but as the time ticked away, we had to get our focus on the event.

And then it was time to go. 

Chasing......everyone!

My Lezyne GPS is like many computers, I guess. You have to turn it on, let it 'acquire satellites', and then when you move, it asks you if you want the ride recorded. Of course, I never figure this out until after the event starts. I mean, I could roll around briefly before the start and get the dang record button pushed and I'd be set, but noooooo! I waited until I was rolling under the start gate to, you know, get it spot on. 

That's not a bad plan, if you push the right button in the dark! And of course, I did not. Fortunately I recognized the mistake almost immediately. Without the computer recording, it would not give me any mileage readings, only a speed readout.Then I had to think very quickly. I need to stop and reset the computer to get back to the page where it allows me to choose "Record this ride". But when you are rolling in a throng of people, you do not just jam on your brakes to fix your computer. Well, unless you want to cause utter mayhem. So, I had to first find a safe way to get off to the side. 

I deftly worked my way to the left and at a corner I stopped where the course went left. This allowed me to not only start the computer up and get it into record mode, but now I could reference the cue sheet and be able to determine mileage overage based on where the turn was on the cues against my computer. Fortunately I was only .5 off. Okay! Now, let's get going.....

And I looked behind me so as not to interfere with any riders, but it wasn't necessary. I was dead last. 

Next: A Surprise Meeting